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Why Leica Thinks Brand Transformation Is Overrated

I once heard a CEO describe the mentality of many new marketing executives as similar to a dog peeing on a fire hydrant: they are both too focused on engaging in mostly futile attempts to establish ownership. The analogy is slightly off putting, but not all that inaccurate. In that context, this unearthed print ad … Read more

Japan’s Hottest Wedding Photo Trend: Couples Sealed In Airtight Plastic

Nothing says forever like getting vacuum sealed in plastic to be photographed with your newly beloved. Tokyo-based photographer Haruhiko Kawaguchi describes his quirky portrait idea as “a way for people to express how close and in love they are. ” At the end of the day, everyone wants to have that unforgettable wedding photo so there … Read more

An Inside Look At The First Robotic Microapartment Design

As apartments get smaller and urban areas get more crowded, real estate companies and residents themselves will look for more creative ways to use limited space. A new robotic “microapartment” hitting the market now may offer an interesting solution focused on creating a living space smart enough to adapt at the touch of a button … Read more

How Brands and Small Town America Are Cashing In On The Eclipse

As the highly anticipated solar eclipse approaches, there are plenty of towns and brands finding creative ways to cash in. Chiquita created a humorous video about the impending “Banana Sun,” there are “eclipse chasing” flights selling for $10,000 and Krispy Kreme even created an “eclipse donut.” This article takes a deeper look at the windfall that seems to be approaching small … Read more

IKEA Creates 72 Regional Versions Of Its Iconic Catalog … Here’s Why

This week IKEA will release its new 2018 catalog, and this timely piece looks at how a small internal army of hundreds of photographers, art directors, copywriters, proofreaders, prop masters, carpenters, photo retouchers, programmers and CGI specialists make the catalog globally relevant. From zooming in on kitchen photos (because Chinese kitchens are smaller than American … Read more

Your Next Camera Will Retouch Your Pictures While You Take Them

Starting with a set of 5,000 images that were retouched by five different photographers, Google and MIT built an algorithm that can automatically retouch a photo WHILE you take it. In a world already filled with “photoshopped” images which distort reality, advancements like this have the potential to further blur the line between real and … Read more

How “The Backscratchers” Are Reinventing The Agency Model

Back when I worked in the agency world, I remember the angst every time an unreasonable demand came in from a client without a “proper” brief. Rather than try to change this sad reality of last minute requests (or complain about it behind the client’s back), “The Backscratchers” agency have created a model that embraces … Read more

Brazilian Publisher Offers On-Demand Clever Captions For Your Selfies

Sometimes it is hard to pick the perfect caption for your selfie, but Brazilian publisher Leya has a solution to help … and introduce you to some of their newest authors in the process. The brand launched a chatbot that will ask you about your photo and then suggest a quote from one of their … Read more

15 Non-Obvious Business Trends Shaping 2017 (Retail, Consumer, Tech, Marketing, and Media)

Are you a member of the media? Visit our media kit to download a trend summary and more information about requesting an interview with Rohit >> This week I launched the seventh edition of my annual trend report featuring all of my research from throughout the year on trends. Many of you have already picked … Read more

Intel Creates Drone Fireworks, Unilever Bans Sexist Ads and How To Spin Getting Fired

Fear dominated the headlines this week as “Brexit” cast a scary spotlight on everything from the future of globalization to the belief gap between the young and old. Thankfully, amidst all the doomsday predictions, there were also plenty of stories of hope – from Unilever’s moves to ban sexism in their advertising to the story … Read more

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In addition to Non-Obvious Thinking, Rohit is the author of 10 books on trends, the future of business, building a more human brand with storytelling and how to create a more diverse and inclusive world.

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