Tomorrow Lens 27 February 2025

TomorrowLens: The importance of cultural relevance for CPG brands

CPG brands wanting to create meaningful connections with consumers, will need to turn their attention to the emotions driving consumer behaviour, and tap into the cultural zeitgeist. Read on to find out how to manage this successfully.

Consumer purchasing behaviour and decisions are becoming increasingly ambivalent, reflecting the uncertainty felt on a global scale, from political instability and financial fears to climate catastrophes. As a consequence, consumer spending appears to be more and more driven by a need for excitement, joy and experiences. 

The evolution of the experience economy 

The experience economy was first coined by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore in a 1998 article in the Harvard Business Review, describing the progression of economic value following the service economy. Essentially, it means that businesses will no longer sell ‘mere’ services but rather sell “memorable” experiences, wherein the personal memory of the experience becomes the product. (1)

Almost 30 years later, the experience economy shows no sign of slowing down: WGSN tells us that the consumers’ want and need for excitement and joy will translate as increased spending on events and entertainment linked to their passions, such as sports, TV or music. To create memorable experiences as understood by Pine and Gilmore, CPG brands need to evolve their relationship with their customers from transactional to “transformational”. This will allow brands to forge loyalty and intention and solidify the consumers’ choice for them in a fragmented market. (2)

Community-first branding 

Bringing memorable experiences to the consumer requires brands to foster connection and community with their consumers, with an emphasis on “an audience-first approach”. In other words, community and experiences need to be built around the consumer – not the brand. (3) 

It is important to point out that creating something transformational with the consumer at the centre, does not automatically call for an online experience. While digital experiences can be incredibly valuable to the consumer, for example powered by artificial intelligence or virtual reality, many consumers, younger generations included, actually long for offline events just as much (if not more). It seems clear that in a post-pandemic world that had everyone online and separated for too long, people are eager to meet their online communities in-person. (3) 

So, how can a brand fulfill this need for in-person, consumer-centric communities in an authentic and meaningful way? Let us take a look at Taco Bell’s latest branded experience: The Cantinas, which is an “early retirement community” for Gen Z who no longer bother with ‘youthful’ activities, such as partying or going out. In offering “senior-inspired” activities at its community getaway (such as aerobics, pickleball and crocheting), Taco Bell has proven that they understand exactly who Gen Z is and what they need and have catered to it very successfully. Apparently, the experience was sold out in under three minutes. (3, 4).

Cultural relevance as a competitive advantage 

It sounds straightforward enough, doesn’t it? Create a memorable experience that puts your consumer front and centre. But to achieve what Taco Bell has done, it is important to figure out what drove the success of their community getaway – namely an understanding of the emotions and culture that drive Gen Z consumers today. Tying your brand in with consumer culture is essential to staying relevant, and “consumer relevance has been proven to strengthen brand equity, which in turn can drive brand purchase”. (5)

According to Kantar, “being culturally relevant means driving and anticipating shifts in consumer desire and capturing the cultural zeitgeist in continually fresh ways, and it requires a more iterative and adaptable approach to marketing than offered by traditional advertising or branded content” (6). Likewise, it means that “understanding the emotions driving consumer behaviour” is pertinent, especially in these uncertain times. Branded experiences that capture the zeitgeist and focus on community building can help brands thrive with their consumers in the long run. (2)

Strategies to amplify cultural relevance

1. Stay in tune with culture over time – and by region 

Culture is always evolving, and different people, events or circumstances will create new moments of cultural impact and elicit emotional responses from consumers. This might happen on a global scale, especially as social media users can access culture from all corners of the world, however, it is critical that as a brand you remain in tune with what is distinctively culturally relevant in your local markets (7). 

A great example of this is JD Health’s (the healthcare arm of e-commerce platform JD.com) latest campaign which “celebrates China’s viral emotional trends from the past year”, spotlighting “10 emotional keywords, such as 红温 (‘heated but not melt-down’) or 短逃离 (‘gap moments’), that captured viral self-care trends” (8).

2. Let authentic influencers do the talking for you

Brands always want to “speak to the consumer” but often miss out on current touchpoints that are truly relevant to the consumer – this is particularly true for younger generations who spend very little time engaging with traditional channels. Take Generation Z: They are spending their money based on recommendations from their favourite TikTok community or their favourite Twitch streamer, meaning that brands need to leverage the cultural impact that these influencers have, if they want to be a part of the conversation. (5)

This year’s Uber Eats Super Bowl commercials, for example, featured Martha Stewart and Charli XCX (who is the artist behind last year’s predominant trend “brat summer”). One clip has the pair participating in a trend that had all of TikTok hooked at the time (“We listen, and we don’t judge.”). While the Super Bowl is of course a guaranteed touchpoint with consumers of all ages (US-Americans at least), Uber Eats still managed to produce one of the more well-received, authentic and simply fun ads we have seen this year. 

3. Turn loyal consumers into brand ambassadors 

Conclusion:

It is of vital importance that CPG brands acknowledge the role that culture and experience plays in today’s marketplace and learn to adapt to cultural shifts over time and across the globe. Particular emphasis should be placed on building a community with your consumers (on- and offline), one that is rooted in listening and responding to consumer needs as they are. Successful brands will be in tune with the cultural moments that resonate with their audience, and be rewarded with loyal, intentional consumers. 

Contact Sevendots to discover how you can amplify your cultural relevance with your consumer community. 

Contact Sevendots today to discover more.