WooHoo! Following a flurry of video game film adaptations like Mario, Sonic, and Pokémon, The Sims is reportedly the latest franchise due a silver screen badge. It’s set to be produced by none other than Stereotypical Barbie, Margot Robbie. Our prediction is that the Sims will have an existential crisis before realizing they’re ‘Kenough’.
Scroll down to read about journaling, “Neo NPCs”, and Italian cars.
Stats to power your week
⌚ Google and Fitbit are working on an AI-based personal trainer that’ll offer personalized health and wellness advice, and there’s definitely demand for it. In the latter half of 2023, 38% of smartwatch owners said they were interested in using AI tools for personal organization like setting goals, 33% for meal planning, and 27% for medical advice. GWI Zeitgeist
🏢 The media often simplifies the remote vs office work debate: bosses want them back in the office, but workers want to stay home. Well, it’s not as clear-cut as that. There was actually a 25% rise in business professionals saying they prefer to work exclusively in the office between 2022-23, and 62% of those who currently have this attendance policy want to keep it. GWI Work
📱 With the US Department of Justice suing Appleover concerns about its monopolization of the phone market, it’s interesting to take a step back and look at how far it's come. In 2014, 37% of US smartphone owners had an iPhone. Since then, iPhone penetration has grown massively, with 60% of Americans now owning one. GWI Core
✒️ Speaking of Apple, the company recently launched Journal, an app capitalizing on the journaling trend. Whether it’s a cause or a symptom, the pastime is really taking off, with the number of Americans saying they do it to relieve poor mental health up 22% year-on-year. GWI USA Plus
📰 If you’ve noticed fewer news stories on Instagram, you’re not imagining things. Scrollers now see less content around governments, elections, and social topics. These political content limitations are on by default, but users can easily personalize their settings, which many Instagrammers may choose to do, given that 54% say they use the app to keep up-to-date with news/the world. GWI Core
What’s on our radar
Facebook’s “poke” feature is back after a lengthy hiatus, and early results suggest that Gen Z are big fans.
As Gucci sales slump, the French multinational Kering issues a profit warning. According to the Financial Times, we’re moving away from affordable, mass-market luxury, and toward less frequent but higher-end purchases.
In some Swedish stores, you don’t just have to be a certain age to buy vapes or alcohol, but also skincare products.
Roblox Studio has announced a new generative AI-based character creator. And Ubisoft has partnered with Inworld AI to create “Neo NPCs”, which will offer more realistic chat with non-playable characters.
Even as AI plays a bigger role in the gaming world, more and more creators are stepping forward. The Sandbox has reached a new milestone of 1,000 user-generated experiences on its metaverse platform.
Be honest, could you tell that Kate Middleton’s family photo was doctored at first glance? If not, you’ll be glad to hear that the EU AI Act has finallybeen approved, which will (hopefully) make it easier to identify AI-altered content.
Last week, Germany’s national soccer team said it’d be switching shirt manufacturer allegiances from adidas to Nike. Some felt this decision went against tradition and that the team should be kitted out in the country’s biggest sportswear brand.
But our data reminds us that a small, yet loud, minority often drive these headlines. While adidas is still the country’s top brand, the number of German soccer fans who buy from Nike has risen 19% year-on-year, and it’s clearly won the hearts of younger generations.
Where adidas is resonating with younger consumers is, ironically, the home of Nike. The number of Gen Z Americans who say they own one of its products has increased 11% since 2022, which is even more proof that brands don’t have borders.
Local lowdown
The road ahead for e-talian cars
Italy has condemned the EU’s plan to outlaw petrol and diesel cars, with the country’s transport minister calling the transition to electric vehicles “economic suicide".
Not only does its automotive industry still rely heavily on combustion engines, but cars are a big part of the nation’s cultural identity. As the president of Italy’s Cultural Foundation put it: “The passion for fast and beautiful cars runs very deep among Italians”. After all, this is the country that brought us the Fiat 500.
With that in mind, you’d think Italian consumers would be pessimistic about the EV transition, but many seem willing to meet the EU in the middle. Globally, car buyers in Italy are the second most-likely to be considering purchasing a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and the second-least likely to be eyeing up a petrol/gasoline car.
