• For those who may not be familiar with you, could you briefly describe your professional role, area of expertise, and share some highlights of your career?

My name is Marcus Collins. I study culture and its influence and impact on human behavior as I bridge the gap between academia and practice to help people get people to take action. I’m a professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and a marketer, formerly the Chief Strategy Officer at Wieden+Kennedy. Throughout my career, I’ve had the great privilege of being acknowledged for my strategic, creative, and scholarly contributions (American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement inductee, Thinkers50 Radar Distinguished Achievement Award, Cannes Lion Creative Strategy juror, Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 recipient, and Crain’s Business 40 Under 40 recipient) as well as launched successful campaigns like “Cliff Paul” for State Farm, the Made In America Music Festival, and Google’s “Real Tone” technology—among others.

Before my tenure in advertising, I worked in music and tech as a startup co-founder. Then I led iTunes + Nike sports music initiatives at Apple before running digital strategy for Beyoncé.

I am also the author of the best-selling book, For The Culture, which examines the relationship between culture and human behavior. Throughout the book, I rely on literature, case studies, learnings from both my practicing work, and data from my academic work to illustrate the “whys” and the “hows” of culture so that readers can successfully apply these learnings to their own pursuits. I have spent the last decade helping organizations—from Fortune 500 companies to startups and non-profits—use this knowledge to create culturally contagious ideas that get people to move. The book aims to do the same for readers.

• What motivated you to write your acclaimed book For The Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be?

Culture is the most influential external force on human behavior—full stop. We know this intuitively, yet, if you asked 5 people to define culture, you’d get 55 different answers, and that’s a problem. If we can’t define a thing concretely, how do we ever fully leverage its power? I thought this was a compelling pursuit consider how much we talk about culture and how little know about what it is and how it works. With a better Rosetta Stone to define culture and a clearer conception of its mechanism, not only would we be better equipped to engage in culture but also more likely to better engage in humanity. I thought that was a worthy pursuit.

• Could you explain an example of a successful brand culture you have worked on as a strategist?

Sure, McDonald’s is good example. For years, McDonald’s had been battling hate on every side—from the press, from the public, and seemingly from everyone in between— but the fight never seemed to let up. The brand became the shortcut for fast food, writ large, and the target for health-conscious critics, all of which proved to be a losing proposition for McDonald’s. There was a ton of hate for the brand, despite their attempts to convince the detractos with healthier substitutes like apple slices for fries and salads.

Despite all the villainizing and public vitriol, tens of millions of people eat at McDonald’s every single day. That’s a lot of love. Why not focus on them—the community of people who not only consume in concert but also abide by a set of cultural characteristics that govern what it means to be them? The challenge is that McDonald’s didn’t know much about them, so set out to conduct a ethnography and to better understand the social facts of this community of fans. The research revealed a set of “fan truths” that enabled the brand to engage these people not like consumers but like fans.

In doing so, we created a campaign that enabled us to tap into what these devotees love about McDonald’s and not only activated their collective consumption but also inspired them to spread the word on behalf of the brand. The result of this strategy was a 10.4% increase in global revenue for McDonald’s from 2018 to 2021. Seemingly overnight, McDonald’s went from being a cautionary tale to the darling of brand marketing and a case study for advertising effectiveness to become what Effie awarded the most effective marketing campaign on the planet in 2023.

That’s the power of culture and a brand’s ability to foster cultural intimacy.

• In your work you reflect on the importance of culture and how brands can leverage it to maximize performance. Can you explain the link between culture and brands?

Culture is a system of conventions and expectations that demarcates who we are and govern what people like us do. Through this system—or system of sytems—we translate the world and make meaning of the chaos that presents itself to our senses on a daily basis. This is critical for brands because brands are vessels of meaning; they stand in for something else. That “something else” is cultrually mediated, which means that brands, by their very nature, are cultural artifacts which are neogtiated and constructed by cultural actors. Brands and culture are inextricably linked, whether we’re realice it or not.

• Your presentation at the World Business Forum is broadly focused around Marketing and Brand Strategy. Could you explain some of the key themes you hope to address at the forum and their importance for leaders?

My talk will center on a key argument: Brand, as we know it, has evolved. There used to be a time when a catchy tagline and flashy ads were enough to drive a wealth of consumption and garner legions of fans. However, those days are done. People expect more from brands, therefore, brands most evolve the role they play in people’s lives. Understanding these dynamics make the difference between those who win the marketplace and those who don’t.

• What do you hope that the audience at the event will take away from your presentation?

I’m a firm believer that things aren’t the way they are; they are the way that we are. Therefore, my hope for the audience is that they’ll see the world differently so that they’ll operate in the world differently.

• What suggestions do you have for companies who believe in the power of culture, but don’t know where to start when it comes to integrating it into their business?

Start from within. How does your brand see the world? For what is the brand convicted? This should move beyond “what” you make and center on “why” you make it. Once you’ve identified how you see the world, find the people who see the world like you. This is your collective of the willing, the community of people who are most likely to move, not because of what you do but because of who they are. As such, you engage them through your shared point of the view which ultimately drives consumption.

• What do you think are the emerging trends that are arising in marketing?

Naturally, there is a growing awareness of the power of culture and its impact on humanity, especially as technology continues seep into marketing practices—from programmatic to AI. As such, marketers are increasingly curious about engaging communities and understanding their subcultures.

• To conclude this interview, the main theme for this year’s World Business Forum is purpose. What does purpose mean to you, and what role do you believe it should play in business?

Purpose is an articulation of conviction—the thing for which you are unwaveringly committed. Companies that are convicted stand for thing even if they’re the only, even if it means losing customers. Conviction is the cornerstone of culture and as such it is also the vehicle by which brand engage with culture. And its impact on consumption is massive.