Episode 169: Joe Ligé on Culture and How it Works in Advertising

Joe Ligé, Founder & CEO, Culture Hive Media Group, explains why culture, not identity, drives performance in advertising. We break down cultural targeting, AI-powered ad relevance, and how brands can avoid “cringe” marketing moments. Plus: Meta vs. Google ad revenue, OpenAI’s ad future, and Viant’s latest acquisition strategy. Takeaways Culture Demographics Bad ads come from cultural blind spots Cultural relevance can be measured Brands should focus on rituals, communities, and moments Programmatic is shifting from “who” to “where.” Authenticity beats proximity Meta’s growth is accelerating OpenAI ads are coming Chapters 00:00 Intro + Ari’s tech meltdown 00:45 Guest intro Joe Ligé Culture Hive Media Group 02:03 What is Culture Hive Media Group 03:17 Origin story behind the culture, first advertising 05:42 Culture vs ethnicity explained 07:59 Rethinking targeting beyond demographics 08:46 Cultural cornerstones, rituals, communities, moments 09:56 How the Cultural Relevancy Score CRS works 12:22 Using AI to detect bias and bad ads 15:24 Authenticity vs cringe marketing 16:42 Case study Mountain Dew and gaming culture 19:01 How the tech and programmatic integration works 21:21 Culture first strategy and audience expansion 25:04 News Meta vs Google OpenAI ads Viant deal 49:32 Wrap up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices