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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

Kodak Brings Back Film, How To Be Funny On Stage, and the Professional Snowball Fighting League

The stories this week offer a valuable reminder that while we tend to focus a lot of our attention on looking forward toward the future, there can be a beautiful resonance that comes from looking in the other direction from time to time. Kodak brings back film, the ultimate “device like no other” from a … 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

Cocktail Flavored Detergent, How Drones Affect Ownership and The Neuroscience of Trump’s Victory

The US election is thankfully over, but it was hard to get past the coverage this week to find some truly interesting stories to share with you in this issue. I did include one piece about the neuromarketing lessons of the campaign this week, alongside the story of Coca-Cola’s latest brilliant bottle idea just in … 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

The Hot New Startup That Lets You Sell Your Own Data (And Other Non-Obvious Insights)

This week has been all about soccer in my house thanks to the simultaneous scheduling of the Euro Cup and Copa America, so the first story in this week’s email is a wearable tech idea for soccer fans that offers more a more immersive experience. Other stories this week spotlight how AI is being trained … Read more

The Creepy Things Uber Knows About You (And Other Non-Obvious Insights)

It seemed like the theme of the week was reduction through small tweaks as Twitter announced a long awaited small tweak to eliminate photos and videos from the allowable 140 character character tweet limit, the FDA made small changes to the iconic nutrition facts label after two decades, Victoria’s Secret made a change to finally discontinue … Read more

Branding Secrets Of Lin Manuel Miranda, Inside The Hyperloop and Google’s Vision For The Future

This week was filled with big news about big brands. Google revealed its upcoming roadmap of innovation. Fast Company interviewed the creator of the wildly popular musical Hamilton on how he built such a powerful brand so quickly. Slate offered a glimpse into the secret brilliance of Under Armour’s non-lifestyle basketball shoe inspired by Steph … Read more

Google’s Stealth Incubator, Buzzfeed’s Secret, Apple’s Woes And The Color Of The Year

My mind has been on startups and new ideas lately, as I spent most of this past week at Collision in New Orleans learning about what is new and listening to several dozen startup pitches. And so the stories this week are also influenced by this lens as I feature articles about Google’s latest move … Read more

Fake Farms, Virtual Reality Tacos, Rise of Bootcamps and Why Apple Stopped Innovating

Want these insights before anyone else? Join my email list to receive a curated list of top non-obvious stories of the week and useful insights like these every Thursday – a full 24 hours before they are published on this blog!  Click here to subscribe >> Innovation challenges the way things have always been done – … Read more

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#1 WSJ & USA Today Bestselling Author

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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