News 11.10.2019

Need to Know

Couples therapy delivered through an app, Microsoft, Sony and Twitch pledge to make gaming planet-positive, and consumers want food with health benefits.

Reinventing sausages for veggie-curious consumers

Misfit Foods
Misfit Foods
Misfit Foods

US – Misfit Foods has launched a range of flavour-packed sausages that reposition the humble foodstuff for both meat lovers and flexitarians.

Available in three flavours – Kale Citrus Chimichurri, Sweet Potato Andouille and Squash Sweet Italian – the sausages are made of 50% humanely-raised, antibiotic-free, hormone-free chicken and 50% vegetables.

Previously known for its wonky fruit and vegetable juices, Misfit has launched products containing meat after learning that the average American eats 200lbs of meat a year. ‘The majority of Americans…want to eat less meat, but they’re not quite ready for a number of different reasons to fully give it up,’ explains Dave Betts, co-founder of Misfit. ‘It allows people to reduce their meat consumption significantly, but really doesn’t make people change their behaviour in a drastic way.’

With its range, the brand hopes to provide a tastier option for veggie-curious meat eaters, or those looking for sausages with health benefits, something explored by Carolien Niebling in her project The Future Sausage.

This app lets couples confront relationship issues

Life Couple Life Couple
Life Couple Life Couple

Global – LifeCouple has been developed to help couples monitor and address different challenges in their relationships.

The app invites partners to reflect on trust, communication, conflict, and intimacy within their relationship by analysing their individual data and offering tools to provoke meaningful conversations. The app utilises artificial intelligence and machine learning to adapt dynamic content to each couples' needs. Couples can take part in daily relationship challenges, ice breakers that prelude difficult conversations, and digital gifts. The app is not intended to be a cure-all, but has been designed to be used alongside traditional forms of couples therapy.

‘It’s not a replacement to therapy but it’s a complement to it,’ says founder Sean Rones. ‘I don’t think this can 100% solve your problem but it can give you the tools to solve your problems.’

Discussions around emotional wellbeing and its impact on relationships continues to grow, with brands such as LifeCouple innovating on traditional therapy methods to serve the needs of digitally-oriented consumers.

Gaming giants pledge to reduce their environmental impact

Global – Tech companies have stepped forward to form the Playing for the Planet Alliance with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of gaming through brand-led initiatives.

Twenty one organisations including Microsoft, Sony, and the companies behind Minecraft and Twitch made the pledge at the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit. Microsoft plans to make 825,000 new carbon-neutral Xbox consoles, while game streaming platform Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, and Minecraft promise to spread sustainability messages to their audiences.

The next-generation PlayStation console, meanwhile, will dramatically reduce its power consumption. ‘I believe games and gamers can be a force for social change and would love to see our global community unite to help our planet to survive and thrive,’ said Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, at UN Summit. ‘There is an undeniable opportunity for leaders in the games industry to take a stand and support the UN Environment team.’

As the ethical implications of online entertainment come to the fore, a number of music platforms are also taking greater responsibility. Read the Sustainable Music Streaming micro trend for more case studies.

Stat: Consumers want food with functional benefits

Recent research by Tastewise has found that 37% of consumers are using food as a tool to achieve their health goals.

Utilising artificial intelligence to analyse millions of social media posts, menus, reviews, and recipes, the intelligence agency was able to determine which ingredients consumers are most likely to use to aid their health. Among the most popular foods are provolone cheese, maple syrup, CBD, pea protein, kefir and maca, which are eaten as aids for weight loss, easing depression, assisting sleep, and boosting gut health.

For brands, there is an opportunity to pivot their ingredients and messaging around food to serve the consumers' desire to make food consumption more aligned with their holistic wellness needs.

Read our interview with Tastewise founder Alon Chen for more on why consumer taste preferences are becoming more nuanced, and how brands can leverage data to get ahead of burgeoning flavour and wellbeing trends.

Previous News Articles
Cash App taps Timothée Chalamet for youth-friendly money talk

News

Cash App taps Timothée Chalamet for youth-friendly money talk

Cash App has launched an integrated brand campaign featuring Academy Award-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet which aims to foster intergenerational...
Finance : Gen Z : Youth
Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

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, ...
Beauty : The Synthocene Era : Virtual Beauty
Stat: Southeast Asia is TikTok’s largest advertising audience

News

Stat: Southeast Asia is TikTok’s largest advertising audience

Southeast Asia now accounts for nearly a quarter of TikTok’s global advertising audience, according to the Digital 2025: July Statshot report.
Statistic : Stat : Southeast Asia
Spktrl’s AI diamond ring aims to cut screen time

News

Spktrl’s AI diamond ring aims to cut screen time

Parisian start-up Spktrl is reimagining wearable technology with the launch of its AI-powered Light Ring, a piece of high jewellery designed to cur...
Wellness : Augmented Human : The Synthocene Era
Represent launches in-person fitness competition 247 Mission Rivington

News

Represent launches in-person fitness competition 247 Mission Rivington

British fashion brand Represent has held its first-ever fitness event, 247 Mission Rivington, with 100 athletes competing in a 12‑hour endurance ch...
Sport : Fashion : Fitness
Stat: Technological innovation is driving the future of beauty

News

Stat: Technological innovation is driving the future of beauty

Wealth divides, digital tools and regional identity are reshaping the international beauty market, according to The State of Fashion: Beauty Volume...
Statistic : Stat : Beauty
AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

News

AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

WWF-Korea has launched Animal Trash Fashion, a powerful out-of-home campaign using AI to starkly illustrate the devastating impact of plastic pollu...
Sustainability : Design : Advertising
Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

News

Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

British fashion brand Rixo is expanding its circular ambitions with the launch of Rixo Pre-Loved, a resale platform where customers buy and sell it...
Retail : Fashion : Sutainability
Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

News

Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

Business travel is set to reach a record £1.18 trillion ($1.57 trillion, €1.36 trillion) by the end of 2025, according to ...
Stat : Statistic : Global Travel Market
Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

News

Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

Axe is making fragrance sampling fun again with a new campaign for its Cherry Fizz body spray.
Advertising : Fragrance : Retail
You have 1 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN