In an increasingly polarized environment, brands are facing growing pressure to define what they stand for culturally and how they position themselves on social, political, and environmental issues. At the same time, consumer behavior has changed significantly, along with expectations toward the brands people support.

This was the central topic of a recent episode of The New Mainstream Podcast, hosted by Mario Carrasco, featuring Neil Callanan, founder of LooseGrip, an agency focused on purpose driven brands, advocacy, and cultural transformation.

The Problem with Performative Activism

According to Neil Callanan, the issue is not that brands participate in cultural or social conversations. The problem arises when they do so without a genuineconnection to their corporate identity.

Today, many companies publish messages about diversity, inclusion, sustainability, or representation during moments such as Pride Month, Black History Month, or corporate responsibility campaigns. However, when these messages are not backed by real actions, consumers often perceive them as opportunistic branding efforts.

If a company claims to support a specific community or cause, it must be able to clearly explain how it does so, what resources it invests, what policies it implements, and what measurable impact those actions create.

Purpose as a Competitive Advantage

Brands that build a strong identity around clear values often develop deeper relationships with consumers. This translates into stronger loyalty, differentiation, and emotional connection, all of which are especially valuable in highly saturated industries.

Examples discussed during the episode include Patagonia, Ben & Jerry's, and Lush, companies that have integrated social and environmental causes into the core structure of their brand identity rather than treating them as temporarycampaigns.

In these cases, purpose is not simply a communication tactic. It is reflected in organizational culture, product development, talent acquisition, customer experience, and long term business decisions.

How Purpose Impacts Marketing Performance

Even when a values based campaign does not generate an immediate sale, it can still create measurable indirect benefits for a brand, including:

• Stronger consumer trust
• Higher brand recall
• Increased purchase intent
• greater social media engagement
• improved email open rates
• stronger emotional affinity with the company

In other words, purpose strengthens brand equity. In a market where products and services are becoming increasingly interchangeable, cultural relevance and identity have become powerful strategic assets.

The Relationship between Purpose and Talent

The conversation also explores a less discussed aspect of purpose driven marketing: its impact on attracting and retaining talent.

According to Neil, companies with clearly defined values tend to attract more engaged and motivated employees. This can directly influence factors such as:

• creativity
• innovation
• quality of service
• organizational culture
• employee retention

In highly competitive industries, purpose has also become an important employer branding tool.

The Future of Branding in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Technology can optimize processes and reduce barriers to entry, but a brand’s cultural identity remains far more difficult to replicate. Elements such as trust, community, authenticity, and emotional connection continue to be deeply humancompetitive advantages

In the latest episode of The New Mainstream, Mario Xavier Carrasco sits down with Ingrid Otero, President and CEO of Casanova McCann, to discuss how multicultural marketing is evolving and what is shaping brand decision making today.

The conversation offers a grounded perspective on the forces influencing the industry.

A landscape shaped by strategic adjustments

In recent months, several brands have reduced the visibility of their multicultural initiatives. This shift reflects budget scrutiny, internal alignment, and the need to justify investment across organizations.

At the same time, research focused on multicultural audiences continues. Insights, strategy, and data teams remain actively engaged in understanding behaviors, motivations, and growth opportunities within these segments.

The continued relevance of the Latino consumer

The episode highlights the role of Latino consumers within the U.S. market. Their influence is reflected in consistent consumption patterns, strong community ties, and ameaningful role in shaping cultural trends.

For brands, this calls for sustained engagement and strategies grounded in this reality.

A central theme of the conversation is how authenticity is built.

Effective decisions are rooted in a deep understanding of the consumer, their context, and their cultural identity. Relevance comes from messaging that reflects lived experiences and real connections.

Leadership in times of change

Drawing from her experience leading Casanova McCann, Otero shares how she has navigated key decisions during periods of uncertainty.

During the pandemic, she led a transformation of the agency’s model, focusing on flexibility and independence. This involved operational shifts and a reassessment of priorities.

Implications for brands

The current environment requires clarity in how brands engage with multicultural audiences.

Strategies benefit from consistency, deep consumer understanding, and alignment across insights, creative, and execution.

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, the conversation is shifting from what AI can generate to what it can do.

In the latest episode of The New Mainstream Podcast, Michael Nevski joins Mario Xavier Carrasco to explore the next phase of AI: agentic systems and their implications for consumer behavior, payments, and trust.

Michael Nevski, Director of Global Insights at Visa, brings a unique perspective at the intersection of data, economics, and real-world consumer decision-making.

Recognized as one of the most influential professionals in the insights industry, he shares how emerging technologies are reshaping how we understand and interact with consumers.

Listen to the full episode of The New Mainstream Podcast and explore how agentic AI is shaping the future of consumer behavior.