As Co-Founder & CEO of creative agency Mekanism, Jason Harris knows a thing or two about building brands. His goal is to bring the idea of persuasion into the twenty-first century by exploring an approach that gets its strength not from negativity and divisiveness but from the most laudable and positive aspects of our characters. We discussed all of this and more, this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Jason Harris

Jason Harris is the Co-Founder & CEO of Mekanism, an award-winning creative advertising agency whose clients include Ben & Jerry’s, Peloton, OkCupid, Molson Coors, and Alaska Airlines. He’s also the author of the bestselling book The Soulful Art of Persuasion.

Episode Highlights

A member of Congress, a used car salesman, and an advertising professional walk into a bar … No, it’s not a joke. But it should be. Rather, this is what led Jason to a more soulful approach to advertising. According to Gallup, those three professions are deemed most dishonest by a majority of Americans. As a less scrupulous marketer might say, “there’s got to be a better way …”

“Your brand is what you tell the world you are. Your reputation is what the world tells you you are,” says Jason. “When these match, you’ve built a great brand.” When they don’t, you’ve got a problem.

How can you develop a more soulful brand? Jason outlines four essential steps in his book. Brands have to be:

• Original with their idea and core values,
• Generous with their resources and heart,
• Empathetic capable of finding common ground, and,
• Soulful—of course!

What brand has made Jason smile recently? McDonald’s! Jason loves their new campaign built around celebrity meals.

To learn more, go check out the website for The Soulful Art of Persuasion and follow Jason on Instagram and connect with him on LinkedIn.

As We Wrap …

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• On Brand is a part of the Marketing Podcast Network.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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