UNORTHODOX BLEND POD, JUL 2025

Leila Fataar is a specialist in culture-led brands and founder of Platform13, a consultancy that helps brands operate credibly within culture. With a career spanning strategy, creative, corporate leadership amongst other things, Leila has consistently championed the need for brands to exist within culture rather than just take from it. Her belief in the importance of authentic storytelling in branding is one of the (many!) reasons why Leila is inspirational to us.

In this conversation we explore the evolving nature of branding and marketing, and how relevance can’t be achieved without a deep understanding of cultural context. Leila shares her perspective on how brands can be more responsive, intuitive and human - discussing the role of AI, the importance of internal processes, and how organisational structures often get in the way of meaningful work.

We also cover the continuously shifting expectations on brands to balance creativity with commercial outcomes and how cultural insight, when paired with a willingness to experiment, can unlock genuine business growth.

Leila’s voice is a vital one in modern branding. Clear-eyed and candid, she brings a unique combination of intuition, experience and care to the work - reminding us that brand impact starts with cultural relevance, not corporate hierarchy. We loved talking with Leila, one of the many people we have met along the way who have had parallel lives and careers to ourselves - all of whom seem to end up in a similar thought space - one where authenticity, meaning and experimentation are in charge.

HAVE A LISTEN HERE: