Need to Know
04 : 05 : 18

London – Food delivery service Afriigo has rebranded Jambo! with a fresh redesign by NB studio that aims to raise the profile of African cuisine.

Working with restaurants to deliver African food, the delivery start-up’s new name translates as ‘Hello!’ from the African language Swahili. The design agency’s mission was to capture the spirit of Africa while avoiding clichés. ‘The outcome was an energetic and conversational brand that encourages people of all ethnicities and demographics to ‘Say hello to African food’, explains Sam Pittman, a designer at NB Studio.

In an effort to reposition African food as mainstream, Jambo! hopes to translate African culture in a simple way that resonates with consumers, while making African food more accessible through delivery services. For another example of a brand elevating African cuisine, read about the opening of high-end West African restaurant Ikoyi.

US – During Facebook’s F8 Develop Conference on Wednesday, the technology brand announced the release of Oculus Go, the first stand-alone device for virtual reality (VR).

The new headset connects to wi-fi and is able to do all of its processing on board without the need to pair with a mobile phone or a PC. Despite the short set-up, which requires the Oculus app, users can enjoy the experience without having to own any other devices, unlike Samsung’s Gear VR, which requires connection to an Android phone.

Although predominantly used for gaming, the device offers many other possibilities. Users can also enjoy educational experiences, live sports and music, as well as tv, photos and social connecting when the company launches its new apps, Oculus TV, Gallery and Oculus Go.

As our online and offline worlds continue to converge, consumers expect brands to push the possibilities and create experiences that affect their everyday lives in media, work, education, social interaction, travel and retail. With the Oculus Go’s price point set at £199 ($269, €225), VR technology will become more mainstream and will push these expectations even further.

A new report from Mintel suggests that tea manufacturers should look beyond traditional black tea to more experimental flavours that appeal to the younger generation. The rise in specialist teas offers brands an opportunity to adapt these to meet the tastes of these consumers. The report lists new dessert flavours that have been introduced by tea brands, including Teapigs Jelly and Ice Cream Tea and Tetley Chocolate Mint tea.

The market research firm also identified that consumers were relying on dessert tea as an alternative to sugar-laden drinks, with 49% of UK consumers viewing flavoured tea as a good substitute.