TrendWatching | MakeShift

Edition #7 | Your weekly inspiration fix • 13 - 20 July 2023

TREND DEEP DIVE

COMMON TONGUE: How APAC brands can build bridges and heal fractured societies

The rapid pace of economic growth across Asia Pacific has exacerbated existing social, economic and cultural disparity, and that's taking its toll on civic cohesion. It’s hard, if not impossible, to move towards a better future using yesteryear's words and modes of communication. A common language that can break down… read more

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INNOVATION

🇫🇷 On French farms, Fairme's robots produce yogurt and cheese in fully automated 'ateliers'

Selling products like yogurt and cheese offers dairy farmers a far higher margin than trucking off milk wholesale as a commodity. But most farms lack the skills, labor, equipment or space to do so. Fairme, a French startup based in Grenoble, is employing… read more

INNOVATION

🇺🇸 Stanford researchers develop colorful paint that reflects sunlight to keep buildings cool

White buildings, iconic in sun-drenched countries like Greece and Morocco, have long showcased the benefits of reflective architecture. White, however, isn't always the most practical or suitable color. Stanford University… read more

INNOVATION

🇬🇧 Neobank Science Card's customers round up purchases to fund research

As the UK's first e-money account expressly designed to fuel scientific research and innovation, the neobank offers potential customers two options. After opening a free Standard account, users can round up their… read more

TREND HUNCH

BRAND GATEKEEPERS: Value-led tactics keep wary customers on side

Politically divisive events such as the Russia-Ukraine War, the Qatar World Cup and climate activism against Big Oil are forcing brands to reconsider their associations and actions.

In the face of mounting consumer demand for genuine action over empty gestures, brands are protecting their reputations and reaffirming their values by taking various decisive measures:

Severing ties: curtailing business that conflicts with their values
Encouraging responsible consumerism: raising rather than lowering prices on seasonal shopping days like Black Friday, for instance
Community stewardship: managing customer behavior to protect local cultures, environments and public spaces

How is your brand taking responsibility for its impact?

Utilize our Consumer Trend Canvas to devise value-led tactics of your own

INSIGHT

Console gaming industry shifts towards subscription and in-game purchases

With the rising cost of living, it's no surprise that consumers are turning to free-to-download options like Fortnite and Apex Legends and spending money on in-game purchases instead of pricey standalone games. A PS5 giveaway even caused riots in New York earlier this month.

This shift in player preferences is changing the USD 60 billion business: virtual goods and subscription services are becoming just as crucial as packaged games. In fact, console gamers are expected to spend just as much on in-game items and subscriptions in 2023 as they do on game downloads and discs, according to research by Ampere Analysis.

As the console world adopts the modus operandi of mobile gaming, businesses looking to enter the gaming market have plenty of opportunities for monetization and revenue streams. Can you release digital collectibles that reward consumers or create entertaining branded experiences in their favorite gaming worlds?

THOUGHT STARTER

Young citizens demand healthy environment in landmark lawsuit

Last week, a US court found Montana State guilty of violating its young citizens’ rights to a ‘clean and healthful environment.’ How will you supersede regulations and apply green brand laws? Because in the court of public opinion, sustainability is non-negotiable.

INSIGHT

Year-over-year search growth for ‘ethics in AI’ quintuples

As AI adoption reaches new heights, how can your brand chart an ethical course for its use of the technology?

The astounding +519% year-over-year search growth for ‘ethics in AI’ in July 2023 sends a clear signal: consumers are not only enthusiastic about AI's potential but also increasingly concerned about its ethical implications.

There’s an opportunity for businesses to take the lead and actively set the bar around AI principles by candidly addressing possible biases, disclosing when content is generated by AI or publicly challenging the tech’s proliferation. What steps have you taken?

Trend behind the insight: SUPERHUMAN RESOURCES

TREND

EDIBLE STANDARDS: Regenerative F&B brands raise the bar for brands across industries

Organic goods have become an established consumer choice, and early adopters are seeking out new products that do good by planet.

The F&B sector is taking the lead here. German supermarket chain REWE launched a new store brand helping local farmers with the transition to organic farming. Japanese beverage giant Asahi deployed vending machines that absorb and store CO2 to turn it into fertilizer and concrete. And in Uganda, Rootical Start-up Studio is shaking up the food system by backing social entrepreneurs who establish regenerative agri-food businesses.

As global food supply chains come under increasing pressure, localized food networks will put power back into the hands of regional authorities, communities and people. Can you build cross-industry alliances that foster the creation of a nature-positive economy?

INNOVATION

🇺🇸 Reminding users to call or text, Catchup app helps nurture core relationships

Built for people who'd like to get better at nurturing inner circle relationships, a new app called Catchup functions as a helpful social assistant. When setting up the app, users select an individual contact and… read more

INNOVATION

🇧🇷 Itaú uses AI to visualize and honor Brazil's lost generations of female soccer players

For 40 years, Brazilian women were legally barred from playing football. Itaú Unibanco, a prominent sponsor of men's, women's and youth soccer, now seeks to honor those could-have-been national… 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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