Reading The Room: Why Your Marketing Team Needs A Movement Maker

There’s a widening gap between what brands say and what people feel—and that is why a different kind of marketer is emerging.

A movement maker operates at a much higher level. They go macro—looking at culture, people, psychology, and the deeper forces that move individuals and communities. They understand the emotional fabric inside an organization just as well as the world outside it. They pay attention to what creates attachment, what inspires action, and what gives people a sense of progress or identity. A movement is deeply emotional and sits well beyond the logic of purchase psychology, which is why a movement maker functions almost like a brand psychologist—someone who can translate human meaning into strategic direction. Their job is to read culture, interpret people, align what is on offer, and help the brand become relevant in ways that truly resonate.

To work in this way, marketers must experience a mindset shift. They have to think people first, and tools second. Data, technology, and channels are powerful, but they must serve the work—not dominate it. Insights only matter if they deepen emotional delivery, and if they help the brand connect better.

It is a 60–40 balance. 60 percent intuition, conversation, cultural reading, and genuinely understanding people—establishing connection, sensing emotion, and aligning with the brand’s purpose. This is the human layer that gives marketing its depth. The remaining 40 percent translate that understanding into action through data, insight, and digital fluency. Knowing which channels to use, how to reach people, what signals the platforms are giving you, and how different formats perform informs smarter choices and sharper delivery. The 60 percent ensures you connect; the 40 percent ensures you scale that connection. Movement makers honor both. They are fluent in people and in technology, binding the two together with purpose.

Campaigns are essential in marketing. They create awareness, education, demand, and loyalty. But movements work differently. A campaign is something a brand launches; a movement is something people join. Movements can take shape through a series of initiatives, programs, or even lifelong causes, but their power lies in what they ignite, not what they promote. Movements inspire progress. And when a brand’s movement is strong, its products and solutions gain traction more naturally, because people adopt what aligns with their beliefs.

"The Marketing Movement" by Charral Izhiman. 

Movements motivate people to act, shift, join, advocate, or participate in something meaningful. And because the core element of a movement is human action, the most honest way to measure long-term impact is to ask: how many people moved and why? Did individuals change a behavior, adopt a belief, or take part in something the brand set in motion? Did the message resonate, or fall flat? Are the right people being inspired, and if not, what needs to be adjusted? Movements often have an exponential quality to them. They carry emotional velocity—the curve rises quickly, because people aren’t responding only to a message, but to shared inspiration. That trajectory tells you far more about long-term impact than any short-term metric ever could.

And when you look around, you can see movements everywhere—both large and small. A brand like Humantra, born in the UAE around something as simple yet vital as hydration, has created a kind of micro-movement in health.

People recommend it, others adopt it, and the behavior sticks. The Giving Movement is another example from the UAE: a fashion brand whose popularity is equally about product quality and about standing for something bigger, supporting humanitarian causes. You can feel that belief system every time you see someone wearing their garments.

Then, of course, there are the global icons. Nike’s stance on courage and inclusion created a cultural ripple that went far beyond advertising. Patagonia’s environmental activism built a community rooted in shared responsibility. And TED and its “Ideas Worth Spreading” may be one of the most powerful movements of all. It didn’t sell a product; it rallied people around curiosity, learning, and the belief that ideas can change society. These examples all reinforce the same truth: when brands champion a belief that matters, people gather around it. Movements grow from emotional resonance.

Marketing done well is a master communicator and connector. Movement makers unlock that potential. They remind organizations that the most transformative brands are not the ones that speak the loudest, but the ones that move people, and in doing so, move culture forward.

About The Author

Charral Izhiman is a senior marketing leader and author of The Marketing Movement, a book that reframes marketing as a people-powered leadership force. Passionate about making marketing accessible, Charral uses plain English and grounded analogies to help leaders understand marketing’s true potential. Her book introduces the SHAPE framework, a five-pillar model for building strong, future-ready marketing functions, and the Movement Readiness Index, a practical tool that gives leaders clarity on where they stand, and where to move next.