{"slug": "first-rounds-nick-tran-on-why-brands-should-build-culture-not-chase-it", "title": "First Round’s Nick Tran on Why Brands Should Build Culture, Not Chase It", "summary": "Nick Tran, president and CMO of First Round, a joint venture between Diageo and Main Street Advisors, said on the Brave Commerce podcast that brands should build culture rather than chase it, and that AI's greatest opportunity is enabling marketers to do things previously impossible, not just improving efficiency. Tran emphasized that brands using AI as a growth tool, not just a productivity tool, will be better positioned for the future.", "body_md": "In this episode of Brave Commerce, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Nick Tran, president and CMO of First Round, a joint venture between Diageo and Main Street Advisors.\n\nThe conversation centers around Nick’s perspective that the brands that stay relevant don’t simply react to culture. They help create it.\n\nNick shares why brands should look beyond traditional marketing playbooks, how shifting consumer behaviors are changing the ways brands connect with people, and why AI’s greatest opportunity isn’t just improving efficiency, but helping marketers do things that weren’t possible before.\n\n**Key takeaways:**\n\n- Building cultural relevance starts with rethinking where and how your brand shows up.\n- Brands that use AI as a growth tool, not just a productivity tool, will be better positioned for what’s next.\n- Why an abundance mindset can be a competitive advantage for leaders navigating change.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/first-rounds-nick-tran-on-why-brands-should-build-culture-not-chase-it", "canonical_source": "https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/first-rounds-nick-tran-on-why-brands-should-build-culture-not-chase-it/", "published_at": "2026-08-04 12:26:05+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-04 17:26:52.070201+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-products"], "entities": ["Nick Tran", "First Round", "Diageo", "Main Street Advisors", "Brave Commerce", "Rachel Tipograph", "Sarah Hofstetter"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/first-rounds-nick-tran-on-why-brands-should-build-culture-not-chase-it", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/first-rounds-nick-tran-on-why-brands-should-build-culture-not-chase-it.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/first-rounds-nick-tran-on-why-brands-should-build-culture-not-chase-it.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/first-rounds-nick-tran-on-why-brands-should-build-culture-not-chase-it.jsonld"}}