Karo Gómez of Havas HOY: “Culture Starts with Context and Authenticity, Not Trends”

As brands race to join the latest trends, Karo Gómez, Head of Social Strategy at Havas HOY, believes the industry is asking the wrong question. Instead of wondering what is trending, marketers should first understand why a conversation matters to the people living it.

Speaking after participating in the Publicitarias panel “Latinas in the Spotlight: When Cultural Intelligence Becomes Creative Power” during Latino US Day at Cannes Lions 2026, Gómez argued that cultural intelligence starts with context—not algorithms.

“Most of the time we jump into hypes and trends, and from there we try to build conversations without really understanding what’s happening in that context.”

Working in social media, Gómez said audiences have become exceptionally good at recognizing when brands are trying to capitalize on social or cultural conversations without genuine understanding.

“People are not stupid,” she said. “They know when something feels fishy. They know when a brand wants to take advantage of a conversation.”

She pointed to examples such as purple washing, rainbow washing, and sports washing, warning that audiences increasingly respond by boycotting brands that engage superficially with social causes.

“I’ve seen it happen many times in Mexico,” she said. “Deep research helps you avoid that—not only because of a potential PR crisis, but because it allows you to genuinely connect.”

For Gómez, authentic cultural marketing requires much more than monitoring social media trends.

“You have to research what’s happening in the place, the conversation, the language and the context you want to be part of,” she explained. “That’s how communication comes from an honest place.”

She also challenged one of the most common misconceptions about Hispanic audiences: that sharing Spanish automatically means sharing the same culture.

“We all speak Spanish, but it’s not the same Spanish,” she said. “People often joke that everything south of the United States is just Mexico with different food. That’s simply not true.”

According to Gómez, every Latin American country has its own cultural codes, motivations and consumer insights.

“Just because we share a language doesn’t mean we share the same insights.” Her advice to brands is simple: leave the stereotypes behind and spend time understanding people directly.

“Don’t build your understanding from social media or the news alone. Talk to people. Understand what moves them, what matters to them and what drives them.”

Beyond creating stronger campaigns, Gómez believes that process also transforms marketers themselves.

“If you do that, not only will your message be better—you’ll become a richer person because you’ll discover experiences and perspectives you never had before.”

For Gómez, culture is far too complex to be reduced to language, symbols or viral moments.

“Culture is what makes us human,” she said. “It goes much deeper than trends. If you really want to connect with people, you have to understand their roots.”