BRAND:NEW
BRAND:NEW is the straight-talking podcast for business owners who want a stronger brand without the marketing jargon.
Hosted by Donovan, a Creative Head and Brand Champion with over 30 years of global experience, each 5–10 minute episode breaks down the principles of professional brand design—from logos and websites to color, typography, messaging, and everything your business says before you say a word.
No fluff. No design-school jargon. Just practical advice, real-world examples, and the occasional war story to help you make smarter branding decisions before you spend a single dollar on design.
New episodes twice a week.
Episodes
26 episodes
Eps. 26: Longevity In Design: Why Do Some Logos Live Forever?
Four logos, four different centuries, one shared secret: none of them share a single design trend across their lifespans. Donovan walks through Twinings (the oldest unchanged logo in the world) Heinz's, Stella Artois, and John Deere's constantl...
Eps. 25: Why Is Chasing Trends Terminal?
Donovan makes the case that chasing design trends isn't just risky — it's a betrayal of your actual brand voice. Featuring two real, well-documented, and very expensive, disasters (from Tropicana's packaging flop to Gap's six-day logo reversal)...
Eps. 24: How Often Should I Update My Website?
Your website has no hamster cage problem — unlike your old brochures. Donovan covers why your site should be treated as a living document, the real math behind mobile-first design (including two clients with wildly opposite traffic splits), and...
Eps. 23: What is a Call To Action (CTA)?
The call to action, the landing page, and the blog you’re neglecting. Donovan breaks down why your CTA should be repeated relentlessly, why a landing page is a "psychological trapdoor," and the test for whether your business should even bother ...
Eps. 22: What is UX And UI?
What is UX, UI, and why the web industry loves making simple things sound like a NASA briefing. Donovan breaks down the difference, explains why cognitive overload is silently costing you customers, and settles what a "conversion" actually mean...
Eps. 21: What Makes A Good Website?
Three quick diagnostics for your own website: what actually makes one good, the quiet warning signs that yours is failing (starting with whether you hesitate to give out your own URL), and why asking your developer to design it is like asking y...
Eps. 20: Do I Need A Professionally Designed Website?
The Website Design episode opens with the timeless wisdom of the great David Ogilvy - and makes the case that most websites are still getting it backwards sixty years later. Do you need a professional site, can Wix or Squarespace actually cut i...
Eps. 19: Do I Really Need Professional Photography?
You can't put lipstick on a pig — but in design, you absolutely can, and Donovan explains exactly why that's still not good enough. The full Photography chapter: why professional photographs make all the difference - plus - the real story behin...
Eps. 18: Can I Use The Same Font Everywhere?
Closing out Typography: why using one font family everywhere beats switching things up, the real difference between legibility and readability, and a war story about a legacy font that turned a simple PDF job into a genuine nightmare. Includes ...
Eps. 17: Do Fonts Really Make A Difference?
Typography episode opens with a hard truth: choosing a font is not a five-minute decision. Donovan breaks down why your logo font is sacrosanct, why more than three fonts turns your brand into a ransom note, and settles the Comic Sans debate on...
Eps. 16: How Many Colors Should My Brand Have?
Closing out the Color chapter: how many colors does a brand actually need, and what happens when it goes wrong? Donovan shares two real stories — the "Spouse Trap" that nearly cost a retail giant fifty-six years of brand equity over dinner, and...
Eps. 15: How Do I Choose The Right Colors?
In this episode we discuss the emotional and technical process that goes into choosing your Brand Colors. We also discuss what happens when you share a base color with a competitor.If you're interested in a comprehensive audit of your Lo...
Eps. 14: What happens if my brand is used incorrectly?
What actually happens when someone gets your brand wrong — a stretched logo, the wrong Pantone, a font nobody approved? Donovan closes out the Brand Manual chapter with why bringing on a new designer without a manual is the single riskiest mome...
Eps. 13: What goes into a ‘Beginner’ Brand Manual?
What actually belongs in a beginner Brand Manual — and what can wait? Donovan lays out the essentials, answers the questions clients ask most (do you need to print it? do you need a dedicated Brand Manager?), and settles the argument once and f...
Eps. 12: What Is A Brand Manual?
What is a Brand Manual, really — and why do so many business owners skip it, only to regret it later? Donovan calls it your brand's Atlas, breaks down the real difference between a Brand Manual and a basic style guide, and makes the case for wh...
Eps. 11: Which Type Of Logo Is Right For Me?
Which type of logo fits your business, and do you need a designer who specializes in your industry? Donovan also breaks down why he only presents one logo concept — not twenty — and how too many choices ends up creating Frankenstein’s monster. ...
Eps. 10: What Makes A Good Logo?
Ten episodes in! — What actually makes a logo good? Donovan breaks down the four traits every great logo needs (using Metallica and the Rolling Stones as unlikely brand case studies), then tackles the bonus question every dentist ever has asked...
Eps. 09: What Does A Professional Logo Design Cost?
What does a professionally designed logo actually cost — and why? Donovan makes the case that you're not paying for an afternoon's work, you're paying for the decades it took to know exactly which shape to draw. A real look at what goes into th...
Eps. 08: Do I Really Need a Professionally Designed Logo?
The last piece of brand strategy before we get specific: what are the actual building blocks of a brand? Then Donovan dives into logo design proper — do you really need a professionally designed logo, and what's the real, hidden cost of using a...
Eps. 07: What Does It Cost To Build A Brand Properly?
Brand strategy and the true cost of branding, explained honestly: what does it actually cost to build a brand properly — and what does it cost when you get it wrong? Donovan breaks down real cases (Fendi, Bud Light, Jaguar) on cost and risk, th...
Eps. 06: What is a Brand Audit - and Do I Need One?
What actually happens in a Brand Audit — and is it just a fancy word for "pay me to tell you what you already know"? Donovan breaks down exactly what gets examined, why skipping this step is one of the most expensive mistakes in rebranding, and...
Eps. 05: What Is The Difference Between A Refresh and A Rebrand?
Refresh or rebrand? Donovan breaks down the real difference with two client stories — one company forced into a full rebrand through no fault of their own, and one that thought they needed surgery but only needed a facelift. Plus: how do you ac...
Eps. 04: When Is The Right Time To Think About Branding?
Startup, refresh, or full rebrand — there's a right time for each, and Donovan breaks down all three so you know exactly which one you're actually facing. Bonus: can you build your own brand, or is it time to call in a professional? The honest ...
Eps. 03: Does My Small Business Need Branding?
"My business is small — do I really need a brand?" Yes. And Donovan makes the case that small businesses need branding more than the big guys, not less — plus why a genuinely good product still won't sell itself without one. Real examples inclu...
Eps. 02: Is Your Logo Your Brand?
Your logo is not your brand. It's the foundation — but the brand is everything built upon it. Donovan unpacks the famous Bezos line about brands being "what people say about you when you're not in the room," and why every color, font, and photo...
