For the Culture
A review of

For the Culture

The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be

Marcus Collins • Celadon • 2023

For the Culture

by David Meyer

Professor Dr. Marcus Collins discusses marketing as cultural anthropology, basing much 0f his conversation on Christian teachings.

Dr. Marcus Collins, a clinical assistant marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, urges you to approach marketing with the mindset of an anthropologist so you can learn which groups share your beliefs and understand their tribal cultures and lexicons. 

Beliefs and Identity

Brands influence cultural norms. From politics and technology to news shows, niche groups gain or reinforce part of their identity through the brands they adopt as part of their “cultural practice.” For example, early in the development of photography, freezing in a stiff pose and looking serious as the camera recorded you for posterity was the usual practice. When Kodak began marketing photography as a way to remember happy occasions, smiling in photos became the norm.

Comment on this review