Episode 21 – A logo doesn’t equal a brand – Kyle Shields – Creative Director, MAVAN

Kyle Shields is an award-winning art director, designer, and
creative director who has found success in branding, advertising,
and growth marketing. After spending a decade spearheading
successful ad campaigns for brands like Wendy’s and MasterCard,
Kyle now lends his innovative expertise as Creative Director at
MAVAN.


 


Matt and Kyle dive deep into the tenuous and nuanced relationship
between creativity and growth. Kyle highlights how to define and
leverage your brand audience to create an effective growth
strategy, the importance of creative testing and brand
consistency, and AI's transformative impact on creatives.


 
Key Takeaways

Your creative approach should be a balance of flashy
advertising and effective audience alignment

Perceived audience may differ from actual audiences, which is
why creative testing is crucial for determining effective
marketing strategies

Developing an early brand guide is instrumental for scalable
businesses and brand consistency, which builds consumer trust and
recognition 

AI's rapid advancement in creative fields presents both
opportunities and challenges, urging creatives to continue to
adapt and harness new tools for continued relevance

Chapters

 


(0:00:05) Introduction to the podcast and guest, Kyle Shields


(0:01:37) Kyle's background and experience in design and
advertising


(0:03:09) Transition from Deloitte to working at small ad
agencies


(0:04:35) Highlights of working for big campaigns and brands like
Wendy's and Mastercard


(0:08:55) Misconceptions about the interplay between creativity
and growth


(0:10:41) Balancing creative and performance in advertising and
growth


(0:11:59) What traditional advertising can learn from performance
and growth


(0:12:15) Misconceptions about small target audiences


(0:12:53) Brand example: Fireball Whiskey's audience pivot and
gradual success


(0:16:07) Consistency and repetition in messaging and branding


(0:18:15) Importance of testing in creative and product
development


(0:19:17) Brute force acquisition strategy and the role of
creativity in acquisition


(0:20:56) The long-term benefits and impact of creative testing


(0:21:57) The importance of cohesive creative across the customer
journey


(0:22:25) Importance of creative testing at scale in the gaming
industry


(0:22:58) Importance of consistency across messaging and brand
voice


(0:23:33) Importance in isolating creative variables in testing


(0:24:22) Clean, usable data is necessary for effective testing


(0:25:09) Importance of a holistic brand approach beyond just
logo design


(0:26:11) Capturing relevant creative data to inform future
creative decisions


(0:27:47) Challenges in defining and reinventing your brand


(0:28:26) Overlooking the importance of brand expression and
consistency


(0:30:21) Setting up brand guidelines and educating the team


(0:31:57) Skipping steps in brand development and the cost of
scaling


(0:33:14) Brand's connection to company culture, tone of voice,
consistency in brand DNA


(0:34:23) The importance of consistency within your brand DNA


(0:36:33) Brand example: Red Bull's commitment to brand
integrity 


(0:37:31) Core exercises for creating a brand from scratch


(0:41:44) Rapid advancement of AI, including social media and in
the creative job market


(0:45:19) The future of AI tool adoption in design and automation


(0:50:59) AI-generated content will lead to more creative
competition and content


(0:56:16) Photoshop's impact on photography shows how perceptions
change over time


(0:59:58) How AI will change and enhance creativity rather than
replace it


(1:05:08) How AI can provide accurate, in-depth information
quickly to change the way we learn


(1:07:14) The interplay between AI, business, and human
experience over the next 20-30 years


(1:08:55) Conclusion and closing remarks
Link to Transcript

 


Find the transcript for this episode at:
https://www.mavan.com/growthscale-episode-21-kyle-shields/