In moments of transformation, culture and brand can be powerful accelerators of change.
That was the consensus among senior marketing, communications, and brand leaders at a recent roundtable hosted by Brandpie and Transform Magazine. Representatives from companies such as TalkTalk, Swissport, and AO Shearman met to discuss the evolving role of brand and culture in periods of corporate flux. Here are the key takeaways from the discussion:
Culture doesn’t belong in one function
Culture is no longer the preserve of HR or any single function.
“HR thinks it knows people, but it really doesn’t,” said one attendee. “Culture being sat within HR is, I think, the worst place for it. For a lot of people, they think it’s probably the place that makes sense because it’s connected to people, but it’s not.”
Increasingly, leaders see culture as a strategic discipline in its own right, one deserving of structured ownership and perhaps even a C-suite title. Several participants predicted that within a decade, large firms may even appoint Chief Culture Officers with backgrounds in behavioral science and brand strategy.
“Culture is how a company thinks, acts and tells its story. That doesn't live neatly in one function,” another participant remarked.
Instead of siloing culture within HR or communications, many advocated a dotted-line approach where leadership, brand, comms, HR, and transformation share responsibility and influence. Smaller organizations might still rely on collective stewardship, but in every case, culture must be intentionally embedded across teams and functions. Our recent CMO Report, The Tipping Point, showed that achieving a cohesive organizational narrative was most successful when culture was aligned in the cross-functional partnership at the C-Suite level – particularly between the CEO, CMO, and CHRO.
Culture is how a company thinks, acts and tells its story. That doesn't live neatly in one function.
Culture cannot be communicated – it must be lived
One theme recurred throughout the discussion: the inadequacy of top-down messaging to effect cultural change. Leaders emphasized the need for culture to be experienced, not just declared.
“Staff have to experience it,” one voice said. “Not just be told or involved in shaping it. It has to be intrinsic.”
This view found broad agreement. From office design to leadership behaviors, delegates underscored that values must be translated into tangible, everyday interactions. Symbols matter, but so do habits. “You’ve got to show not tell,” a participant advised. “Make it real, make it repeatable, and keep doing it long after you’re personally tired of hearing it.”
That last point drew a chuckle from the room. “One of the biggest problems is companies where a new CMO comes in and is quickly bored of the slogan,” another attendee noted. “But you’ve got to get bored of it yourself before your audiences have even begun to hear it.”
Repetition plays a critical role in communicating change. Yet many organizations still fall into the trap of issuing a single email and expecting employees to grasp both the vision and the rationale behind it. In practice, embedding change takes sustained effort. From working with our clients and as uncovered in our Leading Through the Unknown series, it often requires multiple touchpoints – seven or more, in our experience – before employees begin to internalize and engage with the message.
Storytelling and internal brand are cultural catalysts
Delegates repeatedly returned to the value of storytelling, not as window dressing, but as a binding agent between internal identity and external perception.
“Internal brand is culture,” one participant asserted. “And storytelling is the mirror that gives people identity and belonging.”
Internal brand is culture. And storytelling is the mirror that gives people identity and belonging.
Organizations that harness their heritage to tell authentic stories are often better placed to navigate change. One attendee described how an anniversary campaign revitalized employee morale: “It did have a good galvanizing effect. People were even talking about it spontaneously. Giving employees a language, a story and a sense of identity means they start to have a stronger sense of belonging.”
When executed well, these internal narratives help employees locate themselves in a broader mission and reaffirm the company’s values during times of stress.
DEI programs face growing scrutiny
Perhaps the most delicate discussion focused on the future of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. In the wake of political shifts, particularly in the United States, some delegates reported a backlash against DEI programs that were once viewed as unifying.
“At some point, it reached the stage where it was creating more divisions than acting as a positive,” one participant admitted.
Another quoted a colleague who had voiced quiet resistance: “I’m a good person. I don’t need another DEI session…I want something that brings us together.”
While no one disputed the moral imperative of inclusivity, several participants warned of “DEI fatigue” and suggested a shift toward designing cultures around shared human values – moving away from segmentation and toward cohesion.
When crisis hits, culture is exposed
The final, and perhaps most pressing, theme was this: culture isn’t tested by slogans or town halls. It’s tested by crisis.
Whether it’s a scandal, a leadership shakeup, or shifting public expectations, pressure exposes whether stated values are real or decorative. “Culture is what lives on when leadership leaves,” said one delegate. “When the pressure’s on, your true values show up or fall apart.”
This is especially true at the top. As one attendee put it, “If you’re in the C-suite now, you’d better expect to be questioned about your own pay, your environmental policies, your sourcing and whether your internal culture aligns with the brand you’re projecting.”
In that context, culture becomes more than an HR topic. It becomes a risk mitigator, a brand differentiator, and a strategic compass.
Culture is what lives on when leadership leaves. When the pressure’s on, your true values show up or fall apart.
If there was a single takeaway from the roundtable, it was this: in a world without guarantees of calm, culture offers a steadying hand. But only if it’s intentional, authentic, and co-owned across the organization.
The leaders gathered that morning weren’t offering silver bullets. But their collective wisdom painted a clear picture: brand and culture are not soft topics. They are the connective tissue that helps businesses move through change.
“I don’t know what the new normal is,” one participant mused. “I don’t know if anyone can realistically hope for three years of calmness nowadays.”
In that uncertainty, companies have a choice. They can become reactive or they can lead with culture.
Want to learn more? We’re hosting our next culture roundtable breakfast, The growth equation: embedding brand from the inside out, on the 16th of September. To join us, register your interest here.
The tipping point
What started as a hypothesis became something far more urgent. To understand how the role of the CMO is evolving, we spoke with 50 marketing leaders across industries. Their message was clear: the boundaries between brand, culture, and employee experience are disappearing—and CMOs are leading the change. This report explores how marketing leaders are becoming architects of culture, using the tools of storytelling, digital engagement, and experience design to shape not just customer perception, but internal culture.
Read more
