Cultural Fluency Makers: Unlocking Business Growth Through Cultural Intelligence

Customer Data vs. Consumer Understanding: The Difference That Drives Growth | Catherine Berger

As marketing teams race to adopt AI, Catherine Berger argues that human curiosity and cultural understanding matter more than ever. In this episode of Cultural Fluency Makers, David Wellisch sits down with Catherine Berger, VP of Marketing Transformation and Services at Grupo Bimbo, to explore what it really takes for legacy brands to stay culturally relevant in a rapidly evolving consumer landscape. From building emotionally resonant brands to balancing AI-powered efficiency with human creativity, Catherine shares a candid look at the future of marketing transformation inside one of the world’s largest food companies. The conversation dives into cultural intelligence, consumer listening, experimentation, AI-enabled storytelling, synthetic audiences, and the mindset required to drive innovation at scale. Catherine also reflects on leadership, curiosity, failure, and why the best marketers still need to stay deeply connected to real human experiences. Takeaways: * Cultural relevance means mattering, not just being known. Awareness without purchase is a warning sign. Being part of the cultural conversation is what separates brands that survive from brands that fade. * Listening is a superpower and it has to be literal. Data is useful, but physically putting marketers in the room with real consumers creates a depth of insight no spreadsheet can replicate. * AI should do the processing so humans can do the thinking. Let the machines handle efficiency and scale, but protect the curiosity and critical thinking that drives great marketing. * Story first, technology second. AI can bring a story to life in more powerful and scalable ways, but you have to know what you are saying before you reach for the tools. * Transformation requires ingenuity, ownership and the freedom to fail. Companies that reward independent operators, normalize failure, and think like scientists are the ones that actually evolve. Quote of the Show: * "There's nothing more fun than seeing an opportunity and bringing it to life." - Catherine Berger Links: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinepinkhamberger/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinepinkhamberger/] * Website: https://www.bimbobakeriesusa.com/ [https://www.bimbobakeriesusa.com/] Ways to Tune In: * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex [https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex]  * Apple Podcasts: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes [https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes]  * Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e]  * Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367 [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367]  * Transistor: https://culturalfluencymakers.com/ [https://culturalfluencymakers.com/]  * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CollageGroup [https://www.youtube.com/@CollageGroup]

Cultural Relevance Is Authenticity in Action | Koley Corte

What does it take for a 150+ year-old global brand to stay culturally relevant in an AI- driven world without losing its authenticity? In this episode of Cultural Fluency Makers, Koley Corte, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, MetLife Investment Management and Retirement Income Solutions at MetLife, shares how authenticity, curiosity, and deep customer understanding continue to drive meaningful growth in an increasingly complex landscape. A marketing and growth leader shaping the future of financial services, Koley brings strategic depth across investments, retirement, insurance, data, and digital transformation, along with a reputation for building trust quickly and leading teams through change with clarity and confidence. Throughout the conversation, she explores how MetLife balances global consistency with local relevance, why cultural intelligence starts with listening, and how AI is transforming personalization, insights, and customer engagement — while reinforcing the importance of keeping humans at the center of every decision. Takeaways: → Cultural relevance is authenticity in action, not just in words. Cultural relevance isn’t about saying the right things. It’s about building authentic relationships rooted in a clear purpose. → Understanding customers means going beyond what they say. Koley’s team uses neuropsychology-based research to uncover intrinsic motivations, what actually drives behavior, not just what people report. By combining first-party data, behavioral observation, and third-party data, they build a fuller, more honest picture of the customer and what is driving decision making. → AI’s real power is accelerating the journey from insight to action. AI’s biggest opportunity is in personalization that adds value, rapidly converting customer signals into relevant, customized outreach and solutions. → Curiosity is the engine of impact. Whether in business or personal life, staying curious is the foundation for adding value and driving growth. She uses AI tools to build accountability systems and explore what’s possible and advocates for putting these tools in her team’s hands to experiment. → Legacy brands stay relevant by evolving through innovation, not chasing trends. MetLife’s longevity comes from continuously finding new ways to help customers build more confident futures while staying anchored in a consistent purpose. → Personalization only matters when it creates genuine value. The goal isn’t personalization for the sake of looking innovative, but delivering the right support, insight, or solution at the moments that matter most. → Human judgment still matters in an AI-driven world. While AI can accelerate research, synthesis, and engagement, these tools can introduce bias. Therefore, it’s important to keep “humans in the loop” to validate insights, reduce bias, and maintain authentic customer relationships. Quote of the Show: → "You don't have to have all the answers, but you need to know how to ask the questions." — Koley Corte Links: → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kcorte/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kcorte/]  → Website: https://www.metlife.com/ [https://www.metlife.com/]  Ways to Tune In: → Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex [https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex]  → Apple Podcasts: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes [https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes]  → Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e]  → Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367 [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367]

Stop Designing for One Market: Global Marketing with Natalie Wills - Cultural Fluency Makers

What if the most important marketing skill isn't creativity or data fluency, but the ability to genuinely understand people who are nothing like you? Natalie Wills has spent her career building brands that feel native to the cultures they serve. As SVP of Marketing and Creative at Expedia Group, she oversees a portfolio spanning Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, managing brand strategy across dozens of markets, with a philosophy rooted in local insight, diverse teams, and the courage to actually listen to consumers. In this episode, Natalie joins host David Wellisch to explore what it really means to do global marketing well. It’s not by applying a "matching luggage approach" to creative across markets, but by digging deep into what makes each culture tick. They cover the role AI should and shouldn't play in creative strategy, why a focus group comment about "homework" became a campaign revelation, and how brands need to rethink their entire channel mix in the age of agentic AI.  Takeaways: * Designing only for lead markets leaves the rest of the world behind. A campaign built for the US or UK cannot simply be adapted for global audiences. Local media habits, cultural nuances, and consumer trust require genuinely localized thinking from the very start. * Subculture marketing is where real resonance lives. Especially in a market as vast and diverse as the US, reaching consumers means going deeper than broad demographics by partnering with creators who speak directly to specific communities and earn trust that mass advertising cannot. * Brand differentiation must be rooted in real product truth. Marketing can only amplify what is genuinely there, so before investing in creative, teams need to clearly define what each brand actually offers and why a consumer would choose it over every alternative. * AI accelerates creative teams, it does not replace strategic thinking. AI tools help marketers scale faster, prototype quicker, and cut through laborious research tasks, but the creative strategy, consumer insight, and human judgment behind the work still require brilliant minds in the room. * Synthetic audiences are a supplement, not a substitute. Real focus groups still surface the kind of unexpected, unguarded human moments that unlock great campaigns — the offhand comment or honest frustration that no algorithm could have predicted or produced. * Agentic marketing is already changing the channel map. As AI assistants begin making decisions on behalf of consumers, brands need to rethink where they show up, with review platforms, community forums, and trusted content ecosystems becoming as critical as traditional search. * You do not need to have everything figured out before you start. Growth happens on the journey, not at the destination, and the willingness to get moving before conditions feel perfect is often what separates people who build something meaningful from those who are still waiting to begin. Quote of the Show: * "You don't have to have everything figured out before you start living." - Natalie Wills Links: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliealisonwills/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliealisonwills/] * Website: https://www.expedia.com/ [https://www.expedia.com/] Ways to Tune In: * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex [https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex]  * Apple Podcasts: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes [https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes]  * Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e]  * Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367 [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367]

Closing the Proximity: How Google Connects Brands to Consumer Passions with Daryl Butler

Daryl Butler has spent his career doing one thing exceptionally well: helping brands show up in ways that feel real. As VP of Marketing Global Brand Partnerships at Google, he leads at the intersection of technology, creativity, and culture, but his roots run through some of the most community-driven brands in the world: Nike Jordan, Beats by Dr. Dre, and HP. In this episode, Daryl joins host David Wellisch to unpack what cultural fluency actually looks like inside one of the world's most powerful tech companies. He digs into why today's consumers are harder than ever to reach, how Google is positioning Pixel as a challenger brand, and why the best marketing still comes down to a simple question: does this brand get me? Tune in for a masterclass in what it really means to build brands that people actually invite into their lives. Takeaways: * Consumers are multi-hyphenate, and that's only growing. Today's audiences defy single-category labels. Brands that try to fit consumers into tidy boxes will always be a step behind. * The Picasso vs. Einstein tension is real. Great marketing requires both data (Einstein) to identify the right consumer and storytelling artistry (Picasso) to earn their attention. The mix shifts depending on the product, but abandoning either one is a recipe for mediocrity. * Think like a consumer. Daryl's consistent advice to his team: look at your brand through the lens of the person you're trying to reach. If you wouldn't invite it into your own life, why would they? * Operating as a challenger brand is a mindset shift, not just a strategy. For Pixel, leaning into challenger brand thinking and showing up differently unlocked a more authentic and resonant brand story. It also required real courage to walk away from the playbook the category leaders had already written. * Real human interaction can't be fully replaced by synthetic data. Daryl regularly visits high schools and shows up in community spaces to feel the pulse of culture firsthand. No AI system can fully capture the electricity of genuine, in-person cultural exchange. * Curiosity is the foundation of cultural fluency. From his finance days browsing Foot Locker shelves to sitting down with Dre and Ice Cube to uncover NWA's real origin story, Daryl's superpower has always been asking why. The best marketing breakthroughs, he'll tell you, start long before anyone opens a brief. Quote of the Show: * “It always goes back to a curiosity for what moves the needle in the hearts and minds of the consumer.” - Daryl Butler Links: * LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/darylbutler [https://www.linkedin.com/in/darylbutler/] Ways to Tune In: * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex [https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex]  * Apple Podcasts: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes [https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes]  * Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e]  * Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367 [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367]

The Best Advice from Top Marketing & Insights Leaders - Compilation Episode

In this special compilation episode of Cultural Fluency Makers, we’re bringing together some of the most powerful career advice shared by our guests. From CMOs to cultural insights leaders, each perspective offers a unique lens on growth, resilience, and navigating an ever-changing professional landscape. Across every conversation, a few themes stand out: stay curious, embrace change, define what matters to you, and don’t be afraid of a nonlinear path. Whether you’re just starting out or rethinking your next chapter, this episode is packed with insights to help you move forward with intention. Takeaways: * Curiosity is one of the most important drivers of long-term career growth * There is no “perfect” career path. Embrace the nonlinear journey * Patience and self-awareness are critical, especially early in your career * The hardest moments often lead to the biggest opportunities * Embracing change is essential to staying relevant * Know what matters to you, even if you don’t know exactly where you’re going * There is no substitute for hard work and consistency * Ask for what you want and take initiative in your career * Build your personal brand early and intentionally * Balance ambition with well-being and long-term sustainability Quote of the Show: *  ” It doesn't get easier, but you get stronger. As you move up in your career, as you progress through different life stages, it becomes more difficult and more complex, but you become more experienced and you have more tools at your disposal to manage through the ups and downs of life.” - Linda Bethea Ways to Tune In: * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex [https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex]  * Apple Podcasts: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes [https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes]  * Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e]  * Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367 [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367] Cultural Fluency Makers is presented by Collage Group.