Need to know   29 : 11 : 17
MINI LIVING, Shanghai

Need to know
29 : 11 : 17

In today’s daily digest: Tobacco firms to educate consumers, Nesterly connects homeowners with young renters, Shake Shack’s cashless payments and more.

1. Mini launches new co-living initiative in China 2. Shake Shack uses technology to provide faster food 3. Nesterly offers multigenerational co-living model 4. Tobacco firms ordered to launch informative campaigns 5. Workers not engaging with workplace wellness initiatives 6. Thought-starter: Should brands capitalise on self-care?

1. Mini launches new co-living initiative in China

Mini Living, Shanghai Mini Living, Shanghai
Mini Living, Shanghai Mini Living, Shanghai

Shanghai – Continuing its exploration of the future of living, car brand Mini has announced its plans to build a co-living development in partnership with Chinese property developer Nova Property Investment Co. The complex, which will include apartments, workspaces and car-sharing services, will be located in a former paint factory in the city’s Jing’an district.

The initiative is the first commercial building project from the brand’s research arm Mini Living, which was launched in 2016. Its accommodation offer is aimed at creatives, young professionals and couples, and will comprise a series of one- and two-bedroom apartments complete with bookable guest rooms. The space will also feature public areas such as playgrounds, shops and restaurants. For more on Mini’s move into the design world, watch our interview with Esther Bahne, head of brand strategy at Mini.

2. Shake Shack uses technology to provide faster food

Shake Shack Astor Place, New York Shake Shack Astor Place, New York
Shake Shack Astor Place, New York Shake Shack Astor Place, New York

New York – Fast casual restaurant Shake Shack has launched a new eatery concept that uses technology to streamline the ordering process. Rather than ordering at their table, customers request their food through specially equipped kiosks stationed around the space, assisted by staff members known as Hospitality Champs.

The system is completely cashless to speed up the process, and diners receive a text notifying them when their order is ready. CEO Randy Garutti explains that the concept will be a testing ground for the business as a whole to help optimise the dining experience. ‘The Astor Place Shack will be a playground where we can test and learn the ever-shifting needs of our guests,’ says Garutti.

As explored in our Future of Service Report, customers are increasingly searching for brands that use technology to place convenience at the core of their service offer.

3. Nesterly offers multigenerational co-living model

Boston – Founded by Noelle Marcus and Rachel Goor, Nesterly is tapping into the sharing economy to offer young and old alike a new co-living model that meets the needs of different generations.

The company connects elderly home-owners with younger people in search of affordable housing, offering them a low-cost place to live while allowing older participants the opportunity to stay at-home for longer without the worry of being forced by circumstances into a retirement home.

Having launched its pilot programme earlier this year with a small number of participants, Nesterly has now expanded its partnership with the city of Boston to enable anyone living in the municipal area to participate.

Nesterly, Boston Nesterly, Boston

4. Tobacco firms ordered to launch informative campaigns

Health effects of smoking Big Tobacco ad, US

US – The largest tobacco firms in the world have been issued a court order to release anti-smoking newspaper and tv campaigns to educate consumers in the US about the dangers of smoking. The campaign was first ordered by the US Justice Department in 2006, but lobbying efforts by tobacco companies delayed its release for more than 10 years.

The first ad in the forthcoming series, which is paid for by leading tobacco companies Altria, RJ Reynolds, Lorillard and Philip Morris USA, features a statement from these companies about the health risks of smoking and highlights how ‘more people die every year from smoking than from murder, AIDS, suicide, drugs, car crashes and alcohol combined’. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, smoking kills more than 1,200 Americans each day. As the definition of health and wellness changes, brands need to move beyond focusing only on profit to take a longer-term view.

5. Workers not engaging with workplace wellness initiatives

In today’s always-on world, people are spending more time at work and looking to work for companies that help them to maintain their health and wellbeing. But despite heavy investment in workplace wellbeing programmes in the West, employee engagement remains low.

6. Thought-starter: Should brands capitalise on self-care?

As consumers become increasingly anxious about the effects of climate change, strategic researcher Victoria Buchanan asks whether brands offering self-care solutions are helping to alleviate their anxieties or simply exploiting their unhappiness.

The emergence of self-care – a new hybrid of self-help and wellness – seems to directly correlate with today’s distressing political climate. Google has revealed that searches for the term ‘self-care’ spiked immediately after the US election last November, reaching a 10-year high in the US.

De-stressing and disconnecting has become an industry in itself at a time when anxiety levels among young people are increasing, with young women more likely than young men to report symptoms of anxiety or depression.

Brands have seized on this, designing a range of products that claim to support women in their everyday self-care endeavours. From self-care planners to self-care candles and self-care face masks, the term has been applied to just about any moment of indulgence.

This begs the question: if you’re selling self-care, doesn’t it benefit you to have a consumer who is living in a permanent state of anxiety and unwellness? Where do we draw the ethical lines?

Read the full Opinion here.

Les Girls Les Boys campaign, UK Les Girls Les Boys campaign, UK
Discover More News
Nike changes Just Do It to Why Do It? in new campaign

News

Nike changes Just Do It to Why Do It? in new campaign

Nike has re-imagined its iconic Just Do It slogan for today’s athletes with the launch of its latest campaign, Why Do It? 
Visual : Nike : Campaign
New Zealand’s Department of Conservation merges sustainability and local pride

News

New Zealand’s Department of Conservation merges sustainability and local pride

The Department of Conservation in New Zealand has unveiled a three-year campaign with Deloitte Digital and Deloitte’s Sustainability and Climate te...
Conservation : National Branding : New Zealand
Stat: The majority of Gen Alpha consumers buy clothes to create content

News

Stat: The majority of Gen Alpha consumers buy clothes to create content

Clothing retailer PacSun’s study of more than 6,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers in the US reveals how fashion purchases are increasingly made for...
Gen Alpha : Fashion : Retail
John Lewis celebrates 100 iconic products for its centenary

News

John Lewis celebrates 100 iconic products for its centenary

John Lewis is marking 100 years of its Never Knowingly Undersold promise with a new multi-media campaign created by advertising company Saatchi &am...
Brand Heritage : Heritage : Branding
Monzo tackles financial literacy with The Book of Money

News

Monzo tackles financial literacy with The Book of Money

British online bank Monzo has launched The Book of Money in response to research showing that half of Britons (51%) feel they are not reaching thei...
Finance : Gen Z : Education
Stat: Light preventative personal care routines on the rise

News

Stat: Light preventative personal care routines on the rise

Kenvue, owner of brands including Neutrogena, Aveeno and Listerine, has launched A New View of Care: The Power of Personal Care Routines, a global ...
Stat : Statistic : Health
Depop campaign reframes second-hand fashion as secret to personal style

News

Depop campaign reframes second-hand fashion as secret to personal style

Fashion resale platform Depop (now a subsidiary of Etsy) has launched its largest US campaign to date.
Fashion : Sustainability : Resale
Dermalogica launches digital community for skincare professionals

News

Dermalogica launches digital community for skincare professionals

Dermalogica has launched its Pro Community hub, a digital space designed by skin therapists, for skin therapists, with the ambition to become the U...
Dermalogica : Neo Community : Community
Stat: US study suggests Gen Alpha are fuelling cinema revival

News

Stat: US study suggests Gen Alpha are fuelling cinema revival

A new US survey from entertainment researchers NRG found that 59% of Gen Alpha prefer watching films in cinemas rather than at home, comp...
Stat : Stats : Statistic
Volkswagen puts authenticity first in new social storytelling campaign

News

Volkswagen puts authenticity first in new social storytelling campaign

Volkswagen has launched a social-first campaign, YourVolkswagen, spotlighting the authentic stories of real owners and their enduring connection to...
Visual : Mobility : Volkswagen
You have 0 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN