Why Some Brands Become Movements (and Others Don’t)

You know when a company brags about its “great culture,” but the employees look dead inside? That’s because culture isn’t what leaders say it is — it’s what customers feel.

Episode 70 of the Experts of Experience podcast, hosted by Mission.org, Salesforce, GroundForce Capital, titled "Why Some Brands Become Movements (and Others Don’t)" was published on March 5, 2025 and runs 44 minutes.

March 5, 2025 ·44m · Experts of Experience

Summary

You know when a company brags about its “great culture,” but the employees look dead inside? That’s because culture isn’t what leaders say it is — it’s what customers feel. In this episode, Mark Rampolla, founder of ZICO Coconut Water and managing partner at Ground Force Capital, tells us how culture quietly shapes every customer interaction. From Liquid Death’s branding genius to why “culture fit” hiring is a terrible idea, Mark breaks down what it really takes to build a company people actually want to engage with.We also dive into the “need behind the need” (AKA why customers don’t buy what you’re selling but what it does for them). Mark shares how ZICO won over yoga studios by solving problems beyond hydration and why understanding where your customers make their money is the key to selling. If your culture, hiring, or customer experience feels off, this conversation holds the solution you’re looking for. Key Moments: 00:00 Who is Mark Rampolla, founder of ZICO & managing partner at GroundForce Capital?01:02 Building a Movement02:13 Why Company Culture Matters03:35 Culture in Action: Real-World Examples08:27 Hiring a Culture Add & Customer Obsession17:36 Assessing and Evolving Company Culture24:42 Understanding the Need Behind the Need25:06 Real-World Examples of Customer Empathy26:17 Building Relationships with Yoga Studios29:31 Marketing Strategies and ROI31:34 Hypothesis Testing & the Opportunities in Operational Failure38:17 Active Listening and Empathy in Business41:24 Impressive Brand Experiences43:18 Mark’s Key Advice for CX Leaders  –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode Description