Can You Build a Brand and Tell a Story with a #Hashtag?

Back in 2014, while I was watching the Super Bowl and the ads, I encountered a stream of live Tweets on Twitter led by Jim Joseph in New York. While 3,000 miles away, I enjoyed the discussion about the ads (and sometimes about the football game, too!) with fellow branding and marketing experts. Over the last four years, I've continued to participate in Jim’s Super Bowl chats as well as others he’s led on Twitter during other big events. Based on Jim's expertise, I've invited him to participate in a Q&A about branding and marketing, and highlights follow his bio below.

To quote Jim Joseph, “Marketing is a spectator sport,” and he’s one of the industry’s most engaging, enthralling, and entertaining commentators. As the Global President, Brand Solutions of marketing communications agency BCW, Jim constantly puts his experience to the test. He is also an award-winning author of The Experience Effect series and an adjunct instructor at New York University where he teaches a graduate class in integrated marketing. Entrepreneur of the Year, Agency of the Year, Consumer Launch Campaign of the Year, Most Creative Agency, Best Place to Work, Social Media Icon, Hall of Fame – these are the accolades that Jim has amassed through his long career in marketing. But none are more important than the daily badge he wears with the most pride: Dad. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimJosephExp and check out his Blog.

QUESTION: Since we "met" as a result of your live-Tweeting chat during the Super Bowl in 2014 (#SBexp has evolved into #SuperBowlExp), can you share a brief history about the chat?
JIM JOSEPH: I started out doing the Super Bowl Twitter chats because I noticed that a lot of people were commenting about Super Bowl advertising during the game on Twitter. Then a friend started chatting with me about it too, so I formalized it with a hashtag and invited viewers to join in. It sort of took off from there! It's great fun to chat about the advertising during a television event in real time. It keeps us connected from our various couches! I've done the Twitter "EXP" chats for the Super Bowl every year, and often do them for the Golden Globes, Oscars, Grammys, etc.

QUESTION: How did you come up with your Twitter handle (@JimJosephExp)?
JIM JOSEPH: My first marketing book was titled "The Experience Effect," so "EXP" comes from "EXPERIENCE" as in the “BRAND EXPERIENCE.” So, I just added "EXP" to my name to establish it as a bit of a brand for me.

QUESTION: What's your favorite brand, and what makes it stand out?
JIM JOSEPH: I always cite Starbucks as a fave brand because it's a great example of a brand going well beyond just the product it sells, and standing for a full experience as an active member of the community. Starbucks actively promotes local community organizations and speaks out on social issues. Starbucks actively utilizes its physical and social footprint to add value to people's lives, and, of course, Starbucks sells coffee!

QUESTION: Most organizations have a digital footprint with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. But it seems as if blogs have become a poor step-child in recent years. How can orgs use blogs to build brand equity and create brand awareness?
JIM JOSEPH: Blogs are great when you have a point of view, but they are only effective when they are integrated into a full social marketing strategy. They have become less effective recently because of the rise of content on other social channels, but when fully incorporated, they can be a great driver of social engagement.

QUESTION: How do you get all your timely ideas for your blog posts?
JIM JOSEPH: I pay attention! I love observing marketing, and since it's happening all day every day, it's easy to get a lot of content. My motto is "Marketing is a spectator sport," so we can learn a lot from each other.

QUESTION: How can an organization's President/CEO be its best brand ambassador and set an example for all employees?
JIM JOSEPH: The CEO is the brand and should live the brand every day. It's nearly impossible now to separate an organization's leadership and its values from a brand. They are completely linked. The best thing a CEO can do is to live by example of the brand. 

TWEET THIS: It's nearly impossible now to separate an organization's leadership and its values from a brand. They are completely linked. ~@JimJosephExp

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My gratitude to Jim Joseph for appearing on my Blog and for sharing his amazing insights about our passion, branding. Hope you join us during the 53rd Super Bowl on February 3, 2019, from the comfort of your living room and smartphone or tablet on Twitter for Jim's live TweetChat. And remember to add hashtag #SuperBowlExp to your tweets!

Image Credits: Altoday.com and UGAresearch.uga.edu.