The most powerful brands don’t just capture attention — they ignite change. Branding as a Cultural Force: Purpose, Responsibility, and Resonance (Columbia University Press, December 2025) invites readers to reimagine branding as a force for good, one that shapes culture, sparks movements, and drives meaningful social impact.
Going beyond traditional branding, Robin Landa explores how companies play pivotal roles in shaping culture, advancing causes, and forging emotional connections with their audiences. While most branding guides focus on commercial success, this book emphasizes how brands can align with their audiences’ values to drive social transformation. Through real-world case studies — from Mastercard’s True Name initiative for transgender customers to Sheba’s preservation of coral reefs initiative — Landa presents practical strategies that reframe branding as a tool for influence, advocacy, and activism.
A standout feature is a series of exclusive interviews with leading voices in branding, design, and advertising, including Nick Law (Accenture Song), Giorgia Lupi (Pentagram Partner), and Lesley-Ann Noel, Ph.D. (OCAD University). The book features a foreword by Leland Maschmeyer, Co-Founder and CEO of COLLINS.
Branding as a Cultural Force provides actionable guidance on seven core strategies: becoming irreplaceable through differentiation, measuring impact beyond profit, practicing leadership as cultural stewardship, transforming brand promises into activism, treating audiences as co-creators, amplifying underrepresented voices, and embracing planet-first thinking. With a distinctive focus on the intersection of brand purpose and cultural impact, this book challenges readers to rethink branding as a vehicle for systemic change.
Landa is a Distinguished Professor, Michael Graves College at Kean University, and a recognized expert in branding, design, advertising, and creativity. She has received numerous accolades, including recognition as one of the Carnegie Foundation’s “Great Teachers of Our Time” and the 2025 AIGA Steven Heller Prize for Cultural Commentary. Recently inducted into the New Jersey Advertising Hall of Fame, Landa’s commentary has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Inc. She is the author of more than twenty-five books, including Shareworthy: Advertising That Creates Powerful Connections Through Storytelling (Columbia University Press, 2024, with Greg Braun) and the forthcoming The Secret to Getting Stuff Done: The Non-Negotiable Mindset (Routledge, 2026).
