Modern relics and the future of brand collaboration

Smell like your favorite celebrity…& other unexpected retail trends

This analysis was originally published in Curious Commerce, my biweekly-ish newsletter on the future of consumer and retail.

Photo by Ellen Auer on Unsplash

There has never been a more exciting time to be working in consumer and retail. Every day I see new product launches, brands, and partnerships popping up that are serving increasingly diverse (and increasingly niche) audiences. Web Smith’s concept of linear commerce underlies this phenomenon. With a connected audience, anything is possible.

Web Smith’s linear commerce predicts audience-driven niche product launches

With the “audience is everything” principle in mind, I believe we will see an evolution in how brands and creators develop and market products.

Modern relics

A relic traditionally refers to a personal effect that’s tied to a saint or renowned individual. In 2021, this vaunted category will broaden to include anyone with a lot of TikTok followers. Driven by the rise of niche communities and the increased ubiquity of multi-channel social media, we will see some weird consumer products and collaborations pop up…