Marcus Collins

Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator with one foot in the world of practice—formerly serving as Chief Strategy Officer at Wieden+Kennedy, New York—and one foot in the world of academia—as a professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. His deep understanding of culture has enabled him to bridge the academic-practitioner gap for blue-chip brands and startups alike. He is an inductee into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement and the recipient of the 2023 Thinkers50's Radar Distinguished Achievement Award for the idea most likely to shape the future of business management. His strategies and creative contributions have led to the launch and success of campaigns for Fortune 500 brands like McDonald’s and Google.

Before his advertising tenure, Marcus began his career in music and technology with a startup he co-founded, then worked on iTunes + Nike sports music initiatives at Apple and ran digital strategy for Beyoncé. His work centers squarely on the impact and influence of culture on human behavior. His best-selling book, For The Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be, examines the influence of culture on consumption and unpacks how everyone, from marketers to activists, can leverage culture to get people to take action. Throughout the book, he draws on literature, case studies, his work with brands, and academic data to illustrate the “whys” and the “hows,” empowering readers to successfully apply these learnings in their own pursuits.

Marcus holds a doctorate in marketing from Temple University, where he studied cultural contagion and meaning-making. He received an MBA with an emphasis on strategic brand marketing from the University of Michigan, where he also earned his undergraduate degree in Materials Science and Engineering. He is a Forbes columnist and a trusted voice among CMOs and business leaders. But most importantly, he is a proud Detroit native, a devoted husband, and a loving father to Georgia and Ivy.