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This week disruption was the theme in multiple stories featuring everything from new ASMR videos, to rocket launches to more than one story warning about the downside of technology. The stories remind us that regardless of whether we call these changes disruption or evolution, most of them don’t help everyone equally. There are winners and … Read more
The power of empathy was a big theme this week, in stories from Amnesty International and a “robotherapy” chatbot. Both look at new and interesting ways for us to better understand one another and get help when we most need it. New Survey Reveals Multiple Reasons Why Icelanders Are So Creative A new published study … Read more
I spent the early part of this past week thinking a lot about transformation as I spoke at the SocialMedia.org Winter Meeting in front of a group of strategists running social media for large brands. The theme, if there was one, seemed to be how to inspire more people around us (and especially our leaders!) to embrace … Read more
New Study Finds That Kids Are More Flexible About Gender Identity One of the trends my team and I uncovered and wrote about this year in Non-Obvious was “Ungendered” – a term that describes how our shifting definitions of traditional gender roles are leading some to reject the notion of gender completely. A new study … Read more
In the first years of publishing my annual trend report, I used to wait until early in the year just so I could go to CES and incorporate some of the ideas and products from the show into my research. With the accelerated schedule of getting the report out by December, I end up forecasting … Read more
I admit that despite my many years working in marketing and advertising I have never been lucky enough to work on an Ad Council pro bono campaign, but have routinely admired them. Now they have teamed up with Taproot to launch a wonderful site designed to help nonprofits access free professional support from a variety … Read more
Visit this “Data Detox” store to take back control of your online privacy.
Given next week is Halloween – I thought it fitting to share a few related stories this week. The first is about Skittles “Trick Plays” bag which features candies that do not taste like their colors, which is sure to frustrate some die-hard Skittles consumers. Last week I featured Snickers hunger bars and this week I came … Read more
As more experts suggest that we should all stop bragging about how many hours we work, this app from Ariana Huffington is timely as it rewards you for disconnecting from tech and social media. Given how common it is for people to seek validation for achievements (like people who post about working out or finishing a … Read more
This post from GlaxoSmithKline exec Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez really got me thinking about a new way of selling. Rather than focusing on products or experiences, this article argues that the future might belong to brands who excel at selling “projects.” He uses the case study of how Philips moved from selling medical devices to instead partnering with Westchester … Read more
Non-Obvious Thinking is my latest book about the 4 secrets of becoming a non-obvious thinker - relesaed 10/01/2024.
Rohit Bhargava is a trend curator, founder of the Non-Obvious Company and the 3-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author of ten books.
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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.
