28 2023 October
Self-Checkout Is a Failed Experiment
Self-checkout is not a delightful experience. Goods don’t always scan properly. The system stalls if you don’t put a scanned item in the right place. Double scanning...
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07 2023 September
What Is Prada’s New $650 Underwear Designed to Be Worn Without Pants Really Saying?
According to fashion industry insiders, Prada’s latest release of a $650 pair of underwear is “no surprise” given the brand’s track record of expensive essentials. What was...
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07 2023 August
How The Nintendo NES Game Console Changed the World
Yes, I am part of the generation that grew up with the original Nintendo gaming system … and sometimes I even feature it in my...
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26 2023 July
When Influencer Marketing Goes Predictably Wrong
When a fast fashion retailer often criticized for negative environmental and labor track record wants to recast its brand image, it is not a good...
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19 2023 July
The Crocs Engagement Ring Is Here for Couples Who Want to Stand Out (and Think Style Is Overrated)
How do you reinvent something as staid and traditional as the engagement ring? One jeweler in the UK had the bright idea to create this “Croc...
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09 2022 July
Why Coffee Might Make You Impulsively Buy Useless Junk
In addition to the old advice about never going grocery shopping when you're hungry, you should also make sure you're not overly caffeinated before doing any kind of shopping. Otherwise, you might end up with a closet full of sad and useless candles and other crap you'll regret ever owning.
Read Now10 2020 August
Coca-Cola Imagines the Future of Refreshment with “Coca-Cola Coffee”
I spent four years in a place that acclimatizes you to believe there is nothing strange about having a Diet Coke for Breakfast. I’m speaking,...
Read Now22 2020 July
Trader Joe’s and the Slow Death of Brand Personality
Update – Two weeks after this post was originally published, Trader Joe’s issued a new statement sharing that they do not consider these brand names...
Read Now26 2019 December
5 Non-Obvious Megatrends Changing Our World In 2020
For the past ten years I have gone through an annual ritual of publishing a book about trends that describe our shifting culture and business...
Read Now06 2019 September
Scientists Regrow Teeth, Americans Need Chaos and Why Your Next Flight Might Be Delayed On Purpose | Non-Obvious Insights #181
This week the dual themes of selfishness and unselfishness emerged in the stories I’m sharing below. On the selfish side – Instagrammers sharing tone deaf...
Read Now14 2019 February
Jose Cuervo’s Tequila Train, Kim Kardashian’s Selfie Strategy and Barbie Focusing On Inclusion | Non-Obvious Insights 02.14.19
Why Jose Cuervo Wins With Its All-You-Can-Drink Tequila Train The temptation to create a “Strategic Spectacle” is popular for brands desperately chasing experiential marketing. Usually it leads to...
Read Now07 2019 February
Hotel Encourages Digital Detox, Cypto Founder Dies With Only Password To $190 million and Why SF Might Ban Facial Recognition | Non-Obvious Insights 02.07.19
The Hotel That Forces You To Take A Digital Detox In Sweden, one hotel has created a stunt designed to encourage you to stay off...
Read Now17 2019 January
Robot Layoffs, Disappearing Street Food & Asymmetrical Jeans | Non-Obvious Insights 01.17.19
Japanese Hotel Has First Round Of Robot Layoffs I first wrote about the Henna hotel, staffed entirely by robots, more than two years ago. It...
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