Science

Implications - Brands are leveraging bio-science to allow consumers to better personalize their diet-related goals. Weight management platforms use algorithms that analyze the consumer's DNA, which then provides them with information that helps them make informed choices about their nutrition plans. This personalization caters to consumers looking to self-empower when it comes to meeting their health and fitness goals.

Homework Question - How could your brand better personalize its product/service? [More]

Implications - Consumer obsession with recent developments regarding potential travel to Mars has lead to an influx of products and experiences that interpret the red planet is various ways. This progression is an example of the inspiration derived by tastemakers and designers from such cultural fascinations and the larger influence innovations in technology have on the zeitgeist.

Homework Question - What larger cultural moment could you use as a surprising source of inspiration for a new product range? [More]

Implications - Food brands are highlighting the scientific properties of their items, or curating products or events that center around scientific consumption, in a way that informs and connects consumers' to the brands' vision. The use of science as a marketing and engagement tool caters to consumers seeking what they perceive to be fact-based products and services.

Homework Question - How could your brand put science at the forefront of its marketing and engagement strategy? [More]

Implications - Rigorous testing of AI means gathering mass amounts of data that are difficult to accumulate in the lab. Instead, companies have begun to train their machines with crowdsourced online games through which users unwittingly improve the quality of the AI. Gamifying technical aspects of one's brand cleverly redirects the wealth of information embedded in the crowd toward product improvement.

Homework Question - How could your brand harness the power of the crowd to improve your product? [More]

Implications - While much of the conversation seems to focus on the wellness lifestyle obsession, an emerging group of consumers interested merely in absorbing one's required daily nutrients in the most efficient way possible are embracing futuristic meal replacement plans. This progression highlights the ability of modern consumers to construct lifestyles of their own liking, such a freedom includes previously unthinkable concepts such as the choice to save time by avoiding conventional meals, whether or not this results in opting out of such shared experiences as dining.

Homework Question - Consumers today prioritize health, but prefer products that suit their busy lifestyles. How is your brand answering that call? [More]

Implications - Global warming has created unpredictable circumstances in many parts of the world. This creates a need for more adaptable structures; it all begins with industrial materials, and the development of more extreme weather proofing. This adaptability goes beyond the tangible circumstances and materials, and into a need for efficient and effective solutions to global problems.

Homework Question - How can your brand contribute to the mitigation of the consequences associated with climate change? [More]

Implications - As STEM continues to evolve in the toy space, brands are developing robot-building kits and systems to pique the interest of kids. By involving children in the making and programming of robots, toy brands are able to make these STEM-related toys both more engaging and rewarding for the end user.

Homework Question - Could you offer consumers a deconstructed version of your product to instill a sense of DIY culture? [More]

Implications - Upcycling has gained popularity in industries such as food service and fashion, creating more urgency around the ongoing attempt to turn waste into energy. Progress made in this area explores everything from human waste to environmentally unfriendly refuse, the latter providing an overlapping attempt at sustainability that aligns perfectly with today's increasingly green consumer.

Homework Question - What consumer values can you emphasize as part of your brand's identity? [More]

Implications - Just as a fast-growing legal recreational marijuana market has created a demand for brands and products, the emerging opportunity has allowed for the emergence of new ventures that serve functions unique to the cannabis business. In addition to highlighting the far-reaching nature of the legal cannabis market, this shift highlights the opportunity for brands offering B2B services to leverage the needs of entrepreneurs in unique emerging sectors.

Homework Question - In your current position as a company, how can you help new businesses that are embarking upon niche markets? Consider co-branding, co-creations and B2B involvement. [More]

Implications - As more consumers rediscover the value of autodidacticism within base-level medical education, a desire for more in-depth, professional-level data can be observed. This creates an opportunity for healthcare professionals to connect to consumers in a more intimate way, while creating more opportunity for the use of readily available data.

Homework Question - How could you better empower your consumer to solve their own issues? [More]