In a sea of signals, it is transformative concepts and narratives that cut through and drive impact.

Data can frame a problem. But stories move people to act.

In today’s noisy digital landscape, brands, agencies and changemakers have access to more data than ever. Yet somehow audiences feel harder to reach, loyalty is fleeting, and cultural relevance is under pressure.

As a cultural insights and strategy consultancy working with leading and emerging brands and non-profits, we see this every day. Our clients come to us with endless charts, data sets and dashboards - but what they need is a way to make meaning. Data alone doesn’t create connection or a through line to action; human stories and ideas do. 

Here’s how we use cultural intelligence, audience storytelling and strategic insight to bring data to life.

1. Understand what ideas and values are really driving culture

Cultural values are fluid and contextual. You can’t capture them in a survey line item. Quant can help you count what’s already clear, and find patterns in reported behaviours and attitudes - but it can’t reveal what’s emerging, or what’s emotionally true.

Case in point: In our work with Duolingo (MRS nominated), we were asked to explore the deeper motivations and cultural meanings behind language learning. Quantitative data showed strong global uptake — but it couldn’t explain why people were connecting so deeply with the platform. Through cultural insight and narrative research, we uncovered that language wasn’t just about communication — it was about identity, belonging, and power. For many, learning a language meant reclaiming heritage, asserting autonomy, or navigating migration. These ideas helped reposition Duolingo’s brand narrative — from functional utility to cultural empowerment.

Takeaway: To uncover the values and cultural ideas shaping behaviour, we combine data with qualitative research, cultural analysis and direct engagement. That’s how we uncover not just what’s happening - but why.

2. Maintain creative energy in a sea of algorithms

Creative breakthroughs rarely come from spreadsheets. They come from emotion, tension, and human contradiction.

Case in point: For our project Fractured Futures with National Citizen Service, we were tasked with exploring youth cohesion in an increasingly fragmented UK society. We had reams of social data and academic quantitative reports - but no insight that felt alive. So, we turned to film and human stories. We co-created a series of documentary shorts rooted in young people’s personal lived experiences - from a gamer finding belonging online, to a refugee navigating nationalism. The research outputs became strategic tools and powerful galvanising forces. Policymakers cried. Practitioners changed course. Insight led to empathy - and then action.

Takeaway: Data can show you the landscape. Stories give you the path. To keep creative energy burning, you need cultural intelligence, not just analytics.

3. Tell sticky stories

Not all stories are created equal. The ones that stick are the ones that spark emotion, tension, and meaning - and hold together across strategy, creative and comms. Stories are how people make sense of complexity. They give shape to abstract ideas, and translate insight into action. The best brand strategies, campaign platforms and behaviour change programmes are all built around a powerful story - one that is simple enough to share, but rich enough to scale.

Case in point: When we worked with Movember (MRS award winning) to reframe its approach to young men’s mental health, we knew the statistics weren’t enough. What we needed was a sticky story - something that could shift behaviour, not just raise awareness. Through co-created insight and storytelling, we crafted narratives grounded in peer support, framing vulnerability as strength, and masculine identity as fluid. This wasn’t about slogans and talking points. It was about developing and communicating a narrative system that influenced programmes, messaging and partnerships - from community groups to global campaigns.

Takeaway: A sticky story is the golden thread from insight to strategy to action. It connects the dots - from what audiences feel, to what brands say, to what change actually looks like. Without it, insight stays flat. With it, strategy becomes magnetic.

See the report Young Men's Health in Digital World for more of our work with Movember.

Why this matters for brands

If you're trying to:

• Position your brand with clarity and impact
  
  
• Drive social change or strategic behaviour shifts
  
  
• Connect with youth culture and emerging audiences

...then relying on numbers alone won’t get you there. You need:

• Powerful stories to inspire creative strategy
  
  
• Cultural insight that reveals nuance, not just patterns
  
  
• Human-led research to uncover what people really value
  
  

As a cultural insights and strategy consultancy, we help our clients find that golden thread - from insight, to strategy, to action.

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