Stories From an Entrepreneur

<p>Ever wondered why some brands earn attention while others get overlooked?  </p><p>In this episode of the DMI podcast, host <a href="https://willfrancis.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Will Francis</a> speaks with entrepreneur <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernestcantillon/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Ernest Cantillon</a> about what it really takes to build brands people remember.  </p><p>Ernest is co-founder of Black Emerald Irish Whiskey, COO of LYQD - a digital exchange for whiskey casks, and owns the pub Sober Lane in Cork, Ireland. Drawing on his experience across hospitality, food and drink, and e-commerce, Ernest shares the lessons he&#39;s learned from building businesses and taking risks in competitive markets. </p><p>This conversation explores the ideas and experiences that have shaped Ernest&#39;s approach to building lasting attention. </p><p> </p><p>Ernest&#39;s top 3 tips: </p><ol><li>Don&#39;t take your brand too seriously: authenticity resonates far more than trying to appear perfect </li><li>Ship your ideas: getting good work into the world beats endlessly chasing perfection </li><li>Focus on creating experiences people genuinely want to share: great products and happy customers are your best marketing </li></ol><p> </p><p>The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWKV2YlzIxeVNDzvfbvSxg" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">YouTube</a>, <a href="http://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/ahead-of-the-game/id1502583392" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="http://open.spotify.com/show/6r6nCK6XALNOAiXvHoxyve" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Spotify</a>, and all other podcast platforms. </p><p>And if you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review so others can find us. If you have other feedback or would like to be a guest on the show, <a href="mailto:podcast@digitalmarketinginstitute.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">email the podcast team</a>! </p><p> </p><p><strong>Timestamps: </strong></p><p>0:00:00 – Why attention is every business&#39;s biggest challenge </p><p>0:01:12 – Building customer loyalty with email marketing </p><p>0:03:05 – Why WhatsApp Business is worth watching </p><p>0:05:00 – How hospitality marketing has changed </p><p>0:06:28 – Creating content people actually enjoy </p><p>0:07:45 – Building a brand through culture and community </p><p>0:08:57 – LinkedIn as a networking and personal branding tool </p><p>0:09:52 – Marketing products that require education </p><p>0:11:10 – Why in-person events still matter </p><p>0:12:16 – When unexpected content creates opportunities </p><p>0:13:35 – Experimentation, failure, and learning in business </p><p>0:14:00 – The restaurant pivot that didn&#39;t work </p><p>0:16:38 – Why failure is still worth it </p><p>0:18:54 – Personal branding as a founder </p><p>0:20:09 – Growing beyond founder-led businesses </p><p>0:21:51 – Looking after existing customers first </p><p>0:23:15 – Why the product is the marketing </p><p>0:25:16 – Positioning a premium whiskey brand </p><p>0:27:23 – Adapting marketing for international audiences </p><p>0:29:43 – When attention doesn&#39;t translate into sales </p><p>0:31:05 – Why consistent marketing beats viral moments </p><p>0:31:48 – User-generated content and simple marketing ideas </p><p>0:32:16 – Turning your product into your marketing </p><p>0:33:49 – The messy middle between awareness and purchase </p><p>0:34:18 – How AI is changing marketing workflows </p><p>0:35:53 – Why AI helps marketers do more, not less </p><p>0:37:48 – Ernest&#39;s top tips for building awareness</p><p><br></p>