LSN : Daily Signals : Ikea rebuilds its smart home range around accessibility

Ricola launches herbal-scented scarves for flu season

Ricola, Switzerland

US – Ricola, the Swiss herbal wellness manufacturer known for its cough sweets, has launched a limited-edition scented scarf collection that transforms its signature remedy into a wearable accessory.

Each scarf is lightly infused with the same Swiss alpine botanicals used in Ricola’s lozenges, available in two aromatic profiles – Lemon Balm and Mint and Peppermint. A discreet inner pocket also offers space to store cough sweets.

Priced at £31 ($40, €37) and available exclusively in the US through a dedicated microsite, the scarves are crafted from European textiles and naturally scented with Ricola’s herb blend.

The campaign is a strong example of Mischief Marketing, leaning into dark humour, bold stunts and irreverent activation to provoke curiosity. Presented as a winter statement piece encouraging consumers to ‘wrap up and breathe deep’, it also signals a move towards Wellbeing Wear, with brands blending fashion with function to create clothes that enhance consumers’ physical or mental health.

Strategic opportunity

Appeal to consumers’ appetite for curiosity, humour and delight by experimenting with sensory products, infusing everyday items with scent, texture or sound to turn functional accessories into memorable, shareable brand experiences

Ikea rebuilds its smart home range around accessibility

Ikea, Sweden

Sweden – Ikea is accelerating its smart home ambitions with the launch of 21 new Matter-compatible products – a line-up spanning lighting, sensors and control devices.

The move marks a ground-up rebuilding of its smart home eco-system, informed by years of in-home testing to understand how people want connected products to behave in daily life.

The updated offer centres on the building blocks of an accessible smart home: a broader spectrum of dimmable smart bulbs, wellbeing-orientated sensors for air quality, motion and leaks, and intuitive control devices, from remote controls to smart plugs.

Ikea says its mission remains unchanged since 2012 – making smart technology ‘easy to use, easy to understand, and within reach for the many’.

This aligns with analysis from our EQ-Homes report, which highlights how home technology is evolving from functional infrastructure to a responsive layer that supports mood, energy and emotional wellbeing.

Strategic opportunity

Design emotionally aware, accessible smart products. Build adaptive lighting, sensing or control features that respond to users’ mood and wellbeing, and test the impact on daily comfort in real homes

Stat: Gen Z and Gen Alpha to dominate future fashion spending

Nike x NorBlack NorWhite

US – A new US report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) highlights a major power shift in fashion consumption, as Gen Z and Gen Alpha emerge as the industry’s most influential – and unpredictable – spenders.

The report found that Gen Z and Gen Alpha will account for 40% of global fashion spending within the next decade, fuelled by the fact that they already allocate 7% more of their disposable income to clothing and shoes than previous generations.

Their preferences remain highly dynamic, however. Based on a survey of more than 9,000 US consumers and an analysis of 50,000+ social posts, the report notes that their values-driven approach requires brands to maintain relevance across identity, culture and ethics.

These younger consumers are also 1.5 times more likely than older generations to discover brands on social media, reflecting a shopping journey increasingly shaped by creators, influencers and fluid parasocial relationships. As explored in LS:N Global’s Parasocial Relationships in 2030 report, they now grant digital creators the same cultural status as celebrities, positioning them as key gateways to brands.

‘Younger consumers represent one of the most powerful spending forces in fashion, yet they are also the hardest to win and keep,’ says Mrin Nayak, managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group. Capturing them means aligning with changing definitions of worth – from cultural fluency to community belonging – as our New Codes of Value highlights.

Strategic opportunity

Brands can win Gen Z and Gen Alpha loyalty by creating context-driven brand touchpoints that feel like part of the culture, not commerce. This means integrating products into experiences and conversations they are already having – and value