Marcus Collins Top Booked Marketing Speaker, Head of Strategy at Wieden+Kennedy, 2023 Thinkers50 Radar Class and expert on Cultural Contagion

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For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be

For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be

Each and every day, all of us try to influence others— to get them to believe, join, buy, embrace a vision, and most of all, to move and take action. In both our personal and professional lives, no matter what we do, we are all marketers. And all of us can learn from top marketer Dr. Marcus Collins about how culture is the most powerful vehicle for influencing beliefs and behaviors.

In this inspiring talk, Marcus shares stories from his own life and career as a top marketer, from spearheading digital strategy for Beyonce to the success of Google’s “Real Tone” technology to the launch of the Brooklyn Nets and a successful collaboration between iTunes and Nike. Combining thought-provoking examples drawn from contemporary culture with a deep perspective based on a century’s worth of data, he shares the tools for catalyzing collective change and inspiring action.

Whether you’re a manager trying to motivate a team, a company trying to improve culture, or a sales executive making a pitch, Marcus draws from his much-anticipated new book, For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be (to be released in May, 2023) to challenge old thinking and give you the essential tools to succeed in a hyper-connected, light speed world
Building a Stronger Culture

Building a Stronger Culture

No matter what your company or organization aspires to be—more innovative, more inclusive, more creative, more customer-centric, more productive, etc.—your success is 100% dependent on the culture that you create within the culture at large. Afterall, culture is the operating system of humankind. When you understand and operationalize it, it can become your organization’s superpower. In this game-changing talk, Dr. Marcus Collins walks audiences through the fundamentals of culture and how it affects who we are and who we want to be, giving audiences the tools to view any business challenge or opportunity through the powerful lens of culture. He also brings the audience together with group exercises that challenge their thinking, spark new ideas and inspire action.
Leading Through the Power of Culture

Leading Through the Power of Culture

Scholars often refer to leadership as the ability to influence without authority. The most powerful way to do that very thing at scale is through culture—the system of beliefs, norms and symbols that demarcate who we are and what is expected of people like us. Whether you are in a company, an organization or community, culture governs everything. Dr. Marcus Collins helps leaders understand the power of culture in influencing and changing human behavior and to develop it as a leadership tool. Audiences learn how to shape a more innovative, productive, inclusive and empathetic culture in their workplace or organization. Most importantly, they’ll learn how to harness the sway of culture to get people to move and take action.
Putting the Humanity Back into Customer Centricity
Putting the Humanity Back into Customer Centricity

In today’s competitive business landscape, it’s more important than ever to put the customer at the center of all business decisions. While this truth might be widely held, our ability to build organizations that are readily capable of implementing a customer centric approach is not as accessible as we might desire. This talk uncovers a perspective for customer centricity and provides actionable strategies for adopting this approach within your organization.

Key takeaways:

Understand the benefits of a customer-centric approach, including increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, and how it can drive business growth and success

Discover strategies for creating a customer-centric culture within your organization and building a customer-centric team

Learn how to apply these strategies to your organization right away
Brand U: Create Your Own Personal Brand to Achieve Your Professional and Personal Goals
Brand U: Create Your Own Personal Brand to Achieve Your Professional and Personal Goals

Think of some of the most influential consumer brands of the last 20 years: Apple, Nike, Google, Target, Budweiser—even Beyoncé. Now, learn how to create your own successful personal brand from the award-winning marketing strategist behind them. In this transformational learning experience, former head of strategy at Weiden + Kennedy/New York, University of Michigan marketing professor, and bestselling author on the power of culture, Marcus Collins, applies the secrets and strategies of top brands toward achieving both personal and professional success.

Audiences will:

Explore what a brand is—and why it can be such a powerful tool.

Reflect on their own core values to create an authentic personal brand

Develop an “elevator speech” and imagery to articulate their brand’s value

Create an engaging brand story

Align their personal brand story with their organization’s brand and goals

Learn how to leverage brand to achieve personal and professional goals at any stage of their life or career.

Featuring fascinating stories about brands, insightful reflections on human behavior and contemporary culture, and interactive exercises from an acclaimed marketer and professor, Marcus Collins’s can’t-miss talk can be tailored to a wide variety of audiences.

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2023 For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, And Who We Want to Be

From Budweiser to Beyonce, McDonald’s to Google, Marcus Collins has been the architect behind some of the most famous ad campaigns of the last decade. When he’s not helping blue chip brands create contagious marketing ideas as Chief Strategy Officer at award-winning agency, Wieden+Kennedy, appearing on the TED stage, writing a column for Adweek or releasing a much-anticipated new book, he is shaping the next generation of marketers as a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. A celebrated expert on cultural contagion, meaning-making, brand strategy, and consumer behavior, Marcus shows audiences in any industry or profession how to harness the power of culture to get others to share your vision and most of all, take action.

Dr. Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and expert on cultural contagion, meaning-making, brand strategy and consumer behavior. He has spent his career translating culture for brands and translating brands for culture, becoming the architect of some of the best-known advertising campaigns of our time. Marcus has championed strategies for blue chip brands such as McDonald’s, Apple, Google, State Farm, Target, Peloton, and Budweiser, and even ran digital strategy for Beyonce. He currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer for Wieden+Kennedy New York, the award-winning ad agency best known for its work for Nike and the legendary “Just Do It” campaign. He is also a columnist for Adweek, a TED speaker, and a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. His honors include being an AAF Advertising Hall of Achievement Inductee, 2022 Cannes Lions Jury Member, and one of the favorite professors of the University of Michigan MBA class of 2022. He is also the recipient of Advertising Age’s 40 Under 40 award and Crain’s Business’ 40 Under 40 award. His much-anticipated book, For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be declares that no matter what we do, we are all marketers trying to influence people in our daily lives and shows how to harness culture to inspire others to share your vision and take action. It will be released in May, 2023.

More About Marcus Collins

Marcus Collins has spent his career studying the underlying drivers that motivate people to take action—to buy, to watch, to click, to vote, to subscribe, etc.—helping organizations from Fortune 500 companies to startups and nonprofits use this knowledge to create marketing campaigns that catalyze collective action. His strategies and creative contributions have led to the launch and success of Google’s “Real Tone” technology, Budweiser’s “Made in America” film festival, the Brooklyn Nets, and State Farm’s “Cliff Paul” campaign.

Before joining Wieden+Kennedy, Marcus served as the Chief Consumer Connections Officer at Doner Advertising and led Social Engagement at Steve Stoute’s advertising agency, Translation.

Prior to his advertising tenure, Marcus began his career in music and tech with a startup he co-founded before working on iTunes + Nike sports music initiatives. He holds a doctorate in marketing from Temple University, where he studied cultural contagion and meaning-making. Marcus received an MBA with an emphasis on strategic brand marketing from the University of Michigan, where he also earned his undergraduate degree in Material Science Engineering. He has spoken for Fortune 100 audiences such as Google, United Healthcare, Toyota, Verizon and Fannie Mae.

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Topics

Marcus Collins Top Booked Marketing Speaker, Head of Strategy at Wieden+Kennedy, 2023 Thinkers50 Radar Class and expert on Cultural Contagion

Select Keynotes

Select Book Titles

Business Topics

Culture & Society Topics

Healthcare

Motivation & Achievement

Topics

Marcus Collins Top Booked Marketing Speaker, Head of Strategy at Wieden+Kennedy, 2023 Thinkers50 Radar Class and expert on Cultural Contagion

Select Keynotes

For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be

Building a Stronger Culture

Leading Through the Power of Culture

Putting the Humanity Back into Customer Centricity

Brand U: Create Your Own Personal Brand to Achieve Your Professional and Personal Goals

Select Book Titles

Business Topics

Culture & Society Topics

Healthcare

Motivation & Achievement