Beth Gladstone owner of Built By Content joins this weeks future state of podcast with Danny Denhard & Nick Walter. We discuss everything content related, and go deep into the future state of content, including channels like TikTok, YouTube Shorts aka micro content, why video is a must for most not all and what we can learn from Paris Hilton, the rise of long form content and why automation and SEO will always be essential channels.  Connect With Beth Check out Beth's agency - https://www.builtbycontent.comHer instagram filled with recommendation - https://www.instagram.com/bethbycontent/ Or On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-gladstone/ Take Away Moments  Beth's Quotables  Brands need a mission to guide all content (look at Oatly & Olio for brand inspiration) The questions to ask if you are struggling with content:  Q. What is the aim here? Q. Why do you want to do that? Q. Does that map back to the overall company goals? - Beth Vanity metrics seem great but don't get obsessed by them and what they need   Danny's Quotables   Make art not content - make art that is not lost in social feeds E I E Framework: educate, inspire and entertain. The core pillars that people should build content around Nick's Quotables "the normal kind of VR production for example, is like producing a video game. Or a short film or something like that. It's very, very labor intensive, very expensive. You're talking 50,000 upwards to create a one-off VR experience that doesn't really live on. You know, it's an experience you have and once you've had it, once you're very unlikely to return to it, unless it's significant"  The Future State Of Content Predictions Beth's  Longer form content Content automationMini docuseries for B2C brands (B2B brands have led the way for years)Programmatic SEOMore experience based content - multi touch content  Nick's  AR & VR content creation tools A lot more interactive content that we will be engaged with and seeking out Content that drives the physical not just the digital  Danny's  - Experiences - Creator editor role - Live stream come and go for most - Live debate — duet remixing - CCTV style content - Art not content. NFTs prime example - Search vs discovery vs paywall  Want to listen to the future state of content again, jump tp to 43 mins for the predictions

Thanks for listening this year. Nick and I return to help recap 2021 and help you think about where 2022 is going and how to shape some of your thoughts:  The 2021 Wrap Up Episode  The most listened to The Future State of podcast(s) of the year: Listen to the previous podcasts here The Future State of NFT'sThe Future State Of Social Media & Social Networks PodcastThe new email client  Nick’s app’s of 2021: Riverside - Why? For recording podcasts, webinars etcCanva - Why? Easy designFiverr - Why? For cheap resourcesApple podcast app - Why? For listening to podcasts Danny’s App’s of 2021: Product: iPad Pro 2021 - Why? Replaced my laptop and brilliant for multitasking and removing the need to have multiple devices.Apps: Podcast tool - Descript Why? Edit podcasts by word and phrases not around.co - Why? App that helps to shape an organisation around communications and effective comms, like sending notes post meetings to all attendees. The Future State of 2022  Nick’s Predictions Life: StaycationsTech: Work - Private members clubs & branded workspacesMetaverse future - Apple's AR & VR (mixed) headsetTikTok continued dominance, NFT's become usable, Improvement in NFT's, Improved audio. Danny’s Predictions Life: First super app, New UGC platform, a boom in Payless stores, contactless and innovation in online purchases, BNPL moving towards digital banks and going after food spaceWork: Consolidation (Danny's consolidation blog post referenced) In banks, food delivery, shift to third place, hybrid future of work, huge IT hacks (Danny’s brother’s IT support https://www.ittroublefree.co.uk/business/ and solutions company) Contact Nick and Danny Contact with ideas you would like Danny and Nick to record podcasts on dannydenhard+futurestate@gmail.com Contact here to apply to appear on the show as a guest

This week Danny Denhard and Nick Walter return with another instalment of the future state of podcast.  We discuss the future state of savings and discounts not just the craziness of Black Friday and cyber Monday.  The Good General savings for consumersOften makes expensive seasonal gifts more affordable The Bad The strain it places on logisticsThe work environment in many businesses becomes more stressful, creates more issues with internal teams and many businesses actually lose money rather the traditional Black Friday where businesses started to make money The Ugly Consumerism crisisThe cost of delivery on the environmentMaterial gifts at Xmas ====== We quick 5 second favour: Please do rate and review the podcast, it takes 5 seconds and it helps the podcast to spread to more people and make more people informed. Happily hit the review in your player or Rate On Apple // Rate on Spotify. ====== Important Topics Discussed:  Black Friday has been undone in the UK - The biggest retailers are all doing it differently. It’s causing confusion and chaos for consumers We saw ‘fake Black Friday’ a week early (19th) in the U.K. - devaluing what Black Friday and Cyber Monday was designed for Many are pushing Black Friday week and Black Friday month. We have seen huge year on year growth of sales for Black FridaySingles Day The West has adopted Single Day, which is traditionally an unoffical Chinese singles holiday. Singles Day in the UK is actually in MarchAmazon’s Influence Prime Day - The day(s) where Amazon drives savings across the marketplace - the biggest brands can drive attention and savings to their customers as part of their brand moat Amazon are reportedly planning to open 260+ stores over the next few years aka they truly know UK are hybrid shoppers 80% in store - 20% online so shopping in the U.K. has to be considered to have retail presence + online. We now have Prime expectations, subscription enables us to have: fair prices, quick delivery, free returns.Brands using biases against us: Cashless Effect (contactless transactions drive 8% more spend as seem like you are not spending as much money, this is why casino's use chips... seems less than cash),Brands that don’t discount might actually win the long game, brands include - Apple, Peloton, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, LululemonUnsung Heroes - Forums and groups Many saving related forums are super popular Thousands of Facebook groups dedicated to it The science behind why Aldi and Lidl surprise aisle Many groups dedicated to how to gain an extra saving, use certain points schemes, leverage the best deals Watch the Decarbonising The Art World Video Nick mentions. Tell Us What You Think: Let's us know what you think of the future state of saving on twitter... @dannydenhard or @nickwalter23  Or Connect with us  Danny on LinkedIn == Nick On LinkedIn

TLDR: Why Facebook is moving to Meta and its quest to the Metaverse?  For full insights and analysis sign up at www.thefuturestate.co.uk Nick and Danny dive into the Meta brand, the Facebook rebrand that has a wave of memes (here is the Iceland Tourism example https://www.facebook.com/inspiredbyiceland/videos/182101337445400/), the PR machine created quite a buzz but as many questions trying to understand what it means.Danny takes you through the history of the brand, the reason why its journey is so important and why the fights and bets made by Facebook’s leadership team have led to one of the biggest rebrands in history.Danny answers Nick’s question of why the rebrand was so important and the other potential it had Important notes: You have 4 master brand types you can: monolithic (FedEx), endorsed (Virgin), free standing (unilever with dove, wall's etc), hybrid (coca cola company, coca cola - diet coke - coke zero + sprite, fanta etc) What is Meta? Group of businesses - Facebook (big blue), Instagram, WhatsApp, - VR and experimental. Money making (facebook app, instagram) vs money losing (whatsapp, VR, metaverse building). Is comparable to Alphabet (Google's parent) Nick dives into the metaverse and the VR and AR side of the rebrand and repositioning (well worth watching the haptics ​​https://twitter.com/boztank/status/1460668829789351936Danny and Nick answer a listener question: From James Sinfield @ Nestle“In your honest opinions, will Facebook (Meta) succeed with their aim of building a new version of Internet? Is there a flaw in their thinking?”Then comes the future state of Facebook and Meta (including the breakdown of the metaverse) 6 Ways To Help Shape Your Thoughts Facebook has turned into email 2.0 - necessary evil for manyFacebook was the gateway to the internet for millions of users - particularly in Asia and AfricaFacebook isn't a social network it's an ad's network - Facebook's biggest challenge is their algorithms and controlling how content spreads. This is not under control and they struggle to do so, so why will people rush to the new Meta products, software or hardware drivenMeta has to shape and control the next generation of platforms. They never shaped the iPhone or any android device."Our biggest competitor by far is iMessage" - Mark Zuckerberg on 31st Oct 2018Meta is a brand rebuild alongside a new ten year mission What do you think, let us know @dannydenhard and @nickwalter23 on Twitter

Danny pitches (Nick) his latest idea of improving social media to improve social media with a dedicated commentary and reaction based social media site.  A teaser of the full idea - read the full breakdown on newsletter and site.   The What A social network based on communication and commentary, with an ability to reply with video, loom style videos, screenshots, mock ups, commentary (like in notion and Google docs) and scores of relevancy.Think slack or discord with threading and interactive timelines.Reddit on steroidsAllows you to embed or bookmark links and play natively could - what twitter should have offered The Why The current options have existing users who are used to using the platform as it is, almost all networks are very basic Many people want to discuss with people with similar or importantly differing views We are getting bored of influence based social networks like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or being filtered by algorithmsIt's time we found a different way to express ourselves The How New mobile and desktop experiencePrivate vs public --- Private for invite only and communities (Trust) --- Public for bigger reach and conversation (Reach & Fame)Built on an idea you are sharing, a piece of knowledge or an insight nugget you want to share —The Business Side— TAM - 💰💰💰💰 (Large)Difficulty - 👎👎👎👎👎 (Very Hard)How to make money - Subscriptions & contextual advertising &/or charge brands to interactCompetition - 9️⃣/🔟 - social networks, YouTube, Medium & blogs

Alex Moss from NFTU.io joins Danny and Nick to discuss the future of NFT's.  Whether you are new, have some knowledge or have experience with NFT's, ETH and art, this podcast will help guide you through the current wave of NFT's and prepare you for the future of ETH, NFT's and web3.  Alex breaks down:  What NFT's actually are Why NFT's is so misunderstood What are the current NFT use cases Why there is so much hype around Bored Ape, Evolved ApesWhat artists need to know and how think bigger Why the NFT world lives on Twitter and Discord and why you need to really understand why the world of NFT's evolves so quicklyWhy music, art and brands have to get into NFT's and not lose out early Why Nick is right on his quest to use NFT's

Nick (Walter) and I (Danny Denhard) return with a pitch episode, this week I pitch the best email client you have ever heard of.  The full breakdown of the idea and framework is available at thefuturestate.co.uk - sign up to the newsletter for full breakdowns, free content, a newsletter and deep dives. I introduce new features, optimising modern technologies and breaking down why and how to use email vs using millions of browser windows + desktop app + a mobile app - just to get work done.  If you like what you hear, let me know by tweeting @dannydenhard or sharing and tagging (links to our LinkedIn => me & Nick) the podcast on LinkedIn!  If you are listening on Spotify, complete the poll to let us know if you would use the new email client.  So TLDR on email? Email is still the most important communication toolEmail is where you still sign off work, gain approval on budgets, headcount and often where bad news arrives, etcEmail shapes businesses and will for years to comeEven with the move to chat and the chatification of work, email still is where clarity lies within business and is the primary channel for communication with external people, vendors and clientsEmail clients are rarely updated and although there is Spark and Superhuman, these are not built for the modern workplace Love the podcast - you know what to do... add 5⭐️ ;-)

Nick and Danny discuss the future of mobile phones, whether they will be something we have in our pockets or bags or whether it might be an on head or over head device or could it be smaller and something embedded in us?  The Mobile Phone Story:  History & Journey  HandsetsPhone callsText messagesCamerasAppsLocationChat apps / food apps / VoiceVideo and front face camera first activitiesDevices evolution from large phone to glasses to watch Important Stats 1b iPhone users2-4b android usersThe average usage of mobile is well over 3hours per day - some suggesting their usage is over 10 hours per day Think about: Every year Apple updates a core set of features and millions update every year and the brilliant job Apple Product people and Marketers have done in convincing millions to upgrade every 12-18 months. Why Listen Today:  With the latest iPhone releases & latest iOS updates, we are seeing devices become more useful and more personalised, we are looking at the best ever devices and they are getting smarter for us as users and for the businesses connected to them. Huge Milestone Hit! TikTok hitting 1b users in record time - it wouldn't have ever been possible without the smartphones and the addiction engines that they are to us now. As we previously discussed, is AR / VR the future? Is it feasible really? There has been a lot of talk around the metaverse and the future of living in a metaverse, but will a mobile device be essential in this always on digital world? Jack Dorsey (Twitter & Square CEO) only uses his mobile device never uses a PC or laptop  Links From This Episode The future of VR / AR podcast episode The newsletter to sign up to - The Future State Of Podcast NewsletterDanny's presentation fan clubs, community, tribes and herds  Steve Jobs & Apple changing the face of computing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7qPAY9JqE4 Chat To Nick & Danny  Want to talk to Danny or Nick or provide feedback? @dannydenhard @nickwalter23 on Twitter

Welcome back to another pitch episode from The Future State Podcast.  Nick (Walter the CEO of Vortic Art) pitches at Danny (Denhard) Marketing executive Coach & Growth Advisor on an old idea with a 2021 refresh. An AI Bot... food bot (or food boss) that helps you with the management of food and nutrition via voice activation and push notifications.  Danny as the shark offers Nick their framework to follow and guides Nick through a 7/10 idea. Questions to answer.... Is a total addressable market over $7b too big? Is food too hard to guide people on? Is this not something apple and google are going to eat up for their lunch with the next updates to their mobile operating systems? As humans are we ever in a place to have the patience for AI to know enough about you to truly offer a valuable experience?  Sign up to the newsletter on www.thefuturestate.co.uk for the full breakdown and template full of the idea for you to steal if you like the sound of things.  The Future State Of Podcast Pitch Template  WhatWhyHow The Business Side TAMDifficultyHow to make moneyCompetition WANT TO PITCH @ US? Email us if you would like to pitch or provide feedback or tweet us on @dannydenhard or @nickwalter23 For the full episodes break down visit https://thefuturestatepodcast.substack.com

The Future State Of Social Media  For full notes and insights jump over to the newsletter - where Nick and I share our research, analysis and deeper insights.   Social media dictates so many things about our lives and for many it dictates how we interact, how we are portrayed and how we communicate with friends, family and strangers.  Facebook's strong hold on social media might just be loosening but their user numbers are incredible:   We see over 2.9 billion (that’s 50% of the world’s adult population) use Facebook monthly,Over 2b MAU's on WhatsApp,1.3billion MAU on messenger (the product)And over one billion active users on Instagram. The latest App Annie report shows you how social media has evolved over the last decade and there is a new powerhouse taking over our phones and therefore our time and that is TikTok, the most popular downloaded app over the last 9 months and been riding the way of fun and entertaining shorter form videos for the last three years. Nick and Danny go through:  Tthe good, the bad and the ugly of social media How social media has changed in recent yearsHow social media is now social-tainment and not based on graphs anymore (and everyone is changing the way their algorithms work to pull more time and attention from you Why innovation and new social networks struggle to be built and gain traction Email was the first and still one of the most powerful social networks  Should new platforms like only fans be considered social media? Spoiler Nick doesn't agree with the social element to it   Stay tuned for Danny's rants on: Why Marketing departments are ruining their own efficiencies by spray and praying across all of the social networks  Examples used in the podcast  The NFL Carolina Panthers Mixed Reality  Ancestry.com plan for social Twitter communities - changing how twitter works for private invite only groups  Connect with:  Danny on LinkedIn or sign up to his weekly newsletter  Nick on LinkedIn

Introducing The Second Pitch Podcast Episode: The Future State Of Meditation Station 🧘‍♀️ Mental health and wellbeing has never had so much investment or emphasis place on it and rightly so. Across the world and different cultures we apply different importance and prioritises to wellbeing, it’s time we stepped this up and Nick’s idea…to make dedicated more spaces and centres available for de-stressing. We talk about:  why mental wellbeing is not getting the attention it deserves, why Calm app (the Nike for the mind), WeWork & local councils will want in and quickly. why TAM is so hard to judge why the more we talk about the idea the more I (Danny) come round to it  Our second ideas pitch pod (listen to the first episode here), Nick pitches an idea he cannot stop thinking about since 2018… TLDR: What Is It? Meditation station and homeless shelter... For the supporting newsletter and first listen sign up for free => https://thefuturestatepodcast.co.uk Remember We ❤️ Feedback: If you have any feedback tweet us @dannydenhard &/or @nickwalter23.  Thanks for listening  Danny Denhard & Nick Walter FYI We are going on a couple of weeks break and then back with season 2.  Want To Pitch At Danny & Nick? 🎯 Got an idea for a show or want to appear pitching an idea, email an overview of your idea here & Nick and I will get you on the pod.

Obvious statement alert: Reality TV is a big deal. Not just from a business revenue perspective but through a cultural and societal lens, reality TV brings something extra. The UK needs something to lift the spirits again, the Euro’s (football tournament) was something a few times a week however there has been something missing… There is a need for a daily event on prime time TV. Nick and I dive into the: Reality shows (hint mostly love island). The business behind reality TV (another hint ads slots are rumoured to cost £100k, head sponsors per year is £5m per year) Mental Health - why it is so important and why shows don’t do enough on screen The future state of reality TV - last hint, maybe it is beyond just it being TV, maybe it’s on the go, on mobile phones or even with a headset on. Sign up to the newsletter => www.thefuturestate.co.uk

The Future State Of Podcast - The EV Coffee Edition This week Nick and I introduce a monthly podcast segment around pitching an idea which we then review, ask the exec style questions (yes we use the word TAM numerous times) and this week we see if Nick would invest in my EV (electric vehicle) coffee shop on wheels. We talk about: Why we could take the 75% market of remote and WFH army The importance of local Why jingles are a Marketing goldmine Why community might just be the underestimated angle The importance of a strong hook Why Nick thinks an adult ice cream van is the crack for adult-like ice creams in the park are for kids The full show notes, breakdown and template to steal this idea click over to (btw it's our dedicated supporting newsletter) - https://thefuturestatepodcast.substack.com/p/the-future-state-of-coffee-pitch  Thanks, Danny Denhard & Nick Walter

The Future State Of The High Street 🛍 Nick and I to discuss the important elements of the high street and answer the important questions: The challenge of the high street The history of the high street was to address the need Why the evolution of butchers and grocers were so important in shaping today’s landscape The community and local aspect of the high street and the importance of retail Is the Poundlound IPO a sign of potential promising times? The question that we should consider: Did fast fashion outlets kill the high street or was it online marketplaces? Thinking more than just eBay, Amazon, the newer marketplaces like Onbuy.com, notonthehighstreet & Etsy Are high streets, shopping centres, retail parks considered the same thing or are they all competing? Why immersive experiences are the way to go Why Google, Amazon and Apple have stores as essential brand extensions What’s coming next… a brighter more integrated high street?

This week Nick and I discuss the important elements and questions to answer: The Market size Facebook’s influence within the VR space Why AR is leading the way (thanks to filters, think Snap filters, Instagram filters) Pro: How HTC Corporation is going for enterprise space, Play: Whereas Facebook is going for gaming and of course social media Why gaming, personal fitness, training and adult (yes that P-word) are popular use cases and likely to continue to drive adoption The Metaverse (yes it’s coming) Why identity is going to be key And as ever our future state of VR aka our hot takes If you prefer to listen on your podcast player of choice: Follow on Apple // Spotify // Google Podcast // Audible // Amazon Music // Deezer // Listen Notes //  Mixcloud // PocketCasts // Simplecast // Breaker // YouTube Or copy and paste this RSS into your podcast player. Thanks for listening Danny Denhard & Nick Walter Email us if you’d like to discuss this or any of our episodes Previous The Future State Podcasts Episodes The Future State Of Voice 🗣  https://thefuturestatepodcast.substack.com/p/the-future-state-of-voice- The Future State Of Work 👩‍💼  https://thefuturestatepodcast.substack.com/p/the-future-state-of-work The Future State Of Conferences 🎤  https://thefuturestatepodcast.substack.com/p/conferences

Full notes and newsletter on (sign up for notification of pod and receive full notes and research) - https://thefuturestatepodcast.substack.com/ This week Nick and I discuss the important elements and questions to answer: The future state of voice search - spoiler not positiveThe future state of voice assistanceWhy Amazon is likely in the best placeWhy the history of voice is a key indicator of the future (review radio’s history)The problem with Clubhouse & copycatsThe challenge we face with accents and why tech does tooThose Facebook & Instagram’s sneaky ads 👀Answers Adam’s listener question: Will voice commerce actually be a thing?Discord’s primary position🔥 The future state of voice hot takes 🔥 Tweet @dannydenhard for questions, topics to cover and feedback (not opinions thanks ;-)). Full transcript available on Google Docs Remember To Subscribe On Your Favourite Podcast App: If you prefer to listen on your podcast player of choice: Follow on Apple // Subscribe on Spotify // Google Podcast // Audible // Amazon Music // Deezer // Listen Notes //  Mixcloud // PocketCasts // Simplecast // Breaker // Or copy and paste this RSS into your podcast player. Links to check out https://www.instagram.com/p/COqSBmZAI84/Question asked by listener Adam https://twitter.com/garnsee/status/1392209736657997831?s=20Gary Vee's VeeFriends NFT Community Thanks from Nick Walter and Danny Denhard from https://focus.business/

The Future State Of Work 👩‍💻 The future of work has been a hot topic for the past three years, the pandemic has really shifted how many businesses operate and highlighted how slow some companies have been to change their old ways of working. The future state of work is going to be led by a few but followed by many, even the big companies are struggling to keep staff engaged let alone happy. This week Nick and I discuss: The future state of workWhy micromanagers are going to have to changeWhy so many managers have been shown upWhy HR isn’t the right team to leadThe impact of a new hire - the culture community managerWhy hybrid is going to be a tougher choice for employees and businessesThe challenge for old school managers to change with the timesThe investment required for businessesSome future thinking hot takes that you will want to hear including company currencies, the importance of mental & physical health being equal& Why part-timers & side hustles might be the choice for many Supporting Podcast Links  Company Culture Links Are you creating the right company cultureWhat is company cultureThe Hybrid office e-bookDesigning the hybrid office guide ✚ Why you should listen to feedback - Funny TikTok New tools to improve hybrid around.co - campfire video tool with integrated notes that send after the meeting and is floating head based so can work and conference call at the same timeButter.us - a way to ideate, brainstorm or present in a better waygatheround.com - better way to bring people together based on Q&A  Basecamp Issues Original Story (link)Follow Up with 1/3 of senior workforce taking buyout (link) Open letter from ex member of the Basecamp team Summarised on this week in startups (YouTube link) A Reminder: What Is The Podcast? The Future State - Modern business & future trends explored by Nick Walter & Danny Denhard.

This week Nick and Danny talk about the future state of conferences and large events. Nick offers a number of quotes of the week contenders alongside some great (& strong) opinions around what conferences were, why they aren’t going to be what they were and why the future state is going to be different Nick and Danny discuss: Are in-person conferences coming back in 2021 / 2022?Did the old conference work for anyone other than the organiser?Who did great things with events and online panels in the lockdown?The conference economics & secret: Price of entrance (high) x location x venue size (cram as many in as possible) & space x speaker quality x speaker logos x number of conferences = decent businessWhat “Physical exclusivity, digital inclusivity” is going to mean For the full breakdown, notes and insights go to thefuturestate.co.uk and sign up to receive exclusive first listens and deep dives from Nick and Danny

In this week’s future state podcast we took a deep dive into the business of football, a timely podcast looking at how the super league crumbled and what the future state of football will be now the powerhouse clubs lost their breakaway moment. Nick and I discuss: How we got hereWhy the business of football has been missed in the super league discussionsWhat the next steps likely areWhy we haven’t seen the end of this chapter of disruptionAnd most importantly why it’s got to the fans and the players who likely take the biggest hit. Connect With Us: Connect With Nick - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-walter-b1516b12/ Connect With Danny - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannydenhard/ & www.focus.business Key Links https://www.kbbreview.com/36644/news/dulux-apologises-after-tweets-about-tottenham-hotspur/ Amazon Prime Video Shows Spurs - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-or-Nothing-Tottenham-Hotspur/dp/B08G1YYZYN Arizona Cardinals - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Nothing-Season-Arizona-Cardinals/dp/B086R5W8RB NWSL Investors - https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/23/serena-williams-natalie-portman-nwsl-investors/ Pop Culture Link - https://twitter.com/irnbru/status/1384531393204658177?s=21 The future of subscriptions & Netflix  - https://mustreads.substack.com/p/the-invite-only-podcast-the-netflix For full notes, breakdown and analysis go to www.thefuturestate.co.uk  or email us

This week’s podcast Nick Walter and Danny Denhard discuss the future state of brand partnerships and brand endorsements aka Why Revolut and Anthony Joshua's recent brand partnership made us 🤔 The AJ ad  We Cover: The fascinating area of marketing and advertising business and is an area to continue to explode. We talk about the power of international superstars with challenger brands The opportunity The threat for brands and celebrities Why celebrities are going to build out their own brands not have to endorse in the future How smart brands are turning into media brands Why some brands are desperate Why we might see a blend & What the future of brands is product placement, advertising and influencer and celebrity-based endorsements and promotion And our future state aka hot takes on the brand partnerships and brand endorsement Nicks The Future State Authenticity & relevancy - authenticity key and forcing has to be stoppedBrand alignment to brand valuesVR - continued raise of avatar influencers (eGaming, Miquela example)Paid brand placement (& forced ads) - Netflix coca cola Danny’s The Future State 1. Brand cannot bandaid brand issues anymore with influencers. Brands have to be future seers to understand this 2. Value of content creators to platforms - creators create their own platforms (website, apps, platforms etc) 3. Art vs content - feed driven disposable content vs art that lasts for years 4. Platforms - masterclass unbundling & cameo (embracing quick, paid promotion) 5. Influencers have been around since the 1920s (Pepsi) - smarter ways of using influencers (issues with the likes of Monster energy drinks) Important Links Discussed  Link to the chartable list, the sheer volume of Barstool Sports Podcasts is impressiveBarstool sports day trading (link to story on founders day trading journey)Mike Tyson love of Jack Paul’s movement into boxing. Mike Tyson reference to Jake Paul and impact on Triller & Boxing Youtube Video LinkPaige VanZant contract issue with UFC and having to join Bare Knuckle Fighting (and have “exclusive content” via her site)"Joe Hart social media error” - Link