LSN : Big Ideas

Big Ideas

Neighbourhood as hotel

Cultural centre Hagiso plans a ‘dispersed’ hotel in the Yanaka residential neighbourhood of Tokyo.

Bricolage : Hagiso : Tokyo

Big Ideas

Onboard concierge

UAE – Etihad Airways has launched a new onboard concierge service for its high-net-worth passengers.

Etihad Airways : The Residence : Luxury Futures Travel

Big Ideas

Hybrid helper

Global – Facebook is trialling a new personal assistant service that combines human and artificial intelligence (AI) to perform tasks that other se...

Facebook M : Messenger : David Marcus

Big Ideas

Goodbye ads

Global – Adieu is an ad blocker with a conscience, ridding websites of obtrusive banners without damaging the revenue of content-creators.

Adieu : Ad Blocker : Sustainability

Big Ideas

Fit finance

Dubai – The Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) is offering customers the opportunity to exchange physical activity for attractive interest rates.

Commercial Bank Of Dubai : Mobile Banking : Fitness Tracker

Big Ideas

Sustainability sewn up

Detroit – Start-up menswear brand Lazlo has launched a new t-shirt that not only lasts a lifetime, but gives something back to the community too.

Lazlo : Heirloom T-shirt : Boutique Altrusim

Big Ideas

Crashless cars

Global – Driverless cars could reduce the number of accidents involving commercial vehicles by 80%, predicts KPMG.

KPMG : Autonomous Vehicles : Insurance

Big Ideas

Gastronomy Googling

UK – Chef Heston Blumenthal will take the practice of Googling guests into new territory when restaurant The Fat Duck re-opens next month.

Fat Duck : Nostalgia : Personalisation

Big Ideas

Four-day working

Japan – Retailer Uniqlo is set to trial a four-day working week in a fifth of its stores.

Uniqlo : Workweek : Working Conditions

Big Ideas

Look me up

Global – LinkedIn has launched a new employee directory service to replace corporate directories and drive activity on its network.

LinkedIn Lookup : Directory : Internal Resource

Big Ideas

Health benefits

New York – Wellcoin is taking the gamification of fitness to the next level, with real, tangible rewards.

Wellcoin : Health Currency : Fitness

Big Ideas

Always on demand

US – On-demand marketplaces such as Uber and Airbnb are expected to grow by 57% by 2020, according to new figures.

Airbnb : Uber : The Sharing Economy

Big Ideas

Retail apps challenge

Global – A new report from Forrester Consulting reveals how retailers face a challenge in persuading consumers about the benefits of retail apps.

Forrester Consulting : Retail Apps : RetailMeNot

Big Ideas

Airport solar system

Kochi, India – Cochin International Airport has become the world’s first entirely solar-powered airport.

Cochin International Airport : Solar Powered : Whole System Thinking

Big Ideas

Getting steamy

San Francisco – Start-up Nebia is revolutionising the way people shower.

Nebia : Shower System : H2Micro

Big Ideas

Solar swingers

Global – Unused golf courses around the world are being transformed into solar power plants.

Golf Courses : Kyocera Solar : Solar Power

Big Ideas

District manager

London – Covent Garden has launched its own app that helps visitors get around and ensures they never miss an offer.

The Pass : Covent Garden : CAPCO

Big Ideas

Uber helpful

New York – Uber is offering to help customers return unwanted e-commerce purchases via courier.

Uber : On-demand : Delivery

Big Ideas

Walk-through weedery

Denver – Colorado is about to get its first public weedery, offering consumers a new kind of retail theatre.

Green Man : Cannabis : Cannabusiness

Big Ideas

Tween texting

US – Jott is a messaging app that doesn’t require a data plan or wi-fi connection to work, and is taking American high schools by storm.

Jott : Messaging : App

Big Ideas

The ideas and innovations that hint at the future of the consumer landscape