LSN : News : MCQ is infusing apparel with fragrance

Salesforce’s employee retreat rethinks workplace wellbeing

The Trailblazer Ranch by Salesforce, US

US – In response to the rise of flexible working, software company Salesforce is opening an employee wellbeing retreat to act as a space for company togetherness.

Re-imagining the role of the physical office, the Trailblazer Ranch will allow employees to continue remote working while getting out of their home workspace, celebrating the benefits of spending more time with family and colleagues. The site will host employee engagement programmes, onboarding and skills coaching, while employees can also forge connections through nature walks, yoga, meditation, art, journalling and cooking classes.

While Salesforce is working to solidify a permanent home for Trailblazer Ranch, the company is using an interim location in the California redwood forest. The temporary site and the final location will eventually be open to local non-profit and community organisations too.

We’ve been tracking the shifting role of culture and wellness in businesses' success. The Trailblazer Ranch retreat allows Salesforce to reap the benefits of flexible work while maintaining a strong internal culture and sense of employee wellbeing.

Strategic opportunity

Fostering flexibility and internal culture is a balancing act – consider hybrid solutions like a permanent company retreat to achieve both

MO Magazine ushers print into the metaverse

MO Magazine, US

China – Bringing magazines into the metaverse, MO Magazine is a Chinese virtual publication that re-invents the medium of print. Created by Huasheng Media and Alibaba’s online technology platform, Alimama, the magazine uses virtual reality (VR) technology to create more immersive fashion experiences for readers.

Popular virtual influencer AYAYI and a digital rendering of famed Chinese actor Jing Boran serve as the magazine’s guides, ushering readers into futuristic landscapes. These well-known faces help lend a feeling of familiarity to the novel experience. As the metaverse continues to gain traction, opportunities abound for companies to experiment with disruptive technologies, a sentiment that is encapsulated in the magazine’s title, MO, which stands for ‘more’. Within two days of its release, the magazine’s promotional video garnered over 400,000 views.

As brands move away from social media platforms in favour of alternative online spaces, the publishing industry is poised to re-invent its digital presence. With the virtual magazine, MO is contributing to the rise of Fashion Meta Networks, pioneering new locations for fans and consumers to socialise, shop and learn.

Strategic opportunity

How can your company use the metaverse to promote editorial experiences? Consider using augmented reality (AR) technology to bring fashion into consumers' homes

MCQ is infusing apparel with fragrance

UK – Fashion house MCQ is giving its new limited-edition jacket a multi-sensory edge by infusing its natural material with fragrance.

Each jacket, with 10 in total, is made of leather alternative Mirum and hand-painted by New York artist Kevin Emerson. Representing the first time this material has been made into clothing, MCQ chose to highlight the strengths of the bio-based material rather than replicate the look or feel of leather. Mirum is made using rice hulls and was customised for the jacket specifically – MCQ chose to keep the rice hull speckles and unique texture in celebration of green material innovation.

Another of animal hide’s key characteristics is scent. Here, MCQ has infused the material with its own unique aroma. The white clay used to create the base hue is infused with woodsy essential oils which will stay on the garment for about a year, lending the Mirum sensory distinctiveness and depth.

Moving on from our Multisensory Beauty microtrend, brands are experimenting with beauty and fragrance through indulgent sensory experiences.

MCQ, NFW and Kevin Emerson, UK

Strategic opportunity

Companies across sectors should incorporate tasteful scents into their products in fun and surprising ways. Consider the scent of your packaging, technology, or physical spaces

Stat: The majority of the world opposes single-use plastic

Plastic Exploration by Jesper Lindborg

Ahead of the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly, set to convene in Nairobi this week, demands for the elimination of single-use plastics are intensifying. According to a joint study by Reuters and Ipsos, 75% of the global population would like to see single-use plastics banned.

The percentage of people who favour efforts to restrict single-use plastic has increased from 71% in 2019, indicating growing support for this cause in line with the impending climate emergency. Interestingly, Colombia, Mexico and India – countries that have suffered disproportionately because of global plastic pollution – provided the most vocal support for the new legislation.

Touted as the most important conference since the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015, the conference in Nairobi is expected to draw a new treaty tackling the topics of waste collection, recycling and throwaway plastics. Of those surveyed, 90% support the treaty.

As global leaders convene in Nairobi, the fate of single-use plastics remains uncertain, despite rallying cries from global consumers. To learn more about sustainability news, readers can visit our Sustainability vertical.

Strategic opportunity

Snubbing single-use plastic is now a basic expectation for brands. How can your company adopt new materials, such as mycelium or algae, to create more planet-friendly packaging?