The WARC Podcast

What does it mean for a brand to be ‘in culture’? And in an age of fragmentation, micro-influencers and the creator economy - are the rules changing?  Leila Fataar, author of Culture Led Brands, talks to WARC's David Tiltman about what cultural relevance means for brands in 2026.

Chapters:

[00:00] – Why Culture Matters for Marketers in 2026
[02:10] – From Rave Culture to Guerrilla Marketing: Leila’s Origin Story
[04:30] – Inside Adidas & Diageo: Bringing Culture Into Big Marketing Teams
[07:30] – What Is “Culture”? Leila’s Definition for Brands
[09:45] – The Culture Stack Explained: Inherited, Interest and Company Culture
[13:20] – How Culture Stacks Shape Brand Perception and Decision-Making
[14:50] – Guinness Case Study: From “Old Man’s Drink” to Culture-Led Brand
[18:10] – Carnival, Diaspora and Recognising Latent Audiences for Growth
[20:40] – The Cultural Pipeline: Emerging vs Mainstream Culture for Brands
[22:50] – Global South, Youth and the Next Wave of Brand Growth
[24:20] – From Trend Reports to Cultural Intelligence: Better Marketing Insight
[27:10] – Fandom vs Community: How to Work With Each in Culture
[30:30] – Monoculture, Niches and Finding Credible Roles in Football Culture
[33:40] – Authenticity, Cross-Culture and Building Brand IP Beyond Category
[36:00] – AI, “Social-First” and Why Volume of Assets Isn’t Cultural Relevance
[39:40] – The Cultural Reset: Multi-Generational Workforces and Consumers
[42:30] – Rethinking the Corporate Algorithm: How Culture-Led Brands Decide

For 40 years, WARC has been providing the marketing industry with rigorous, unbiased evidence and expert effectiveness guidance. The WARC Podcast publishes a new episode every Tuesday and Thursday.

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