Culture > Clout: Identity Is a Brand’s Most Underrated Strategy

Today, every brand wants to be “in culture.”But the ones that actually stay in culture don’t just speak the language, they actually live it.

Because relevance isn’t built by following trends.It’s built by knowing who you are, what you stand for, and showing up with clarity before the campaign even begins. That’s strategy.

In a world oversaturated with borrowed aesthetics and surface-level signaling, what truly cuts through is knowing who you are, and what you stand for. Identity.

Not just visual identity, but cultural identity. Strategic identity. Emotional identity.

Let’s break down what that means, and why it’s the key to longevity.

🔹 58% of Gen Z consumers are loyal to brands that publicly take a stand on social or political issues. (Capital One)🔹 Over half (54%) of consumers expect brands to take a stand on equality issues, particularly among young. (18–34, 65%) (Ipsos)🔹 “Brands that have successfully incorporated cultural elements into their campaigns have seen higher levels of customer engagement and brand loyalty.” (Edgecrm)

Culture is more than something that “matters” it’s a literal business growth driver.

It’s easy to confuse “cultural relevance” with viral presence.But real resonance isn’t about following culture, it’s about being of it and in it.

Here’s the key shift:🚫 Not: “Let’s market to this community.”✅ But: “Let’s build with them.”

Identity-driven brands don’t just feature diverse stories. They embed cultural knowledge in every layer of the business, creative, strategy, leadership, and decision-making.

Here’s the truth:A brand can’t be authentic to others if it’s unclear about itself.

🏀 NikeFrom Olympic campaigns to the Serena Williams building to its continued investment in community-led design programs, Nike doesn’t just market to culture, it seeds infrastructure within it. Cultural fluency is baked into their identity.

💄 Fenty BeautyFenty didn't disrupt the beauty industry just by launching 40+ shades, it redefined what inclusive brand identity means and found a void to fill. Everything from product dev to campaign casting to copywriting is co-created with cultural insiders. Shoutout to my homegirl, Shanelle, who is a copywriter for Fenty. 😌

🎙️ The Joe Budden PodcastJoe Budden built a media platform rooted in cultural commentary, male vulnerability, and honest, sometimes messy, conversation. It’s not trying to appeal to everyone, it speaks directly to a specific, culture-aware audience and he trusts that specificity will scale (and it has). It built credibility through consistency, community engagement, and staying deeply rooted in the lived experience of its hosts and listeners.

🌐 We’re Not Really StrangersA card game, turned community, turned brand platform. It thrives not because it chases popularity, but because it builds conversation with its community. The product is the culture of the people that resonate its messaging, and that’s their strategy.

These brands didn’t “tap into” identity.They built from it. That’s the difference.

It starts with the questions behind the campaign.

Cultural strategy is about earning the moment.

🔥 Me and a few of my brand friends are up for a #SXSW 2026 panel, and your vote counts to help make it happen.

Thanks for your support,Millie 🌀