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Going against the (malted) grain of Dry January, one of Japan's largest secondhand book retailers has partnered with a Saitama-based brewery to launch a limited-edition beer. Unlike traditional boldly-flavored IPAs, BOOK IPA takes a more subtle approach. COEDO's brewers deliberately toned down the bitterness while maintaining herbal and citrus notes, with an alcohol content of 6% that aims to 'open the senses' without overwhelming them.

The collaboration, launched on 20 January 2025, brings together two companies with complementary approaches to sustainability: ValueBooks through its secondhand marketplace that extends the lifecycle of books, and COEDO through its practice of upcycling local ingredients like sweet potatoes in its brewing process. A preview campaign generated significant interest, with over 5,000 customers signing up in July 2024.

BOOK IPA's label was created by illustrator Kyoka Tanno, who also designs book covers. Priced at JPY 1,650 for a three-bottle set, the brew represents the first of what ValueBooks hopes will become a series of reading-optimized beers, with future releases planned to match different literary genres. The partnership highlights how brands can find shared values in unexpected places — in this case, combining circular practices from publishing and brewing to create an experiential product appealing to their overlapping audiences.

Just Salad is serving up a new recipe for customer satisfaction with Salad AI, a tool that takes the guesswork out of ordering a customized salad. Acting as a thoughtful personal chef, it inquires about the user's dietary preferences, nutritional goals and flavor cravings through a simple survey in the brand's mobile app. Whether they're following a vegan diet, watching their carbs or seeking some crunch in their lunch, the AI assistant processes these preferences to suggest four salad creations, complete with personalized dressing recommendations and nutritional details.

Salad AI plays into the continued demand for food options that align with people's highly personal tastes, health goals and values. It also introduces them to new flavor combinations they might not have discovered on their own — a smart way for a fast-casual restaurant chain to fend off gastronomic ennui. The tool simultaneously reduces decision fatigue while offering customers a seemingly limitless, just-for-you abundance. With the unparalleled levels of customization that AI brings, how will your brand deliver exactly what customers want, before they even know they want it?

Edelman’s annual trust check-in is here, surveying 33,000+ people across 28 countries. The verdict? Grievance is widespread, trust is fragile and optimism is scarce. Here’s your cheat sheet to the 78-page Edelman Trust Barometer:

🚨 Grievance overload: 61% of respondents feel excluded, unheard and underserved, believing government and business primarily benefit the wealthy and powerful. In 23 of 26 countries, the majority report moderate to high grievance, showing the social contract is at risk. Those with high grievances are twice as likely to adopt a zero-sum mindset — what helps others hurts me.

🔥 Hostile activism normalized: 40% now view hostile activism (yes, even violence and disinformation) as a valid way to demand change. The most radical? Gen Z and Millennials, with 53% endorsing such tactics.

🤥 Leaders lie: 69% believe government officials, CEOs and journalists intentionally mislead the public with falsehoods or exaggerations — up 11-12% since 2021.

😟 Prejudice panic: 63% fear discrimination, racism or prejudice — a sharp 10-point jump in just one year, with double-digit increases recorded in 15 of 28 countries. The largest spike? White respondents in the US... 🤔

📉 Fading hope: Only 36% believe life will improve for the next generation. In wealthier countries, that drops to just one in five.

So, what now? Businesses can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines. Tangible action — not authority — is the true currency of trust. High-grievance individuals feel companies aren’t doing enough in key areas: affordability (64%), climate action (62%), retraining (56%), tackling misinformation (55%) and addressing discrimination (53%). Are you? 👀

Amid rising discourse and division, the opportunity lies in fostering inclusion and benevolence. Address inequality authentically, support grassroots change, and offer a brighter vision of tomorrow. A hopeful future may be people’s last lifeline. ✨

Singapore telco Singtel has rolled out free access to Perplexity Pro, marking a strategic move to democratize AI tools while strengthening customer relationships. The year-long subscription, typically priced at SGD 270, is being offered to all of Singtel's broadband, mobile and TV subscribers.

The partnership positions Singtel as an entry point for mainstream AI adoption, mainly targeting users who are curious about generative AI but haven't yet incorporated it into their daily routines. While early adopters already have ChatGPT and Claude installed on their phones, a substantial audience remains hesitant to experiment with standalone AI applications. By bundling Perplexity Pro, Singtel removes friction points and provides a low-stakes opportunity for people to explore AI capabilities.

Singtel's partnership with Perplexity highlights the potential of leveraging AI as a differentiator to deepen customer loyalty and enhance perceived value. It's also part of a wider AI push by Singtel. Without referring to Perplexity, the brand's Chinese New Year ad features a woman struggling with preparations for CNY celebrations. A first batch of pineapple tarts bakes to a blackened crisp, but then an AI assistant steps in to help...

By embedding utility-focused tools like generative AI into their service ecosystem, brands can tap into the latent and unmet needs of both tech-savvy and hesitant consumers — and stay relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape.

While most artists embark on global tours, Bad Bunny flipped the script with his Puerto Rico residency 'No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí.' Instead of scattering economic benefits across world capitals, he's drawing the spotlight — and tourism dollars — directly to his homeland. The 30-date run at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico transforms a concert series into an invitation for the world to discover the island on its own terms.

The first nine shows were reserved exclusively for Puerto Rican residents, with in-person ticket sales preventing scalpers from gaming the system. When international fans join later shows, they'll be able to experience Puerto Rico through carefully crafted VIP packages that blend entertainment with cultural immersion — a model aimed at ensuring tourism serves the community rather than the other way around. This approach amplifies themes from his album "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," which weaves traditional rhythms with sharp commentary on gentrification and cultural sovereignty.

By making fans travel to him, Bad Bunny shifts the power dynamic: Puerto Rico becomes the center of the musical world, not just another stop on a tour. The strategy proved magnetic — 400,000 tickets sold in just four hours, suggesting audiences are ready to embrace this decolonized approach to live entertainment.

A new approach to sustainable travel could take root: two extra days paid time off for employees who choose not to fly for a year. At Sprinklr, an Amsterdam-based organic plant retailer, 11 out of 14 team members earned these 'Linde days' in 2024 — named after their warehouse manager, who inspired the policy through her own commitment to low-carbon travel.

The initiative grew from a simple observation: while sustainable options benefit all of society, they often cost individuals extra time and effort. When Linde opted to take an 18-hour bus journey from Amsterdam to the Venice Biennale rather than flying with friends, her climate-aware choice demanded more time and patience. (Meanwhile, a new study by Transport & Environment reveals that "Europe's aviation industry plans to double its passenger traffic by 2050 and will deplete its carbon budget as early as 2026.")

Rather than running carbon calculations to determine the exact footprint of every trip, Sprinklr focused on supporting its team's conscious travel choices. Offering those two additional leave days acknowledges the extra time required for most train or bus journeys. As co-founder Suzanne van Straaten explains, it's not about judging those who fly but empowering employees who are mindful of how they travel — a practical approach helping to bridge the gap between people's environmental ideals and their real-world constraints.

Major Brazilian clothing brand Malwee is tackling a common concern for beachgoing families with a two-pronged approach to child safety. The company has launched UV-protective t-shirts featuring QR codes that help reunite lost children with their parents, merging sun protection with a practical safety solution.

When scanned, the QR code on a 'Me Encontre,' or 'Find Me,' t-shirt provides quick access to the child's emergency contact information, allowing anyone who finds a lost child to immediately reach their parents or guardians. The t-shirts are designed to be stylish enough for everyday wear, suggesting Malwee sees potential for the safety feature to extend beyond beaches into other crowded environments where children could become separated from their caregivers.

While labeling screen addiction an epidemic might oversimplify the issue, it’s undeniably a pervasive problem across demographics. Paul English, co-founder of travel site Kayak, has developed a potential solution. His new app, Steppin, requires users to walk before they can scroll: for every 100 steps, they unlock one minute of access to restricted apps. Users can also set a higher step-to-minute ratio if they prefer.

The concept reframes the often guilt-laden experience of scrolling through social media into a reward for healthy activity, addressing that other epidemic — too much sitting — in addition to excessive screen time. Rather than simply imposing restrictions, as many digital wellness tools do, Steppin establishes a positive feedback loop between movement and smartphone use. (Whether it’s helpful to position screen time as a reward is up for debate and/or research.)

Launched in January 2025 for iOS, the app integrates with Apple Health, drawing step counts from an iPhone, Apple Watch, Oura Ring, Garmin watch or any other activity tracker connects to Apple Health. An Android version is set to follow soon. Currently free of charge, Steppin told TechCrunch that an annual subscription will be priced around USD 20.

OpenAI’s Tasks beta for ChatGPT now allows paying users to schedule reminders and recurring actions, from daily weather updates to birthday reminders. Accessible through the 'GPT-4 with scheduled tasks' option, notifications sync seamlessly across web, desktop and mobile. With task management available via chat threads or a dedicated section, ChatGPT is evolving into a powerful personal project manager, competing with Siri and Google Assistant — and bringing agentic AI to the consumer space.

⚠️ But as The Guardian reported, this convenience comes with complexities. OpenAI’s rumored Operator agent, expected soon, will handle more advanced actions, like fully autonomous travel bookings. ✈️ Such advancements will fuel the rise of the intention economy, where AI moves from capturing attention to influencing decisions — and potentially selling those decisions to the highest bidder.

🔮 Research from the University of Cambridge warns that AI assistants may steer preferences, from which hotels are booked to which political candidates are endorsed, raising urgent ethical concerns around privacy and autonomy. As Dr. Jonnie Penn cautions: "Without regulation, this will be a gold rush for those who target and sell human intentions."

💡 Why it matters: The intention economy has the potential to disrupt industries from marketing and politics. Success will depend on businesses acting as trusted, transparent partners, offering AI solutions that empower users rather than manipulate them. The question isn’t whether AI will shape decisions, but how. And who will lead this transformation responsibly.

Barring a last-minute reversal, the US Supreme Court’s ruling to effectively ban TikTok will kick in on Sunday, January 19th. In anticipation, American TikTok users seeking an alternative are flooding the Chinese social media app Xiao Hong Shu, now known as ‘Red Note’ in English. Dubbing themselves ‘TikTok Refugees,’ these users are treating the switch as a statement of defiance against the ban.

As of Thursday, January 16th, Xiao Hong Shu became the number one most-downloaded app on the US Apple App Store, overtaking Lemon8 and ChatGPT. The hashtag #tiktokrefugee saw rapid growth on the app, jumping from 2,000 to 77,000 posts in a day, with total views booming from 390,000 to 38 million.

Notably, Xiao Hong Shu does not have a built-in translation feature, so users mostly rely on machine translation to navigate the platform. Hilarity ensues, with Chinese and American users engaging in playful cultural exchanges — helping each other with English and Math homework, swapping pet photos, and hosting ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions.

Brands are also joining in. B’in Music, the label behind the wildly popular Mandarin rock band Mayday, posted a machine-translated English note welcoming Americans and promoting the band’s upcoming tour stop in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Duolingo, which reported a 216% jump in US users learning Chinese this week, joked, “Oh, so now you’re learning Mandarin” on X.

The multiple ironies here are worth mentioning. Most blatantly, Americans flocking to another Chinese social media app seemingly undermines the national security rationale behind the original TikTok ban. More subtly, perhaps, is that a new generation of Americans is joining an app whose name — translating to ‘Little Red Book’ — references ‘Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong’, a Cultural Revolution-era book compiling the former CCP chairman’s sayings.

Beyond these incongruities, however, TikTok Refugees are a reminder of the positive power of social media, which has taken a back seat to the more prominent discourse around polarization and brain rot. Chinese and American internet users are openly interacting, most of them for the first time. Amid rising global tensions, these impromptu connections underscore that people are more than their (government’s) politics. Regardless of perceived differences, we all struggle with homework and fawn over cute cats.

As some of the most destructive fires in California's history ravaged Los Angeles neighborhoods and destroyed thousands of homes, an innovative mixed-use development broke ground in South LA. The project, which combines a Costco store on the ground floor with 800 residential units above, is the first partnership of its kind between the retailer and a residential developer.

Developer Thrive Living aims to transform a former office property into a vibrant community hub. With 23% of units going to low-income households, the complex will address both housing affordability and availability, critical issues the city was already grappling with before the recent fires made a dire situation even worse.

The project's downtown location highlights a growing recognition that dense, mixed-use developments in city centers provide multiple advantages. For places prone to wildfires, like California, they offer the benefit of lower fire risks compared to sprawling neighborhoods in the wildland urban interface (the zone of transition between unoccupied land and human development). For retailers in every housing-crunched region, meanwhile, they're an opportunity to do a massive amount of good — and acquire built-in customers and workers, to boot ;-) Construction of the 'Costco apartments' is expected to conclude in 2027.

Pro sports teams are taking meaningful steps to make live games more inclusive for fans with vision impairments, with two pioneering approaches emerging in late 2024 and early 2025. At Selhurst Park in London, Crystal Palace FC introduced GiveVision headsets that stream real-time match footage directly to the functional part of users' retinas, enabling them to follow the action from any seat in the stadium. Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers partnered with Ticketmaster to become the first professional sports team to offer OneCourt's haptic displays at all home games, allowing fans to track gameplay through touch-based feedback.

Both technologies tackle a crucial challenge in different ways. The GiveVision system operates on a dedicated private 5G network that eliminates broadcast delays, ensuring users experience every moment in sync with other spectators. OneCourt takes a different approach, translating NBA's live gameplay tracking data into intuitive vibrations that fans can follow with their fingertips on a sturdy, lap-based device. Neither solution requires users to sit in special sections, preserving the social experience of attending games with friends and family.

These initiatives address a significant gap in sports accessibility - according to research, 73% of sports fans with visual impairments avoid attending matches due to accessibility barriers. Early feedback suggests these technologies are transforming the live sports experience. As Leigh Ramsey, parent of a OneCourt user, shared after a Trail Blazers game: "This was amazing — inclusive, integrated, and not attention-drawing." With over 1 billion people worldwide affected by some degree of sight loss, innovations like OneCourt and GiveVision could enable millions of sports fans to fully participate in live sports. One to bring to a court, pitch or stadium near you?

Since every woman experiences perimenopause differently – with symptoms varying widely in type, intensity and duration – managing the transition is a challenge for both patients and healthcare providers. A new wearable device aims to help through better tracking. Peri, which garnered recognition at CES 2025 as an Innovation Awards honoree, uses a small sensor, worn just below the chest, to continuously monitor physiological changes through the skin. That data can offer women (and others assigned female at birth) unprecedented insight into their unique path through perimenopause.

According to Peri, vital signs related to perimenopause are more reliably captured on the torso than on the wrist as a smartwatch would. Using a proprietary adhesive, the device maintains contact with the skin for up to 10 days, gathering data that feeds into an accompanying app. In the app, women can track their symptoms, detect patterns and evaluate responses to any lifestyle changes they make. The goal is to transform raw measurements into actionable insights that help women understand and manage their symptoms.

Implications extend beyond individual users to the broader healthcare landscape. By generating detailed, shareable reports, Peri enables women to have more informed conversations with their healthcare providers about symptoms and treatment options. The device is scheduled to launch in the spring of 2025.

The TikTok-native iPad generation is making way for Gen Beta. Born between 2025 and 2039, this next wave is set to surpass Gen Alpha’s two billion-strong demographic, becoming the largest generation ever. Millennials and Gen Z spent their youth shaping culture, now they’re raising the pioneers of the second half of the 21st century:

Prudential’s Generation Beta: Redefining Life, Longevity, and Retirement report paints a picture of what lies ahead for Gen Beta, based on a survey of 2,000+ Americans:

💼 86% believe Gen Beta will work in jobs that don’t exist yet – think AI dream-makers, climate crisis solvers and even space colony architects

🐾 68% predict this generation will have more pets than kids, redefining family, community and companionship dynamics

🧓 58% think Gen Beta will never retire, with lifespans expected to exceed 100. To retire comfortably, they’d each need to accrue USD 1.88 million

While Gen Beta’s world is still on the horizon, Gen Alpha is starting to shape today. Born into a pandemic-driven, climate-stressed and polarized era, they’re navigating complex challenges with unmatched digital and AI fluency. The opportunity for brands? Understand Gen Alpha’s unique language and values to deliver solutions that empower their potential amid a dystopian outlook.

Are you ready to meet the next generation on their terms? 🌟

As part of Wrapped 2024, Spotify and creative agency Happiness Saigon gave Vietnamese fans a chance to steal their favorite artists’ looks. In Vietnam, photos of celebrities are regularly displayed on hair salon walls, serving as style inspiration for patrons. In December 2024, at salons across Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, generic celebrity images were replaced by portraits of three popular local artists: Vũ Cát Tường, Wren Evans and MONO. If a customer’s Spotify Wrapped showed that their ‘Top Artist’ of the year was one of the featured artists, they could get a free cut inspired by their idol’s hairstyle.

Expanding the experience from salons to streets, Spotify also partnered with Đông Tây Barbershop to roll out mobile haircut trucks in Ho Chi Minh City, amplifying the activation’s reach. Additionally, the streaming platform hosted a pop-up hairstyling experience at HOZO Festival 2024, one of Vietnam’s premier music festivals.

The campaign shifts Spotify from just another content streaming service to a platform genuinely connecting fans to musicians. By inviting listeners to ‘steal’ their favorite artists’ hairstyles, Spotify enables them to feel closer to their idols while physically expressing their identity as fans. It also marks eligible consumers as among an artist’s top listeners, a status badge some fans will proudly wear and share.

Ultimately, celebrating fandom is good for business, too. Through this initiative, Spotify essentially rewards on-platform activity and incentivizes further engagement. The lessons here extend to brands beyond the entertainment industry, too. How could you recognize your most fervent fans and reward their loyalty?