LSN : News : Thought-starter: Can the travel industry shed its colonial roots?

Minecraft holds a digital music festival

Coalchella 2018 music festival on Minecraft

Global – Internet collective Thwip Gang has brought a digital festival to the video game, attracting 27,000 listeners.

Following a digital birthday party held in May, Thwip Gang decided to organise a full-scale music festival on the gaming platform. Coalchella, which was held in late September, was free to attend and featured performances from electronic artists such as Electric Mantis through a livestream broadcast.

The festival was also scattered with near-replicas of brands such as IHOP and Ikea. Although the promotion for the event was minimal – the co-founders tweeted a line-up that mimicked traditional festivals – it managed to attract 3,000 gamers and 27,000 streamers over eight hours.

Although the festival market is booming, a rise in digital, in-game events provides opportunities for brands who wish to infiltrate the virtual world.

Genuine Liquorette offers takeaway cocktails

Genuine Liquorette, London

London – The new bar invites guests to work with bartenders to create custom-bottled cocktails that they can take home.

As well as functioning as a liquor store and cocktail bar, Genuine Liquorette offers a drinks experience that lets visitors play bartender. Working under the guidance of an expert, visitors can use ingredients typically only available behind a bar to create a customised cocktail that is priced by the gramme. They can then take it home to shake and serve fresh later.

The bar also offers six premium ready-made cocktails on tap, alongside takeaway bottles to fill. The service hopes to encourage customers to serve the cocktails at a dinner party or office event without the hassle of concocting the drinks themselves.

With many consumers unequipped to recreate their favourite cocktails at home, Genuine Liquorette offers a convenient alternative that also adds an interactive element to the typical bar format.

Jenna Lyons’ latest project is tv commerce

US – The former J Crew president is working with Turner Entertainment to blur the lines between entertainment and shopping.

An unscripted tv series will be the anchor for a new lifestyle platform, taking an omni-channel approach to broadcasting. The digital platform will comprise daily content across lifestyle, home, fashion and beauty, and will offer direct-to-consumer commerce by 2020.

Although it remains unclear how the tv series will complement the platform, it will be rooted in Lyons’ curated approach to personal style. ‘I want to build a story-driven, comprehensive resource for anyone to satisfy their personal style and help them make aesthetic choices,’ says Lyons. ‘And we will bring that together with real-time entertainment with Kevin Reilly and the team at Turner, where I’ve found an inspiring and open-minded approach to thinking about commerce across multiple platforms.’

For more on how entertainment brands are integrating e-commerce into their scheduling, read our microtrend Shop The Show.

Acne menswear 2019

Maiyet introduces retail to the members’ club

The Maiyet Collective, London

London – The sustainable luxury brand has opened a concept store in The Conduit, which will only open three days a month.

The Mayfair members’ club opened in summer 2018 and is positioned as a club with a social purpose. Its latest addition is The Maiyet Collective, a retailer that will offer a rotating selection of ready-to-wear, fine jewellery and lifestyle products from sustainable brands around the world.

With an approach to retail that shies away from excess, the concept store will only be open for three days a month. On these days, it will also host a programme of events including innovation workshops, panels and performances. Those who aren’t members of The Conduit can access the space by making an appointment online.

By highlighting its positive impact on the world, The Maiyet Collective is positioning itself as a shopping destination to combat Uneasy Affluence.

Stat: Russia’s press is losing its relevance

According to data from GlobalWebIndex, daily press consumption has fallen to its lowest level in Russia. Daily consumption of both print and online press peaked in 2013, but has since fallen by 21 minutes to just 54 minutes.

Meanwhile, a new poll by the Levada Center found that television remains the biggest news source for Russians – 73% get their news from tv – but has become less trusted over time.

With the rise of fake news, media platforms are being forced to provide content that they can prove is accurate. For more, read our microtrend Veritas Media.

Thought-starter: Can the travel industry shed its colonial roots?

In an industry tainted by colonial roots, junior foresight writer Holly Friend explores the travel brands shifting their priorities towards the empowerment and rights of indigenous residents.

Ideas about who can be considered a typical tourist are changing. While mainstream representations of travellers tend to rely on the stereotype of white, privileged Westerners, these voices will no longer be representative of world travellers as demographics shift.

Bani Amor, an Ecuadorian-American travel writer, looks critically at the industry. According to Amor, travelling is inherently colonial. It relies on a monotonous narrative that separates the visitors from the visited, an attitude established by European colonialists.

Therefore, as people become more aware of their travel privilege, brands are helping to alleviate feelings of guilt by providing purpose-driven travel experiences that put local residents first and ensure tourism spend remains in the country.

This summer, a new travel agency that uses tourism to support human rights launched its maiden tour to Colombia. Justice Travel invites local activists, community leaders and journalists on its tours to encourage travellers to ‘learn and return’, and contributes 30% of its profits to human rights partners.

Read the full microtrend on Empowered Travel here.