Cultural relevance remains a key priority for brands, but marketers are exercising more judgement when it comes to how to jump on and off bandwagons, said speakers at Brand Innovators’ recent cultural summit.
“Culture always wins. No matter where you are,” said Jose Velez, global marketing director at Smirnoff, Diageo. “Culture always finds its way.”
Jose Velez, global marketing director at Smirnoff, Diageo
Marketers have to look beyond “brought to you by” sponsorships and build upon local subcultures and creators who are the best fit, not necessarily the ones with the largest followings, said Chris Epple, vice president of marketing, Americas at Harman International, which hosted the Culture Innovation and Commerce Summit.
But despite all the creators available and expanding technology to enable their content, it still requires a marketer’s perception to help brands tap cultural trends and fandom effectively, said speakers at the Summit.
“Gut checking internally and externally” is important, said Michael Kaye, director of brand marketing & communications of Archer, part of the dating site Match Group. Conversely, he said brands have to get comfortable with having FOMO – fear of missing out — and pass on cultural opportunities that don’t fit.
“Jumping the chasm between what people are talking about and what they’re doing is where the rubber meets the road,” said Kevin Doherty, senior brand manager, Breyers at Magnum Ice Cream Co. Marketers are resilient to being replaced by AI because they ultimately have to use their guts to make the right decision at the right time, he explained.
It’s important to build momentum for brands in culture, said speakers. Consumers are craving connection and experiences, not just social media interactions; even the use of influencers and creators has outgrown the digital screen. More are being included in experiential activations.
Erika Sabalvoro, vice president, social media strategy & insights at Chase
Many speakers noted that the rise in artificial intelligence has caused consumers to turn to more engagement in real life. Erika Sabalvoro, vice president, social media strategy & insights at Chase, invoked a new term: AIDR – AI, didn’t read – that is now replacing TLDR (too long, didn’t read) as a reason consumers are ignoring content. She noted 70% of Gen Z consumers claim they can spot AI content and don’t want to engage with it.
AI helps with “the non-sexy stuff” of research and testing, but should be there only to support and optimize creative, said Sabalvoro. Especially in regulated industries like finance, the technology needs to be supervised, a challenge at a time when use of AI agents is on the rise.
“The balance will always be human-led. We should own the narrative,” she said.
AI has become table stakes internally at most organizations because it’s a tantalizing, cost-effective opportunity, said Breyers’ Doherty. But its utility has limitations in generating creative: “There’s that whole Uncanny Valley stuff,” he said.
Danny Gardner, marketing executive
Telling Kim Kardashian
However, technology is helping democratize the creator marketplace. Many speakers noted tools and better data sets make it easier to find mid-tier and smaller creators that may be more effective for a brand than influencers with millions of followers.
“It’s not necessarily about having the biggest reach, but having the biggest fandom,” said Danny Gardner, marketing executive. “If you have 5 million followers, it’s hard to keep these people engaged.”
Gardner, a former head of social media insights, analytics & measurement at Haleon, noted the personal care company found spending money on macro creators doesn’t drive better results, and mid-tier and micro creators outperformed.
Many speakers noted the smaller creators are closer and more responsive to the fandom, an important factor in building communities and engagement. And just as consumers can tell AI slop apart, they’re also aware that influencers get paid by brands, said Matthew Jensen, customer strategy manager, hair care at Kenvue. Smaller creators may have less reach, but have an advantage in relatability and trust, and Kenvue looks for “utility over quantity,” he said.
“If you are working with a micro or midsize creator, they are going to work harder,” said Melissa Mash, founder and chief executive officer at Dagne Dover. The bag company works with college athletes and has found them a very cost-effective way to build its profile. The brand noticed athletes were using its bags to carry their personal items and posting about it, so they partnered with some teams to offer them advice on building their personal brand.
“There are ways to engage that don’t require you to shell out for six-figure sponsorships,” said Mash.
There’s an opportunity “for a much more human relationship” with smaller creators, said Xavier Vaissière, global insights & analytics director at Colgate-Palmolive Co. “Am I going to tell Kim Kardashian about Colgate?” he asked. Not likely, he said, but on the other hand, Colgate can bring a group of creators with 10,000 followers and introduce them to its labs and its brands in a way that will reflect in their content, he said.
Laura Vogel, luxury portfolio group consultant at Proximo Spirits
Brands are overinvesting in creators and influencers because they’re not taking the time up front to get creators invested in the brands they are promoting, said Laura Vogel, luxury portfolio group consultant at Proximo Spirits.
For example, she recalled how Proximo held an event for creators during Miami Music Week for one of its spirits brands and “almost by accident” invited a couple of creators who were friends and had been hanging out with the marketers that week. They ended up being the ones with the best content and engagement.
“We had that awkward conversation with our PR agency afterward,” Vogel said.
Brands should stop investing in influencers they are not building a community with, she said. The test, she explained, is whether the content shows what’s special about the brand or “could you put any other product there and the content would be the same?”
“Don’t be afraid to fail”
Marketers have to take risks to join cultural moments or will lose ground to “insurgents,” said Sarah Kitchen, vice president omni commerce at The Campbell’s Co. As a legacy brand “taking chances and encouraging your organization to take chances is not negotiable” for the packaged foods company because the culture moves too fast, she said.
Organizations need to build the structures to allow marketers to make quick decisions and move fast to catch a cultural moment before it’s gone. “This is a big change and it’s going to take a big organizational change,” said Sally Barton, director, marketing growth strategy at Mondelēz International.
Guardrails are important, said Katka Renckens, head of brand at Rituals. She recommended marketers make sure to include in any creator briefing a clear list of do’s and don’ts. Knowing which conversations the brand wants to be in and which it doesn’t is very important, she said.
“You can destroy your credibility with one mistake,” even if well-intentioned, said Archer’s Kaye.
The onus is on leadership to be up front and supportive of innovation and risk-taking, or it won’t happen, said Kaye. A lot of the decisions are factored by “who’s in the room,” he said.
Kaye recalled how in 2020 in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Match’s OKCupid added a Black Lives Matter profile badge because the site considers itself an inclusive brand. The decision took 72 hours, rather than the usual two to three months, because it was important to management and reflective of the brand, he explained.
“We’re very much in favor of moving quickly, because culture moves fast,” said Devin Nagy, global head of digital, tequila at Diageo. “Don’t be afraid to fail.”
