Brands have the opportunity to differentiate themselves by demonstrating how they are taking steps to be more authentic and staying true to their core brand identity. Brand authenticity is not an end point, but rather a continually evolving process that builds consumer trust, turns that trust into advocacy, and ultimately drives more business to your brand.

Personal brands, which are brands used to market an individual’s experiences, skills, and values, are masters of creating and managing communities within their audiences. Traditional brands have a lot to learn from personal brands, including how to optimize social strategy, how to effectively hide marketing in entertainment, and how to build fan-based communities.

Environmental and economic crises over the last few years have created an atmosphere of apathy in consumers who are tired of restrictions. To combat this apathy, consumers are embracing spending more on fun and on experiences that allow for escape from everyday anxieties and worries.

Depending on who you ask, the USA is either already in a recession, or heading swiftly in that direction. In this report, we explore some of the trends that will most impact 2023, as consumers continue to deal with this permacrisis we all seem to be living through. 

With the return of live music, innovations in augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies (known collectively as extended reality technologies) are pushing the boundaries
One of the hardest hit industries during the pandemic was the live event industry, in particular live music.

New technologies are being integrated into live sports experiences through brand partnerships and sponsorships. The passionate, highly engaged community of sports fans, and the ability for brands to enhance their experiences, makes sports a uniquely valuable segment for the integration of new emerging technologies.