To guarantee their success in the future, brands need to start cultural conversations today.

That was the message from Simon Mainwaring at The Conference 2014 in New York City. Mainwaring’s 2011 book, “We First,” delivers the message that brands who want to stay relevant and accrue customer loyalty will incorporate consumer concerns into their work.

“People rise to the conversations you grow around them,” Mainwaring said. “Are you leading cultural conversations or are you using all of these tools just as more broadcast channels?

For example, Chipotle Mexican Grill’s message of “food with integrity” has helped it steal 8% market share in the casual dining category. Chipotle also has broken out of the traditional marketing box with such video projects as its short film, The Scarecrow, and its Hulu series, “Farmed and Dangerous.” Unilever is promoting sustainability with “Project Sunlight,” while Dove goes deep to offer a message of self-esteem to real girls and women around the world.

“These are initiatives that are meaningful and powerful in people’s lives,” said Mainwaring. “You can’t hide behind your product brands anymore. Increasingly customers are saying ‘are you part of the solution or part of the problem?’”

As a place to start, Mainwaring challenged attendees to “take a risk: Share one thought on a social media channel relevant to your studio, network or program that drives a cultural conversation. Where do you start? What do you care about?”

In fact, Mainwaring said time is already growing short for brands to carve out their identities in this new socially-aware world of marketing. “Don’t miss that opportunity to claim your story,” he said. “It’s a gold rush now. Start with that one Tweet – put that one thing out there and see if people rise to that conversation.”

“Companies that lead the future will be defined by the quality of their listening,” he said. “We are in too much trouble now for the entertainment industry not to rise to this challenge and rewrite the future.”

Connect with Mainwaring @SimonMainwaring on Twitter or head to his Web site at wefirstbranding.com.

Image by John Minchillo/AP

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