LSN : News : Reebok uses Alexa to enter the hype market

The Future Laboratory charts the rise of Liberation Luxury

Gentle Monster Kids by Luca Mastroianni

London – At our Luxury & Hospitality Futures Forum 2019, we explored why wealth is no longer material for a new generation of millionaires.

At the Corinthia London yesterday The Future Laboratory hosted a trends-driven exploration of the luxury and hospitality industries. Kicking off the afternoon with a presentation on the rising luxury trends, we revealed how Eco-tels are making sustainability sexy, automotive owners are joining Supercar Clubs and jewellery retail is loosening up.

Those attending the event saw the debut of our latest macrotrend, Liberation Luxury, which tracks the rise of a new HNWI mindset, driven by curiosity, flexibility and discovery. Finally, the newest instalment of LS:N Global’s ethnographic research series, Tribes, was revealed. Guests were introduced to myriad mindsets of the Untethered Luxurians.

If you weren’t able to attend, explore our new macrotrend here and meet the Untethered Luxurians.

Aston Martin’s design service turns garages into galleries

Aston Martin Automotive Galleries and Lairs, Monterey, US

California – The luxury car-maker has revealed a new design service for car enthusiasts and collectors, enabling them to create bespoke spaces to show off their cars.

Aston Martin Automotive Galleries and Lairs will produce unique garages, entertainment spaces and retreats in collaboration with car owners. Through the service, customers can create a bespoke garage for their car or, taking it one step further, an entire luxury home can be created where the car takes centre stage.

‘Imagine a home or luxury retreat built around your car,’ says Marek Reichman, Aston Martin chief creative officer. ‘This is now achievable with this new offering. For the car enthusiast, the garage is as important as the rest of the house and a bespoke auto gallery designed by Aston Martin that either focuses on showing off the car or is part of a larger, integrated entertainment space with simulators and such like, takes Aston Martin ownership to the next level.’

To learn more about the changing nature of luxury car ownership, read our Supercar Clubs microtrend.

Reebok uses Alexa to enter the hype market

US – The athletic wear brand is giving away limited-edition versions of its Club C trainer to users of smart speakers.

By saying ‘open Reebok Sneaker Drop’ to their Alexa or Google Assistant, shoppers can enter a contest to win the shoes. They can then check the status of their entry by saying ‘ask Reebok Sneaker Drop if I won’ on 7 September. By asking its customers to re-engage with the speaker and check whether they have won, Reebok is adding friction into the path to purchase.

With the giveaway, Reebok hopes to engage younger shoppers, who are more likely to be tuned in to mobile and voice technology than older generations. The number of Millennial users of smart speakers grew by 38% in 2018 to 24.9m in the US, according to eMarketer.

For more on how streetwear hype has inspired brands to be creative in how they market to younger consumers, read our Market.

Club C shoe by Reebok and Cardi B

Stat: China’s Millennials want clean beauty products

According to an AlixPartners study, global demand for beauty and personal care products with natural or organic ingredients is growing. The survey of more than 4,500 individuals in China, France, Germany, the UK and the US found that 72% of all respondents said it was important to purchase healthy or clean products.

Among Chinese consumers, this figure rises to 90%, with Millennials leading the trend towards clean beauty. However, access to green products is an issue in China, and 38% of Chinese respondents agreed that ‘products are not readily available where I shop’, compared to an overall average of 27%. As such, there is an opportunity for both local and overseas brands to fill this gap for Chinese beauty consumers.