- Cultural strategy is critical infrastructure, not optional spend
- Long-term partnerships beat tactical trend-chasing
- Authentic relationships protect against AI content saturation
- Community building creates lasting brand value
- Human creativity remains key to cultural relevance
- Key takeaway: In an AI-dominated future, sustained cultural investment will separate enduring brands from disposable ones.
Amid a backdrop of socioeconomic volatility, unprecedented technological change, and fragmented consumer attention, culture remains one of the few constants that brands can leverage to build lasting emotional connections with consumers.
Today’s audiences engage with their passions to help them manage the challenges of everyday life.
Yet, many brands treat investment in culture as a discretionary spend — a tactical and short-term endeavor that can be cut at the first signs of turbulence.
However, this approach is no longer sustainable.
As we approach an era where experts estimate 90% of online content will be AI-generated by 2026 (source: Europol), only brands with authentic, long-term cultural strategies will rise above the noise and remain relevant.
1Starting in the 1980s, Run DMC and Adidas changed the face of fashion and the buisness of hip hop with their long running collaboration.
Consider adidas's 267% revenue growth over 25 years: from EUR 5.83 billion in 2000 to EUR 21.43 billion in 2023, an average increase of 5.57% per year (source: Statista).
This wasn't just achieved through tactical trend-chasing but also through treating cultural investment as essential infrastructure rather than a cost.
Since embedding itself in music culture during the 1980s hip-hop boom 1, the brand has maintained a consistent strategy.
Last summer’s announcement of #MERKYFC HQ 2, a multi-purpose community hub in rapper Stormzy’s hometown of Croydon was the pinnacle of the brand’s support after a decade of working together with the artist.
It demonstrated how a long-term approach fosters trust and builds brand equity, and credibly enters community spaces, authentically bringing to life the “Through Sport We have the Power to Change Lives” brand purpose.
2Merky FC HQ is described as "a football and community centre in Selhurst, designed to nurture the voices of tomorrow."
3Adidas supports rapper Kano's longstanding relationship with the Your Place charity, which helps support people facing homelessness in his native Newham.
Similarly, the brand has also invested in long-standing partnerships with UK rappers Kano and Giggs.
In December 2024, they backed Kano’s partnership with homeless charity Your Place 3 and also provided in-party entertainment and presents for Giggs’ “Giggsmas” event.
Compare this to brands that treat culture-led initiatives as one-off experiments that often lack the credibility or staying power to build lasting consumer trust.
Adidas’ model highlights the value of consistency and investment in creating a meaningful cultural presence.
New Balance also seems to follow this playbook, evolving their relationship with musician Jack Harlow from brand ambassador to collaborative partner 4.
This consistency becomes even more vital as AI threatens to flatten the cultural distinction between brands.
With large language models pulling from the same popular references and algorithms pushing what’s familiar and viral to the top, there’s a risk of cultural stagnation among a mass of overwhelming content.
4New Balance evolved their releationship with rapper Jack Harlow in 2024, giving him full creative licence to create his own interpretation of a classic NB design.
5adidas Originals collaborations "celebrate craftsmanship, curation, and culture" by releasing collections driven by "musicians, artists, designers and cultural tastemakers."
The power of authentic long-term cultural partnerships could be what separates enduring brands from disposable ones.
The wise brands will be those who turn away from the quick wins of algo-tactical moments and build lasting cultural infrastructure.
The data supports this, with 64% of consumers more likely to consider brands aligned with their cultural interests, 63% more likely to buy, and 50% willing to pay premium prices for them (source: Horizon Media).
Adidas’ approach of nurturing genuine artist relationships 5 reminds us that the cultural engagement that leads to true creativity and innovation is fundamentally human.
While AI can be leveraged effectively to personalize content or inspire audience co-creation, the core cultural touch points need to be rooted in the authentic connections and communities that build brands.
How your brand can become a trusted cultural collaborator
- Shift from campaigns to commitments: Move beyond short-term wins, and invest in long-term cultural relationships.
- Create value amid noise: In a world saturated with content, focus on amplifying human creativity and supporting community-driven initiatives that resonate with consumers’ evolving identities and aspirations.
- Embrace culture as a catalyst for innovation: Beyond brand equity, long-term cultural partnerships can fuel innovation by aligning brands with the creative communities shaping the cultural landscape.
- Build cultural infrastructure: Invest in physical and digital spaces that enable genuine cultural innovation to thrive, and build environments where communities can gather, create, and connect authentically — something algorithms cannot replicate.
