the evolutionary shopper | WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW Can Brands Make the Metaverse Matter? When Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social media giant would now be known as Meta, it came as somewhat of a surprise, even to some inside the organization. Zuckerberg’s now famous keynote address broadcast from a CGI-enhanced metaverse was at times awkward and embarrassing, but it gave insight into the future of social media, and executives around the world were paying close attention, ready to embrace the Metaverse as their new marketing Minerva. In Mark... read more ++ The Future of Fitness: How the Pandemic Transformed the Way We Exercise The COVID-19 pandemic will go down in history for many reasons, not least of which is the way it changed people's behaviors. From hoarding toilet paper to buying dry goods from closed restaurant kitchens; making their own masks to drinking cocktails out of a can, life as we knew it changed. With fitness clubs forced to close, pretty much everyone invested in some sort of home workout equipment, whether it was a pricey Peloton or a cheap set of... read more ++ With Black Lives Matter, Brands Stumble with Statements About Race Will consumers continue holding corporate entities accountable for their stance on civil rights issues? Yes, but in our analysis the sentiment needs to include demonstrated action rather than superficial statements. While some lauded the fact that companies with racist brand identities like Quaker Oats, Aunt Jemima, and Land O’ Lakes butter made the effort to eliminate those icons, the larger question remained: what’s changed within these brands?... read more ++ The Corona Diaries: Sex and Dating Apps Struggle with a Pandemic It's hard to make love when you're six feet apart, at least that's what users of dating apps are discovering right now. For the near future, your love life is quarantined. We decided to take a look at what some of the top apps are doing -- or not doing -- to keep users safe. For the near future, your love life is quarantined. Surprisingly, Tinder does not have any pop ups or alert bars regarding COVID-19, but buried in... read more ++ Branded: Why Companies are Targeting the Tattoo Generation You’d never know that Adam is a commodities trader. Or at least not now, as he sits at the bar, his sleeves rolled up and revealing heavily inked, well-sculpted arms. “I never worried about being able to get a job just because I have tattoos,” says Adam. “I mean, even my boss has tattoos, so who cares?” Allowing one's tattoo to show can be seen as an invitation for conversation, and an opportunity to proclaim one's identity... read more ++ Oh Thank Heaven: 7-11 Joins the Convenience Store Evolution Late last month, 7-11 announced the opening of a “lab” or concept store in Texas, not far from where the brand began over 90 years ago. You might recall that one b. on brand’s predictions for 2019 (read them here) was that the gentrification of convenience stores would become one of the year’s most interesting retail evolutions, and we were right – except we never expected 7-11 to get in on the action. 7-11 has... read more ++ A Perfect Fit: In El Cerrito, Honda is Emblematic of a Target Demographic In the hierarchy of Silicon Valley cities and those that cluster around them, there is little that is remarkable about El Cerrito, California. A thirty minute drive from San Francisco and shouting distance to Berkeley, the city whose name translates to “little hill” has none of the hi-tech cachet or intellectual pedigree of its neighbors. But those who live here aren’t clamoring to catch up with San Francisco or the over-hyped and... read more ++ Children At Play: Why Millennial Consumers Crave Experiences Over Commodities Never before have we seen a generation so intensely focused on showcasing a kind of perfected lifestyle, whether it be in a coffee shop, where they earnestly watch their coffee being brewed, or a days-long excursion to Burning Man. Millennials are on a constant quest to do something worth talking about or posting on social media. While the narcissism of Millennials is well-documented, it’s safe to say that this behavior of... read more ++ How Comedy Central is Giving Advertisers a Handjob with Branded Content For some time now, media executives of all stripes have been searching for new ways to get consumers to pay more attention to the expensive advertising they’re slotting between TV shows, in Google Adwords, and on Facebook. Branded content – when done right – is turning out to work pretty well, even if the sponsors are often a bit too obvious. \ Erich Lane, a real-life hand model, plays the role of Erich Thomas Layne. In a scene for Sabra hummus, he... read more ++ In Korea, Marketing to Women Begins with Men In Seoul, it is virtually impossible to walk through the makeup mecca known as the Myeongdong district and not notice that there are life-size cardboard cut-outs of Korean men in front of nearly every store, each of them winking and smiling, and beckoning shoppers into any one of the hundreds of cosmetics stores that line the streets. But who are they beckoning, men or women? Probably both. That’s because here in Korea, appearances matter... read more ++ Top