Research used to live in the margins – a quiet, pre-campaign ritual conducted in nondescript offices, decks and Google tabs that nobody bragged about. Strategy was the scaffolding. Insight was backstage.
Now, not so much. The mid-2020s are seeing the rise of a new figure in the cultural economy: the researcher-strategist as main character. If the 2010s belonged to the influencer, the 2020s may belong to what fashion search engine Lyst has dubbed “vibe analysts aka info-influencers acting as digital spirit guides to the next big thing.”
The most culturally fluent strategists increasingly resemble creators – posting videos, sharing frameworks and building followings. Meanwhile, the most compelling creators are adopting the posture of researchers. The boundary is dissolving. Think Brad Troemel, Eugene Healey, etc.
"Despite this abundance of enthusiasm for cultural research, it often feels like it’s easier than ever to slip into the gravity well of banality. Cookie-cutter essays optimised for algorithmic engagement. Hot takes stripped of depth. Fleeting fads interpreted as extreme, paradigm-shifting hyperbole."
In other words, the same traps that have long haunted content creation are alive and well – even in spaces devoted to insight.
Protein AGENCY provides insight, foresight and strategy for global brands that's rooted in culture and the collective knowledge of SEED CLUB - our decentralised research community of 500+ global experts.
