6 strategies that transform companies from brands into cultural forces

"U.S. Bank's Translators documentary reveals a hidden reality: bilingual children serve as interpreters for their immigrant families, navigating everything from banking to healthcare. Rather than just advertising their Spanish-language banking services, U.S. Bank collaborated with filmmaker Rudy Valdez to tell this authentic story. The documentary validates an experience millions live daily. When they later launched Asistente Inteligente, the first Spanish-language virtual assistant from a U.S. financial institution, it felt like natural understanding, not marketing."

"In a world of infinite options, cultural power begins with being impossible to replace. "A brand should embody something unique that others can't easily replicate," says Nick Law, creative chairperson of Accenture Song. Uniqueness isn't about features or benefits anymore, but about occupying cultural territory that only you can claim. As Leland Maschmeyer, cofounder and CEO of Collins, puts it: "The reality is that brand is differentiation. Without it, a product is a commodity.""

Most brands still buy attention, but impactful brands earn devotion that people will rally behind and protect. Consumers seek a role in movements, not just transactions. When brands focus solely on economics, spark and engagement disappear. Consequential brands ignite a shared spirit, tapping values rather than wallets, and build communities of advocates. Six actionable strategies separate brands that ride culture from those that positively shape it, turning brands into cultural forces that generate enthusiasm and prosperity. Cultural power begins with being irreplaceable by occupying unique cultural territory others cannot easily replicate. U.S. Bank's Translators documentary and its later Spanish-language virtual assistant exemplify authentic understanding and differentiation.

Read at Fast Company