Fieldwork isn’t part of the work. Fieldwork is the work.

Fieldwork is a way of seeing

The first question is simple: Who are we, and what are we trying to say?

To answer this question, I spend time on-site—walking the floor, sitting in the space, and observing how things operate.

Welcome to the Fieldhouse. I’m Eric Zimmett. I run Braden Social from my fieldhouse in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

I believe that if I don’t first understand your business, I’m not in a position to offer effective marketing advice.

Social media is typically just a byproduct, and it only works when it is grounded in something authentic.

First, we figure out what the business is trying to say, and then we can determine the best platforms for sharing that message.

I call this process fieldwork. It draws from my 20 years of experience in journalism and marketing, where I’ve also learned to recognize important patterns.

In my back pocket, I carry a Field Notes notebook filled with bent pages and coffee stains. This notebook captures the small details that most marketers overlook—details that help a brand express its true identity.

My Field Notes ultimately serve as the foundation for the brands I work with, which you see on social media and beyond.

This is where it all comes together. Welcome to the Fieldhouse.

“𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭-𝐨𝐧. 𝐈𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐀 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭.” — Gautam Kulkarni, Meta Marketing Pro

Some brands I’ve rolled up my sleeves with:

The Field Burger & Tap • Grace at Carnegie House • Toftrees Golf Resort • Shaner Hotels • Penn’s Cave & Wildlife Park • The ACRES Project • Marriott • Go Tell It In the Mountains for The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) • Zion Lutheran Church in Boalsburg • Centre County United Way • Taste of the Town • Dominos

Fieldwork is a way of seeing

I spend time on-site, observing closely, taking notes, and noticing details that others might overlook. From this, I create a visual brand bulletin where I organize everything and look for patterns. The details I notice on-site aren’t stored in a spreadsheet; instead, they get taped to the wall at the Fieldhouse. I connect the dots and build from what is actually happening.

The details I notice on site don’t live in a spreadsheet. They end up taped to the wall at the Fieldhouse. I connect the dots and build from what’s actually happening.

This uncovers signals from what I’ve seen:
• A strategy rooted in real-world experiences
• Documentary-style Field photography & video from the scene
• Fieldwork-backed advising to find your brand voice and identity

Why Fieldwork Matters

“If you want to understand how animals live, you don’t go to the zoo, you go to the jungle.”
— Martin Lindstrom, Consultant, author, Small Data

You see things differently when you’re close enough to notice the details. That means real footage, real photos, real posts from hand-written notes.

I use fieldwork the same way I did as a journalist: in the thick of it, paying close attention. Observe first, find patterns, then write the story.

Fieldwork isn’t part of the work. Fieldwork is the work.

About Eric & Braden Social

“Hi, I’m Eric Braden Zimmett — founder of Braden Social. I launched Central Pa’s first fieldwork shop in 2014.

“I bring a journalist’s eye and a behavioral strategist’s mind to every project. You get real content — captured where things are actually happening, backed by insight into how people think and behave.

About “Braden”

Braden is my middle name — but it also carries a deeper meaning. When I started this practice, my first project was fieldwork on “Braden” itself. I found that Braden [Bradán] is derived from an Irish Gaelic word meaning “salmon.” In Irish folklore, Bradán feasa — the ‘Salmon of Knowledge’ — was said to grant the world’s wisdom to whoever caught it. Hear the legend in the audio player below.

Training & Certifications

I’m Certified by Cannes Lions in Storytelling and Behavioral Science for Brands, and by Ogilvy in Applied Behavioural Science and Behavioural Economics. Penn State, 2008. Dale Carnegie graduate.