{"id":583301,"date":"2023-07-18T14:57:34","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T11:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-brands-actually-benefit-from-staying-true-to-their-cultural-roots\/"},"modified":"2023-07-18T14:57:34","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T11:57:34","slug":"why-brands-actually-benefit-from-staying-true-to-their-cultural-roots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-brands-actually-benefit-from-staying-true-to-their-cultural-roots\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why brands actually benefit from staying true to their cultural roots"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3d3f84e6c63\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3d3f84e6c63\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-brands-actually-benefit-from-staying-true-to-their-cultural-roots\/#1_Anchor_through_an_authentic_sense_of_place_or_space\" >1. Anchor through an authentic sense of place or space<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-brands-actually-benefit-from-staying-true-to-their-cultural-roots\/#2_Tap_into_the_subcultures_that_transcend_physical_borders\" >2. Tap into the subcultures that transcend physical borders<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-brands-actually-benefit-from-staying-true-to-their-cultural-roots\/#3_Re-centre_the_voice_of_the_consumer\" >3. Re-centre the voice of the consumer<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            Six years ago I moved from the US to the EU to break from American culture and try something new. But in this short time, I\u2019ve seen Amsterdam, my adopted home, morph into a place that can sometimes feel culturally more like San Francisco than a major European capital.<\/p>\n<p>My anecdotal experience is the result of a larger commercial exchange between Europe and the United States reaching new heights. A flurry of retail investment <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/d3cbfa1f-d712-46b6-8595-ebe36b6c7162\">inspired by America\u2019s Robinhood<\/a> are getting Europeans, historically more prone to saving, to invest their money for the very first time. Mobility startups looking to replicate Uber\u2019s success <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dealroom.co\/blog\/european-mobility-startups\">have flourished<\/a> in Europe with copycats like Bolt and Gett. And the European food tech ecosystem saw <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foodtech.dealroom.co\/companies.startups\/f\/industries\/anyof_food\/regions\/anyof_Europe?companyEmployees&amp;showStats=true&amp;sort=-valuation\">explosive growth through the pandemic<\/a> as Europeans experienced the new convenience of having their food and groceries delivered on-demand.<\/p>\n<p>Working daily across both markets, we at SYLVAIN see this blending of cultures as a state of \u2018Europicana\u2019 \u2013 a feeling of sameness in consumer culture and brand offerings in both markets.<\/p>\n<p>You could argue this, or any cultural blending, creates more commercial potential for brands to scale across borders by catering to like-minded consumers. And there\u2019s no doubt that companies can benefit from global consistency. Every business-building playbook will advocate for it because it\u2019s cost-efficient, builds equity, and aids scalability. Tech companies, in particular, follow this guidance. With pressures to scale fast and gain ground in a market, it\u2019s also easiest to create a one-size-fits-all global strategy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper latest channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/div>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\">\n<p class=\"channel-cta-title\">The &lt;3 of EU tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol&#8217; founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It&#8217;s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>But what is lost when brands expand without a sense of cultural consciousness and nuance? While business models can <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> well, the same <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/oddlyEnoughNews\/idUSTRE53E3EE20090415\">cannot always be said<\/a> for brands, for which culture has always been the lifeblood. In fact, consumers are increasingly pushing back against homogeneity and yearning for a return to communities, spaces, and subcultures that reflect their uniqueness. Demonstrating this point \u2014 a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/linchpinseo.com\/the-importance-of-cultural-understanding-in-local-digital-marketing\/\">2022 survey<\/a> revealed that 68% of consumers feel more positively about brands demonstrating cultural knowledge, while another <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/linchpinseo.com\/the-importance-of-cultural-understanding-in-local-digital-marketing\/\">2023 report<\/a> showed businesses that used cultural data in their marketing strategy saw a 19% increase in engagement. And in the US, 38% of Americans shop local because they want to feel a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/mint.intuit.com\/blog\/money-etiquette\/buying-local-statistics-survey\/\">sense of connection back to their community.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Others are rescinding loyalty to mass cultures that have lost the nuance that made them special. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.complex.com\/sneakers\/2018\/04\/the-gentrification-of-sneakers-is-killing-the-culture\">Sneakerheads hate how sneaker culture has been gentrified<\/a>, and even the UFC, once a fringe sport, now has a mainstream audience, and many are claiming \u201ccasual fans\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bleacherreport.com\/articles\/1081739-ufc-why-the-casual-fan-is-both-a-bane-and-a-blessing\">are ruining the viewing experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>So how can brands bypass these traps to steward culture, and what role can tech brands play in the emerging movement against homogeneity?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Anchor_through_an_authentic_sense_of_place_or_space\"><\/span>1. Anchor through an authentic sense of place or space<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Culture is formed around a shared physical (or proverbial) place, whether that be a city, cuisine, language, or myth. And brands with ambitions to grow big don\u2019t need to dilute this in order to appeal to mass audiences.<\/p>\n<p>How might tech brands travel around the world while remaining \u2018rooted\u2019 in a sense of place? Perhaps the best examples to learn from are FMCG brands that have proven this. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.muji.com\/\">Muji<\/a> oozes the simplicity and functionality of Japanese lifestyle in all of its 700 stores. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.havaianas-store.com\/nl\/nl\/home?&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=2021newcollection&amp;utm_content=all&amp;gad=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwpuajBhBpEiwA_ZtfhfCbShwphRo1x-EJeBOZcdYYKb3QfYtfU7lYa_p_it_wo_tgoBsnqBoCpCkQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds\">Havaianas<\/a> takes consumers\u2019 minds to the laid back beaches of Brazil. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.desigual.com\/nl_NL\/?&amp;&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwpuajBhBpEiwA_ZtfhWhktW2_qWLpsUSZQTsVrj2KO4nDhZ7s7RDS_05kY6Wx-i0G24RFahoC0uMQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds\">Desigual<\/a> celebrates the vibrant, creative energy of its native Barcelona.<\/p>\n<p>While the majority of tech companies are inherently placeless, they can still represent an idea, story or set of values through product, service or brand experience. For example, Apple has infamised \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/90129351\/the-history-of-designed-in-california\">designed in California<\/a>\u201d as an homage not only to its headquarters but also to its design ethos, proving that tech brands can also ground in a sense of place.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Tap_into_the_subcultures_that_transcend_physical_borders\"><\/span>2. Tap into the subcultures that transcend physical borders<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If the 20th century\u2019s greatest brands <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coca-cola.eu\/news\/supporting-health-and-wellbeing\/without-europe-coca-cola-would-never-have-become-the-global-brand-it-is-today\">exported the mass culture<\/a> of a <em>place<\/em>, the 21st century\u2019s might be rooted in more niche subcultures that can be formed anytime and anywhere, much like tech companies.<\/p>\n<p>How might tech brands, which often grow popular first by solving for niche audiences, maintain relevance within <em>subcultures<\/em>? Tech brands like Nike showcase the breadth of NYC dance subculture by weaving together interviews and moves from real NYC dancers in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/657672388\">Own The Floor<\/a>. Van Moof brings a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vanmoof.com\/news\/en-US\/201554-vanmoof-launches-global-campaign-that-poses-a-critical-question-why-go-back\">Dutch POV<\/a> on the role of cycling in smart cities through its <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/10\/12\/business\/ebike-vanmoof-future-transportation.html\">e-bike business<\/a>. And <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sylvain.co\/work\/disney\/\">our recent work with Disney<\/a> embodies the full complexity of the Black experience in its digital platform Andscape.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Re-centre_the_voice_of_the_consumer\"><\/span>3. Re-centre the voice of the consumer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Ultimately, cultures require <em>people<\/em> to generate, nurture, and protect them. Rather than seeking to own, arbitrate, and express culture themselves, brands can set egos aside, re-centering and elevating the voices of the people who are at the centre of the cultures themselves \u2013 their own consumers.<\/p>\n<p>How might tech brands, often leaning on personalisation as a solution, let consumers truly lead the way? Patagonia answers to the calling of environmentalists and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jasonwingard\/2019\/08\/23\/the-patagonia-model-ceos-redefine-shareholder-value\/\">treats them as stakeholders<\/a> in the wider business. And Airbnb\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pro.regiondo.com\/blog\/airbnb-experiences-host\/\">\u201cexperiences offering\u201d<\/a> elevates hosts to cultural experts who bring an on-the-ground, human voice to the brand experience, to name a few.<\/p>\n<p>For how ubiquitous tech brands are in our everyday life, they can have an outsized role in the anti-homogeneity movement. And consumers <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/linchpinseo.com\/the-importance-of-cultural-understanding-in-local-digital-marketing\/\">will reward them for it<\/a>. Ultimately, it\u2019s up to digitally-native tech brands to lead a next era of branding which celebrates and nurtures culture, rather than losing it.\n                        <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/why-brands-benefit-true-cultural-roots\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Six years ago I moved from the US to the EU to break from American culture and try something new. But in this short time, I\u2019ve seen Amsterdam, my adopted home, morph into a place that can sometimes feel culturally more like San Francisco than a major European capital. My anecdotal experience is the result&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":583302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Add-a-heading-2.jpg&signature=79b21d80c966724fad57cdf1737b8e5d","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-583301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/583301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=583301"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/583301\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/583302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=583301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=583301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=583301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}