Dr. Marcus Collins Keynote Speaker

  • Bestselling Author of For The Culture & Professor in Residence at TikTok
  • Marketing Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan
  • Award-winning Marketer & Forbes Contributor

Dr. Marcus Collins's Biography

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.

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Dr. Marcus Collins's Speaking Topics

  • For The Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, And Who We Want To Be

There is no external force more influential to human behavior than culture—full stop. This makes culture a cheat code for anyone with a vested interest in getting people to adopt the behavior, whether you are a brand marketer, manager, leader, or politician. Those who understand the dynamics of culture are more likely to have influence, while those who do not are almost always influenced by those who do. In this talk, Marcus pulls from both theory and practice—using learnings from his work spearheading digital strategy for Beyoncé to working with Fortune 500 companies like Apple, McDonald’s, and Google—to break down the ways in which culture influences behavior and unpacks how to leverage its power to get people to move.

  • Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast: How To Drive Sustainable Organizational Change

When it comes to your company’s success, your organizational culture is more important than its individuals. It doesn’t matter how smart or talented your employees are if they don’t get along or don’t believe in your company’s purpose. That’s why it is imperative that leaders understand the inner workings of their internal culture—just as much as the external culture of their consumers—if they want to fully leverage the company’s resources for success. Dr. Marcus Collins is an expert in understanding culture, literally writing “the book” on it. In his upbeat and informative talk, Marcus shares stories of organizational culture using real-life case studies. Audiences will come away understanding how company culture works, how to influence it, and how to scale it for their teams.

  • Putting The Humanity Back Into Customer Centricity

In today’s competitive business landscape, it’s more important than ever to put the customer at the center of all business decisions. While this truth might be widely held, our ability to build organizations that are readily capable of implementing a customer-centric approach is not as accessible as we might desire. This talk uncovers a new perspective on customer-centricity and provides actionable strategies for adopting this approach within your organization that will demonstratively drive greater consumer engagement.

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Videos of Dr. Marcus Collins

Dr. Marcus Collins Talks Beyonce's BeyHive & Branding As A Case Study With RISING Artists
Dr. Marcus Collins Talks Beyonce's BeyHive & Branding As A Case Study With RISING Artists
Nothing ‘more influential to human behavior than culture’: Dr. Marcus Collins
Nothing ‘more influential to human behavior than culture’: Dr. Marcus Collins
The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be | Marcus Collins | Talks at Google
The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be | Marcus Collins | Talks at Google
The Power of Culture in Business and Branding with Dr. Marcus Collins
The Power of Culture in Business and Branding with Dr. Marcus Collins

Articles, Media & Podcasts

Books by Dr. Marcus Collins

For the Culture book cover

Comments & Testimonials

Marcus Collins is nothing short of fantastic. As a speaker, Marcus has a way of presenting that is often difficult to find... He's a rare gem when it comes to presentation style, ability to take feedback, area of expertise, and more. Marcus truly listens to what others have to say before responding.
Capital One
Marcus brought an awesome presence and engagement to the session. I loved his succinct yet powerful slides and message. In particular, I really enjoyed his energy, sincerity & passion. Great to see academic & real life role merged!
Toyota Motors Corporation
[After Marcus’ talk] our team felt inspired to action and empathy. I had goosebumps multiple times - was NOT expecting that at all.
Account Manager, Google

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