MSL Group: Forecasting future of entertainment

Challenge

When the Covid-19 lockdown crushed the live entertainment industry, it also raised a big businesses question: what comes next? As live entertainment is (was) one of the most powerful avenues to connect with audiences, I was brought in to identify whitespace opportunities for sponsorships, partnerships, and deals opened up by this change to MSL’s clients. Seizing the opportunity within the crisis is the only way to keep one's cultural relevance in a truly unprecedented moment in history.

My role: I led the trend research project, and reported directly to MSL’s chief strategy officer. I partnered with data science and social listening teams while utilizing third-party syndicated reports to define an agency-wide point-of-view for what’s next in culture.

Trendspotting: "Love is QuArantine” - an instagram account inspired BY Netflix’s Love is Blind, and a signal of what’s next in culture.

Today never happens today—it is the result of trendsetters' actions, behaviors, and decisions from yesterday, and the day before that, and on and on. Thus to understand what will happen next, I looked into how trendsetters' actions in the present “today” would shift the culture at large by the time we arrive at a future “today."

Inspired by Love is Blind, the recent Netflix hit show about blind dating, two quarantined men in Brooklyn created a @loveisquarantine Instagram account; Source: NYTimes

The speed at which the “Love is Quarantine” account became a local sensation defined multiple hypothesis on what people expect from the entertainment industry going forward. Even if this account was just one signal among many, it was a perfect blend of many cultural movements continuing to happen in culture right now. People seek to build shared experiences for themselves rather than to wait for an entertainment company to stage a new show. People crave this moment of “Oh! You get me!” Because in the digitally saturated world of over-stimulation, self-curation, and informational chaos, connecting with a stranger over a story has become a craved exception. If nothing else, the pandemic showed how this exception is possible.

Trend definition: exceptional roles for entertainment

Entertainment is a timeless source of joy and happiness, and the lockdown has simply amplified the existing conversations happening along the forward fringe of culture. Even if all of these trends had existed before the pandemic, an overnight lifestyle change caused an accelerated adoption of these fringe movements and practices.

From enjoying staged experiences to creating DIY movements
From immersive experiences to connected shared moments
From best artistic performance to authentic companionship

DIY MOVEMENT

Creativity is magic. It is about trendsetting one’s wishes, ideas, and visions into a pieces of art and self-understanding. With more thoughts on everyone's mind, now it is the best time for creativity to shine. As people seek to transcend their anxiety, brands step up to provide the tools and avenues to help them to do so.

Thought starter: how might brands create a self-expression platform and fuel its followers creativity?

CONNECTED+SHARED MOMENTS

Together is better than apart. There is little we could do when the world is changing—or even falling apart—around us. There is little we can directly control when it comes to the big things. But we could choose not to be alone on this journey with no defined stops or destination. As people seek companionship and support, brands step up to give them this support, and inspire people to connect.

Thought starter: how might brands create opportunities for people to connect?

AUTHENTIC COMPANIONSHIP

When laughing feels off-limits, people seek a hug of support, rather then a new story to watch. As people seek companionship, they turn to the digital presence of entertainers as a way to spend time together with somebody, who they can talk with, or pick up a new hobby from.

Thought starter: how might entertainers show empathy, instead of pitching a new project, to their fans and supporters?

RESULTS

After unpacking these three macro-shifts, each of these new creative territories was constructed into a platform for building MSL’s client activations. Some of the campaigns built with this report's insights include those for KitchenAid, Home Depot and others.

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