Is Your Brand Culturally Out of Touch?

In an era when just about anything can get politicized overnight, it is more important than ever to follow the Stephen Covey’s habit, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Brands are facing new risks because our culture is shifting, with brands feeling the pressure to take on social responsibilities. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I think companies could use a few ground rules when acting:

You can’t take a stance on every topic. You aren’t going to cure cancer, stop global child trafficking and end racism. Don’t talk about a topic just because it’s a big deal – how many pointless COVID-19 emails did you get this year from brands you haven’t interacted with in ages? You do need to know yourself so that when you take a stance, you aren’t faking it. Cotopaxi’s “gear for good” means we expect to see them push on issues of sustainability and community development. We know brands like Nike will speak up on social issues. Authenticity is golden. Nobody wants to hear you if you come across as tone-deaf fake (just ask Pepsi and Kendall Jenner, or any tone-deaf Hollywood PSA).

You need to be great at communicating your stance. Perhaps you are amplifying a cause you support out of the purest of intentions. To have a positive impact, you need to tell your story well that you can’t be misunderstood. If you blow the delivery, your stance can get lost in a sea of controversy, which is especially dangerous when it upsets your core customers (just ask Gillette).

You really don’t want to stay out of the cultural fray. Eventually, something will suck you in. Frankly, most brands should want to have a viewpoint. I’m not jumping on the “brand purpose is everything” bandwagon, but I am advocating that companies are better off by investing in cultural understanding. and taking stances on the right topics for the right reasons. If people expect to hear your voice on a topic, you can get dinged just as much for not taking a stance or even taking a stance too slowly (just ask the creator of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda).

By now you might be wondering, “how can I get an accurate read on culture to balance my company’s actions, communications and authenticity?” To help, BYU Marketing Lab is partnering with cultural expert (and my former colleague) Kalil Vicioso at Tiny Hat Consulting to launch a new marketing insights offering: CULTURE FLOWS.

Culture Flows is our answer to helping brands navigate the turbulent, ever-changing cultural waters. Companies shouldn’t act on gut instinct – they should use solid principles of cultural research along with data analysis to better understand people.

We know that a very different cultural discussion happens on social media vs. conversations between friends vs. people’s inner dialogue. Culture Flows analyzes each of these pieces separately to come to a real understanding that allows brands to act for good and communicate with confidence.

I’m excited to partner BYU Marketing Lab with my friend Kalil in this endeavor. While there is more data than ever to analyze, the way we ask questions and approach cultural understanding is what really makes this successful. Kalil brings true multicultural expertise, with a passion for understanding people. He has long been an advocate for greater diversity and inclusion in business. Our BYU team brings analytics expertise, along with a unique perspective on culture. Our history as a private, religious university was born out of a time when mobs attacked and our members were marginalized. It gives us a culture of both perseverance and compassion, and a desire to make the world a better place. While our demographic make-up isn’t as diverse as some campuses, BYU ranks No. 3 in the US for the most graduates with foreign language degrees, nearly 50% of BYU students have lived outside the United States, 65% speak a second language, and we hail from 105 Countries and all 50 states. Launching Culture Flows as a combined effort makes it a powerful and insightful offering.

Whether you want to take a more universal stance like Cotopaxi, a more controversial stance like Nike, or just take a more substantial stance than you’ve done in the past, Culture Flows can bring you greater cultural understanding and guide the way forward. Reach out and let’s start the conversation today.