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Extreme heat has been affecting large regions of Asia in recent weeks. Countries are recording all-time high temperatures, and the heatwave has taken a hefty toll on human and animal lives. In response, governments and brands are launching immediate crisis management measures.

In the Philippines, Valenzuela's municipal government introduced free mobile showers to combat excessive heat and water shortages. The mobile showers make stops at different neighborhoods, allowing citizens experiencing water shortages to cool off and freshen up free of charge.

McDonald's Philippines is also bringing back its Night Classroom initiative. Nationwide, 107 McDonald’s outlets will serve as study hubs until 4 a.m. daily until the end of the month. Dedicated areas within each restaurant are outfitted with wide tables, appropriate lighting, charging stations and free unlimited Wi-Fi — offering students an air-conditioned environment for post-school study sessions.

The World Meteorological Organization reported that Asia is the world’s most disaster-prone region amidst accelerating global warming. Besides short-term mitigation, long-term systemic solutions are urgently needed. For example, Singapore's government plans to coat buildings with reflective paint, after a study from the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore (NTU) found that it cools urban areas by 1.5 to 2 degrees Celcius.

From repurposing branded spaces to rethinking infrastructure planning, what role might you play in helping consumers and communities cope with a hotter planet?

While AI image generation tools offer vast and exciting possibilities, the shadows of deepfakes, opacity and bias also loom large. As the line between real and artificial blurs, consumers demand authenticity and transparency. Nearly nine in ten agree with the statement "It's important that an image is authentic," and 78% affirm that "It's getting to the point where I can't tell if an image is real."

Those numbers are from a new report by Getty Images, Building Trust in the Age of AI. Getty summarizes its findings as follows:

• People don't want to feel that they have been fooled or lied to — 98% of consumers agree that 'authentic' images and videos are pivotal in establishing trust
• Industries with high levels of consumer trust such as healthcare/pharmaceuticals, financial services, and travel are increasingly expected to be transparent
• People feel less favorably towards brands that are using AI generated visuals to create people or products

Considering initiatives like Snapchat's AI labels and OpenAI working on detection tools for images created with DALL-E, what's your 360° strategy for AI transparency?

Across Latin America and the Caribbean, 27% of people over 15 are excluded from formal financial services, and only 30% have obtained a loan from a financial entity in the past year.

Aiming to help unbanked and underbanked people level up, Ecuador-based Banco del Pacífico has found a novel way for them to build their credit scores. With 'Banca Gamer,' the bank now recognizes assets held in gaming accounts — think skins and other collectibles with monetary value — as collateral for securing a loan.

To broaden your brand's reach, why not follow Banco del Pacífico's lead and embrace a wider definition of savings and investments? Which untapped digital assets do your (potential) customers hold?

Earlier in 2024, The Guardian launched Reclaim your brain, a free email aimed at helping readers spend less time on their phones. The newsletter is a five-week coaching program with evidence-based assignments and readers are coached by science journalist Caroline Phinney, who wrote 'How to Break Up with Your Phone' back in 2018. 

As reported by NiemanLab, "the newsletter quickly garnered 100,000 sign-ups" and became The Guardian's fastest-growing newsletter ever.

Two hours a day spent scrolling through Instagram and TikTok adds up to a whopping 30 days a year. People are increasingly aware of the vast amount of time they dedicate to their screens. As their unease deepens (along with aches in necks and shoulders), many are seeking ways to proactively manage their digital consumption rather than being passively overwhelmed by it.

Brands have countless opportunities to help customers slash their screen time and boost their wellbeing. From making apps less addictive and sending fewer promotional emails, to providing customers with delightful things to get up to IRL. Whose side will you be on...?

One hundred and fifty-four. That’s how many times members of Gen Z pick up their phone every day. In a world that often feels overwhelming, phones offer escapism. They promise to alleviate FOMO or provide an illusion of control. But do they really help? More often than not, no. Most online spaces don’t offer respite; they simply add to the noise and many are addictive by design.

Gen Z — both your consumer base and your workforce — needs strategies to declutter their digital lives, calm their minds and reengage authentically with the world.

According to recent reporting by IPSOS, shoppers trust humans more than AI when it comes to product recommendations: 89% trust advice from friends/family, compared to just 51% for an e-commerce site's AI recommendations based on purchase history and 38% for generative AI tools like large language models.

However, the more familiar people are with generative AI, the more likely they are to trust suggestions by apps like ChatGPT or Bard: 81% of frequent generative AI users, compared to 34% of people who rarely use gen AI.

Shoppers want AI to assist and explain rather than directly recommend products. The top use cases were finding deals (24%) and explaining product differences (19%), rather than making direct recommendations.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued a newly updated policy statement on climate change. Children are uniquely vulnerable to health impacts wrought by a warming planet, and pediatricians are prime witnesses to those consequences. Unambiguously, the AAP states that climate change threatens children's health.

As reported by Grist, the group is encouraging its members to incorporate climate change counseling into their clinical practice. Their advice addresses the nuts and bolts of adaptation, underscoring that climate change is here now: "Assess climate risks and recommend climate solutions when screening for and addressing social determinants of health such as energy, food, and housing security. Educate families on regional climate and health risks and protective strategies. Use existing anticipatory guidance as a framework for discussing climate change solutions. For example, encourage active modes of transport or promote consumption of plant-based proteins to reduce carbon emissions and promote health. Encourage family choices that reduce fuel consumption and promote mobility, such as utilization of public and active transportation, and fuel-efficient vehicles."

🩺 Whether your organization operates in healthcare or an entirely different industry, how can you help your customers adapt to the effects of climate change? Which practical advice and solutions can you offer?