Why some brands just show up in culture, while others belong there
These days, you can’t buy your way in. You’ve got to earn it.
Ideas
Early on in a client relationship, I was invited to attend a basketball game in our client’s suite. We were in town for a series of in-person working sessions to kick off strategy and a brand expression refresh. The invite to the game was a nice change of pace in the getting-to-know-you phase when you get to learn about the company culture as a part of the work itself. It was also a moment to see one of their flagship sports partnerships live.
Fifteen minutes into the game, our client pointed across the court and said, “Hey, there’s our CEO. He has his own seats. He’s a BIG fan. Like a super fan.” She said it with an aura of fondness, as if his idiosyncrasies made her like him even more. Those are the types of interactions that give you the sense people genuinely admire and like working with him.
I found myself checking in on him throughout the game. I caught him instinctively stand for a steal that led to a fast break, throw his hands up at the ref for a foul call in a big moment and lean in at a pivotal time.
I also noticed that when their sponsorship activation came up during a timeout, he was locked in.
Over the course of the game, I realized that this CEO was a vivid representation of how brands are experienced in cultural settings. Fans filter brands through their fandom, and get invested in how the brand shows up.
Soon, we started asking different questions about the reasons behind the refresh. We imagined the brand as an embodied presence alongside the CEO at the game. Would he be proud to share his moment with the brand? Would he take it around and introduce it to people at the game? Or would he try to leave it in the seats?
The slide we’ve all written.
I’m talking about that slide that makes the case for how powerful collective, cultural moments can be for brands. It is always built on metrics like audience size, attention, engagement and emotional connection, with some syndicated data about fandom sprinkled in. There’s always a bit about how the opportunities for content extensions can amplify that even further. It's a persuasive slide because culture is an effective strategy. As a result, brands are investing in cultural content now more than ever. Content marketing is a half-trillion-dollar industry, projected to climb. But it also frames culture as a media opportunity with the end goal of maximizing exposure. As a result, the work that comes from these slides tends to skew towards visibility and presence at the expense of belonging.
The cultural commitment spectrum.
The visibility-driven strategic argument gets the brand into the arena, but that can’t be where the brand stops. It’s our job as strategists and marketers to imagine how the brand shows up in culture. People we’re trying to reach know the difference between a brand that bought its way in and those that belong there. It often comes down to commitment. Cultural commitment is a spectrum and people are good at feeling where your brand is on it. If it doesn’t feel right, the audience can be unforgiving.
THE FIRST DEGREE OF COMMITMENT IS PRESENCE
Smart brands that pick the right events, placements and partnerships. This is where many brands stop. But stopping here can feel like being visible instead of meaningful.
THE SECOND DEGREE OF COMMITMENT IS FLUENCY.
Every culture has its own language, signals, codes and symbols. Brands that live here have done their homework. But fluency without relationships can still leave your brand on the outside.
THE THIRD DEGREE IS PARTICIPATION.
This is where culture thrives. It means understanding participation, exchange and contribution. When brands take their partnerships into this space, it signals belonging.
REAL CULTURAL COMMITMENT IS A GRADIENT, NOT A SWITCH.
Unrivaled Basketball has become one of the most exciting spaces in women’s hoop culture because it is player-owned, athlete-driven and fiercely followed by fans. Xfinity understood this and treated their partnership not as an awareness vehicle, but as a cultural space. They helped expand the league to new cities and connected player performance with fan experiences. Their Gradient Ticket became a signature experience. If your player hits the game winner, you get to meet her. Through their brand, they transformed spectators into participants and earned their place in culture.
Earn your invitation
The CEO sitting in the stands isn’t comparing what he experiences to the media plan. He’s watching his team. The one that’s on court and the one that puts his brand in the moment with him.
He knows if the brand is enriching the experience because every fan does. Brands that are present in cultural moments are either adding to the experience or interrupting it. That’s cultural commitment at its simplest.
THE QUESTION IS:
If your brand was in the stadium with a fan, would it be invited back?
Andrew Gibson
Head of Brand Intelligence
His driving force is to turn complex challenges into clear growth strategies through the power of brand and business strategy.
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