What Ramadan can teach us about inclusive marketing; Why brands should think locally; Gen Z Feminism, and more

Welcome back to Culture Hack, our newsletter authored by our very own Heroes: students of culture, creators, and boundary-pushing, shape-shifters hell-bent on changing the world. Our work is rooted in deep cultural understanding, based on our lived experiences, expertise, and relentless learning that we use to help brands find and leverage their “Cultural Superpower”. In this edition, we take a look at what Ramadan can teach us marketers about inclusivity, and examine what intersectional and representative feminism looks like to Gen Z. We also reflect on embracing localism in marketing, and how it presents a huge opportunity to engage consumers within the communities where they already exist.

What Ramadan Can Teach Us About Acceptance And Brands About Inclusivity

In my early childhood years, I grew up in a household with what I would describe as ‘the perfect mix of religious and cultural’ exposure that I still carry with me today. I was taught the importance of resilience, cultural humility, faith behind action, and most importantly, kindness. As a result, I honestly was given the best of both worlds to make informed choices of who I want to be and how I wish to proceed throughout the world. 

When given the opportunity to move to the Middle East, I was excited the most about the exposure to a culture and religion I only knew on a surface level. And although I am still by no means an expert, I left my four years in Dubai with a deeper understanding of Islam that I am genuinely grateful for. 

For many looking from the outside, the perception of Ramadan is that those of Muslim descent are simply fasting for a 30-day period, not far off what some may do for Lent. However, there is more to it than just fasting. The observance of Ramadan has the ability to teach us love, humility, and patience. 

And in turn, I learned that there was so much to learn and celebrate, even for those who may not be Muslim or observe this moment each year. 

So, as we face a cultural evolution of inclusivity, I can’t help but think about how U.S. brands (as well as consumers) can lean into these sentiments and create a genuine engagement experience that is reflective of the 1.9 billion Muslims globally (with 8.1 million projected to be from the U.S. by the year 2050). In addition to embracing its enlightened values in the same way Christmas and Hanukkah are.

Where’s The Start:

Firstly, understand the habits and needs during the holy month and what are the artistic and cultural nuances that make this time special. Influencers and creators such as Yara Elmjouie and Mai’s Vault have often tackled challenges and popular misperceptions about the holy month of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid in edutaining ways for those who may not be as familiar with the Muslim community.

Secondly, it’s important for brands to sway away from the commercialization of Ramadan and instead align with the month’s recognition of gratitude. Brands such as Ikea have tapped into a sense of community with product lines built around togetherness and keeping in mind moments such as Iftar, where families come together to break their fast and eat. 

Thirdly, brands have an excellent opportunity to keep in mind the altruistic side of the observance with campaigns that acknowledge the importance of giving back, one of the critical values during this time. In recent years, brands such as Etihad airlines have created community fridges for those in need. Which also built upon UAE traditions that focused on the spirit of sharing and working with Etihad’s global network. 

Fourthly, focusing on quality over quantity, brands such as Tesco, a UK supermarket chain, created an OOH campaign that utilized tech on digital billboards that filled the plates with food as the sun set, noting the importance of sustenance during Iftar and Suhour.

Fifthly, find meaningful ways to be part of the conversation (even beyond the time). Brands such as Jawwy uncovered a way to authentically remind people to live the Ramadan spirit all year long by ensuring that doing good deeds and helping others becomes an everyday habit. 

Lastly, remember, no matter what route you choose; it’s never wrong to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions others make globally because we are all the better for it. 

 And most importantly, Ramadan Mubarak!

- W. Sky D.

(with special thanks to Dina Sami )

Gen Z Feminists are Breaking Gender Norms

With Gen Zs being one of the most diverse generations yet, Feminism is moving beyond gender and embracing the intersectionality of many traditionally marginalized groups.

Gen Zs have strayed away from the need to be defined or placed in a box. Instead, they seek brands that empower them and remain authentic to their values and social causes in a way that is unique and differentiated. Recently, Amazon released the first of its series of ads as part of the “Its on Prime” campaign featuring a girl rocking her mustache. Contrary to traditional norms, where she has the option to purchase a razor, she opted for a yellow jacket and embraces the look. In just 10 days, this ad has already received 8.2 million views. 

Some of my other favorites include the award-winning Dove’s Self-Esteem Project, as well as Bumble’s recent campaign with Keith Powers: “A Love Letter to Black Women”.

With this in mind, I hope to see more brands follow suit and continue to be courageous and radically imaginative in how they support and participate in intersectional feminism, but also, reevaluate their partnerships and supply chains to ensure all women and all genders are at the forefront of all that they do. And most importantly, respectful enough to look beyond this single component of one’s identity, consider gender neutrality and acknowledge transgender identities.

With Women’s history month ending, it is not lost on us the lack of representation of trans women, specifically trans women of color in advertising. Now more than ever, it is important that brands take into consideration marginalized groups, diverse experiences, and intersectional identities. Including these factors and finding the space in which your brand fits, will indeed attract Gen Z interest. 

- Naomi Augustin 

Think locally, act locally: Why brands should embrace power of localism

As a child of the 90s, my millennial brain is particularly steeped in a deep-rooted, Michael Jackson-esque globalism. An underlying fondness for global brands and global citizenry, that is gradually giving way to another 2020s movement that shows no signs of fading away: Localism. 

The pandemic might have accelerated the renewed interest in all things local, but in reality, this has been brewing for quite some time. The political revolt against “global elites” and internationalism that preoccupied the 2010s. An increased understanding of social and economic inequality in our gentrifying neighborhoods. A growing interest in sustainability and traceability that extends to who, where and how our services and goods are manufactured.

Consumers are increasingly seeking brands that embrace where they come from and show up for the communities in which they operate. And yet, with local and community media in decline, you could argue that it's harder to connect to people locally than ever before. Nevertheless, as brands seek to build deeper, more meaningful relationships with their consumers, localism represents a huge opportunity to engage consumers within the communities where they already exist.

While I love a spot of locally relatable copy (Hello Streeteasy!), embracing localism goes beyond customized creative. As with any community, it starts with understanding the equity a brand has with a given audience and the role they play in local culture. Whether it’s Nike’s embrace of local graffiti artists in São Paulo, Aesop’s locally informed retail experiences, or even Budweiser’s embrace of Philly Philly; the key, as obvious as it may sound, is being unafraid to let those local differences be part of the brand experience. 

To quote my favorite Australian soap, that’s when good neighbors become good friends.

- Ed Hunt

TikTok has reached a milestone: 150 million U.S. users, in the midst of the drama surrounding privacy, security, and a potential ban. 

• The app is now calling for support from its users to avoid the ban in the US. They are urging them to contact their representatives to voice their support for the platform.
• CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is set to appear before the US congress this week, and took the time to post a video about the milestone while calling users for support. 
• This push for support just shows how serious this ban could be and how it could alter a lot of marketing practices and opportunities for creators.

Although talks of the ban keep flooding the news cycle, TikTok is still trying to push forward. 

• They announced that there will be new rules for content created by AI. 
• A direct quote states, “Synthetic media or manipulated that shows realistic scenes must be clearly disclosed...through the use of a sticker or caption, such as ‘synthetic’, ‘fake’, ‘not real’, or ‘altered”. [More here]
• The platform continues to show up as being on top of the game and making updates that correlate with how content is progressing. 
• We will keep a close eye on the status of the ban and how the platform plans on acting toward the inevitable changes to come.

The next phase of Twitter 2.0 is amongst us and Elon himself has some updates. There will now be priority ratings for tweet replies for Twitter Blue subscribers.

• According to Musk, in the upcoming weeks, the platform will prioritize replies by: People you follow, Verified accounts, Unverified accounts
• The purpose of this is to improve tweet visibility and nod to the “you get what you pay for” based on the different subscription levels the platform provides.
• So far, the platform hasn’t successfully been able to implement everything. Earlier this year, users reported seeing a big decline in overall engagement. 
• Insiders reported that Twitter’s engineering team was having trouble implementing code changes. Musk even confirmed this by reporting that the platform’s ranking algorithm remains ’overly complex and not fully understood internally’.
• Although this doesn’t give off much “improvement” for the platform, maybe this implementation for paying users will help them obtain more reach. Something to watch is how this affects non-paying users and the massive impact it could have in tilting the discussion on the app.

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Our work on Lenovo’s latest campaign - Be Greater Than - shines a light on the change-makers who are working to overcome obstacles that would otherwise prevent them from doing good in their communities. 

MediaPost - Joe Anthony - Healthcare Marketing And The Black Community: Meet Us Where We Are

Joseph Anthony reflects: “Healthcare companies would also do well to familiarize themselves with the language of underserved populations and work with partners who speak and understand it.”

Interested in learning more about our culture expertise? Reach out to info@herocollective.co