Best Trends: Niko, Cultural Marketing is a relatively young marketing discipline. What exactly does it involve?

Niko Backspin: The discipline itself is young, but global demand is growing rapidly. In a fast-changing world of widely diversified communication channels, cultural drivers and increasing individualisation, authentic and respectful brand messages in the target group’s language are essential. In short: consumers want brands to speak their language. At the same time, modern brands aspire not only to be close to pop culture, but also to understand it and become a part of it. This is particularly successful when you work together on a long-term basis and on an equal footing. Moving away from classic cultural campaigning and towards cultural-sensitive marketing, i.e. a feeling for the culture, for the language, the channels and the values of a culture or sub-culture. Only then is true brand differentiation possible.

Best Trends: You mean cultural marketing tries to reach target groups in new ways?

Niko Backspin: Yes and no. We firmly believe that traditional target group thinking is no longer the state-of-the-art. These models are too often based on demographic factors, but are reaching their limits, particularly in the digital space. They are superficial and too far removed from the realities of life of the potential buyers. In order to avoid wastage, we follow an approach that is much more strongly oriented towards interests and complex (media) consumption. With Serviceplan Culture, we provide deep access to communities. And it is precisely there that the trends no longer dictated by traditional mass media originate.

Best Trends: Is this approach measurable? In other words, can we prove the success of cultural marketing?

Niko Backspin: What we want to achieve is a ‘return on culture’ – in other words, an investment in a culture or sub-culture that possesses genuine relevance for brands. Not short term, but long term. Our product is based on a cultural fit analysis, i.e. a data-driven approach that identifies the right culture for the brand and identifies opportunities – whether it’s hip-hop, LGBTQI+, gaming or K-pop. We always combine these data insights with the voice of culture. Serviceplan Culture relies on an exclusive Cultural Council for this. So-called tastemakers who use honest feedback and a no-nonsense view to check the relevance of diverse cultural aspects, values and language and work with consulting expertise as equals for brands. Our KPI for marketing departments is what we call the Cultural Value Proposition (CVP). A measurable result that makes not only the relevance of sub-cultures for brands, but also the success of creative measures visible and tangible.