Create Tomorrow, The WGSN Podcast

How can the NFL grow its league now and in the future? In this episode, Cassandra Napoli, WGSN’s, and Kyle Smith, the NFL’s first Fashion Editor explore how fashion can boost connections with fans – particularly younger audiences and women. He shares insights on the NFL’s strategic move into fashion, the importance of authentic athlete representation, and the potential for athletes to transition into fashion careers post-retirement. Join them to learn about the cultural shifts shaking up the sports industry and find out how to score successful partnerships and campaigns that have brought athletes into the fashion spotlight.

How can brands work with creatives to land successful campaigns with strong relationships? Our host Cassandra Napoli invites GRLSWIRL’s CEO and Co-founder, Lucy Osinski, and Co-founder and Chief of Global Community/Partnerships, Kelsey Harkin, to share how their women-led group skate cultivates Collective Effervescence through inclusive empowerment.They champion Soft Adventure – WGSN’s top trend, where many consumers seek less physically demanding outdoor activities that need little prior expertise. Find out how they harnessed social media and grassroots activism to expand their reach from their early days of skating on Venice Beach to growing a global movement.

What’s the last advertisement you simply can’t forget? In this episode, WGSN’s Create Tomorrow host, Cassandra Napoli, learns from Havas Lynx’s Creative Director, Gabriel Araujo, about advertisers’ evolving role in capturing consumer’s short attention spans and why he enjoys collaborating with young and old to bring ideas to life.From generative AI and its ethical implications plus the effectiveness of IRL brand activations to cultivating joy to progress consumer culture, Gabriel shares his insights on crafting ads that resonate well. Find out how and why WGSN’s brand strategies – Advertising, the rising Slow Advertising, and Restorytelling adding unique cultural value – and local, not global campaigns are driving advertising.

Gen Beta will be the first to grow up in an AI-driven world, raised by Gen Z and Zellennial parents who are rethinking digital childhoods amid technology’s influence. Born between 2025 and 2040, Betas will be shaped by hyper-personalised tech, sustainability, and ethical innovation – forcing brands to progress Gen Alpha strategies. We explore Gen Beta’s defining traits – from the rise of inclusive postpartum care and innovative infant nutrition, to why some Gen Z parents choose to go offline and the increasing need for safety online. Find out how Gen Beta will be and what this means for brands with Cassandra Napoli, Create Tomorrow’s host, Allyson Rees, WGSN’s Senior Lifestyle Strategist, and Claire Lancaster, WGSN’s Head of Food and Drink.

In this episode, we are looking at winning over tween and teen consumers online and at retail which is something our guest, Meghan Hurley, Claire’s Vice President of Global Marketing knows a lot about. Straight from her session at this year’s National Retail Federation’s Big Show held in New York, she talks to WGSN's Cassandra Napoli about winning with modern consumers. Meghan reflects on how Claire’s targets Zalpha consumers (the fringe generation sandwiched between Gen Z and Gen Alpha aged 9-14) by cocreating campaigns and products alongside them and aligning with their preferences for phygital experiences.

It’s 2025, and chrono-normativity, hustle culture, and unhealthy habits are out. Which movements are shaking things up across industries?Ditching societal norms of traditional adult milestones, the Forever Young Adult is trailblazing their own timeline. Consumers are grappling with global challenges by seeking ease and dressing in comfortable Day-jamas, tending to their needs with Therapeutic Laziness. Discover more trends WGSN forecasts for the coming year. Join Carla Buzasi, CEO of WGSN with her colleagues, Lisa White, Director of Strategic Forecasting and Creative Direction, and Cassandra Napoli, Head of Marketing and Events at WGSN Insight.

Future Dusk is a dark, moody and intriguing hue, offering a fresh take on dependable dark blue, sitting between blue and purple. Simultaneously familiar and futuristic, its sense of mystery and escapism feeds into themes of transition – be it from dark to light, or dusk to dawn –  perfect for a period of immense change. Listen to find out how this transformative colour is painting our future.

In this episode, we look at the 2027 STEPIC forecasts which track the challenges and opportunities for 2027 across six areas: Society, Technology, the Environment, Politics, Industry, and Creativity (STEPIC). This proprietary methodology at WGSN acts as the lens through which we predict trends years in advance.  Joining our host, Cassandra Napoli, are WGSN experts – Lisa White, Content Director of Strategic Forecasting, Ella Hudson, Head of Research, and Martina Rocca, Foresight Lead. Find out how we explore the drivers, innovation, and key emotions set to impact 2027.

Today’s niche pop cultural references are dynamically shifting the language of tomorrow. From “skibidi” to “hawk tuah,” decode the everyday slang words and phrases Alphas and Gen Z are using to engage them effectively and authentically. WGSN’s Head of Marketing and Events and Create Tomorrow’s brand new host Cassandra Napoli explores how young people are shaping the future of the English language with their online behaviors. Joining her are WGSN’s Senior Strategist Liz Tan and Fashion Strategist Mia Jacobs who uncover how brands can harness the language of the youth and seamlessly insert themselves into the conversation.

The WGSN podcast Create Tomorrow has a brand new permanent host: Cassandra Napoli, Head of Events and Marketing at WGSN. Cassandra speaks with Lisa White, Director of Strategic Forecasting at WGSN for the penultimate Create Tomorrow before she takes over the podcast. Having hosted and starred on previous WGSN podcasts, we mark her appointment with a special episode to get to know her and what she does. Hear what inspires Cassandra, her journey into trend forecasting, and what her first episode of Create Tomorrow is all about.