As one major airline unveils the world’s first lie-flat beds in premium economy, budget brands are going the other way - by planning to ditch chairs altogether. Which begs the question: would you stand on a short-haul flight to save some money?
Scroll down to read about double-decker jet memes, connected jewelry, and job perks.
Stats to power your week
🎶 ChatGPT’s got a new trick: making playlists. The question some experts are asking is: do we want it to? Great playlists arguably run on instinct, not algorithms. That being said, plenty of people are happy for tech to take the wheel: 40% say they’re interested in using AI-created playlists. GWI Zeitgeist
🌍 Climate conferences have become meme material - think billionaires in double-decker jets en route to discuss ways to save the planet. And the irony’s not lost on consumers: there’s been a 13% year-on-year rise in those saying the upcoming Conference of the Parties will have no impact on climatechange. GWI Zeitgeist
📺 Last year, 30% of consumers admitted to watching long-form videos on Instagram each month. So it’s little wonder that Meta’s exploring a standalone TV app to bring Instagram’s scroll to bigger screens, especially with brands going all-in on episodic videos. GWI Zeitgeist
🧑💼 Slack didn’t sell to execs; it let teams sign up for free and pitch the tool to colleagues. And it seems the bottom-up model is contagious: there’s been 38% year-on-year growth in the share of tech decision makers saying employees’ requests are most important when purchasing a new product or service. GWI Work
👨👩👦 Netflix isn’t done with the Beckhams - Victoria has her own spin-off after 2023’s hit docuseries. But not every famous family gets the streaming treatment, or lands when they do, so what makes this one so watchable? For one, more US/UK consumers think David Beckham is inspirational (20%) and authentic (20%) than celebrities like Kylie Jenner (6% and 5%, respectively) and Lewis Hamilton (12% and 10%). GWI Zeitgeist
As consumers flock to hair growth solutions, brands are racing to keep up with fresh formats and science-backed formulas. The latest contender? Sweeteners.
The new HMD Touch 4G sits between smartphone and dumb phone. It’s got a touchscreen and video calling features, but the small size and price tag of a feature phone. We could see more of these kinds of models if young people keep using dumb phones to detox. Meanwhile, the line between wearable tech and jewelry is also being blurred.
Amid what’s been dubbed a “romance recession,” Strava is eyeing an IPO as Gen Zs reportedly trade dates for running clubs. This comes shortly after Bumble revamped its BFF’s app, which focuses on friend groups and community-building.
There are reports of a “two-wheeled renaissance.” Montreal’s experiencing a bike boom, and in London, cyclists now outnumber cars in the City by two to one. We’re curious to see how or if the arrival of robotaxis will affect this trend.
Chart of the week
What makes a job ad stand out? We ranked the benefits workers get against the ones they actually want - and the gaps are hard to miss.
For starters, free social events rank 10th on the list of common job perks, while tickets to special events like conferences sit at 17th. But more workers want the latter - they offer access, exclusivity, and real-world networking that pub quizzes or pizza nights can’t match.
Next, pensions in excess of what’s required by law and personal development funds seem to impress HR more than employees. For most, they’re table stakes - expected, not exceptional. For others, they’re abstract and geared toward “future you.” Instead, workers want immediate, experiential, or lifestyle-oriented benefits that make their day-to-day better - like discounts at retailers and free food at work.
🔥 Hot take
Punchy perspectives, with data that nudges the narrative
“Understanding a new disease should start with its sufferers, not science”
Long Covid remains a mystery that experts are still piecing together. The term was born on Twitter, before doctors had a definition. With no clear criteria, it became a catch-all for lingering symptoms.
Usually, the older and sicker someone is at the peak of their illness, the more likely they are to have ongoing health problems, whereas long Covid was more common after mild infection. And the demographic profile of past/current sufferers raises more questions: they’re 18% more likely to be Gen Z than the wider US population, and 37% more likely to play sports weekly. It doesn’t quite add up, medically speaking.
One explanation put forward by physician Chris Van Tulleken is that psychosomatic issues, often made worse by lockdowns, may have caused physical symptoms mistaken for long Covid. And with over a third of US sufferers saying they have anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition, it just goes to show that sometimes you can get more answers from people than petri dishes.
