Bloom Thinks: Culture Part 1

January 22, 2025

Culture has become a marketing mandatory. But it’s a slippery thing.
What actually is culture? And why is it so important for brands?

Culture can mean different things to different people. Even cultural anthropologists use dozens of conflicting definitions. We find one definition useful for brands. But there are two sides of the coin.

Culture is the shared norms, values and beliefs that shape social behaviour. We depend on culture because we’re social animals – we live, work and play better together. Culture lives in our heads. But we can see it too. Culture shows up in the world we make – from our homes to our screens; from the art we see to the brands we choose.

Culture doesn’t just connect us to one another and the world around us. It’s our means of making positive change happen by imagining different or better futures. Culture changes minds, as well as unites them. This is why culture is so important for brands.

Thanks to tech the 21st world is becoming more conscious and tribal. People expect to be understood, heard and seen. And they expect more honesty and integrity from institutions and businesses. We’re in this together – brands included.

Brands have a platform. We see them in media. We interact with and share them in digital. We welcome them into our homes and lives. For better or worse brands are part of the fabric of things.

So brands benefit from mirroring cultural shifts. Or they can accelerate or shape them. This is why culture is so much more motivating than ethical purpose. People care about culture more. It’s in the real world – in our streets and homes. It’s the stuff people are sharing, talking about and interacting with.

Chipotle is famous as a cultural brand benchmark. Initially its messaging was built around ethical farming practices. That’s great and absolutely what a big food business should be doing. But most people care a whole lot more about how a brand benefits them.

Chipotle gets this and has moved on. It’s now doubled down on customization. This shift gives the brand a more meaningful role to play. It playfully celebrates the freedom and fun of individual (food) choices. Its customizable menu gives credibility for doing this. Ethical food sourcing is still important – Chipotle also makes individual choices at a corporate level – but it’s an RTB not a benefit or cultural role.

Despite the confusion about definitions culture is simple. It’s everyday stuff people really care about. Culture isn’t something people dip in and out of. We’re immersed in it 24/7. Brands need to reflect this by baking culture in. from positioning and identity, onwards….

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