LSN : News : 30 : 03 : 20

The Future Laboratory unveils an era-defining trend tracker

Trend Tracker by The Future Laboratory

UK – The Future Laboratory has launched a bespoke Trend Tracker, bringing together 20 years of foresight across eight sectors.

Created to mark the beginning of The Transformative Twenties, the microsite is a culmination of our macrotrends over two decades. Presenting the trends as a timeline from the year 2000 to 2030, users can learn how Experience, Brand and Consumer behaviours have changed – and what this means for the future.

Featuring trend summaries, expert quotes and links to full trends on LS:N Global, visitors can navigate through a visually driven and chronological view of industry shifts and evolving human behaviour. Combining the strategic knowledge of hindsight, insight and foresight, Martin Raymond, co-founder of The Future Laboratory also presents some speculative futures for 2030.

As The Future Laboratory continues to help brands plan for increasingly uncertain scenarios, our Trend Tracker offers invaluable insight into 20 years of research and future outlooks.

Goodfish tempts conscious snackers with salmon skins

Goodfish, Los Angeles

Los Angeles – Goodfish is launching crispy salmon skins to eliminate unhealthy snacking habits.

In a bid to change the way we think about snacking, Goodfish snacks are created with 100% traceable Wild Alaska Sockeye crispy salmon skins. Bringing sustainable seafood to the mainstream market, the skins are available in four flavours: Sea Salt, Chilli Lime, Spicy BBQ and Tart Cranberry, and Goodfish encourages customers to consume the snacks as both a stand-alone snack and as a topping for other meals.

Acknowledging the nutritional values of previously discarded salmon skins, the initiative ensures a positive and waste-free future for wildlife management and eco-system practices. Justin Guilbert, co-founder and chairperson at Goodfish, says: ‘We have once again found a food category whose industry and sourcing could benefit from progressive practices in a radical way – from environmental impact and wildlife management to eco-system and social practices – to thrive again.’

With consumers relying on snacks to fuel their on-the-go lifestyles, they are increasingly looking for conscious and functional options. For more, read our Healthy Snacking Market.

Glisten’s AI tool for streamlining product searches

Global – Glisten is a start-up that uses artificial intelligence to elevate the e-commerce experience.

The brand aims to make existing computer vision engines more aware of context. To do this, it automates the process of product data representation for retailers, enabling more structured data to be obtained from searches. For example, if a user searches for ‘long sleeves’, the system will identify the characteristic of length as well as the term ‘sleeve’.

Designed to be fed into e-commerce solutions such as recommendations, search, analytics and marketplaces, the plug-in was initially created for fashion brands, but the model can also be applied to other categories, such as beauty and automotive.

As more brands integrate artificially intelligent tools into their retail offering, there is a risk that technology could take the fun out of serendipitous garment discovery. Read our Opinion piece for more.

Glisten’s AI tool

Stat: US employees opt for benefits over bonuses

People are increasingly looking to their employers to provide security over financial bonuses, according to the Global Benefits Attitudes Survey by Willis Towers Watson. The survey of 9,500 Americans found that 57% of employees would work for less money if they had better access to healthcare and retirement benefits. Showcasing how workers are seeking future security at a time of economic uncertainty, the study also reports that 57% of employees say that their benefits package is more important than ever before.

Jennifer DeMeo, senior director of retirement at Willis Towers Watson, believes choice is integral to the employer-employee relationship. ‘Luxury employers can better maximise the value of their benefits by providing choice in benefit programmes to better meet diverse employee needs,’ she says.

Workplace wellbeing is more important than ever, with workers seeking comprehensive healthcare benefits from their employees. Discover how technology can play a part in the future of workplace wellness here.