Marcus Collins

Dr. Marcus Collins is the recognized authority on how culture shapes behavior, from what people buy to who they vote for and who they want to be. A clinical associate professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and a Professor in Residence at TikTok, Collins studies cultural contagion and meaning-making at the intersection of academia and practice.

For the Culture

Collins is the bestselling author of For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be, which draws on literature, case studies, and his own work with major brands to explain why culture moves people to act. He previously served as Head of Digital Strategy for Beyonce and has shaped campaigns for Apple, Google, McDonald’s, and Peloton.

Award-Winning Insight on Behavior

A recipient of the 2023 Thinkers50 Radar Award and an inductee into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement, Collins is a trusted Forbes columnist and a proud Detroit native whose talks blend academic rigor with street-level authenticity. His forthcoming book, Good Soil, explores how the right organizational culture helps people, teams, and companies thrive.

For organizations that want to understand why people really do what they do, Marcus Collins delivers a keynote that turns the science of culture into a practical playbook for influence.

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.