The strongest brands don’t shout—they earn trust over time. That’s how Nikki Little approaches her work. She’s the CMO and co-owner at Franco, a women-owned, Detroit-based integrated communications agency with more than 60 years of history. After a full-circle career that took her from early agency life to leading social and communications teams, Nikki now helps shape Franco’s future with a purpose-driven, human-first approach to brand building, storytelling, and leadership.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why modern brand builders must accept that total control is a myth and focus on reputation monitoring instead
The difference between consistent storytelling and repetitive messaging across integrated channels
How to apply Brené Brown’s Strong Ground principles to build a solid brand foundation
Why employee alignment is the first step in closing the authenticity gap with your customers
How to treat AI as an overzealous intern rather than a replacement for strategic relationships
Episode Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(01:34) Authenticity in the Age of Unpolished Content
(03:37) Understanding Your Audience and the Brand Core
(05:22) The Myth of Total Brand Control
(07:25) Navigating Critics and the Crisis Plan
(10:10) Storytelling as a Tool for Trust Building
(12:45) Internal Culture and the Authenticity Gap
(15:12) Leadership Examples: Brené Brown and Liz Plosser
(19:51) Rumbling with AI in a Human Business
(25:30) Brands That Make Us Smile
(28:33) Where to Find Nikki Little
About Nikki Little
Nikki Little is the CMO and co-owner at Franco, a Detroit-based, women-owned integrated communications agency with a 60-year legacy. With a career spanning early agency life to leading complex social and communications teams, Nikki specializes in a purpose-driven, human-first approach to brand building and leadership. She is a recognized expert in navigating the intersection of PR, digital strategy, and authentic storytelling, helping brands find their "core" to build lasting trust in a critical and fast-moving digital environment.
What Brand Has Made Nikki Smile Recently?
Nikki shared two brands that recently stood out: Chevy, for their deeply authentic "Memory Lane" holiday commercial that mastered the art of non-cheesy storytelling, and Mabel’s Labels, for their proactive customer service that turned a lost shipment into a "customer for life" experience.
Resources & Links
Check out the Franco website.
Connect with Nikki Little on LinkedIn.
Listen & Support the Show
Watch or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon/Audible, TuneIn, and iHeart.
Rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to help others find the show.
Share this episode — email a friend or colleague this episode.
Sign up for my free Story Strategies newsletter for branding and storytelling tips.
On Brand is a part of the Marketing Podcast Network.
Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
