Marcus Collins
Dr. Marcus Collins is a top marketing virtual keynote speaker, award-winning advertiser, Head of Planning at Wieden+Kennedy New York, former Head of Digital Strategy for Beyoncé, and a Marketing Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. Over the last decade, Marcus has helped “blue-chip” brands (like McDonald’s, Google, AB-InBev, and Peloton) bridge the academic-practitioner gap to create contagious marketing ideas that excite people to take action.
Marcus Collins's videos
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- English
Marcus Collins's 2025 biography
About Marcus Collis
Dr. Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator who leverages his scholarly work as a clinical professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and the many years he spent in marketing as an advertising executive—most recently as the head of strategy at Wieden+Kennedy, New York—to bridge the academic-practitioner gap and use this knowledge to help people get people to take action.
His deep understanding of brand strategy and consumer behavior has helped him bridge the academic-practitioner gap for blue-chip brands and startups alike. He is a recipient of Advertising Age’s 40 Under 40 award and Crain’s Business’ 40 Under 40 award, and an inductee into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement. In 2023, he was recognized by Thinkers50 with the Radar Distinguished Achievement Award for the idea most likely to shape the future of business management. He is a member of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and has also served as a jury for the Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity.
Before joining Wieden+Kennedy, he served as the Chief Consumer Connections Officer at Doner Advertising and led Social Engagement at Steve Stoute’s advertising agency, Translation. Over the course of his career, Marcus has developed a practice for creating culturally contagious ideas that inspire people to take action. His strategies and creative contributions have led to the launch and success of Google’s “Real Tone” technology, the “Made In America” music festival, the Brooklyn Nets, and State Farm’s “Cliff Paul” campaign – among others.
Prior to his advertising tenure, Marcus began his career in music and tech with a startup he co-founded before working on iTunes + Nike sport music initiatives at Apple and running digital strategy for Beyoncé.
Marcus’ work centers squarely on the impact of culture and the power that comes from having great cultural proximity. His best-selling book, For The Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be, examines the influence of culture on consumption and unpacks how everyone from marketers to activists can leverage culture to get people to take action. Throughout the book, he relies on literature, case studies, his work with brands, and academic data to illustrate the “whys” and the “hows” so that readers will be empowered to successfully apply these learnings in their own pursuits.
Marcus holds a doctorate in marketing from Temple University where he studied cultural contagion and meaning-making. He received an MBA with an emphasis on strategic brand marketing from the University of Michigan, where he also earned his undergraduate degree in Material Science Engineering. He is a Forbes columnist and a trusted voice among CMOs and business leaders. But most importantly, he is a proud Detroit native, a devoted husband, and a loving father to Georgia and Ivy.
Marcus Collins's 2025 talks & topics
FOR THE CULTURE
Since its modern conception, marketing and advertising have relied on creativity as a catalyst for commerce. Marketers use copy and images to evoke desired behaviors from a target populous in hopes that it will impact the brand’s bottom line. While the convergence of the two—creativity and commerce—is considered the hallmark of “good marketing communications” (sought after by ad agencies and ambitious brand managers alike), there is an unspoken factor that frames its relevance and significance. That factor is “culture” and this talk ventures to explore the unwritten rules about culture and why its simultaneous salience and nebulousness should be the backbone of how we approach marketing in today’s hyper-connected world.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? A CULTURAL LOOK AT CONSUMER MEANING-MAKING AND BRAND CONSECRATION
We live in a culturally constructed world where the branded products we consume and display are used to signal our constructed identity based upon the meaning we infuse in them. Understanding this meaning requires radical empathy and the ability to decipher the hidden cultural codes. This session will provide a perspective on how to navigate the cultural world and leverage the data that is made available through today’s evolving media landscape to encode and decode meaning through marketing.
CREATING CULTURAL CONTAGION
In today’s hyper-connected world, the allure of “going viral” continues to seduce marketers and idea-generators into investing significant time and resources toward the creation of content – videos, memes, tweets, posts, etc. – that spreads. There is seemingly no shortage of brands, business owners, or storytellers who covet the opportunity to have their ideas trend on Twitter, rake up 1 million+ views on Youtube, or garner thousands of Facebook “likes.” Metrics of social-chatter are then used as a proxy for success with the inclination that virality leads to reach and reach implies potential action. Though there are benefits to “going viral,” one must wonder if virality is truly what we’re after or if perhaps there is something far greater worth pursuing. This session reframes the benefits of “going viral” and provides an alternative aim. It explores the impact of culture on consumer behavior and offers an actionable framework that enables marketers to create ideas/messages/ products/content that not only spread but also take hold in culture.
TO LEGIT: DECIDING WHAT’S “IN” AND WHAT’S “OUT”
From the clothes we wear to the food we eat, the words we use, the shows we watch, and everything in between, our daily lives are informed by what we—the people—have collectively decided what is acceptable (what’s “in” and what’s “out”).
However, much of these decisions are heavily influenced by the marketing communications that brands put in the world, which means we—marketers—have an unbelievable opportunity (and, perhaps, responsibility) to make radical change to society at large.
But how do we do that while also tending to our fiduciary responsibilities to our company’s business objectives?
How do we make changes in the world while also making our numbers?
Well, the answer is simple: social media.
This talk will provide a perspective for marketing managers to frame social media beyond the technology and apply its potential to the business and beyond.
Attendees can expect the following takeaways:
- An understanding of the role brands play in the legitimation process of deciding what’s “in” and what’s “out”
- The perspective on the true influence of media and how it works to shape our worldview—which, consequently, influences what we deem to be acceptable
- Predictions for what will likely be legitimated next
Actionable steps that managers can take to position their brands as both change-makers and money-makers
WORKSHOP OPTIONS
Social Media Workshop:
This workshop takes an in-depth look at the relationship between media and human behavior, and examines how organizations can capitalize on social media to support their marketing efforts. Participants will learn the secrets to unlock the potential of today’s tools to create comprehensive social media strategies and share-worthy ideas.
Branding & Brand Strategy Workshop:
This workshop, therefore, is designed to explore the building-blocks of branding and how contemporary marketers communicate brand ideas through effective advertising campaigns and powerful creative ideas.
Digital Marketing:
This class takes an in-depth look at “digital” to provide an approach that empowers marketers with a perspective to navigate the ambiguity of “digital” with concreteness and actionable skills. Participants will learn how to apply strategic thinking to the creation of “digital” marketing activities that not only change industries but also consumer expectations.