Build a Brand People Can’t Ignore — Bruce Turkel on Marketing That Works

Great brands don’t happen by accident—they’re built with clarity, consistency, and a compelling promise. In this episode of Fried On Business, Jim Fried welcomes renowned marketing guru Bruce Turkel for a no-nonsense conversation about what actually drives growth in competitive markets. Bruce, a celebrated speaker, author, and brand advisor, explains why branding is not your logo or your tagline—it’s the promise you make and the experience you deliver every time a customer encounters your company.

You’ll learn why clarity beats clever, how to define a brand promise customers instantly understand, and a simple framework to align your message with what buyers value. Bruce shares real-world examples of brands that turned confusion into conversion, plus practical tips to sharpen positioning, simplify messaging, and create creative that customers remember. Jim and Bruce unpack the difference between features and benefits, the psychology behind why people buy, and how to turn a founder’s story into a business advantage.

They also cover modern marketing realities: how to stand out in crowded feeds, why consistent storytelling compounds over time, and how to measure what matters without getting lost in vanity metrics. Whether you’re scaling a professional practice, launching a new product, or refreshing a legacy brand, this episode gives you actionable steps to elevate your marketing—today.

Key takeaways: define your audience’s problem in their words, state your promise simply, and prove it with every interaction. Do that relentlessly, and your marketing stops chasing attention and starts creating demand.

This episode of Fried on Business is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Warren Henry Auto Group.

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Jim Fried has been a real estate business person since 1980 and has had his own radio show since 2009.

Mr. Fried specializes in capitalizing commercial real estate transactions, unearthing urban land opportunities and is also a private lender.

He has been active in the real estate industry for many years as a financial intermediary, broker and investor. He has experience with many property types including, but not limited to: apartments, condominiums, retail centers, office buildings, industrial parks and health care – with a special focus on memory care.

Jim has closed over $3BB in real estate transactions during his career in markets across the eastern US.

Jim uses his communication skills to inform and entertain on his weekly podcast show – Fried on Business. Of course, the show discusses real estate, but he also tackles issues such as branding, sports business, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, public private partnerships as well as health and wellness.

He is also a mentor to many up and coming people in the real estate industry through his membership on the Board of The University of Florida’s Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies.

Mr. Fried is a winner of the Miami-Dade Public School Alumni Achievement Award.

Contact Jim via email at jim@friedonbusiness.com