The three C's of cultural marketing

Let's stop talking about conversion ... blah blah blah

Cultural marketing is about forming a real connection with a community. This is where culture is forming - within the chat function of Twitch or the sub-group on Discord, these are the conversations defining culture. Here are three parts to cultural marketing you need to consider to inform your strategy…

1. Creation 👩‍🍳 Content creation is at the heart of all cultural marketing, it all starts here, sometimes in unison with an audience or a brand. Content creators are inspirational, they motivate us to behave in a certain way because they’re on our level. According to a report from 2025, 78% of consumers are more trusting of brands if a relatable content creator recommends them, leading to significantly higher trust for creator-lead content. User generated content is 2.4x more trusted than brand-created content alone (source: Nielsen Trust in Advertising, 2023). The best cultural brands, amplify fan creations.
   

2. Conversation 📲 Great content results in conversation, that engagement between fans is where culture grows. Brands need to not only resonate in a positive way, but engage in a two way conversation whilst understanding the meme’s and slang. 73% of sports fans say authenticity drives their engagement with content (source: Deloitte Sports Fan Insights, 2024).Conversation gives a sense of experience, whether thats digital or in person but the outcome is the same, there is an opinion and discussion around your content. TikTok accounted for 27% of all live-stream watch hours globally in Q1 2025 with live formats and social engagement as the fastest growing segments. Live fan reactions increase social content completion rates by 52% (source: WARC Creative Effectiveness Report, 2024). The Death by Duo campaign saw the hashtag #RIPDUO used 45,000 times in the first fortnight. Fans turn participation into consumption.
   

   

   
   

3. Community 🧑‍🧒‍🧒 The audience who keep showing up to watch and engage in the content, are the community. They are what give culture any value, and create a sense of belonging. Brands need to show up in the content, the conversation and the community. How? Once a brand appears in the content, make it a two way conversation, do something for the community, give them a reason to believe the brand is actively interested. Simply badging content is one dimension. 46% of Gen Z reported being part of a community as ‘very or extremely important’ to both their sense of identity and their well being. According to Deloitte, brands who deeply engaged with communities saw a 10.2% increase in annual revenue, compared to less mature brands. Think meme’s, slang, easter eggs, and secret drops.