Happy Summer Solstice! .Here is our 2025 Halftime report on culture marketing! 🧵.This era is defined by this formula: Great Transformation = Post-Covid Era + Creator Economy + AI 🤖✨.@nueagency

New levels, new devils. Don't forget that.

I dedicated this weeks newsletter to highlighting the best brother rap duo in history. And my first & one of my all-time favorite clients @clipse 🎶The new project is a masterpiece 🏆 Salute to @PUSHA_T @NoMalice757 @StevenVictor

Songs of the Summer 2005 Edition. What's on your list? Here is my annual July 4th Classic. Lot of Summer left! Lets see what pops. 😎🎼

Hopped on the @CampaignUS podcast with the brilliant to talk about trends in entertainment and music. Check it out.

Halftime Report covered by @hypebot. Check it out

Full Halftime Report 📜💫

Want more 🔥 insights like this? Hit follow and subscribe to Beats & Bytes for the sharpest takes on culture 🎭, music 🎵, and the future of marketing 🚀! 📡🎶✨ #StayTuned #BeatsAndBytes @NueAgency .

So much good music is coming!.Here’s our list of the 25 songs of ‘The Summer of 25’.

Coming Next Half Cont.🔮.Karaoke Kings: Live connections are in demand. Karaoke has a big place in US culture—new LA hub this Fall. Sunglasses SZN: Ray-Ban changed the game for Meta, Google + Warby, Oakley + Meta, Travis Scott. Tech + sunglasses = past, present, future. 😎🕶️.

Coming Next Half Cont.🔮.Super Fans: Term of the year in music. New ways to harness elite fandom are being discovered. Blockchain: Back half of 2025 could be Eth’s moment to shine (not financial advice, just hope!). 🔗🙏.

Coming Next Half Cont.🔮.Ticketing: Needs disruption. Bar codes aren’t mementos. Dice tapped out, Live Nation avoided Ticketmaster split. New era of ticketing is coming. 🎟️✨.

Coming Next Half Cont.🔮.Macho Man Summer: Barbie Summer, Brat Summer—now Podcast Bros & Vampire Killers. More protein, please!.Casinos and Sports Betting: Action on sports = new revenue. Jay-Z could crack the casino code. 🎰💰.

Topic 7: Coming Next Half 🔮.Do More with Less: Scared money isn’t making moves. Brand marketing is opening up for Summer, Back to School, Fall. Indie, specialist agencies rise. Hot AI Summer: More new products, drops, features, use cases, videos, hits. AI is everywhere. 🧠🤖.

Sports AND Cont. ⚽🏈.WWE x UFC = New Era: Merged under Dana White, Ari Emanuel at TKO. WrestleMania broke records, SummerSlam at Met Life. New Leagues, New Playbook: Tiger Woods Golf League, Unrivaled win with fan experiences, game innovations. 🤼‍♂️🏌️‍♂️.

Topic 6: Sports AND ⚽🏈.Growth & fan connection go beyond the game. Fanatics Fest, WaleMania are strong examples. Soccer’s Takeover: Soccer is becoming America’s biggest sport—fandom, big moments, global appeal, FIFA, World Cup, MLS. ⚽🔥.

Cultural Trends Cont.🌍.Real-Time Data: Culture moves fast—Hollywood, news less relevant. Podcasts, social, newsletters market culture. Millennial’s Cool: 2005 back, Vans Warped Tour returns!.Cigarettes Back: Celebs with heat sticks, maybe covert marketing. 🚬😬.

Cultural Trends Cont.🌍.Cultural Fragmentation: Mainstream is rare. We follow music via podcasts, YouTube, curated feeds. Customization Is The New Culture: 1/1 is the new cool—everything is about how it fits your message, intention, brand. 🛠️💡.

Topic 5: Cultural Trends 🌍.Trend Overload: Trend exhaustion is real—fads move fast, most lack flavor. Here today, gone tomorrow. Decoupling Clout & Cost: Luxury is about values, lifestyle. Clout and cool can’t be bought, must be earned. 💎🔄.

Brand Marketing Cont.🏷️.Brands on Substack: Newsletters = subculture. Brands: Amigo, Free People, Net-a-Porter, Goop, Hinge, Loftie, Cava, The RealReal, Saie, Rare Beauty, American Eagle. 📬✨.Brands as Rights Owners: Lunchables on Spotify, Coke’s label, Sugar’s studio. 🎬🎶.

Brand Marketing Cont.🏷️.The New Model is Owned First, Paid Later: Brands distribute like media companies, turn ideas into impressions before spending. Owned = foundation (social, website, communities). Earned = gold (shares, creator pickup, media). Paid = accelerator. 🚀💸.