LSN : News : Employers must rethink their approach to Gen Z

Mango’s latest store captures teenage dreams

Mango Teen designed by Masquespacio, Barcelona

Spain – In a bid to entice and excite young shoppers, the fashion retailer has unveiled its first Mango Teen store in Barcelona. The result is a highly experiential, escapist store taking inspiration from dreams and surrealism. Ana Hernández, co-founder of Masquespacio, the consultancy behind the project explains: ‘The entrance tunnel makes us go back to that surreal dream we had, taking us to a future in which conventional elements from the past are being considered futuristic for the new generations.’

Throughout the space, various installations invite visitors to let their imagination flow, with objects taking on unexpected functions. A swimming pool, for example, is used as an exhibition element, while a mock hotel reception replaces a traditional cashier desk, and next to it a fake washing machine will help teens recycle their old clothes. Drawing on metaverse worlds, the fitting rooms feature an optical effect that distorts reality – aligning with this generation’s demands for memorable, other-worldly experiences.

Changing consumer needs are driving retailers to rethink bricks-and-mortar stores to be more engaging, sensorial and memorable. Young people especially require this level of interaction and design in physical spaces.

Strategic opportunity

With these experiential cues in mind, retailers should also reflect on ways they can effectively target Generation Alpha. Consider how playful, interactive elements can make individual products more appealing and memorable

This yoga rebrand embraces colour and joy

Love Supreme Projects rebranded by Pentagram, London

London – Love Supreme Projects, a yoga studio in West London, has enlisted the help of design firm Pentagram to develop a visual identity that captures the colour and joy of yoga practices. Straying from the wellness industry’s prevalent minimalist style, the identity aims to honour the spiritual origins of the yoga movement.

To create the brand identity, the design studio was given three fundamental pillars: joy, union, and roots. With this brief in mind, the firm developed a set of abstract symbols that reflect the journey from gazing inward to looking outward. The result is an identity that is more reminiscent of the hippie movement of the 1960s than the tasteful, mid-century modern yoga studios that have been gaining prominence across the world.

Bringing the yoga movement back to its spiritual origins, the identity references the visuals of the Psychedelic Wellness movement to capture the transcendent potential of mindful movement.

Strategic opportunity

How can your company deviate from typical wellness tropes to create visual identities that are more graphic and uplifting?

Employers must rethink their approach to Gen Z

Global – With many workers across the US – and the world – rethinking their career paths, insights from human resources analytics firm Veris Insights reveal the impact this is having on recruiters and hiring managers. According to its analysis, young people are demanding unrealistic compensation and benefits, despite a lack of experience.

Meanwhile, it also notes that young Millennials and Generation Z candidates are more likely to backtrack on job offers. But US recruitment firm LHH notes that the problem isn’t solely generational, but more a cause for companies to rethink their internal structures. Laurie Chamberlin, head of recruitment solutions at LHH, says: ‘Some of these workers [young people] are the most committed employees, who will work until the ends of the earth – if you tap into what motivates them.’

While many companies are struggling to connect with the needs of young workers, there is an ongoing need for workplaces and educational institutions to rebrand their recruitment strategies to align with Gen Z values.

Employers must rethink their approach to Gen Z

Strategic opportunity

Companies should consider working with local youth groups and educational centres to tap into the needs of young people at early stages of their careers

Stat: African nations bear the brunt of the climate crisis

Photography by Cottonbro

The countries that are least culpable for the climate crisis are paying the highest price for its consequences. According to research by international NGO Tearfund, 11 African countries that are least to blame for global heating must pay up to 22% of their GDP on addressing its effects.

Indeed, countries such as Eritrea, Madagascar, Mauritania and Cameroon will have to spend as much as five times more on global heating than on healthcare. Although these 11 countries emit 27 times fewer emissions per person than the global average, they are being stuck with the climate crisis bill. Adapting to rising temperatures will mean building higher sea walls, switching to drought-tolerant crops and building rainwater irrigation systems. Already, East Africa is suffering from one of the worst droughts in a generation, signalling just how urgent appropriate climate infrastructure is.

While the climate crisis is a global problem, some countries are being burdened with a disproportionate amount of its effects – a topic that we discussed with Moussa Mchangama, the co-founder of consultancy In Futurum. To enact meaningful change, brands must tackle the climate crisis from a whole-systems perspective.

Strategic opportunity

How can companies from the Global North take greater responsibility for the climate crisis? Brands should create meaningful alliances with the countries taking the greatest toll from global heating