Esports Could Be An Olympic Sport By 2024
After years of pushback, some people think that esports may be on the verge of recognition as a “real” sport – courtesy of the International Olympic Committee.
Global Thinking
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
How To Break Up With Your Bank Over Ethical Differences
In a perfect example of Passive Loyalty (a 2017 trend from Non-Obvious), this article on discusses how to break up with your bank. While changing banks is notoriously inconvenient, the author of the piece was inspired to do so because of ethical differences with his bank (Wells Fargo) and its support of the Dakota pipeline. This consumer empowerment … Read more
Why Chief Marketing Officers Don’t Last
The tenure of most Chief Marketing Officers is woefully short, but this fact is often dismissed as a symptom of changing leadership or sometimes ineffective results. New research points to the fact that CMOs often suffer from vaguely defined job responsibilities and confusion between whether more strategic thinking or focus on commercialization (or a hybrid) … Read more
MIT Shares Theory On Why Some Neighborhoods Evolve
Why do some neighborhoods evolve and gentrify while others don’t? This fascinating story is about a joint research program between MIT and Harvard to identify what causes urban change. Tested with five American cities, this system quantifies the physical improvement or deterioration of neighborhoods. The early results are already surprising: “Contrary to popular belief, raw … Read more
6 Awesome Ways Canada Is Celebrating Its 150th Anniversary
As we head into a time when both America and Canada celebrate their national birthdays – this week’s newsletter takes an inside look at some of the most significant ways that Canada is celebrating it’s 150th anniversary as a country. In contrast to the “melting pot” of America which has often been criticized for how … Read more
IKEA’s Secret Insights, Google Explains Syria And The “Avolatte”
What is the most hipster-centric product you could imagine? The answer is just one of the six interesting stories curated for you in this week’s newsletter. Along with the ironically true tale of the invention of the “Avolatte,” you’ll read about new efforts to become more relevant and innovative from the USPS, a promising new … Read more
Professional Ghosting, Why We Prefer Serious Robots and the Secret Genius Of Trump’s Paid Applauders
A tequila maker cashing in on the craft drink phenomenon, the surprising reasons why vending machines are so popular in Japan, how drones are evolving to offer unexpected solutions and what Trump’s fake audiences should teach us about media consumption. Those stories and a highly entertaining ad that will show you everything you need … 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
Google’s Touchscreen Whiteboard, Sweden’s Brilliant Tax Break and Honda 3D Prints An Electric Minivan
I took a tour through many different industries and sites this week to bring you my selections for the most underappreciated stories of the week today. To be honest, I had a bit more freedom with these as I’m happy to share I submitted the final manuscript for my 2017 Trend Report last week and … Read more
