{"id":20793,"date":"2025-06-30T10:00:53","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T08:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pulse-advertising.com\/?post_type=news&p=20793"},"modified":"2025-07-01T11:52:44","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T09:52:44","slug":"expanding-relevance-through-social-media","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.pulse-advertising.com\/it\/resources\/social-media-news\/expanding-relevance-through-social-media\/","title":{"rendered":"How Brands Are Expanding Relevance Through Social Media"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

In his seminal 1960 essay \u201cMarketing Myopia\u201d, economist Theodore Levitt posed a deceptively simple question to business leaders:<\/span> What business are you really in?<\/i><\/b> His argument was that companies too often define themselves by the product they sell, rather than by the needs they meet or the value they provide. More than sixty years later, Levitt\u2019s insight has never felt more relevant – especially for brands <\/span>navigating the complexities of identity, purpose, and audience engagement<\/b> in the digital age.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, many of the most culturally influential brands aren\u2019t merely selling makeup, soda, or soap. They\u2019re selling <\/span>belonging<\/b>. It\u2019s about empowerment, identity, and participation in something bigger. And increasingly, they\u2019re finding that cultural relevance is a powerful driver of long-term value.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Social media, in this ecosystem, has become the connective tissue: not just a communication channel, but a platform for amplification, conversation, and meaning-making.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/h2>\n

Culture Is the New Business Strategy<\/b><\/h2>\n

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The brands leading this shift <\/span>understand that culture – not category – is the new competitive advantage.<\/b> This evolution echoes Levitt\u2019s central premise: \u201cPeople don\u2019t want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole.\u201d Applied to today\u2019s context, consumers don\u2019t want just a beverage – they want refreshment that aligns with their lifestyle. They don\u2019t want just skincare –\u00a0 they want confidence, visibility, and shared values.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why beauty brands like <\/span>Fenty Beauty<\/span><\/i> are entering sports. <\/span>Fenty\u2019s <\/span><\/i>partnership with the <\/span>WNBA\u2019s New York Liberty<\/span><\/i> isn\u2019t about selling cosmetics – it\u2019s about <\/span>aligning with a mission <\/b>of strength, diversity, and cultural pride. These activations are designed to live – and thrive – on social media, where <\/span>storytelling, representation, and personal expression drive brand equity.<\/b>
\n<\/b>UK-based Beauty brand <\/span>REFY<\/span><\/i> also taps into sports culture with a recent tennis-inspired campaign timed to this Grand Slam summer, subtly reframing its skincare and cosmetics through the elevated lens of the sport\u2019s aesthetic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Social media platforms have evolved into arenas of <\/span>real-time brand identity shaping<\/b>. <\/span>
\n<\/span>They offer the opportunity to become part of conversations rather than just interrupt them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

<\/h2>\n

Entering the Space of Product Relevance\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

More and more, brands are <\/span>redefining relevance <\/b>– not by who their competitors are, but by where their products naturally show up in people\u2019s lives. Today\u2019s smartest brands are <\/span>expanding beyond traditional category cues<\/b>, claiming relevance through the cultural and behavioral spaces<\/span> their products naturally inhabit.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

A clear example is Fenty Beauty\u2019s strategic entry into the sports world, which finds a parallel in <\/span>Unilever\u2019s Dove<\/span><\/i>. With its #KeepHerConfident campaign at the Super Bowl, <\/span>Dove<\/span><\/i> used sport as a platform to spotlight a deeper mission: reducing the dropout rate of girls in athletics due to appearance-based pressure. By turning its <\/span>core purpose into a cultural narrative<\/b>, <\/span>Dove<\/span><\/i> claimed its space in the sports conversation – one that makes sense for a brand whose hero product, deodorant, is inherently linked to physical activity.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n

 <\/p>\n

CASE HIGHLIGHT SODASTREAM<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

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\"\"<\/a>
Lukas Podolski and Julyan Pohl for SodaStream’s UEFA Champions League activation 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Similarly, <\/span>SodaStream\u2019s<\/span><\/i> 2025 <\/span>UEFA Champions League<\/span><\/i> Festival activation exemplifies how product relevance can be leveraged<\/span><\/p>\n

through <\/span>cultural integration.<\/b> Positioned under the <\/span>PepsiCo<\/span><\/i> umbrella, with <\/span>Pepsi<\/span><\/i> as the main sponsor of the <\/span>UEFA Champions League<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>SodaStream<\/span><\/i> used the occasion to enter the sports space in a way that felt both natural and earned.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the heart of the campaign was the promotion of the new <\/span>Pepsi<\/span><\/i> Zero Sugar syrup. To bring it to life, the brand teamed up with football icon Lukas Podolski and TikTok creator Julyan Pohl aka July, who engaged in playful, football-themed challenges featuring the syrup. The resulting content was produced for the <\/span>SodaStream<\/span><\/i> Instagram channel and<\/span> amplified through a targeted paid media campaign, ultimately generating 5 million views rewarding a single shooting day.<\/span><\/p>\n

More than just a product demo, the activation turned a fun hydration product into a fizzy momentum. It tapped into lifestyle, personalization, and entertainment, highlighting new products while<\/span> elevating brand perception through partnership and cultural context.<\/b> In doing so, <\/span>SodaStream<\/span><\/i> reached <\/span>beyond a niche audience and into a wider cultural moment<\/b>, reinforcing its place in the modern conversation around hydration and sport.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

See how we\u2019ve delivered impact for other brands.<\/a><\/p>\n

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This trend extends beyond sports: <\/span>Tarte Cosmetics<\/span><\/i>‘ recent collaboration with <\/span>Dunkin\u2019 Donuts <\/span><\/i>exemplifies how core products, like lip gloss, can be <\/span>recontextualized through cross-industry pairings<\/b>. By aligning beauty with beverage, the activation taps into <\/span>sensory marketing and complementary lifestyle positioning<\/b>, curating a shared moment around indulgence and refreshment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than a traditional business partnership, this is a strategic marketing play, positioning the lip gloss not just as a product, but as the essential companion to this fizzy summer drink. The message is clear: it only feels <\/span>complete<\/b> when consumed as a duo.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

<\/h2>\n

Why This Shift Is Strategic<\/b><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Brands are entering spaces like sports not because of a direct product tie-in, but because these spaces are <\/span>emotionally rich and culturally resonant<\/b>. This is Levitt\u2019s thesis in action: the real business isn\u2019t the thing you make – it\u2019s <\/span>the meaning you offer.<\/b><\/p>\n

There are four core reasons this strategy is gaining momentum:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Audience expansion through aligned purpose<\/b>: Entering new cultural arenas helps brands reach adjacent communities in authentic ways.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Content-native storytelling<\/b>: Social-first campaigns allow brands to craft narrative experiences rather than static ads.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Emotional resonance and loyalty<\/b>: Participating in meaningful moments builds stronger brand bonds than traditional campaigns.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Modern brand architecture<\/b>: Through layered activations brands can amplify relevance without diluting identity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \n

    <\/h2>\n

    What Marketers Can Learn from It<\/b><\/h2>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Levitt urged businesses to think beyond what they make and focus on what they mean to people. In 2025, this advice is more than theoretical – it\u2019s operational. Brands must continually <\/span>reassess<\/b> not just what they\u2019re offering, but <\/span>why they matter in the lives of their audiences<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    By entering culturally significant spaces like sports, music or food and beverage, and activating through social content, brands are rewriting the <\/span>boundaries of categories<\/b>. They\u2019re becoming cultural actors – responding to social shifts, representing underheard voices, and making <\/span>emotional investments that outlast any campaign cycle<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    So, what business are <\/span>you<\/span><\/i> in?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re doing it right in 2025, the answer should sound less like a product description and more like a <\/span>purpose<\/b> statement. <\/span>
    \n<\/span>Because in an age when audiences reward alignment and authenticity, and when culture is shaped in hashtags and highlight reels, the brands that thrive will be those that understand Levitt\u2019s insight at its deepest level.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In his seminal 1960 essay \u201cMarketing Myopia\u201d, economist Theodore Levitt posed a deceptively simple question to business leaders: What business are you really in? His argument was that companies too often define themselves by the product they sell, rather than by the needs they meet or the value they provide. More than sixty years later, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":20799,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20793","news","type-news","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":{"news_title":"","news_title_source":{"label":"News Title","type":"text","formatted_value":""},"news_short_summery":"In today\u2019s digital landscape, leading brands are moving beyond products to build cultural relevance. Discover how social media helps them redefine their purpose and expand their role in people\u2019s lives.","news_short_summery_source":{"label":"News Short Summery","type":"text","formatted_value":"In today\u2019s digital landscape, leading brands are moving beyond products to build cultural relevance. Discover how social media helps them redefine their purpose and expand their role in people\u2019s lives."},"news_quotes":"","news_quotes_source":{"label":"News Quotes","type":"text","formatted_value":""},"additional_content":"","additional_content_source":{"label":"Additional Content","type":"wysiwyg","formatted_value":""}},"yoast_head":"\nHow Brands Are Expanding Relevance Through Social Media - Pulse Advertising<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What business are you really in? 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