…and what does it mean to move and shape culture? Hear from a professor, an anthropologist, a semiotician, a brand expert and a cultural strategist on what culture IS, HOW to navigate it, WHY it matters and WHAT good cultural insight and initiatives look like and HOW to lead, (not borrow or exploit) culture.

• What’s the difference between activating in and creating culture?
• Why do the WHY questions need to be asked?
• What are we getting wrong, as marketers?
• Why are we so obsessed with “youth” and “pop” culture?
• What is a brand’s role in culture? How can brands legitimately play a role in culture?
• What’s the difference between advertising and culture-led work?

A quick-fire, high-energy panel conversation with some of the most interesting and credible brand marketers in this space. Making the business case, influencing internal stakeholders and demonstrating the benefits of long-term cultural influence. How have they achieved extraordinary things year after year in an era of depleting budgets and a heavy focus on performance-led marketing?

There’s a big difference between leaning into culture and leaning into culture correctly. And often, it depends on whether an organisation has the right competencies and capabilities, a high level of psychological trust and a commitment to cultural-led marketing.

• Is it possible to cultivate a culture of curiosity?
• How can you move from producing average to truly transformative culturally-led work?
• And how can you sustain momentum, investment and commitment to cultural-led approaches?
• In this session, you’ll hear from a brand leader who has created a marketing function which not only embraces but leads culture.

WARC’s Future of Strategy 2023 survey found understanding emerging cultural and behaviour trends is the most important skill for strategists. In a fragmented world made up of complex and niche communities, a sea of influencers and post-Covid mindsets (whatever that means) what’s the secret to unlocking powerful consumer insights at scale?

The brands that do it best are the brands that play a loooong game. Memes undeniably work in the moment – they can fuel short-term awareness, relevance and sales, but what does a cultural long-game look like? One expert will reflect on the duality of short-term, “transactional” cultural hijacking v. long-term brand transformation.

2014-2021 saw a hyper-growth trajectory for Oatly, with supply struggling to keep up with demand. At its peak, cartons of Oatly milk were selling for $100 on eBay. From its meteoric sales during the plant-based, vegan rage to a new post-pandemic age, hear how Oatly is adapting to a new cultural landscape without losing what made the brand so beloved by people globally. Get a masterclass on how to:

• Drive distinctiveness in a highly competitive and deeply politicised category
• Maintain your grassroots relationships and identity throughout stratospheric growth
• Keep your mojo alive, even when you’re being trolled by the multi-million dollar daily industry

In December 2023 a poem celebrating Women’s Football was front page news. The poem was by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and the people behind it were Three UK.

This was the launch moment for the nomination window of the #WeSeeYou Network.A culture-shifting initiative, with the aim to build a long-term community of role models, celebrating the abundant – but too often hidden – women within football.

Executive Creative Director Mat O’Brien and Sponsorship Campaign Director Nicole Pacitti share how Three brought together the power of their big network with the positivity of a thriving sports network to ensure women are seen, recognised and rewarded through opportunities, experiences, and mentorships, in an effort to change the face of football for good.

Hear how and why Channel 4 devised Carbon Skidmarks, how it disrupted the ideality and why tone of voice and the power of comedy is so important to land purpose comedically. With a high-stakes campaign come high risks. Hear how these were managed and solved, what the impact of Carbon Skid Marks was and finally how it paid it forward to the community it serves.

We’ll hear from those at the forefront of popular culture. What are their predictions on the brands, people, ideas, identities and themes that will bubble up in the near future?

The long-term payoff and value (for consumers, society and the brand) can be significant. In this session, we’ll hear how. Culture without impact is redundant, so how can we evaluate the results – long and short term, of culturally relevant and intentional work?