What are the fastest-growing consumer trends, and how will they shape our world? These questions launched The Speed of Culture podcast. The future is uncertain, and we can’t predict where it’s headed. But we can talk about it and prepare ourselves for various scenarios.

On the end-of-year episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Suzy founder and CEO Matt Britton runs through the highlights of our most popular episodes from 2022. Hear the fastest-growing consumer trends from big brands like Cadillac, TikTok, Samsung, Budweiser and more.

In today’s episode, listen to Sofia Hernandez of TikTok, Rich Kleiman of Thirty Five Ventures, Gayle Troberman of iHeartMedia, Kristen Cavallo of The Martin Agency, Marcus Collins of Wieden+Kennedy, Michael Kassan of MediaLink, Michelle Crossan-Matos of Samsung Electronics America, Mark Edmonson of Materne North America GoGo squeeZ, Todd Allen of Budweiser, Melissa Grady Dias of Cadillac and Rich Antoniello of Complex Networks.

Discover their views on growing consumer trends, the creator economy, the metaverse, workforce diversity and brand-building.

Stream the new episode below, listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or find it on Spotify.

Learn about the top consumer trends of 2022 by checking out the key takeaways of this episode below.

Key highlights:

• 01:00 – 04:34 – The Power of TikTok – TikTok is a unique platform that brings like-minded people together and offers them a space to showcase and monetize their talents. People spend a movie’s worth of time on the platform because they constantly are served up content they’re interested in.
• 04:37 – 09:10 – Leveling Up the Creator Economy – The creator economy is a by-product of the continued decentralization of media trend. Consumers can get content from anywhere when everyone has a voice. The creator economy will continue to grow, thanks to technology and Web3.
• 09:13 – 16:56 – Future Growing Trends – Audio content is growing crazy fast. Broadcast radio reaches 9 out of 10 Americans because it’s human, unscripted, and it’s a place to have a conversation and not be alone. For that reason, conversation media seems to be growing everywhere.

• 16:59 – 20:15 – Workforce Diversity – Business leaders should focus on diversifying their workforce. Research consistently shows that diverse leadership teams achieve better business outcomes.
• 20:18 – 24:08 – Reaching Brand and Culture Congruence – While a brand may intend to convey one thing, it doesn’t necessarily align with what it means in people’s minds. You must understand what your brand means to them. Then use your marketing communications to close the gap.
• 24:10 – 27:50 – Focusing on “Brandformance” – As brands navigate macroeconomic challenges, businesses must be more judicious about their spending. As companies shift from brand-based to performance-based business models, try to take advantage of lower-priced opportunities. 
• 27:52 – 32:04 – Samsung’s Marketing Strategy – Because many clients have multiple Samsung products, the company now focuses on building sustainable, personalized and seamlessly integrated products that reflect people’s personal needs and desires. Additionally, it’s taking steps to become more sustainable, recycling close to 100 million pounds of e-waste each year.
• 32:07 – 36:29 – The DTC Model in the CPG Space – Many big CPG companies have successfully used DTC models to roll out new products. Brands can pre-launch products more effectively, collect consumer data and get feedback in real-time to make adjustments to product or marketing strategies.
• 36:33 – 40:49 – GTM Strategy and EV Future – Cadillac aims to take an older industry and adapt how it communicates with its customers, whether on the phone, online, in-person or combined. It comes down to meeting customers where they are and ensuring they interact with brands the way they want.
• 40:52 – 45:47 – Building a Unique Brand – Building a strong and recognized brand requires you to think and do things differently. As Complex Networks’ Antoniello states, “most people get diluted and are just vanilla ice cream. You have to have the most specialty-oriented flavor.”