For years, brands have sought to both infiltrate and embody culture, striving to become synonymous with the zeitgeist. However, a growing audience fatigue with overt sales pitches embedded in creative content, coupled with the increasingly transparent mechanics of marketing, is prompting a significant re-evaluation of brand roles. Instead of attempting to unilaterally generate cultural movements, a new paradigm is emerging: brands are increasingly choosing to fund the conditions under which others can create and innovate. This shift marks a departure from the transactional, often extractive, relationships of the past towards a more symbiotic and sustainable model of cultural engagement.
Historically, the intersection of commerce and culture was well-established, albeit with different methodologies. Procter & Gamble’s sponsorship of daytime radio dramas like Ma Perkins in the mid-20th century was so pervasive that the genre itself became known as "soap operas." Similarly, the Grand Ole Opry, a cornerstone of American country music, began as a radio program supported by an insurance company. The prestigious Tour de France originated from the French sports newspaper L’Auto (later L’Équipe), and the iconic Michelin Guide, complete with its coveted stars, was initially a promotional tool created by Michelin tires to encourage travel and, consequently, tire sales. These early examples illustrate a long-standing tradition of commercial entities investing in cultural endeavors, often with intertwined commercial and cultural objectives.
Despite these historical precedents, a contemporary generation of brands and platforms is redefining what it means to participate in culture. This evolution moves beyond rigid contractual deliverables and endless rounds of approvals. Instead, it prioritizes channeling greater financial resources, access, and support directly to the individuals and organizations actively producing cultural output.
Substack, a platform built on a subscription model, is pioneering a sponsorship framework designed to bolster the ambitious projects of its publishers, diverging from the advertising-centric playbooks of platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Their initial cohort of sponsors, including luxury fashion house Balenciaga, American lifestyle brand Ralph Lauren, mobility giant Uber, telecommunications provider T-Mobile, media conglomerate Yahoo, and wellness brand Granola, are directing their financial contributions directly to select Substack creators. Dan Robbins, Substack’s head of partnerships, articulates this distinction, stating, "An ad is sort of grabbing you by the collar, and a sponsorship is kind of like the wind at your back." This analogy highlights the shift from a forceful, attention-grabbing approach to one that provides supportive momentum.
Charlie Smith, Chief Brand Officer at Nothing, reflects on this historical context, observing, "There’s a long history of the commercial world funding the artistic world. In the US, a lot of the museums – the Getty Museum, the Hammer Museum – were founded by super-rich industrialist families. Today, there’s been a bit of a shift, from family wealth funds to actual brands." Smith articulates an ambition for Nothing to be at the forefront of this new wave of patron brands, a strategy that also aligns with his goal of positioning Nothing as the most beloved tech company among Generation Z. "The way I see it, modern-day brands can be patrons of the arts and help support artists, musicians and filmmakers. That’s when the creative community can see that you want to engage in a dialogue and not just take from them," he adds.
This proposition carries significant weight in an era marked by stark economic disparities. Creative director Juliana Salazar emphasizes the potential for impact: "The amount of wealth in this world is just so visible, and the amount of good that could be done, or the impact it could have in your local, immediate environment or even larger, could be monumental." She draws a critical distinction between contemporary tech leaders and historical patrons: "If we think about some of the biggest tech leaders. They’re all people who are, culturally or in pop culture, not on the right side of history, whereas historically, these patrons of the arts all contributed something that their whole society benefited from."
The opportunity lies not merely in establishing another marketing channel, but in fundamentally rethinking the allocation of corporate cultural spending. If businesses have long relied on culture to maintain relevance, a compelling argument can be made for a greater proportion of their resources to be directed towards sustaining the creators and institutions that produce it. This shift towards patronage offers a potential model for brand-building that is less extractive and, arguably, more enduring and valuable than the pursuit of outright cultural ownership.
The Evolving Landscape: From Cultural Appropriation to Cultural Patronage
The traditional marketing playbook has frequently involved leveraging culture to enhance brand relevance. This has manifested in various forms, from piggybacking on viral internet trends and commissioning campaigns around ephemeral cultural moments to enlisting influencers with pre-existing, desirable audiences. The patronage model, in contrast, adopts a more understated, long-term approach. Rather than seeking immediate, tangible returns or clearly defined deliverables with a predictable ROI, it focuses on fostering the environment in which arts and culture can thrive. This involves cultivating genuine relationships with influential institutions and individuals, moving away from transactional exchanges.
Notable examples of this burgeoning trend are emerging across various sectors. In August, Pandora announced a significant partnership with the National Portrait Gallery to sponsor Tim Walker’s upcoming exhibition, "Fairyland: Love and Legends." Similarly, Chanel has demonstrated a sustained commitment to the arts, having been a partner of Lincoln Center’s BAAND Together Dance Festival for six years and a principal patron of the Paris Opera since 2023. Rolex, a long-standing advocate for the arts, has maintained an impressive 18-year relationship with the Royal Ballet and Opera, where it now holds the position of principal partner. These collaborations underscore a strategic investment in cultural institutions that resonate with brand values and enhance public perception.
While the immediate positive public relations generated by such patronage is undeniable, the underlying motivations are not entirely altruistic. Sophie Kitchen, a senior strategist at WME, points out, "Whether it’s churches commissioning works that make them seem more authoritative, or the Medici family supporting Michelangelo for their own family status. There’s always some kind of value exchange if it’s not direct sales." This suggests that even in seemingly philanthropic endeavors, there exists an inherent, albeit sometimes subtle, benefit for the patron.
Thom Bettridge, Editor-in-Chief of i-D and founder of the creative studio Content World, frames this as a "long-view ROI" or, more accurately, a "mutual benefit." He elaborates, "If I was Apple and I was funding design high schools for young people to learn about product design, that wouldn’t necessarily lead to more people buying laptops from me in the near term or even mid-term. But it would create a culture where more people appreciate design. Ergo, more people would appreciate Jony Ive." This perspective highlights how investing in the broader cultural ecosystem can cultivate an environment more receptive to a brand’s core offerings, even if the direct causal link to sales is not immediately apparent.
Bettridge delineates a critical distinction between patronage and marketing: "There’s patronage, which is about supporting the existence of culture monetarily, without a particular end in mind. And then there’s what I would describe as deploying culture as a way to market products. Those two things sometimes get confused." He cites the Fondation Louis Vuitton as an example of successful patronage, arguing that its credibility as a cultural institution is maintained by hosting diverse exhibitions, not solely those that directly promote its merchandise. "Imagine if they only did Murakami exhibitions, and then you bought the bag in the gift shop. No one would take that place seriously as a museum. You have to do things that are about enriching the culture around art or media or whatever the thing is that you’re patronizing."
The enduring value for a brand engaging in patronage stems less from owning a specific cultural moment and more from cultivating a richer cultural environment. Bettridge posits, "If you enrich the culture around you, that’s beneficial. That’s why fashion brands invest in the arts. It’s widening the amount of aesthetic literacy people have, which creates a world where more people are going to be interested in fashion." This represents a fundamental departure from the transactional mindset of proving that a cultural investment directly drives immediate sales, such as "We found that people who went to this museum show were seven times more likely to buy a Speedy bag."
Substack’s Robbins notes that Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are increasingly looking beyond immediate reach and sales figures. "When we talk to a lot of CMOs about Substack, the thing they often bring up is: ‘We want to build authority or credibility,’ or ‘We want to be famous for,’ or ‘We want to enhance trust’ in whatever area their business is operating in," he explains. "So we’re thinking a lot about what the right ways to measure the impact of trust and authority are." This indicates a strategic shift towards intangible brand assets, such as credibility and trust, which are cultivated through long-term cultural engagement.
However, a crucial caveat to patronage is the necessary relinquishing of a degree of control. The funded work may not always align perfectly with a brand’s established worldview or even be universally acclaimed. As Kitchen observes, "When you are building a genuine relationship, which I believe is the biggest pillar of the patron model, that relationship, that person you’re speaking to, that voice needs to be autonomous. It needs to be challenging. It can’t just hold a mirror up to your own worldview." This requires brands to embrace a level of creative freedom for their sponsored partners, fostering authenticity and potentially groundbreaking work.
Cultivating Culture: The Pillars of Successful Brand Patronage
For brands aspiring to transition from borrowing culture to actively supporting its creation, the most direct avenue is financial investment in the individuals producing it. "Paying for things, that’s the biggest part," asserts Smith. "The worst thing you can do as a brand is appropriating culture or kind of just trying to ride on a trend without any sense of participation or giving back." This principle underscores the importance of direct financial support as a foundational element of meaningful brand patronage.
At Nothing, this philosophy has materialized as grassroots investment. Their Club Nothing Fund aims to provide $10,000 to four music collectives, empowering them to host their upcoming events. The selection criteria—"innovative creativity," "rebellious sound," and "community values"—underscore a commitment to supporting emerging artists who embody forward-thinking and authentic expression. This initiative was launched in response to the escalating challenges faced by club culture, including rising rents and venue closures, a trend that Nothing views as detrimental to the broader music ecosystem. Smith explains, "At Nothing, a big part of our business is audio – we really want to connect to music culture. We do that in a meaningful way, where we’re really involved at a grassroots level, rather than just working with a big superstar talent. To me, that’s a really important thing, and it’s what helps people see that you really mean it." This localized, community-focused approach fosters genuine connection and demonstrates a commitment beyond superficial brand association.
Patronage, however, extends beyond direct financial contributions. Nothing’s approach also encompasses providing platforms and access. During the March launch of their Phone 4(a) series at Central Saint Martins, the brand welcomed 300 students, offering them direct engagement with industrial designers and firsthand experience of the product. Smith elaborates, "There’s funding, there’s providing a platform or visibility, and then there’s also access as well." The long-term ambition is to forge a pipeline that connects emerging talent with future professional opportunities, such as collaborations on brand campaigns. "In the future, I want to host competitions for photography and art direction, and then have those people work on our campaigns. To me, that’s a way that you can be a patron of the arts beyond just paying for things," Smith states.
Balenciaga’s partnership with Substack exemplifies how a brand can leverage its resources to amplify individual voices and foster meaningful discourse on the platform. Balenciaga communicated to Vogue Business, "Substack’s capacity for longer form content and deep conversation presents an exciting opportunity for the brand." This collaboration allows creators to interpret brand sponsorship uniquely, infusing their individual expertise and creative direction with the brand’s renowned savoir-faire. To underscore this initiative, Balenciaga co-hosted a panel at Cannes Lions with Substack, featuring novelist Pauline Klein, fashion author Plum Sykes, and Substack’s International Head Farrah Storr, to discuss how brands can effectively champion artistry, creativity, and profound thought leadership on the platform. The brand concluded, "Today, evidence of genuine interest and lasting affinities holds more weight than broad, instant appeal."
Furthermore, the concept of patronage does not necessitate grand, global cultural ambitions. Salazar advocates for a more localized approach, suggesting that brands can commence by focusing on the immediate communities surrounding them. "We’ve kind of gone too big picture. If you just zoom in, if you can have an immediate local impact on your surroundings, that becomes like a domino effect that can billow out and be impactful," she argues. "We shouldn’t be carried away with trying to save the world. If you can make your corner of the world nice, that’s really impactful as well." This perspective emphasizes the power of targeted, impactful initiatives that can ripple outwards.
At its most fundamental level, effective patronage can be as straightforward as ensuring fair compensation for creative professionals. "Start off by paying the creatives and the talent that you work with at a competitive rate that’s actually indicative of market value, and actually uphold them and value them in the same way that they’re adding value to you," Salazar advises. This basic principle of equitable compensation is a crucial starting point for building trust and fostering genuine partnerships.
Patronage also involves recognizing and amplifying the contributions of individuals in creative roles that often lack visibility. Outlander magazine recently highlighted its first intern, Caira Coleman, with a post emphasizing the often-overlooked importance of entry-level positions in launching creative careers. The accompanying interview with Coleman about her internship experience garnered significant engagement, exceeding 6,400 likes. This act of platforming and valuing emerging talent exemplifies a form of patronage that fosters industry growth and diversity.
This evolving landscape of brand patronage coincides with a vibrant resurgence of cultural happenings across London. Initiatives such as the Soho Reading Series, a literary event founded by Tom Willis, and the popular karaoke night "Singing With My Friends," which has become a staple among the city’s fashion elite, illustrate a growing appetite for authentic, community-driven cultural experiences.
Shaad D’Souza, a music and cultural journalist who transformed his Instagram account into Shaad Magazine, observes, "In the end, the things that are made without an intent to commercialize really quickly always feel way more exciting." He views the potential for brands to support emerging talent as immense: "It is crazy to think what a brand could get from giving a tiny amount of their money to someone who could do great things with it." D’Souza posits that the disconnect many brands experience with audiences stems from their inability to tap into this ineffable desire for authentic expression. "The reason a lot of brands are failing is that they can’t connect with that ineffable thing that people are seeking. The only way to get that is to forge these relationships."
Ultimately, the paradigm shift towards patronage necessitates a fundamental alteration in brand mindset. It requires stepping back from the relentless pursuit of self-centered cultural centrality and recognizing that true value often lies in empowering others to realize their creative visions. This is not to suggest that brands must abandon all commercial objectives or that these relationships cease to be commercially beneficial. Patronage has always involved a reciprocal exchange of value. The crucial distinction lies in the foundational belief that culture possesses inherent worth and deserves support for its own sake, rather than being viewed solely as a resource to be exploited for immediate relevance and commercial gain. This more nuanced and supportive approach promises to foster a richer, more sustainable cultural ecosystem for both creators and brands alike.
