In this special compilation episode, we revisit some of our most compelling conversations from the past year to unpack the rapidly shifting landscape of consumer behavior and cultural change. As brands work to connect with increasingly diverse audiences—from Gen Z and Hispanic consumers to highly engaged communities like gamers and wine enthusiasts—the challenge is no longer awareness, but relevance in a constantly evolving marketplace.

Bringing together a powerhouse group of marketing and insights leaders, this episode cuts through the buzzwords to examine what cultural relevance really means in practice—and how leading brands are moving beyond generic messaging toward genuine, deeply informed cultural fluency.

This episode features insights from industry leaders including Linda Bethea, former CMO of Danone; Kevin Moller, Head of Beverages Growth Strategy & Insights at PepsiCo; Nicole Moreo, Director of Marketing Science & Technology, North America at LinkedIn; Kevin Sherlock, Vice President of Marketing and General Manager of Laundry (ARM & HAMMER, OxiClean, and Xtra) at Church & Dwight; and Andrew Rebhun, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer at CAVA.

Takeaways:

• Empathy Over Data: Cultural relevance starts with "human-centricity," which means putting yourself in the consumer's shoes—shopping like them and experiencing life as they do—to understand the "why" behind their behavior.
• Authentic Insertion: Brands must find the intersection between their product and existing cultural phenomena, such as International Delight’s parody of reality TV drama on TikTok.
• Preserving Tradition: For multicultural consumers, food is a primary way to show love; brands like Silk found success by ensuring plant-based substitutes could still deliver the same "great tasting mac and cheese" as traditional family recipes.
• Mental Availability: In the B2B world, being "culturally relevant" means creating a memory so strong that you are on the "Day One" list (usually only three brands) when a customer is ready to buy.
• AI as Infrastructure: AI is moving from a "shiny experiment" to the "quiet infrastructure" of modern marketing, used for everything from finding unmet needs in "big data lakes" to generating creative storyboards.
• Technology Enhances, Never Replaces: Leading brands like Cava believe that while AI drives efficiency, it should only be used to enhance the human experience and "Mediterranean warmth," never to replace it.
• The Art and Science Balance: Organizations must trust the "art" of their teams—their intuition and cultural understanding—as much as the "science" of data and ROAS.

Quote of the Show:

• "Relevancy is the memory, it's that mental availability in someone's brain that when they're ready, you make a decision." - Nicole Moreo

Links:

• Andy Rebhun
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-rebhun/
  • Website: https://cava.com/
• Nicole Moreo
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolemoreo/
  • Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/linkedin/
• Kevin Sherlock
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-sherlock-397b05/
  • Website: https://churchdwight.com/
• Linda Bethea
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-bethea-12b7a1/
  • Website: https://www.danone.com/
• Kevin Moeller
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-moeller-1ab78318/
  • Website: https://www.pepsico.com/

Tania Missad explores how cultural understanding serves as the core of growth for global organizations. She details her transition from consumer packaged goods (CPG) to entertainment, emphasizing that while products may change, the necessity of reflecting authentic human experiences remains constant. Missad highlights how television must reflect society's diverse reality, including struggles with identity and polarization, to truly connect with audiences.

The conversation also delves into the operational challenges of implementing cultural insights, using the "Curvy Barbie" initiative at Mattel as a prime example of how research can overcome institutional inertia. Missad explains how modern tools—from real-time social media monitoring to generative AI and synthetic audiences—are transforming the speed and depth of consumer insights while stressing the importance of understanding life stages over simple demographics.

Takeaways:

• Intentional Inclusion in the "Room Where It Happens": To achieve authentic cultural nuances, organizations must be intentional about recruiting and hearing voices that reflect the diverse experiences of their consumers.
• Prioritize Life Stage over Demographics: Insights are often more powerful when viewed through the lens of life stage (e.g., being "coupled" vs. "teen years") rather than just generational or age-based categories.
• Balance Social Listening with Primary Research: While social media offers real-time signals, it often reflects "super fans"; brands must continue traditional primary research to reach the "everyday consumer".
• Adopt a "Humble" Learning Mindset: Career growth requires staying humble about what you don't know and consistently seeking new knowledge, such as advanced degrees or emerging tech like AI.

Quote of the Show:

• "Cultural understanding has been the core of growth at almost every company I’ve ever been lucky enough to participate in."

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tbmissad/
• Website: https://www.sonypictures.com/

Andy Rebhun, the Chief Marketing and Experience Officer at Cava, a fast-growing restaurant group with over 370 units, draws on his executive experience from brands like Ford and McDonald's to discuss the vital role of cultural insights in the current fragmented consumer landscape. Andy emphasizes that Cava adapts to cultural shifts by blending its bold Mediterranean flavors with "playful, culturally relevant experiences," showing that food is more than nourishment; it's about joy, identity, and connection. He highlights the need for intentionality, choosing to engage in conversations that align with the brand's essence. An example of this strategy was the August launch of a Hot Harissa meal and collectible plushies, which tapped into an emerging unboxing trend. In its hyper-growth stage, Cava has a dual mission: to educate people on its goal of bringing "heart health and humanity to food" and to help customers understand Mediterranean ingredients and flavors. Andy notes that Cava's authentic, adventurous flavors resonate strongly with Gen Z and Gen Alpha, many of whom identify as ethnically diverse and prefer value-driven brands that align with their identity and culture.

Andy defines cultural relevance as identifying consumer needs and wants and securing "a seat at the table" in that conversation. He explains that Cava's tiered loyalty program and intentional social media strategy are key to building personal relationships and converting followers into fans. Looking forward, Andy states that Cava views technology, including AI, as something that will "enhance, not replace the human experience and the human interaction". Ultimately, Andy is motivated by Cava's team and the brand's ability to serve as a center point of community connection.

Takeaways:

• Make Culture a Core Brand Pillar: Cava focuses on adapting to cultural shifts by blending its bold Mediterranean flavors with playful, culturally relevant experiences, positioning food as joy, identity, and connection.
• Be Intentional in Cultural Conversations: Rather than trying to be part of every trend, a hyper-growth brand should exercise restraint and only inject itself into conversations that make sense for its core brand essence.
• Balance Art and Science in Trend Monitoring: Identifying emerging cultural trends requires a blend of both artistic intuition and scientific monitoring, including following fashion, spending, and subscribing to newsletters to stay on the pulse of what's happening.
• Prioritize the Consumer and Team Member Experience: A core insight that holds true regardless of industry scale is to always make the consumer the "nucleus," while also considering the implications of every marketing decision on the team member's ability to deliver the brand experience.
• Use Loyalty and Social Media to Build Personal Relationships: Cultural relevance involves having a personal relationship with guests; Cava uses a tiered loyalty program and intentional social media to rapidly convert followers into fans by giving the team "creative license".
• View Technology as an Enhancer: In a fast-casual environment, AI and technology should be used to enhance and streamline the team member and guest experience, not to replace the human interaction and hospitality that is central to the brand.
• Embrace Patience and Persistence for Career Growth: Andy Rebhun advises his younger self to "be patient and be intentional" and to not let the word "no" deter your drive, as the path is not always linear and the “yes” will feel that much better after persistent effort.

Quote of the Show:

• "Food can be more than nourishment. It's joy, identity, and connection."

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-rebhun/
• Website: https://investor.cava.com/