How Culture Influences Marketing with Marcus Collins, Wieden+Kennedy

“No lever influences people more consistently than culture.”

Marcus Collins is the author behind a new book that I’m absolutely obsessed with, called For the Culture, and he’s also the Chief Strategy Officer at Wieden+Kennedy, a global advertising agency best known for their work with mega brands like Nike and Budweiser.

We’re digging into all things culture today - starting with the premise of understanding culture and its influence on marketing, shared beliefs, the “identity marks” of branding, and how consumption becomes a proxy for culture.

This conversation is SO good and I can’t wait for you to tune in.

00:02:29 Culture is a powerful connection.
00:10:21 Culture is the cheat code.
00:13:59 Find connection through identity.
00:20:23 Believers, not fans.
00:24:59 Believe, then sell.
00:30:25 Spread the culture gospel.
00:31:36 Digital transformation is possible.

In This Episode:

• How Budweisier cemented themselves as a cultural product through their marketing communications and commercials
• Patagonia’s conviction and beliefs that have led to their ultimate success, plus, hear about one of their infamous Black Friday campaigns
• Why our purchase of branded products tells the world who we are and translates to finding community 
• How Nike put a stake in the ground around a cultural moment, causing a 6 billion dollar market increase for their brand after it happened (!)
• Marcus breaks down a beautiful and simple framework - get ready to write this down and iterate on it
• The tremendous amount of empathy and curiosity that are required to “find your people”

Resources & Links

What inspires website visitors to invest in your mission? Are you providing donors with a desirable online journey that keeps them coming back? Join my virtual session at the DonorPerfect Community Conference. I’ll see you on June 6th and 7th!

Applications for my Monthly Giving Mastermind program are now open. If you have been wanting to start a monthly giving program but haven’t had the time or the team to make it happen, this is for you. We start in July, so apply now!

Connect with Marcus on his website and on all the social media platforms at @marctothec. Be sure to che

This show is brought to you by GivingTuesday! GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement that started in 2012 with a simple idea: a day to do good.

This year, on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, join the conversation: share your favorite nonprofit’s campaign, volunteer for a cause you care about, share an act of kindness, or encourage your audience to do the same.

Use #GivingTuesday, tag @GivingTuesday, and visit GivingTuesday.org/Participate to get involved and inspire others!

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!