Built for Brand

When no one knows your brand yet, what actually gets them to buy? Sometimes the thing that moves the customer isn’t your brand story at all. It’s the value proposition, the price, or simply showing up where they’re already shopping.In this conversation, Greg Wise sits down with IQBAR founder and CEO Will Nitze to unpack how IQBAR grew from a Kickstarter experiment into an omnichannel business with products on shelves across Costco, Walmart, Target, and other major retailers. Will shares why the company moved beyond its original “brain food” positioning, why price itself is a form of marketing, and why sometimes the value proposition has a stronger brand than the brand itself.Greg and Will also dig into what changes when a brand moves beyond the feed and into the real world. Will explains why brick-and-mortar has become more profitable for IQBAR than e-commerce, how a Costco pallet can function like a free Facebook ad, and why greater physical distribution makes top-of-funnel investments like radio and out-of-home increasingly valuable.Key Takeaways:Why brands need the humility to follow what customers actually respond to, even when it means changing the positioning they started withHow physical retail creates its own acquisition engine, turning shelves and pallets into real-world media that thousands of shoppers see without another paid impressionWhy omnichannel distribution can make brand marketing and out-of-home more valuable as a company growsIf every marketing dollar has always needed to prove itself immediately, this episode makes the case for what becomes possible when your brand gets big enough to show up beyond the feed.Highlights:(00:00) Meet Will Nitze(05:46) Cold emails, mentors, and starting from zero(11:58) Why Kickstarter was proof, not funding(15:33) How Amazon built the growth flywheel(21:08) What actually drives retail conversion(26:38) Why brand alone does not convert(29:01) Letting customer demand reshape positioning(31:16) How Amazon led IQBAR into Walmart and Costco(34:43) Building the online-offline growth flywheel(42:24) When out-of-home starts making senseResources:Will Nitze on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-nitze/Check out IQBAR: https://www.eatiqbar.com/Follow Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregwise/Follow OneScreen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onescreen-ai/Subscribe to OneScreen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onescreenaiCreated in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/

Brand and performance spent years being treated like two different jobs. Alexis Luerssen spent two decades proving they work better as one.In this conversation, Greg Wise sits down with longtime Match Group marketing leader Alexis Luerssen to unpack what more than 20 years of building brands taught her about connecting brand investment to business growth. From helping Match normalize online dating to launching community-focused brands like BLK and Chispa, Alexis has watched the marketing pendulum swing from mass-reach brand building to performance obsession and back toward a more integrated approach.Greg and Alexis also dig into why brand and performance shouldn’t live in separate worlds, how out-of-home creates a halo across the rest of the media mix, and why building trust with a community requires more than buying impressions. For Alexis, every marketing dollar should drive something, but measuring channels in isolation can cause marketers to miss how the entire system works together.Key Takeaways:Why brand and performance can work toward the same growth goal instead of competing for budgetHow out-of-home, events, digital, and influencer marketing can create a halo that makes the entire media mix work harderWhy understanding the community you’re trying to reach is essential to building the trust that drives long-term brand growthIf you’re still measuring brand and performance like they belong in separate scorecards, this episode makes the case for seeing the bigger picture.Highlights:(00:00) Meet Alexis Luerssen(01:37) Reacting to Barbie’s iconic billboard(06:36) How Match helped normalize online dating(14:11) Why brand and performance belong together(19:35) What Gen Z expects from brands(21:02) How influencers reshaped the media mix(23:30) Using OOH to drive measurable lift(29:00) Building brands for specific communities(31:47) Why community trust comes before growth(34:25) What 20 years taught Alexis about brandResources:Alexis Luerssen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexisferraro/ Check out Match Group: https://mtch.com/ Beyond the Billboard: Barbie MovieFollow Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregwise/Follow OneScreen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onescreen-ai/Subscribe to OneScreen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onescreenai Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/

Brand marketing can create something performance marketing cannot always deliver: an emotional connection that gives people a reason to care beyond the discount.In this episode of Built for Brand, Greg Wise sits down with Liz Vanzura, CMO at Solo Stove and Board Member at Solo Brands, to unpack how she approaches building brands people genuinely want to spend time with. Liz shares how Solo Stove is evolving from a smokeless fire pit company into an outdoor lifestyle brand centered on togetherness, why experiential marketing helps customers see and feel what a brand stands for, and how those activations can be measured as part of a broader product launch ecosystem.Greg and Liz also explore how to balance brand and performance marketing, why marketers need to follow the customer instead of getting attached to a specific channel or creative, and how Solo Stove actually increased performance by replacing sale messaging with a more emotional brand message. They also discuss the growing importance of real world experiences in an AI driven marketing landscape, the value of partnering closely with finance, legal, and IT, and why curiosity and adaptability are becoming essential skills for modern marketing teams.Key Takeaways:Why Liz builds brand around togetherness by focusing on what the product represents emotionally, not just what it does functionallyHow experiential, performance, PR, and content can work together as one launch ecosystem when marketers measure the full value of an activationWhy brand can outperform discount messaging when customers are fatigued by promotions and respond more strongly to emotional creativeIf your brand is competing for attention in a crowded, AI-driven market, this episode makes the case for building stronger emotional connections, meeting customers where they are, and letting real consumer response guide the strategy.Highlights:(00:00) Meet Liz Vanzura(02:48) From board seat to CMO in a month(04:08) "I sell togetherness," not just fire pits(07:56) Why brand needs to be shown, not just told(10:24) IRL connection in the age of AI(12:50) How Solo Stove picks its marketing channels(18:11) Measuring the ROI of experiential marketing(24:41) Finance, legal, and IT: a marketer's best friends(31:58) The Father's Day risk: ditching sale messaging for brand(40:35) What out-of-home marketing means to LizResources:Liz Vanzura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-vanzura-7996321/ Check out Solo Stove: https://www.solostove.com/us/en-us/ Check out Solo Brands: https://solobrands.com/ Follow Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregwise/Follow OneScreen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onescreen-ai/Subscribe to OneScreen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onescreenai Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/

Most brands start with a product and then look for an audience. LMNT did the opposite. By solving a real problem, earning trust within an existing community, and listening closely to what people actually needed, the brand built demand before it ever made a major investment in growth.In this conversation, Greg Wise sits down with Robb Wolf, Co-Founder of Drink LMNT, former research biochemist, and two-time bestselling author, to unpack the unconventional path behind one of the most recognizable brands in hydration. Robb shares how a free electrolyte recipe helped validate the idea for LMNT, why the company launched with less than $100,000, and how being forced away from traditional digital advertising pushed the team toward podcasts, partnerships, retail, and deeper customer relationships.Together, they explore why the strongest brands feel human, how authenticity and emotion create trust, and why LMNT is investing in physical experiences like retail and out-of-home advertising as it enters its next stage of growth.Key Takeaways:How solving a real customer problem and building community first helped LMNT create demand before investing heavily in traditional marketing channelsWhy authentic brand experiences and human connections can create more trust than digital advertising alone as brands compete for attentionHow staying true to a brand’s mission and voice helps companies build long-term loyalty, even as they scale into new markets and channelsIf you’re trying to build a brand people trust, create demand without relying solely on paid channels, or turn a genuine customer problem into a lasting business, this episode offers a practical look at how authenticity, community, and customer connection can become the foundation for long-term growth.Highlights:(00:00) Meet Robb Wolf(01:32) Reacting to LMNT's own billboard ad(02:52) From research biochemist to near-fatal health crisis(06:51) Finding KetoGains and the electrolyte clue(09:26) Creating the viral KetoAid recipe(14:30) Meeting future LMNT CEO James Murphy(16:59) The 3AM call that changed everything(27:26) Surviving the COVID ad blacklist(33:47) What actually makes a brand feel real(43:23) Why out-of-home advertising builds real trustResources:Robb Wolf on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-wolf-008b996a/ Check out Drink LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/ Check out Robb Wolf’s Substack: https://robbwolf.substack.com/ Beyond the Billboard: ‘Life After Workout’ by LMNTFollow Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregwise/Follow OneScreen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onescreen-ai/Subscribe to OneScreen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onescreenai Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/

Out-of-home marketing is no longer just about billboards. As digital channels become more crowded and AI makes content easier to create, brands are looking for new ways to build trust, create memorable experiences, and connect with audiences in the real world.Greg Wise sits down with Stacy Minero, Chief Marketing and Experience Officer at OUTFRONT Media, to discuss the evolution of out-of-home into a broader IRL media opportunity. Stacy shares how her experience across agencies, Twitter, and Epic Games shaped her perspective on the power of physical experiences and why brands need to rethink how they build connections with consumers.Together, they explore why IRL media is becoming a critical part of the modern marketing mix, how brands can use creativity and technology to create standout experiences, and why real-world connections may become even more valuable in an increasingly digital and AI-driven landscape.Key Takeaways:Why IRL media is becoming a critical brand-building channel as consumers seek more authentic, trusted, and memorable experiences beyond digital feedsHow brands can use out-of-home as a creative canvas to create campaigns that spark conversation, social sharing, and deeper audience connectionWhy marketers need to rethink measurement and media strategy by viewing IRL as a force multiplier that strengthens the impact of the broader marketing mix If you’re looking to build stronger brand connections, break through crowded digital channels, or understand how physical experiences can shape the future of marketing, this episode offers a fresh perspective on why the real world still matters.Highlights:(00:00) Meet Stacy Minero(01:38) Reacting to the trend of breaking the board (03:31) Stacy's path from agency to Twitter to Epic Games(05:02) The moment IRL became the future(08:17) Redefining out-of-home as IRL media(10:38) What's new inside OUTFRONT Media(16:41) Closing the confidence gap with data(20:14) Creative freedom and testing big ideas(26:46) Why Gen Z is craving real-world experiences(33:38) The future of out-of-home, five years outResources:Stacy Minero on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacy-minero-79287b4/ Check out OUTFRONT Media: https://www.outfront.com/ Follow Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregwise/Follow OneScreen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onescreen-ai/Subscribe to OneScreen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onescreenai Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/