When leaders pass the mic to trendy marketing and tune out their brand truth, disaster follows. In this episode, Brandon Coleman Jr exposes the billion-dollar blunders of brands like Jaguar and Bud Light—case studies in how chasing cool can cost you your credibility. From tone-deaf campaigns to abandoned brand DNA, Brandon sounds the alarm on what happens when politics, poor leadership, and marketing collide. If you’re responsible for your brand’s future, this one’s a must-listen. Because in business, you don’t get points for being provocative—you get results for being real. Tune in, take notes, and keep your Brand ON!
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Email: bcj@brandoncolemanjr.com
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Transcript (with chapter marks)
00:01:07 Blinded by Politics and Ego
Brandon Coleman Jr: 50 Years of brand strategy consulting, I’ve seen so many brand campaigns crash. The worst? When politics—ego, agendas, or fear—hijack decision-making, hijack common sense. When you’re the leader, the buck stops with you.
00:02:08 Burning Car Crash
Brandon Coleman Jr: Jaguar… they ditched their sleek luxury vibe for a futuristic, woke, minimalistic campaign that doesn’t even feature cars, and has whipped up a massive, fiery online debate that spilled over into politics, the evening news, and culture wars, and hey, maybe that’s their goal. They just want attention. It’s got everyone talking about them, that’s for sure. The problem is no one’s saying anything nice. The offensive campaign has destroyed sales. They have plummeted 96% since launching six months ago.
00:03:50 Ignoring the Audience’s Truth
Brandon Coleman Jr: Then there’s Bud Light’s 2023 campaign misstep, they partner with a controversial figure, transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, aiming for inclusion but missing strategic clarity. The backlash was swift. Boycotts cost them over a billion in sales. That’s a B billion, and a big chunk of market share they still haven’t climbed out of it. It wasn’t about the message. It was about ignoring the audience’s truth.
00:04:48 It’s All About Truth
Brandon Coleman Jr: The Bud Light situation serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of understanding consumer perceptions, managing brand message, messaging effectively, and navigating sensitive social and political issues. Again, one word, folks on the cap, truth. It’s all it’s about truth.
00:05:15 Don’t Chase Trends, Chase Truth
Brandon Coleman Jr: These failures show what happens when politics creep in for mega brands, it’s leaders dodging responsibility, delegating to CMOs or agencies who chase trends or agendas over truth.
00:06:09 No One Is Immune
Brandon Coleman Jr: Small entrepreneurial brands, you’re not immune. Say you’re a local coffee shop chasing a viral TikTok trend to seem woke or cool. If it doesn’t match your cozy community vibe, your regulars will ditch you. I know several small retail shops that jumped on a political hashtag to boost reach, they lost half their followers in a week.
00:06:45 Only One First Impression
Brandon Coleman Jr: Your job is not to worry about everyone’s feelings and try to please all of them when creating your brand campaign. If your agency presents crap, tell them so. If your marketing director brings you crap, rain on them; if your designer sends you stuff that a monkey could have created, give them bananas. It’s your brand, and you only get one shot to make a great first impression.