Dayuse repositions downtime on demand
Paris and UK – The daytime hotel booking site is reframing staid perceptions of its services through a vibrant redesign that posits pleasure and hedonism over functional work bookings. Delivered by creative agency DesignStudio, the branding centres on a vibrant yellow and orange colour palette, while graphic illustrations mimic the layout of comic books – positioning the idea of daytime hotel booking as leisure pursuit.
While travel booking is largely formulaic and functional in its presentation, Dayuse is injecting design and fun back into the booking process, using its focus on daytime hotel use to do so. ‘In a world of hotel aggregator sites and black and white booking forms, Dayuse as a business, and now brand, is a burst of something different,’ says DesignStudio.
Already, we’ve been tracking the rise of Downtime on Demand, considering ongoing opportunities for the hospitality sector to position its services and rooms for public use any time. Now, as the travel and tourism industry rebuilds in the inter-Covid period, businesses can capitalise on consumers’ growing demands for safe and convenient escapism.
Strategic Opportunity
Drab visuals and bland booking formats will no longer cut it with consumers. Hospitality brands should elevate communications to entice and excite people at every stage of the customer journey
The Nue Co’s latest fragrance enhances mental clarity
UK – Continuing its move into functional fragrances, The Nue Co's latest perfume, Mind Energy, also functions as a mental wellbeing supplement by provoking the senses to combat stress and fatigue. To do this, each ingredient in the perfume has been selected for its healing properties, with a formula designed to enhance mental sharpness and acuity.
According to The Nue Co, Mind Energy is a bright and zesty fragrance best suited to offset sluggishness and environmental stressors. The formula draws from neuroscience to increase mental energy and boost focus, and the brand recommends it as a remedy for brain fog after a long day at work or as a pick-me-up following a long-haul flight.
This product demonstrates the increasing alignment of the fragrance sector with the wellness industry, showing how Psychoactive Scents have become powerful anti-stress supplements. ‘The way we view, use and benefit from supplements is ever-evolving. Whether it’s through our fragrance supplements, topical supplements or ingestibles, what matters most is that we’re solving a problem,' explains Jules Miller, founder and CEO of The Nue Co.
Strategic Opportunity
With consumers demanding more from their personal fragrance, there is scope to bring psychoactive awareness to the world of home scents too
Es Devlin disrupts COP26 with a ‘conference’ of trees
Glasgow – In order to inspire wider conversations around climate and environmental impacts, British set designer Es Devlin is presenting a temporary installation of 197 trees and plant species at The New York Times Climate Hub in Glasgow – an event running alongside climate summit COP26.
The project, Conference of the Trees, is designed to counter the bland atmosphere of conventional conference rooms by positioning the trees and plants around a low-lit clearing. The space hosts chairs to seat audiences attending a series of events held within the installation.
By placing nature directly around attendees, the designer flips the script on sustainability conferences, while aiming to encourage audiences to reflect on discussions in direct correlation with the natural world. ‘I wanted to view the conference of the parties from the perspective of a non-human species bearing witness to the decisions the humans might make,’ says Devlin.
To discover more practical and alternative approaches to addressing the climate crisis, download our Sustainability Futures 2021 report.
Strategic Opportunity
When engaging audiences in climate-related issues, consider how you can make intangible matters easier to understand and connect with. Particularly when hosting events, reflect on how you can generate interactions with the natural world
Stat: A stark disconnection between e-tailer and shopper perceptions
Sweden – Research conducted by financial company Klarna has revealed multiple differences in perception between retailers and customers. Most notably, 75% of retailers believe that their omnichannel strategies are robust, while 50% of shoppers disagree.
According to the Owning Omnichannel report, nine in 10 (89%) Klarna customers use omnichannel services to shop. Yet it seems many businesses are not yet conscious of what their customers expect from online shopping experiences; Klarna reports that a single negative incident can deter 60% of customers from shopping with a brand again. The report also reveals that physical retail is still an important channel for customers, with 51% of respondents still preferring to buy in bricks-and-mortar stores.
In the contemporary consumer landscape, every micro-interaction is a chance for retailers to create meaningful relationships with their customers. To better understand how to make the online and physical shopping experience more consistent, consult the Feedback Frontiers macrotrend.
Strategic Opportunity
Customers expect the same quality of experience when shopping online and in person. Consider investing in things like a more personable chatbot service to improve digital experience