In conversation with Alexi Gunner

What do you most enjoy about your roles as a researcher, planner, and strategist?

I really enjoy being curious for a living. As a cultural strategist, it’s all about getting under the skin of not just the brands I work for and its customers, but also identifying the red threads that help to make sense of what’s happening in the increasingly chaotic... See more

Your work is highly insightful and rich in references. Do you have any routines for scanning media and the cultural scene?

It’s important to have processes in place to break free from personal biases and digital echo chambers. Consultant and writer Venkatesh Rao once said you need to think like “a tourist in strange lands” which really resonates wi... See more

Being a solo consultant, it’s easy to get stuck in the rut of working from home too much. I love routine, but I need to shake things up every now and then. I’ve started to schedule in weekly co-working sessions with friends, trying out different cafes or co-working spaces around the city, and indulging in 2 hour lunch breaks with pasta and wine, wh... See more

Too many brands are obsessed right now with chasing whatever’s currently ‘trending’. When everyone is trying to figure out how to jump on the latest 24-hour micro-fad - whether it’s coquette, cottagecore or being ‘demure’ – what they should really be focusing on are the more meaningful cultural movements that will impact their business. I call thes... See more