The Culture Marketing Chat

Culture campaigns… culture-led brands

“We create culture”. One thing our industry can agree on in 2024 is that we love to talk culture. But sure as culture changes and evolves, so has our use of the term, culture marketing, that has kicked around for well over a decade and has at times become shorthand for every campaign targeting the newest generation in, or simply anything we all universally decided was cool.

“Culture is often used as synonym for ‘Cool Gen Z’ activations, which is why it’s heavily associated with music, fashion and nightlife – but this overlooks other groups that engage with their own cultural worlds,” explains Gabriella Mascia, Insights Planner at PrettyGreen. “It’s about showing up in the moments and topical conversations that resonate with your audience. Everything from raving to running is ’culture’ with the right audience lens. Successful culture marketing is always audience-first – tapping into the insights that excite them, and ensuring your brand becomes a part of those discussions.”

And while culture chatter in the industry has become ubiquitous – the art of creating the connections between brands and their audiences credibly is something that has been pioneered for decades explains Leila Fataar, founder of Platform13 which works with brands and organisations to champion culture-led creativity and storytelling. “Culture is how we communicate, what we wear, eat, see and listen to. It’s how we behave and what and/or who influences us and that includes politics, the media, technology, friends, family etc. It permeates every part of our lives.”

Celebrate the uncelebrated

Mtada urges brands to find inspiration from uncelebrated talent – therefore making an early commitment to unheard voices. “The true power lies in being early investors in their potential, drawing inspiration from their raw, uncelebrated talent and ambition, rather than waiting for them to gain widespread clout. This approach not only amplifies the brand’s impact but also creates a symbiotic relationship that nurtures and celebrates the culture from the ground up.”

Celebrating the uncelebrated is an approach embraced by Snapchat for its ‘Hidden Black Stories’ campaign in partnership with The Black Cultural Archives. “Driven by the lack of black cultural icons represented in UK statues and landmarks, we worked with Snap to develop an AR lens that revealed the hidden black stories and people behind some of the UK’s biggest landmarks, fronted by Tukwini Mandela,” shares PrettyGreen’s Mascia.