Riding the cultural current: How brands can stay afloat in a rapidly moving world

By India Fizer

When culture moves at the speed of a scroll, timing and authenticity are everything. RG Logan, Chief Strategy Officer at Grey New York, unpacks how the best agencies help brands stay relevant without losing their identity, and why consistency is the secret to lasting cultural impact.

Brands are expected to play an active role in culture today — not just advertise but participate. How are you seeing clients respond to that shift, and what role does your agency play in helping them navigate it?

Culture has always been an active ingredient in great advertising and marketing, not just today. The most iconic brands are iconic because they responded to a moment in time.

The difference today is that participation in culture feels like trying to grab a fistful of water from a rushing river. The moments come fast and furious, and if you think you’re too late, you’re probably right.

Agencies and clients alike are trying to cope with this breakneck speed, but the best agencies should be a king’s taster of sorts when it comes to determining which cultural movements are worth tapping into.

How do you evaluate whether a cultural trend or fandom is a smart branding opportunity?

Beyond being chronically online and having a nose for the next Labubu, or whatever, it comes down to fundamentals of brand strategy. It seems basic, but a brand that is well-defined, that truly knows itself, will understand the difference between blindly chasing a fleeting trend and tapping into a cultural energy, moment, or movement that is right for them.

If you take the Potty-Tunities campaign we did for Angel Soft during the Super Bowl, it came from a very simple brand promise: that Angel Soft doesn’t make you compromise between soft and strong.

So, we made a Super Bowl spot that was a bathroom break, for people who didn’t want to compromise between watching the game, the halftime show, or the commercials. It could’ve only been Angel Soft, and only during the Super Bowl, to prove the point in the most impactful way possible.

What strategies do you employ to ensure a campaign doesn’t just capitalize on a moment, but creates lasting cultural relevance for the brand?

Consistency! Participating in culture is never a one-and-done endeavor. First of all, culture recognizes the difference between a true participant and a tourist trying to peddle their wares. Modelo is a brand that has always showed up for Mexican Americans and the U.S. Hispanic audience, and it’s rewarded with incredible loyalty among this culture.

As consumer behavior evolves and digital spaces become more fragmented, how do you see the role of niche subcultures or micro-influencers shaping brand narratives compared to traditional celebrity endorsements?

Both are important and do different jobs. The best brands go deep and wide, creating deep engagement within specific subcultures or through a decentralized network of influencers, and going wide through scaled channels and a broader audience. A place to tell a more nuanced product or brand story, and a place for low-involvement messaging that reinforces memory structures.