LSN : News : Thought-starter: How is technology changing women’s care?

The first cosmetics collection for AI, by AI

Perl.www cosmetics

Global – CGI model Perl.www has launched a cosmetics brand for digital beings, ‘in a world where beauty isn’t exclusive to humans anymore’.

The avatar, who has gained popularity through Instagram, wants the beauty industry to acknowledge CGI entities like herself. To do this, she’s created a conceptual line of cosmetics products, including a pixel injection to intensify the skin’s DPI, a MHZ palette for restoring youth and a skin tone disc to recreate any skin or metal colour.

‘Brands need to begin to recognise that inclusivity is broader than gender, ethnicity, body type, sex and age,’ Perl told Dazed Beauty. ‘Digital beings are a reality, they are consumers with desires and currently no brand has stepped up to offer tangible solutions.’

While avatars have found a place among the fashion industry, this is the first time a digital influencer has sought to change the beauty sector. For more on how algorithms are shaping a new beauty ideal, read our macrotrend.

Baze creates vitamins based on your blood

Baze, US

San Francisco – The lifestyle brand has launched a customised health experience that aims to combat nutritional deficiencies.

Customers of Baze’s Starter Kit complete a self-sampling blood test, which is sent for scientific analysis to identify lacking nutrients. Baze then makes the results available on an app and sends customers a four-week supply of vitamins tailored to their individual health profile. The vitamins include benefits such as boosting weak immune systems, increasing energy levels and decreasing stress.

According to Baze, nutritional imbalance is the leading cause of health issues in the US, and although 52% of Americans take daily vitamins, many do not understand the specific dosages their body requires. The Starter Kit offers an easy way for people to understand their deficiencies.

As more consumers begin to question the efficacy of the supplements they take, blood analysis is just one way the industry can afford credibility.

Meal kits are now available on-demand

New York – The city’s residents can now use delivery services GrubHub and Seamless to order Blue Apron boxes.

Until now, the brand’s meal kits were only available through a monthly subscription. However, by partnering with food delivery platforms, customers no longer face commitment to these services, and can receive meal kits on-demand in less than an hour.

Although customers must still cook the meal themselves, this partnership offers an opportunity for most spontaneous dinner parties that don’t require hours of planning and a trip to the grocery store.

As convenience culture continues to dominate, customers are seeking on-demand delivery options that allow for the sense of activity of cooking a meal.

Blue Apron, US

The Bureau is revolutionising the fitting process

The Bureau

London – The fashion innovation agency is using 3D scanning to more accurately measure models.

The B2B company offers fashion brands access to technology such as 360° model viewing and augmented reality (AR) in order to streamline the garment and shoe fitting process. After harnessing data on models’ body measurements, The Bureau invites clients to find their ideal model from an online index.

The agency has also recently invested in 3D scanning technology to more accurately measure feet. The technology can track detailed measurements of the models’ feet, which creates a precise avatar. This data can then inform research and development for footwear brands.

The purpose of The Bureau is to minimise customer returns, the cost of which – in the age of online shopping – is an ongoing concern for retailers. For more on this, read our Digital Fit microtrend.

Stat: Over-50s are frustrated by young advertisers

At the Festival of Marketing 2018, Gransnet hosted a panel on Ageism in Advertising and revealed the results of its latest study on the over-50s. The study found that 78% of consumers over 50 feel under-represented in advertising, with technology and gadget, fashion and entertainment brands being the worst offenders.

The study also found that the over-50s are frustrated by the perceived age of the advertisers who are trying to target them, with nearly two-thirds (62%) believing that advertisers are too young to understand them. ‘I don’t feel any different now inside than I did when I was in my 20s,’ one respondent commented, suggesting that brands should consider targeting these consumers with the same rigour of their youth campaigns.

As brands continue to champion a truly diverse workforce, they must look beyond race, gender and disability, and consider how age can feature in these quotas. For more on how Baby Boomers are no longer defined by their age, read our macrotrend.

Thought-starter: How is technology changing women’s care?

Tania Boler, the co-founder and CEO of Elvie, discusses why careful design and playful marketing are crucial to drive engagement and conversation around women’s medical care.

According to Boler, Elvie is part of a mission to create smart technology for women. ‘The Elvie Trainer sheds light on a very neglected area of women's health – the pelvic floor. It was something I knew very little about, but when I became a mother I realised that it was almost a hidden, taboo topic among women. Because nobody talks about it, there hasn’t been much innovation.’

Her new product, the Elvie Pump, is a silent, wearable breast pump ‘born out of the need to tackle other issues that new mothers deal with, which have also been neglected by technology. As we already had the experience of working with mums when creating the Trainer, we felt confident in creating a product that would help mothers to feel better in themselves.’

‘In my view, the vast majority of medical devices are so badly designed. They’re utilitarian in their approach, and because they’re prescribed by health professionals to patients, they’ve relied on a business model that is outdated,’ she says.

Read the full Q&A here.