From recycled materials to environmentally friendly cotton to the reduction of “fast fashion”, green is the new black in terms of consumer demand. In fact, 72% of Gen Z’ers are willing to pay more for sustainable offerings — so if brands can get it right, sustainability is likely to be a very lucrative revenue stream going forward.

But in the noisy modern world, being sustainable and effectively presenting your sustainable credentials aren’t the same thing — and this is where the concept of “sustainability branding” comes into play.

From a branding perspective, you need to clearly and honestly convey exactly…

In the world of branding, “humanisation” isn’t just another fleeting trend. It’s an ongoing shift in the way that consumers want to experience the relationship they have with brands. It’s miles away from the disconnected, old-school world of glossy, high-production Mad Men-era billboard advertising.

Brands are starting to see the potential of real, gritty, lo-fi campaigns that don’t shy away from the real issues their consumers face in day-to-day life. In this way, “humanisation” is transforming from a branding novelty to a carefully planned marketing strategy. …

After months of working from home, professionals seeking to restore some normality to their working lives don’t want to pay a fortune just to be crammed into a glass cube with potentially virus-spreading air conditioning and a bunch of other people in the name of “co-working”. Even if there is sub-par beer on tap.

Instead, we’re entering the age of blended living and working concepts, and it’s the hospitality industry that’s leading the way.

Blended living isn’t a new concept. If you’ve been to university and stayed in uni accommodation, you’ll likely be familiar with the ‘campus concept’; living, eating…

Normally, the summer months see hotel prices sky-rocket as tourists rush to escape the daily grind and spend a few glorious weeks lounging on sun-drenched beaches, clutching cocktail-filled coconuts and slathering on the sunscreen.

When the recovery happens, it’s going to be slow. But it will happen. For hotels, much of their success will lie in their ability to adapt to the “new normal” and position themselves in a way that attracts a new type of traveller.

Where will recovery be the fastest?

Hotels situated in tourist destinations that have a lower reliance on long-haul international travel will be the first to see guests return as…

With many fashion brands (understandably) focused on the here and now, including what to do with huge piles of unsold stock and shuttered brick and mortar stores, it’s sometimes difficult to think optimistically about the future of retail once shops start to re-open, and customers once again start to venture outside.

One thing is for certain, “the new normal” won’t look the same as it used to, and it will take some time for customers and brands alike to establish new types of shopping patterns and new ways of shopping.

Experts are reasonably certain that e-commerce will thrive (or at…

On April 11th, 2020, Jessica Salifa posted a poem she’d written on Twitter. It’s titled “The First Lines of Emails I’ve Received While Quarantining”, and it is fantastic.

Using the refrain “As you know, many people are struggling”, it perfectly highlights an interesting side effect of the coronavirus pandemic on marketing language and copy.

Gone are the days of “buy now, while stocks last” subject lines. We’re now in the era of “order from the comfort of your own home”, “an update on delivery times” and “13 top tips to working from home”.

Sure, all of these pieces of copy…

Just 8% of consumers think that brands should stop advertising during the coronavirus outbreak. But plenty of marketers are considering pausing much of their marketing activities in an attempt to cut back on costs during a period of economic uncertainty, and due to concerns about being able to market in a sensitive and relevant manner.

But stopping marketing altogether simply isn’t a smart move. We’re not sure exactly how long this crisis will last for, or what the economic implications will be for the rest of 2020 and beyond, but what we do know is that consumers expect to be…

When disaster hits, brand communications are suddenly thrown into the spotlight. Just think about your inbox, overflowing with emails from dog groomers, garden centres and that dodgy music streaming website you signed up to when you were sixteen, all explaining just how “deeply concerned” they are by the coronavirus situation.

It may seem like overkill — but the thing about a global crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic is that it can’t be ignored. Bars and restaurants are closing, whole companies are moving to remote working and nobody is buying flights.

This isn’t life as we know it. And you’re…