Ollie Oshodi is a brand and culture expert with over 20 years’ experience building brand relevance in music and culture for brands such as Nike, Sonos, Smirnoff, Converse, YouTube, Airbnb and more. Previously Managing Director of The FADER & Cornerstone UK, as well as Head of Culture & Entertainment at Fuse, Ollie has led teams to deliver multi-award-winning 360 campaigns and activations, solving business challenges through a culture lens along the way.

“When I started in the industry many artists saw brand partnerships as selling out,” Oshodi explains. “Nowadays it’s seen as a core and valuable artist income stream in a world of declining revenue. Increased consideration is given to culture marketing by brands who see the broader benefits effective and considered strategies can bring.”

In this article, Oshodi shares how brands can create campaigns that will stand the test of time, drive relevance and build loyalty with cultural communities.

Understand your audience

Oshodi: “You may feel like you know your target audience inside out. But do you have a deep understanding of how they engage with culture? Dig into who they are through in-depth research and social listening. Understand their identities, passions, and the specifics of their cultural nuances.

It’s important to be conscious of the fact that fans are increasingly savvy. They can quickly call out brand partnerships they think are inauthentic. Especially when it’s connected to their favourite artists and communities. They are well-versed in brand and marketing tactics and have the language to pull them apart. Brands, therefore, must ensure they show up in cultural spaces credibly and with relevance and consideration.”

Identify where your brand is on its journey in culture

“Think about your current cultural footprint. Does your brand have an established heritage within a particular culture or subculture? Think of Vans and its relationship with skateboarding. Is there a natural connection between your brand and a specific cultural community like Wray & Nephew and the Jamaican community, or even between your brand and an artist who loves your product? Or, are you starting completely from scratch with a need to define a space that will be genuine and authentic to your brand? 

Wherever you are on your journey, you can take inspiration from Red Bull. They’ve consistently provided opportunities for artists globally for over 20 years through Red Bull Music Academy. This positioned the brand as an artist champion and created a platform that allowed them to credibly expand into events, festivals, music studios, a record label and more, with a legacy as a meaningful supporter of culture that continues to this day.”

Clarify your objectives

“Why exactly do you want to connect with culture? What does your activity need to deliver to the wider business? Define clear KPIs and understand upfront what value the activity needs to add to your brand. This will ensure that you develop a successful plan.”

Add value to culture and communities

“Wherever your brand is on its journey, it’s vital to ensure you’re giving something back to culture and communities. You can start small with something like product seeding if it’s early days for your brand in culture. But make sure it’s part of your ongoing strategy. How can you allow artists to do something they couldn’t do without your support? How are you creating new experiences for fans? Brands need to consider how they can add to culture instead of just using it for their own gains. Culture partnerships need to be less transactional and more mutually beneficial.

Brands also need to ensure they are paying artists and communities fairly. Especially now when they are in dire need of financial support. Fewer and fewer artists are currently able to make a living from their art, taking many out of the culture industries. Culture is in need, and the brands who take so much from it have a responsibility to give their support.”

Integrate people who understand your mission

“When entering a cultural territory, ensure you’re developing your activity with people from within those cultures and communities. Paid roundtables and workshops can be useful at the beginning of the process to ensure a meaningful understanding and guarantee you’re not assuming knowledge about a particular cultural community. Integrating them within your teams and as part of the development process will make sure your activity isn’t shallow and tactical.”

Think long-term

“While there will always be a need for short-term tactical activity, consider how you invest in that artist, culture or community over a longer period. Approach relationships with a long-term mindset and think about how you can build on those relationships over time.

Stormzy and Adidas are a great example of this. The recent announcement of #MERKYFC HQ, a multi-purpose football, music and gaming center for young people in Stormzy’s hometown of Croydon, opening at a time when youth services are constantly being cut, demonstrates how much societal impact a brand and culture partnership can have. This is a partnership 10 years in the making. Stormzy was seeded by the brand at the start of his career “in some Stan Smiths courtesy of Adidas” and is genuinely an Adidas fan being seen in countless music videos, live and TV appearances in the three stripes. He has developed a relationship that has included giving away trainers to fans, a sponsored freestyle to promote a new range, a game-changing football transfer announcement, multiple brand events and campaigns.

On the Adidas side, they’ve supported Stormzy in realizing his wider mission to support the Black community. It has included the launch of #MERKYFC in 2022, a partnership that aims to impact change in the football industry by creating leadership positions for those with Black heritage. All leading up to this pioneering collaboration which will truly change lives and has a genuine and significant relationship at its core. This is an absolute masterclass in how brands should partner with artists and broader culture and one we can all learn from.”

Finally, have fun!

Music and culture are passions that bring so much joy to people’s lives through moments that can uplift and bring people together. More and more evidence points to the fact that these moments in arts and culture have proven health benefits. With that in mind, effective brand culture marketing strategies have the power to bring even more of these moments into the world and make a positive societal impact.