Signals

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, senior foresight analyst Rose Coffey unpacks algorithmic agency, the evolution of brand allyship and how everyday rituals are being reframed as moments of celebration.

: I don’t want to jinx it, but TikTok’s latest product update could mark a step toward algorithmic transparency. Now with access to manage topics and smart keyword filtering, users have more control over the content they see – a response to growing fatigue with toxic, personalised feeds. As explored in our Teens, Tech and Tapping Out market report, mental health concerns are fuelling disengagement. Whether this new curation layer will rebuild trust is uncertain, but in a world where social media isn’t going anywhere, it points to a broader demand for user-led digital experiences.

: As brands activate their annual Pride campaigns, Levi’s stands apart with Meet You In The Park, created in collaboration with the GLBT Historical Society. Rather than seasonal rainbow-washing, the campaign highlights the importance of Queer-safe spaces and taps into liberation iconography such as the upside-down pink triangle, a symbol once used to call out and persecute LGBTQ+ individuals. Backed by tangible action – from parade sponsorships to community donations and volunteer days – it echoes themes from our Resilience Branding report: brands are doubling down on purpose through allyship that’s lived, not just labelled. Amid a volatile global climate for LGBTQIA+ rights, it’s wonderful to see fashion used as a tool for social justice.

: The cherry on top of my week? Ikea’s new collaboration with Swedish designers Gustaf Westman and Evelina Kroon, a playful rethink of what celebration means today. Rejecting the idea that joy requires an occasion, the project champions spontaneous gatherings, inclusive tables and cross-generational rituals. With Kroon’s nostalgic minimalism and Westman’s bold, cartoonish forms, the three ‘celebration moods’ blur the line between tradition and improvisation. It’s a vibrant example of brands designing for emotional resonance in everyday life – a theme we’ve been tracking closely on LS:N Global.

UK – A new study by Zenith, a UK leasing and fleet management firm, reveals that 20% of the country’s shopping centres lack any electric vehicle (EV) charging points. The research ranked shopping centres based on EV charging availability, rapid charger presence and EV parking spaces. 

Among those with EV chargers, only 35% offered rapid or ultra-rapid options, leaving most drivers limited to slower charging speeds (below 43kw). On average, just 1% of parking spaces at shopping centres are equipped with EV chargers, highlighting a growing gap as EV adoption rises. 

Andy Wolff, commercial director at Zenith Corporate, said, ‘To change behaviours, we need to make electric vehicles more accessible to everyday users and improve overall consumer confidence. Shopping centres are a great example of the high traffic areas which need to be targeted when installing further EV infrastructure.’ 

While the UK public charging network grew by 37% last year, Wolff stresses more investment is needed to support the government’s 2030 petrol and diesel phase-out target. 

Head to our newly released report Urban Transport Futures to better understand the future of electric powered travel, mobility as a service (MaaS) and autonomous driving.