Latest news with #culturalrelevance
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
A Conversation With Hilton CMO Mark Weinstein On Building Brand Platforms, Cultural Relevance + Using Attitudinal Data To Future Proof Audience Understanding
With culture moving at the speed of light, identifying trends versus fads has becoming increasingly difficult. Consequently, aligning brands to be at the forefront of culture can be extremely complex, and the need to identify the right platforms and tools to gather the correct consumer intelligence to do so has never been more important. To wit, as brands move away from being campaign driven, to platform led, in order to not only be ahead of trend, but also differentiate within category, organizations need to crisply define who a brand is and what it stands for with clarity. Success here will also involve not only looking at the brand more from a lens of the WHO, but also doing the same for customers with more attitudinal or emotional data to get to the WHY. Mark Weinstein On Building Brand Platforms, Cultural Relevance + Using Attitudinal Data To Future ... More Proof Audience Understanding For all these reasons, I wanted to speak to a CMO who has successfully transformed the brand he leads to be at the forefront of both culture as well as audience understanding. Mark Weinstein has been at Hilton for the past fifteen years and is currently CMO. He has worked to continue to take the brand to new heights over and over again by a relentless commitment to never being complacent. Following is a recap of our conversation: Billee Howard: Hilton has gained a tremendous amount of brand momentum the last few years. Can you talk to me about your post COVID transformation around 'Hiton. For the Stay.' and the thinking behind it? Mark Weinstein: Hilton is a brand that was built in culture. From hosting the first-ever GRAMMY Awards at The Beverly Hilton in 1959 to our 20 years of partnership with McLaren Racing, Hilton has long been at the center of culture-defining moments. But somewhere along the way, as we focused on operational excellence and growth, we realized our role in culture wasn't as visible as it once was. During the pandemic, we experienced a unique halt in momentum, which served as a pivotal gift in disguise. We saw 90% of our business disappear; not because the brand was damaged, but because it wasn't safe to travel. This pause allowed us to think about how we wanted to reemerge as a brand and redefine our narrative. Hotel advertising had fallen into a 'sea of sameness.' We were playing into the tropes – showcasing cliché white empty beaches and sunsets – and, in turn, had written ourselves out of the story. This prompted us to look inward and find what sets Hilton apart from our competitors, and the answer was simple: The Stay. "For the Stay" was born out of the realization that travel had fundamentally changed. People were no longer just looking for a place to sleep; they were seeking meaningful experiences and moments that would stay with them long after their trip ended. We saw an opportunity not just to reposition Hilton, but to redefine how we engage with our guests. That led to the development of our first-ever global marketing platform, 'Hilton. For the Stay.' Howard: How should brands think about becoming more tribal and culturally relevant today with so many things happening and changing in what feels like real time? You mentioned something critical to your success was finding the attitudinal factors that drive audiences as they can provide a roadmap to understanding a segment not just for now but for life. Can you explain more about what you mean? Weinstein: Staying relevant in today's fast-moving world requires a balance between responding to the now and anticipating the next. Brands must be agile and deeply attuned to cultural shifts to remain relevant. At Hilton, we achieve this by actively listening to our guests and engaging with them through various channels. We leverage social media listening, customer feedback, and market research to identify emerging trends and understand the cultural nuances that resonate with different demographics. We also take a long-term view by focusing on macro trends that align with our brand values rather than fleeting micro trends. For our go-to-market strategy, we focus on trends that enhance the guest experience and align with our commitment to sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation. The bigger picture for us is understanding the attitudinal shifts that will define lifelong behaviors. A 20-something prioritizing wellness or experiential travel isn't doing so just to follow a trend; there is an underlying personal value that they are identifying with that could stay with them well into their 50s, 60s and beyond. By identifying these motivations early, we can meet these travelers today with relevant messages while also building a roadmap for the future. If we listen closely, we can determine what products to develop and how to design experiences that evolve with our guests – and where and how to ultimately invest. By staying true to our core values, while adapting to the changing landscape, we can create authentic connections with our guests and drive long-term brand loyalty. Howard: You've really put a fine point on better understanding Gen Z and done a great job of downageing the brand. That is often a big challenge for marketers. What are some best practices you employ here? Weinstein: We understand that for many travelers – especially Gen Z – their journey starts on the couch with their loved ones, scrolling on social media and dreaming about their next adventure. Our goal is to understand how they get their information, show up in all the places where they choose to spend their time and inspire them with stay experiences that feel aspirational, yet attainable. Today's young travelers aren't waiting for 'someday.' They've shifted from bucket lists to 'go do it now' lists, prioritizing unique, shareable and culturally immersive experiences. Hilton is tapping into this experience economy by making travel more engaging and rewarding. A great example is our 20 year partnership with McLaren Racing. Together, we've partnered to provide exclusive experiences and perks for Hilton Honors members and McLaren Racing fans, while offering the McLaren F1 Team a home away from home in Hilton hotels at race locations around the world. In fact, over 4.6 million Hilton Honors Points were redeemed for the McLaren Ultimate package for Las Vegas in 2024, the most Points redeemed for any package in the history of the site. We've done everything we can to help these athletes perform at their best, flipping hotel schedules to match time zones and tailoring stays to fit their fast-paced lifestyles. This commitment to personalized care extends to every Hilton guest. Howard: There has been a tremendous pivot in how organizations think about brand, moving it away from visual identity and campaign after campaign to a platform that identifies who an organization is with clarity. Talk to me about your thinking here and how you have employed it at Hilton. Weinstein: 'Hilton. For the Stay' is more than just a tagline and is instead a long-term commitment that puts the stay at the heart of everything we do. It serves as our North star, guiding how we evaluate new opportunities, partnerships and experiences. When my team brings an idea to me, my filter is simple: Does it align with our brand platform? Is it meeting customers where they are and where they are going? Does it feel relevant? Having this grounding gives us the confidence to take daring, calculated risks while ensuring Hilton stays culturally relevant. It allows us to look at trends differently and adapt in ways that feel authentic. For example, we recently launched 'Hilton Saved My Stay,' a long-form content series inspired by our social engagement strategy that gives back to real travelers when they need it most through our signature hospitality. Created in partnership with TBWA\Chiat Day\NY, global production company 1stAveMachine and the director of our 10-Minute TikTok, David Ebert, the three-part comedic content series is part of our bold and differentiated approach centered around actual stay stories. Rather than just running ads, we often insert "Hilton as the Hero" by jumping in and saving travelers who share their vacation nightmares online, turning potential customers into Hilton guests. These creators then organically shared their Hilton stay experiences with their audiences, reinforcing that Hilton is there when it matters most. By staying true to who we are while strategically embracing current trends, we are maintaining Hilton's place as a dependable, relevant leader in global hospitality for generations to come.
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Democrats seeking to buy the 'next Joe Rogan' of the left after 2024 election defeat
Democrats are spending top dollar to "find the next Joe Rogan" on the left after their 2024 election defeat, according to a new report published Tuesday. Liberal strategists are pushing the party's megadonors to spend tens of millions of dollars to develop "an army of left-leaning online influencers" to help the party "compete culturally" with President Donald Trump, according to The New York Times. "The quiet effort amounts to an audacious — skeptics might say desperate — bet that Democrats can buy more cultural relevance online, despite the fact that casually right-leaning touchstones like Mr. Rogan's podcast were not built by political donors and did not rise overnight," the Times reported. According to the report, a group of liberal operatives met in Washington after the election and decided to come up with a for-profit media company called AND Media, or "Achieve Narrative Dominance," to financially support social media influencers. The company aims to raise $45 million over the next four years and has already raised $7 million, according to the report. Their business plan, shared with the Times, says the company will directly fund influencers and help produce their content. They will make a creator talent agency and make deals with "four flagship creators." Another effort in the works is called Project Bullhorn, which will also gather donations to support liberal content creators. The project, which aims to raise $35 million in its first year, was pitched to donors at a meeting this month, where Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., was reportedly in attendance. Other projects seeking major donor funding include Channel Zero, a company which will provide administrative support to influencers with large followings, and Double Tap Democracy, which will collaborate with 2,000 apolitical influencers with smaller followings, the Times reported. The report comes as Democrats face a messaging and identity crisis in the election aftermath, with polls showing the party's favorability sinking to record lows this year. According to a Fox News national poll conducted in April, the favorability rating for the Democratic Party dropped to 41%. Trump dominated the podcast scene during the 2024 campaign, reaching millions of listeners in his interviews with popular influencers and comedians like Joe Rogan, Andrew Schulz and Theo Von. Some media outlets have reported that his online presence was instrumental in winning the election, particularly for younger male voters, who supported Trump at 53%, compared to former Vice President Kamala Harris' 45%, according to a Fox News Voter Survey last November. Last November, Rogan mocked Democrats for calling for a new version of him to help their party. "This is one thing that keeps coming up like, 'We need our own Joe Rogan' right? But they had me, I was on their side!" Rogan said on his November 26 podcast. The Democrats' influencer strategy was criticized by Fox News' "The Five" co-host Harold Ford Jr. on Wednesday. "Democrats, you can go out asking for money from donors saying we're going to create. This is not an AI machine," he said on "The Five." "You've got to figure out people who actually know what people are talking about, who know the feelings of people, and don't judge them because a year ago they said something that offended you. Or an hour ago, said something that offended you. Sit and listen to people. That's why Joe Rogan is such a powerful, powerful figure… and why Donald Trump has been so successful as well." Joe Rogan and the White House did not return a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Entrepreneur
09-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Five Strategy Lessons from The White Lotus to Make Your Brand Culturally Relevant
Three seasons in, The White Lotus has become more than just a TV show: its distinctive aesthetic, sharp social commentary, and layered symbolism make it a cultural moment – something people talk about, memeify, and analyse. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Brands can learn a lot from it. Today, cultural relevance is essential for brands, fuelled by the technology-catalysed shift from passive to active consumerism. Brands today must participate in the same conversations as their audience, with a clearly defined point of view. For brands aiming to embed themselves in culture, The White Lotus offers five essential strategy lessons. 1. Understand what 'culture' actually means Culture can be defined as the shared values, beliefs and behaviours that turn individuals into crowds. The White Lotus' popularity is thanks to the way it centres and dramatises inequality – arguably the issue that people care, worry and talk about more than any other right now. Brands take note: for them to participate in culture means actively highlighting, shaping or accelerating such issues. Take fashion brand MSCHF's disruptively clownish approach to its culture of, as the name suggests, mischief – a timelessly resonant shared behaviour. Veuve Clicquot's less provocative but equally effective approach to culture the sunny optimism forged by combining its compelling backstory and ownable yellow hue – inherently challenges the traditionally male-dominated, frequently old-fashioned worlds of luxury and wine. The White Lotus' culture is independent of its era: its themes – privilege, class, sex, death, spirituality – transcend the zeitgeist. Just as brands should. 2. For brands, culture isn't trends Culture mixes timeless and new. The White Lotus resonates because it taps into our age-old fascination with power, privilege, and moral decay – exposing the fallibility of an elite that's often worse than the rest of us – but presenting this through today's lenses in its fashion, music, and language (dialogue). Culture marries current trends and age-old human truths: the satisfying schadenfreude of watching the elite's downfall is timeless, yet made more acute in 2025, with our ever-increasing awareness of the gulf between the 1% and the 99%. Brands should note this balance of historic and contemporary. Johnnie Walker's "Striding Man" is rooted in history yet continually refreshed through campaigns like its Squid Games collaboration, its AI venture, and Jane Walker, connecting the brand to current cultural narratives while preserving its identity. Like The White Lotus, it balances old and new. Oatly, too, goes beyond dairy-free milk by championing plant-based living; its bold, activist voice aligns with enduring ideological shifts. Like The White Lotus, these brands thrive by honouring timeless themes while adapting to today's world. 3. Show before you tell The White Lotus does more than tell a story: from its sun-drenched landscapes to opulent hotels and perfectly styled wardrobes, every frame draws you in with its sensory allure. It's a show about (inwardly) ugly people doing ugly things, but it wraps its critique of wealth and privilege in a layer of undeniable beauty. It appeals to our eyes first, and later to our hearts and heads, leaving the unflattering exposition of the 1% to linger and resonate. The way to make people care about something is to first seduce them through their eyes – after all, brands need design to 'do culture. In the case of The White Lotus, people come first for the beauty, and stay for the schadenfreude. It taps into desire before anything else. For brands to be culturally relevant and have a point of view, they can't forget the importance of looking great and leading with that first. 4. Familiar but flexible Each episode and season of The White Lotus is simultaneously similar and different. Regular viewers start to recognise patterns in the way the show is shot, choreographed and soundtracked. Likewise, McDonald's golden arches icon is remixed constantly, evolving across generations – even riffing on colloquialisms like 'Maccy Ds' – but with a singular, constant colour palette that's instantly recognisable. By having an identity that can flex over time, brands can be a part of culture as it shifts. After all, culture never stands still – and it's vital that brands keep up. 5. Don't just spectate, participate Many brands show up in culture when it suits them, only to disappear when the moment passes. But cultural engagement must be embedded in a brand's DNA. The White Lotus doesn't just reflect culture: it shapes it. The show meaningfully engages with its audience by building a world we can immerse ourselves in for an hour. All with a plot that encourages conversation long after the closing credits. Like the show, brands shouldn't play it safe: they need to be on the dancefloor, not watching from the wings. Take Nike. It doesn't just sell sportswear – it creates sports culture. As campaigns like Colin Kaepernick's Dream Crazy, or So Win for female athletes show, its entire identity is inextricably tied to the world of movement, ambition, and perseverance. In it for the long haul A brand's approach to culture is most effective if it authentically resonates with the things that people care about, talk about, relate to, and enjoy the most. As The White Lotus' success proves, 'doing culture' is actually the opposite of what many people think it is – chiming with fleeting fads; limited editions, flash-in-the-pan subcultural movements. Cultural relevance isn't a campaign, it's a commitment forged over time.
