LSN : Signals & Stats : Need to know 25 : 07 : 17

1. Bleach London introduces cruelty-free make-up for teens

Make-up by Bleach London

London – The brand is tapping into Gen Viz’s ethically aware purchasing habits with its new range of vegan make-up. In a Whole-system Thinking approach, the products are packaged using recycled materials, which are also easily recyclable.

With product names such as Washed Up Mermaid (blue) and Text Me Black (black), the brand takes a tongue-in-cheek approach designed to appeal to a social media-savvy Generation Z.

Although vegan, cruelty-free make-up is not a new phenonemon, using this approach to target a younger audience illustrates the rise of a more holistic and caring young consumer. For more on the evolution of the beauty sector, see our Beauty Futures Report 2017.

2. Cabin puts spotlight on buses as an alternative to flying

Cabin, California

California – Described as a moving hotel, Cabin offers commuters a more comfortable travelling alternative to the typical low-cost flight.

The service runs between San Francsico and Los Angeles. Trips are priced from $115 each way, about the same as a low-cost airline ticket. But while cheap flights are usually scheduled at unsocial hours, Cabin leaves at 11:00pm and arrives at 7:00am the following morning. This makes better use of dead time while ensuring passengers are well rested on arrival.

Driven by the now apparent health repercussions of an always-on mentality, brands and consumers are looking at ways to better promote sleep. For more, see our Sleep Market report.

3. Mastercard aims to digitise refugee camps

Global – As the world of finance becomes increasingly online, Mastercard and Western Union have joined forces on a research brief, Smart Communities: Using Digital Technology to Create Sustainable Refugee Economies, which examines how technology can be used to meet the financial needs of refugees.

Originally constructed as temporary living spaces, refugee camps have evolved to become progressively permanent structures in need of payment systems that go beyond the current cash and voucher models.

The report looks at taking a Civic Brands approach to creating a sustainable economy for these displaced populations in a world in which being unbanked makes it difficult to prove a person’s identity and therefore gain access to services such as mortgages and loans.

Smart Communities by Mastercard and Western Union, Global

4. Sanlam promotes funeral insurance via WhatsApp

Uk’shona Kwelanga by Sanlam, South Africa

South Africa – The financial services company aired its serialised drama on WhatsApp over seven days. Subscribers received a series of messages delivered as text, voice and video content, devised by South African screenwriter Bongi Ndaba.

The drama, Uk’shona Kwelanga, follows a family that has recently been bereaved, tracing in real time the discussions about funeral arrangements. High mortality rates in South Africa mean that funeral cover is a pertinent topic, but one that is often difficult to address.

South Africa is a mobile-first country, with WhatsApp the most widely used social platform, according to We Are Social. This new iteration of Faction Marketing reaches consumers through the channel they are most engaged with.

5. Social media encourages menswear sales to soar

Fuelled by social media, an increase in brand visibility is driving growth in the menswear market, as male consumers become increasingly interested in fashion. It is estimated that by 2020, the global designer menswear market will be valued at £25.3bn ($33bn, €28.3bn), according to retail analytics firm Edited, an increase of 14% since 2015. Buy our Retail Futures Report 2017 for more on global market shifts.

6. Thought-starter: What does the rise of injectable cosmetics mean for make-up?

It is clear we are in the midst of generation selfie. Fuelled by social media and celebrities alike, sales of bronzers in the UK almost doubled to £43m ($56m, €48m) between March 2016 and March 2017, according to data analytics company IRI, and the eyebrow product market is estimated to be worth £42m ($54.7m, €47m), boosted by supermodels such as Cara Delevingne.

While this is the situation in the make-up sector, a similar change is happening in the world of non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Consumers are increasingly approaching such procedures as an extension of make-up rather than associating them with more onerous forms of cosmetic surgery.

A rise in Botox countered a 40% fall in plastic surgery in 2016, and, a poll conducted by Dr Tijion Esho, a UK-based non-surgical procedure specialist, revealed that one in three of his patients considers injectables as complementary to make-up.

For more on the impact of injectables on the beauty industry, see journalist Josh Walker’s opinion.