Brand strategy isn’t a perfect science. It blends cultural insights and deep knowledge of a company’s business with something that is often less tangible: the core values the business shares with its consumers and stakeholders. From there, we consider which of these values we can authentically lean into as we build integrated marketing and communications campaigns that support audience and revenue growth, strengthen reputation and offer strategically-timed lifts in awareness and engagement.

At the risk of dating myself, the book Applebee’s America by Doug Sosnik, Matthew Dowd and Ron Fournier was a foundational text in my graduate program on shaping public opinion 15 years ago. The book examined how successful business, political and religious leaders connect with what the authors called the “New American community”—a population shaped by shifting demographics, evolving economic pressures and changing cultural identities. Written by political strategists who worked in both the Clinton and Bush administrations, the book used an intriguing lens: how brands like Applebee’s and Starbucks succeeded by embedding themselves in the communities where people lived, worked and socialized.

Their central insight was simple but powerful: organizations succeed when executives understand what binds people together and then communicate through those shared experiences. Applebee’s didn’t just sell food; it sold familiarity and neighborhood connection. Starbucks didn’t just sell coffee; it created a “third place” between work and home where community could form.

This insight, and many other experiences and lessons learned in supporting Fortune 500 brand-building for two decades, has been foundational in shaping my own philosophy when it comes to brand strategy. Over the years I’ve developed a playbook for my clients, where together we overlay proprietary data and audience insights, cultural truths and values alignment to drive strategic planning.

Lately, though, I’ve found myself struggling to reconcile this approach with the reality that there seems to be a rapidly shrinking set of core values that Americans universally share. In this polarized climate, is there anything that truly brings us together?

Overlaying Shared Values and Cultural Relevance

According to an April 2025 Gallup study, 49 percent of Americans said “family” was the most important value for them, followed by freedom, health and integrity. There are many data sources when it comes to public opinion and voter sentiment, but for the sake of argument, let’s play it out.

Let’s look, for example, at how “family” and “health” – two top values identified by Americans – might overlay with the reality that sports remain perhaps the most powerful cultural unifier in the United States.

Sure, we’re used to setting our marketing clocks by the Super Bowl, but there are more accessible sponsorships and integrations for brands to consider when it comes to reaching a captive audience. Take Deloitte, for example. The firm has made a significant investment in women’s sports globally, including high-profile partnerships with women’s soccer and its role as a founding partner of initiatives aimed at growing the visibility and commercial viability of women’s leagues. These efforts have energized employees, community stakeholders, fans and the media alike, while aligning the brand with one of the fastest-growing segments in sports. Women’s sports continue to see rapid audience growth, with leagues like the NWSL experiencing double-digit year-over-year viewership increases and expanding reach across broadcast and streaming platforms.

What does this have to do with cultural relevance and shared values? For starters, we know that 74 percent of women’s sports fans are the primary earners in their households and 68 percent are more likely to consider brands that support their favorite teams. By investing early in women’s sports, Deloitte is aligning itself with an audience that prioritizes both family and long-term wellbeing, while reinforcing its broader commitments and business impact. In this example, Deloitte has leveraged audience insights while tapping into shared values – storytelling through a powerful cultural unifier: sports.

In my previous role as CMCO for the national workforce organization Jobs for the Future, I found that economic opportunity, like sports, is another powerful connector, especially in an era defined by economic uncertainty. In addition to the fact that only 40 percent of U.S. workers hold quality jobs according to a 2025 Gallup study, research also shows that 81 percent of U.S. workers are worried about losing their jobs. People consistently respond to messaging that speaks to stability, upward mobility and financial empowerment. If we overlay core American values of family, freedom, health and integrity, job security and financial wellbeing can become another one of these unifiers.

Brands across sectors have increasingly leaned into this narrative. Blackrock, for example, just announced a $100m investment in addressing the skilled trade worker shortage. The effort, which aims to reach 50,000 workers over the next five years and jumpstart career pathways for electricians, is sure to drive significant marketing, communications and stakeholder engagement for Blackrock. Meanwhile, fintech companies like Clover have focused communications on empowering small businesses and entrepreneurs. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses account for nearly 44 percent of U.S. economic activity, making narratives about entrepreneurship and financial empowerment resonate widely.

We saw brands leaning into economic opportunity messaging during the pandemic recovery, when companies from Walmart to Amazon emphasized job creation, workforce training and investment in local communities. These narratives work because they address a shared concern: economic security in a volatile world.

When brands successfully apply a “values based” lens to tapping into cultural realities, they don’t just reach audiences – they create moments of collective engagement.

Internal Siloes Are Limiting the ROI of Values-Based Marketing

Now that you’re armed with a brand strategy playbook, you’re ready to drive ROI for your organization or client. But here’s a challenge to consider: while shared values and unifying themes exist, many organizations still struggle to build communications strategies that fully leverage them.

Surprisingly, quite often I find that it’s not internal or C-suite misalignment on proposed values or themes that hold communications leaders back. The problem is actually structural.

Too often, marketing and communications functions operate in silos that prevent truly integrated storytelling. The digital marketing team is focused on a product promotion. The executive visibility team is planning messaging around quarterly earnings. Meanwhile, the consumer marketing group is preparing for a product launch, and the social team is chasing trends on TikTok.

Individually, each of these efforts may be well executed. Collectively, they often lack coherence.

The result is fragmented messaging that fails to capture the broader cultural moments where brands can actually connect with audiences. Instead of building a single narrative that taps into what brings people together—shared values, sports, economic opportunity—organizations end up running multiple disconnected campaigns that compete for attention.

Breaking down these silos is not simply an internal operational challenge; it is a strategic imperative.

Integrated marketing and communications programs are far more effective when they align around shared cultural touchpoints. A sports sponsorship, for example, should not live solely within a marketing department. It should connect with executive thought leadership, social storytelling, community engagement and product marketing.

The same is true for campaigns built around economic empowerment. These themes work best when they show up consistently across channels—earned media, owned platforms, paid advertising, executive messaging and partnerships.

In other words, the lesson from Applebee’s America still holds true today: organizations succeed when they identify the experiences that unite people and then communicate through those shared moments.

The difference now is that doing so requires unprecedented coordination.

In a fragmented media landscape, integration is the new competitive advantage. The brands that break down internal silos—and align their messaging around what actually brings people together—will be the ones that not only capture attention but also drive lasting business results.