TrendWatching | MakeShift

Edition #16 | Your weekly inspiration fix • 21 - 27 September 2023

TREND

PROFICIENT IN PURPOSE: It’s time to bridge the green skills gap

As companies eye sustainable growth, the need for experts in green roles is growing. Just one in eight workers possess sustainability skills, so it’s no wonder demand is outpacing supply. Addressing that gap, forward-thinking brands like Reed and EY (more on its Green Skills passport elsewhere in this issue) are training people to shape our net-zero future.

Join in by upskilling your own employees. Next, consider sharing your training programs with other brands and help everyone become proficient in purpose!

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INNOVATION

🇺🇸 Rx without the plastic? Cabinet Health launches refillable prescriptions in glass jars

Cabinet Health just unveiled a pharmaceutical game-changer. Its new offering, Cabinet Health Rx, is a refillable glass bottle system for over 150 commonly prescribed medications. A world's first, the initiative… read more

INNOVATION

🇦🇺 Since one in four Australian adults can't swim, Allianz Swim Club will teach them for free

Swimming is a natural fit for Australia, a country surrounded by water and blessed with some of the world's most beautiful beaches and outdoor swimming pools. But not everyone feels confident in the… read more

INNOVATION

🇫🇷 LVMH is building a center for craftsmanship in Paris, slated to open in 2025

In a strategic move to elevate both public engagement and employee development, LVMH Group has announced the construction of its Maison des Métiers d'Excellence in Paris, set to be completed by the end of… read more

INSIGHT

The EU bans glitter, eyes all microplastic products

Aiming to reduce microplastic pollution by 30% by 2030, the EU has adopted a ban on glitter and on other intentionally-added microplastics. The glitter ban went into effect last week, with a longer timeline for other types of polymer microparticles, but cosmetics, toys and textiles containing microbeads and plastic-based glitter are already being removed from store shelves.

With additional targets for plastic pellets – which are used to produce everything from detergent containers to sports pitches – the EU's plastic crackdown will soon impact almost every industry. And with good reason: microplastics impact both the environment and our health. As harmful effects become more evident, brands bear the responsibility of safeguarding consumers and empowering them to make informed choices. So: will you wait for legislation to force your hand, or get ahead of the game and be your industry’s Cabinet Health…?

See 20+ innovators turning waste into wealth

TREND

KINDNESS (RE)KINDLING: How brands can ignite kindness and compassion

What do Bebe Rexha, Rome’s Colosseum and Delta Airlines have in common? They’ve all been victims of bad behavior. While incivility isn’t new, evidence suggests it’s getting worse: 76% of frontline workers experience anger, insults and rudeness at least once a month.

What’s driving the downward spiral? The answer is complex. Loneliness, polarization and the overwhelming torrent of social media are all contributing factors, but it's difficult to determine cause and consequence.

Whatever the cause and acknowledging there’s no easy fix, brands can push back by reminding people of their better nature. Take a cue from a pass-it-on initiative encouraging people to share appreciation with those they care about, and from Bumble’s focus on kindness. Then find a way to embed empathy and compassion into your next campaign.

THOUGHT STARTER

Chinese resale app integrates storytelling

On Xianyu, sellers share personal memories about the items they’ve listed. When venturing into resale anything, consider the emotional value that provenance and backstories add to pre-loved items. Especially to buyers craving something beyond the ordinary.

INSIGHT

Ingredient-conscious consumers reshape industry expectations

A growing interest in ingredients, which started in the skincare industry, is now reshaping hair care preferences, too. In a DSM study, 56% of consumers revealed that active ingredients are more important than brand, package or fragrance when it comes to purchasing shampoo or other hair products.

Brands are responding to those composition considerations by doubling down on transparency. Paula’s Choice launched an ingredient checker while Haeckels placed bioreactors in stores for a visual link between the brand’s new hero ingredient and its manufacturing process.

From pharmaceuticals to food, ingredients are in the spotlight in other industries, too. As concerns around provenance and safety continue to mount, an emphasis on ingredient education will be a strategic move for brands looking to connect with consumers.

INSIGHT

Tuvalu to remain as a digital nation, even if land is lost to rising sea levels

Almost one year after Tuvalu’s Minister for Justice, Communication & Foreign Affairs announced the country’s plan to become the world’s first digital nation, the Parliament of Tuvalu has enacted constitutional amendments that allow the island nation to remain ‘in perpetuity’, even if it’s engulfed by the water that surrounds it.

International law states that a country requires physical territory and a permanent population, but the approved amendments set a new definition of statehood. This opens up an interesting question: how can citizens of a digital-only nation feel represented? Generative AI is already being used to facilitate self-expression. Could similar tools help digital citizens connect with their nation and express their unique identity?

Explore our trend CODED IDENTITY for more on identity in digital spaces

INNOVATION

🇸🇬 Rolling out in Singapore, world’s first multilingual brain game for fending off dementia

Developed by Associate Professor Yow Wei Quin and her team at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Ami is an app aiming to boost cognitive function in seniors, focusing on those with early-to-moderate… read more

INNOVATION

🇺🇸🇬🇧 Opening doors to green jobs, EY and Microsoft offer free course and Green Skills Passport

EY and Microsoft have unveiled the Green Skills Passport, an educational offering for people aged 16 and over. The free program aims to build knowledge and skills vital for the growing green job market… 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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