Every other day, you read a headline about labor shortages hurting restaurants and hospitality. In some places, companies are recruiting 14-year-olds, while others are offering big signing bonuses. Many restaurants are closing their doors several days a week because they don’t have enough staff to stay open, further hurting businesses that have managed barely to […]
The Future of the Hospitality Industry Read More »
The healthcare industry has experienced significant challenges as a result of the pandemic, including the rising cost of operations and the growing scrutiny of governments. As a sector that has been somewhat insulated from disruptions occurring in other industries, such as retail and banking, it can no longer assume it’s “business as usual.” Healthcare needs
Why Culture and People are Key to Healthcare Transformation Read More »
What does the healthcare clinic of the future look like? In our latest design exploration, we explore how healthcare providers can leverage branding and design to better engage with their clients and create a truly holistic experience. From selecting the right brand identity to designing a physical space that is impactful and welcoming, we divided
Humanizing the Health and Wellness Clinic Read More »
The movie Ready Player One, live events hosted by Fortnite, and Facebook’s recent name change to “Meta” are all harbingers of a coming advance in technology that will be a game-changer: the metaverse. Just how far away we are from the vision Mark Zuckerberg laid out in his infamous video is a subject of great
Future-Proofing for the Metaverse Read More »
The Current State of Transformation Digital transformation, for many institutions, has ended at the doorstep of their retail channels. The pandemic has accelerated the growth of both Amazon and Fintech, forcing banks and retailers to shift their focus to digital to help drive sales and customer retention. However, as digital transformation efforts mature and
Five Ways to Fill the Digital Transformation Gap for Retail Brands Read More »
At the end of the year, we like to regroup and look back at the big brand stories that caught our attention throughout the year. And this year was a particularly strange one. The pandemic experience has become regionalized and our appetite for doom scrolling has kind of disappeared. Political intrigues have been flying under
Best Brand Stories of 2021 Read More »
2021 was not the year many had hoped for. The pandemic, natural disasters, inflation, supply chain issues and a persistently polarized planet has put humanity’s resilience to the test. Yet, with the new year’s arrival, there is renewed hope that conditions will stabilize and provide retailers with a clearer look ahead. As a future-focused strategic
What Will 2022 Look Like for Retail Brands? 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 »
For many years, fast fashion was on top – cheap, ubiquitous, ripped from the runway designs that were so fast and easy they were literally designed to be disposable. However, the impact of this approach to clothing has come under intense criticism. From enormous quantities of product ending up in landfills to chemical dye pollution
The Rise of Slow Fashion 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 »
No industry or brand has been immune to the disruption of the past decade. From technological advances and start-ups to a global pandemic, change has become the only constant. The health and wellness industries are no exception – and as patient/consumer demand pushes the sector down a new path, brands must reassess their business models
How Disruption is Driving Business Model Reinvention in Healthcare Read More »
As banks look to retool their branch networks, how can they align customer needs with a larger brand transformation? Join SLD’s Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Wednesday, October 13, as he discusses this shift to new formats and how it can improve the customer journey. Hosted by the team at Engageware, attendees can expect to learn: The future
Aligning Customer Banking Needs to a New Branch Strategy 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 »
The financial services industry has largely begun to undertake the work of transforming their customer experience model from physical branches to their digital experience, to at least some degree. However, to get the most out of these intensive projects, transforming the people who work in banks and how they work is just as critical as
How to Empower Employees and Create a Culture of Change 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 »
The pandemic accelerated e-commerce and there is no turning back. Various sources suggest that in a few short months we have leapt as much as 10 years ahead in terms of growth! Not only are people shopping more online for products: they are utilizing services that previously were primarily available in-person, including health and wellness
How Wellness Brands Can Best Leverage E-Commerce 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 »
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 »
