QUESTION EVERYTHING The Hidden Forces Shaping What We Buy, Wear, and Talk About: with Culture Strategist Linda Ong (Cultique)
May 1, 2025
Linda Ong, a cultural strategist and co-founder of Cultique, shares insights on how culture shapes consumer behavior. She discusses the importance of identifying cultural signals before they trend and the shift from exclusivity to experience in luxury. Ong explores how personal pain can enhance cultural intuition and explains why horror films thrive in uncertain times. With fascinating takes on Gen Z's contradictions and the evolving nature of brand identity, this conversation reveals the intricacies of analyzing culture in our rapidly changing world.
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A Personal 'Spidey Sense' For Culture
- Linda developed an acute emotional sensitivity from childhood experiences and bullying, which she calls a 'spidey sense.'
- She uses that sensitivity as a professional superpower to detect cultural shifts early.
Horror As Emotional Regulation
- Horror's popularity right now functions as emotional processing: people seek safe spaces to feel and regulate uncertainty.
- Cultural forms provide collective tools for managing widespread anxiety.
Monitor The Cultural Atmosphere
- Monitor cultural context before launching major initiatives, like an astronaut checks weather before a launch.
- Anticipate shifts (e.g., hybrid work) so brands can adapt strategy rather than act in a vacuum.
