Predictions 2025: The Rise of Gen X & Americana

Jan 3, 2025

Explore the seismic shifts expected by 2025, including the rise of Gen X leadership and the emergence of American counterculture. Discover bold predictions for retail consolidation, AI advancements, and the evolution of urban transport with eVTOL technology. Delve into the potential resurgence of Google and how Walmart is transforming into a media powerhouse. Lastly, reflect on societal polarization and the dynamic landscape of branding, as both nostalgia and innovation shape consumer engagement.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

Setting the Stage for 2025 Predictions

03:01 • 3min

Navigating the U-Shaped Year

05:53 • 11min

Exploring Predictive Intelligence and Future Commerce Insights

17:09 • 4min

Public Perception and Predictions

21:37 • 10min

Predictions for the Rise of Mega Brands in Retail

31:14 • 4min

Retail Reshuffle by 2025

35:26 • 17min

Future Trends in Branding and Retail

52:48 • 11min

The Surge of Digital Commerce and Political Influence

01:04:12 • 4min

Media Predictions for 2025

01:08:10 • 17min

Google's Position and Future Potential

01:25:11 • 6min

Exploring AI Innovations and Future Technologies

01:31:31 • 5min

Future of EVTOLs and Tech Predictions

01:36:55 • 14min

Gen X Leadership and the Future Landscape

01:51:14 • 31min

Navigating the Duality of Hope and Reality

02:21:57 • 4min

In our biggest episode of the year, we explore seismic shifts coming in 2025: from the return of Gen X leadership to a new wave of American counterculture. We revisit our eerily accurate 2024 predictions while laying out bold forecasts for retail consolidation, AI evolution, and the changing media landscape. Plus, we dive deep into why Google might be poised for a massive comeback and how Walmart is transforming into a media empire.

"Quantum Intelligence & Objective Truth": Key Moments from Our 2025 Predictions

On Taste & Truth (13:12) - "I believe that taste is the unique ability to recognize objective truth in situations where subjectivity reigns supreme." - Brian
The Future of Retail (34:50) - "In the retail sector, we will see larger holdcos start to downsize by breaking off individual pieces into smaller entities so they can reorganize and pass regulatory muster when selling divisions later." - Phillip
Hardware Renaissance (54:41) - "The excitement around content actually represents a deeper desire within people for well-designed, bespoke hardware technology." - Brian
Urban Transport Evolution (1:39:14) - "eVTOL will be a huge tech winner in 2025, creating a paradigm shift in urban transport - starting as the luxury option Uber envisioned in 2017." - Phillip
Political Realignment (1:59:00) - "There's something latent here around realignment in how people think about the political spectrum post-second Trump presidency. Many political orphans, both right and left, don't know where they fit." - Brian
The Innovation Paradox (2:18:43) - "When solving problems, we inevitably miss the new problems our solutions will create. It's easy to walk into dystopia thinking you're walking into utopia." - Brian

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Heading to NRF? Come celebrate the launch of our 2025 print journal, LORE with us on Tuesday, January 14! Register here.
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