The Strategy Behind Brands People Remember

Marketing Shenanigans (#054)

Smart brands don’t try to be cool—they let others be cool for them. 👊

Here’s the secret: Brands aren’t just companies anymore. They’re producers.

Think of your social media and YouTube channels as episodic series. Your job isn’t to be the star of the show—it’s to set the stage for others.

Here’s How to Do It

1️⃣ Fund the episodes.
Find people who are already living stories that align with your mission. Think athletes, creators, professionals—the protagonists your audience admires. Their authenticity is what captivates your customers.

2️⃣ Distribute the trailers.
Your brand isn’t the main character—it’s the platform. Share highlights, key moments, and trailers from their story that reinforce your message. The spotlight isn’t on you, but your brand becomes part of something bigger.

3️⃣ Own the backend.
Here’s the kicker: Social media followers are great, but the real gold is in your email list. When you control the backend, you can amplify authentic voices without worrying about algorithms.

The result? You stay relevant without trying too hard.

The Takeaway

Audiences don’t follow brands to see ads—they follow stories, experiences, and people they admire. If your brand isn’t producing those stories—or partnering with the ones who are—you’re falling behind.

Be the producer, not the star. Focus on authentic stories, strategic distribution, and owning your backend to build something your audience won’t forget.

Teddy Giard

In case you don’t already know, my name is Teddy, and I operate a firm that specializes in monetizing lifestyles for brands. Our approach is simple: use a humanitarian approach to identify problems and present our solutions, bridging the gap between performance marketing and brand growth. By doing this, we own the distribution of our own voice and products.

If you’d like to explore working together, feel free to fill out this form, and if we’re a good fit, we can schedule a discovery call. We ask this because we keep a fairly narrow target for whom we work, and we like to be as open about that on the front end as possible. After all, time is life’s most valuable resource.