Platform13 published Leila Fataar's post on the US Open influencer backlash to discuss cultural voices and client relevance

Cultural relevance is a business growth driver, not a marketing output. Cultural Authority is the brand state that results when that relevance has compounded through the Cultural Pipeline, credibly embedded across cultural territories, fandoms and markets. Platform13 was founded in 2017 by Leila Fataar in response to a gap she identified from working brand-side: how to become and remain relevant in a world shaped by ever changing political, technological, societal and behavioural shifts. That hasn't changed. What has changed is where the pressure today lands most acutely. Inside large organisations, the pressure lands in the marketing, go-to-market and innovation teams - expected to build cultural relevance, find what's next, and produce work that lands with fragmented audiences across multiple markets, while operating inside The Corporate Algorithm: planning cycles, approval structures and risk frameworks built for a different era, now AI-filtered-and-influenced. The gap between what's required and what the system allows is where cultural relevance dies. For Challenger Brands - whether scaling independently or acquired by a Corporate - the same teams face a different pressure: the systems and decisions that make cultural relevance compound, rather than erode what they've gained, often aren't in place. For Cultural Brands: they didn't build it, the culture chose them. The work is making sure that choice holds as commercial growth or mainstream visibility builds around it. From 2026, Platform13 has been REFOCUSED to help address these gaps. Our methodology is set out in full in Culture-Led Brands by Leila Fataar (Kogan Page, 2025). Past & current clients: Birkenstock, Unilever, Dr. Martens, Flannels, The LEGO Group, Guinness, Beats by Dre, Chanel Beauty, ECCO Leather, adidas, The Out by Jaguar Land Rover, Under Armour, YouTube, Vans