In celebration of African Americans and the Arts this Black History Month, sparks & honey will be highlighting the influential figures who have used their creativity and resilience to drive impact across a vast array of fields and expertise. This briefing will bring together leaders, entrepreneurs, and industry experts to share their stories of success and struggle, and their vision for the future of the industry.

With the rise of health and technological advancements, why are some patients still being left behind when it comes to health access, screenings, and treatments? The reality is highly influenced by a series of socioeconomic and cultural factors leading to lower engagement in cancer and health screenings. Looking at cancer specifically, Hispanics are more likely to have their cancer diagnosed at a late stage when treatment is usually more invasive and less successful. How do we start to change this?

The advertising industry is known for its rapidly changing expectations from cultural, consumer, and technological. Few have managed to stay at the forefront of it all like Andrew Robertson, CEO of BBDO. His tech and data-driven approach to creating engaging ads that sell, while never forgetting the human experience keeps him at the helm of the industry. But how does he really do it?

One of the sources of unique, proprietary data informing Omni has come from a parallel AI-powered technology developed by one of Omnicom’s operating units – culture consultancy Sparks & Honey’s Q – and another big reason for naming Omnicom MediaPost’s holding company of the year was the way it has integrated Q into Omni.

Music is an integral part of the Gen Z experience; streaming music is the #2 daily media activity for Gen Z in the US. From the rise of Latin Trap to trends that position Spotify’s GenAI-driven daylist as the new zodiac – Gen Z’s relationship with music is a window into how they understand everything from cultural identity to mood curation. Given the importance of music, discovery of new (or old) sounds is critical for Gen Z. However rather than dictating what Gen Z should listen to, traditional top 40 charts have become more of a reflection of the diverse spaces – from social to gaming to entertainment – influencing how Gen Z discover and engage with music. In this brief we’ll explore the new pathways to music discovery and how Gen Z’s listening habits and preferences create challenges and opportunities for the broader industry.

Integrating cutting-edge tech while maintaining the allure of luxury is a delicate dance. It’s about pushing boundaries without pushing customers away in a world where luxury is meant to be understated, timeless, manifest strong fundamentals, and avoid unnecessary frills.

As we look forward at a 2024 election cycle, there is a continued and rapidly growing set of advanced technologies that empower voters and facilitate the amplification of issue-based messaging. However, recent half of the tech experts in recent Pew research predict that “humans’ use of technology will weaken democracy between now and 2030 due to the speed and scope of reality distortion, the decline of journalism and the impact of surveillance capitalism.” With Gen AI taking massive leaps forward in 2023, these fears have even more urgency. This briefing will explore the technologies creating impact on democracy and policy making and note the key opportunities and icebergs for institutions to navigate.

With the wrap of CES what key technology from the show can we expect to see land at scale in the consumer market? Where do we think these products and technologies can shape our lives and lifestyles in the coming year? Where and how should brands be tapping into these tech futures? Tune in for the cultural intel on what’s hot or what’s not in consumer electronics 2024.

The relatability of influencers is waning. While certain social media stars have retained relevance through spectacle, entertainment and aspirational lifestyles, there's a shift towards smaller, more genuine and authentic influencers that are more friend than celeb. What if both brands and influencers could retain their authenticity while scaling reach?

The world of spirits and wine collecting has grown in value and interest in recent years. In this briefing we unpack what it takes to make a collectable that thrives, discuss some of the most talked-about collectibles in circulation, and explore the recent scandals that have shaken the community to its core.

In this first briefing of the new year, the s&h team will unpack the major trends we anticipate will impact 2024 and discuss how organizations and individuals can future-proof themselves for the year to come.

Luxury EV makers need to lead the charge in sustainable practices. In theory Luxury EVs are perfectly poised to ride the wave of eco-conscious consumerism and redefine luxury for the green generation, in practice the market if facing important challenges including the environmental footprint of battery production in the spotlight. What can be key unlocks to overcome these challenges in 2024?

As we head into the busiest weeks of the year for restaurants and bars, s&h is asking bartenders and workers what's happening in the on premise. We will explore cocktail, patron, and promotional trends to understand how culture is changing the way consumers drink, socialize, and plan their nights out.

At the culture. code. humanity conference, Imari Oliver, Founder and CEO of Bond & Play, will sit down and interview s&h’s own Chief Innovation Officer, Camilo La Cruz, in a conversation focused on strategies to develop your culture, business, and technology “peripheral vision” and IQ to spot emerging trends and patterns through cultural movements and subtle signals.

Labor workforces are going through variety of changes and considering foundational questions and challenges in 2023. Recent strikes of Hollywood actors and writers are grounded in concerns and lagging agreements around the proliferation of AI, illustrating the power of unions amidst AI-driven uncertainty, while many consider whether unions are, indeed, having a boom or if the data tells a different story. Meanwhile, labor forces in critical industries like agriculture and construction are at risk due to new, aggressive state immigration policy. It is essential to have systemic focus and action planning around the policy, economic and cultural impacts that are shaping today’s labor landscape.

sparks & honey’s 3-part Beauty Briefing Series will demonstrate the power of cultural intelligence as a tool for marketers and innovators to navigate a rapidly shifting landscape and drive relevance with current and future beauty consumers.

Within the hair care space, s&h strategists will unpack changing habits, lifestyles and preferences that can drive more relevant marketing today, and detect emerging human problems, needs and wants to inspire future innovation and M&A potential.

Generative AI has been the hottest topic of 2023, what does it mean for your 2024 strategy? Generative AI is more than a trending tool. It has and will continue to shape how consumers engage, consume, and perceive brands in the foreseeable future. In this two-part series, sparks & honey cultural strategists will unpack how Generative AI has the potential to drive consumer engagement and commercial value by unpacking consumer sentiment and barriers to adoption around generative AI, ChatGPT, and related emerging technologies and identifying the key themes and cultural territories shaping the Gen AI landscape.

Revolutionary new drugs are transforming the way we approach weight loss. As we turn the page on another year and millions commit themselves to eating and drinking less, what do food, beverage, spirits, and beermakers need to know to succeed in a world that craves and consumes less?

Extreme heat is increasingly becoming a public health crisis. According to the CDC, extreme heat not only results in deaths from heat stroke but also from cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cerebrovascular disease, also impacting increased hospital admissions for cardiovascular, kidney, and respiratory disorders. Some studies project that up to 90% of the global population will be impacted by extreme heat in the future. Without radical action, human adaptation to heat won’t keep up with climate change. To prevent death and disability, humans will need to adapt across infrastructure, culture, and genetic and epigenetic adaptation.

Equitable design solutions, built on the concept of human-centered design are creating exciting innovations that increase value by providing a better customer experience and solidifying brand trust. In this Culture Briefing, the sparks & honey team unpacks how design is playing a fundamental role in the future of equity and inclusion across all markets and within all aspects of life.