Bridging the Trust Gap: Culturally Intelligent Strategies for Brand Resonance with Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel, Senior Insights Lead at Reddit

Guest speaker: Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel

Guest Bio -

Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel is a cultural theorist and strategist specializing in inclusivity within marketing, media, and tech. Currently a senior insights lead at Reddit, she earned her doctorate in cultural studies from Duke University and has consulted for the world's top brands at agencies like Wieden+Kennedy, Dentsu Creative, and McCann, among others. A lifelong activist, Dr. Gabriel helps brands ignite cultural innovation and leverage the power of media for good. Her insights have been featured in the American Marketing Association (AMA), the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), WARC, Advertising Week, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, and Teen Vogue. She is the author of Cultural Intelligence for Marketers, published by Kogan Page.

Episode summary

In this episode, Kailey sits down with Anastasia to discuss the nuances of inclusive marketing, the importance of cultural intelligence, and fostering trust through co-creation.

Key takeaways

Practicing cultural intelligence to influence society in a positive way and gain commercial advantage
The importance of reciprocal relationships between brands and cultural communities
Deconstructing the profit versus purpose method of marketing

Speaker quotes

“I find that line in the sand to be quite ineffective and almost troubling at how easily we are ready to go back to the status quo, which is to make profits without consideration for ethics. Cultural intelligence really tries to bridge that gap or bridge that divide to say, ‘We can do culturally intelligent work that is driving commercial advantage and still be attentive to issues of inclusion, equity, and fostering belonging among our audiences.’” – Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel