Serial Marketer #255: The Cultural Prism

The doctor of culture will heal what ails you

----------------------------------------------------
SERIAL MARKETER WEEKLY
Issue 255: The Cultural Prism
----------------------------------------------------

I’ve been meaning to pass on a gift to you, or one I hope is a gift, as I’ll share a few reflections on one of the best business books I’ve read in years.

I received “For the Culture” by Dr. Marcus Collins as a gift from the Suzy AI Summit in July where Dr. Collins keynoted – it was a fireside chat with Suzy CEO (and my old boss) Matt Britton where you just had to tune in and be present. I didn’t see anyone looking at their phones during this one.

This is a print book, so I had a lot of notes written on the blank page in the back, and then I revisited it when I was done so I could write it up in my book report journal – a hobby I still keep up, jotting down thoughts on the 50 to 70 books a year I read and listen to. DALL-E 3 hasn’t made me give up pens just yet.

I misread one of my notes – the curse of having the handwriting of a doctor’s son – because I couldn’t find a reference to a “cultural prism” on page 21, and I thought the term was a little bit odd in the context anyway.

But then I found it: “cultural program,” in a reference to cultural scholar Raymond Williams. Dr. Collins wrote:

 “Williams defined culture as a realized signifying system, a system through which we interpret the world and make sense of it. This system, as Williams argued, is a whole way of life for people – a program for everyday living… Culture is a realized meaning-making system. More accurately, it is a system of systems…”

So it’s a program, not a prism, and yet…

What is a prism?

On the surface, it’s a transparent, triangular object that refracts light into its constituent colors. Shine white light into a prism, and you can see what it’s really made of.

The book is indeed a guide to a cultural prism. Shine light into a person, and you can see the tribes and congregations that they’re made of.

After all, even a nomadic hermit, against their will perhaps, becomes part of the nomadic hermit culture. But more commonly, we associate with each other, and we associate into tribes.

One argument Dr. Collins delves into is persuading marketers to stop targeting audiences and demographics and to start targeting congregations:

“Through this lens, segmentation and targeting become very clear. We divide the market into two segments: those who believe and those who do not. We then target the believers, who are more inclined to move, and move on past the nonbelievers. And, oh, by the way, there are probably more believers out there than you are aware of. Remember, multiple tribes combine to create congregations.”

There’s also a great little diagram a bit further on that goes something like this:

Target an audience (start wide and narrow it down):
OOOO
OOOO -> OOOO
OOOO -> OOOO -> OOOO
OOOO -> OOOO
OOOO

Target a congregation (start narrow and they’ll evangelize you’re message):
 OOOO
 OOOO -> OOOO
OOOO -> OOOO -> OOOO
 OOOO -> OOOO
 OOOO

The last page of each chapter gets real with a section called “From Know-Why to Know-How.” The one at the end of Chapter 3 builds on the previous exercise where you get at the soul of the brand with a “we believe” statement.

This one then says, “Once you’ve communicated the soul, then end with the sale. ‘We believe ____, so we created ____ to realize this belief.’” The context from the book is way more helpful, but this is a starting point.

A few other gems that I loved, again without all the proper context, but they’re too good not to share:

  • “We’re not rational human beings; we’re rationalizing human beings.”

  • He looks at the difference between “fast culture” which explains what people do, and “slow culture” which explains why people do it.

  • He makes a great distinction in the end between brands that practice cultural appropriation and those that practice “cultural appreciation.”

That’s a brief prism of the book so you can see some of the light that shines through. Read it to appreciate it in all its color.

David

--------------------------------------------------
WHAT TO WATCH & READ:
--------------------------------------------------
Recent content shared by Serial Marketers and friends:

--------------------------------------------------------------
EVENTS
--------------------------------------------------------------

UPCOMING SERIAL MARKETERS EVENTS:
(times EST unless otherwise specified)

  • Weekly on Wednesdays at 12pm: AI Insiders -- join this event series from AI Marketers Guild to discuss new developments and trends with AI

  • 11/15-16 (partner event, virtual): Join the AI Marketers Summit this fall. Register by 8/24 for the best discounts.

  • 11/29 5-7pm (NYC): Join our final Stacked Startup Showcase of the year and kick off the holiday stretch with your friends in AIMG. Reply here if you want to demo.

  • 12/6, 5-7pm (NYC): Join us at our next First Wednesday event in NY to meet fellow Serial Marketers in person in this fun, relaxed setting.

USING GENAI TO MOTIVATE CONSUMERS THROUGH THE ONLINE BUYING JOURNEY
November 14, New York
"Generative AI (GenAI) has proven to be valuable in creating efficiencies in content creation and saving time and resources. But marketers are looking for new applications for GenAI that not only solve for efficiency but also efficacy. When it comes to GenAI, how can we use it to achieve business metrics such as customer acquisition, loyalty program enrollment, and increasing shopping cart conversions? What are other impactful applications of GenAI and where is the technology heading? In this executive roundtable dinner, a small group of retail and e-commerce execs will discuss where AI is having an impact on their business and digital customer experience today and where they expect it to have an impact in 2024 and beyond."
Register

AI FOR MARKETERS SUMMIT
November 14-16, Virtual
"Why AI for Marketers Summit needs to be your conference of the year. Here's what you'll experience at our marketing AI event. Hear from senior executives from cross-industry brands share how they’re investing in AI and how it’s transforming their marketing strategies. Gain practical knowledge and skills immediately applicable to your work, and get expert feedback to help refine your strategies. Determine how and when to capitalize on AI through hands-on workshops that identify real problems and potential use cases for AI in your work... etc"
Register

GENERATIVE AI FOR MARKETING SUMMIT 2023
February 27-28 2024, London UK
"The Generative AI for Marketing Summit 2024 is set to take place on February 27th-28th, 2024, at a venue to be confirmed in London. This pioneering event marks a significant milestone as the first gathering of strategic marketing leaders, creatives, and technology enthusiasts to explore the transformative power of Generative AI. Generative AI has ignited unprecedented levels of excitement and curiosity within the marketing and creative industries. Its potential to revolutionize marketing workflows is undeniable, and this summit aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how Generative AI can shape the future of marketing."
Register

--------------------------------------------------------------
JOBS
--------------------------------------------------------------

Keep checking out the #jobs channel in Serial Marketers for more. Also, check out the AI Marketers Guild job board. For other job resources for marketing jobs, see a long and regularly updated list here.

OVERDRIVE
Senior Marketing Manager
Cleveland, Ohio/Hybrid
"The Senior Marketing Manager is responsible for OverDrive's Emerging Brands and Business Units. This seasoned B2B demand generation specialist is well-versed in leading emerging businesses and is proficient with CRM platforms such as Hubspot and Salesforce Marketing Cloud. The ideal candidate's role is to drive lead generation and boost sales across various channels, including email, social media, and Google ad campaigns. With a deep understanding of our customers' journeys, they provide incremental value to engage and convert both existing and new customers effectively."
Apply

HORIZON HEALTHCARE STAFFING
Marketing Director
Hicksville, NY
"Horizon Healthcare Staffing is searching for a Marketing Manager / Marketing. Director for our corporate office in Hicksville, NY. Horizon Healthcare Staffing is a leading healthcare staffing agency serving the New York and New Jersey Metropolitan area. With a staffing history spanning over 30 years, we take pride in providing exceptional staffing solutions for healthcare clients, while also assisting job seekers in finding rewarding employment opportunities. Our commitment to both the clients we serve and the healthcare professionals we support sets us apart as a trusted partner in the industry."
Apply

-------------------------------------------------------------
THE FOOTER YOU WON’T READ
-------------------------------------------------------------

SEND NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK
David Berkowitz, publisher
[email protected]

JOIN SERIAL MARKETERS
www.serialmarketers.net

The most important rights reserved. You can have the other ones.
(c) 2023 Serial Marketer

PS: Thank you so much for reading this.

--------------------------------------------------------------
DID YOU GET THIS FROM A FRIEND? THANKS, FRIEND! SUBSCRIBE HERE!
--------------------------------------------------------------

This email was sent to you only because you subscribed. To remove yourself and get that awkward email from me asking you what happened, unsubscribe below. (I'm probably kidding about the awkward email part.)