News 26.11.2021

Need to Know

A dating campaign shunning happy endings, Prada taps into the rise of premium homewares and rising consumer demand for personalisation.

Bumble celebrates the journey of dating

Fall in Love with Dating by Bumble, UK

Amsterdam – The dating app is reframing conventional ideas about dating, using its latest campaign to promote enjoyment in the process of meeting new people. The ad, Fall in Love With Dating, shows everyday dating experiences through the eyes of a woman – shown choosing photos for her Bumble profile, messaging people and going on various dates.

It intentionally avoids the trope of finding a happy ending, instead communicating the pleasure of exploration through dating. Naomi Walkland, vice-president of EMEA marketing at Bumble, says: ‘Either you talk about wanting to end up with someone or you’re in a hook-up phase, but there’s never just a celebration of the journey of dating and how fun that can be.’

While the pandemic temporarily halted or redefined many people’s experiences of dating, this campaign showcases a continuation of some of the behaviours we explored in Uncoupled Living. In this trend, we identified the ways in which dating platforms such as Tinder have celebrated singledom and diverse relationships.

Strategic opportunity

Dating apps must look beyond conventional romantic connections in their products and services, considering opportunities for connecting existing couples or friendship groups with people in similar positions, for example

Prada enters the homeware market with Harrods’ help

Prada Homeware, UK Prada Homeware, UK
Prada Homeware, UK Prada Homeware, UK

London – Making its first move into homeware, Prada is launching a collection of objects and domestic accessories that will be available exclusively at Harrods. The line will be displayed in a permanent boutique on the department store’s third floor that will be dedicated entirely to the fashion brand’s furnishings.

In keeping with Prada’s modernist approach to store design, the boutique has a wood and metal façade, and its walls are upholstered in fabric in the brand’s signature shade of green. Dedicated to ‘homeware and sophisticated accessories’, the boutique will stock hand-made objects, pillows with the Prada logo, gold-plated dress-making scissors, and a selection of wooden vases designed by long-time Prada collaborator Martino Gamper. The brand has also re-issued a silver cutlery set from 1905 by Viennese architect and designer Josef Hoffmann, pointing to a future when luxury fashion brands re-issue classic designs to reach new audiences.

As more and more luxury brands enter the Premium Homeware Market, Prada is setting itself apart by collaborating exclusively with Harrods. The department store, in turn, benefits from being the only retailer with the items on offer.

Strategic opportunity

Luxury companies looking to enter the premium homeware market should consider re-issuing classic design as a way of lending more prestige and history to their offering

Seoul brings municipal government into the metaverse

Seoul – The South Korean capital is set to be the first city with its own metaverse platform, launching in 2022. With expansion planned for the next four years, the 3D virtual space is designed to provide next-gen public service for both administrative and cultural needs.

Spaces will include a fintech incubator, a virtual mayor’s office, and the Metaverse 120 Centre, where avatars will help citizens file complaints and solve problems. Users will also be able to attend cultural festivals and visit tourist sites including lost monuments which will be virtually reconstructed like Donuimun Gate.

The initiative is part of Seoul Vision 2030 Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s plan to establish Seoul as a ‘future emotional city’ in conjunction with South Korea’s Digital New Deal, a scheme to improve the economy and social services through digital technology and AI.

Seoul’s embracing of metaverse technology exemplifies the revolutionary potential of Gen Z highlighted in our Reformation Generation trend, propelling city government into the future.

Branded City visual by Inferstudio for The Future Laboratory Branded City visual by Inferstudio for The Future Laboratory

Strategic opportunity

Metaverse technology is an opportunity to inject rarity and intrigue into otherwise mundane tasks. Consider using virtual spaces as engaging ways to meet consumer needs.

Stat: Consumers demand tailor-made interactions

Effaclar Spotspan by La Roche-Posay, Singapore Effaclar Spotspan by La Roche-Posay, Singapore

With 71% of US consumers expecting more intimate interactions from the companies they shop with, personalisation is more crucial than ever. Research conducted by McKinsey & Co reveals that 76% of customers feel frustrated when they don’t receive personalised treatment, demonstrating how consumer desire for personalisation has been replaced with demand.

When asked to define personalisation, those surveyed associated it with ‘positive experiences of being made to feel special’. Checking in post-purchase, requesting product reviews or sending how-to videos all produced a positive response among those surveyed. Going beyond the moment of transaction, customers have begun to expect companies to show a lasting interest in their relationship. Of note, the report found that fast-growing companies drive 40% more of their revenue growth from personalisation than their slow-growing counterparts.

Although the pandemic has caused a surge in digital behaviour, these findings are relevant for bricks-and-mortar retail, too. As customers return to in-person shopping, brands can integrate thoughtful touchpoints to create more lasting connections with consumers. To learn more about how to use digital data collection to guide physical spaces, readers can consult the Storefront Salvation macrotrend.

Strategic opportunity

With research revealing that customers respond positively to product review requests, there is an opportunity for companies to collect more data while strengthening consumer relationships

Previous News Articles
Stat: US consumers slow down on EV adoption

News

Stat: US consumers slow down on EV adoption

 AAA’s latest survey finds that only 16% of US drivers are likely to make an EV their next car – the lowest figure since 2019.
Stat : Statistic : Electric Vehicles
Rimowa and Vitra unite for aluminium storage collection

News

Rimowa and Vitra unite for aluminium storage collection

German luggage brand Rimowa and Swiss design house Vitra have launched a collaborative collection of anodised aluminium objects, including a wheele...
Rimowa : Vitra : Luggage
Tesco taps into 90s nostalgia with Clubcard-themed nightclub

News

Tesco taps into 90s nostalgia with Clubcard-themed nightclub

Tesco is transporting customers back to 1995 with Club Card, a pop-up nightclub celebrating 30 years of the supermarket’s loyalty scheme.
Tesco : Tesco Clubcard : Tesco Nightclub
Cannes Lions 2025: Harnessing the power of K-pop and why laughter is a KPI

News

Cannes Lions 2025: Harnessing the power of K-pop and why laughter is a KPI

On the penultimate day of Cannes Lions, a panel comprising Korean experts from music label Starship Entertainment, Publicis and Pepsico dived into ...
Global Events : Pop Culture & Media : Cannes Lions 2025
Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, 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, ...
Foresight Friday : Ice Cream : Ice-cream
Stat: Consumers shift loyalty to brands that absorb tariff costs

News

Stat: Consumers shift loyalty to brands that absorb tariff costs

As new tariffs drive up import costs, a wave of price sensitivity is forcing retail leaders to rethink their strategies. 
Stat : Statistic : US Economy
 Cannes Lions 2025: Elf Beauty’s recipe for co-creation and Unilever wants to make marketing sassy

News

Cannes Lions 2025: Elf Beauty’s recipe for co-creation and Unilever wants to make marketing sassy

Day three of Cannes Lions 2025 featured panels on everything from Chinese social media to late-night tv and YouTube’s 20th anniversary.
Global Events : Pop Culture & Media : Beauty
Heineken 0.0 partners with F1 The Movie to champion moderation in the fast lane

News

Heineken 0.0 partners with F1 The Movie to champion moderation in the fast lane

Heineken 0.0 has been named an official partner of F1 The Movie, a collaboration with Apple Original Films and Warner Bros.
Heineken : Food And Drink : F1
Stat: Gen Z turn to social media before search engines

News

Stat: Gen Z turn to social media before search engines

Social media platforms are fast becoming the primary gateway to online discovery for younger consumers, according to Sprout Social’s latest Q2 2025...
Stat : Statistic : Social Media
Cannes Lions 2025: Mustafa Suleyman on AI ‘garbage’ and why trust will set brands apart

News

Cannes Lions 2025: Mustafa Suleyman on AI ‘garbage’ and why trust will set brands apart

On day two of the festival, Serena Williams was announced as Reckitt’s first entrepreneur-in-residence.
Global Events : Technology : Pop Culture & Media
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN