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Here Are The Biggest Trends To Watch In Q2 2018

Here Are The Biggest Trends To Watch In Q2 2018

 

As we move into the second quarter of 2018, cultural trend analysis will become increasingly important to everyone precisely because we are in the midst of major value and sentiment paradigm shifts.

Connecting will become even more important than before. Understanding mindset, motivations, fears, and goals of society will be paramount.

Here are my picks for key areas and insights that I will track this year and break down via monthly updates:

1. Celebrity

Celebrities will continue to drive the cultural narrative around gender but in ways that will be increasingly scrutinized. Watch for more missteps to occur, giving way to new voices that will move into the forefront.

Your play: Watch for openings in the narrative to add much-needed depth and intersection analogy to the conversation, but also to add tangible action in order to create authenticity around your own personal or professional grant.

trends to watch In Q2 2018
Image: Anita Sanikop

2. Race

“Inclusion rider” is the hot new term that will allegedly further diversify Hollywood. It was the phrase heard ‘round the world when actress Frances McDormand took to the stage to receive her Oscar for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” — (even though she and her notable director-husband Joel Cohen are typically affiliated with Caucasian-only casts and storylines).

“Inclusion Rider” is now being discussed in a variety of circles. However, watch this. The 2018 Oscars, which claimed that it “celebrated diversity,” experienced low ratings. Why?

Your play: Truly compelling content never adds ethnic backgrounds that simply march to the status-quo drumbeat. It’s about smashing the drum and making a new one from various perspectives. That’s the only way to win.

3. Millennials

Until now, the pressure has been on for corporations to create new levels of social responsibility. After the latest school shootings, watch for the value volume to really turn up. Some segments of the millennial demographic will continue to leverage digital communication to exert pressure on corporations.

4. Tech

Cryptocurrency and the controversy surrounding it, the new sub-industries it has birthed along with wealth creation and policy issues will become even hotter topics in the U.S and beyond in Q2.

Watch for everything from crypto ATMs to new ways to use crypto to access your phone overseas without SIM card changes. More are on the horizon. Traditional banking gatekeepers will meet a formidable opponent within the space and everyone is watching this area with hawkeyes.

Your play: Arm yourself with as much information as possible and join a reputable crypto group to keep abreast of opportunities and to sidestep perils.

Politics

Watch actions from federal and local policymakers continue to reinforce the backlash against tech giants. Insularity will play a large part in the industry’s upset. Tech billionaire Peter Thiel recently announced a complete opt-out of the tech game. This could be an early indicator of the disruptors disrupted.

Your play: Review upcoming announcements from any and all tech players regarding policy changes, privacy and more.

As our world changes, cultural intelligence is definitely the new oil.