META, AR, MUSIC, TRENDS, TIKTOK. CLICK NOW FOR YOUR WEEKLY CULTURAL INTEL BRIEF!!!

Happy Tuesday! Hope your week is off to a good start. As always, here is a quick look at a few things I'm tracking at the intersection of power, deals, trends in emerging tech, and media/entertainment through a pop culture/hip hop lens. This is fuel for your insights and strategy to better reach GenZ and Millennials. Here we go!

1) ICYMI, an interesting piece on Meta's Orion AR glasses popped up earlier today on Business Insider. This is one of the more recent glimpses at wearable computers that I think I've seen, and it's pretty intriguing. I actually had the former futurist at Paramount talk about such things and more at my Next Tech Lodge I created over a day and a half at Sundance Film Festival a couple of years back. Though definitely a play for the future, these glasses are items that everyone should kinda keep an eye on because some form of something on your face just doesn't seem to want to die. But here's what has changed. Unlike the image of Palmer Lucky on the cover of "Time" back in the day for Oculus, the new and improved vibe seems to include an edgy offering with a bit of an ambiguous ethnic background vibe. Are we actually seeing a bit of edge from Meta? Perhaps they have figured out that part of why Oculus didn't even get enough interest going to lead consumers to find out more about what it was, its price, and what content it held was who was used to sell the product. Guess they want to avoid that vibe this time around. Kidz, who you use to target demos, the setting, and the look is so very, very critical - especially when it comes to emerging tech and your strategy for all things leveraging it. If you want 18-24/34, edge is perhaps a good way to start (see dude below). What's your plan for 2025 and how are you going to get there organically? While you ponder that, feel free to check out the whole article right here and see if you agree with the answer to the below.

Why is Meta showing off something no one's going to be able to buy — at best — for years?

*** Quick Note: if you are someone who wants to learn more about this powerful space of youth culture and how you can use it to better connect with Gen Z and Millennials and/or become part of the cultural narrative, connect with celebrated recording artists/notables in the space, and/or creates brand?strategy,?DM me to discuss further.

My team and I provide strategy and consulting for demystifying relevant emerging tech, defining the cultural opportunity, and defining a roadmap for the new era. We also provide content development, concept marketing ideas, proofreading/copywriting, and more!

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Not ready for a full strategy but definitely looking for insights to better plan for 2024 and beyond? Book?me to speak. From Keynotes to corporate leadership workshops, I provide competitive advantage through powerful insights, cultural intelligence, and emerging tech forecasts. Don't forget to check out my weekly podcast. ***Season 5, Episode 9 is live and looks at the intersection of crypto, a hip hop icon, and a petition. *** I mix it up between an interview with an industry figure and analysis of the latest deals and news to help you make sense of the opportunities. Think of it as an extension of your weekly brief here. Click now to get the scoop. Apple or Spotify. Please rate and follow!

2) What? TikTok is actually getting out of the music biz? Seems so. TikTok Music will be a thing of the past come November. Though not emerging tech, this piqued my interest because TikTok is super influential for breaking records. And with the several major label CEO step-downs, complete re-orgs at labels such as Atlantic Records, and more in just the last couple of days the industry is experiencing some mega shifts. However, looks like TikTok is still going to remain a crown jewel. Seems like the "Add To Music App" feature is not going anywhere, just the actual music streaming side of the biz. Instead, I'd love to see TikTok focus more on adding a new twist on some of the AR elements that Snap does for the edgier TikTok music fan. Let's see what 2025 brings for the app and new partnerships. For now, catch the full story on this change right here.

Well, that's it for this issue! Have a great rest of the week!