Cultural lobbying: A new model of influence for a new era of change

by Greg Propper

Policy doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Before a bill is passed, before a public official takes a stance, before a new regulation is signed into law — public opinion must shift. And in today’s world, opinion doesn’t shift because of a white paper, press release or paid advertising campaign alone. It shifts because of resonant stories, trusted messengers and cultural narratives that are based on shared values and identity.

Cultural lobbying is BPI’s new model of influence for brands that is based on the reality that culture is not a side door to policy change — it’s the front door. Just as policy lobbyists build relationships with lawmakers and staffers over time — educating them, understanding their motivations, showing up consistently — cultural lobbyists build strategic, long-term relationships with the artists, creators, digital influencers, and storytellers who shape the emotional, social, and moral climate that enables policy change to happen in the first place by building public acceptance, will and pressure.

Where policy lobbying takes place in the halls of Congress, cultural lobbying happens in writers’ rooms, Instagram feeds, TikToks, award shows, brand collabs, podcasts, and festival stages — the places where people build identity, discover meaning, and decide what (and whom) to believe.

Why It Matters Now

The traditional advocacy playbook — centered on lobbying, press, and institutional communications — is necessary, but not sufficient in today’s communications landscape. In an era of institutional distrust, the most persuasive voices are not spokespeople. They’re creators, cultural figures, “people like me.”

Individuals now trust influencers and peers more than CEOs, journalists, or government leaders. A 2023 Media Psychologystudy revealed that nearly 60% of individuals reported changing a personal opinion after repeated exposure to a contrary viewpoint from an influencer they closely follow. That’s the power of parasocial influence — rooted in the one-sided but emotionally-real relationships people form with cultural figures they follow closely, from digital creators and reality TV stars to musicians and podcasters.

When audiences feel like they “know” a digital creator or public figure, their voice carries disproportionate weight in shaping beliefs. And that makes them more effective than spokespeople, institutions, or even traditional celebrities in many cases. Their opinions feel personal. Their values feel familiar. Their content doesn’t feel like messaging — it feels like life.

This is also why transactional influencer marketing so often misses the mark. A 2024 Good Influence study, for example, found that only 20% of paid progressive influencer content reached persuadable audiences. Why? Because authenticity can’t be bought. It has to be earned.

What Cultural Lobbying Looks Like

So what does cultural lobbying actually look like in practice? It’s not one tactic or channel — it’s a set of interlocking strategies designed to shape the cultural conditions that make change possible. For example:

Cultural Pitching: This means embedding ideas into the stories people are already watching, listening to, and sharing — whether through scripted TV, unscripted reality, sports commentary, streaming platforms, or digital storytelling. It’s about influencing the narratives that define our shared reality.

Partnership Strategy & Management: Effective cultural lobbying requires more than amplification — it demands coalition-building. That means identifying and mobilizing partner organizations, cultural institutions, and influential voices who can carry the message authentically, acting as trusted surrogates in spaces where credibility is earned, not assumed.

Influencer Relationship Development: The goal isn’t just influencer marketing — it’s cultural community organizing. That means cultivating long-term, trust-based relationships with creators who reach key audiences. These aren’t one-off sponsorships, but co-created partnerships where cultural figures become advocates, not just advertisers.

IRL Events & Activations: Culture isn’t just consumed — it’s lived. Real-world events bridge the gap between digital storytelling and tangible experience. They anchor narratives in place, deepen connection, and create moments that feel personal, participatory, and powerful.

Each of these approaches relies on a disciplined, cross-functional set of competencies — equal parts art and science — including: Audience Insight & Cultural Landscape Mapping, Narrative Strategy & Framing, Influencer Mapping & Engagement, Relationship Development & Stewardship, Content Co-Creation & Integration, Strategic Campaigns & Moments and, finally, Measurement & Learning.

When to Use It

The stakes for social change are high — but attention, trust, and cultural relevance are scarce. Most nonprofits, foundations, and even corporate brands are, understandably, not yet built to navigate culture. They sometimes move too slowly. They’re too top-down. Or, too often, they treat influence as something you can buy, rather than something you build.

Cultural Lobbying fills that gap. It gives clients a rigorous, strategic, and relationship-driven pathway to earn cultural influence — rather than chase trends or rely on transactional content deals. It treats culture as a system of power that, like government, must be navigated intentionally, respectfully, and relationally.

It is particularly effective when:

• You need to change hearts before changing laws (e.g. on polarizing or deeply personal issues like reproductive freedom, trans rights, climate justice, or immigration).

• You want to reduce stigma, expand empathy, or shift default assumptions (e.g. around addiction, criminal justice reform, poverty, disability, or mental health).

• You’re trying to normalize something unfamiliar — like a new technology, idea, or practice that requires cultural permission before political or market traction (e.g. plant based meat alternatives or autonomous vehicles).

• You want to reach audiences that aren’t following “the news” — especially younger, multicultural, digitally native groups who form beliefs through memes, moods, and messengers.

• You’re preparing the field for long-term change, not just driving short-term wins.

We’re in a new era of change — one where policy doesn’t just need votes. It needs “vibes.” It needs emotional readiness. Social permission. Moral clarity. And cultural legitimacy.

Cultural Lobbying is how we create those conditions. Not by shouting louder — but by whispering in the right ears, showing up in the right stories, and moving hearts in the places where identity is formed. Change doesn’t seep into culture. Culture is what gives change permission to take root.