- Identifying Cultural Insiders
- Scouting Scene Makers
- The Golden Strategy
- The New brand advantage
We are drowning in content saturation. The brands that genuinely break through aren’t those chasing eyeballs, they’re those who plug into culture where it lives and breathes. The key difference? They partner with the right cultural insiders and scene makers, the individuals who shape identity, language, aesthetics and belonging within communities.
Too many brands confuse high follower counts with cultural influence. They treat “influencers” as proxies for culture. The problem: audience reach doesn’t equal scene resonance. To break through in 2026, brands must learn how to identify people who actually move culture, not just decorate timelines.
What distinguishes a Cultural Insider?
A cultural insider is defined not by their metrics, but by their impact, authenticity and embeddedness in a community.
They are:
- DJs breaking new sounds before mainstream radio picks them up
- Stylists defining silhouette shifts ahead of magazine spreads
- Archivists preserving origin stories others borrow
- Hosts curating scenes that later become trends
They don’t chase culture, it chases them.
In Africa’s creative economy, the trend of “Afrothenticity” took hold: African designers, artisans and consumers reclaimed narratives, infused global markets with unapologetic African identity and became the insiders of cultural disruption.
A brand campaign titled “Made by Africa – Loved by the World” (May 2025) showcased talent across film, animation, music and photography, shining a light on African creativity rooted in culture.
What defines a Scene Maker?
Scene makers don’t just influence culture, they build the infrastructure of culture. They create platforms, spaces, moments that ripple outward.
They are:
- The event producer launching underground nights that define a genre
- The designer creating sub-culture apparel before “streetwear” becomes mainstream
- The curator hosting conversations in communal spaces, not brand briefings
In Uganda, the Afri Art Fashion Show 2025 (theme “My Heritage – My Hustle”) used a fashion-event format to elevate young talent, surface narrative infrastructure and build creative economy connections.
This kind of structurally embedded cultural scene-making is exactly where brands must lean in.
Who caught our eye in 2025:
Jamiie (@this_is_jamiie): A micro DJ influencer blending Afropean styles with new DJ sounds, known for creative sets and presence on Instagram.
Johara (@joharahartley) is a Production designer/ visual artist crafting bold murals, immersive sets, and iconic brand worlds for top names like Showmax, Puma, Adidas, and more.
Haneem Christian (@haneem.christian) is a South African archivist and filmmaker using film and photography as mediums to preserve memory and cultural history, with a solid presence as of 2025.
You’ve identified then them now what… The Golden Strategy
- Follow the energy, not the algorithms.
Ask: Who do people mention even when they don’t tag them?
The most culturally potent figures often have low reach but high relevance. - Find micro-communities, not mega-feeds.
Culture evolves in pockets: local studios, community venues, niche WhatsApp groups, house-parties. Scan these smaller nodes, the major trends often germinate there. - Trace influence back to its origins.
When a trend appears: who sparked it? Where did it come from? If a brand can identify the source, they bypass mimicry and insert themselves into authenticity. - Listen before you insert.
An insider isn’t performing culture, they’re living it. If a person’s voice is deferred to by others, if they define frames not just participate in them, that’s your marker.
Why urgency is required
Every brand today has access to AI-tools, massive production potential and scale. But that very scale is flattening voice. AI helps brands publish faster, but often at the cost of emotional depth, rawness, and distinctiveness. The consequence? Brands begin to sound identical.
In a landscape where sameness is multiplying, cultural proximity is the only remaining hedge. Brands that fail to partner with true scene makers will be writing checks for visibility but paying in irrelevance.
New brand advantage:
It’s Not who you speak to, but who speaks with you.
Brands that learn to identify and empower authentic cultural insiders will shape culture. Those that don’t will chase it… from behind.
Culture isn’t a trend. It’s the ground beneath your strategy. Start rooting now.