Do you know what Beyonce, Jesus Christ, and Patagonia have in common?  They all have brands that have shaped the culture that surrounds them.  In today’s branding conversation, I am talking to Dr. Marcus Collins. We talk about what your brand needs to do if you want to fit into a certain cultural framework, and especially if you want to smash it and really forge your own path within the culture.  Today’s guest is Dr. Marcus Collins, he studies cultural contagion and meaning-making to help bridge the academic-practitioner gap for marketers who aim to put ideas in the world that inspire people to take action.  Tune in as we talk about: [00:00] Introductions [02:41] How do we define culture? [05:05] How do the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, and psychology bring context and insight to a marketer? [09:31] How can brands balance taking cultural context into consideration but also stand out in the market? [14:29] How can brands let go of trying to get the cultural context right for everyone and focus on those that their message is for? [21:29] What are some key factors that enable a brand to transcend and almost become a culture unto itself? [21:21] What is social contagion? How can brands learn for it to leverage its influence? Follow Christine Gritmon on Twitter: @cgritmon and join her each Tuesday for the #ChatAboutBrand Twitter chat Subscribe to the Let's Talk About Brand Newsletter that goes out every Monday to ensure you don't miss a beat! Listen to Let's Talk About Brand on your favorite podcast platform! You can listen and subscribe to all of Adweek’s podcasts by visiting adweek.com/podcasts. Stay updated on all things Adweek Podcast Network by following us on Twitter: @adweekpodcasts. And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.