News 06.07.2022

Need to Know

Punchy injects vitamin D into mixers, Google’s planet-positive enterprise tool, and US consumers embrace experiential dining.

These mixers pack a vitamin D punch

Punchy, UK
Punchy, UK
Punchy, UK

UK – Non-alcoholic canned beverage brand Punchy is disrupting the mixer category with a line of drinks that contain 50% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D. Featuring vegan, natural and low-sugar ingredients, Punchy offers a health-conscious alternative to conventional mixers.

With playful packaging and innovative flavour combinations – including cucumber, yuzu and rosemary – the drinks reflect a growing desire to prioritise wellness without sacrificing convenience or taste. ‘Vitamin D keeps your immune system rolling with the punches – but for half the year during winter we don’t get enough from sunlight,’ explains Paddy Cavanagh-Butler, founder of Punchy.That’s why we’ve charged every can of Punchy with 200 IU vitamin D (50% RI) – just enough to give a balanced diet an extra boost.’

With this product, the brand is looking to achieve a healthy balance between functional benefits and desirable drinks. Punchy also supports the evolution of the Food-as-medicine Movement.

Strategic opportunity

How can brands adapt existing products to prioritise health and wellbeing, without drastically altering people’s lifestyle preferences and dietary habits?

Tinder taps LGBTQ+ artists to re-imagine Pride memes

Meme-ingful Connections by Tinder, US Meme-ingful Connections by Tinder, US
Meme-ingful Connections by Tinder, US Meme-ingful Connections by Tinder, US

London – Tinder has partnered with LGBTQ+ artists to recreate a series of memes into GIFs that singles can use to spark new connections throughout Pride month and beyond. With 84% of people in the queer community saying humour is key when making the first move, according to OnePoll, and GIFs acting as a linchpin of chat conversations on the platform, the memes tap into queer love in a playful way.

The dating platform collaborated with five artists – Dom&Ink, Ashton Attzs, Andrew Ahern, Artist Named Nobody and Kxmolo – to create the work, while the memes were selected by Tinder’s meme panel, which included influential members of the LGBTQ+ community. This ensured the GIFs authentically represented the hyper-specific references used by the community, helping to boost user engagement by making them feel timely, relevant – and most of all – funny. Tinder also pledged to make a donation to Raze, an NGO focused on creating cultural opportunities for LGBTQ+ artists and creators.

The launch taps into changing attitudes to online dating, including a shift towards community-orientated platforms identified in our Big Idea piece, Generation Z Are Ready to Reboot Dating.

Strategic opportunity

When creating content and campaigns for specific communities – especially marginalised groups – work directly with creators and experts from within those communities to ensure it speaks to them in an authentic way and fulfils their needs

Google streamlines environmental impact-tracking

Global – The technology giant is diversifying its Google Cloud capabilities to prioritise sustainable data-tracking. Part of the update includes a new version of Google Earth Engine – a tool previously only available to scientists and NGOs – which enables companies and governments to set goals, compare against publicly available data and visualise their sustainability goals.

By doing this, Google aims to give clients the tools needed to understand their current environmental impact, including the ways in which raw materials usage can harm particular areas across the planet. ‘[Google Earth Engine] combines data from hundreds of satellites and other sources...’ explains Rebecca Moore, director of Google’s geospatial initiatives. ‘This data is then combined with massive geospatial cloud computing resources, which enables transformation of this raw data into timely, accurate, high-resolution, decision-relevant insights about the state of the world.’

Through these insights, companies can gain insight into the ways that forests, water, eco-systems and agriculture are changing over time. Here, Google leans into its existing processes to empower companies to make more eco-friendly decisions. Elsewhere, we’ve explored the ways in which technology companies are adapting harmful data centres into climate-positive hubs.

The WiLD Network by Guy Mills, London

Strategic opportunity

Social media brands should take inspiration from this innovation and similarly find ways to harness their data and insights to align with environmental progress

Stat: Experiential dining surges in America

Gohar World, US Gohar World, US

Even with the global pandemic and high inflation, more consumers are dining out and investing in experiences. According to research by Yelp, experiential dining options such as conveyor belt sushi and dinner theatres increased by 500% and 240%, respectively, in the US from January to April 2022 compared with the previous year.

Consumers are looking for an opportunity to share new experiences and are willing to invest in businesses that create vibrant opportunities, despite seemingly inevitable price increases. Anthony Cross, vice-president of product at Yelp, says: ‘After two years of lockdowns and restrictions, consumers are eager to return to celebrating special events with friends and family at restaurants where they know they will be well taken care of.’ But although there has been a 48% rise in diners seated via Yelp in Q1 2022, inflation remains a prominent concern, with mentions of price increases in reviews up 25% in the first quarter.

While inflation continues to soar, this research shows that quality experiences still have appeal. Previously, we have seen restaurants explore extreme strategies to create memorable and emotional experiences for diners.

Strategic opportunity

With consumers leaning towards novel experiential dining concepts, restaurants should focus on creating more impactful experiences that embrace storytelling tactics

Previous News Articles
Louis Vuitton brings La Beauté to life with immersive Soho pop-up

News

Louis Vuitton brings La Beauté to life with immersive Soho pop-up

Louis Vuitton has marked the launch of its first cosmetics line with a limited-time pop-up in New York’s Soho, transforming 104 Prince Street into ...
Retail : Luxury : Beauty
Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

News

Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, ...
Foresight Friday
Stat: US adults are losing confidence in capitalism 

News

Stat: US adults are losing confidence in capitalism 

Stat : Statistic : Money
Knight Frank’s research signals the rise of wellness in luxury real estate

News

Knight Frank’s research signals the rise of wellness in luxury real estate

In The Residence Report, released in September 2025, global real estate consultancy Knight Frank explores the future of luxury residential developm...
Luxury : Real Estate : Wellness
Nike changes Just Do It to Why Do It? in new campaign

News

Nike changes Just Do It to Why Do It? in new campaign

Nike has re-imagined its iconic Just Do It slogan for today’s athletes with the launch of its latest campaign, Why Do It? 
Visual : Nike : Campaign
New Zealand’s Department of Conservation merges sustainability and local pride

News

New Zealand’s Department of Conservation merges sustainability and local pride

The Department of Conservation in New Zealand has unveiled a three-year campaign with Deloitte Digital and Deloitte’s Sustainability and Climate te...
Conservation : National Branding : New Zealand
Stat: The majority of Gen Alpha consumers buy clothes to create content

News

Stat: The majority of Gen Alpha consumers buy clothes to create content

Clothing retailer PacSun’s study of more than 6,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers in the US reveals how fashion purchases are increasingly made for...
Gen Alpha : Fashion : Retail
John Lewis celebrates 100 iconic products for its centenary

News

John Lewis celebrates 100 iconic products for its centenary

John Lewis is marking 100 years of its Never Knowingly Undersold promise with a new multi-media campaign created by advertising company Saatchi &am...
Brand Heritage : Heritage : Branding
Monzo tackles financial literacy with The Book of Money

News

Monzo tackles financial literacy with The Book of Money

British online bank Monzo has launched The Book of Money in response to research showing that half of Britons (51%) feel they are not reaching thei...
Finance : Gen Z : Education
Stat: Light preventative personal care routines on the rise

News

Stat: Light preventative personal care routines on the rise

Kenvue, owner of brands including Neutrogena, Aveeno and Listerine, has launched A New View of Care: The Power of Personal Care Routines, a global ...
Stat : Statistic : Health
You have 0 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN