#98: What Makes a Brand Worth Betting On | John Lowe, Managing Director at Amok Consumer Growth

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Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind

Mekanism and Jason Harris

138 episodes

1 day ago

Soul & Science is an award-winning podcast where marketing’s brightest minds reveal what it takes to build breakthrough brands. Hosted by Jason Harris, each episode explores the balance between brand building (Soul) and business performance (Science). From legacy brands to emerging disruptors, we delve into the insights, culture, and vision behind the most successful brand stories.

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

Brought to you by Mekanism.

All content for Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind is the property of Mekanism and Jason Harris and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

#98: What Makes a Brand Worth Betting On | John Lowe, Managing Director at Amok Consumer Growth

Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind

37 minutes

1 month ago

#98: What Makes a Brand Worth Betting On | John Lowe, Managing Director at Amok Consumer Growth

How do you recognize a “super concept” before it goes mainstream?

John Lowe, Managing Director at Amok Consumer Growth and former CEO of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, joins Jason Harris to share his playbook for identifying breakout food and beverage brands.

During his 14 years as CEO, John scaled Jeni’s by more than 100x in revenue—while also serving on the boards of White Castle, Watershed Distillery, and more. Today, he’s bringing that experience to founders through Amok Consumer Growth, backing companies like Fox in the Snow and DOUGH.

Key Takeaways:
✅ Bet on founders with self-awareness—they’ll build the right team around them
✅ Growth pace is determined by organizational bandwidth, not ambition alone
✅ Cultural relevance (from Twitter to TikTok) is a marketing lever worth investing in
✅ Copycats come fast—brands need a defensible “moat” in product, process, or community

Memorable Moments:
💡 “When you’ve got people lining up every day, you know there’s some magic around it.”
💡 “Private equity doesn’t make the food taste better—it’s about the founder and the product.”
💡 “Jeni’s on a stick was right in front of us. I regret not pounding the table harder.”
💡 “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.

”Brought to you by Mekanism.