Back to the F**kture: Leila Fataar on Culture-Led Brands: Why the Future Belongs to the Human-Centric, Not the Trend-Chasing

In the latest episode of Back to the F**kture!, Leila Fataar, founder of Platform13 and author of Culture-Led Brands, explores how culture-led branding – rooted in real people and real contexts, not marketing gimmicks – can help brands remain relevant in uncertain times.

‘We’re entering a new era,’ says Fataar. ‘It’s not about jumping on trends or going viral on TikTok. A culture-led brand is one that makes sense in people’s lives, reflects their world and earns the right to show up in their stories.’

Her approach flips traditional branding on its head. Instead of beginning with purpose or product, Fataar starts with people – specifically, with what she calls ‘cultural positioning’. This means identifying the intersection between what a brand stands for and what culturally matters to its audience.

‘It’s not just demographics anymore,’ she explains. ‘You can’t say your customer is 52, lives in a city, and expect that to be enough. People are multilayered, made up of inherited culture – where they’re from, their background – and interest cultures – what they choose, from fashion to sustainability. We need to speak to both.’

This ‘culture stack’ concept is central to Fataar’s thesis. It acknowledges that people don’t just consume – they interpret, filter and connect through their lived and chosen experiences. Brands that fail to recognise this risk irrelevance. ‘Culture is about people. And if brands want to resonate, they need to understand the human context they’re operating in.’

Fataar argues that many businesses confuse cultural relevance with momentary virality. ‘Just because something is trending doesn’t mean it’s culturally meaningful. Culture-led brands are inputs, not outputs. They build from the inside out.’

Case in point: Guinness. While known for its stronghold in rugby and pub culture, Guinness had to pivot dramatically in 2020. ‘The pub disappeared overnight,’ Fataar says. ‘But Guinness had cultural capital in other communities too – like the Caribbean – because of its long export history. That’s a brand with depth and elasticity.’