Welcome to The Beat’s latest drop—a playlist of perspectives from the influencers and innovators moving the needle. Here’s what’s on repeat from the voices moving culture forward:

• Art and creativity are not just nice-to-haves but critical elements in steering businesses towards unprecedented success and competitive edge.

• Building a beverage brand amid relentless competition demands more than a good product; it requires authentic connections, clever use of social media, and memorable brand activations.

• In a world of chaos, the boldest leaders are those who forge ahead with clarity, innovation, and an unwavering focus on what truly drives results.

For the uninitiated: The Beat is a free, biweekly newsletter designed for the influencers, tastemakers, and innovators in the worlds of music, entertainment, media, food & beverage, fashion, sports, gaming, and more. Each article featured below is penned by a member of Rolling Stone Culture Council, a community of influential leaders across an array of industries.

With the lineup set, let’s turn up the volume on this week’s insights.

The Artists in the Boardroom: Why Beauty Still Belongs in Business

In a high-stakes plea from the heart, a rallying cry for the fusion of art and commerce is bellowed across the corporate terrain.

This isn't just about aesthetic. It's about survival. As the world embraces efficiency and data, the essence of humanity's soul, encapsulated in art, is being ushered out of the decision-making rooms.

Yet, history and outliers whisper a different tale—one where the irrational, the imaginative, and the beautiful are essential components of success and innovation.

Here’s how beauty makes its case in business:

🔮 We Need the Mad Ones: The call for rekindling the fire in our corporate bellies with the raw, unfiltered essence of creativity. Artists, with their penchant for chaos and beauty, are the unseen weapon in the war against mediocrity.

🌈 Chief Imagination Officer? Envisioning a world where narrative and numbers dance in harmony, making businesses not just profitable, but profound and human.

🖌 Paintings on the Wall: A call for integrating artists into the very fabric of business strategy, to not only decorate but influence and innovate within the corporate sphere.

🎨 In Praise of the Beauty Makers: An homage to those who dare to imbue the cold calculus of commerce with warmth, empathy, and meaning, urging business leaders to open their boardroom doors to the wild, whimsical, and wise.

Read The Full Article >

How To Build A Beverage Brand During the Most Competitive Time In History

The beverage game has mutated into a battleground where the OGs like Coca-Cola and Pepsi find themselves ducking for cover against the guerrilla tactics of upstart brands.

In this era of consumer fickleness and infinite choice, the playbook for launching a beverage brand demands more than a killer recipe. It requires a concoction of authenticity, strategic social media presence, and live activations that resonate on a deeply personal level with consumers.

Here’s all you need to know:

🤝 Authentic Connection: The secret ingredient isn't your grandma's secret recipe anymore. It's about concocting a brand identity that speaks directly to the hearts of a well-defined audience. Be the voice that narrates a story, not just a product that occupies shelf space.

📱 Lean on Social Media: Transform your social feeds into the digital watering holes where your tribe gathers. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are your megaphones, amplifying your brand's personality straight into the palms of your potential cult following.

🌟 Activations That Resonate: Get your brew into the bloodstream of the masses through activations that align with your brand's essence. Whether it's yoga retreats or underground raves, ensure your beverage is the toast of the event.

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When the World Gets Loud, Lead Louder

Real leaders are not those who mute chaos but those who amplify their vision within it. Faced with perennial storms, the choice to build amidst the burning emerges not as a reckless gamble but as the only conceivable play.

This insight hails from the trenches of both journalism and opera singing, illustrating that when the world zigs with caution, zagging with conviction can forge successes and cut through the noise with clarity.

Check out the highlights:

🔥 Build While It Burns: In the face of adversity, conventional wisdom may dictate retrenchment, yet the audacious opt to expand, iterate, and innovate. The chaos becomes not just a backdrop but a catalyst for growth, revealing hidden inefficiencies and birthing opportunities to build anew.

🗣 Clarity Over Comfort: During turbulent times, people crave direction over platitudes. Clear, consistent, and candid communication becomes the lighthouse guiding ships through the storm, transforming leaders from figureheads to the true north for their navigators.

📐 Cut the Noise: Chaos has a peculiar way of distilling priorities. It strips away the superfluous, honing focus on what genuinely drives results and impact. This clarity enables leaders to direct their resources and efforts toward pursuits that align with their mission and audience.

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Wrapping Up

If these articles sparked your interest, we have a network that you will love: Rolling Stone Culture Council.

This exclusive, vetted community brings together influential leaders and innovators in art, media, gaming, theater, social impact, fashion, film, hospitality, sports, and more.

Put yourself at the forefront of innovation with access to publishing opportunities on RollingStone.com, a personalized, SEO-friendly Executive Profile, and the chance to network with other respected leaders in the field.

Join Rolling Stone Culture Council today and become part of a group driving innovation in entertainment.