Most brand projects fail not because of bad creative work, but because of poor internal groundwork. In this episode, we sit down with Robert McKechnie, MD of Starrett Europe and a veteran of successful brand transformations at organisations including Core (Scottish Power) and Norbord.

Robert shares his powerful "torch and bridge" analogy that reframes how clients and agencies should work together. While agencies shine the torch to illuminate what's possible, it's the client's responsibility to build the bridge: doing the internal work, securing buy-in, and creating the cultural foundation that turns brand strategy into business results.

We explore why brand exercises fail when they're just "poster campaigns," the critical importance of bringing customers into the room during strategy development, and why you should never find yourself in a boardroom discussing fonts. Robert also tackles the eternal tension between marketing and sales, and shares hard-won advice for mid-level marketeers struggling to make an impact.

This is a conversation about the unglamorous but essential work that separates brand projects that deliver real commercial results from those that simply look pretty.

About Good, Brand Consultants
Good Brand Consultants helps B2B organisations turn brand strategy into commercial reality. Based in Scotland and working globally, we partner with clients to tackle everything from foundational brand positioning to practical implementation frameworks. If you're wrestling with brand challenges or want to explore how strategic brand work can deliver real business results, we'd love to hear from you. To learn more about us, visit goodbrandconsultants.com.

Something's coming over the hill! In this episode of The Good Brand Podcast, Stewart sits down with Chris and Julie to tackle a thorny question: what happens when “cheap imports” aren’t cheap or inferior anymore, just good enough, well-priced, and increasingly well-branded? Using BYD and others as jumping-off points, we dig into how the playbook has shifted (price → quality → brand) and what that means for Western B2B manufacturers and tech firms.

We talk trust as a real moat (warranties, service, local presence), why heritage helps but won’t save you, and the unsexy truth that brand-building is a continuous practice, not a one-and-done campaign. No silver bullets, just what it takes to be match-fit before market share slips “slowly, then quickly.”

Take a look at the original article.

About Good
Good is a brand consultancy, working with ambitious B2B businesses to overcome the problems that hold them back. We believe brand strategy is business strategy, helping companies sharpen their positioning, win customer loyalty, and unlock new opportunities for growth. Got a problem that’s keeping you up at night? We’d love to have a chat to see how we could help. Find out more at goodbrandconsultants.com.

In this episode of The Good Brand Podcast, we sit down with Catherine Connolly, Executive Chair of Prime Light Group, to explore how brand shapes boardroom decisions and business strategy. From her early career in B2B marketing to leading global and mid-sized companies, Catherine shares candid insights on using data to earn credibility at board level, why consistency beats trends, and how brand becomes the anchor for growth. It’s a practical, no-nonsense look at why brand truly belongs on the leadership agenda.

In this episode of the Good Brand Podcast, we sit down with Carolyn Jones (CJ), co-director of Anatomical Concepts, a Glasgow-based company providing rehabilitation technology and personalised services for people following life-changing illness or injury.

Five years after working together on a comprehensive rebrand, CJ shares how brand strategy has become the backbone of their business decisions, recruitment process, and daily operations. From using brand values as a strategic filter for new projects to embedding their mission into every client conversation, this conversation reveals how a well-crafted brand can transform not just external perception, but internal culture and business growth.

CJ discusses the vulnerability required in the brand process, how they've maintained authenticity while scaling, and why their brand guidelines live on the front page of every official document rather than gathering dust in a drawer. We love this, a case study in how small businesses can leverage brand as a practical tool for sustainable growth and meaningful impact.

Want to talk? Have a look at our website, Good Brand Consultants.

In this episode of the Good Brand Podcast, we unpack the findings from our latest B2B brand survey — and they’re telling. While most businesses invest in defining their brand, too often the strategy gets shelved after launch. Brand is left to play second fiddle to product marketing, rarely given the space or investment to shape business decisions. We discuss why belief in brand fades so quickly, why true brand campaigns are almost non-existent in B2B, and how better measurement, from quick wins to long-term impact, can help brand earn its place at the top table.

Take a look at our article, You Don’t Have a Brand Problem. You Have a Brand Belief Problem.
Have a look at our results.

Why do so many professional services firms, full of smart, capable people, sound like they’re trying to confuse you?

In this episode, the Good team dives into the five hard truths that explain why professional services branding so often misses the mark. From overcomplicated language to legacy baggage, inside-out thinking to same-same design, we unpack the traps firms fall into and why clarity is braver than complexity.

Expect straight-talking, zero-fluff takes on:

• Why “you can’t express what you haven’t defined”
• How legacy names can become anchors
• What the “we-to-you ratio” reveals about customer focus
• Why looking professional doesn’t mean looking the same
• And how strategy, not design, sets the foundation

Whether you're in B2B tech, law, consultancy, or finance, this one’s for anyone tired of jargon, vague mission statements, and forgettable brands.

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A trillion-dollar value gap. A C-suite that doesn’t get it. And why “brand” still feels like a dirty word in B2B. Stewart, Chris, and guest Teri Nicklin get real about why brand is misunderstood, underfunded, and harder than ever to prove. Expect honest takes, stupid questions worth asking, and a push for braver brand thinking.

You can find out more about Teri as well as Teri's LinkedIn post that kicked off this whole chat.

Good is a brand consultancy that helps complex organisations solve business problems through brand. We don’t do fluff, vanity metrics, or vague strategies. We align brand with business to drive real-world impact, building stronger positioning, clearer messaging, and better commercial outcomes.

https://goodbrandconsultants.com

In this episode of the Good Brand Podcast, Stewart, Julie and Chris get stuck into the real reason your best work isn’t cutting through. It’s not a branding problem, it’s a business problem. From product-led blind spots to muddled messaging, they unpack the "recognition gap" between what companies think they’re selling and what customers actually value. Expect plain talk on why brand is often misunderstood, why internal bias wrecks clarity, and how to close the gap with positioning that drives real, measurable value. If you’re still leading with technical specs and calling it strategy, this one’s for you.

Read the original article: https://goodbrandconsultants.com/articles/why-your-best-work-isnt-winning

Good is a brand consultancy that helps complex organisations solve business problems through brand. We don’t do fluff, vanity metrics, or vague strategies. We align brand with business to drive real-world impact, building stronger positioning, clearer messaging, and better commercial outcomes.

https://goodbrandconsultants.com