LSN : News : Airbnb and Klarna make holidays accessible for budget-squeezed travellers

Kyran Knauf introduces tabletop cricket farm for sustainable protein

Crikorama by Kyran Knauf, The Netherlands

The Netherlands – Designer Kyran Knauf has unveiled Crikorama, a tabletop device that could revolutionise home-based sustainable protein production, at Dutch Design Week 2023. The sleek 3D-printed machine enables users to breed and harvest crickets as an eco-friendly alternative to meat.

‘I generally have two passions, which are food and well-designed products,’ said Knauf. ‘I was looking into the data of how we could feed ourselves more sustainably, regarding meat, especially.’

Crikorama hosts a continuous cycle of about 30 crickets, offering a farm-to-fork solution for users seeking an efficient and sustainable protein source. Knauf emphasises that replacing one meat-based meal with cricket protein can significantly reduce resource consumption.

The compact device conserves water, land and energy, with Knauf noting it could save 104,000 litres of water and 200 square metres of land annually per user. The machine’s innovative design featuring integrated heating pads and ventilation aims to make cricket farming accessible for homes, restaurants, farms and educational purposes.

Knauf plans to launch Crikorama in February 2024, with the machine priced under £237 ($300, €275). In our Adaptive Appetites macrotrend, we analyse how similar innovations aim to reinforce the philosophy of buying independence for a more sustainable future when resources such as animal protein will be limited.

Strategic opportunity

Home-based solutions like Crikorama tap into consumers’ desire to seek more control over their environmental impact. Consider developing products or services that empower individuals to contribute to sustainability at home

The Moment 3D camera captures 3D images and GIFs with one click

Moment 3D Digital Camera by Olga Orel, US

US – Industrial designer Olga Orel has conceptualised a 3D camera that uses four lenses to simultaneously capture four frames from different angles, before combining them to create a unique 3D GIF image that mimics the intricacies of human vision.

The Moment 3D Digital Camera was inspired by quadrascopic (four lens) cameras from the 1980s. These cameras were able to produce four half-frame images with a single shutter click, enabling the creation of lenticular prints. The Moment 3D Digital Camera works in a similar way, capturing and blending multiple frames to give the viewer the illusion of depth and movement.

While quadrascopic cameras ceased production due to frustratingly long lead times, Orel has adapted the technology for a contemporary audience; the camera shoots vertically – to best suit social media sharing – and the 3D image can be instantly viewed, edited and easily exported via a user-friendly touchscreen.

In a world where everything is digital, how can we best Preserve Digital Legacies? As our cloud storage becomes fuller and fuller and this question persists we will see more experimental concepts such as the Moment 3D camera and heirloom hard drives hit the market.

Strategic opportunity

Gen Z consumers have one eye looking forward and one eye looking back. How can you help preserve digital legacies and appeal to their nostalgia by re-inventing retro tech for the social media age?

Airbnb and Klarna make holidays accessible for budget-squeezed travellers

Global – Airbnb has teamed up with Klarna to launch Pay Over Time, a new feature allowing guests in the UK to spread the cost of their reservation.

The new payment plan is part of a phased global roll-out, bringing alternative ways for Airbnb guests to pay for their stays across three continents in 2024. The Pay Over Time offer was piloted in North America as part of Airbnb’s 2023 Summer Release and was recently launched in eight European countries, and now the UK. At checkout, the feature gives guests the option to apply to pay for their stay in three interest-free instalments over two months. Pay Over Time will be available for reservations up to a value of £4,000 ($5,056, €4,633).

As consumers navigate the Cost of Living Crisis, buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) options have become a tool to help people budget for larger expenses. This partnership between Klarna and Airbnb is a natural expansion of the BNPL model, making holidays more accessible to cash-strapped consumers by spreading the cost.

Klarna, UK

Strategic opportunity

Taking cues from Airbnb and Klarna’s flexible payment solutions making holiday booking more manageable for budget-constrained consumers, consider how your business can act as a cost of living ally for your clients, offering flexibility, light subscriptions and smaller products

Stat: ChatGPT was the fastest-growing brand in the US in 2023

Photography by SHVETS production

US – Morning Consult’s annual Fastest Growing Brands 2023 report has revealed the brands that have soared in consumer appeal in the US in 2023, with generative artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as the standout trend. Topping the list is ChatGPT, marking a significant breakthrough for AI despite concerns. The tool’s developer, OpenAI, also made it onto the list in seventh place.

Morning Consult states that growth was determined by taking the share of consumers who said they were considering purchasing from brands from 1 to 24 October 2023 and subtracting the share who said the same from 1 to 31 January 2023.

Following ChatGPT in second place was lemon-lime soft drink Starry, digital payments software Zelle (third), fast fashion e-tailer Shein (fourth) and hard iced tea Twisted Tea (fifth).

The report reflects the zeitgeist, emphasising the renowned impact of social media platforms such as Facebook (eighth), Instagram Reels (ninth), YouTube Shorts (17th) and Instagram (18th), which all secured spots on the list.

As a brand, Dollar General resonated with cost-conscious Gen Z consumers amid economic uncertainty, while Major League Soccer experienced a boost in popularity, particularly among Millennials, thanks to football icon Lionel Messi’s arrival in the US.

To read more about the future of ChatGPT and OpenAI, head to our Artificial Intelligence Topic section.

Strategic opportunity

As US consumers admit to considering purchasing more from Facebook, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, e-tailers should consider how to revitalise their on-platform retail strategy and influencer partnerships