Helping big brands build their cultural competitive advantage
Helping big brands
build their cultural
competitive advantage
The evidence is overwhelming : a culturally relevant brand has a competitive advantage. BUT, to do that, to change business outcomes, you have to change your inputs. Most organisations haven't.
Traditional strategies are struggling because they are running on the Corporate Algorithm. These are the internal systems built for the 20th century that reward caution, precedent and process. They are the decision filters deciding what gets made, what gets killed, and what gets diluted in your business and/or brand. Then, in Q1 of the 21st Century, this combined with data-driven inputs and AI-filtered and generated everything making homogeneity the standard, because when everyone filters the world through the same models, formulaic predictability reigns.
This isn't just hurting your bottom line, it’s driving widespread burnout and exhaustion, because it forces leaders and teams to operate in a state of permacrisis and risk-averse efficiency.
Our new realities in Q2 of the 21st century include:
- The Generational Shift: Managing a workforce and consumer base from Boomers to Gen Alpha, globally at the same time.
- The Fandom Era: A struggle for brand relevance across cross-cultural fandoms and multi-country nuances, in country and with the diaspora.
- The Growth Opportunity: Missing challenger categories and emerging markets because the "data" hasn't caught up yet.
The evidence is overwhelming : a culturally relevant brand has a competitive advantage. BUT, to do that, to change business outcomes, you have to change your inputs. Most organisations haven't.
Traditional strategies are struggling because they are running on the Corporate Algorithm. These are the internal systems built for the 20th century that reward caution, precedent and process. They are the decision filters deciding what gets made, what gets killed, and what gets diluted in your business and/or brand. Then, in Q1 of the 21st Century, this combined with data-driven inputs and AI-filtered and generated everything making homogeneity the standard, because when everyone filters the world through the same models, formulaic predictability reigns.
This isn't just hurting your bottom line, it’s driving widespread burnout and exhaustion, because it forces leaders and teams to operate in a state of permacrisis and risk-averse efficiency.
Our new realities in Q2 of the 21st century include:
- The Generational Shift: Managing a workforce and consumer base from Boomers to Gen Alpha, globally at the same time.
- The Fandom Era: A struggle for brand relevance across cross-cultural fandoms and multi-country nuances, in country and with the diaspora.
- The Growth Opportunity: Missing challenger categories and emerging markets because the "data" hasn't caught up yet.
The evidence is overwhelming : a culturally relevant brand has a competitive advantage. BUT, to do that, to change business outcomes, you have to change your inputs. Most organisations haven't.
Traditional strategies are struggling because they are running on the Corporate Algorithm. These are the internal systems built for the 20th century that reward caution, precedent and process. They are the decision filters deciding what gets made, what gets killed, and what gets diluted in your business and/or brand. Then, in Q1 of the 21st Century, this combined with data-driven inputs and AI-filtered and generated everything making homogeneity the standard, because when everyone filters the world through the same models, formulaic predictability reigns.
This isn't just hurting your bottom line, it’s driving widespread burnout and exhaustion, because it forces leaders and teams to operate in a state of permacrisis and risk-averse efficiency.
Our new realities in Q2 of the 21st century include:
- The Generational Shift: Managing a workforce and consumer base from Boomers to Gen Alpha, globally at the same time.
- The Fandom Era: A struggle for brand relevance across cross-cultural fandoms and multi-country nuances, in country and with the diaspora.
- The Growth Opportunity: Missing challenger categories and emerging markets because the "data" hasn't caught up yet.
Culture-led brands succeed not because they move faster, but because they see more clearly, earlier. They remove the internal friction that stops formula-breaking work from happening in the first place and intersect the data with real world cultural context and intelligence.
Brought in part-time, project-based or around key business priorities, Leila confidentially works as a retained senior strategic advisor alongside big brands and legacy businesses to unlock cultural relevance from the inside out. She doesn't just “spot trends”, she builds the systems, operations and behaviours that make cultural credibility repeatable, scalable, and long-term.
Her work sits upstream of execution, at the point where judgement, confidence and direction are set. She says the things others won’t, delivering cultural truth, commercial sharpness, and 30 years of hard-won experience. focused on changing the quality of decisions by:
— Bringing external cultural reality into internal conversations
— Challenging The Corporate Algorithm
— Reframing risk, relevance and opportunity before they harden into plans
— Strengthening conviction around where to lead, not just what to optimise
Culture-led brands succeed not because they move faster, but because they see more clearly, earlier. They remove the internal friction that stops formula-breaking work from happening in the first place and intersect the data with real world cultural context and intelligence.
Brought in part-time, project-based or around key business priorities, Leila confidentially works as a retained senior strategic advisor alongside big brands and legacy businesses to unlock cultural relevance from the inside out. She doesn't just “spot trends”, she builds the systems, operations and behaviours that make cultural credibility repeatable, scalable, and long-term.
Her work sits upstream of execution, at the point where judgement, confidence and direction are set. She says the things others won’t, delivering cultural truth, commercial sharpness, and 30 years of hard-won experience. focused on changing the quality of decisions by:
— Bringing external cultural reality into internal conversations
— Challenging The Corporate Algorithm
— Reframing risk, relevance and opportunity before they harden into plans
— Strengthening conviction around where to lead, not just what to optimise
SUPPORT SERVICES
01
Strategic Advisor: Leadership Teams
02
Strategic Advisor: Brand Teams
03
The Cultural Reset
04
Cultural Branding
01
Strategic Advisor: Leadership Teams
02
Strategic Advisor: Brand Teams
03
The Cultural Reset
04
Cultural Branding
01
Strategic Advisor: Leadership Teams
02
Strategic Advisor: Brand Teams
03
The Cultural Reset
04
Cultural Branding
OUTSIDER WITH INSIDER KNOW-HOW
Leila has deep strategic and executional creative & cultural brand building expertise and a seasoned entrepreneurial business leader with a 30 year wealth of international hands-on experience of lifestyle, FMCG and sportswear brands, both through her own independent practices and brand side at adidas and Diageo.
Within this time, she has consistently delivered innovative brand activity whilst crafting a careful balance between commercial needs, legacy building and resonance with multiple audiences for and with big brands, making her the ideal resource for organisations in these transformative times.
A pioneer of the culture-led brand blueprint, she has spearheaded an approach from the boardroom to the billboard that positions cultural relevance as a key business growth driver.
Leila has deep strategic and executional creative & cultural brand building expertise and a seasoned entrepreneurial business leader with a 30 year wealth of international hands-on experience of lifestyle, FMCG and sportswear brands, both through her own independent practices and brand side at adidas and Diageo.
Within this time, she has consistently delivered innovative brand activity whilst crafting a careful balance between commercial needs, legacy building and resonance with multiple audiences for and with big brands, making her the ideal resource for organisations in these transformative times.
A pioneer of the culture-led brand blueprint, she has spearheaded an approach from the boardroom to the billboard that positions cultural relevance as a key business growth driver.
She has an intangible way of reading what’s relevant in the world. This, blended with the rare experience of launching and running two independent owned full service companies and in senior positions at two global corporates across a variety of categories, territories and brands gives a unique outsider approach with insider knowledge that speaks and translates the languages of entrepreneurial, corporate and cultural.
She is able:
- to unlock credible solutions to brand challenges today
- to understand what resonates for brands and their audiences
- to be proficient in organisational and brand transformation both externally and internally
- to rapidly implement culturally relevant activity (proactively and reactively) that cuts through the noise with purposeful intent
She has an intangible way of reading what’s relevant in the world. This, blended with the rare experience of launching and running two independent owned full service companies and in senior positions at two global corporates across a variety of categories, territories and brands gives a unique outsider approach with insider knowledge that speaks and translates the languages of entrepreneurial, corporate and cultural
She is able:
- to unlock credible solutions to brand challenges today
- to understand what resonates for brands and their audiences
- to be proficient in organisational and brand transformation both externally and internally
- to rapidly implement culturally relevant activity (proactively and reactively) that cuts through the noise with purposeful intent
INDUSTRY EXPERT
Highly regarded and connected, she is regularly sought out for her culture, brand and business expertise through:
- Commentary in global industry and trend publications such as Business of Fashion, Hurs, WARC, The Future Lab, High Snobiety, Vogue Business, Digiday, The Drum, adweek and Campaign amongst others
- A keynote speaker at influential conferences such as D&AD, Apple Today, Eurobest, and more
- A panelist at top conferences such as Cannes Lions, Advertising Week, YMS, and Social Media Week.
- A judge for D&AD New Blood, and the Webby Awards, amongst others
- Guest lecturer at a variety of schools such as Hyper Island, The One School and the University of East London.
INDUSTRY EXPERT
Highly regarded and connected, she is regularly sought out for her culture, brand and business expertise through:
- Commentary in global industry and trend publications such as Business of Fashion, Hurs, WARC, The Future Lab, High Snobiety, Vogue Business, Digiday, The Drum, adweek and Campaign amongst others
- A keynote speaker at influential conferences such as D&AD, Apple Today, Eurobest, and more
- A panelist at top conferences such as Cannes Lions, Advertising Week, YMS, and Social Media Week.
- A judge for D&AD New Blood, and the Webby Awards, amongst others
- Guest lecturer at a variety of schools such as Hyper Island, The One School and the University of East London.
INDUSTRY EXPERT
Highly regarded and connected, she is regularly sought out for her culture, brand and business expertise through:
- Commentary in global industry and trend publications such as Business of Fashion, Hurs, WARC, The Future Lab, High Snobiety, Vogue Business, Digiday, The Drum, adweek and Campaign amongst others
- A keynote speaker at influential conferences such as D&AD, Apple Today, Eurobest, and more
- A panelist at top conferences such as Cannes Lions, Advertising Week, YMS, and Social Media Week.
- A judge for D&AD New Blood, and the Webby Awards, amongst others
- Guest lecturer at a variety of schools such as Hyper Island, The One School and the University of East London.
AUTHOR
AUTHOR
AUTHOR
PODCAST HOST
Watch on YouTube
Remarkable careers aren’t just made… they’re shaped by personal culture, global influences, and The Culture. It takes a bit of risk, an ability to adapt and a lot of resilience.
This podcast explores the perspectives and experiences that have shaped extraordinary careers, while sharing insights and expertise across corporate, cultural, and creative spaces.
Cultural Voices, a series of unfiltered conversations with people shaping and representing culture and creativity.
PODCAST HOST
Watch on YouTube
Remarkable careers aren’t just made… they’re shaped by personal culture, global influences, and The Culture. It takes a bit of risk, an ability to adapt and a lot of resilience.
This podcast explores the perspectives and experiences that have shaped extraordinary careers, while sharing insights and expertise across corporate, cultural, and creative spaces.
Cultural Voices, a series of unfiltered conversations with people shaping and representing culture and creativity.
PODCAST HOST
Watch on YouTube
Remarkable careers aren’t just made… they’re shaped by personal culture, global influences, and The Culture. It takes a bit of risk, an ability to adapt and a lot of resilience.
This podcast explores the perspectives and experiences that have shaped extraordinary careers, while sharing insights and expertise across corporate, cultural, and creative spaces.
Cultural Voices, a series of unfiltered conversations with people shaping and representing culture and creativity.
FOUNDER
Platform13 is an independent full service cultural communications and creative production studio, unlocking cultural relevance for and building your brand through fandoms, communities & storytelling.
Headquartered in London, it was created in August 2017 to answer the challenges and needs faced by big brands in the ever-changing world of consumer behaviour, creative innovation and cultural shifts.
We translate your brand DNA into the codes of cultural fandoms, helping you break category norms in a way that only your brand can. We do this by identifying a credible role for that brand through our unique cultural positioning methodology.
FOUNDER
Platform13 is an independent full service cultural communications and creative production studio, unlocking cultural relevance for and building your brand through fandoms, communities & storytelling.
Headquartered in London, it was created in August 2017 to answer the challenges and needs faced by big brands in the ever-changing world of consumer behaviour, creative innovation and cultural shifts.
We translate your brand DNA into the codes of cultural fandoms, helping you break category norms in a way that only your brand can. We do this by identifying a credible role for that brand through our unique cultural positioning methodology.
FOUNDER
Platform13 is an independent full service cultural communications and creative production studio, unlocking cultural relevance for and building your brand through fandoms, communities & storytelling.
Headquartered in London, it was created in August 2017 to answer the challenges and needs faced by big brands in the ever-changing world of consumer behaviour, creative innovation and cultural shifts.
We translate your brand DNA into the codes of cultural fandoms, helping you break category norms in a way that only your brand can. We do this by identifying a credible role for that brand through our unique cultural positioning methodology.