Episode 239: I'm With The Brand (unpacking how brands influence our brains), part one

This episode is part one in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism. In this episode: * We’re going to break down what brand and branding mean, using fizzy water and boxed macaroni and cheese as examples * We will walk through the history of “brands” and “branding” leading up to this century, where it evolves from a little brand on a jug to full-on marketing teams and brand theory * Why it's so wild that food brands got obsessed with masked taste tests in the 70s and 80s * How Amanda teaches brand and branding to her small business clients and students (and why that matters for them) * And Amanda will shares some brands that aren’t really who you think they are any more (or maybe never were) Additional reading: "Meet the Man Who Made a Fortune Bringing Brands Back to Life, ( https://www.wsj.com/style/authentic-brands-group-jamie-salter-c75d07e1?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAh8-gk-B6g4t2Q-RX6BPlIa2pDO3Hpx6aPXAs_zrkKejdeE-Dkvc1eenK9f9Kg%3D&gaa_ts=687441ab&gaa_sig=GONJDcW6AapH9DKhU2dHj3_hbh8vK2ui14xN83BrHTG-XHV5YLL6B-q_3-5F81WD7CsRmgMN-leIBRhjznB0ag%3D%3D )" Suzanne Kapner, The Wall Street Journal. Authentic Brands Group brand portfolio ( https://corporate.authentic.com/brand-portfolio ) Levi Strauss & Co. Enters into Definitive Agreement to Sell Dockers to Authentic Brands Group ( https://investors.levistrauss.com/news/financial-news/news-details/2025/Levi-Strauss--Co--Enters-into-Definitive-Agreement-to-Sell-Dockers-to-Authentic