#38: The layer cake approach to branding with Allison Capaldi and Robert Wolfe, Zeck
In a world of fleeting attention spans and oversaturated markets, how can brands truly stand out and build loyalty that lasts—even when it comes to something as overlooked as board meetings? Today, we’re joined by Allison Capaldi, Senior Content Manager at Zeck, and Robert Wolfe, Founder of Zeck. Together, they’ve built not one but three successful brands, including Moosejaw, which sold to Walmart, and CrowdRise, which sold to GoFundMe. Now, they’re revolutionizing the way companies approach board meetings with Zeck, while continuing to push the boundaries of what it means to build a memorable and lasting brand. Allison will share her innovative "Layer Cake Approach" to branding, and we’ll hear from both Allison and Robert about their unique partnership and insights on building iconic brands. About Allison Capaldi Allison Capaldi started her passion for brand and brand building in 2002 when she was one of the first employees at Moosejaw Mountaineering, founded by Robert and Jeffrey Wolfe. From that moment on, the world of brand building was in her blood. From a small back office carved out of a retail store where they’d put customers on hold to say ‘hold on let us check in our warehouse’ (spoiler, there was no warehouse), to being acquired by Walmart and more recently, by Dick’s Sporting Goods, it was the maniacal pressing of the brand that made it all work.An irreverent sense of humor, a fanatical approach to customer service and a cult following around the globe helped to create a brand full of authenticity well before that was a buzzword. Following the Wolfe brother’s next endeavor (along with award-winning actor Edward Norton), Allison landed at CrowdRise, which eventually became the largest fundraising platform for non-profits in the United States. Kind of cool. Making giving back notable, cool and fun was the goal and it worked. CrowdRise was eventually acquired by GoFundMe. Fast-forward to business number three of Robert, Jeffrey and Edward and Zeck was born. Out of real life experience of now having sat on multiple boards and dealing with multiple boards, everyone realized there was a real problem. First of all, board meetings were miserable - we’re solving that. The brand is right back to taking center stage on a problem that is extremely corporate and lackluster. And, it’s working again. Allison calls her branding approach the Layer Cake Approach and can talk about it until she’s blue in the face. It’s not about creating a brand that looks good and says the right thing - it’s about the layers. The details. The miniscule fine print on the receipt that actually is engaging - and for the 2% of people who read it, they’re yours forever. A graduate from the University of Michigan, Go Blue, she’s devoted her working life to these brands. She’s also a decent singer, brings her own hot sauce to her sister-in-law’s house and can’t go to bed unless the kitchen is clean. That’s all. About Robert Wolfe Robert Wolfe is the founder and former CEO of Moosejaw and CrowdRise. More recently, Robert started Zeck. Zeck is entirely reimagining the miserable board meeting process Robert started Moosejaw in a tiny shop when he had really big hair. Moosejaw’s aim was to make retail and e-commerce fun and engaging and they also pressed their own Moosejaw brand, which became pretty cultish, in a good way. Despite being incredibly foolish, Moosejaw was acquired by Walmart. No one can believe it but it’s true. Robert wanted to make sure he had some sort of decent impact, so along with his smarter brother, Jeffrey, and actor and philanthropist, Edward Norton, he launched CrowdRise. CrowdRise focused on making giving back notable, cool and social. CrowdRise eventually became the largest fundraising platform four non-profits in the US and was acquired by GoFundMe. After spending time as an operator running board meetings and, on the other side of the table, as a board member, Robert launched Zeck to change the process entirely. Zeck transforms the dynamic between the leadership team and the board, making board meetings strategic and forward thinking. Never again will you get into a board meeting to have a deck that you already read, read back to you. Such a waste of time. Robert has no interests or hobbies and is a terrible sleeper. He has been an advisor to several companies and is faster than Usain Bolt at replying to any message. But, publicly Robert only boasts about his Honorable Mention for ‘Best Breakdancer Using an Old School Cardboard Mat’. Also, ‘for’ is spelled incorrectly above on purpose. Resources Zeck website: https://www.zeck.com The B2B Agility podcast website: https://www.b2bagility.com Sign up for The Agile Brand newsletter here: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/b2b-agility/ Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com
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