The future has been on display for the past few weeks, as new experiences, trials and initiatives from all kinds of brands and startups look to push us forward. As a result, my choices for the best stories to share with you this week take a varied look at these visions of the future, applied to everything from shopping malls to tech enabled tattoos. Together they paint a picture of big new things in store for us all as consumers, and big new opportunities for the brands we all work on. Enjoy!
Want these insights before anyone else? Join my email list to receive a curated collection of the most under appreciated marketing stories of the week and useful insights like these every Thursday – a full 24 hours before they are published on this blog!
Subscribe Here >>
How To Earn Airline Miles By Sharing Your Location
What if consumers could profit directly from sharing data? Right now Facebook profits from the data you share, as do most other platforms monetizing data. The Frequent Flyer appfrom location analytics firm Placed has an interesting idea to change that model, by rewarding users with frequent flyer miles in exchange for sharing their location data. Over time, I expect we will see more services created with this same model – so consumers can start to benefit in real ways from the data they are generating by posting, sharing and simply moving through the world.
Read the full story on PSFK >>
The Rise Of “Skinterfaces” Through Tech Enabled Tattoos
The rise of “skinterfaces,” as they are increasingly called, is coming. The volume of organizations researching applications of this technology – from L’Oréal launching My UV Patch this past June as a stretchable electronic patch to measure sun exposure to DuoSkin’s efforts to create tattoos that are input devices that can turn your skin into a trackpad. As these tattoos continue to evolve in both functionality and also design (some incorporate futuristic looks and real gold leaf materials), the range of applications will be interesting to watch.
Read the full story on TechCrunch >>
The Future Of The Shopping Mall
The large shopping mall has been around for decades but in the past few years it has been alternately praised and criticized for promoting mass merchandise and being inhuman. In this extensive article published on Racked, all aspects of the mall are analyzed and unpacked. This is a good article to take with you on a plane ride or during your commute. Near the end of the article there is also an interesting piece of research from consulting firm Callison RKTL mentioned which is worth skimming.
Read the full story on Racked >>
World’s Biggest Hotel Chains Battle Back Against AirBNB
As more hotel brands see intense competition from Airbnb and other new staying options, there is a concerted effort on behalf of the industry to create more experiences that cannot be duplicated by staying in someone else’s home. This article lists many of these moves, including bringing in local shops, focusing more on unique food and dining experiences and essentially remaking the hotel stay to focus more on the experience beyond the room.
Read the full story on The Jakarta Globe >>
World’s First Official Nintendo Restaurant Opens In Japan
As Pokemon Go has blurred the lines between gaming and living, this new branded restaurant from Nintendo is a natural evolution of this shift – and one that other brands are starting to turn towards as well. The restaurant as a concept store for a brand (rather than just experiential retail) is an interesting twist on this idea of letting people experience a brand in a new and different way. Nintendo is not a food brand, yet having a restaurant gives it a new and unique way for its fans to experience the brand.
Read the full story on Design Taxi >>
How Are These Stories Chosen?
Every week I review more than a hundred data sources to curate the best and most under appreciated marketing stories of the week. The aim of this email is to spotlight these “non-obvious” stories, along with a quick take on why they matter for you. I hope you find this email interesting and useful … and am always open to your suggestions on how I might make it better!
