👋, I’m Kimberly. I’ve been creating obsession-worthy brands for the past fifteen years. And now, I’m giving away my secrets every week in this newsletter.
It’s officially been six months since I started this newsletter—giving you fresh branding content every. single. darn. week.
That’s 24 issues.
35,371 words.
More than half of a 200 page book.
And I’m not gonna lie, you guys… I feel pretty accomplished about it.
In last week’s newsletter on personal branding, I talked about finding a platform you like and sticking to it. And after flirting with Instagram and trying out TikTok, I’ve ended up here on Substack—because I really love writing and going deeper into topics in a longer form.
After I publish on Substack, I share my newsletter on other platforms. And on those platforms, I get a lot of thoughtful comments that add to the content I’ve already created.
So, to celebrate six months of weekly content creation, I’m rounding up the “Best of Brands That Get You”—and adding your insightful comments to the mix.
Oh, and one more thing!
My audience for this newsletter has been growing—but I’d love to grow it more over the next six months.
If you find value in my content and know anyone else who would too, I would really appreciate it if you’d hit the button below and share this issue right now!
Ok, phew, that’s it for the big promotional plug 📣📣📣 .
On to the Best of Brands That Get You, starting with….
These Sunglasses are CRAP, and Other Brilliantly Divisive Brand Names
In this issue, I shared 3 secrets about naming:
The elements of my “Great Name Trifecta”
Why you should consider a divisive brand name
What any brand can learn from two best-in-class examples of brands with divisive names
And here’s what readers had to say about it:
“Naming is half the brand awareness battle!”
“Love this headline!! Best lesson I think - pick a lane!! You have to either lean so far into the joke, or take it in a "super elevated direction" - so so true. Otherwise, it falls flat!”
“This headline is so fun! And such a fun article. Coming from someone who just finished a book (which is a brand) called WTF Just Happened?! (pronounced the full name not the initials :)”
“Thank you for introducing me to Liquid Death - I have to try this.”
“I love it. Can you do a piece about how yogurt and perfume names bias heavily towards an umlaut over some vowel in the name?”
If you missed this issue, read it now.
Secrets of a PR Guru: Part 1
In this issue, I interviewed the amazing Jennifer Birn—a PR guru who’s worked with superstar brands like Virgin America, Plum Organics, JSX, Dagne Dover, Soapbox, and Harmless Harvest.
We covered super useful topics like:
The big lie to watch out for if you’re hiring an agency, and the mistake that even PR experts make
The ultimate checklist to make sure you’re 100% ready for PR
The one thing to spend your money on—and what to do if you have no budget
And here’s what readers had to say about it:
“This is such honest objective advice - great interview!”
“Great advice particularly for those with no budget. So true - ‘Usually some kind of experiential marketing or collaboration. Come up with something that could get the most news attention for the highest ROI for the lowest spend.’
“PR often feels like a walled garden, love that you are breaking it down.”
“This is so timely and exactly what I need. I was thinking about hiring a PR firm. Thanks for sharing Kimberly!
“What a handy checklist! Going to be super helpful for the next time anyone gets ready for PR.”
If you missed this issue, read it now.
And check out Part 2 with MORE awesome secrets from another PR guru I’m proud to know, Alyssa Muskett!
How Political Should Your Brand Be?
In this issue, I tackled a big question facing every brand that is being asked to comment on social issues today.
A memo that made 1/3 of the company quit—and why it matters to you
The big question facing all brands today: Is taking a controversial stand really worth it?
Buycotters vs Boycotters, and how knowing the difference between them can impact your high-risk decision making
And here’s what readers had to say about it.
There were a LOT of comments—and a lot of split opinions:
“Voting with your dollars is a long held tradition that keeps markets moving. We support what we believe in. If a brand or company is engaging in behavior you don't approve of, it makes sense to cease supporting it.”
“In the case of Coinbase, I have several friends who work there and they rave about how supportive that company is of their intersectional lives: consistent, on-going anti-bias training, a dedicated, company-sponsored support system (groups, classes, trainings, offsites) for all kinds of marginalized groups, etc. In that regard, a supportive company that is focused on tools that fight inequality, asking them to keep the work-slack work-focused, while supporting the social causes that matter to them, seems perfectly reasonable. I did have friends who left (and were supported) because they explicitly wanted to work for a social impact company, which is a valid want.”
“Rather than being "political" there needs to be a clear expectation of what ‘good’ looks like, and it needs to be supportive of a myriad of things. Diversity and inclusion, employee safety and wellness, working conditions and how it impacts the environment are all important and it is fair to expect companies to uphold that line (and hopefully more and more are as the workforce demands it).”
“Love this "Buycotters vs Boycotters" This is a very tough question. For a large part of my career as a lawyer, my focus was on corporate governance which also looked at the corporation as a corporate citizen. In part, what role does a the corporation have in bettering society and the communities they operate in? Today, with trust in government so low people are looking to businesses to fill the gaps. To take a stance. To create policy. To speak out. It may be a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. I don't think there is an easy solution. but right now staying neutral also opens you up to attack.”
“I try to not pay attention to the politics of a brand but with the divisiveness of politics recently this is becoming more and more challenging. It's more and more a part of the identity of the consumer, and of course we want to align what we buy with our how we identify ourselves.”
“Politicized businesses help fuse society with the state, which is actually an element of fascism. Unless a brand is already political by nature and purpose, stay out of politics. Your corporate brand is there to serve customers, shareholders, and your employees, not political zeitgeist.”
“I've definitely made decisions based on companies' stances, or lack thereof. I appreciate a brand standing up for what it believes in, even if it repels some customers.”
“I don’t think a brand needs to necessarily be political, but I do think it needs to live its values.”
“I LOVE when a brand is political (and backs their voice up) because it helps me know where to spend.”
If you missed this issue, read it now.
The 34,000 Feels
Did you know you have 34,000 emotions?!?
In this issue, I talked about how to boost brand engagement with Big Feelings.
What Marie Kondo and Dalai Lama can teach you about emotion-led branding
The all-time best tool for figuring out your brand’s unique emotion
6 brands that make me feel a strong emotion—and exactly how they do it
And here’s what readers had to say about it:
“Getting a customer to feel what you want them to feel is the ultimate magic trick. Thanks for sharing this great advice! Made me think a lot about which feelings I want clients to have.”
“I am fascinated that we have the capability to feel soooo many emotions, and will definitely re-examine how I want others to feel about my own brand. Thanks for the tips!”
“It is so so important to focus on emotional experience in brand strategy — before we even dig into visual expression!”
“I just learned about the emotion wheel last month and have been using it with my kids- it's awesome! I love how thinking about how brands can use this more nuanced approach, too.”
“Here’s my emotion: I love your newsletter so much!”
If you missed this issue, read it now.
How This Brand Got Built: A Case Study in Using Audience Insights
In this issue, I’m walked you step-by-step through a recent rebrand I led.
How we discovered our Ah-Ha Insights
How we used our Ah-Ha Insights to inform the strategy
How we brought our Ah-Ha Insights to life in the creative
And here’s what readers had to say about it:
“Great rebrand. Very interesting place to start - thinking about the competition and how it impacts you when it might be time to rebrand, or amping up your branding to continue to differentiate yourself when the market starts to get crowded.”
“Love this series - having a brand that breaks through the noise of all the other DTC brands is so crucial these days. And I also like the new level of vibrancy displayed in the brand/packaging/etc.”
“Love how clearly you lay out how the customer insights informed this brand. And how the testing proved that it resonated!”
If you missed this issue, read it now.
The 5 Point Framework for Controversial Decision Making
Fact ➡️ Your brand WILL be asked about controversial issues.
In this newsletter, I created a 5 Point Framework that will help you
Decide whether your brand should take a stand, on an issue by issue basis
Be prepared to quickly and thoughtfully address issues as they arise
Respond in a way that’s genuine, and not generic
And here’s what readers had to say about it:
“This is such a helpful framework! Really puts things in perspective.”
“That's a great framework. It really forces you to stop and ask the important now and in the future questions. What kind of actions can you take that are not just about donating money to an organization? And if that is the action, how can your employees and customers be part of that selection process?”
“Oh this is good and very timely. I like how you really broke this down, in particular, #1. I can't tell you how many companies don't even consider this. Thanks for the thoughtful share, Kimberly!”
“This is such a great email Kimberly. The very first Substack in my long list of subscriptions that I've read all the way through! Thanks for sharing your wisdom with the world.”
“Love how you wove in Nietzche! Great article Kimberly Brizzolara.”
If you missed this issue, read it now.
That’s it for the Best of Brands That Get You this time!
You can always look through my archives to see if any of my other newsletters are relevant for you right now.
There are plenty of more topics—like how how to use customer reviews and lines and waitlists to your best advantage, how to get the brand ambassador of your wildest dreams, and how to get customers to trust you.
Have Branding Questions?
Are there any branding topics or questions you’d like me to write about during the next six months? Let me know in the comments—or shoot me an email at kimberly@brandsthatgetyou.com.
I want to make sure I’m writing about what’s most relevant to you!
If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider sharing it with friends, or subscribing if you aren’t already.
About Me
I help early stage founders create the kind of brands that get customers so obsessed, they’ll do your advertising for you.
Based on my experience founding my own consumer brand, I developed The Branding Sprint—a uniquely collaborative, streamlined, and agile approach to brand creation.
Click here to learn more about The Branding Sprint, or schedule a call with me.