Tech and Soul
Tech & Soul Podcast
Ep 8 - Culture Vultures, Culture Builders, and Everything In Between
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Ep 8 - Culture Vultures, Culture Builders, and Everything In Between

The role of culture in advertising, entrepreneurship, and brand management.

In this episode, we sit down with digital innovation expert Albert Thompson and dove into a fascinating discussion about culture and business. How do brands authentically tap into cultural movements while still being profitable? Can you scale intimacy in business?


We explored case studies like Red Bull's focus on adventure sports and P&G's acquisition of Black-owned haircare brands. Albert dropped some serious knowledge.

A few major takeaways from the conversation:

  • Attention is the cash value of time.

    • Brands that capture attention gain influence to move markets and make money.

  • Business rules aren't personal.

    • Acquisitions often happen so bigger brands can understand emerging consumer behavior and innovations.

  • Competing identities - between company history, current leaders, and target consumers - make it hard for brands to orient around culture. Figuring out your true North Star is key.

Key moments include:

 00:02:16 - Monetizing Everything

00:05:45 - Culture and Community

00:08:16 - Cultural Insights in Advertising

00:12:00 - Branding and Culture

00:14:24 - The Power of Attraction and Scarcity in Branding

00:16:14 - The Impact of Diversity of Thought

00:18:01 - Balancing Business and Brand Identity

00:21:07 - The Value of Attention in Business

00:23:54 - Navigating Brand Acquisitions and Cultural Impact

00:28:39 - The Influence of Infrastructure Control

00:29:00 - Empowerment and Predatory Practices

00:30:27 - Business Dynamics and Money

00:32:30 - Market Share and Longevity

00:36:36 - Navigating Late-Stage Capitalism

00:42:19 - The Soul of Black Entrepreneurs

00:43:40 - The Future of Culture

00:44:43 - Competing Identities in Organizations

00:45:58 - Navigating Cultural Adoption

Let us know what stuck out to you in the comments!

Hoping this gives food for thought around the dynamics of business, culture, and community. We’re excited to keep the conversation going.

Discussion about this podcast

Tech and Soul
Tech & Soul Podcast
Media industry veterans Lynne d Johnson and Tameka Kee examine current issues in tech, media and culture from a few distinct lenses:
1. Creatives / writers / former journalists
2. The advertising & publishing ecosystem
3. Black women
4. Entrepreneurs
In each episode, we explore a topic like virtual currencies, or the rise (and fall) of platforms like Threads, or even the similarities between the fanaticism (and buying power) of Swifties and the Beyhive — and we always bring it back to that digital lens.