Brands with high cultural resonance are eating other brands for lunch That was m
By Mikeblack · October 27, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
Brands with high cultural resonance are eating other brands for lunch
That was my main take away from a week spent at Association of National Advertisers's Masters of Marketing conference
4 examples of brands growing through culture that stood out to me:
🧱 LEGO (Passion points)
We all know the success #Lego has had with franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter
But they've seen tremendous growth by tapping into adult & kids "passion points" like architecture, gardening, music, nostalgia, gaming, sports and art
They're not just building products for people with these passions; they're also authentically showing up in the #digital communities where passionate people connect & share
🏍️ HARLEY-DAVIDSON (Lifestyle)
Harley is defying the stereotype of the big, bad Hells Angel motor cycle owner by making riding an experience and expression of freedom anyone can relate to and participate in
A Harley rider is your fun uncle you want to hang with
They bring that spirit to life by a fully-immersive #marketing strategy that includes community activation, non profit causes and authentic user generated content from Harley riders of all walks-of-life
🥤 COCA-COLA (Cultural Heritage)
#CocaCola recognizes 200%ers -- people who embrace being 100% American and 100% of their heritage #culture (such as #Latino) rather than splitting their identity in half
They've made that understanding core to their brand campaign, media planning and experiential strategies, not an afterthought
As a result, Coke has not only outpaced the category in revenue growth with #Hispanics, but also #GenZ ers who respect culturally-authentic brands
🧼 P&G (Emotion)
P&G is using AI to scale creative #brand ideas better than most
But they're only able to do that because of the rigor they put into surfacing non obvious #consumerinsights, which has been their competitive advantage for years
They recognize that #AI without the "Why" is just slop
For P&G, AI is a force multiplier built on a foundation of deeply understanding your consumers' emotions, ambitions and anxieties through a lens of their unique #cultural experiences and backgrounds
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In short, the secret behind these 4 brands' success is simple:
> People choose brands that feel like an expression of themselves
That's cultural resonance in a nutshell
❓ Will your brand rise to the challenge, or be left in the dust by competitors who get it?
#culturalintelligence Collage Group