Matthew Miller

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The only constant with trends is that they will inevitably change. In the culture space, what's in one day could be out the next. Trends are constantly changing, and the companies that build their business off trends may struggle to thrive once their particular trend has come and gone. However, it’s not unusual for companies to want to cater to what’s popular at the moment, offering what customers are most interested in at the time. The challenge then becomes how to adapt as these trends change. How can a business ensure it doesn't fail once a fad has passed? As business leaders in the culture space, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council have a few ideas. Here, they discuss 10 key tips for building a culture of adaptability in your company that will allow you to better respond to constant cultural change.

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Don’t let these blunders ruin your customer relationships. Poor customer service can have a big effect on a business’s ability to succeed. And while a smile and a helpful attitude can go a long way toward creating a positive experience for a customer, they aren’t the only aspects of customer service that need to be focused on. Whether it’s slow response times or even relying too heavily on customer self-help tools, there may be some practices you don’t even realize are hurting your relationships with your customers.  Pinpointing your company’s bad practices is essential if you want to improve your customer service efforts and, as a result, the overall happiness of your customers. To get started, consider this list of bad practices that could be derailing your company's customer service efforts, courtesy of Rolling Stone Culture Council business leaders.

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Experimenting with a new product or service shouldn’t come at the expense of your core business. It can be said that all businesses are in the business of making money. Regardless of what product they sell or what service they provide, all businesses need to make money in order to survive and, hopefully, thrive. But there’s another component businesses need in order to thrive, at least in the long term: innovation. If businesses don’t innovate or improve upon their current offerings, they may not ever grow or reach their true potential. However, innovation can be risky, as not all ideas will be profitable or accepted by customers. To find that balance between making money in order to survive and making room for innovation, business leaders should consider the following eight tips from the experts of Rolling Stone Culture Council. Here, they discuss the key to balancing innovation with the financial need to stick with what works, ensuring business leaders can still pay the bills.

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To get customers excited about your event, you’ll have to think like them first. With the weather warming up and summer just getting started, people are eager to spend more time outdoors and attend various summer events and activities. But concerts and festivals aren’t the only events on the agenda — plenty of businesses host events in the summer, or year-round, to help promote their goods or services and to connect with their customers in fun, unique ways.  However, with so many other events taking place, it can be difficult for businesses to ensure theirs will be guaranteed a spot on customers’ calendars. Thankfully, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council have a few suggestions for how to resolve this dilemma. Below, they discuss seven actions businesses can take to ensure their event is not only well-attended but thoroughly enjoyed by all.

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Cut through the noise by amplifying your unique story. Today, it seems that nearly everyone is on social media — and that includes businesses. With the majority of small businesses using social media to reach their audience, there’s a lot of competition when it comes to earning the attention of potential customers. This is why it’s so vital to find a way to stand out and cut through the digital noise. However, beyond creating viral videos or following the latest social media trend, there are a number of other, more meaningful ways to set your business apart. Here, nine business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council weigh in on some of the steps a business can take to ensure their social media presence stands out from the competition and engages their followers in a meaningful way.

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Building the brand image you want starts with smart PR moves. In business — and especially the culture space — what the public thinks of your brand is everything. Do they find you trustworthy and reliable? Do they think of you as innovative, cool or luxurious? Controlling the narrative around your brand is key to ensuring you create the image you’re after — and to ensuring you’re reaching your desired target audience.  However, public relations is an art as much as it is a science, and many businesses that don’t have experience in this particular area can end up making mistakes that could damage their reputation in the short and long term. To avoid these same blunders, consider this list of common mistakes as outlined by the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council. Below, they detail why these mistakes can be detrimental to your brand goals and advise what actions you should take instead.