Brand Is Not A Four-Letter Word: the podcast
Brand Is Not A Four-Letter Word is hosted by Amy Jackson—creative director, color nerd, and brand storyteller with a flair for the dramatic. With 20+ years in design and an MFA in brand strategy, Amy unpacks the myths and magic of branding with humor, heart, and just the right amount of drama.
Subscribe wherever you consume podcasts, or watch on YouTube! Episodes drop every other Tuesday.
Brand Is Not A Four-Letter Word on:
Apple | Spotify | YouTube
Season 1:
In the Season 1 finale of Brand Is Not A Four-Letter Word, Amy closes the loop on everything we’ve explored so far by unpacking one of the most misunderstood—and underestimated—drivers of brand success: consistency. This episode isn’t about color theory, logo grids, or design trends. It’s about why the same brand, shown up again and again through a thousand small moments, earns trust, credibility, and preference over time.
In this episode of Brand Is Not A Four-Letter Word, Amy explores what happens after the strategy is done...and why so many brands stall once the “big thinking” is complete. brand isn’t a logo. It isn’t a color palette. And it definitely isn’t a document that lives in a dusty folder. A brand is a living system, shaped by a thousand small gestures over time. And those gestures either build trust or quietly erode it. This episode breaks down how brand strategy becomes brand action, why misalignment happens even in well-intentioned organizations, and how a true Brand Guide (not just a style guide) becomes the connective tissue between promise, communication, and experience.
Positioning isn’t a tagline. It’s not a pitch. And it’s definitely not a gimmick. In this episode of Brand Is Not A Four-Letter Word, Amy breaks down what brand positioning really is—and why so many brands get it wrong by confusing it with arena, messaging, or clever marketing tricks. You’ll learn the critical difference between where you compete (your arena) and how you show up inside it (your positioning), and why positioning must be rooted in your brand’s authentic essence to actually work.
Your biggest competitor might not be your competitor at all. In this episode, Amy unpacks the idea of the brand arena — the market, category, and cultural “neighborhood” where your brand competes and connects. And, just like in real life, where you think you live and where people place you aren’t always the same thing. Drawing from a surprisingly relevant gin rummy story, Amy explains why so many brands misjudge their competitive set and why understanding your arena is foundational to building an authentic, aspirational, and actionable brand.
In this episode, Amy Jackson draws from her decades of directing community theatre to show how casting a play isn’t so different from shaping a brand. From understanding your audience to defining your brand’s “character,” she unpacks how clarity, fit, and authenticity determine whether your story connects or falls flat.
From mismatched promises to undercooked brand experiences, Amy explores how trust and consistency define whether audiences truly believe in your brand—or feel misled. Using her signature wit (and a few cheese-laden metaphors), she breaks down why your logo is only one slice of the bigger picture.
What do beatboxing and branding have in common? More than you think. Amy Jackson breaks down why brands lose credibility and how to get the rhythm back.
A brand isn’t just a logo—it’s everything you say, do, and deliver. Amy Jackson explores how small, intentional moments can add up to something powerful.