Welcome
Rob Salkowitz Associates is a strategic consulting firm providing insight, custom research, thought leadership and advisory services for innovative organizations in technology, media, entertainment and marketing. We have four main practice areas focusing on startups, fan engagement, trend forecasting, and general marketing services.
About Rob
Rob Salkowitz is an internationally-recognized expert in the intersection of digital media and social and business trends. He has worked with clients ranging from international corporations, governments and NGOs to small businesses and early-stage startups to engage with specialized audiences, identify new opportunities and articulate their vision for the future. He is the author of four books, contributor to Forbes and other business publications, on the faculty of the University of Washington Communication Leadership Graduate Program, and co-founder of several companies including the digital marketing firm MediaPlant.
Rob writes regular columns on the business of entertainment and popular culture for Forbes and ICv2, and on startups and innovation at OMNI.MEDIA. His work has appeared in FastCompany, Entrepreneur, Bloomberg BusinessWeek and other leading publications. He speaks at events around the world, keynoting at consumer and trade shows, moderating panels and presenting original research. Contact Rob [email protected] for more information about booking him for events and consulting.
Fathom Fandom helps fan-oriented events and brands engage authentically with “geek culture” audiences. We bring the knowledge and credibility of one of the most respected voices in the business of popular culture to help clients understand trends in fandom, reach key decision-makers and influencers, and avoid embarrassing mistakes.
View articles ↓- Business consulting/advisory
- Audience research and analytics
- Custom content (bylines, thought leadership)
- Keynotes, panels, and event appearances
Clients include
Articles
 | ‘Night Eaters: Her Little Reapers’ Is A Brilliant, Funny, Disturbing Masterpiece11/29/2023 FORBES The second volume of the best-selling graphic novel series Night Eaters by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda delivers thrills, laughs and gorgeous art. |
 | Gifts For Geeks 2023: Top Holiday Items For The Fan In Your Life11/24/2023 FORBES A handy sampling of books, apparel, merchandise and software for every genre fan taste and budget. |
 | The Builder Who Made Me: A Personal Review Of Mark Ellison’s ‘Building’11/23/2023 FORBES For Thanksgiving, some reflections on a recent work whose message of craft and connection hits home on a personal level. |
Articles
 | Netflix Hit Series ‘Bodies’ Has A Buried Backstory11/18/2023 FORBES The show adapts a masterpiece graphic novel by a recently deceased author, but the book remains hard to obtain. |
 | Vault Comics, Aethon Books Announce Cross Platform Media Partnership10/31/2023 FORBES The deal brings together two popular libraries of genre titles and gives each company access to a fast-growing new market. |
 | This Fall’s Top Graphic Novels Run The Full Range Of Emotions10/26/2023 FORBES Complex narratives, simple fables, history, music and personal memoirs highlight this year's biggest new releases. |
Storytelling for Startups helps new companies hone their message for customers, investors and media by focusing on the business value and transformative impact of technology innovation. We work with individual companies or stakeholders such as VCs, Accelerators, NGOs and government agencies to develop breakthrough messaging.
View articles ↓- Business consulting/advisory
- Brand and message development
- Custom content (bylines, thought leadership)
- Executive coaching and content (pitch decks, keynotes)
Clients include
Articles
 | Can Better Data Head Off Environmental Disasters?06/21/2017OMNI Startup uses machine learning and advanced visualizations to put innovation in the pipeline. |
| Visual Content Needs a Social Life06/06/2017OMNI Fast-paced startup is giving brands and users a safe space to connect around rich imagery and immersive experiences. |
| Sifting Through Data In Search of Truth06/02/2017OMNI Startup Aims to Tear Down the Walls Between Experts and the Data They Need. |
Insight Forward helps clients understand and adapt to what’s coming next in turbulent and uncertain times. We apply the techniques of scenario planning and other forecasting methodologies to game out possible futures, identifying unexpected opportunities and potential threats, and help clients share their vision of the future through compelling content and presentations.
View articles ↓- Strategic planning/consulting
- Research and analysis
- Custom content creation
- Keynotes, panels, event facilitation
Clients include
Articles
| What United’s Brand Fiasco Could Mean For Media And Content Providers04/11/2017FORBES United Airlines’ PR nightmare stemming from the release of a video showing the forcible removal of a paying customer from a flight, and the company’s ham-fisted and Orwellian response to critics, is a veritable towering inferno of brand damage, still blazing out of control in its second day, doing some damage to UAL’s share price. |
| How Crowds of Humans Are Making AI Systems Scary-Smart03/01/2017OMNI Meet the startup whose new product promises to speed development of chatbots and machine learning systems. |
| Who Won The Commercial Bowl? Here’s How The Super Bowl Ads Fared On Social Media02/05/2017FORBES While the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons square off in Super Bowl LI, advertisers are competing in the highest-stakes game of the year. Which TV commercials are getting buzz? |
Books
Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture
Young World Rising
Generation Blend
Listening to the Future
Books
Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture
"I just read Rob Salkowitz's terrific new book and, y'know what? Even I learned new stuff! If you're a comic book nut like me, miss it at your own risk!" —Stan Lee, Comics legend
More on Amazon →Books
Young World Rising
"Salkowitz identifies an exciting new trend in global business and introduces us to a fresh young cast of entrepreneurs whose ideas are literally changing the world… A call-to-arms for the next generation of talent." —Daniel Pink, best-selling author of Drive
More on Amazon →Books
Generation Blend
"Generation Blend is must-reading for managers who mean to succeed over the next decade." —Lawrence Wilkinson, Chairman, Heminge and Condell
More on Amazon →Books
Listening to the Future
"We need good ways to think through the implications of [transformation] in the world around us. Rasmus and Salkowitz present a number of thought-provoking ideas..." —Ray Kurtzweil, The Singularity is Near
More on Amazon →
