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Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind

Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind

By: Mekanism and Jason Harris
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 In today’s world how does a brand break through the noise and become iconic? Well, there’s a complex marketing machine running behind all your favorite brand names that goes deeper than you could imagine.

Join Jason Harris, co-founder and CEO of award-winning creative agency, Mekanism, as he speaks with leading experts about how to build an iconic brand. We will pull back the curtain on how culturally relevant brand building and always-on digital work together to make brands famous and drive business Results. Think of it as EQ meeting IQ. Let’s fast forward our marketing minds on the Soul & Science Podcast.

Soul & Science is a Mekanism podcast produced by Maggie Boles, Ryan Tillotson, Grace Robert and Lily Jablonski. The show is edited by Daniel Ferreira, with theme music by Kyle Merritt.

At Mekanism we build iconic brands with Soul & Science. The Soul is culturally relevant brand building and the Science is the always-on marketing activities that drive the bottom line. Learn more at mekanism.com.

Brought to you by Mekanism.2025 Mekanism Art Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • #90: What Marketers Can Learn from StockX (and Its Sneakerhead Hype Machine) | StockX CMO Nicholas Karrat

    #90: What Marketers Can Learn from StockX (and Its Sneakerhead Hype Machine) | StockX CMO Nicholas Karrat
    Jun 23 2025
    Not every brand explodes. Some rise slowly, and win big.

    In this episode, Jason talks with Nicholas Karrat, CMO of StockX, about the Soul & Science of marketplace models—and what it takes to build brand trust, cultural relevance, and business performance at the same time. A veteran marketer with experience across Fortune 100 companies and DTC startups, Nick has held leadership roles at AT&T, Citibank, Plated, Boll & Branch, and Tommy John. Now at the helm of marketing for StockX, he’s focused on staying true to the brand’s core while expanding its reach.

    Key Takeaways:
    ✅ Every channel is both brand and performance—the only difference is timing.
    ✅ Scarcity still drives urgency, but discovery starts earlier than ever.
    ✅ Trust and authentic storytelling beat polish when you’re building for the culture.
    ✅ For trend-driven products, TikTok fuels demand in real time.
    ✅ Great CMOs trust their instincts and adapt with the people on their team.

    Memorable Moments:
    💡 “Everything we do is brand and everything we do is performance, whether you like it or not.”
    💡 “Now you know” isn’t just a tagline. It’s how culture spreads.
    💡 “People and vision beat category and paycheck. Every time.”

    Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    36 mins
  • Mini: What the Adidas Pet Collection Gets Right (and What It Misses)

    Mini: What the Adidas Pet Collection Gets Right (and What It Misses)
    Jun 16 2025
    🐶 Adidas just launched a China-exclusive pet collection—and it’s more than just cute.

    In this Soul & Science mini, Jason unpacks the marketing strategy behind Adidas Originals’ latest capsule: apparel and accessories designed for pets and their owners. Matching outfits? Yes. Global rollout? Not yet.

    For marketers, this launch raises big questions:

    🧠 Is this a clever test-market move or a missed brand moment?
    📍 Why China first—and why not global?
    📱 How could influencer strategy have amplified the rollout?

    Whether you're building brand love or exploring new categories, there's a lot to learn from this bold (and adorable) launch.

    Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    2 mins
  • #89: Building Brands from the Inside Out | Bryant Brennan, Chief Creative Officer at Fi

    #89: Building Brands from the Inside Out | Bryant Brennan, Chief Creative Officer at Fi
    Jun 9 2025
    Creative teams have the most impact when they’re trusted stewards of the brand—not just executors.

    In this episode, Fi’s Chief Creative Officer Bryant Brennan joins Jason Harris to explore the Soul & Science of in-house creativity, product-first marketing, and building brands with staying power.

    From launching Nook at Barnes & Noble to scaling Peloton’s creative team into an award-winning force, Bryant shares how to align teams, collaborate with agencies, and use design to drive results. He also shares how Fi brings those lessons to pet tech—blending emotion, data, and surprising uses of AI.

    What’s Inside:
    ✅ Why internal teams need ownership to succeed
    ✅ What Peloton got right about scaling brand and performance
    ✅ How Fi turns utility into emotional connection
    ✅ The role of AI in creative concepting and brand voice
    ✅ The hallmarks of a truly collaborative agency partnership

    Memorable Moments:
    💡 “You’re building the brand in every execution, big or small.”
    💡 “The best partners care as much about the product as you do.”
    💡 “It’s not that I have to. It’s that I get to.”

    Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    38 mins
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