TrendWatching | MakeShift

Edition #17 | Your weekly inspiration fix • 28 September - 4 October 2023

INDUSTRY TREND

CULINARY CONVENIENCE: Smart brands bring healthy food options straight to the home

Over 3/4 of global consumers look to the food industry for guidance on their health, a challenging task when ultra-processed foods (UPFs) dominate 70% of supermarket shelves. Those faced with hectic lifestyles appreciate brands that make it easier to choose healthier, more natural options. From AI-powered meal planning to kitchen concepts that extend food freshness and pre-packed healthy school lunches, smart brands are dishing out unparalleled convenience from the comfort of consumers’ homes!

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INNOVATION

🇩🇰Elby turns buildings into EV-charging cooperatives, with residents sharing revenues

Charging infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the exponential growth of fully electric vehicles in Europe, especially in urban areas. Copenhagen-based Elby just launched a potential solution by… read more

INNOVATION

🇺🇸 Penguin Random House takes on US book bans with Banned Wagon Tour

Penguin Random House will hit the road next month, traveling through Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana and Texas. The publishers are on a mission: to fight US book bans limiting the fiction and non-fiction titles that… read more

INNOVATION

🇨🇭🇬🇧Nestlé’s two-year trial uses cocoa husks as low-carbon fertilizer on UK farms

Food behemoth Nestlé is breaking new ground with a two-year UK pilot program that evaluates cocoa shells as a low-carbon alternative to synthetic fertilizers. The cocoa shells are sourced from Cargill's York facility… read more

INSIGHT

The rise of corporate commitments to ‘Mother Nature’

Apple unveiled its latest sustainability promise earlier this month, with the symbolic portrayal of Mother Nature as a board member holding the company accountable for the validity and value of its claims. Beyond the theatrics, there's a point to be made: who, exactly, are the brand’s sustainability promises intended for?

Last year, Faith in Nature became the first company to place ‘Nature’ on its board of directors and you probably remember Patagonia making Earth its sole shareholder.

Can nature become integral to your sustainability policies and decision-making processes?

INSIGHT

Adapting business models to a changing climate

The insurance industry is facing major disruptions as unpredictable weather patterns and more frequent natural disasters make homes virtually uninsurable. Insurers are opting to leave high-risk areas like the state of California, creating a protection gap for citizens. In the EU, some cities are piloting new models that incentivize consumers to take proactive climate-protection measures and encourage insurance partners to co-design new solutions that take climate risk into account.

How is climate change disrupting your industry? As October becomes iced pumpkin-spice season, ski resorts welcome downhill mountain bikers and Sweden looks to grow its wine industry, it’s time to consider how you need to adapt your business model.

THOUGHT STARTER

Is your brand guilty of ‘blurred advertising’?

A new FTC staff paper highlights how ‘blurred’ online ad practices can be harmful and misleading for children who struggle to differentiate ads from organic content. The solution? Full disclosure 📢

INSIGHT

Carrefour calls out shrinkflation to shame suppliers

Supermarket chain Carrefour is rallying against ‘shrinkflation’ in its French stores. They've affixed bright stickers to 26 products, exposing size reductions after suppliers increased their prices. This move not only informs Carrefour's customers but also puts pressure on brands (122 of which were found guilty) to reevaluate their practices.

In an interview with Le Parisien earlier this week, French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne shared plans to crack down on this issue, indicating that in the future, product changes must be clearly featured on their packaging.

Get ahead of legislation: how can you communicate unavoidable product changes up front? With some brands openly wearing their mission on their sleeve, packaging is an increasingly useful way to practice transparency.

Trend behind the insight: BRAND MOVEMENTS

INSIGHT

Trader Joe’s and ShopRite stand behind ‘people-first' checkout

The majority of Americans prefer self-checkout, and retailers are rushing to adopt various technologies from walk-out systems to biometric scans. But recently, US grocery chain Trader Joe's announced it won’t introduce self-checkout and ShopRite reinstated full-service checkout.

Why? Self-checkout is efficient, but it contributes to an isolated shopping experience and lower customer satisfaction. Trader Joe’s decision may seem counterintuitive, but it reflects its broader brand proposition: to put customers first. Often recognized for its friendly in-store experience, the grocer is proud to offer a personal touch.

When introducing new technology, consider how it aligns with your brand values. Will it radically alter what customers love about your brand?

INNOVATION

🇺🇸 Beauty beyond bias: Glow Recipe casts unseen models for major ad campaign

To challenge conventional beauty norms, Glow Recipe decided to challenge conventional casting norms. The beauty brand's largest-ever ad campaign was built on a unique premise: an anonymous casting… read more

INNOVATION

🇺🇸Binoculars as the latest guest amenity? IHG's voco hotels offer a birdwatching package

Along with bread-baking and binge-watching, birding surged during pandemic lockdowns. Nurturing this collective fascination with feathered friends, voco hotels has introduced a birdwatching… read more

Talk to us

Be sure to ping our editor, Galina Yordanov, if you're working on something we should feature on MakeShift.

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