Red Antler's Maggie Sause on brand as a verb, the power of play, and ghosts

Plus: How Maggie would bootstrap a brand identity if she had to start from scratch.

This week we talked to Maggie Sause , Red Antler’s incredible Head of Marketing.

Red Antler , the trailblazing branding agency, has established itself as the gold standard in the industry, crafting iconic identities for top-tier brands like Hinge, Supergoop!, AllBirds, Bonobos, Bombas, Cann, Prose, and many more.

Maggie, who was such a fun interview, gave her thoughts on brand as a verb, creating playful experiences for consumers, and the importance of committing to the bit.

Listen to the interview here , on Spotify , Apple , or wherever you get your podcasts.

3 snippets from our conversation:

Brand is table stakes

“A strong brand identity has really just become table stakes. But how and where a brand is experienced is now the big thing brands need to achieve.

A great example of this is Liquid Death . When you sign up for Liquid Death’s membership program (here ), you literally fill out a bill of sale for your eternal human soul.?

They could have just used a standard form, made it look super slick, and designed it in the brand ID. But, instead, they elevated it to a brand experience through storytelling - they delivered value from the jump in the form of this sort of theatrical and humorous story.

And, my hope is that it's a sea change in how brands build those experiences over time. I think it creates a much more meaningful and playful experience for the end users, who get to discover brands versus feeling like they're being sold a product.”

The importance of purpose

”One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is not showing up in ways that are authentic and sustainable to the foundational mission or ethos of the founders.?

If you don't have that North Star, you're going to start showing up in ways that are reactive versus responsive. You're going to chase that quick win a little bit more. Without that [defined purpose] it's very easy for brands to get lost.”

Brand as a verb

”We see brand as something much, much bigger than the traditional framing, which tends to assume it's a lot of identity systems, maybe the occasional 60-second spot with cut downs. We really think of brand as an experience. We treat brand like a verb, not a noun.

Brands are these living, breathing things that behave out there in the real world. They build relationships in the community, and they show up in people's lives every single day, sometimes even intrusively. So we know that what we build has to be of value, and has to be more than just serving the purpose of a transaction.”

PS. For listeners keeping track: Has Maggie seen a ghost? No. But she wants to.

Content People is produced by Medbury. We help executives, 7-figure founders, and brands unlock the power of LinkedIn - with zero cringe. (Really.) Check out our website for testimonials and pricing, or book 15 minutes to chat with me .?