How does a brand stay culturally relevant across 200 countries? In this episode of Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Rustom Dastoor, EVP and Head of Marketing & Communications at Mastercard, to discuss what it takes to build a brand that resonates across cultures, markets, and generations. Born and raised in India amid the country’s surge towards consumerism, Rustom has lived and worked across four continents and brings a uniquely international perspective to branding, consumer behavior, and the evolving relationship between creativity and technology. Rustom shares how Mastercard balances consistency with local relevance across hundreds of markets and why the most successful global brands find ways to add value into local culture instead of just extracting it. They also discuss the future of marketing in an AI-driven era, why data should sit at the center of strategy, and how marketers can use AI and data to unlock deeper insights rather than simply automating existing workflows. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Intro 01:55 – Growing Up Amid India’s Consumer Revolution 05:05 – 1990s: The Golden Age of Branding 08:35 – Living and Working Across Four Continents 11:35 – Global Consistency vs. Local Relevance 15:10 – How Mastercard Goes to Market Globally 17:30 – Mastercard’s “Priceless” Legacy 20:05 – Data Is the Core, Creativity Is the Wrapper 25:45 – Using Data for Illumination, Not Support 29:35 – The Rise of Synthetic Data & AI 31:45 – Corporate Strategy as the Grounding Anchor 35:00 – Staying Focused & Taking Risks 37:30 – Rapid Fire Responses Brought to you by Mekanism.