Jim Dethmer
Founding Partner, The Conscious Leadership Group | Bestselling Author of The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership | CEO Coach | Leadership Culture Expert
Marcus Collins
Bestselling Author of For the Culture | Clinical Professor, Michigan Ross | AAF Hall of Achievement Inductee
Marcus Collins is one of the foremost authorities on how culture drives consumer behavior and brand strategy. The bestselling author of For the Culture and a clinical professor at Michigan Ross, he bridges rigorous academic research with real-world results from campaigns for Nike, Google, and Beyoncé. Collins gives audiences a powerful framework for harnessing cultural forces to influence beliefs, drive action, and build lasting brand relevance.
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Marcus Collins biography
Marketing speaker Marcus Collins is an award-winning cultural strategist, bestselling author, and one of the foremost authorities on how culture drives consumer behavior and brand success. He serves as a clinical professor of marketing at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, where he teaches and conducts research on cultural contagion, meaning-making, and the forces that move people to action.
Collins is the author of the bestselling book For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be, which examines how culture shapes consumption, identity, and collective behavior. The book draws on more than a century of research, compelling case studies, and Collins’s own career at the intersection of academia and advertising to provide a practical framework for influencing beliefs and driving action. Previously, he served as head of strategy at Wieden+Kennedy New York, the legendary agency behind Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign.
From Beyoncé’s Digital Strategy to Google’s Real Tone
Collins’s career spans music, technology, and brand strategy. He crafted digital strategy for Beyoncé, spearheaded the launch of the Brooklyn Nets, created Budweiser’s Made In America music festival, led the iTunes and Nike sports music partnership at Apple, and championed Google’s “Real Tone” technology and State Farm’s iconic “Cliff Paul” campaign. His client roster includes Fortune 100 companies such as Google, Toyota, PepsiCo, United Healthcare, Verizon, Target, and McDonald’s.
As a speaker, Marcus Collins has been recognized with the Crain’s Business 40 Under 40 award, Advertising Age’s 40 Under 40, induction into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement, and the Thinkers50 Radar Award for ideas most likely to shape the future of business. He holds a doctorate in business administration from Temple University, an MBA from Michigan Ross, and a bachelor’s degree in materials science engineering from the University of Michigan.
Marcus Collins Speaking Videos
Marcus Collins - Too Foreign For Here: The Life of a Black Sheep
Marcus Collins, Marketing Keynote Speaker - Speaker Reel
Marcus Collins Keynote Topics
Every brand wants to go viral, but virality without cultural resonance is just noise. Marcus Collins challenges the obsession with likes, shares, and trending moments to reveal a more powerful engine for influence: cultural contagion. Drawing from behavioral science and his experience driving campaigns for Nike, Google, and Beyoncé, Collins explains why cultural relevance — not algorithmic luck — is what moves people to act, buy, and belong. He shares his proven framework for creating ideas that spread not because they are promoted, but because they mean something. Audiences leave with actionable strategies for generating genuine connection, engagement, and lasting commercial impact.
Culture is the invisible operating system behind every decision people make — what they buy, who they trust, and which brands they champion. In this talk drawn from his bestselling book For the Culture, Marcus Collins makes the case that understanding culture is the single greatest competitive advantage in business today. Combining academic research with stories from his career shaping strategy for brands like Apple, Google, and State Farm, he shows how culture shapes identity, drives consumption, and creates movements. Collins provides leaders with a practical toolkit for reading cultural signals, aligning their brands with the values of their audiences, and turning cultural insight into measurable business results.
Organizations are swimming in data, yet most still struggle to understand their customers at a meaningful level. Marcus Collins argues that demographics and analytics alone cannot explain why people behave the way they do — and that the missing layer is culture. Drawing on ethnography, field anthropology, and decades of marketing research, he shows how identifying people by their beliefs, values, and cultural affiliations reveals insights that data alone cannot. Collins shares compelling case studies and practical tools for transcending surface-level segmentation to build authentic connections that drive action and loyalty.
The strongest brands are no longer just trust marks or love marks — they are identity marks. People choose brands that reflect who they are and signal which tribe they belong to. Marcus Collins examines the most significant shift in brand strategy in decades: the move from demographic targeting to cultural alignment. He explores how the brands that thrive are those that understand the beliefs, artifacts, behaviors, and language of specific cultural communities — and weave themselves into the connective tissue of those communities. This talk equips marketing and business leaders with a roadmap for building brands that earn belonging, not just attention.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Marcus Collins
Why Marcus Collins?
Marcus Collins stands at the rare intersection of world-class academic research and proven real-world marketing results. As a clinical professor at Michigan Ross and a Thinkers50 Radar honoree, he brings intellectual rigor; as the strategist behind campaigns for Nike, Google, Beyoncé, and State Farm, he brings practical credibility. His bestselling book For the Culture has become essential reading for executives seeking to understand why people buy, believe, and belong. Collins delivers talks that are both intellectually stimulating and immediately actionable, giving audiences frameworks they can apply the next day. Book Marcus Collins through Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring a transformative marketing keynote to your event.
What is Marcus Collins's book For the Culture about?
For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be is a bestselling exploration of how culture shapes human behavior, consumer choices, and brand loyalty. Collins draws on more than a century of research in sociology, anthropology, and behavioral science, combined with vivid case studies from his own career in advertising and technology. The book argues that culture — not data, demographics, or even product quality — is the most powerful force driving human action, and provides a practical framework for leveraging cultural understanding to build brands, lead teams, and create movements.
What companies has Marcus Collins worked with?
Marcus Collins has worked with and spoken for many of the world's most recognized brands. He crafted digital strategy for Beyoncé, spearheaded the launch of the Brooklyn Nets, created Budweiser's Made In America music festival, led the iTunes and Nike sports music partnership at Apple, and developed Google's "Real Tone" technology and State Farm's iconic "Cliff Paul" campaign. He has also spoken for and consulted with Fortune 100 companies including Google, Toyota, PepsiCo, United Healthcare, Verizon, Target, McDonald's, and Fannie Mae. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring his expertise to your organization.
What is cultural contagion?
Cultural contagion is the phenomenon by which ideas, behaviors, and preferences spread through communities based on shared cultural identity. Marcus Collins's research shows that people adopt new beliefs and behaviors not primarily because of rational persuasion or advertising, but because those ideas align with the cultural values and norms of the groups they identify with. Understanding cultural contagion allows marketers, leaders, and communicators to create campaigns and strategies that spread organically through communities — not because they are pushed, but because they resonate with how people see themselves and their world.
How to book Marcus Collins as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Marcus Collins as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Marcus Collins's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Marcus Collins or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Marcus Collins speaking fee?
Marcus Collins speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Marcus Collins to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Marcus Collins.
How can I contact Marcus Collins?
We only work with Marcus Collins on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Marcus Collins and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Marcus Collins speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Marcus Collins for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Marcus Collins for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Marcus Collins is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Marcus Collins for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
