Cultural Fluency Makers: Unlocking Business Growth Through Cultural Intelligence

Synthetic audiences are changing the way brands approach consumer research, offering new ways to test ideas, accelerate learning, and generate insights. But as these tools evolve, questions remain about their accuracy, their ability to capture cultural nuance, and where human research is still essential. In this special compilation episode of Cultural Fluency Makers, David Wellisch brings together marketing and insights leaders to explore the opportunities and limitations of synthetic audiences. From grounding AI models in real consumer data to identifying potential bias and preserving the unexpected insights that emerge from human conversations, our guests share how brands can experiment with synthetic audiences without losing sight of the people behind the data. Takeaways: Synthetic audiences can help researchers accelerate early-stage learning, test messaging, and explore creative options, but they shouldn't replace foundational research. Grounding synthetic audiences in years of real consumer data can make them more relevant and differentiated than models built on generic information alone. AI can help automate time-consuming research tasks, scale consistent studies, and generate initial hypotheses, giving insights teams more time to focus on analysis and strategy. Synthetic audiences can introduce bias and overlook cultural differences, outliers, and long-tail perspectives that may reveal important consumer insights. Human conversations can uncover unexpected observations and emotional reactions that lead to meaningful creative ideas and stronger consumer understanding. Synthetic data can be useful for applications like forecasting and predictive modeling, but it needs to be validated against existing models before being trusted for consequential decisions. The most effective approach is to combine AI-powered tools with real consumer data, cultural understanding, and experienced human judgment. Quote of the show: “It's not about replacing existing processes with AI, but it's actually much more about what can AI enable us to do that we were never able to do because we were just a small team or we have limited resource and time.” - Tobias Puehse Links: David’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/david-wellisch-a35313 Tobias’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tobias-puehse/ Koley’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kcorte Natalie’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nataliealisonwills Reshma’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/reshmadhati/ Ciara Dilley: linkedin.com/in/ciara-dilley/ Pankaj Chopra: linkedin.com/in/pankaj-chopra-1ab7365 Daryl Butler: linkedin.com/in/darylbutler/ Ways to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex Apple Podcasts: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367 Transistor: https://culturalfluencymakers.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CollageGroup

AI is transforming how organizations understand consumers, conduct research, and turn insights into action. But as the tools become more powerful, understanding the people behind the data is becoming even more important. In this episode of Cultural Fluency Makers, David Wellisch sits down with Kajoli Tankha, Senior Director and Head of Consumer and Reputation Insights at Microsoft, to explore the intersection of cultural intelligence, consumer insights, and artificial intelligence. Kajoli explains why cultural intelligence helps organizations uncover the assumptions and biases they may otherwise miss, and why the best insights are the ones that can be translated into real business action. She also shares what technology companies often misunderstand about consumers: people aren't looking for the newest or most impressive technology. They're looking for tools that solve real problems and make their lives easier. The conversation explores how Microsoft is incorporating AI into the research process, the potential of synthetic audiences and digital twins, and why human judgment remains essential even as AI makes knowledge more accessible. Kajoli also breaks down the skills researchers and marketers will need to thrive in an AI-powered future, from business and stakeholder knowledge to synthesis, storytelling, fearlessness, and curiosity. Takeaways: Cultural intelligence makes the implicit explicit. Because we live inside culture, many of our assumptions and biases can be difficult to recognize. Cultural intelligence helps organizations uncover those assumptions, correct biases, and better understand what consumers want, resist, and value as the world around them changes. A great insight only matters if the business can act on it. The challenge with cultural intelligence isn't always uncovering the big idea. It's translating that idea into something stakeholders understand, buy into, and can use to make better business decisions. Bringing the right stakeholders into the process early can help bridge that gap. Cultural resonance starts with authenticity. Brands don't need to chase every cultural moment or try to become something they're not. Instead, they need to understand who they are and find authentic ways to remain relevant as culture changes. For Microsoft, Kajoli explains, that means focusing on empowering others rather than trying to make the brand itself look “cool.” Consumers don't care about technology just because it's new. Tech companies can easily project their own excitement about innovation onto their customers. But consumers aren't waking up wondering which AI model to use. They're trying to solve everyday problems, save time, and make their lives easier. The real opportunity is understanding the problem the customer is trying to solve and building around that need. AI's biggest opportunity in research goes beyond efficiency. Kajoli sees AI as a way to make researchers more effective, not simply faster. By making an organization's collective knowledge more accessible, AI can remove some of the barriers that once depended on who you knew, what information you had access to, or whether someone had time to share it with you. Researchers will need more than methodological expertise to thrive alongside AI. Business knowledge, stakeholder understanding, methodology, synthesis, and storytelling all become increasingly important when AI can handle more of the traditional groundwork. Researchers still need to understand the “question behind the question,” connect information to the broader business context, and communicate insights in a way that bridges the customer and the business. Fearlessness and curiosity are essential in an AI-driven future. There isn't a perfect roadmap for how AI will transform research, which means researchers need to be willing to experiment rather than rely on the methods and assumptions that have worked in the past. As Kajoli puts it, “Your defaults have got you this way, but they're not gonna get you to the future.” Quote of the Show: “Your defaults have got you this way, but they’re not gonna get you to the future.” Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kajoli-tankha/ Website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us

AI is transforming the way marketers understand consumers, process data, personalize experiences, and bring ideas to life. As these capabilities expand, the ability to interpret meaning, context, and cultural nuance becomes an essential layer in making that intelligence truly effective. In this special compilation episode of Cultural Fluency Makers, marketing and insights leaders explore what happens when AI is paired with human curiosity, empathy, creativity, and cultural understanding. From understanding the “why” behind the data to recognizing the values and experiences that shape consumer behavior, our guests share why the best marketing happens when technology and human insight work together. Takeaways: AI can help marketers process massive amounts of data and turn consumer understanding into action faster, but it shouldn't replace human curiosity or critical thinking. Data tells us what people do, but human stories, emotions, and lived experiences help us understand why they do it. Cultural fluency means looking beyond customers and buyers to understand people—their voices, values, behaviors, and the cultures that influence their choices. AI can identify patterns and predict what is statistically probable, but culture is often messy, emotional, unpredictable, and deeply human. The strongest creative work still needs human strategy, empathy, and insight, even when AI helps scale the creative process. As AI agents become more involved in consumer decisions, understanding people's values and priorities will remain critical to creating relevant experiences. The future of marketing isn't about choosing between human insight and AI. It's about bringing the two together to create more meaningful, culturally relevant work. Quote of the Show: "Human meaning and machine measurement...it's really bringing those languages together that unlocks new capabilities" - Tobias Puehse Links: David’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/david-wellisch-a35313 Catherine Berger (Bimbo Bakeries USA) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/catherinepinkhamberger/ Koley’s LinkedIn (MetLife):linkedin.com/in/kcorte Mark’s LinkedIn (Formerly Materne): linkedin.com/in/a-raj-joshi-37197754/ Tobias’s LinkedIn (Mastercard): linkedin.com/in/tobias-puehse/ Reshma’s LinkedIn (Lipton Teas & Infusions): linkedin.com/in/reshmadhati/ Natalie’s LinkedIn (Expedia Group): linkedin.com/in/nataliealisonwills Ways to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex Apple Podcasts: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367 Transistor: https://culturalfluencymakers.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CollageGroup

After years of algorithms and individual screens, Ciara Dilley sees a shift coming, back to real people, in real rooms, together. On this week’s episode of Cultural Fluency Makers, David Wellisch sits down with Ciara Dilley, Senior Vice President of Growth Portfolio at PepsiCo, for a masterclass in turning cultural intelligence into measurable brand growth. Ciara has spent her career across Diageo, Kellogg, Campbell Soup, and now PepsiCo, and she brings a rare cross-cultural lens shaped by her own path from Ireland to Germany to Texas. In this conversation, she breaks down what cultural relevance actually means (hint: it's deep and penetrating consumer understanding, not surface-level data points), tells the story of how a "little kid on the block" snacking portfolio found massive growth in an unexpected place, and gets candid about where AI, synthetic audiences, and human empathy fit together in modern marketing. She also opens up about risk-taking, mentorship, and why she believes the world is moving from individuals in virtual spaces back to communities in real life. Takeaways: Cultural relevance requires three things: a deep and penetrating understanding of consumer needs, applying that understanding to what your brand specifically stands for, and using it to drive real business growth. Ciara's biggest lesson in humility came from Dollar General becoming her fastest-growing customer. The data pointed to lower-income and rural consumers making small, affordable health tradeoffs, an insight that reshaped Ciara and her team’s entire approach to permissible snacking. To tell a passing food fad from a lasting cultural shift, ask three questions: is it solving a real consumer need or tension, can it travel across multiple markets and consumer groups, and is it just a spike or does it have staying power (her dill pickle and protein trend examples bring this to life). AI and data can accelerate understanding, but they are only as good as the human empathy and consumer insight that feed them. Ciara sees synthetic audiences as a tool to test and prototype, not a replacement for real consumer understanding. Brands that personalize successfully at scale start by knowing exactly who they are. Ciara points to Nike's consistency and Walker's Crisps' hyper-local work across England, Scotland, and Wales as proof that strong brand identity is what makes nuanced, local marketing possible. Scaling innovation inside a massive organization comes down to agility, a genuine appetite for failure, frameworks like Stage-Gate used the right way, and staying connected to startups and the outside world. Looking ahead, Ciara believes the biggest cultural shift is a move from individuals in virtual worlds back to communities in real life, and she sees the FIFA World Cup as a preview of what that means for brands. Quote of the Show: "The brands that are most set up for success to optimize personalization are those who know themselves, and know themselves really well." - Ciara Dilley Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciara-dilley-305469b/ Website: https://www.pepsico.com/ Ways to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex Apple Podcasts: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367 Transistor: https://culturalfluencymakers.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CollageGroup

AI is transforming how organizations collect, analyze, and act on data, but technology alone cannot explain people. In this episode of Cultural Fluency Makers, David Wellisch welcomes Pankaj Chopra, VP and Head of Data, Analytics and Strategy at Edgewell Personal Care, for a conversation about the intersection of cultural intelligence, analytics, and artificial intelligence. Drawing from leadership roles at Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Mondelez, and Edgewell, Pankaj explains why understanding consumers requires more than dashboards and algorithms. He shares how organizations can distinguish lasting cultural shifts from temporary trends, where AI creates the most value in marketing and innovation, and why storytelling remains one of the most valuable skills in a data-driven world. The discussion also explores synthetic data, consumer trust, and the balance between machine intelligence and human judgment. Takeaways: Cultural intelligence begins with recognizing that today's consumers cannot be understood through one-size-fits-all segmentation. Brands must account for cultural backgrounds, generational differences, and evolving consumer expectations. The greatest challenge for established organizations is often not adopting new technology but embracing the mindset needed to rethink decades of established processes. Data has become more fragmented than ever. Success depends on connecting insights from social conversations, search behavior, reviews, and consumer interactions to build a complete picture rather than relying on a single source. AI excels at optimizing creative execution, identifying patterns, and accelerating analysis, but it cannot replace the empathy and firsthand understanding that come from engaging directly with consumers. Not every popular trend signals a lasting cultural shift. Businesses should look beyond short-term excitement to identify the underlying behavior changes that will shape future demand. Synthetic data has significant long-term potential, but organizations should validate it carefully before relying on it for major strategic decisions, particularly in areas that require nuanced consumer interpretation. Technical expertise alone is no longer enough. Professionals who can communicate insights clearly and tell compelling stories will have a lasting advantage as AI becomes increasingly accessible. Quote of the Show: "It doesn't matter what you know. What's very critical is how you bring that, simplify it, communicate it, influence, and then make sure you drive change." — Pankaj Chopra Ways to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6zWYQ3jHAH2t7Fp1IGKnex Apple Podcasts: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/cultural-fluency-makers-unlocking-business-growth-through-cultural-intelligence/19aa6ec3-7bd8-47d2-92f3-dd77a6296383/episodes Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1940eb19-acfb-45c1-bd1e-a4620ca9256e Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/cultural-fluency-makers-unlock-5790367 Transistor: https://culturalfluencymakers.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CollageGroup