Episode 12: Making brand everyone's business with Emily Cushman

In this episode, Pebble Presents Emily Cushman. Emily walks us through her journey from her second-grade self (knowing she wanted to work in branding and advertising) to the cultural shift working in agencies vs working client-side. She shares what she’s found most effective when making a case for brand in companies where teams don’t know - or, in some cases, don’t care - about brand. Listen in to hear why Emily thinks research and insights are an essential part of brand building.Emelia Rallapalli is the founder of Pebble - a brand strategy and marketing research consultancy. With decades of experience in global brand planning, strategy, and research, Pebble has helped shape businesses of all kinds, from ambitious start-ups to global Fortune 100 companies. Emily Cushman is a brand and creative leader who’s spent more than twenty years helping some of the world’s most loved brands find their voice and purpose. Today, as Director of Global Brand Strategy at Zendesk, she leads the charge on defining what the brand stands for — turning strategy into stories and ideas that connect with people on a human level. Over the years, Emily has guided Fortune 500 companies and emerging brands alike to bridge the gap between purpose, product, and experience, and her work has always centered on helping brands show up with clarity, heart, and authenticity.At her core, Emily is a storyteller — one who believes the best brands don’t just sell, they inspire. She’s passionate about uncovering the spark that moves people, and turning that insight into creative ideas that build connection, culture, and growth.Welcome to Pebble Presents.- - - - - - - - -If you liked this episode of Pebble Presents, please share it with colleagues and friends! Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show.Want more? Visit PebbleStrategy.com. You can also find us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/pebble-strategy/) and Instagram(https://www.instagram.com/pebblestrategy/).Thanks for listening and joining the conversation!Show Notes 0:28 - Emelia introduces today’s special guest and topic2:06 - Emily recalls the journey that led her to her current profession6:36 - Emelia shares a memory that Emily unlocked for her - and the two discuss looking back to pay-it-forward19:27 - Emily divulges what happened, professionally, when she stepped out on her own20:46 - Emily discusses how brand strategy discipline lives within the organization on the company side vs. on the agency side23:56 - Emily recounts an example of when she was able to talk about brand so the organization recognized its necessity26:09 - Emily describes what her team has done to position Zendesk globally for growth28:26 - Emily shares where she sees insights being used and leveraged with the greatest impact for brand in organizations 37:00 - Emelia and Emily discuss the brand as behavior, not just message39:11 - Emily describes the culture of her company and if she has had to evangelize and make the case for brand41:20 - Emily shares what she’s found has helped make the financial case for brand43:11 - Emelia invites Emily to participate in a lightning round51:44 - Emelia wraps up the episodeEpisode CreditsExecutive Produced & Hosted by Emelia RallapalliProduced by Stephanie Watanabe Edited and Post Produced by Erin ZimmermanArtwork and Design by Liisa Turan-Walters