The New Classic cultural intelligence model considers different types of forces that shape culture, from large macro tensions through to small examples of trends that tether these forces into our daily life. Our insights model is comprised of three types of forces that shape culture and consumer behavior.
Tensions are opposing, but related forces in our world: Abundance vs. Curation or Optimism vs. Cynicism, which ebb and flow in cultural conversation. Brands can help resolve or tap into these tensions with how they position themselves in the world.
Trends are smaller forces which change the balance of one or more tensions. A trend towards consumers ‘shopping small’ shifts the balance of a tension between ‘Global vs. Local’, a move towards ‘de-influencing’ shapes the balance of ‘Authenticity vs. Aspiration’.
Tethers are examples of how a trend manifests in the world. A symbol that shows something was ‘Made by Humans’ vs. AI is a tether for trends around Authenticity in the Age of AI. Tethers are the tangible instances of how a trend exists.
Below is the the living map of the cultural tensions and trends shaping culture — enduring opposing needs, the trends responding to them, and the real stories that make up each. Click on a tension or trend to see more.
Airgo is New Classic’s cultural-intelligence engine: it reads the news through a Tensions › Trends › Tethers framework — enduring opposing human needs (tensions), the shorter-term cultural responses to them (trends), and the real articles carrying each (tethers). These pages regenerate automatically. Updated 09 Jul 2026.
