A discussion of entrepreneurship, building great brands and starting from scratch
The CMO Council / Wise Marketer Interview Series features creative and impactful people from all corners of the marketing world – Founders, C-Suite executives, and influential voices in the community.
Today’s Guest is Jarryd McDonald, founder and CMO of Culture Cartel Inc., a Toronto studio known for building brands the people choose. Culture Cartel is based in Toronto, has a global reach and creates work that is focused, fast, and precise – resulting in brands that are unmistakable with identity you recognize at a glance.
Jarryd previously served on the CMO Council Global Advisory Board for Africa and now serves on the North America Advisory Board. He has guided complex portfolios, launched new brands, and led creative operations across continents, working with familiar names Kubota, Polaris, Club Car, and The Toro Company. Martechvibe once named him one of South Africa’s Top 20 CMOs to Watch.
Our conversation today begins with entrepreneurship as Jarryd and I talk about his journey from a corporate marketing executive in South Africa to guiding a start up in Canada. We’ll talk about the fascinating paradox of starting your own business after a marketing career and layer on the additional challenges of immigration, arriving in a new country with no network, no local credibility, and a clock ticking to get the business moving.
You’ll particularly enjoy the exploration of Jarryd’s “WHY”, that he would rather have tried and failed than never tried at all. That’s a mantra that will resonate with most business founders.
We also cover the essential elements necessary to building a winning brand and the complementary roles of brand love and brand trust that are essential to success. You may not be surprised to learn that Jarryd believes that great brand strategy begins with the customer.
Finally, we talk about the importance of having a brand ambassador in the C-suite. As Jarryd reminds us, “If you’ve got a marketeer in the room that is passionate about that brand trust and brand love, it’s absolutely gonna get driven.”
If you are a brand marketer, a budding entrepreneur, or an aspiring CMO, this conversation is for you.
Time Stamps for the Time Starved:
- Introducing Jarryd McDonald – 00:43
- Entrepreneurship and Starting from Scratch – 02:03
- Jarryd’s Favorite Non-Fiction Book – 02:56
- The Arc of the Story – 04:40
- Inspiration for Culture Cartel – 09:42
- Revealing Jarryd’s “Why” – 12:50
- Creating a Successful Brand – 15:52
- Brand Trust or Brand Love? – 17:33
- Importance of Hyper-Personalization – 19:22
- Influencers and Brand Building – 21:20
- Intersection of Customer Loyalty & Brand Building – 24:57
- C-Suite and Customer Loyalty – 26:15
- Advice for Entrepreneurs – 28:05