As marketers, we recognize how important it is to be in-tune with culture and what’s going on in the world outside of the brands we work for. But it’s not just about leaning into what’s trending today – it’s about driving engagement, proving your brand’s relevance, and appealing to a new age of consumers who want brands to connect with them on their terms.

Critically, culture isn’t something that remains constant, it is ever evolving, and culture adapts rapidly as consumers find new platforms and channels to showcase their passions. Whether it’s through more recently-established social media platforms like TikTok, giving people a new space to entertain, or the increasing magnitude of women’s sports on the global stage – culture doesn’t stay still, so marketers have to learn to move with it.

That’s why at PepsiCo, we put human centricity at the core of our strategy. Using diverse and detailed consumer insights to enable our iconic brands like Pepsi, Gatorade, Mirinda and 7UP to meet consumers where they are currently and predict where they’re going next. Humans are the drivers of culture, so it is critical we use our rich data insights to understand the direction their passions are leading them in.

Showing up in the right places is the first step, but you also have to ensure that your marketing campaigns appeal to, and resonate with, a mass global audience. This is no easy task when individual markets each have their own unique cultural contexts.

However, if human passions and rich data insights are at the heart of your approach, market teams can localize and adapt a global idea to suit the consumers in their region.

This is where the intersections of culture become critical in marketing. Those ‘sweet spots’, where we know that the world is not just watching, but also actively engaging with what they are seeing. Think about those huge moments in sports, music, fashion, and entertainment where, no matter who you are, or where you are in the world, there is something you are passionate about on show.

Pepsi has sports and entertainment hardwired into the company DNA – for decades, iconic sports and music partnerships have played a critical role in connecting our beverage brands with people of different backgrounds and experiences from around the world. Nothing demonstrates this more than our rich legacy with football and music – bringing live global music artists to the UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show for the past eight years.

We’ve always seen the Kick Off Show as a creative platform to bring international genres to a mainstream stage and celebrate diversity in the music industry. From The Black Eyed Peas, to Dua Lipa and Lenny Kravitz, we have lit up the stage with some of football’s most memorable music performances for all fans. In partnership with UEFA, we have helped to build excitement and expand the reach of football, tapping into new fan bases and bringing together sports and music fans for one must-see spectacle.

And it’s not just the major cultural intersections we tap into, we also tune-in to the micro moments in popular culture that excite consumers – TikTok trends with new exciting drinks and entertaining content for example. Take 7UP®’s new campaign ‘Level Up With 7UP’– a new global platform dedicated to those who are looking to elevate their social occasions.

We drew on popular insights and online trends, recognising that Gen Z and Millennials are open when it comes to experimenting with drinks like never before. By listening to our audience and understanding the role they want our brands to play, with this refreshed brand platform, we are cementing 7UP as the go-to-drink for crafting delicious mixed drinks and putting influencers at the forefront of our campaign.

If you’re reading this today, as a marketer looking to make your campaigns more exciting, impactful and globally appealing – take the time to consider where the relevant cultural intersections may lie for your brand. This is more than a smart marketing move – it’s also a reflection of forward-thinking business strategy that has human centricity and innovation at its core. Ultimately, we are marketing to people, so they must be at the heart of everything we do.

Eric will be writing a column for MAD//Insight throughout the year.