Moment Making: Taking Cultural Calendars Further

By: Martin Agency Senior Strategist Sean Choi
[ Illustration By Martin Technical Designer Nicole Pernell ]

I was table-top singing the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song with new friends in Dublin, circa St. Paddy’s 2017. That’s when I experienced full freedom of inhibition and a true appreciation for the relationships culture can cultivate.

Show me a Guinness ad getting me to reminisce on that sensation of community and mindfulness of the present? I’m sold. You see, cultural moments rekindle and breed peak experiences holding deep sentimental value. Consumers thirst for them, marketers rave about them and brands are behind on them.

Putting it lightly, cultural moments are both highly used and hardly understood by marketers. With the average American exposed to 5,000+ ads a day(yup, you read that right), there are a lot more misses than hits. No wonder we naturally ignore 84% of ads.

Making My Own Moments

It wasn’t until 2019, when my search for a better way began. During a 3:00 a.m. summer night grind of curating another list of proposed cultural moments, I had hit my limit of working so inefficiently.

I made my own cultural moments calendar to save time identifying moments, creating time to activate on them more effectively. I’ve since made that resource public,** which came to the aid of 4k+ others upon its launch later that year—and may have even broken the Google Sheet a few times along the way.

Which is why I’m here today to break down the four-step approach that’s worked for me.

1. Assess The Best Type Of Cultural Moment.

First, let’s get the lay of the cultural moments land. The most basic categories include holidays, observances, public events and life events. Below, I’ve laid them out as a spectrum to account for overlapping functions and nuances.

Looking at the extremes, there’s ownability by the brand (aka how much competition there is, how much noise). On the other end, there’s familiarity (aka how accustomed consumers are to the moment to help shape the role your content plays). The discernment still falls in your hands. Looking at it through this lens will help refine the search though.

2. Embrace The Creative Exercise Of Identifying Moments.

Although there are ways to add data into the process of finding the right cultural moment, it is still a predominantly creative exercise. When scouring lists and calendars, the search is really about finding threads of commonality and potential ways to tie in a brand narrative. For sources of inspiration, look at the content of those currently on the “brandwagon” of that moment to see what to stay away from or play off that very tension. Alternatively, explore a different part of the customer journey you can tap into.

3. Prevent Crisis And Maximize Impact.

How many times have you heard or seen brand statements like: “It wasn’t our intention”? Although it requires additional effort—due diligence in research about the cultural moment is worth preventing the damage of insensitivity, appropriation and exploitation.

Understand the origin of the moment—its significance to audiences, traditions in observance and expectations for the next occurrence to really boost the impact of your content. Next, research your brand’s history and current initiatives to make sure actions align with the messaging. Fortifying your message with action provides authority among your market while showing authenticity among your audience.

4. Offer Clear Value.

Poorly executed cultural moment activations neglect the intangible aspects of culture by focusing on the physical elements that are quick to observe. Think of why your audience does what they do (ideals, beliefs, purpose, etc.) instead of miniscule aspects like hairstyles or apparel. Strive for content serving a specific role and function in people’s lives. After you’ve locked that in, double check for clarity to trim away fluff or distractions which is the quickest way to amplify the value in your message. Doing both of the above results in content consumers actually care about, want to share and act on. Remember, purpose begets profit.

Final Reminders

Cultural moments have been, currently are or will be extremely personal for your audience. So, flex your cultural moment muscles by practicing these skills. You can create content that takes your brand beyond just the moment. Mark your calendars to make your mark!

**When this piece was originally published in 2021, it linked to the 2021 version of the cultural moments calendar. It has since been updated to link to the 2022 version.

We want to hear and see from you, too. If you’re itching to know something or have a question or comment we can start a dialogue on—email: mimi.montgomery@martinagency.com.