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Baggu makes – you guessed it – lightweight bags crafted from recycled nylon and canvas. Its eco-credentials and bold prints helped make the brand a hit, most recently with Gen Z. But has that dream soured?

Earlier this month, the brand released a capsule collection designed by Collina Strada, including a horse bag complete with feet and a strap tail. Fans' initial enthusiasm quickly waned, with consumers expressing disappointment that Midjourney had been used to generate two prints featured in the collection. Although a disclaimer was added to the product pages and Hilary Taymour, the designer behind Collina Strada, has been open about her use of generative AI, some felt the brands had not been transparent enough about the role the technology played in the creative process. Others highlighted the impact AI has on small makers and on the environment.

Given that gen AI isn't going anywhere — 96% of global executives feel an urgency to incorporate AI into their business operations — brands in the fashion industry and beyond will need to have strategies in place to mitigate potential backlash. Three approaches to consider: 

🔎 Transparency: Be open about when, where and how AI is (or isn't) used and steps being taken to minimize environmental impact. Carbon labeling has become more common over the last few years. What would an AI equivalent look like?

🎨 Participation: With studies suggesting that familiarity drives a more positive view of the technology, consider developing gen AI-powered co-creation tools that make fans a part of the process. See Reebok Impact, which transforms user's photos into personalized sneakers.

💞 Meaning: Can you honestly say that AI is truly enriching your service or experience, or are you guilty of deploying the tech for its own sake? Consumers will appreciate thoughtful applications in the vein of Rebind, a startup that's enhancing the reading experience with AI-powered author takes. 

After Barbie’s record-breaking 2023, Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 has taken the crown as the highest-grossing film of 2024. By the end of June, the film surged past the USD 1 billion mark in global revenue, making it the fastest animated film to reach this milestone 🎬

The sequel invites audiences back into the mind of Riley, now a thirteen-year-old facing four new emotions — Anxiety, Ennui, Embarrassment and Envy, alongside the original emotions — Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear. Directed by Kelsey Mann, Inside Out 2 strikes a chord by tackling contemporary issues, like rising anxiety levels among teens.

Like Inside Out, could you blend humor and introspection to help people, especially teens, explore the full spectrum of their emotions? Take cues from an Inside Out-inspired game, InsideU, where kids can meet and befriend their emotions.nNext, consider developing tools and frameworks that bridge divides and foster communication and (re)connection among people, from families to strangers.

For the Brazilian market, LG Electronics has unveiled a new technology that combines artificial intelligence with air conditioning to provide relief for (peri)menopausal people experiencing night sweats and hot flashes. Menopause Mode, which is currently in beta phase, uses a smartwatch app to monitor body temperature, heart rate and blood oxygen levels, identifying hot flashes throughout the night. When the app identifies a hot flash, it sends a command to a connected LG Dual Inverter +AI air conditioner to quickly lower the room’s temperature. After cooling for 10 minutes, the air conditioner returns to its original setting.

An estimated 29 million women in Brazil, representing 7.9% of the country’s female population, are in perimenopause, the period leading up to menopause, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. One-third of these women will experience moderate to severe hot flashes, which can disrupt their sleep and significantly impact their wellbeing. As natural and inevitable as it is, menopause remains a taboo topic in Brazil and most other countries. LG’s initiative aims to break the silence by sparking conversations, while offering a practical fix for one of menopause’s most bothersome symptoms.

Menopause Mode, developed by São Paulo-based creative agency AlmapBBDO, underscores the potential for smart home technology to address the unique health needs of specific demographics. By leveraging data from wearable devices and integrating it with home appliances, companies like LG are paving the way for more personalized, adaptive solutions that cater to the challenges of different stages of life.

As return-to-office policies gain traction across various sectors, tensions between employers and employees are rising. In Philadelphia, a union representing city workers is challenging Mayor Cherelle Parker's directive requiring around 5,000 employees to return to full-time office work by 15 July 2024. The union argues that the mandate not only harms workers but also violates their contracts.

Similarly, outdoor brand Patagonia faced backlash when it abruptly gave 90 remote workers just three days to decide whether to relocate closer to one of its metro hubs or face termination, a move that seems at odds with the company's historically progressive stance on work-life balance and environmental consciousness. Let my people go surfing? Maybe not…

A worker’s employment-related carbon emissions can be cut in half by switching to remote

While companies cite improved collaboration, team cohesion and the revitalization of business districts as reasons to require full-time office presence, workers are fighting to maintain the advantages of remote work, including better work-life balance, greater autonomy, increased productivity and time saved from commuting.

Employees at organizations enforcing return-to-office mandates express a lower intention to stay compared to those not faced with such mandates

Additionally, some speculate that RTO policies may serve alternate motives for businesses, such as maximizing real estate investments or facilitating voluntary attrition during downsizing efforts. As the debate unfolds, it's clear that finding a balance between organizational needs and employee preferences will be crucial in shaping the future of work.

Cadbury’s Give a Cheer to a Volunteer campaign is harnessing generative AI to celebrate the unsung heroes of community sports in Australia and New Zealand. The chocolate brand, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary and often centers gratitude in its activations, has developed a custom platform that allows Aussies and Kiwis to create personalized, animated tributes to their favorite sporting volunteers. Users simply upload a photo of the volunteer and provide details like gender, age, body type, whether or not they use a wheelchair, name of their club, type of sport, their role and something unique about them. The AI-powered tool then generates a 3D, animated character starring in a shareable video that recognizes their contribution.

The campaign, developed for Mondelēz International by Ogilvy and Wavemaker, provides people with a fun way to express gratitude for the efforts of volunteers. From coaching and refereeing to fundraising and groundskeeping — most local sports teams wouldn’t be able to exist without them (a campaign running in India encourages people to thank their first cricket coach). By combining the novelty of AI with a personal, human-to-human thank you, ‘Give a Cheer to a Volunteer’ is a playful yet meaningful gesture that acknowledges the impact volunteers have on their communities.

Underscoring the growing tension between digital expansion and environmental concerns, Futureproof Clare, a grassroots environmental group, has launched a judicial review against the recently approved EUR 450 million Ennis data center County Clare, Ireland. The sprawling 145-acre project, with an annual electricity consumption equivalent to 210,000 households, plans to draw power from both the national grid and an on-site, fossil gas-fueled plant, backed up by 66 diesel generators. Critics argue that the unchecked proliferation of data centers threatens Ireland's emission reduction targets and its commitment to a green energy transition, with the Ennis project alone expected to produce up to 657,000 metric tons of CO2 annually.

Given the surge in AI use, analysts at Goldman Sachs Research estimate that power needed for data centers will grow 160% by 2030. They believe the accompanying rise in carbon dioxide emissions will represent a social cost of USD 125 to 140 billion.

As public scrutiny intensifies, the dispute over the Ennis data center serves as a microcosm of a larger global challenge: balancing the energy demands of an increasingly digital economy with the urgent need to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The conflict highlights the critical need for businesses to align their digital growth strategies with sustainability objectives, addressing environmental concerns head-on and investing in cleaner, more efficient technologies. As communities push back against the environmental and health toll of these facilities, companies that navigate this complex landscape with transparency, innovation and a genuine commitment to sustainability are likely to emerge as leaders.

Sun-starved for much of the year, Dutch people flock to outdoor cafes as soon as the rays break through the clouds. Stopping for an al fresco lunch or a drink on a sunny town square is often spontaneous, leaving many unprepared and without sunscreen. Recognizing this, health insurer Zilveren Kruis has launched a campaign to combat skin cancer, the country’s fastest-growing type. By partnering with restaurants and bars, the insurer is getting sunscreen on the menu — literally.

Participating businesses can purchase mineral sunscreen at cost price through Zilveren Kruis’ partnership with sun protection brand Tenue de Soleil. When ordering a drink, customers can add a ‘shot’ of sunscreen if they forgot to apply earlier or need to reapply while enjoying their time outdoors. Zilveren Kruis suggests a resale price of EUR 2.99 for a 30 ml tube, but businesses can also charge less or offer the sunscreen for free. Each bulk purchase includes stickers with details and price, making it easy to add sunscreen to existing menus.

One in five Dutch people is expected to be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. So sun protection needs to become as routine as ordering coffee or a glass of wine. By integrating sun safety into everyday activities, Zilveren Kruis hopes to shift public behavior and reduce the incidence of skin cancer. The initiative builds on a recurring summer campaign by the insurer, installing over 120 free sunscreen stations at beaches, amusement parks, festivals and other seasonal gathering spots across the Netherlands.

McDonald's Singapore recently launched My Happy Place, a metaverse experience accessible through its official app. Unveiled in June 2024, the virtual world allows users to play games like Build-A-Burger, design future McDonald's restaurants and participate in daily contests for real-life food deals and prizes. Users can also dress their avatars in McDonald's outfits.

The experience builds on a prior initiative — last year, McDonald’s Singapore released a collection of 2,000 NFTs of Grimace, one of the brand’s mascots, which exploded among Gen Zs. Grimace NFT holders will now receive special perks in My Happy Place, including exclusive wearables, access to a secret island and the ability to display Grimace portraits in their digital restaurants.

Algorithmic biases, copyright issues, privacy concerns, layoffs... People aren’t sure whether to trust AI or not. When it comes to discrimination, there’s a twist: in 29 of 32 countries surveyed for The Ipsos AI Monitor 2024, fewer respondents agreed with the statement “I trust people not to discriminate or show bias towards any group of people” than when given the same statement about AI.

As Matt Carmichael, SVP of Global Trends & Foresight at Ipsos Strategy3, says, “So, despite headlines about the bias in AI, we actually trust our fellow humans less than we trust the computers.”

🔍 Ireland is the only country where people trust that humans will discriminate less than AI. In AI-advanced India and tech-neutral Switzerland, trust levels are equal for both. Globally, 54% trust AI not to discriminate or show bias (33% disagree), compared to 45% who trust humans not to discriminate or show bias (45% disagree).

🤖 Biases, whether AI or human, ultimately reflect society. Algorithmic gaps and biases mirror existing injustices, from outdated gender stereotypes to antisemitism. AI could further entrench these prejudices, as shown by PR debacles at Meta and Gemini Google.

In June 2024, Philippines-based telehealth provider KonsultaMD launched the Partner Health Plan, a joint healthcare plan open to common-law and same-sex couples. Valid for up to two members — the primary account holder and one dependent — the plan offers a comprehensive package of benefits, including 30 video consultations with a General Practitioner and unlimited 24/7 voice consultations. Users can sign up for the plan via the KonsultaMD app and add their partner as a dependent.

KonsultaMD aims to make healthcare accessible for more Filipinos, an especially urgent mission in a country where the doctor-to-population ratio is 1 to 26,000 (alarmingly below the WHO recommendation of 1 to 1,000). At the same time, most joint healthcare plans only allow members to add legal spouses as dependents, excluding common-law couples from benefits. By opening up the Partner Health Plan, KonsultaMD ensures accessibility for an underserved group.

June is often synonymous with rainbow-washing initiatives from brands looking to capitalize on Pride Month. But genuine brands that steer away from lip service will stand out. How will your Pride Month activation add tangible value to the community you claim to champion?

The fashion recommerce market is veering off course. Stuart Trevor notes that brands like Zara (62M items), H&M (59.9M) and Shein (21.9M) reign supreme on Vinted, with 100K Zara items added daily… 😵‍💫

Whether driven by cost-consciousness or eco-guilt, Vinted’s latest Impact Report reveals that for 65% of its members, a quarter or more of their wardrobe is composed of secondhand items. Extending the life of garments is highly commendable, but the flood of fast fashion items on Vinted and its competitors signals that overconsumption and rapid turnover have reached recommerce. While Vinted reports to have cut 679 metric tons of CO2e in 2023, another report finds that fast fashion items only cut emissions by 0.7% through resale programs 📉

In response, Vestiaire Collective banned fast fashion brands last year and France is imposing penalties. But fast fashion continues to thrive — especially among trend-driven members of Gen Z, with Shein as a favorite. So, how will you help brands and consumers adopt a quality-over-quantity mindset, whatever point of sale they choose? One example of promoting intentional shopping: Eileen Fisher's Seasonal Planner.

In June 2024, French railway company SNCF hosted special sports-themed editions of its En'Train pour le Climat workshops. These events, which have been held on board TGV INOUI and INTERCITÉS trains since 2022, aim to raise awareness about environmental and climate issues. The sports-themed edition taps into the spirit of the Olympic Games. By drawing parallels between athletic excellence and environmental action — resilience, perseverance, teamwork — SNCF aims to turn the climate crisis into challenge that can be tackled.

The workshops, taking the format of a 40-minute team quiz, are held in bar cars and communal spaces on trains. Participants are invited to engage in discussions and meet new fellow passengers while exploring ways to take individual and collective action as part of the climate transition. Workshops were held on 24 long-distance routes. To make the experience even more memorable, eco-forward athletes regularly joined in, too.

Oreo found a creative solution to the problem of broke cookies by drawing inspiration from the Japanese art of Kintsugi. This centuries-old technique, which means 'golden joinery,' involves repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with precious metals, adding a new layer of imperfect beauty to a once-damaged item.

Similarly, a campaign by Oreo transformed broken cookies into a delightful experience by allowing customers to repair them with its classic cream filling. To mend their cookies, shoppers in Mexico could purchase limited edition tubes of Oreo filled with vanilla cream. Up for a 2024 Lion in Cannes, Kintsugi Oreo was developed by Leo Burnett Brazil and Leo Burnett Mexico.

Target is rolling out a generative AI-powered chatbot, Store Companion, to team members across nearly 2,000 stores by August 2024. Accessible via handheld devices, the chatbot guides workers through store procedures, from signing someone up for Target's membership program to troubleshooting cash register issues during a power outage. The retailer believes this form of real-time assistance will improve efficiency and free up employees' time to focus on serving customers.

While Target's Store Companion promises increased productivity and — indirectly — more customer engagement, it also raises questions about potential downsides. Traditionally, workers would turn to a colleague for guidance, fostering mentorship and a supportive work environment. With Store Companion handling many of their queries, there's a risk that organic, relationship-building moments will diminish and lead to a more isolated workforce, where team members rely more on technology than on each other.

It's a particularly pertinent risk in light of the Gallup report we recently spotlighted, which found that 20% of employees experience daily loneliness, rising to 22% among those under 35. If your company is considering following Target's lead, how will you ensure that efficiencies gained through AI don't erode staff interactions that contribute to a positive and productive workplace?

Over 1,000 people in the US were surveyed for the 2024 edition of Shep Hyken's annual customer service report. One dismal finding? Half (51%) would rather dine with their in-laws than call customer support. Is that evidence of a growing love for in-laws or a frustration with service experiences? Either way, there's no justification for yelling (34%) or cursing (21%) at agents.

It’s not just Americans that are adopting Karen-like behavior. Australians and Brits are, too. All of which points to an empathy gap, one that could further widen as the visceral reporting of global conflicts drives up compassion fatigue.

Time to remind all stakeholders of their social graces and prod them to practice kindness. Beyond the positive ripple effect on customer and employee loyalty and satisfaction, kind gestures can also alleviate anxiety and depression.