Dr Marcus Collins

Dr Marcus Collins is a marketer, author and marketing professor who studies how culture shapes what people buy, do and want to become. He teaches at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and spent more than a decade in advertising, most recently as chief strategy officer at Wieden+Kennedy New York.

His book For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be was published by Hachette in 2023. His next book, Good Soil, on how organisational culture helps people and companies grow, is forthcoming from Hachette.

Before Wieden+Kennedy he was chief consumer connections officer at Doner and led social engagement at Translation, the agency founded by Steve Stoute. Earlier in his career he worked on iTunes partnerships at Apple and ran digital strategy for Beyoncé.

Dr Collins holds a Doctorate of Business Administration from Temple University, where he studied cultural contagion and meaning-making, an MBA in strategic brand marketing from the University of Michigan and a degree in materials science engineering, also from Michigan. He writes for the Forbes CMO Network and Fast Company, is a member of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and served as a juror at Cannes Lions in 2022.

He speaks to leadership and marketing audiences about organisational culture, cultural contagion and customer-centricity.