Signals

US – The furniture retailer is offering its 2021 catalogue as a non-visual audio format, providing an alternative to its traditional paper-based design.

Following on from the brand’s decision to seize the production of its physical catalogue to curb paper use and waste, this one-off project by Ogilvy by New York further acknowledges the changing ways its customers consume media. Available as a podcast on Spotify and AudioBooks.com, as well as a series of visual-free videos on YouTube, the upbeat auditory experience takes the form of a full catalogue read-through– complete with legal disclaimers and entertaining soundbites.

The audio format also offers a level of convenience for consumers, allowing them to connect with the retailer’s content without having to manually browse through a visual medium.

IKEA demonstrates how retailers are experimenting with Multimedia Storefronts to elevate their e-commerce offering. Explore this trend within Feedback Frontiers.

Most people in the UK believe Covid-19 has had an impact on the nation’s inequality, according to research by YouGov.

Some 56% of British people believe the pandemic has increased social inequalities. Meanwhile, four in five adults (79%) now believe there is a large gap between different social classes. These figures are also in line with growing evidence that the pandemic is disproportionately affecting those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

‘This poll dramatically underlines public concern about growing social inequality. Government, employers and educators should listen and act,’ says Steven Cooper, interim co-chair of the Social Mobility Commission. ‘The most disadvantaged – at home, school or work – should now be put centre stage in any recovery plan.’

As consumers continue to navigate the inter-Covid period, brands have an opportunity to support society in rebuilding communities and working towards a future of greater equality and connectedness. For more, discover The Dislocated World.