Beyond the Buyer: The Power of Cultural Intelligence in Marketing with Tobias Puehse

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.

Beyond the Buyer: The Power of Cultural Intelligence in Marketing with Tobias Puehse

The key to better marketing isn’t understanding customers. It’s understanding people. In this episode of Cultural Fluency Makers, Tobias Puehse, SVP of Insights & Intelligence at Mastercard, explores what it truly means to understand people, not just as customers, but as complex, values-driven individuals. He unpacks how cultural intelligence goes beyond data, blending human insight, behavior, and technology to create more meaningful brand connections.  From the shift toward intentional spending to the growing importance of aligning with people’s values, Tobias explains how brands can turn cultural moments into powerful movements. The conversation also dives into the evolving role of AI, emphasizing that even in an automated future, human values will continue to shape decisions. Tobias shares how organizations can stay relevant by being invited into consumers’ lives, not intruding, and why curiosity, empathy, and asking better questions are critical skills for the next generation. This episode redefines what it means to create marketing that is truly human, intentional, and impactful. Takeaways: * People over Customers: The most effective brands don’t just analyze buyers, they listen to people’s values, voices, and lived experiences. * Balance Values vs. Value: Recognize the tension between what people believe in and what they can afford, and ensure your brand messaging reflects both. * Turn Moments into Movements: Leverage cultural passion points like sports, music, and community events to create deeper emotional connections and a sense of belonging. * AI Elevates Human Values: Even as AI transforms commerce, decisions will still be guided by human priorities like sustainability, health, and community. * Curiosity is the Ultimate Skill: The future belongs to those who can ask better questions, translate data into meaning, and stay deeply attuned to culture. Quote of the Show: *  ”Cultural fluency is the awareness of what’s driving people, what they’re feeling, how they’re interacting with each other, and the values they share.” – Tobias Puehse Links: * LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tobias-puehse [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-puehse/] * Website: www.mastercard.com [http://www.mastercard.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]