From Adweek · Justin Chin · · 1m 20s
How brands can keep up with culture
Marketers who understand what people talk about unprompted can engage authentically without looking desperate.
In brief
Marketers who understand what people talk about unprompted can engage authentically without looking desperate. Culture is what bubbles up organically from people; brands find permission to engage by knowing their own ethos and acting fast when moments align with their values. Originally reported by Adweek.
Culture is what people say unprompted
Culture bubbles up from what audiences talk about naturally, often sparked by intellectual property like TV shows or TikTok trends that take on a life of their own.
“It's what people are talking about unprompted by brands. It's what bubbles up.”
Find permission through brand alignment
Brands unlock engagement by understanding their own ethos and personality, then identifying which cultural moments genuinely fit their values and voice.
“It goes back to knowing your brand ethos, knowing your personality, and then also knowing what conversations you would not enter.”
Lucky Charms bid day moment
General Mills built a giant Lucky Charms display for a sorority's bid day at University of Arkansas, letting attendees amplify the brand organically without paid promotion.
“We added the value for them by making that day magical, and then the girls spoke for us.”
Speed matters, but so does judgment
Brands must act fast when cultural moments align with their values, but moving quickly requires staff empowered to make real-time decisions about what feels authentic versus cringe.
“When you see a great comment, you're like, 'Oh, that's really smart.' And when it's cringe, it's really cringe.”
Take calculated risks with creators
General Mills uses a cross-functional SWAT team including legal, brand management, and comms to assess risky campaigns, weighing potential reward against downside and planning quick responses.
“What's breaking through is often unexpected, and there's some degree of risk when you're jumping into something unexpected.”
The key point
Culture is what bubbles up organically from people; brands find permission to engage by knowing their own ethos and acting fast when moments align with their values.
