Introducing: Yes, And Marketing

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Verblio’s podcast has a new look, name, and mascot.

Please welcome… (underwater drumroll in space):

Oooooh. Aahhhhh.

Rebranding is Demanding

While “The Verblio Show” was a great name for getting the podcast off the ground (and a full year of episodes!) we decided it was time for a name that tells people a *little* more about what to expect on the show. We wanted to capture the freewheeling nature of the conversations, Steve’s obsession with random liberal arts references, and the way we tend to find inspiration where we least expect it. We also wanted to make it clear that whatever else we may talk about, this podcast is, at heart, for marketers of all stripes.

The rebrand process was insanearduous, with virtually (literally, #zoomlyfe) more creativity from a single group of people than I’ve ever seen in my life.

The entire company congregated in the creative cave (aka our #brainstorming Slack channel) to get in on the action of choosing a new name. Please enjoy a glimpse of just some of the gems that fell to the cutting room floor:

Deep Tracks Marketing
Eenie Meenie Miney Marketing
Marketing Pick up Game
Dank Marketing
The Marketeers Club
Algorithmic Rhythm
Not Armchair Expert But Close
Add More Cheese: A Guide to Marketing and Life
Wizarding World of Marketing

Yes, that’s our CEO. WTF is he doing? It’s a long story.

After narrowing it down to a few (dozen) of our favorites, we momentarily installed a democracy…

…and found ourselves with an overwhelming winner: Yes, and Marketing.

Sidebar: What’s in a Name?

Not to brag, but Yes, and Marketing is the perfect name for the show for a number of reasons.

For starters, it’s short, snappy, and has the word “marketing” in it—which means people looking for a new marketing podcast can find it. (Something “Not Armchair Expert but Close” doesn’t achieve, unfortunately.) More importantly, it captures the spirit of the show on multiple levels.

On an individual level, these are three objectively great words:

“Yes” —> Yes! What better way to start than with a positive affirmation?

“And” —> Conjunction junction, what’s your function? Hooking up words (and phrases and clauses…but also ideas and inspiration from all corners of the earth)

“Marketing” —> Do what you say, and say what you do.

Together, though, these words are even better:

“Yes, and” —> “Yes and” is the first rule of improv, and a growing technique in business and communication. When you “yes and” someone on stage, you take their idea and run with it. When you adopt a “yes and” mindset in a brainstorming session, you make it clear that all ideas—no matter how weird and wonderful—are welcome. “Yes and” keeps you open to possibilities. “Yes and” means you’re thinking of how you could make something work, instead of all the reasons it might not.

(In fact, this isn’t “yes and’s” first appearance on the show. Hear Scott Shrum tell how the concept has helped him as COO and President of Hennessey Digital.)

“And Marketing” —> We talk about a lot of things on the show, from Scandinavian philosophies like hygge to the underappreciated sport of rucking to Greek mythology, military leaders, gravity, alchemy, and Weight Watchers. No matter how far afield we stray, though, it always comes back to marketing.

“Yes, and Marketing” —> Boom.

The best part? The show’s initials are now YAM

Next Up: A Tagline

With our name chosen, the next item on the list was a tagline—not because podcasts need taglines, but because taglines inspire art and creative direction.

Once again, we lit up the bat signal. Once again, #brainstorming delivered:

The marketing podcast that dragons eat for breakfast
Puff puff SaaS
An energy drink for your MIND
Hard questions, Easy listening
Totally safe idea flame-thrower
Glitter bomb your brain
Happy birthday to your epiphany
Summer camp for semi-professional people
Shamans in suits
Business in the back, party in the front
Tailgate party at the office park
Like Comicon. Not really.
Weapon of mass creation
Creativity served neat
The Brain’s Expansion Pack
Exciting like a really very big balloon animal
As fizzy as La Croix, but with more flavor

Artwork Time

With a few of our favorite taglines in hand, our incredibly talented designer Mandi got to work.

Inspired by “Steal these ideas”
“Don’t keep your brain in a jar” became a goldfish escaping its bowl, became a fish exploring outer space, became our beloved new mascot: Rocket Fish

We weighed the merits of megaphone heads, pondered the fact that there is more than one road to success, and derided the overuse of rocket ships in startup iconography.

Inspired by “Great minds don’t think alike,” we dubbed these adorable lightbulb folk “The Royal Tenanbulbs.”

In our final meeting however, it was Rocket Fish who stole our hearts.

No awkward posing here. This was *definitely* candid.

The only question remaining: what color to go with?

We battled fiercely over pink vs. purple vs. aqua…before accepting that Mandi had been right the first time. She usually is.

(And if you’re worried about all the art we didn’t end up using, rest assured: we have plans.)

After much ado, it was time for the big reveal.

We’re live!

The Same, but Different

Though our look has changed, our focus on providing insight and entertainment through thoughtful conversations has not. Expect to hear more from a variety of guests: industry CEOs, leading names in marketing, agency owners, expert consultants, and the occasional professor, improv star, or other oddball. And, as always, you can find the full videos on our show page to catch up on any you’ve missed.

We’re excited about this new phase of the show, and we hope you’ll join us! Search Yes and Marketing wherever you get your podcasts and tune in for new episodes every Wednesday.

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Megan Skalbeck

Megan has been following the world of AI since the initial GPT release in 2018. As Director of AI & Strategic Initiatives at Verblio, she's responsible for figuring out the best ways to blend the capabilities of artificial intelligence with the quality of our human freelance writers. When she's not doing tech things, she's making music, writing existentialist fiction, or getting reckless on two wheels.

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