While many of us are still enjoying summer, some of us are already in our “Summerween” era. And this year is a bit of a landmark one for 12-foot skeletons, as Home Depot will be putting “Skelly” in a paid ad for the first time. Don’t knock the decor – putting up home decorations is the most popular Halloween activity among Americans.
Scroll down to read about UGGs, underconsumption, and truly chilling haunted houses.
Stats to power your week
👕 We’ve had cottagecore, tenniscore, and now we have “underconsumption core”. Think of it as deinfluencing round 2 – buying less and buying better. But this time around the data doesn’t quite match up to the narrative – global consumer confidence is currently at its highest level since the pandemic began. GWI Core
🎓 Trends like underconsumption can sometimes lead you to assume things about younger generations, and their ethics, that aren’t entirely supported by data. Consider this – the percentage of Gen Z who want to be rich, and the percentage who want to make a difference in the world, is exactly the same (20%). GWI USA
✅ Despite elections finishing up in some parts of the world, many are still to come. And in most of them, not everyone will vote. Why? Turns out voter apathy is driven more by dissatisfaction with the candidates than the political process. If non-voters felt they had better choices, they might be drawn to the ballot after all. GWI Zeitgeist
🕊️ Women of all ages are 25% more likely than the average American to say society’s expectations of appearance negatively impact their mental health. It’s the area where the gap on mental health impact is biggest between men and women. GWI USA Plus
👥 TikTok isn't just about watching videos, it's about sharing them too. Messaging friends and family on TikTok has grown by 38% since the beginning of 2021. In response, the short video app has introduced a new group messaging tool to keep those conversations within the platform. GWI Core
What’s on our radar
“Verknallt in Einen Talahon” has become one of the first artificially-generated songs anywhere in the world to enter the music charts, while a new AI system is capable of generating coherent texts of more than 10,000 words. Oh, and in Japan, McDonald’s has partnered with an AI artist on a new ad.
The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA has struck a deal with AI firm Narrativ, allowing actors’ likenesses to be used when they consent and are paid fairly. Meanwhile, a lawsuit challenging the use of images to train AI systems has cleared a courtroom hurdle, and a new partnership allows Indian playwrights to create audio for their scripts without editors or voice artists.
With fall approaching, we have to mention the revival of UGGs, which just dropped a global campaign featuring influencers from around the globe. Another shoe brand that's teaming up with a famous face: Skechers and Snoop Dogg.
More AI safeguards are coming into play with Apple taking notes from The White House on how to set the standard for safety. And the Biden administration has also outlined new proposals to make it easier for people to cancel subscriptions by talking to a human – which may have a knock-on effect on using AI chatbots in customer service.
As the US launches its first national heat strategy, chill-seekers in Tokyo are pursuing a strategy of their own – cooling off in haunted houses.
Want to get people back to cinemas? Dropping limited-edition merch like friendship bracelets and popcorn buckets is one popular tactic of late. And McDonald’s is also making a play for the collector audience with the release of adult Happy Meals. We know where we’re grabbing lunch this week.
Chart of the week
You’ve heard it a thousand times – just because inflation is cooling, it doesn’t mean prices are going down. And many consumers are having to make tough choices about what goes into their shopping carts – with the now doubly expensive olive oil in the firing line.
Mediterranean liquid gold hasn’t been the only casualty. Snack foods, chocolate, and soft drinks are also being dropped by shoppers. Even staples like meat and breakfast cereals are seeing declines.
This shows more than just the impact of rising costs – it’s a signal that people are changing their priorities. Whether it’s cutting back on indulgences or finding an alternative to a once-essential item, folks are choosing to manage their budget first before splurging on a treat. Even if that is a tube of Pringles.
Local lowdown
The Great Rift in banking
Which region do you think is the world leader for mobile banking? Silicon Valley, Southeast Asia, maybe Scandinavia? How about the “Silicon Savannah”, also known as Kenya?
For the past 17 years, mobile money service M-PESA has been providing financial access to millions of Kenyans previously excluded from the banking system. M-PESA has actually been around for longer than the iPhone, and even now Kenyan consumers are ahead of all other countries for taking out loans online.
Adoption of mobile money services in East Africa is a great example of technological “leapfrogging” we often see in emerging markets. As mobile phones spread quicker than other technologies like PCs or landline telephones, innovations can be tailored to the newer devices – rather than being adapted from pre-existing services.
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