The Billboard You Can Pick Up: Packaging as Brand Experience (with Aaron Keller, Capsule) | Ep. 12

Aaron Keller didn’t hold back. In this episode, Beyond the Billboard co-hosts Charlie Riley and Greg Wise sit down with the Capsule co-founder to dissect the human and economic layers of brand. Aaron lays out a philosophy grounded in the idea that “brands are living members of our community”—containers of trust and meaning that shape culture and behavior. The conversation touches everything from billboard placement in Maplewood, Minnesota to the strategic suspension of merino wool products by Patagonia. He explores what happens when brands try to be everything to everyone, and why too much focus on bottom-of-funnel tactics can trigger the marketing equivalent of a restraining order. This episode is loaded with stories, sharp metaphors, and marketing reality checks from one of the most thoughtful minds in branding.👤 Guest BioAaron Keller is the co-founder of Capsule, a special projects agency based in Minneapolis. Capsule works with brands like Patagonia, Hydro Flask, and QuickTrip, offering research-driven design and brand strategy. Aaron is also the author of The Physics of Brand, a columnist for Twin Cities Business, and describes himself as a “curious investor.”🔗 Aaron Keller on LinkedIn📌 What We CoverWhy “a brand is a container of trust and meaning”The social role of trust—and what happens when brands lose itHow Patagonia handled a global wool sourcing controversyPackaging as “a billboard you can pick up” and the high stakes of in-store designHow Capsule used mobile research to inform Patagonia’s packaging revampThe tension between brand and demand gen, and how out-of-home fits into the mixCultural fatigue from bottom-funnel bombardment and “marketing restraining orders”Launching a nightclub brand in suburban Minnesota using strategic billboardsThe hidden influence of Red Bull’s street teams and why caffeine is a creative performance enhancer🔗 Resources MentionedThe Physics of Brand – Book by CapsuleCapsule – Aaron’s agencyLiquid Death – Referenced as a cultural case studyRed Bull – Mentioned for experiential and brand executionDinner Bell – A consumer-facing dairy brand from a supplier cooperativeMPI (Associated Milk Producers Inc.) – Parent of Dinner BellTropicana, SunChips – Referenced in packaging redesign contextLow-Tech, High-Impact Account-Based MarketingIf you’re ready to trade expensive, tech-heavy account-based marketing for a repeatable, revenue-driving ABM program, check out Scrappy ABM. Led by a team of Scrappy ABM experts, they specialize in low-budget plays and programs that deliver high impact—no shiny tools required. Scrappy ABM has built account-based programs that have delivered millions in revenue, and you can build your first successful ABM program with their help.Start with a pilot program or launch an account-based podcast. Learn more at scrappyabm.com. Let's get scrappy.