What dictates meaning?
Cultural engagement plays a critical role in influencing people to think and act differently. It can be the difference between meaningful or transactional relationships. To be successful in marketing we need to understand people's values and beliefs more deeply, and how we can then appeal to them.
My guest in this episode is Marcus Collins, someone who has done this for a living for years working with some of the world's top brands, including Apple and Beyoncé. He argues that if a brand wants people’s custom it requires trust, intimacy, and being part of their congregation and tribe.
He also discusses the meaning of culture, his tips for ambitious business owners and how they can drive consumption without compromising ethics. Crucially he also tells CEOs how they can become better storytellers.
“Trust is the mechanism that absorbs uncertainty.” - Dr. Marcus Collins
You'll hear about:
00:00 - Start
01:48 - What does culture mean to Marcus?
06:08 - What goes wrong in traditional marketing?
10:29 - How companies build trust
14:01 - How brands maintain trust
17:15 - How could Marcus' work apply to organisations?
19:35 - 3 tips for ambitious business owners
23:40 - Driving consumption whilst being ethical
27:37 - How CEOs can become better storytellers
30:59 - How disruptive is Marcus' thinking?
34:24 - Marcus' advice to people looking to do big things
36:17 - Working as head of Beyonce's digital strategy
37:58 - Marcus' congregations and tribes
41:16 - Marcus' best day
About Dr. Marcus Collins:
Dr. Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator with one foot in the world of practice-formerly serving as the Chief Strategy Officer at Wieden+Kennedy New York-and one foot in the world of academia-as a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.
Prior to his advertising tenure, Marcus began his career in music and tech with a startup he co-founded before working on iTunes + Nike sport music initiatives at Apple and running digital strategy for Beyoncé.
His resources:
Profile: / marctothec
‘For the Culture’ book: marctothec.com/fortheculture
Instagram: marctothec.com
Twitter: marctothec.com
My resources:
Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox:
Subscribe to my KZread channel (bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.
Take the Extraordinary Essentials test (bit.ly/3EhSKY5) to identify your strengths and development areas as a strategic leader:

For more details about me:
● Services (bit.ly/373jctk) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
● About me (bit.ly/3LFsfiO) - my background, experience and philosophy.
● Examples of my writing (bit.ly/3O7jkc7).
● Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (bit.ly/2Z2PexP).
● Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (bit.ly/36XavNI).