News 12.12.2022

Need to Know

A Neo-collectivist rebranding for Petfolk, Seymourpowell’s AR tourism app launched and half a million 16–24-year-olds in the UK are economically inactive.

Petfolk is redefining veterinary care services for modern pet parents

 Petfolk identity by Zero, US
 Petfolk identity by Zero, US
 Petfolk identity by Zero, US
 Petfolk identity by Zero, US

US – The pet economy is booming with ownership rates rocketing over the past decade. While product categories have been keeping up with the momentum, the service industry has remained stagnant. Petfolk hopes to change this by introducing a new veterinary care service designed for modern pet parents.

Founded by a collective of vets with decades of clinical experience, the service offers a more thoughtful and proactive approach to pet health through compassionate leadership, tech-driven systems and a community of like-minded individuals. To bring Petfolk’s vision to life, the company hired New York-based agency Zero. The team was tasked with developing a holistic creative strategy including tone of voice, branding, art direction, content strategy and production, as well as web and social media design. The result is a comforting brand that feels familiar and professional.

’The consumerisation of healthcare and the humanisation of pets are two key trends that have shaped the veterinary market,’ says Chelsea Goldwell, partner and creative director at Zero. ‘When we looked around at the industry, none were built by vets or shared Audrey Wystrach's [co-founder] vision for how the space should be serving the pets, pet parents and veterinarians. Inspired by this, we aimed to make Petfolk stand out and feel different by making the brand feel warm, nurturing and community-orientated – infusing the brand with joy and making it feel less clinical than other brands in the space.’

Strategic opportunity

Over time, health services and settings have become softer and more emotional. The same should be considered for all other clinical destinations, including veterinary surgeries, medispas and beauty therapy centres.

Seymourpowell launches AR tourism app

Scotland – Stirling has become a fully augmented tourist destination thanks to a new AR app developed by renowned design agency Seymourpowell, which worked with British Telecom’s 5G connectivity and Google’s new geospatial platform.

The cutting-edge technology allows tourists to explore Stirling’s rich history via an immersive platform available from their smartphones, where the city is transformed into an interactive game to explore. This is the only instance where one application allows you to explore an entire city in this way, thanks to its investment in fibre and 5G connectivity infrastructure.

The project’s aim was to use tech to transform the way people experience a city, increasing dwell time, highlighting photogenic areas and encouraging social sharing to redirect movement through the city and attract new audiences, ultimately boosting tourism spending.

The gamification aspect gives visitors rewards and incentives to see more of the city. Visitors who, for example, climb the steps of the National Wallace Monument will be rewarded with a 3D model of the landmark, including a unique ‘view from the crown’ that can be enjoyed as a virtual souvenir after visiting. Photo opportunities can only be captured by visiting a site, so once posted on social media the opportunity for peer-to-peer influence is significant.

Read more about how our Future Cities will function and how e-Tourism is coming into its own.

Stirling by Stirling Council, BT and Seymourpowell, Scotland

Strategic opportunity

Improved connectivity is paving the way for wider implementation of augmented physical destinations using mobiles and, increasingly, heads-up displays. Look to opportunities to add an augmented layer to the physical, site-specific aspects of your business

Almost half a million 16–24-year-olds in the UK are economically inactive

Photography by Cottonbro Photography by Cottonbro

UK – The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that between July and September 2022, 490,000 16–24-year-olds in the UK were classed as not in employment, education or training, and economically inactive, which is the highest number in five years.

Highlighted by the UK’s Labour Party, the increase has been attributed to the winding down of the Kickstart Scheme, a £2bn ($2.5bn, €2.3bn) government initiative designed to help 16–24-year-olds at risk of long-term unemployment by subsidising six-month job placements for young people, which underspent by £665m ($811m, €771m).

The Kickstart scheme was criticised for its lack of support and chaotic delivery, according to a Commons Public Accounts Committee ruling. The scheme is an example of how government initiatives are failing young people in the UK, failing to offer genuine employment support and fuelling future disenfranchisement.

Strategic opportunity

There are growing opportunities for brands to step into civic roles and nurture a future generation of employees, as we outline in Why Brands Are Next-gen Career Advisors

Previous News Articles
Lancôme opens luxury retreat space and cafe in Doha airport

News

Lancôme opens luxury retreat space and cafe in Doha airport

Lancôme has unveiled Café de la Rose inside Doha’s Hamad International Airport, its first travel retail café and only the second globally.
Retail : Beauty : Travel
Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

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 : Fashion : Beauty
Stat: Americans turn to travel to connect with loved ones

News

Stat: Americans turn to travel to connect with loved ones

A new survey from Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection reveals Americans are craving more meaningful time with loved ones, and travel is emerging as a key ...
Travel : Statistic : Optimised Odysseys
Toyota opens Woven City as a living lab for future lifestyles

News

Toyota opens Woven City as a living lab for future lifestyles

Toyota has opened its experimental Woven City at the base of Mount Fuji, creating a testbed where residents live alongside prototypes of emerging t...
Technology : Design : Toyota
Stella McCartney launches luxury live-stream shopping platform

News

Stella McCartney launches luxury live-stream shopping platform

Stella McCartney has introduced Shop With Stella, an interactive shopping event co-hosted by actor Eva Mendes and powered by Swedish video commerce...
Retail : Luxury : Livestream
Stat: The fashion industry’s hottest climate risk is factory workers’ health

News

Stat: The fashion industry’s hottest climate risk is factory workers’ health

A September 2025 report by the Fashion Revolution movement reveals that the fashion industry is failing to measure dangerous factory temperatures, ...
Fashion : Sustainability : Stat
Claude’s Keep Thinking campaign positions AI agent as problem-solving tool

News

Claude’s Keep Thinking campaign positions AI agent as problem-solving tool

In a new campaign entitled Keep Thinking, AI agent Claude is framed as the go-to tool for problem-solvers.
AI : Co-creation : Campaign
Mulberry accelerates growth with circular exchange initiatives

News

Mulberry accelerates growth with circular exchange initiatives

Mulberry has published its 2024/2025 Impact Report, highlighting major progress in circularity and regenerative design.
Mulberry : Luxury : Fashion
Stat: Empathy emerges as the ultimate business advantage

News

Stat: Empathy emerges as the ultimate business advantage

A study from Zurich Insurance released in September 2025 shows that consumers reward businesses that demonstrate empathy while punishing those that...
Retail : Society : Statistic
Blackdot’s AI tattoo device aims to make ink safer, smarter and less painful

News

Blackdot’s AI tattoo device aims to make ink safer, smarter and less painful

Austin-based start-up Blackdot has developed an AI-powered tattoo device designed to make tattoos faster, more precise and significantly less painf...
AI : Blackdot : Tattooed
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN