Why are brands afraid to speak about social issues?
Nowadays many people expect brands to speak up about social and environmental issues. A 2019 survey showed that 70% of consumers believe it’s important for brands to take a public stand on social and political issues. However, a recent research from communication and marketing
The antidote for polarization
We are living in spectacularly polarizing times. Even though some sources (1,2) claim that we are not as polarized as it seems, people still perceive more division in society than before. The global Edelman trust barometer pointed out that 64
The price of being single
“The number of singles in society is rising. In the US, 38% of adults between 25 and 54 are single, compared to 29% in 1990. A similar trend is found in the UK, South Korea and Japan. More people prioritize
Salt brand becomes rival’s biggest supporter
In South-American countries, salt is broadly associated with bad luck. So when Cris-sal, an Ecuadorian salt brand, inquired to sponsor the national team in the upcoming world cup, the football association declined. However, the brand still wanted to help and
The pandemic disrupted maturity among young adults
Now that the pandemic is increasingly taking a back seat in our everyday lives, it is interesting to assess the degree to which people have been (lastingly) affected by such a disrupting event. Even though environmental events are conventionally found
Decathlon → ‘Nolhtaced’
Decathlon shops in three Belgian cities have temporarily been renamed as ‘Nolhtaced’ (apparently pronounced Nol-ta-ked). This name reversal is meant to draw attention to the store’s new buy-back service (a.k.a. reverse-shopping) where customers can sell their old sports goods to
Public spaces designed for people – not consumers
This month the Design in Motion Festival (founded by Studio Dumbar/DEPT® and Global) took place in the Netherlands. For one-day digital artists took over 5000 screens at train stations, metros, shopping centres, airports, or on billboards along major highways and streets across
Glassdoor adds employer value filters
Glassdoor, the online platform where people can find honest reviews about employers by (former) employees, is adding a new function to its website. Users can now filter employers by a large range of new value filters: “workplace factor ratings such
This passive cooking guide saves you money and CO2
Pasta brand Barilla has shared a useful guide to enable people to use ‘passive cooking’ to prepare their pasta dishes. This guide explains how preparing pasta only needs about 2 minutes of cooking time, after which you turn the heat off and
The rise of carbon footprint labels
Many of our everyday products nowaday are ‘eco labeled’. Even though brands still run into controversy and criticism due to their attempts at ‘objective’ eco labeling, the outcry only goes to show the demand among consumers for a real objective