News 26.11.2021

Need to Know

A dating campaign shunning happy endings, Prada taps into the rise of premium homewares and rising consumer demand for personalisation.

Bumble celebrates the journey of dating

Fall in Love with Dating by Bumble, UK

Amsterdam – The dating app is reframing conventional ideas about dating, using its latest campaign to promote enjoyment in the process of meeting new people. The ad, Fall in Love With Dating, shows everyday dating experiences through the eyes of a woman – shown choosing photos for her Bumble profile, messaging people and going on various dates.

It intentionally avoids the trope of finding a happy ending, instead communicating the pleasure of exploration through dating. Naomi Walkland, vice-president of EMEA marketing at Bumble, says: ‘Either you talk about wanting to end up with someone or you’re in a hook-up phase, but there’s never just a celebration of the journey of dating and how fun that can be.’

While the pandemic temporarily halted or redefined many people’s experiences of dating, this campaign showcases a continuation of some of the behaviours we explored in Uncoupled Living. In this trend, we identified the ways in which dating platforms such as Tinder have celebrated singledom and diverse relationships.

Strategic opportunity

Dating apps must look beyond conventional romantic connections in their products and services, considering opportunities for connecting existing couples or friendship groups with people in similar positions, for example

Prada enters the homeware market with Harrods’ help

Prada Homeware, UK Prada Homeware, UK
Prada Homeware, UK Prada Homeware, UK

London – Making its first move into homeware, Prada is launching a collection of objects and domestic accessories that will be available exclusively at Harrods. The line will be displayed in a permanent boutique on the department store’s third floor that will be dedicated entirely to the fashion brand’s furnishings.

In keeping with Prada’s modernist approach to store design, the boutique has a wood and metal façade, and its walls are upholstered in fabric in the brand’s signature shade of green. Dedicated to ‘homeware and sophisticated accessories’, the boutique will stock hand-made objects, pillows with the Prada logo, gold-plated dress-making scissors, and a selection of wooden vases designed by long-time Prada collaborator Martino Gamper. The brand has also re-issued a silver cutlery set from 1905 by Viennese architect and designer Josef Hoffmann, pointing to a future when luxury fashion brands re-issue classic designs to reach new audiences.

As more and more luxury brands enter the Premium Homeware Market, Prada is setting itself apart by collaborating exclusively with Harrods. The department store, in turn, benefits from being the only retailer with the items on offer.

Strategic opportunity

Luxury companies looking to enter the premium homeware market should consider re-issuing classic design as a way of lending more prestige and history to their offering

Seoul brings municipal government into the metaverse

Seoul – The South Korean capital is set to be the first city with its own metaverse platform, launching in 2022. With expansion planned for the next four years, the 3D virtual space is designed to provide next-gen public service for both administrative and cultural needs.

Spaces will include a fintech incubator, a virtual mayor’s office, and the Metaverse 120 Centre, where avatars will help citizens file complaints and solve problems. Users will also be able to attend cultural festivals and visit tourist sites including lost monuments which will be virtually reconstructed like Donuimun Gate.

The initiative is part of Seoul Vision 2030 Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s plan to establish Seoul as a ‘future emotional city’ in conjunction with South Korea’s Digital New Deal, a scheme to improve the economy and social services through digital technology and AI.

Seoul’s embracing of metaverse technology exemplifies the revolutionary potential of Gen Z highlighted in our Reformation Generation trend, propelling city government into the future.

Branded City visual by Inferstudio for The Future Laboratory Branded City visual by Inferstudio for The Future Laboratory

Strategic opportunity

Metaverse technology is an opportunity to inject rarity and intrigue into otherwise mundane tasks. Consider using virtual spaces as engaging ways to meet consumer needs.

Stat: Consumers demand tailor-made interactions

Effaclar Spotspan by La Roche-Posay, Singapore Effaclar Spotspan by La Roche-Posay, Singapore

With 71% of US consumers expecting more intimate interactions from the companies they shop with, personalisation is more crucial than ever. Research conducted by McKinsey & Co reveals that 76% of customers feel frustrated when they don’t receive personalised treatment, demonstrating how consumer desire for personalisation has been replaced with demand.

When asked to define personalisation, those surveyed associated it with ‘positive experiences of being made to feel special’. Checking in post-purchase, requesting product reviews or sending how-to videos all produced a positive response among those surveyed. Going beyond the moment of transaction, customers have begun to expect companies to show a lasting interest in their relationship. Of note, the report found that fast-growing companies drive 40% more of their revenue growth from personalisation than their slow-growing counterparts.

Although the pandemic has caused a surge in digital behaviour, these findings are relevant for bricks-and-mortar retail, too. As customers return to in-person shopping, brands can integrate thoughtful touchpoints to create more lasting connections with consumers. To learn more about how to use digital data collection to guide physical spaces, readers can consult the Storefront Salvation macrotrend.

Strategic opportunity

With research revealing that customers respond positively to product review requests, there is an opportunity for companies to collect more data while strengthening consumer relationships

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