As we look back on 2021, it would be nice to be able to view COVID-19 in the rearview mirror with a sigh of relief. But to quote Michael Corleone, “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” This must be the way a lot of brands are feeling right now, […]
The Best Brand Pivots of COVID-19 Read More »
Though the popularity of online shopping was trending upwards even before COVID-19, the past year and a half has seen a dramatic increase in online sales across a wide range of industries. While expected categories like household supplies, food delivery and personal care products saw significant growth, one of the largest jumps has been in
How CPG Brands Can Elevate Their Social Media Presence Read More »
About half of Gen Z are now over 18 and are making adult financial decisions. As banks and other financial institutions look to the future, what does this diverse young generation want? In this blog, we explore emerging trends in banking preference and behavior, the driving forces behind these changes, and what banks can do
5 Things Banks Need to Know About Gen Z Read More »
Transformation is messy and carries a high degree of failure, with more than 84 percent of digital transformations failing and more than 9 billion dollars going to waste. The pandemic has increased the risk due to the accelerated need for organizations to digitally transform themselves to respond to the shift to online shopping, home delivery,
Physi-Digital: Humanizing Digital Transformation for Retail Read More »
Transformation is challenging and comes with many risks. Every year more than 9 billion dollars go to waste as transformation initiatives fail to deliver on their promise. The pandemic may have forced the acceleration of many digital transformation initiatives, but in the rush to address immediate needs, there is a risk that long-term goals have
Physi-Digital: Humanizing Digital Transformation for Healthcare Read More »
Transformation is messy and carries a high degree of failure, with more than 84 percent of digital transformations failing and more than 9 billion dollars going to waste. The pandemic has only increased the risk. The result is a reshuffling of priorities towards online and mobile platforms that are undermining many other transformation needs. What
Physi-Digital: Humanizing Your Bank’s Digital Transformation Read More »
The GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN Awards are an annual celebration of the “designers and architects who improve our quality of life and the built environment.” Now in its 14th year, the first round of winners were recently announced, and SLD is proud to have been recognized with awards for our work with bbtease, Maxwell House,
SLD Takes Home Four Awards at Grands Prix Du Design Read More »
Over the past few years, brands have more often ventured into the realm of social justice and politics, whether it’s Starbucks giving their entire retail network a day off to learn about racial equity, Dick’s Sporting Goods taking automatic guns and ammunition off their shelves, or beauty brands making a pledge to stop Photoshopping models,
Social Justice and Brand Building Read More »
CPG brands are trying their hand at direct-to-consumer e-commerce with mixed success. In our 2021 E-Commerce for CPG Brands consumer study, one of the takeaways was that respondents would consider going to a CPG site for a better price. While brands like Unilever have offered bundled subscriptions with a deep enough discount to achieve some
How CPG Brands Can Succeed With Direct-to-Consumer Platforms Read More »
From fitness and nutrition to sleep and mindfulness, wellness means something different to everyone, and COVID-19 has led a lot of people to place a renewed emphasis on living happier and healthier lives. This trend is not going away, even post-pandemic, and as such, consumers are looking for holistic and inclusive offerings from the health
Exploring the Future of Wellness Brand Experiences Read More »
This blog is not taking a pro-Israel or pro-Palestine perspective – we are exploring the Ben & Jerry’s boycott from a brand strategy perspective. On July 19, 2021, Ben & Jerry’s announced they would stop selling their products in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas occupied by Jewish settlements that are largely seen as
The Ben & Jerry’s Boycott – On Brand or a Major Misstep? Read More »
In North America, demographic changes are creating a more diverse customer base. This means brand strategy and marketing needs to become more inclusive quickly. But some marketers are nervous about making mistakes trying to speak to audiences with different experiences. Today our guest is Puja Prakash, a graduate student at OCAD, completing her Master’s in
Why Authenticity and Inclusivity Must Go Hand-in-Hand Read More »
Already trending before COVID-19, online shopping for groceries and other consumer packaged goods has skyrocketed during the pandemic. As CPG brands look ahead, many are asking how sticky this new behavior will be, what they can do to stand out on a virtual shelf, and how to approach their own e-commerce sites. This study will
E-Commerce for CPG: Key Consumers & Emerging Behaviors Read More »
The 2021 Digital Transformation Ecological Conference recently took place in Xiamen, China. Focused on the theme of “Aggregating New Ecology, Sharing New Security,” the event brought together industry and government leaders to discuss a wide range of topics surrounding digital finance and network security – as well as celebrate some of the best in digital
SLD Recognized in China for Industrial Bank Branch Design Read More »
If video games weren’t hot already, the pandemic sent gaming through the roof as more kids and even adults searched for something fun to do during lockdowns. Even as economies open up and the bump eases, video games are, now and forever, a deeply entrenched part of young people’s lives. Retail brands hoping to engage
Retail and Video Games – Exploring What’s Possible Read More »
Inclusive brand marketing has become a hot topic, and for good reason. By 2036, the number of Canadians who are foreign-born will about 1 in 3, with around 35 percent belonging to one or more visible minority groups. Today, nearly 4 in 10 Americans identify their race or ethnicity as something other than white, with
Inclusive Brand Marketing 101 Read More »
MPC21 Virtual will mark the 11th year of the Mobile Payments Conference, an event focused on bringing together fintech, mobile payments and digital technology leaders. Set for August 17-19, 2021, this year’s theme is “Where Digital Commerce & Technology Meet,” and will feature SLD’s Jean-Pierre Lacroix as a guest speaker. THE STATE OF HUMAN-CENTRIC DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION:
MPC21 Digital Commerce Event Read More »
Virtual and augmented reality are two of the most exciting technological developments of the last 20 years. Already widely used as a training tool in the military, healthcare, and professional sports, VR has many potential uses in a consumer-facing industry such as retail. Augmented reality is already starting up with fun extras, like augmented packaging,
Exploring the Possibilities of Augmented and Virtual Reality Read More »
Many of the attitudes and behaviours that have driven decision making for retail brands have been called into question by the pandemic, but there are other forces disrupting the consumer-brand relationship. At SLD, one that we think is critical is the rise of fake news and misinformation, especially on social platforms. We wanted to determine
DeepReal: Strategies for CPG Brands in the Age of Misinformation Read More »
From Fake News to Deepfakes, it is no surprise that consumers have become wary of the information they receive – whether it comes from the news, social media, or a brand. To help understand how current market trends are impacting a consumers ability to make confident decisions, and what they expect from brands in an age
