Ogilvy Launches CultureCurrent to Help Brands Navigate Real-Time Cultural Conversations

​Ogilvy has launched CultureCurrent, a social-first earned media offering to help brands navigate today’s rapidly evolving media landscape and break through in culture. CultureCurrent seamlessly integrates cutting-edge technology with human cultural intuition to listen, identify, activate and amplify brand stories that resonate deeply with consumers and drive strategic business impact.

The way people consume news and engage with culture has fundamentally shifted. With 53% of Americans now getting their news from social media, and 38% of adults under 30 relying on influencers, traditional communications approaches are no longer sufficient to keep pace with story cycles and consumer conversations. This shift, coupled with the impact of generative AI on web results—transforming search engines into answer engines that synthesise information from a wide variety of content sources—makes earned content and conversation more critical than ever.

​Julianna Richter, global CEO, Ogilvy PR, Social and Influence, “Cultural relevance is essential to brand success. The stakes are even higher and more complex in an era where the media environment is hyper-fragmented, social media and FYP influence plays a dominant role in each of our lives, and AI is fundamentally changing the journey from discoverability to consideration for consumers. It’s no longer enough for brands to simply keep up with what people are doing—they need to be on time with cultural phenomena and participate in topical conversations in a way that is authentic, visible, and value-adding. With CultureCurrent, we're not just observing culture; we're actively shaping it with our clients—and fostering deeper connections and credibility in the process.”

CultureCurrent starts where news hits first—on social media—and is grounded in precision analytics and a deep understanding of people and communities. Through a four-step methodology – SIGNAL, SENSE, SPARK and SCALE – the offering is designed to distinguish a fleeting fad from an enduring trend, and curate opportunities from which a brand can strategically connect and drive the conversation in an impactful way. CultureCurrent is powered by the proprietary AI technology of WPP Open and the borderless integration of Ogilvy’s 2,000+ PR, Influence and Social experts with creative strategy and execution—bringing a deep understanding of what media is looking for in the news they share with their followers, and how content is crafted and delivered to stop consumers’ scroll.

Today’s new news reality demands a fundamental shift in how brands show up. CultureCurrent embodies this transformation and serves as a strategic build for brands in how they engage the earned media ecosystem, moving beyond set editorial calendars and thought leadership plans to spark storytelling opportunities with real-time cultural momentum. This latest offering is part of a comprehensive ecosystem of earned-first services from Ogilvy’s integrated PR, Social and Influence capability that are designed to help brands navigate the modern era of brand development, growth and reputation, including Influence Shield, Business (B2B) Influence, Employee Influence and Health Influence.