Marketers Are Losing Control of Culture and That’s the Best Thing for Business
Download the Beats + Bytes 2025 Halftime Report.
As we hit the midpoint of 2025, one thing is clear: the traditional marketing playbook has been torched. In its place, we have what Nue Agency aptly frames as The Great Transformation, a collision of the post-COVID shift, the rise of the creator class, and AI’s relentless evolution.
Their Beats + Bytes 2025 Halftime Report serves as a strategic briefing for communications and marketing pros navigating the chaos. This is a trend report and a cultural weather map. It slices through six areas where the old rules no longer apply: live experiences, music, the creator economy, cultural trends, brand marketing, and sports.
“Nobody’s playing by the old rules anymore,” says Jesse Kirshbaum, founder and CEO of Nue Agency. “You have to find the signal through the noise—and fast.” He’s not wrong. And if you’re still waiting for a ‘return to normal,’ you’ve already missed the next wave.
Six Signals You Can’t Ignore
IRL is the new ROI. Gen Z is pushing hard toward real-world connection. Malls are back. Niche festivals are thriving. “Follower count is less important than real-world turnout,” the report notes. The smart move? Shift from vanity metrics to actual community activation.
The creator economy is no longer emerging—it’s leading. According to the report., U.S.-based full-time digital creators jumped from 200,000 in 2020 to 1.5 million in 2024. That’s more than a trend line, it’s a power shift. Affiliate deals are where performance meets profit, and the Hailey Bieber x e.l.f. Beauty playbook proves that creator-led brands can hit billion-dollar valuations in record time.
Brand strategy is being rebuilt from the inside out. CMOs are operating in a pressure cooker of tariff fears, global instability and budget constraints. That’s leading to short-term plans—but deeper strategies. Founder-led marketing is making storytelling personal again. As the report puts it: “Consumers crave authenticity, not faceless corporations.”
Music is now a mosaic. Forget monoculture. The music industry is now a constellation of genre-driven micro-industries. Vinyl and CDs are back, even if no one owns a player. AI-generated artists are gaining traction. Country rap and dance music are crossing into mainstream. It’s a brand marketer’s playground if you’re willing to understand the culture, not just sponsor it.
5. Culture happens in real time—your marketing should too. The era of “trend-a-monium” is creating audience fatigue. What cuts through? Customization, not templated campaigns. Newsletters, Discord servers, podcasts—these are the new prime time. Relevance is now a live metric.
6. Sports are just the start. Welcome to “Sport AND,” a moment where sports meet fashion, music, celebrity and creator culture. Soccer is exploding in the U.S. while WWE and UFC are merging their way into pop culture dominance. The real play is outside the stadium and brands that get that will own the conversation.
So, What’s Next?
The second half of 2025 will favor the bold and the agile. Marketers are being asked to “do more with less,” and that’s ushering in a golden age for indie agencies and specialist shops that can move fast and think culturally. AI is heating up. Superfans are now strategic assets. And karaoke? It’s next in line for a comeback.
“This isn’t just evolution—it’s a transformation,” Kirshbaum says. He’s right. The moment demands more than adaptation—it demands reinvention.
For marketing communicators who see culture as a system, not a stunt, the opportunity is massive. Now’s the time to lean in, get uncomfortable, and lead.
As a CMO, I’m using this report as a snapshot and as a roadmap to rewire how we connect with culture, collaborate with creators, and show up with meaning in real time.
