News
Brand Slam wins w3 Award for Best Advertising & Marketing Podcast
Big ideas. Bold conversations.
Real talk. Real people. Real impact.
What happens when you take 35 years of brand-building experience, and open the mic to others with stories worth telling?
When you create a space where curiosity leads, titles disappear and everyone learns something new?
If you’re lucky, you win an award.
If you’re strategic, you build a platform that actually matters.
Brand Slam just won an award for the Best Advertising & Marketing Podcast at the 20th Annual w3 Awards. It’s a global competition judged by over 500 leaders from brands like Disney, Microsoft and Netflix; (people who know good storytelling when they hear it).
We’re proud. But more than that, we’re reminded of why we started this thing in the first place.
So what is Brand Slam, really?
It’s certainly not your typical business podcast. We launched Brand Slam two years ago to cut through the jargon and get to the real conversations behind how brands grow, adapt and thrive. Each episode pulls back the curtain with people who shape culture, commerce and leadership–athletes and coaches, CMOs, restauranters, entrepreneurs, creative directors, academics, and nonprofit leaders. The mix is intentional. Because good ideas don’t live in one industry or one title.
Brand Slam works because it’s honest, it’s curious, and it’s fueled by the same culture we live every day at (add)ventures—one that nurtures intelligence, character and energy over ego.People tune in because it feels personal, like a conversation you actually want to be part of. Guests share their success stories but they also open up about lessons learned, failures faced and the messy middle of making things happen. There’s laughter, a few surprises, and our rapid-fire questions that bring out the real person behind the professional—the story beyond the LinkedIn profile.
It’s about who you bring around the table. That’s the magic. And it’s not just a podcast lesson—it’s a business one. As Steve Rosa, (add)ventures CEO and Brand Slam co-host, always says: “Start with the right WHO. People with intelligence, character and energy. Then figure out the WHAT. The HOW follows. And when it all clicks, you deliver the WOW.”
That’s the formula we followed with Brand Slam. This award isn’t just a win for the pod. It’s a reminder: when you build with the right people, you build things that resonate.
What can others learn from our win?
You don’t need a big budget or a big name to make a big impact. You need:
- A clear point of view
- A strong team who believes in it
- A culture that rewards curiosity and candor
- And a willingness to show up real, not perfect
That’s what we chased with Brand Slam. Not perfection, but connection. And now, a w3 Award says we’re on to something.
We’ll keep asking good questions. Keep talking to people worth listening to. And keep turning conversations into great insights, perspectives and sometimes even a little magic.
To our guests, thank you for showing up with honesty, humor and heart. You trusted us with your stories, and that trust shaped every episode.
To our listeners, thank you for tuning in, sharing feedback and reminding us why this matters. Your curiosity is what keeps this going.
Because Brand Slam has always been about possibility. </br> And we’re just getting started.
🎙️ Start listening here.
