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Scott Steinberg, an expert brand marketing futurist, and keynote speaker, is on a mission to make learning about futurism accessible and intuitive.
Marketing professionals have to stay adaptable and make sense of emerging trends quickly and efficiently in this social media-driven world. If you’re new to the field, it’s normal to feel a bit lost when faced with hundreds of different trend forecasting methods, but according to Steinberg, learning it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By understanding the current technology and using existing data to your advantage, your brand can excel in engaging users and stay ahead of the competition.
Over the last two decades, Scott Steinberg has worked as a management consultant and futurist for over 1,000 brands, including American Express and Zynga, and delivered hundreds of in-person and virtual presentations. He’s an accomplished author who has written two bestsellers, “Digital Transformation: A Definitive Guide” and “Think Like A Futurist.”
Steinberg recently teamed up with the Association of Professional Futurists to raise awareness for his newest project, POP FUTURE™ training methodology, which teaches faster and simpler ways to make new trends and technologies more understandable and approachable for everyday audiences. We recently had a conversation with Steinberg about his passion for all things futurism and how he continues to engage his audiences worldwide.
All American Entertainment: How long have you been a professional speaker?
Scott Steinberg: Over the course of the last 20 years, I’ve given hundreds of in-person and virtual presentations to audiences in a host of countries. No two days or audiences are ever the same, and there’s always something new to learn and talk about!
AAE: Why did you choose to become a professional speaker?
Steinberg: I’m not sure I chose it so much as it chose me in that it was a natural outpouring of the work I was doing. As a futurist trend spotter and analyst for The New York Times, CNN, and USA Today, I was often contacted by the very audiences I was keeping informed about the latest business or technology trends and innovations, asking me for deeper dives and more in-person training engagements. Oftentimes, the team and I at FutureProof Strategies: The Futurist Consulting Company are asked to find quick and simple ways to communicate sophisticated, new, and novel ideas to audiences of differing skill levels that could be made up of working professionals from hundreds of fields and backgrounds.
AAE: What type of organizations are best suited to hear your message?
Steinberg: Talks are suitable for organizations of all backgrounds, sizes, and industries, as all can benefit from getting a better grasp on the future. Learn what it takes to lead, change, adapt, and innovate to whatever’s coming next. That said, corporations and associations are some of our most frequent callers, and we seem to have developed quite a following with finance, banking, healthcare, insurance, retail, technology, travel, and hospitality brands − including many of the Fortune 500.
“every one of us has the ability to get better at making decisions, exercising creativity and innovation, and becoming more resilient.”
AAE: What are your topics of expertise that you bring to an audience? Which is the most important/impactful of all of them?
Steinberg: Sample speaking topics we often touch on include: how to think like a futurist and spot or adapt to future trends; leading through change and disruption; boosting creativity, innovation, and productivity; and finding clever ways to turbo-charge marketing, advertising, and sales efforts. Virtually all subjects we cover, however, are grounded in the vital principles of change management and leadership, as every one of us has the ability to get better at making decisions, exercising creativity and innovation, and becoming more resilient.
The way we like to put it is that − whatever the future brings − we provide the tools and skills that you need to better adapt to it, and to future-proof yourself in a world of constant change and disruption. I’d argue that these skills translate over equally well to life as they do to business, and can help anyone improve their chances of getting ahead on both fronts exponentially.
AAE: What are the key points that you want our event and meeting organizers to know about this subject and how will it help their audiences?
Steinberg:
- Anyone can learn to think like a futurist when they adapt their mode of thinking − it’s not hard to see tomorrow today when you’re looking at things from the right angle.
- Simpler is often better: a 30-second story can often help concepts click in audiences’ minds more quickly and effectively than a workshop or training manual.
- Attention spans are shrinking, even as the pace of change and disruption is accelerating, and we’re all being asked to absorb information and make decisions surrounding new and novel challenges more frequently and quickly. Presentation formats need to be adapted to match that − and, as the POP FUTURE method suggests, be redesigned to fast-track learning and retention.
- Innovation doesn’t always have to mean reinvention: Simple changes in strategy can have a big impact as well.
- Remember: You don’t have to be a genius to get ahead in business today, just a little bit more clever and ingenious!
AAE: What do you feel has been your biggest career accomplishment and why?
Steinberg: I’m not sure I can pick just one career accomplishment. I’ve managed to juggle being a solo parent while owning a small business. I’ve been honored by Fortune magazine several times over and was awarded for outstanding performance by an active four-star general serving on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Those accomplishments are amazing, but even after all these years, I’m still honored to be invited by so many groups to share my thoughts on what it takes to stay one step ahead of the curve. Heck, I’m just happy to do my small part to help others stay up to date on what’s coming next, and acquire the skills they need to continue finding success in their career journey.
“Innovation doesn’t always have to mean reinvention: Simple changes in strategy can have a big impact as well.”
AAE: If you were not a professional speaker, what career would you have and why?
Steinberg: Professional beach bum − there’s just something about the ocean and sitting under a palm tree. Then again, I might go for a professional treasure hunter… it certainly looks entertaining on TV!
AAE: Where can our readers find you on social media?
Facebook | LinkedIn | Website | POP FUTURE If you’d like to learn more about Scott Steinberg or book him for a speaking engagement, click here. We’ve also put together this list of leading voices in futurism today, which includes experts that predict upcoming trends in economics, marketing, health, robotics, workplaces, and many other fields.