LSN : Daily Signals : SoundCloud lets music fans power its royalties

Formula 1 blends fragrance with high-speed racing

F1 Fragrances, UK

UK – The motor racing competition has released a line of premium fragrances inspired by Formula 1 driving.

Each scent in the F1 Fragrances Engineered collection represents different aspects of high-speed racing. This includes the aesthetics of the bottles, with skeletal shells designed to mimic a car’s chassis, and each bottle crafted using digital light synthesis 3D printing technology.

An accompanying campaign film by Wieden + Kennedy has been created to represent the look, feel and smell of the new range, using visuals and movement to evoke the metallic nature of cars and scents. ‘We wanted to show the world the essence of Formula 1 – taking the engineered insanity of the sport, bottling it, and combining the untamed energy of the sport with the world of luxury fragrances,’ says Aaron Skipper, design director at Wieden + Kennedy.

Brands are increasingly pushing the boundaries of scent and finding inspiration from unexpected places. Read more in our New Fragrance Frontiers microtrend.

Chanel’s Lipscanner digitises beauty discovery

Chanel Lipscanner

Global – The luxury brand has unveiled a new mobile app, Lipscanner, which uses augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate at-home lipstick selection.

The app offers AR technology integration, which allows consumers to try on Chanel lipsticks virtually, alleviating the need for in-store samples. Lipscanner also claims to take into consideration the user’s skin tone by implementing AI-enabled analysis of facial imagery, in turn ensuring that the shade is matched to the user.

With in-store product discovery halted and concerns about hygiene still prevalent, this innovation enables beauty consumers to find new products without requiring physical samples. ‘[Lipscanner is] the closest thing to applying lipstick in person,’ explains Cédric Begon, director at Chanel Fragrances and Beauty’s Connected Experience Lab.

Using AI and AR, brands can elevate the beauty experience by offering tech-enabled testing. Explore more on the rise of smart beauty in our macrotrend Algorithmic Beauty.

SoundCloud lets music fans power its royalties

SoundCloud, Germany

Germany – Streaming service SoundCloud is re-inventing payout systems for musicians in a move that offers fairer distribution of subscriber fees.

Marking a first for a major streaming service, the system will administer royalties from each subscriber directly to the artists they choose to stream. This model differs from the pro rata payout systems commonly used by music streaming platforms, in that it benefits independent artists and labels who are typically at a disadvantage compared with more established performers. The system will also enable greater transparency around streaming, with artists able to view which fans are contributing to their royalties.

By providing insights dashboards, SoundCloud enables artists to forge deeper connections with fans. 'It’s such a simple idea. Your monthly fees get split up between the songs you actually listen to,' explains RAC, a musician and producer.

The music industry is increasingly coming under fire for a lack of financial and ethical regulations – something we explore further in Sustainable Music Streaming.

Stat: Food insecurity is at crisis levels in the UK

Food Interrupted, Panera Bread

The pandemic continues to have a negative impact on the UK’s most vulnerable people and their access to food, according to a new report from the Food Foundation.

Released as part of the #EndChildFoodPoverty campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford, the report reveals that 9% of households now experience food insecurity in the UK – about 4.7m adults – up from 7.6% pre-Covid. Some 55% of those experiencing food insecurity said it was because they did not have enough money for food, while 31% said it was due to isolation and 23% cited a lack of access.

Over Christmas 2020 and January 2021, some 20% of children aged 8–17 also reported a level of food insecurity – ranging from mild to moderate or severe cases. The report notes: ‘Food banks have been inundated, disadvantaged children have missed out on vital school meals, and a 23-year-old footballer has led the charge for action to tackle child food poverty.’

With inequality rife in the UK's food sector, businesses should consider the importance of price segmentation to make healthy food accessible to those who need it, a concept explored in our Affirmative Fractions microtrend.