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1. culture applies to groups: culture is a set of beliefs, behaviors and norms shared by multiple people. one person can belong to multiple cultures simultaneously.
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2. culture is both material and non-material: culture applies to beliefs, values, morals and language (#BLM, AAVE/slang, etc.) as well as physical things and places (Apple products, sneakers, coffee, NYC, Atlanta, Austin, etc.).
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3. culture is learned: cultural behaviors are not innate, but passed down and learned or adopted...
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4. ...but culture is identity-based: adopting selective aspects of a culture you aren't part of without genuinely understanding and respecting the original and/or meaning (i.e. using slang and hashtags without understanding context) immediately comes through as inauthentic.
...and that is where so many companies take a misstep. |
Culture is the one thing that enables marketers to create greater engagement, relevance, and grow their business
- Forbes
why does my brand need to focus on culture?
tell your story.
what's your story? this question is the starting point; before strategy, before creative, before copy, before a media spend. marketing is driven by data and research, but data is useless if you don't then convey your message in an authentic way.
speak the language.
everyone processes information through the prism of their experience, so verbiage or visuals that are innocuous to some can be offensive to others. when you're trying to reach a specific set of people, before you plug in words or phrases that are of-the-moment, it's also essential to have the context for meaning and usage, or risk that your messaging will widely miss the mark.
anticipate instead of react.
Apple. Nike. Coca Cola. Mercedes-Benz. Budweiser.
these are some of The World's Most Valuable Brands*, and not simply because they produce excellent product. they've all created a brand culture. people proudly identify themselves by their affiliation with their products. in turn, these companies work to super serve their loyalists, and convert new ones through cultural innovation.
not every brand has the goal of creating culture at that level, but every company and organization can change their strategy to anticipate, and even influence, cultural change instead of reacting to it.
case study: while most beauty brands centered their marketing and messaging around hiding or improving imperfections, Dove started a conversation about celebrating "real" women's differences in beauty with their "Real Beauty" campaign (2004). since then, authenticity in personal care has become Dove's calling card. they've expanded the "Real Beauty" platform to include workshops, partnerships, research on self esteem for women and girls, and more. they were at the forefront of a movement, and are now credited with helping shift the conversations women have about their bodies and appearance. but even they have had a few missteps, which happened when they forgot that while they know how to speak to women, they still need to consider additional cultural context.
*Forbes -The World's Most Valuable Brands 2017
these are some of The World's Most Valuable Brands*, and not simply because they produce excellent product. they've all created a brand culture. people proudly identify themselves by their affiliation with their products. in turn, these companies work to super serve their loyalists, and convert new ones through cultural innovation.
not every brand has the goal of creating culture at that level, but every company and organization can change their strategy to anticipate, and even influence, cultural change instead of reacting to it.
case study: while most beauty brands centered their marketing and messaging around hiding or improving imperfections, Dove started a conversation about celebrating "real" women's differences in beauty with their "Real Beauty" campaign (2004). since then, authenticity in personal care has become Dove's calling card. they've expanded the "Real Beauty" platform to include workshops, partnerships, research on self esteem for women and girls, and more. they were at the forefront of a movement, and are now credited with helping shift the conversations women have about their bodies and appearance. but even they have had a few missteps, which happened when they forgot that while they know how to speak to women, they still need to consider additional cultural context.
*Forbes -The World's Most Valuable Brands 2017
why cltr.?
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experience.
we're a team of career entertainment, marketing, branding, and creative professionals. we've worked through changes in business models and trends, and have seen what works and what doesn't when adapting and adjusting to those changes. |
authenticity.
we live this. we are in and of the culture in a real, tangible way. we speak the language and understand the nuances. |