Oscar Höglund

expert panel

As algorithms and audience behaviors evolve, brands must move beyond chasing reach and focus on meaning, resonance and cultural participation. The way people discover, consume and engage with culture is changing fast. Platform algorithms now dictate visibility, attention spans are fractured across formats and audiences are increasingly selective about which brands they allow into their feeds, conversations and communities. In this environment, relevance can’t be manufactured through volume alone. It’s built through consistency, credibility and a genuine understanding of where culture is headed, not just where it’s trending today. Below, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share the strategies they believe companies should prioritize in 2026 to stay culturally relevant, not just algorithmically present.

expert panel

As metrics and data dashboards multiply, today’s most effective leaders use numbers as a guide without letting it cloud human judgment or imagination. Data has become an integral part of modern business decision-making, offering clarity, accountability and measurable insight. But when numbers become the only lens through which ideas are evaluated, they can crowd out the intuition, experimentation and creative risk-taking that often lead to breakthrough innovation. The challenge for leaders is knowing when to trust the data and when to think beyond it. Here, Rolling Stone Culture Council members explain how they use their analytics to inform decisions while protecting creative freedom and human instinct.

article

While it can be hard to predict what’s ahead in the music industry, there are several trends and shifts that I believe are heading our way in the year ahead.