11 Culture Leaders Share the Upcoming Industry Innovations They’re Most Excited About
Continuous innovation is a hallmark of the modern business world. It can happen anywhere and in any industry, and it often results in a positive transformation of business processes and workflows.
The culture space specifically has experienced a lot of transformation in recent years. As leaders in their respective fields, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council are constantly looking for ways to leverage new innovations to improve their companies and bring value to their customers. Below, 11 of them share which upcoming industry innovations and subsequent changes they’re most excited about and why.
Functional Wellness Beverages
The food and beverage landscape is rapidly changing, with new functionality from unique ingredients taking center stage. I’m excited about the evolution of functional beverages to address consumer pain points such as stress, beauty and vitality. If a nonalcoholic stress relief drink has enough functional ingredients to give it efficacy, many consumers will drink less alcohol. – Max Baumann, Basemakers
Digital Payment Methods
The days of dinging people’s credit cards and checks will soon be behind us. With the options for crypto and blockchain technology, options will soon become limitless. The key to longevity and new customer acquisition will be focused on making it easy to do business with one another. – Greg Reid, Greg S Reid
Authentic Storytelling Via Content
Telling an artist’s story via content is important. With so many artists out there, consumers really want to discover who the real person is. I think it creates an excellent opportunity to build super fans instead of one-offs. – Chris Blackwell, Republic Records
Cannabis-Related Legislation
I see three major value-creation events for our business and the industry: the SAFE Banking Act, which will give cannabis businesses access to traditional banking; greenfield opportunities, which recently passed state legalization initiatives; and, ultimately, the passage of U.S. federal legalization. With the help of technology, these catalysts will modernize and propel the cannabis industry. – Jessica Billingsley, Akerna
VR and AR for Diverse Industries
I’m excited about virtual and augmented reality driving innovation across industries as diverse as retail, oil and gas, education and training. Everyone equates AR and VR with gaming, but these technologies can do everything from saving lives to creating faster prototypes and increasing profits. – Lynn Rosenthal, Periscape
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Online Tools for Remote Work
We are increasingly seeing that online tools are gaining prominence across industries, especially with working from home during the pandemic. So, whether it is project management or collaborating for something creative, there is seamless integration. Team efficiency has increased and blurred lines between people across countries. I feel that this trend is here to stay and has changed how people work on projects. – Victoria Kennedy, Victorious PR
Non-Fungible Tokens
Everyone who is a content creator has the ability to be their own company, their own brand. Once the NFT world becomes more adapted and more mainstream, it will become more and more common for fans of stars or art collectors to have a direct relationship to the creators. – Larry Dvoskin, Miracle Music Inc.
Online Watch Parties
Theater is social, and when the pandemic forced us to stay home, online watch parties for digital captures of Broadway shows like Hamilton were the answer for a communal experience. As more theater goes digital, fans are finding new ways to share the magic of Broadway. With online theater watch parties and group viewing, feel free to sing along! – Bonnie Comley, BroadwayHD
Nontraditional Education
Among Generation Z, we’re seeing growing dissatisfaction with the education system. Resources like YouTube as well as boot camps for skills like coding are beginning to put the college degree’s purpose into question. Whenever systems are questioned, especially those that haven’t innovated for centuries, the innovations that come about are often dramatic and exciting! – Milan Kordestani, Guin Records
Research on Cannabis-Related Health and Wellness Products
As the cannabis industry develops, research is expanded and more discoveries are made regarding the benefits and uses of the plant. I am most excited about innovation with respect to overall health and wellness products. Health and wellness are crucial to living your best life. – Jessica Passman, Hunter + Esquire
Automated Journalism
Having a smart, automated (AI-driven) journalism machine research and write first drafts of content will save me hours of time. I’ll add nuance and humor and then spend those extra hours thinking of innovative ideas. – Nancy A Shenker, theONswitch & nunu ventures