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There are few things more evocative of the free American spirit and the nations wide-open spaces than the image of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle zooming down a stretch of empty highway. But while taking one of the legendary hogs for a spin may still be liberating for riders, the companys independent dealership owners are feeling an increasingly tight financial and business squeeze. A rash of reports in recent weeks have sounded alarms about the troubles Harley dealers face, and the rising number of dealerships closing shop as a result. While Harley-Davidson still counts more than 650 of those locations in operation across the U.S., specialist automotive media warn that those numbers have been significantly decreasing as sales of the beefy motorcycles decline, and dealer operating costs grow. I hate to admit this, but there are too many dealers for the number of new vehicles that are being sold today, second-generation Harley dealership owner George Gatto told the motorcycle publication RevZilla. Margins on the new bikes are the worst weve ever seen . . . Theyre not making any money. As a result, owners of a growing number of Harley-Davidson dealerships have hung the Closed sign for good. Those include some well-known, high-profile stores in New York City and Florida, and the century-old Dudley Perkins location in San Francisco. But reports say many more closures in smaller cities and towns across the U.S. drew far less attention while adding to the tally of shuttered businesses. That turn of events marks a swift reversal of Harley-Davidsons fortunes, and now leaves many independent dealers and the mother company itself fighting for survival. As was the case with many companies selling comparatively expensive goods, the effects of COVID-19 created a sales boom for Harley-Davidson and its dealers. Government stimulus checks and rock-bottom interest rates allowed some consumers whod never had the money to afford a hog to buy one after 2020. More conservative consumers whod had the funds but waited also took the plunge. Meanwhile, as happened in the auto sector, disrupted supply chains limited Harley inventories, allowing dealers to charge top dollar to customers they added to increasingly long waiting lists. Business had never been so good. Flush with rising revenue, many dealership owners splurged on upgrades and expansions of their showrooms. Those who didnt were eventually obliged to do so by Harley-Davidson corporate policies that require dealers to abide by centralized rules, and adopt decisions made by the mothership. But once those dealership improvement investments were madedriving occupation, heat, and maintenance costs higher as a resultthe sales boom petered out. Consumers facing spiking inflation, rising interest rates, tightening job markets, and other hardening realities of post-pandemic life could no longer give $24,000 to $40,000 Harleys another thought. But at the same time, motorcycles churned out by manufacturers seeking to catch up with demand continued flowing into showrooms, further boosting dealer inventory costs. The same was true of Harley-Davidson-branded motorcycle equipment. Even as that gear gushed into dealerships, Harley-Davidson corporate managers continued developing their booming e-commerce platform, which cut out intermediaries like dealers by selling directly to consumers. They overproduced, so what do they do? Gatto said of the converging developments that cost dealers dearly. They mark it down 40%, 50%, 60% online, with free shipping. Why would you go into a dealership when youre getting half off online? According to the recent reports, Harley-Davidsons corporate leadershipnow led by new CEO Artie Starrs, who took over in Octoberresponded to the downturn by shrinking the list of centralized rules dealers must follow. The company reduced other requirements, including minimum inventory volumes, to help ease financial pressure on dealership owners. While that may ease some of the pain, the fear is that continually falling demand may prove the far more dangerous threat. The COVID-era boom aside, Harley-Davidsons unit sales have dropped by 45% over the past decade. That was again reflected in the companys third quarter 2025 results, which reported a global sales decline of 6%5% in the U.S. Those latter figures led Morningstar analyst Jaime Katz to warn that it will take a lot of work, and a lasting return of robust sales, for Harley-Davidson and its independent dealers to start riding easy again. There is little evidence that a recovery for motorcycle demand is in the cards anytime soon, Katz wrote in an investors memo following third-quarter results. After multiple years of inventory reduction at dealers, the firm has yet to find equilibrium and has signaled further unit reductions to protect dealer profitability. By Bruce Crumley This article originally appeared on Fast Companys sister site, Inc.com. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.
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E-Commerce
However uncertain the outlook is for the American auto industry in the age of tariffs, growing competition from China, and the rise of EV upstarts, the view inside the new boardroom at General Motors is stylishly optimistic. Part of the automaker’s new corporate headquarters that’s opening January 12, the boardroom is a large and elegant space with a massive marble table surrounded by mainstay elements of mid-century modern design. Fluted wood wall treatments, subtle curves, geometric overhead lighting, minimalist bench seating, and sweeping views of a changing downtown Detroit combine to create a physical manifestation of how GM sees itself evolving through the 21st centurydrawing on the past while looking to the future. When so much of the car industry can feel tossed in an ever-changing sea, the boardroom and the rest of GM’s headquarters evoke a steadier throughline of ambition and legacy. [Photo: GM] “It’s culture setting,” says David Massaron, GM’s vice president of infrastructure and corporate citizenship. “I think this space really does a great job of being a beacon of who we want to be, what our identity is. … A headquarters really serves as a reinforcing notion of our culture, of who we are.” [Photo: GM] Filling four floors and about 200,000 square feet in a brand-new 12-story tower in Detroit, the headquarters will serve as permanent office space for GM executives and employees in the finance, legal, marketing, and communications departments, and will have open workstations. In contrast to GM’s previous headquarters in the troubled Renaissance Center complex a mile away, the new space is much smaller and more manageable, with room for hundreds of employees, not thousands. Its design draws heavily on GM’s past. The overarching design language of the space comes from the mid-century modern design of the company’s main real estate footprint, the GM Technical Center, in suburban Warren, Michigan. [Photo: GM] Designated a National Historic Landmark, the complex first opened in 1956 with a stunning design by architect Eero Saarinen that let modernist design loose on corporate America and accelerated its infusion into the homes, furnishings, and products of the post-war world. Saarinen’s streamlined design put an emphasis on natural materials and light, and brought art into and around the buildings on the campus in a holistic way. [Photo: GM] Crystal Windham, GM’s executive director of global industrial design, says that legacy deeply influenced her team’s approach to the new headquarters space, which was designed with the Gensler architecture firm. Elements of mid-century modernism, and Saarinen’s Technical Center specifically, wound their way into the headquarters in a wide variety of forms, from furniture pieces and material choices to the artwork on the walls. “Because of the history and the respect for that, there are all types of interpretations here. There are details within it that you can play up or play down. It’s a full palette of moments to pull from,” Windham says. Some elements are literal recreations. On the wall next to a waiting area outside top executive offices, steel picture frames that mount to the floor and ceiling are near-exact replicas of frames Saarinen designed for the Technical Center campus. [Photo: GM] Other items are drawn directly from GM’s large archive. Historic drawings from the company’s 49,000-deep setof patent applications are peppered throughout the space, including in a ring of wallpaper near the top of the building’s atrium. Other notable patents are framed in executives’ officesa mechanical heart in CEO Mary Barra’s, and the first automatic gearshift changer in president Mark Reuss’s. Scale models of cars, old and new, can be seen in almost any direction. Touches of automotive materials can also be found throughout the space, from throw pillows made out of the interior fabric used in 1956 Cadillacs to chrome pendant lights that recall muscle car tailpipes. [Photo: GM] “What we loved when we were working on this project was just going back and relooking at our history,” says Rebecca Waldmeir, design manager of architecture and experience at GM. “[Saarinen] would say that when you’re trying to design spaces to relate to each other, they need to sing the same message. We need to sing some of that message into our space, too.” This ethos has made its way into the otherwise contemporary setting of this new 12-story mixed-use building in the heart of downtown Detroit. Alongside a 49-story hotel and condo tower, the building is part of the $1.4 billion Hudson’s Detroit project developed by Bedrock, the real estate firm that billionaire Dan Gilbert has steered to redeveloping large swaths of Detroit’s once-crumbling downtown. [Photo: GM] For all its effort in honoring a rich design legacy, the headquarters is still a headquarters, with spaces made for the work of a multibillion-dollar corporation to get done. The executive offices and other hoteling workspaces are outfitted with office furniture from Halcon, and there’s at least one Eames lounge chair on the premises. [Photo: GM] Shared workspaces are buffered from more active circulation areas, and most of the main executive areas have lounge-like waiting spaces that can double as informal meeting spaces during downtimes. That huge marble table in the executive boardroom was fabricated in GM’s own facilitytypically used to make concept cars and scale modelsand designed to have a solid flat surface free of the holes and ports of modern IT equipment. All that infrastructure is hidden away. [Photo: GM] “We wanted, first of all, for the look and feel to be appropriately placed for the time, to be timeless in and of itself, and the layout to be very flexible for many uses and very open and collaborative,” Windham says. [Photo: GM] The design also left room for some intentionally contemporary elements. A hallway on each floor features a series of artworks that turn the sound signatures of GM vehicles into abstracted soundwaves. And a vestibule outside the bathrooms on the executive floor is decorated with custom-made wallpaper showing stacks of cassette tapes of some of the estimated 80,000 songs that reference GM carsfrom “Little Red Corvette” and “Pink Cadillac” to the countless country songs featuring Chevy trucks. [Photo: GM] The mere existence of this headquarters carries its own message, as GM leaves the Renaissanc Center. Plans are still forming between GM and Bedrock over how to deal with the largely empty 5-million-square-foot space, but GM isn’t looking back. The new headquartersa much smaller footprint, more centrally located in a resurgent downtownrepresents a new chapter for the company’s long history of innovation. “Being in the middle of the city, being part of that vibrancy is really leaning into the dynamic change that the industry is going through,” Massaron says. “We’re trying to remind ourselves and the world that we’re ready to lead and we’re going to continue to lead.”
Category:
E-Commerce
When a grizzly bear attacked a group of fourth- and fifth-graders in western Canada in late November 2025, it sparked more than a rescue effort for the 11 people injuredfour with severe injuries. Local authorities began trying to find the specific bear that was involved in order to relocate or euthanize it, depending on the results of their assessment. The attack, in Bella Coola, British Columbia, was very unusual bear behavior and sparked an effort to figure out exactly what had happened and why. That meant finding the bear involvedwhich, based on witness statements, was a mother grizzly with two cubs. Searchers combed the area on foot and by helicopter and trapped four bears. DNA comparisons to evidence from the attack cleared each of the trapped bears, and they were released back to the wild. After more than three weeks without finding the bear responsible for the attack, officials called off the search. The case highlights the difficulty of identifying individual bears, which becomes important when one is exhibiting unusual behavior. Bears tend to look a lot alike to people, and untrained observers can have a very hard time telling them apart. DNA testing is excellent for telling individuals apart, but it is expensive and requires physical samples from bears. Being trapped and having other contact with humans is also stressful for them, and wildlife managers often seek to minimize trapping. Recent advances in computer vision and other types of artificial intelligence offer a possible alternative: facial recognition for bears. As a cultural anthropologist, I study how scientists produce knowledge and technologies, and how new technology is transforming ecological science and conservation practices. Some of my research has looked at the work of computer scientists and ecologists making facial recognition for animals. These tools, which reflect both technological advances and broader popular interest in wildlife, can reshape how scientists and the general public understand animals by getting to know formerly anonymous creatures as individuals. New ways to identify animals A facial recognition tool for bears called BearID is under development by computer scientists Ed Miller and Mary Nguyen, working with Melanie Clapham, a behavioral ecologist working for the Nanwakolas Council of First Nations, conducting applied research on grizzly bears in British Columbia. It uses deep learning, a subset of machine learning that makes use of artificial neural networks, to analyze images of bears and identify individual animals. The photos are drawn from a collection of images taken by naturalists at Knight Inlet, British Columbia, and by National Park Service staff and independent photographers at Brooks River in Katmai National Park, Alaska. Bears bodies change dramatically from post-hibernation skinny in the spring to fat and ready for winter in the fall. However, the geometry of each bears facethe arrangement of key features like their eyes and noseremains relatively stable over seasons and years. BearID uses an algorithm to locate bear faces in pictures and make measurements between those key features. Each animal has a unique set of measurements, so a photograph of one taken yesterday can be matched with an image taken some time ago. In addition to helping identify bears that have attacked humans or are otherwise causing trouble for people, identifying bears can help ecologists and wildlife managers more accurately estimate bear population sizes. And it can help scientific research, like the behavioral ecology projects Clapham works on, by allowing individual tracking of animals and thus better understanding of bear behavior. Miller has built a web tool to automatically detect bears in the webcams from Brooks River that originally inspired the project. The BearID team has also been working with Rebecca Zug, a professor and director of the carnivore lab at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, to develop a bear identification model for Andean bears to use in bear ecology and conservation research in Ecuador. Animal faces are less controversial Human facial recognition is extremely controversial. In 2021, Meta ended the use of its face recognition system, which automatically identified people in photographs and videos uploaded to Facebook. The company described it as a powerful technology that, while potentially beneficial, was currently not suitable for widespread use on its platform. In the years following that announcement, Meta gradually reintroduced facial recognition technology, using it to detect scams involving public figures and to verify users identities after their accounts had been breached. When used on humans, critics have called facial recognition technology the plutonium of AI and a dangerous tool with few legitimate uses. Even as facial recognition has become more widespread, researchers remain convinced of its dangers. Researchers at the American Civil Liberties Union highlight the continued threat to Americans constitutional rights posed by facial recognition and the harms caused by inaccurate identifications. For wildlife, the ethical controversies are perhaps less pressing, although there is still potential for animals to be harmed by people who are using AI systems. And facial recognition could help wildlife managers identify and euthanize or relocate bears that are causing significant problems for people. A focus on specific animals Wildlife ecologists sometimes find focusing on individual animals problematic. Naming animals may make them seem less wild. Names that carry cultural meaning can also frame peoples interpretations of animal behavior. As the Katmai rangers note, humans may interpret the behaviors of a bear named Killer differently than one named Fluffy. Wildlife management decisions are meant to be made about groups of animals and areas of territory. When people become connected to individual animals, including by naming them, decisions become more complicated, whether in the wild or in captivity. When people connect with particular animals, they may object to management decisions that harm individuals for the sake of the health of the population as a whole. For example, wildlife managers may need to move or euthanize animals for the health of the broader population or ecosystem. But knowing and understanding bears as individual animals can also deepen the fascination and connections people already have with bears. For example, Fat Bear Week, an annual competition hosted by explore.org and Katmai National Park, drew over a million votes in 2025 as people campaigned and voted for their favorite bear. The winner was Bear 32, also known as Chunk. Chunk was identified in photographs and videos the old-fashioned way, based on human observations of distinguishing characteristicssuch as a large scar across his muzzle and a broken jaw. In addition to identifying problematic animals, I believe algorithmic tools like facial recognition could help an even broader audience of humans deepen their understanding of bears as a whole by connecting with one or two specific animals. Emily Wanderer is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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E-Commerce
Most business leaders view themselves primarily as “productive” rather than “creative.” Productivity is often associated with measurable outcomes, such as efficiency, consistency, and task completion. Creativity, by contrast, is frequently perceived as spontaneous, unpredictable, and elusive. Yet, productivity and creativity are not at odds. In fact, they reinforce each other powerfully. Leaders who successfully integrate productive habits with creative practices can unlock new levels of innovation, effectiveness, and personal fulfillment. A global Adobe survey found that 75% of professionals report growing pressure to be productive rather than creative at work, while only 25% believe theyre living up to their creative potential. This creativity gap reveals a systemic imbalance: leaders may be achieving efficiency, but theyre underperforming on innovation. Productivity Without Creativity Leads to Stagnation Many leaders find themselves trapped in cycles of productivity: checking off tasks, hitting deadlines, and running efficient meetings. However, overemphasizing productivity metrics at the expense of creativity can lead to stagnation, disengagement, and missed opportunities for innovation. According to Gallup, disengagement costs the global economy $8.8 trillion annually. And disengaged leaders set the tone for disengaged teams. In our work with executives, we often hear the same lament: Im getting things done, but I dont feel like I am getting anywhere. The problem isnt a lack of effort. Its that productivity without creativity produces motion without momentum. Creativity Needs Discipline The myth of creativity is that it arrives in spontaneous bursts of inspiration. In reality, creativity flourishes when it rests on a foundation of discipline. Cliff knows this from his dual roles. As a songwriter, he leans on courage, openness, and uncertainty. As a recording engineer, he thrives on precision, technical structure, and predictable workflow. Each role strengthens the other. The order of the studio makes space for creative leaps in songwriting. The risks of songwriting push him to keep the studio at peak performance. Similarly, in my own work, Ive seen how structure creates room for insight. In leadership workshops, I utilize tools like the Illuminated Cubea reflective exercise that provides a framework for individuals to surface their hidden strengths. The structure isnt the end; its the container that makes creativity possible. As organizational psychologist Adam Grant points out, productivity isnt about more output; its about quality output. And quality often comes from pairing disciplined focus with creative risk-taking. In Grants view, a disciplined focus allows individuals to produce fewer, higher-quality ideas that have a greater overall impact. Disciplined practice also builds the resilience needed to navigate creative challenges and maintain consistency. Your Spaces Matter, Too Leaders often underestimate the impact of their environment. But organized spacesboth physical and mentalmake breakthroughs more likely. Cliffs recording studio is a model of meticulous organization. Everything is in its place, technically reliable, and ready to go. That structure frees him to explore ideas in songwriting, knowing the foundations wont fail. He also maintains a daily haiku practicea tiny ritual that trains his creative muscles consistently over time. Small practices like these work for leaders too: quick journaling, five-minute brainstorms, reflective pauses before meetings. These micro-habits signal to the brain: This is a space where creativity belongs. Kate ONeill, founder of KO Insights, employs similar strategies, using structured prompts and systematic reminders to maintain consistent creative output amidst demanding productivity schedules. This disciplined consistency allows ONeill to seamlessly integrate creativity into her everyday activities, resulting in more impactful and innovative work. Incorporating small, consistent creative rituals into daily routines can significantly improve leadership effectiveness. Activities like quick journaling, brief brainstorming sessions, or reflective writing help leaders systematically foster creativity, encouraging long-term innovation and adaptability. The Creative-Productive Zone The biggest shift is identity. Too many leaders see themselves as either productive or creative. But the most impactful leaders integrate both. For me, this came from reconciling two identities: The strategist and the artist. For years, I thought of them as separate worlds. However, when I began blending artistic practicessuch as visual thinking, storytelling, and pattern-makinginto my leadership development work, my impact expanded. Creativity didnt dilute my productivity; it deepened it. Cliffs path illustrates the same lesson. His creativity as a songwriter is inseparable from the technical precision of his engineering work. Together, they create a rhythm of freedom within structure. This integration is what we call the creative-productive zone: a state where structure supports exploration and exploration fuels progress. How to Harness Productivity and Creativity Together Bringing productivity and creativity into balance doesnt happen by accident; it requires intention. The good news is that you dont need sweeping overhauls to start. Often, its the smallest shifts in routine and mindset that unlock the most significant breakthroughs. By making space for both discipline and imagination, leaders create the conditions where innovation feels less like a gamble and more like a habit. Here are four practical ways leaders can start today: 1. Build Creative Rituals into Routine. Add small, repeatable practicesa haiku, a sketch, a reflective questionthat keep your creative muscles strong. 2. Organize for Freedom. Create reliable structures (clear processes, tidy workspaces, predictable rhythms) so your mind is free to take risks. 3. Alternate Modes. Design your calendar with intentional blocks for both focused execution and open exploration. Dont try to do both at once. 4. Audit Your Balance. Ask: Am I measuring only outputs? Where am I creating space for ideas, not just tasks? The future of leadership isnt choosing between productivity and creativity. Its mastering both. When you create the structures that support your craft and the rituals that spark your imagination, you dont just get things done, you create things worth doing. The leaders who thrive will be those who can deliver results and inspire, who can hit deadlines and spark breakthroughs. In a world overflowing with efficiency, its the capacity to generate meaning and originality that sets you apart. Productivity makes you reliable; creativity makes you unforgettable. The challenge and the opportunity lie in embracing both with equal intention.
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E-Commerce
Weve had branded entertainment since Procter & Gamble invented soap operas back in the 1930s. But today, brands are forced to diversify the ways in which they gain and hold our attention. Its no longer as viable or effective to depend on traditional paid media tools. Innovative marketers are increasingly investing in content and experiences that attract and engage audiences rather than interrupt and annoy them. And the shift is driving results. Brands of all stripes talk about brand entertainment, but its the exceptions that truly create actual entertainment. Ive spent a lot of time this past year writing and talking on the Brand New World podcast about the variety of ways different brands are doing this right. From WhatsApp working with Modern Arts on a Netflix doc about the Mercedes F1 team, to Dicks Sporting Goods formally establishing an internal entertainment studio that has already won Sports Emmys for We Could Be King in 2015 and The Turnaround in 2024, to the unprecedented deal struck between AB InBev and Netflix. The latter, signed in November, puts the global brewer’s major beer brands front and center in Netflixs push into live sports, as well as giving it early access to placement and integration in Netflix shows and movies. Obviously brands want the shine of legitimate Hollywood entertainment. But production costs and other financial pressures have made working with brands a much more attractive prospect for Hollywood too. So I wanted to check back in with the executives behind some of these projects to find out what they anticipate the biggest developments will be in 2026. The most significant drivers of these developments stem from the evolving platforms, fueled by audience preferences and behavior, as well as the economic realities driving brands and Hollywood into each others arms more often and in more varied ways. Marketersand audiences, for that matterare going to see some big changes coming to screens, both big and small. Read on for what to expect. Shifting platforms Meta announced on December 16 that it would begin testing its Instagram for TV app in the U.S. on Amazon Fire TV streaming devices. Zac Ryder, cofounder and co-chief creative officer of Modern Arts, says this feature is going to be a game-changer for brand entertainment. Brands as varied as UPS, Bud Light, and Sephora have been building audiences on Instagram Reels and Stories, while other brands are jumping into the micro-drama trend of serialized, bite-size soap operas in vertical video. Ryder says this shift means brand content on the platform will continue to look even more like entertainment, getting longer and more ambitious to better align with TV viewing behavior. Ultimately, this will further blur the lines between entertainment and social. Ryder says that as a result we’ll start to see more big swings featuring A-list storytellers and talent this year. This will be especially true for brands who are already very invested in IG and have spent years building their followers. And of course, if brands are going to start dropping more ambitious work on IG, theyll drop it on YouTube as well, he says. In order to compete for brand dollars, streamers will need to become even better partners to brands, all of which will create even more energy in this space and raise the bar even higher. A growing number of people are watching YouTube (and soon, Instagram Reels) on their TVs. Meanwhile, streamers like Netflix and Disney+ are increasingly utilizing brand partnerships to keep subscriber prices competitive. Many of my sources believe these changing dynamics of how we watch and engage with entertainment will drive where brands can find the best opportunities. I suspect we’ll see more next-generation partnerships like those we’ve been involved with this past year, especially as the Warner Bros. thing sorts itself out, says Jae Goodman, cofounder and CEO of Superconnector Studios. I bet Skydance/Paramount, Disney, Amazon, Comcast/NBCU will all come to market with brands as true partners in surprising, innovative, mutually beneficial, and I bet very effective ways. A new strategy Goodman helped broker the Netflix-AB InBev deal and has also helped giants like Nike and LVMH set up their entertainment strategies. He says the long-standing trajectory of how brands and Hollywood do business has fundamentally changed. Typically, its TV networks and streamers selling ad space to media agencies, then creative agencies filling the order. Film studios and distributors sell partnerships to brands, then licensing and promotional agencies get creative with the intellectual property. Brands are now entering the market with real entertainment strategies, Goodman says. And brands are leading the conversation with entertainment entities by asking, What if we wanted to achieve XYZ and then figure out the structure and cost? We refer to it as idea flow before deal flow. This past year, the Martin Agency worked with Subway Takes creator Kareem Rahma on UPS Business Trips. Martins chief brand officer, Elizabeth Paul, believes branded entertainment is growing up and moving from bloated bandwagons with hundreds of brand sponsors (see: Wicked) to fewer projects with a more focused audience. UPS is a major brand that could easily jump on the blockbuster movie bandwagon or make a Super Bowl ad. Instead, “UPS Business Trips” was a relatively small, Subway Takes-inspired series in which Rahma and UPS drivers visit small-business customers. According to the agency, it had more than 100 million views across platforms, and generated 1,000% return on ad spend. For those who truly believe in the space, brand entertainment will stop being treated as a campaign format and start being managed as a portfolio, says Paul, who suggests that the best brands will start thinking like studios, not marketing departments. We’ve seen this most recently with Dick’s Sporting Goodss new in-house studio division, Cookie Jar & a Dream Studios. Dick’s CMO Emily Silver told me back in Septembr that this move will see the brand be more aggressive in the number of films and pieces of content it releases, as well as help the brand build more of a name for itself in the entertainment industry to attract different writers and projects. “It gives us the opportunity to put a little more structure and framework around what content we want to produce and where we want to lean in to help build for the long term,” she said at the time. New economics The most significant factor in the pace of brand entertainment’s evolution is the business imperative from both sides to make the economics work. North American box office revenue for 2025 was more than 20% lower than pre-pandemic levels. And in the first half of 2025, major streamers ordered 24% fewer first-run and renewed scripted titles than the same period in 2024. As production costs have skyrocketed, and the ability to get entertainment projects off the ground more difficult, Hollywoods typically cool condescension toward marketers has thawed to the point of giddy embrace. Cynically, even if Hollywood sees brands as logo-plastered ATMs, brands see an opportunity to exploit this need for cash to do cool things that are actual entertainment. Last year, economic pressure forced marketers to be really choiceful with their media plans, which forced intentionality, says Paul. As brands got more selective, the most successful collaborations meant fewer swings with clearer creative intent. The result wasnt louder brand entertainment, but more considered workprojects that respected fandom, embraced specificity, and trusted audiences to meet brands halfway. Paul cites the Martin Agency’s work on Bud Lights Armchair Quarterback last year, a Netflix partnership starring Peyton Manning that parodies the second season of the streamer’s show Quarterback. Armchair Quarterback attracted more than 100 million social impressions, thanks in no small part to tapping into the fandom of Quarterback by working with the show, its producersManning’s Omaha Productionsand Netflix. However, she reiterates that this can’t be a simple exchange of relevance for cash. This is about forging true strategic partnerships that delight fans and move markets. Talent magnet The relationship between Hollywood and brands has evolved significantly over the past year. Brand partnerships and content are not embarrassing for studios or streamers anymore, in part because of the aforementioned economics, but also because the quality is higher and the value is clear. WhatsApp’s film The Seat, for example, cost about as much as it would to make and buy ad time for a 60-second commercial. But it also was high enough quality to stand on its own on Netflix. This is a virtuous cycle: The better the quality, the higher caliber of talent is attracted to subsequent projects, which in turn should continue to boost the caliber of these projects. Ryder says a growing number of A-list showrunners, writers, directors, and creators have been reaching out to learn more about the brand world in hopes of finding a project to work on together. LVMH’s entertainment division, 22 Montaigne, for example, is developing projects with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, as well as Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment. When we started making these kinds of brand projects 10 years ago, everyone on the talent side was so suspicious, Ryder says. Many believed brand entertainment was just a glorified long commercial. That has changed as more high-quality films have dropped. Its a bit like a Michelin chef trying a killer food truck and realizing that could be a new outlet for their cooking, he says. There are just a lot more delicious food trucks out there now.
Category:
E-Commerce
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