Scott Walker.
For years, brands have treated culture like a spectator sport; analysing trends, commissioning reports, and trying to ‘tap into’ the conversation from the sidelines. But here’s the brutal truth: culture doesn’t wait for permission, and it certainly doesn’t need brands to validate it. If you’re looking at culture from the outside in, you’re already behind.
The brands that matter today don’t just observe culture, they create it, shape it, and most importantly, belong in it.
The Fallacy of Relevance-By-Association
Too many brands believe cultural impact comes from aligning with what’s trending. They hire agencies to produce campaigns that look and sound like culture, hoping the association alone will grant them credibility. But culture isn’t an accessory. It’s not something you can wear for a season and swap out when the next big thing arrives.
Consumers see through the act. They don’t need another brand talking about sustainability, diversity, or mental health, they need brands embedded in these movements, investing, showing up, and making real commitments long before the hashtag takes off.
Patagonia doesn’t “do” sustainability; it is sustainability. Nike doesn’t “speak out” on social justice; it embodies a philosophy of courage and conviction. These brands don’t just borrow relevance, they own it, because they’ve earned the right to be in the conversation.
Culture Moves Fast.
If You’re Waiting for Validation, You’re Already Too Late.
The brands shaping culture don’t wait for focus groups or mainstream acceptance. By the time something is “proven” to work, the moment has passed. The most iconic cultural moves weren’t backed by years of data; they were driven by instinct, conviction, and a deep understanding of the communities they serve.
When Balenciaga released $1,850 trash bag-inspired pouches, people scoffed, until they sold out. When Supreme put a brick in its store, critics laughed, until it became a collector’s item. These weren’t gimmicks; they were cultural provocations that worked because they resonated with a specific mindset, a specific community, a specific moment in time.
The lesson? If you’re waiting for mainstream validation before you act, you’ll never be first, and in culture, second place is irrelevant.
Stop Chasing Audiences. Start Building Movements.
Brand building isn’t about capturing attention, it’s about earning devotion. Fandoms, subcultures, and niche communities are where the future of branding lives, because passion is the most valuable currency in today’s economy.
Think of brands like Glossier, which didn’t market to beauty enthusiasts; it built a movement with them. Or Liquid Death, which didn’t just sell water, it made hydration rebellious. These brands didn’t create customers; they created believers.
So ask yourself: Are you still trying to capture markets, or are you building movements? Because the brands that last aren’t the ones with the loudest campaigns. They’re the ones with the deepest connections.
The Bottom Line: Get Inside Culture, or Be Forgotten
Being part of culture isn’t a campaign, it’s a commitment. If your brand only shows up when it’s convenient, you don’t belong. If you’re waiting for proof of concept before taking risks, you’ll never lead. And if you’re not adding anything meaningful to the conversation, you’re just noise.
Culture rewards those who contribute, not those who capitalise. The brands that understand this don’t just survive, they define the era they exist in.
So, the question isn’t, ‘How can you be more relevant?’
The question is: What are you willing to stand for, invest in, and build that makes us indispensable to the culture we claim to serve?
Because in the end, the brands that win aren’t the ones who ‘tap into’ culture.
They’re the ones that become it.
Scott Walkler, founder and CCO of Ferocious