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Marketing Girlies by Muses's avatar

Brands that don’t track cultural shifts in real time risk becoming irrelevant—or worse, tone-deaf. This piece makes a strong case for cultural intelligence as a core part of strategic thinking, not just a nice-to-have.

A lot of marketers fixate on consumer insights and business goals, but cultural context is what actually shapes purchasing behavior. The distinction between fast culture (trends) and slow culture (deep societal shifts) is crucial here. Brands that chase only surface-level trends risk looking gimmicky, while those that tap into emergent shifts in meaning position themselves ahead of the curve.

The R/D/E (Residual/Dominant/Emergent) framework is a solid tool for identifying where a brand should play. Many legacy brands get stuck in “Residual” codes and struggle to evolve, while challenger brands often thrive by claiming “Emergent” spaces. The key is recognizing patterns before they go mainstream—whether in aesthetics, behaviors, or language.

For marketers, the takeaway is clear: cultural fluency is competitive advantage. Spot the shifts early, decode the tensions, and align your brand with the right narratives before they solidify.

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