Added 3 February, 2014
Over the past few years, pressure from consumers has given birth to a mainstream trend in the food industry to embrace things that are natural and healthy. Now that same aesthetic is filtering across industries to compel brands to reformulate their offerings to make them better for people and the environment. The past few weeks have seen several...
Added 3 February, 2014
Travelers often look for a theme to wrap their explorations around to give a reason to what might otherwise be seen as aimless travel. Sports stadium trips are perennially popular. As are those to see a variety of national parks or taste wines. In Scotland, touring whisky distilleries has a long and noble tradition. In the USA (and elsewhere),...
Added 30 January, 2014
A new technology is being installed in stores, streets and stadiums all around the world. Designed to locate mobile devices within a few feet, these beacons beam local information and advertisements that are relevant to your exact place in the world at this moment. The beacon technology is getting a high-profile launch in New York City this week...
Added 29 January, 2014
Due to the laws of supply and demand, chocolate prices are now at an all-time high. One of the factors that has made it so popular is the widespread belief that dark chocolate – which represents about 20-percent of the market – is loaded with substances called flavanols that contribute to heart health. Now Crest, one of the world's largest...
Added 25 January, 2014
Procter & Gamble, the parent company of Gillette, one of the world's largest razor companies has said that its sales are taking a hit due to changing men's fashions. From Hollywood to hipsterdom, beards are in and wet shaving is out. Illustrating this trend, all five nominees for the Academy Award in the Best Actor category is wearing a beard...
Added 24 January, 2014
Energy drinks were one of the fastest-growing segments of the bottled drink sector in the last decade. From Red Bull to Rock Star, people have been downing these glow-colored and foul-tasting cocktails by the barrelful. But as they say, what goes up must come down, so perhaps it was inevitable that the next line of offence to hit grocery shelves...
Added 23 January, 2014
Augmented reality is the ability to add digital images to a live video screen, so that you can see what the world would look like if it were, well, augmented slightly. Ikea, the home furnishings giant, has a cool app that let you point your iPad camera at an empty corner of your living room and see on the screen what it would look like with a...
Added 16 January, 2014
KLM has been out in front of the social media curve for several years now. The Dutch airline has started many online trends, including initiatives that invited Business Class flyers to connect with each other before flying to facilitate business relationships. The airline is also one of the most active on Twitter and has a large social networking...
Added 30 December, 2013
For years, mature companies have been talking about the effect that the Millennial Generation will have on their businesses. What do they need to attract this demographic? How are they different from the generation that came before them? How has growing up with the Internet and social media affected their behavior, their needs and wants? Born...
Added 27 November, 2013
Some people think that graveyards are relaxing and bucolic. That seems to be the ethos behind the trend in German cities to locate cafes in cemeteries. While some customers are there because they are visiting dead relatives, most come for the atmosphere. Café Strauss in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin encourages patrons to fire up their laptops...