Need to Know
21 : 08 : 19

US – Electric vehicle (EV) charging network Electrify America has unveiled a playful digital marketing campaign to demystify EVs.

The campaign – Normal Now – is being rolled out across the US with an educational website, as well as online videos and advertisements across streaming platforms and social media. Tapping into Netstalgia, the humorous campaign uses dated design cues such as Comic Sans and a website visitor counter, with the aim of normalising zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by drawing comparisons between consumers' current perceptions of EVs and how technological advances such as mobile phones, smart watches and online dating were once regarded.

‘A large percentage of the car-buying public cite functional concerns about EVs, like range anxiety, charge time and cost as reasons they wouldn’t drive electric,’ says Richard Steinberg, senior director of green cities, marketing and communications at Electrify America. ‘We believe that fear of change and lack of exposure to EVs in pop culture is making people view them as too different from what they’re used to, and therefore are striving to normalise EVs with this latest educational campaign.’

Statistics show that while the adoption rate of EVs is still relatively low, the market for these vehicles is gaining traction (sources: McKinsey & Co, IHS Markit).

London – Online botanical retailer Patch Plants has created the temporary hotel for holidaying plant owners.

People worried about their plants’ health while they’re away can go online to book a free break for their flora and fauna, dropping their plants off at Patch Plants’ south London space, described as the ‘world’s first hotel for plants’. The facility has a range of environments to suit different plants, whether sun-seekers or shade-lovers. Plant food and custom-designed hydration spa treatments are provided to plants during their stay, with regular checks by specialists and Patch Plants’ in-house wellness team.

Freddie Blackett, CEO of Patch, says: ‘We all know the crushing disappointment when you return from holiday to find your plant has gone from green lusciousness to a burnt, dry bunch of twigs. We wanted to open the hotel to give a helping hand to the increasing number of plant parents.’

Research commissioned by Patch found that 67% of Londoners have bought a plant in the past year. Consumers are embracing biophilia – the need to be close to nature – in the home as a way to improve health and wellbeing. For more, read our Wellness Architecture market to find out more.

UK – The new networking app aims to alleviate isolation among solo parents by providing a platform for them to connect with each other.

Frolo – a combination of ‘friend’ and ‘solo’ – will be launched in September 2019, allowing users to forge friendships with other single parents in their local area, as well as access support, guidance and advice on parenting. The app functions much like dating apps, with parents invited to upload their interests and children’s age, message other parents, and either join or organise meetings and trips. A newsfeed will also provide a space to post questions or updates.

Following her own experiences as a single parent, founder Zoë Desmond created Frolo to fill a gap in the market for services that cater for, and connect, single parents. The growth opportunity was further highlighted as the app started to build a social media following before it was launched in beta mode.

Explore our Parenting Market to learn how changing family structures and gender roles are disrupting childrearing.

The growth of the plant-based market is both disrupting and bolstering the food industry. According to FAIRR’s new Appetite for Disruption report, sales of plant-based foods in the US have risen by 31% over the past two years, compared to a rise of just 4% for general food retail sales.

In particular, plant-based proteins are driving change, and relatively new entrants such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are forcing more established industry players to innovate.

With the alternative protein sector expected to capture 10% of the meat market within the next 15 years, food-tech companies are continuing to pioneer new plant proteins to rival animal products in taste, texture and nutritional profile. For more, read our Next-generation Protein microtrend.