You know that staying relevant isn’t just about following trends, but understanding culture. Not just pop culture, but identity, equity, power, and the systems that shape how people show up in the world.

I had the opportunity to teach a course called Coming to Know the Culture at OCAD University (my alma mater) this past semester, which sits at the intersection of advertising/communication and (you guessed it) culture.

Working at this intersection, especially in the social impact space, this was a really interesting course to teach.

Today, I’m sharing a few of the things that I think every brand, organization and marketer trying to stay connected in 2025 should be thinking about, and what I learned teaching this class.

One of my main takeaways was that:

You can’t do good work that truly resonates if you’re not paying attention to what’s happening around you — and what your audience is going through.

I invite you to dive into what we explored, and what that means for anyone building brands today.

An advertising course on culture

I took my students through how advertising intersects with storytelling, representation, ethics, politics, and culture. It wasn’t only theory, we looked at how real brands are responding to real issues, including climate change, gender equity, Indigenous visibility, mental health, cultural appropriation, and more.

We explored the line between brand purpose and performative activism and dissected campaigns from brands like Patagonia, Dove and Nike. I shared the Cultural Branding model by Doug Holt.

We talked about how memes can be more culturally powerful than commercials, and how silence from brands can say just as much as a statement.

We examined how brands and creatives engage with issues of identity, ethics, representation, and social change. The course combines theory with applied practice, challenging students to think deeply about the cultural impact of advertising and to develop campaigns that are strategically sound, culturally aware, and ethically grounded.

I got my students to both analyze and create, based on brands they chose. Here’s what students worked on:

• Evaluated how brands like Fenty, Disney, Netflix, Lush, and Canada Goose tackled (or failed to tackle) cultural issues.

• Conducted research and rapid-fire strategy work around political issues in Ontario, imagining how advertising could influence civic engagement.

• Developed full campaigns, from concept to creative, for causes and brands they cared about, backed by audience insights and cultural trends.

• Connected directly with people in the field — designers, marketers, and strategists doing the real work of building meaningful and ethical brands. (Something I encourage all of my students to do, but intentionally built this into an assignment).

Culture moves quickly, so this course could be completely different next time

Mapping out the “speeds of culture” is about understanding the impact and lifespan of trends. It divides them into 3 key stages: moments, signals, and forces. I won’t go on to explain that here, but I thought this diagram from TikTok as an interesting start:

Tips for organizations, brands and marketers looking to stay culturally relevant

1. Hire and listen to people with lived experience.
   Cultural insight can’t just be Googled. (You also can’t accurately generate it using ChatGPT — a reminder to students and those working in industry). You need to bring people to the table who understand the communities you’re trying to reach — and then actually listen to them.

2. Go beyond surface-level representation.
   It’s not about simply casting diverse talent, it requires embedding equity into your strategy, partnerships, production teams, and messaging. Ask why you’re telling the story, and who it’s for.

3. Use culture as your starting point, not your afterthought.
   Campaigns that start with a social issue as the reason for being, rather than a last-minute tie-in, resonate far more. They feel real because they are. (And consumers can tell).

4. Consider ethical implications at every stage.
   Who might this harm? Who’s excluded? What unintended messages are you sending? These aren’t questions for PR after a misstep — they should be part of the brief.

5. Stay plugged into the world.
   The best marketers are the most observant people in the room. They’re curious, they’re watching, and they’re open to shifting when the culture does.

What I learned teaching this class

1. Real-world context is everything.
   We’re all living and experiencing culture today, but everyone’s experience is slightly different. I connected assignments directly to current events, lived experiences, and ongoing cultural conversations. That’s where the best learning and work can happen.

2. Students are culturally fluent and aware of social issues.
   Many of today’s students have a natural ability to name power dynamics, spot harmful narratives, and call out when something doesn’t sit right. They aren’t “the future”, they’re shaping the now.

3. As a strategist, teaching this keeps me connected to what matters.
   We can’t rely on what worked a decade ago. Brands can’t afford to coast. The materials change, society evolves, and culture changes quickly.

Now what?

Whether you’re building campaigns, mentoring young creatives, or rethinking your brand positioning, remember this: culture is always evolving.

The best thing you can do is keep paying attention — and stay in the conversation.

Talking Teaching, Future Advertising Talent, Thought Leadership and AI

Despite exiting my agency, I'm still connected to the space — whether it be through teaching future advertising talent, collaborating on brand projects, or speaking at industry events, while of course reading publications like Campaign Canada.

This month, I was on the Gen C podcast from The Message and Campaign.

If you're navigating your career in advertising, marketing, or creative work, whether you're a student, fellow founder or educator, this episode should resonate.

Here are a few things I shared on the show:

• Why today’s students and emerging creatives don’t need to have it all figured out — and how roles in our industry are changing faster than ever

• The benefits (and the blind spots) of AI tools in both the classroom and the workplace

• How international students are impacted and how we can support them better

• Why your personal brand already exists, whether you shape it or not — and how to use it with intention

• The power of showing your work and building trust in public (without aiming to become an “influencer”)

We also talked about founder-led brands, content algorithms, how to refine your voice, and the evolution of identity — especially for multi-passionate people like me who’ve worn many hats in this industry.

You can find the full episode here or on Spotify.
Let me know if anything resonated with you.

I’ll leave you with a video highlighting a day in the life during this past semester, featuring Jake Karls of Mid-Day Squares, who came to speak to my other advertising class at OCAD University (that one’s about Community).

Thanks so much for following along!

— Daniel