Before most brands understood the loneliness epidemic, robot romance, or AI disruption, futurist Kimberly Bates was already mapping their trajectory, often a decade ahead. In this episode of What's The Big Idea, Kim shares how she predicted bottled water's rise at Coca-Cola, pioneered the "Alone Together" insight for Hyundai, and coined the B2R2C (Business to Robot to Consumer) framework that's now reshaping customer journeys. She breaks down the difference between trends and foresights, explains why "facts get you indexed but emotions get you chosen," and reveals the three-part optimization strategy brands need now: SEO, AIO, and EEO (Emotional Engine Optimization). Whether you're a scrappy startup or a billion-dollar brand, Kim's insights on future-proofing through human connection, audio psychology, and mood care will fundamentally shift how you think about marketing's next evolution.

Timestamps:

00:30 Meet Kim Bates: The Futurist and Marketing Strategist

01:28 Kim's Early Career and Insights

03:32 The Bottled Water Prediction

04:55 Telecom Industry and Teen Insights

09:38 Defining Futurism vs. Brand Strategy

11:23 The Power of Insights and Trends

18:42 Futurism in Practice

25:37 The Loneliness Epidemic and Robot Romance

34:30 Interactive AI Experience

35:12 The Future of Audio UX

37:30 Mood Hacking and Self-Care

40:44 AI and Emotional Optimization

44:28 Building Trust with AI

52:21 B2R2C: Business to Robot to Consumer

58:42 Future-Proofing Your Brand

01:01:25 Rapid-Fire Questions and Insights

Follow Jim and Kim:

Connect with Jim: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimdipiazza/

Website: https://www.jimdipiazza.com/

Connect with Kim: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlybates1/

Website: https://www.futurecaster.co/