Leading a Beloved Brand Through Change — With Southwest Airlines’ Julia Melle

In this episode of Giant Stories, host John Kiker sits down with Julia Melle, Director of Brand and Content at Southwest Airlines, to discuss what it means to steward one of the most beloved brands in America through a moment of transformation.Julia shares her journey from agency creative to in-house brand leader — with career stops at Leo Burnett, Publicis, and The Richards Group — and explains how those experiences shaped her approach to storytelling, brand architecture, and customer insight.From helping bring Southwest’s iconic personality back to life to navigating major shifts like the airline’s move to assigned seating, Julia discusses the balance between honoring brand heritage and evolving to meet modern customer expectations. Along the way, she reflects on the evolving role of creative leaders, the power of data-informed storytelling, and why the most meaningful brand stories often come from the people behind the brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices