Thursday 24th June:
Service with a smiley
While the recession retreats at a funeral’s pace, we’re seeing signs of happiness all around us as brands try to brighten consumers’ lives.
Kraft Foods have created a smiley logo for their Hello Jell-O campaign and is putting it on special-edition boxes of the jiggly treat; Hungry Jack made a funny face on the inside of their syrup cap; Coca-Cola’s redesigned Minute Maid juice packaging features a ‘smiling’ orange wedge; and for Frito-Lay’s ‘Happiness Exhibit’, fans can submit pics of their happy moments for a digital collage and the chance to appear on packs; while Seattle’s Best Coffee redesigned their logo ‘to match our optimistic outlook’.
Little doses of happy are a big deal for people these days. The other lesson? Never forget that packaging is the face of a brand. What expression is yours wearing?
Via. http://blog.iconoculture.com/2010/06/16/good-mood-rising/
Tagged with: Credit crunch, Food and drink, Happiness
Wednesday 21st April:
Who stole my lunch?
Proving the budget-minded idea still has strong potential, London’s recently launched Stolen Supper Club sets itself apart by explicitly featuring recipes purloined from other, high-end restaurants.
Stolen specialises in parties, but it also holds two weekly events. Its Monday Supper Club serves up to 15 guests in Stolen’s cosy Notting Hill location. Usually BYOB, the supper club features a different menu each week—often, news of the recipe ‘heist’ that inspired it is posted beforehand on the company blog. A recent week in March, for example, featured recipes ‘stolen’ from London’s renowned Cinnamon Club, including Chicken Tikka Masala and stir-fried okra with dried mango, for a minimum contribution of £30. Stolen also offers a Thursday market stall at London’s Maida Hill Market for lunchtime fare; delivery is available as well.
Economic recovery may be under way, but it could be a long time before people lose their hard-won thriftiness, and they’ll certainly never lose their taste for quality. How better to tap into both than by providing low-cost but still very high-end meals, with a unique experience to boot? Foodies and chefs around the globe: one to emulate for the budget-minded gourmets in your neck of the woods . . .
Ref. http://www.springwise.com/food_beverage/stolen/
Tagged with: Credit crunch, Food and drink, Restaurants
Wednesday 14th April:
Designer tastes for Poundshop pockets
Wish you could afford unique design pieces? You’re in luck. A pop-up bargain store in Shoreditch has invited designers to submit products that will each sell for £1 only.
Poundshop has been organised by design collective, Household, and freelance illustrator, Sara Melin, with the support of Shoreditch Trust. Products on sale will include sets of blue cutlery by the Used Development Organisation, ‘pearl’ rings with a tooth motif by product designer, Naoki Kawamoto, and posters by graphic designer, Claire McManus, that remind you to water your plants.
Visitors are also invited to submit their ideas on uses for the shop’s ‘busker’s corner’. These could be a reading, a one-minute head massage or a music performance, again all costing just £1.
Ref. https://www.lsnglobal.com/seed/view/1725
Tagged with: Credit crunch, Retail
Friday 19th March:
All is not what it seems
As high streets are decimated by the recession, councils are installing fake business facades to create the illusion that shops are still occupied. North Tyneside Council is trialling the new window treatment on the crumbling facade of a vacant clothing store in Whitley Bay. The sign asks the question, ‘Delicatessen?’ following up with the line, ‘This retail space could be yours . . .’
(Thanks to Mrs Daily Mail, Claire)
Judith Wallace, North Tyneside Council’s deputy mayor, said: ‘We need to do whatever we can to support our businesses and town centres. The recession has forced many businesses to bring down their shutters. This is a simple and cost-effective approach that keeps the retail unit available for potential new uses and in the meantime also contributes to the street scene.’
Monday 8th February:
Redesigning the downturn
Last spring, as retail sales were tanking worldwide, Italian design firm Alessi ramped things up. And recently, at its flagship NY Soho store, the company announced that it would unveil three collections in 2010 instead of the usual two, so as to accommodate the firm’s record number of products.
From curvaceous mixing bowls, designed in collaboration with the world’s most renowned pastry chef, to a cunning bathroom trash can, the spring collection offers an extraordinary marriage of form and function, as well as a resounding vote of optimism that the global economy is poised for a sharp rebound.
One of the most charming items was a blank wall clock that buyers can personalise with their own way of marking time. At the clock he created for the Soho shop, it was 10 after ‘Desire’ when the meeting broke up.
Other intriguing items in the collections was the set of pastry tools by Matali Crasset and Legion of Honor winner, Pierre Herme. The mixing bowl features a bright orange bump on its side, the better to cuddle while whisking. ‘You hold the bowl like this,’ Cravedi demonstrated, tucking the vessel in the crook of his arm. ‘The design is based on the carnal relationship chefs have with their bowls!’
Tagged with: Credit crunch, Design, Huosehold
Friday 8th January:
Gap Canada protects shoppers against Murphy’s Law
It’s Murphy’s Law that as soon as you buy a particular item, it’s on the sales rack the following week. So, hoping to give customers some insurance against such eventualities, Gap Canada has launched a program that automatically refunds the difference when that happens.
To take part in Gap’s free Sprize program, which is now available in ten Gap stores in and around Vancouver, B.C., customers simply sign up with their name, email address and phone number. Then, any time they make a purchase at a participating Gap store, they’re protected against sales that take place in the near future. Specifically, if the prices on any items purchased have dropped within 45 days of the transaction, Gap will automatically credit the difference to the customer’s Sprize account. The resulting SprizeMoney can then be used toward future purchases in participating stores.
Of course, beyond offering consumers peace of mind, increased transparency and a compelling reason to register with the company, the Sprize program also surely gives Gap new insight into its best customers and their shopping habits – and a way to keep them coming back. How long before this one becomes standard practice?
Ref. http://www.springwise.com/retail/sprize/
Thursday 7th January:
Car-parks start earning their keep
Home Depot may be struggling, but it owns a lot of land – up to 15 acres per store, including vast parking lots. Now it hopes to cash in on all that sprawling vacant asphalt by selling off lots to other retailers.
There’s nothing more useless than a vacant parking lot (unless you’re a teen doing wheelies). Most shoppers would appreciate the opportunity to easily check off multiple store errands during their Home Depot shopping trips. So to lure potential tenants during a real estate slump, the company is targeting chains that complement its morning contractor business, like auto repair shops and fast-food chains that sell breakfast.
Recession-resistant chains like Chick-fil-A are continuing to expand, so it could be a smart move. ‘It’s no different from a power center anchored by a Target or Kohl’s, with small tenants like Sally Beauty Supply as a co-tenant,’ says Colin McGranahan of Bernstein Research.
Tagged with: Credit crunch, DIY, Retail
Thursday 26th November:
Better to be born lucky than rich
Limited edition products are often the preserve of those who can meet inflated prices. Reebok knows this, not least because it sees sneaker enthusiasts camping out overnight in the hope of getting hold of exclusive and expensive new designs. Things are changing, though, with the latest sales concept based on nothing more than a lucky dip. Just 31 pairs of the Pump Outback, a collaboration with Bodega, a Boston Sportswear store, will be released to customers via a lottery.
Adidas is going further, planning to make ‘1 Euro Shoes’ for people who can’t afford them. The project was suggested to Adidas by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and will begin pilot production in his home country of Bangladesh next year. The project will also create jobs for local Bangladeshis. Adidas has agreed to make the shoes on a non-profit basis, selling them at no more than the cost of manufacturing.
Both initiatives are spot on for today’s economic climate.
Ref. https://www.lsnglobal.com/seed/view/1078
http://www.psfk.com/2009/11/adidas-make-1-euro-shoes-for-people-who-cant-afford-shoes.html
Wednesday 10th June:
How can you help people become more resourceful?
Think like Japan-based Tohoku Kankyo, who’ve created Samu, a 30lb robotic pet poop composter (which also resembles a dog). The pet poop bin can turn up to 1,000g of pet waste per day into compost. The Great Recession is prompting people to be more resourceful, so items such as composters are gaining ground. But up until Samu, there hadn’t been a safe, purpose-designed way to compost pet poop. The poop-to-compost process is simple: fill Samu with a proprietary substance (and refill every several months), dump in the waste, close the lid, push a button and Samu gets to work.
Tuesday 9th June:
How can you help people fight back in tough times?
Think like Cardsofchange, a place where the glass is always half-full, and where all the bad news of the day takes a back seat to stories of individual success http://www.cardsofchange.com/. Their mission is simple: collect business cards and ‘positive change’ stories from people who’ve recently been laid off, and connect them with new opportunities from potential employers, business partners and people who make the effort to look on the bright side.
Similarly, environmental and innovation consultancy, eco3, are walking the talk. They help clients develop better products and packaging with lower environmental impact, and are building the notion of ‘re-use’ into their identity. To create their business cards they simply stick the ident onto anything handy, e.g. a train ticket and bingo card http://www.eco3.co.uk/index.htm
