Culture has become such a ubiquitous term in marketing that it is in danger of losing its relevance. Yet the truth is so many brands and agencies are clustering around culture because cultural relevance is so vital to grabbing the most finite of resources: consumer attention.

Greg Jones, European CEO of Smarts, believes it is vital to take a more nuanced approach to culture. He believes brands chasing flash-in-the-pan moments face challenges, and to us, that’s not how you build a lasting presence in culture.

He explains: “To build that long-standing presence, brands need something that we call ‘cultural endurance’. It's about finding your place in the real conversations people are having and staying there. Brands need to consistently tap into what matters to people, creating moments that resonate over time. It's not just about being trendy today; it's about becoming a part of the cultural fabric.”

Building cultural endurance

Jones believes that there is much to learn from brands which have successfully punctured culture for the long term, rather than cashing in on a moment of fleeting glory.

He points to the example of Coca-Cola as a brand which has successfully had an enduring cultural impact, sharing: “Their "Share a Coke" campaign, which personalised bottles with names, showed a deep understanding of personal connection and community. This campaign didn’t just boost sales; it became a social phenomenon,”

It is an example that he believes underlines the importance of consistency in building cultural currency. He explains: “Coca-Cola's ability to adapt its core message of happiness and sharing to fit contemporary contexts is a key lesson. It’s about staying true to your brand’s essence while continuously finding new ways to engage with people.”

Creating the conditions for success

But creating the conditions where brands can be both consistent and creative, requires consistency in agency relationships and investing in marketing teams prepared to play the long games.

For Jones the key ingredient for creating curious teams, which in turn create standout creative work, is balance. He explains: “The most successful brands hold strong to their core cultural purpose, but they also have teams that stay tuned in to how culture is evolving. It's connecting the dots between a company's values, its daily operations, and its long-term ambitions.”

It is an approach which is about more than making one big marketing moment, or puncturing the cultural calendar as a one-and-done PR moment. He says: “Many brands can create high-profile moments, but the real winners link these moments together over time. They create spikes of activity that all connect back to deep, consistent thinking about their place in culture.”

This approach also requires that leaders create the conditions where teams feel they can challenge and grow. “Fostering an environment where team members feel safe to explore and experiment can lead to innovative ideas that align with the brand's enduring cultural relevance,” he adds.

Diversity drives creativity

As leaders emerge from the creative soup of the summer limbo, Jones is clear-sighted that making the time to be curious and creative is at the very top of his agenda.

He explains: “I’m a firm believer in creating dedicated time for brainstorming and idea-sharing sessions, promoting cross-functional collaboration, and rewarding innovative efforts. And it goes without saying that leaders should model curiosity and creativity themselves, by showing a genuine interest in new ideas and approaches whenever they can.”

Jones believes that leaders should be intentional in driving cultures of curiosity and creativity across their teams. “It’s about creating an environment that values continuous learning and open dialogue. Encouraging team members to take risks and view failures as learning opportunities is crucial, and often overlooked. Then I’d also say it’s about providing access to diverse perspectives that can spark creativity,” he adds.

A moment of light relief

Creatively, Jones is excited by the power of humour in marketing, which is enjoying a particularly energising moment across the industry. He explains: “It's such an effective way to tap into culture - so much so that Cannes even added a humour category to their cultural and context awards this year.”

Smarts recently used this approach in its work for Chessington World of Adventures, creating a campaign called 'Sorry Surrey,' that playfully apologised to local residents for the noise from a new attraction. The agency even placed 'emergency' boxes with industrial-strength ear defenders around the county. “It was tongue-in-cheek, but it really struck a chord. In fact, Kantar's analysis ranked it as one of the UK's most successful print advertising campaigns in 2023. It just shows how powerful humour can be when it's used to connect with people in a culturally relevant way,” he added.

A reminder of the cultural firepower of providing consumers with that all important light relief through a spark of creativity.

Assumptions are the death of creativity

Sparking that creativity demands that whatever stage you are at in your career you don't rely on assumptions. Never assume you will appear stupid for owning up when things go wrong or asking for help when you need it.

Looking back on his career Jones notes that the one piece of advice he wished he had at the start of his career is the simple yet difficult to live by mantra: “If you need help just ask for it.”

He shares his experiences as an account executive when an airline lost half of the clothes he was travelling with for a fashion show he was putting on at a chain of bingo clubs in Scotland for a client. He shares honestly: “I was too embarrassed to admit that the clothes had gone missing, even though it wasn’t my fault and tried to put on the shows anyway, with disastrous results.”

The debacle meant that he got a proper telling-off, not for losing the clothes but for not flagging to his boss straight away. But the failure brought with it a huge moment for growth. “I quickly learned that asking for help was not a sign of weakness and that if you don’t know the answer that’s OK, as somebody else will,” he shares.

Not defaulting to knowing the answer can in fact be a vehicle for growth and momentum in a marketing ecosystem perpetually in motion. As Jones' career underlines, getting comfortable with the uncomfortable can both propel you forward but also help you find the space to learn from the highs and lows.