The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston
Episodes
Hiding In Plain Sight
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When a business is working on something big, the first instinct might be to paper up the windows and say, "Check back soon!" A good mystery won't hurt...
That's Not Man, That's Machine
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Because of the rise of AI assistants and agents in the workforce, you might be seeing a few patterns in the advertisements, blog posts, and announceme...
Hold Your Heritage
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Nobody knows your brand like you do, and sometimes that can look like a problem. It's easy to grow weary of the logos and slogans that you use, but it...
Don't Date Your Commercial
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A very happy Valentine's Day from... what's that? Is it not Valentine's Day anymore? It probably wouldn't be, of course, so why start out your commerc...
Dot Come Gone
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Back when the sun first rose over the World Wide Web, companies all over began to dip their toes into the concept of websites. On radio spots and tele...
Fearless
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor Swift knows it. Pink Floyd knows it. And so does Alton Buzzell, Director of Marketing at Hollywood Casino Bangor. On this special episode of Th...
Who's Your Data?
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The measure of a business is measurable results— and how you measure those is half the battle. On this episode of The Briefcase, Alton Buzzell, Dir...
The Best, The Worst, and The Weirdest (Super Bowl Ads)
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
February is the best time of the year for Sutherland Weston's Podcast & Content Production Coordinator, Ian Buck. But not because of the big game: he'...
And You Can Dance (For Inspiration)
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of The Briefcase brings in a special guest, Kristen Oliver, former Senior Account Manager at Sutherland Weston, who shares the story tha...
Relationships First
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of The Briefcase brings in a special guest, Jessica Ward, Vice President of Philanthropy of Heart of Maine United Way, former Senior Acc...
Trust The Process
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of The Briefcase brings in a special guest, Jessica Ward, Vice President of Philanthropy of Heart of Maine United Way former Senior Accou...
Moving Beyond The Borders
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of The Briefcase, Paul Chadwick, video production specialist at Sutherland Weston and San Francisco 49ers fan, gives us a little bit o...
The Build Me Up Billboards
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On his trip to Louisville, Kentucky, Ric Tyler of Sutherland Weston saw an intriguing line of billboards, which brought him to this episode of The Bri...
Repeat After Me
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A good line is memorable, but a great line is memorized, and sometimes "simple" gets a lot more done than "snappy". On this episode of The Briefcase...
Get To The Good Stuff!
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Quick! This episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase is about catching attention in the business sphere! You need to cut right to the chase to mak...
You May Need A Niche (However You Pronounce It)
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you're a jack of all trades, you're the master of none— but if you focus on a subject matter, you can become that subject's master. On this episo...
Website Working Against You?
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The homepage is meant to help your business, but if not used correctly, all it'll do is hinder you. On this episode of The Briefcase, Makaila Hicke...
Don't Sleep On January
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, CEO Elizabeth Sutherland celebrates the most wonderful time of the year: the fourth quarter! Be...
Stop Selling Stuff!
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the goods and services you're offering offer you no good service? What if what you're selling shouldn't be what you're buying? On this episode...
Why Google Ads Are Gobbling Budget (and How To Fix It)
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes, even when you put in the work and fork over the cash, the numbers still look like they don't care. You might start to wonder if you've been...
The Red Thread
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, Shelley Sund, Vice President and Director of Client Services of Sutherland Weston, leads us dow...
Converting Podcast Listeners Into Customers
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, CEO Elizabeth Sutherland joins Ric Tyler and continues their discussion on the art of the podca...
How To Make Sure Your Podcast Is Working For You
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, CEO Elizabeth Sutherland joins Ric Tyler as they get a little meta with this all, and talk about...
Smells Like Broadcast Spirit
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone has dreams of "going viral", but is that really what you should be aiming for? Or should your sights be aimed at an audience that's a little ...
The Peril Of Spokespeople
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While spokespeople can generate attention and credibility, they also carry personal risks that can quickly become brand liabilities. Cautionary exampl...
Model Behavior
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Between pants and purses, what draws people to your products? It seems like in the world of fashion, sometimes the model takes a paradoxical backseat ...
It's Time To Make The Mascot
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You might get someone to like your product, but you're not going to be able to get someone to love your product. However, there's a guy you can call f...
Expiration Dates (or, Dan Cashman has great Briefs)
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
They say that comedy comes in threes, but when does a joke lose its charm? Should you strike when the iron is hot, or are you bound to get burned? On ...
What's Your Sign?
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Design choice is paramount to the success of your signs, and with such little time for someone to read them, what do you say? On this episode of Suthe...
Kindness as a Weapon
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"There's a woman here and she wants to speak to the manager. She says her name is Karen." Business owners will inevitably encounter a "Karen." But bef...
Roll Out The (Cracker) Barrel (Pt. 2)
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week on The Briefcase, CEO of Sutherland Weston Elizabeth Sutherland talked about the controversial Cracker Barrel logo redesign, how it failed,...
Roll Out The (Cracker) Barrel
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cracker Barrel created controversy when removing the man and the barrel from its logo — a simplification that simply failed according to customers a...
The Sound of a Signature
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A picture is worth a thousand words, but a good song never dies. In this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, Ric Tyler walks us through som...
Can I Call You "Brief"?
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the marketing world, a good name is everything. So what happens when you want, or need, to modify it? In this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Br...
(Don't Fear) The Dashboard
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Seasons don't fear the dashboard, nor do the charts, the graphs, or the cells… In this episode of The Briefcase, Jordon Meyer, founder and CEO of Gr...
"Coopetition"
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some people look at Myers-Briggs results to see if two people will work well together. More spiritual-minded people might find results in comparing st...
Selling Who You Are
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a world where everyone is sweating the small stuff, it can be hard for a business to find its identity, let alone share it with the market. In this...
Summer Marketing Strategies: Let's Make Memories!
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Once the calendars hit June, everybody wants to make a summer full of memories: your business might be in the position to provide them. In this episod...
LL Bean and Brands taking Stands
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes, the best way to make a statement is with silence. For the entire month of May, LL Bean has been pausing all social media to support mental ...
Audio First: The Unsung Hero of Great Video
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Briefcase, Paul Chadwick, Video Production Specialist at Sutherland Weston, unpacks the often-underappreciated yet pivotal role...
Stand Out With Perspective: How Video Angles Can Set You Apart
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Briefcase, Paul Chadwick, Video Production Specialist at Sutherland Weston, follows up on a previous episode titled "Unforgetta...
Lessons From "We Solve Murders"-- Separating Fact from Fiction
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Elizabeth Sutherland, President and CEO of Sutherland Weston, explores the blurred lines between fiction and real-world media access,...
Can You Read Me Now? Closed-Captioning Matters
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Briefcase from Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, audiovisual specialist Paul Chadwick shares how turning on closed ca...
Corey Morris-- How to START a Successful Digital Marketing Plan
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Corey Morris, CEO of Voltage and author of The Digital Marketing Success Plan, joins The Briefcase to share the power of START, a five-step framework ...
Knowing When to Let Go — Lessons from 15 Years of Local TV
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Briefcase, Dan Cashman reflects on the decision to end The Nite Show, the nation's last locally produced late-night talk show, ...
Brainstorming 101-- An All Witch Orchestra?
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this imaginative episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler and Social Media/Digital Specialist Mark Parent unpacks a creative technique called Brainstorm...
Power of Personification: Understand Your Brand and Your Buyer
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler and Social Media/Digital Specialist Mark Parent recount a memorable branding exercise that reveals how emp...
For All Your Cliché Needs
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this short but sharp episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler and Social Media/Digital Specialist and veteran ad writer, Mark Parent, unpack the most fr...
Capturing Coverage for Softer News
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Cashman, Public Relations Director at Sutherland Weston, shares his firsthand experience navigating the tough media landscape where hard news domi...
Unforgettable
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is your brand truly unforgettable? Or could it just as easily belong to your competition? In this episode of The Briefcase, Elizabeth Sutherland, Pres...
Unsexy Follow Up
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Elizabeth Sutherland breaks down one of the most common reasons marketing fails: lack of follow-up. You'll learn: Why most sales ha...
Staying Level-Headed During Economic Turbulence
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabeth Sutherland, Dan Cashman, and Shelley Sund of Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications tackle the economic uncertainty many business owners...
The Difference Between Marketing, Advertising, and PR
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marketing, advertising, and public relations are often mistaken for one another. Just like a classic Scooby-Doo mystery, we're pulling back the mask t...
The Tricky Timing of a News Conference
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Briefcase, Dan Cashman explores why timing, location, and media strategy are crucial in a successful news announcement. Using a...
Need a New Web Design Agency? Listen to This First
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Briefcase, Makaila Hickey shares practical, no-stress advice for businesses navigating a common digital challenge: when their w...
Consistency Matters
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Briefcase, Elizabeth Sutherland, President and CEO of Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, discusses the importance of b...
The Impact of Music in Advertising: Branding Gold or Costly Mistake?
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is music in a commercial a secret weapon or a branding disaster? The right song can make an ad unforgettable, while the wrong one can leave audiences ...
Canva Pros and Cons from a Graphic Design Expert
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Canva has made graphic design accessible for businesses of all sizes, allowing anyone to create professional-looking visuals without a design backgrou...
Is Disney Wrong to Close Muppet*Vision 3D? Lessons in Brand Evolution
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's not easy being green… or closing a beloved attraction. Is Disney's decision a hit or a miss? —Wocka Wocka! In this episode, Makaila breaks do...
Why Maine Businesses Should Start Podcasting for Marketing & Growth
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Podcasting isn't just a trend, it's a powerful marketing tool that more businesses are starting to embrace. With 67% of Americans tuning into podcasts...
Take Me To The River
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're taking a lesson from the making of a Talking Head's classic! This short lesson about making it you own instead of duplicating an original. It ma...
The Power of Concise Messaging & How to Strengthen Business Communication
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This short lesson about messaging really works for business. In today's world of information overload, concise messaging is critical for cutting throu...
What Makes Super Commercials
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Paul discusses the top three most memorable Super Bowl commercials, what makes them stand out and what you should consider when making a commercial. T...
What Airlines Teach Us About Marketing from the 'Chicken, Fish, or Pasta' Strategy
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Airlines are masters at turning limited options—chicken, fish, or pasta—into memorable customer experiences. In this episode, Ric recalls Dan O'...
A Social Media Marketing Formula for Supermarkets
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jaimie's super way of marketing a supermarket is winning super high marks! Supermarkets face unique challenges when it comes to social media marketi...
Avoiding Brain Rot and How to Spot ChatGPT Slop in the Age of AI
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
MakAIla says AI is widely avAIlable -- so don't let it rot your brAIn! It's no surprise, as concerns about mental fatigue and low-quality content...
What Apple TV's 'The Morning Show' Teaches Us About Media and Public Perception
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dan says this television show about television news could warp your vision of television news & Apple TV's The Morning Show reveals the complexities o...
Is TikTok Going Away? What Marketers, Businesses, and Creators Need to Know
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Makaila tackles the big question: Is TikTok facing its end in the U.S.? As creators scramble to migrate followers and Maine businesses brace for impac...
Top Marketing Lessons from the Bestselling Novel Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabeth burned through this page-turner and is hot to tell us of the hero's misstep! What can businesses learn from the storytelling and leadership ...
What Was KIA Thinking? The Controversial Logo Redesign Explained
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shelley takes the wheel to analyze KIA's controversial logo redesign, and the backlash it's faced. Did it steer the brand in the right direction or le...
S1 E2 | Do Hashtags Still Work? Hashing Out Social Media Marketing Trends
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#WhoIsStillUsingHashtags #AreTheyWorkingForAnyone #WeHashItOutWithMakaila Are hashtags still effective for driving engagement on Instagram, TikTok, an...
S1 EXTRA | 25 Steps For 2025
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, Maine's Premier Marketing and Public Relations Company, presents The Briefcase! In this EXTRA, SWMC CEO El...
S1 E1 | How Q2 Won Hearts & Minds
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Supporters of Question TWO had a winning strategy. Dan says it's a "story" worth "telling."