Anvil recently launched a new podcast series based on the success of our internal Brown Bag discussions. These interviews with fascinating and insightful players across a variety of industries have previously been an exclusive perk of working at Anvil, but we decided we want to share the wealth with our network! Here you can enjoy the insights and advice of two Portland-based players, Mike Chase and Michael Perman.

Mike Chase

A few weeks ago, the Anvil team got the unique opportunity to interview Portland-based radio personality Mike Chase in one of our Brown Bag podcast episodes. In our lively discussion, we got the chance to ask Mike about his predictions on the future of radio, his experience acting on Portlandia, and notable stories throughout his career. His thought-provoking insights into the evolution of radio and its dynamic in the digital marketing mix answered questions such as “Where is the future of radio headed?” and “How do the methodologies of radio and podcasting differ?”. 

In Mike’s opinion, radio marketers started the concept of content creation before it was an essential marketing aspect for every brand. By connecting to listeners beyond just promotion, radio marketers were able to create relationships with audience members through humor and values in order to make human connections – something most brands are starting to emulate through blogs, videos, and other types of content.

However, Mike would not place any bets on the future of radio. Since its primary focus is on music, music streaming services have the ability to duplicate radio’s main driving force – plus, a 20-minute commercial break per hour is less than ideal to most listeners. While radio may have been ahead of its time when it came to content creation, it has since fallen behind and, in Mike’s opinion, the channel is late to the digital game.

Mike also tells us about his acting experience both in commercials and in hit Portland-based series Portlandia. He made us laugh with stories about pranking celebrities with a David Letterman impersonator and making a crucial mistake live on-air. Listen to these stories, as well as Mike’s thoughts on the evolution of media, on our YouTube channel. You can also find more Brown Bag podcasts like our interview with Futurist Michael Perman.

Michael Perman

Anvil recently got the chance to speak with futurist Michael Perman of C’est What. In addition to being a futurist, Michael is an established author, podcaster, and speaker. In our discussion, he shares insights on predicting trends and using what he calls “curious clues” to determine what’s next. In our interview, he answers pressing questions including “How did you become a futurist?” and “What does being a futurist entail?”.

Michael has decades of futurist experience under his belt at a variety of brands – Air Jordan and Levis to name a few – and he has made predictions for a variety of industries. In our interview, he touches upon coffee, marketing, sports, memory, learning, and candy as topics for which he was hired to make predictions. In one of his most insightful points, Michael observes that “the future is already here. It’s just not evenly distributed.” That’s why he looks to certain advanced areas such as top universities, science labs, and venture capitalists to get a closer look at so-called curious clues.

Listen to Michael’s predictions on the coffee industry and hear his thoughts on what’s coming next on a macro scale. Find more Brown Bag podcast videos on our YouTube channel.

Wil Reynolds

Anvil Media’s latest Brown Bag podcast episode featured Wil Reynolds, Founder and VP of Innovation at Seer Interactive. Our conversation touched on all aspects of Wil’s career, including his thoughts on what is next and the trends he is most excited about.

Starting with his background, Wil summarized his journey into internet marketing. While it was a field he thoroughly enjoyed, his initial experiences working for agencies ultimately ignited the desire to create his own business.

“What else do I have to do to try to like find a way to put some good in the world and do search? Starting a business is the only way. I called my mom and said, ‘I think I might start this thing up’ and that’s how I got started.”

From that point, Wil called upon his competitiveness, his strength, and his strong desire to “build something that nobody else is building”. Nearly 20 years later, Seer Interactive has become one of the most successful internet marketing companies.

How does Wil keep the momentum going? His biggest recommendation is to learn how to be a good human. In fact, he shared a popular “dig” at digital marketers that says “my favorite ads will never be written by a digital marketer”.  These days, most internet marketers are focused on creating for algorithms, not for people. Internet marketers need to learn how to really connect with the souls of people in order to really be successful.

Which two books are Wil’s favorite? What does Wil think about the future of SEO and digital marketing? Listen to this episode to find out!