TrendWatching

26/08/2025

Acomprehensive modeling study published in Earth reveals the staggering scope of humanity's disconnection from nature. Having tracked the evolution of "nature connectedness" from 1800 to 2020, researchers find that restoring humanity's relationship with nature isn't simply about planting more trees and creating more parks.

KEY FINDINGS

🏢 Massive decline: Nature connectedness dropped approximately 60% since 1800, closely tracking urbanization rates that increased from 7.3% to 82.7% of the population
⛓️‍💥 Disconnection across generations: Parents' relationship with nature emerged as the strongest predictor of their children's connection (80% weighting), creating a self-reinforcing cycle
🧒 Intergenerational payoff: Because disconnection is handed down through families, early childhood interventions are disproportionately impactful; they ripple through society over multiple generations
💪 Recovery requires transformation: Only the most ambitious combined interventions — radical increases in nature access paired with targeted family-based programs — will trigger self-sustaining recovery after 2050

OPPORTUNITIES FOR BRANDS: FOUR ROUTES TO PURSUE

If society fails to act, disconnection from nature could undermine sustainability and mental health for the rest of the century. But if organizations invest in systemic interventions now, they can trigger a self-sustaining cultural recovery. Corporate programs act as cultural multipliers: strengthening parents' connection, and giving them confidence to help their children engage with nature.

🌳 1. Green the workplace
— Biophilic design: natural light, plants, green walls, outdoor workspaces
— Dedicated green breaks: encourage short daily outdoor time, not just lunch breaks
— Company policy: buildings must include green spaces (think rooftop gardens, courtyards), preferably also accessible to the general public

📄 2. Integrate nature engagement into benefits packages
— Nature days: extra paid leave for outdoor volunteering or family time
— Subsidized memberships: national parks, urban farms, wildlife trusts
— Green prescriptions: walk-and-talk therapy, mindfulness in parks, forest bathing

👭 3. Family nature transmission
— Family-focused weekend events, for example "Nature Discovery Days" for employees and their children
— Parent workshops on nurturing children's nature connectedness
— Partner with schools: sponsor outdoor classrooms or nature play areas

🏅 4. Cultural storytelling
— Internal communications highlight employees' nature experiences, making nature engagement visible and valued
— Annual nature-at-work awards recognizing teams or individuals for innovative engagement with nature
— Tie company values to stewardship: "our sustainability goals begin with connecting people to the nature we depend on"

Our connection with nature has dropped 60% in two centuries. Research shows only bold, systemic action can spark lasting recovery.

25/08/2025

European energy giant Vattenfall has turned its offshore wind turbines into an unlikely culinary experiment. The Swedish company cultivated seaweed between the towering structures at its Vesterhav Syd wind farm in the Danish North Sea, then partnered with Danish snack producer Wavy Wonders to transform the harvest into crispy seaweed snacks. After five months of growth, the seaweed was hand-harvested, dried and baked into a nutrient-rich treat that Vattenfall distributed as "food for thought" rather than a commercial product, partnering with Samuel Jackson to share the story.

The project extends far beyond novelty snacking. As part of the EU-funded WIN@sea initiative, Vattenfall is pioneering "multi-use platforms" that maximize ocean space efficiency by combining renewable energy generation with aquaculture. The seaweed absorbs excess CO2 and agricultural runoff nutrients that fuel harmful algae blooms, effectively cleaning the surrounding waters while growing. This dual-purpose approach allows different industries to share infrastructure and maintenance, reducing fuel consumption and operational costs while supporting marine ecosystem recovery.

TREND BITE
The climate conversation is evolving from "less harm" to "active healing," and Vattenfall's wind-farmed seaweed snacks crystallize this shift. By transforming abstract renewable energy into something tangible — a crunchy snack that literally embodies ocean regeneration — the company demonstrates how brands can make invisible environmental benefits tangible.

The rise of "multi-use everything" also reflects growing consumer expectations that sustainability initiatives should stack benefits rather than simply tick boxes. Wind farms that also clean water and grow food, solar installations that shelter crops or grazing sheep, data centers that heat neighborhoods — if your renewable energy project can be eaten, shared and experienced, the abstract promise of sustainability becomes a concrete story that will stick with consumers.

22/08/2025

Global entertainment company Merlin is launching two immersive attractions that tap into consumers' growing hunger for awe-inspiring experiences. WONDRA, opening September 5th at Chicago's Woodfield Mall, transforms an 11,500-square-foot space into a nature-infused journey where visitors can create personalized clouds and bring meadows to life through voice interaction. Meanwhile, Super Neon will debut September 12th at Minneapolis's Mall of America, offering a neon wonderland designed to elevate moods through interactive light installations.

The attractions represent a significant shift for Merlin, which compressed its typical development timeline from years to under 12 months, allowing the company to capitalize on emerging trends. Creative Lead Liz Cummings notes that WONDRA responds to people's craving for more nature in their lives, while Super Neon leverages the proven mood-boosting effects of immersive lighting. The partnership with live-entertainment platform Fever marks Merlin's strategic move into mall-based entertainment, positioning these experiences as accessible alternatives to traditional theme park visits.

TREND BITE
As daily life becomes increasingly digitized and urbanized, people are actively seeking experiences that reconnect them with wonder and transcendence. Research shows that awe — characterized by feelings of vastness and beauty — can reduce stress, combat loneliness and foster a sense of belonging to something greater than oneself.

That yearning for awe (and perhaps for a lush backdrop for social media content) is fertile ground for immersive installations like WONDRA and Super Neon, which lean beyond entertainment into an accessible form of therapy. If cultivating awe is like a psychological reset button, how could your brand offer consumers a restorative moment of transcendence?

WONDRA and Super Neon transform mall spaces into immersive wonderlands where nature and light deliver awe, joy and digital escapism.

20/08/2025

Belgian soccer club La Royale Union Saint-Gilloise is tackling climate change one jersey at a time. Under its "Union Inspires" umbrella, the club has committed to keeping one of its three shirts for two consecutive seasons, breaking with the industry norm of annual kit refreshes. This practical step acknowledges the textile industry's substantial environmental footprint, responsible for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

While most soccer clubs capitalize on the commercial opportunity of new kit launches every year, Union is consciously sacrificing potential merchandise revenue to minimize waste and reduce its ecological impact. The approach represents a growing awareness within sports organizations that sustainability efforts must extend beyond symbolic gestures to meaningful operational changes.

TREND BITE
Sports teams and athletes are cultural leaders. And for supporters, the team shirt is a deeply symbolic object. By making the jersey itself a site of sustainability, Union is sliding environmental responsibility into the heart of fan identity. Instead of equating support with constant consumption of the latest gear, the initiative encourages fans to wear their existing jerseys with pride, extending the lifespan of garments and normalizing slower consumption patterns.

Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise extends jersey lifespans, trading kit sales for sustainability and tackling soccer’s climate footprint.

19/08/2025

Grammarly's newly launched AI Grader represents a shift in how students receive feedback on their academic work. The specialized tool delivers tailored feedback on a student's writing before they submit their work to their actual instructor. By analyzing assignment details and course information, plus drawing from publicly available instructor information, the AI Grader offers students estimated grades and specific improvement suggestions, effectively creating a pre-submission review process that was previously unavailable at scale.

The technology arrives at a critical moment in education's relationship with AI, as students navigate how to use artificial intelligence thoughtfully while ensuring they're building genuine skills. According to Grammarly, the tool is designed to enhance capabilities without undermining learning, acting as a partner that guides students to produce better work. For example, a business student writing a market analysis report could draft their findings, gather and cite appropriate sources, and then activate the AI Grader to evaluate their work against a specific course rubric they've uploaded.

TREND BITE
Tools like AI Grader are as much about anxiety management as they are about productivity gains. Students don't just want better writing; they want the confidence that comes from previewing how their work will be judged.

As AI increasingly becomes embedded in our daily lives, expect more tools that don't just help complete tasks faster but actually de-risk people's interactions with an unpredictable world, packaging predictability and control as their core value proposition. Instead of eliminating stress entirely (that's impossible), successful products and services will transform anxiety into something more productive. Think "confidence-as-a-service."

New AI Grader helps students refine work, estimate grades and manage anxiety ahead of professor feedback.

18/08/2025

Brussels-based organ donation advocacy group Reborn-to be Alive is taking an unconventional approach to addressing Belgium's persistent organ shortage. The organization has launched Virtual Donors, a campaign that modifies popular multiplayer games like Minecraft, Baldur's Gate 3 and Fortnite to mirror real-world organ donation. When registered organ donors play these modified versions and their character dies, up to eight of their teammates receive an extra life — a digital expression of how one organ donor can save up to eight real lives. The initiative hopes to shorten Belgium's 1,474-person transplant waiting list by reaching younger demographics through their preferred medium: gaming.

The campaign addresses a critical gap in Belgium's opt-out donation system, where approximately 15% of potential donations are lost when families refuse consent during emotionally charged moments. Explicit donor registration is crucial for medical teams and grieving families. By gamifying the donation process, Reborn-to be Alive hopes to normalize conversations about organ donation among younger audiences while demonstrating the tangible impact of registration. The mods are freely available to anyone who registers as a donor through Belgium's official health portal, creating a direct link between virtual solidarity and real-world life-saving potential.

TREND BITE
Reborn-to be Alive's gaming campaign exemplifies how brands can leverage INFORMAL INFO to transform complex, emotionally heavy topics into accessible experiences. By embedding organ donation awareness into the familiar mechanics of multiplayer games, the organization bypasses traditional health communication channels that younger audiences often ignore.

This playful approach doesn't diminish the gravity of the cause — it amplifies it by speaking in a language that resonates. When serious, impactful decisions compete with endless distractions, the organizations that master informal, interactive communication will be the ones that can actually change behavior.

https://hubs.la/Q03D5gkQ0

15/08/2025

Beloved Australian science communicator Dr Karl Kruszelnicki is deploying artificial intelligence to tackle climate misinformation at scale. Unable to personally respond to the hundreds of daily questions he receives, the 77-year-old has invested AUD 20,000 of his own money to develop an AI chatbot that mimics his communication style. Working with tech journalist Leigh Stark, Kruszelnicki is running Mistral locally, training the LLM on 40,000 scientific documents collected over his four-decade career to create what he calls "Digital Dr Karl."

Set for an October 2025 launch, as reported by the Guardian, the conversational bot will provide evidence-backed answers about climate science while attempting to shift opinions through respectful dialogue. Though still in beta, with notable limitations — including occasional hallucinations and tonal inconsistencies — the project will run for 100 days before Kruszelnicki and Stark evaluate its effectiveness. Research published in Science suggests AI conversations can reduce belief in conspiracy theories by approximately 20%, with effects persisting for months afterward. The team plans to power the system with renewable energy, addressing concerns about AI's environmental footprint.

TREND BITE
Digital Dr Karl represents a shift in science communication, moving from broadcast formats to always-on, personalized conversation. Climate skepticism is rarely overcome through data alone — it requires patient, trusted voices engaging in sustained dialogue, precisely what this AI format could enable. That said, persuasion works best when people choose to engage, so Digital Dr Karl might reach more of the "curious-but-doubtful" folks than hardcore refusers.

By creating a digital twin of himself, Kruszelnicki is pioneering what could become a new media category: human-AI hybrid advocacy, where trusted personalities extend their reach through AI. The implications extend far beyond climate science. If even modestly successful, this experiment could inspire educators, healthcare providers and public intellectuals to create their own AI counterparts, allowing their expertise to scale while maintaining the personal connection that fosters trust.

Science icon Dr Karl creates an AI version of himself to counter climate misinformation at scale, blending his own voice with an LLM trained on 40,000+ documents.

14/08/2025

While plant-based protein maker Better Nature secures GBP 1.1 million in funding to accelerate growth, category pioneer Beyond Meat continues its downward trajectory. The divergent fortunes reflect a shifting market where consumers increasingly favor clean protein alternatives over ultra-processed options.

Better Nature, founded in 2020 and now the UK's leading tempeh brand with 38.1% market share, saw solid growth with Q2 sales up 128% year-on-year. The brand's minimally processed, gut-friendly tempeh — with similar protein content to chicken but more fiber — resonates with health-conscious consumers seeking clean-label options, as well as with those seeking an easy and affordable alternative to slaughtered meat. With its "Give chicken the night off" campaign, Better Nature is deliberately positioning tempeh as a savvy swap for the UK's most widely eaten meat.

The funding round will fuel marketing initiatives and innovation as Better Nature expands beyond its current distribution through Tesco, Asda, Whole Foods, REWE, Knuspr and other retailers in the UK, Germany and Austria. Meanwhile, Beyond Meat announced a 6% workforce reduction as its quarterly revenue plunged nearly 20%, with US retail sales declining by 26.7%.

TREND BITE
What's happening, in plain terms:

🫛 Better Nature is leaning into natural, gut-friendly, protein-rich tempeh with a short ingredient list, cultural authenticity (the brand is UK-based but has Indonesian roots), and a halo of health credibility. It's selling a nutritional upgrade story, not a "just-like-meat" one.

🧪 Beyond Meat is facing the backlash against ultra-processed products, coupled with price sensitivity and waning novelty. Its "we can trick you into thinking it's beef" proposition is losing steam as consumers aspire to eat more whole and minimally processed foods.

The plant-based boom of 2018–2021 was fueled by early adopters and flexitarians chasing new options, sustainability and ethical eating. But that wave is now breaking. The winning brands in the next phase of alternative protein will be those that shift the conversation away from mimicry and toward nutritional superiority and ingredient integrity.

Tempeh brand Better Nature snags GBP 1.1 mln in funding to ‘give chicken the night off,’ while Beyond Meat cuts workforce as sales slump.

13/08/2025

Noom's new weight-loss program formalizes what many have been experimenting with and hyping on Reddit and TikTok: microdosing GLP-1 drugs. The digital healthcare company has launched a Microdose GLP-1Rx Program priced at USD 119 to start, followed by USD 199 monthly, which includes both medication and a "GLP-1 Companion" behavior change platform. Noom's protocol uses doses that are 25% or less of standard maintenance doses, with 70% of members reporting no side effects while still achieving significant weight loss.

The approach tackles three barriers to addressing obesity through Ozempic and its brethren: medication cost, side effects and sustainable behavior change. By personalizing dosing schedules to each member rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach, Noom aims to maximize outcomes while minimizing the digestive issues that lead many to abandon GLP-1 treatments. This strategy bridges the gap between DIY experimentation and conventional medical protocols, potentially making these medications accessible to those deterred by both high costs and unpleasant side effects.

TREND BITE
While early adopters chased dramatic transformations through high-dose protocols, mainstream consumers now gravitate toward gentler interventions. Microdosing is a sign of the "Ozempic era" maturing, with preferences shifting from dramatic transformations to sustainable lifestyle integration; think less "Biggest Loser" and more "Couch to 5K." With Noom repackaging GLP-1 medication as an accessible health tool for the masses, the drugs' impact on the food industry is likely to increase. (See "Ozempic Is Costing Grocery Stores Billions" and "Ozempic Is Shrinking Appetites. Restaurants Are Shrinking the Food.")

Noom formalizes microdosed GLP-1 use, promising affordable, low-side-effect weight loss with a behavior change platform for lasting results.

12/08/2025

Booking.com recently polled 37,325 people across 33 markets "to better understand how people around the world are using, trusting and responding to AI in both everyday life and travel."

A few highlights from the Global AI Sentiment Report:
🛳️ High adoption: overall, 67% of travelers already use AI tools when planning or going on trips
🤔 Geographic trust divide: Latin American and Asia-Pacific regions lead in AI enthusiasm and trust, with 51% and 38% of consumers, respectively, trusting AI fully or mostly. By contrast, North America (30%) and Europe (28%) show greater skepticism despite developing many of today's dominant AI technologies
🧳 Good-bye, watercooler, hello ChatGPT: AI assistants (24%) have surpassed work colleagues (19%) and influencers (14%) as reliable sources for travel planning advice

So, what exactly are people turning to AI for?
🏝️ 71% of travelers want recommendations to avoid overcrowded destinations
✌️ 60% seek experiences that positively impact local communities
🌍 38% want help researching new destinations

But they're not without concerns:
📿 47% worry AI could reinforce stereotypes or discrimination
💰 38% fear the technology will deprioritize budget travelers

The message for brands is clear: consumers are starting to rely on AI for planning and exploring (potential) purchases, but building trust through transparency and ethical implementation remains essential for long-term success.

https://hubs.la/Q03CjlC-0

Booking.com's survey shows majority of travelers have used AI for trip planning or while traveling. While adoption rates are high, users also have concerns.

11/08/2025

Unveiled this week, Fourier's GR-3 robot — described as its first "care-centric humanoid" — stands apart from the clinical, industrial automatons dominating the market with its distinctly human-like expressions and emotional intelligence. The compact robot features an animated LED face capable of displaying a range of emotions, from happiness to concern, responding dynamically to human interactions. Unlike robots designed primarily for task efficiency, GR-3 prioritizes emotional connection through its rounded, approachable design, soft-touch materials and interfaces that emphasize accessibility over technical complexity.

In healthcare settings, GR-3 could serve as a companion for elderly patients that doesn't just bring them their meds at the correct time, but ensures they take them, with a friendly nudge and maybe a bit of banter. Educational institutions are exploring GR-3's potential for supporting children with learning differences, where its non-threatening presence and endless patience create a judgment-free learning environment. And corporate environments might deploy the robots in customer service roles where a soft touch is as valuable as conveying information.

TREND BITE
The emergence of emotionally intelligent machines like GR-3 signals a shift in consumer expectations. As automation becomes ubiquitous, the competitive edge won't lie in functionality alone, but in how tech makes people feel. For businesses, this means reconsidering design philosophies across products and services. We're moving beyond the era of sterile efficiency toward technology that acknowledges our need for warmth, personality and genuine connection.