⏩ Future Normal: Fast Forward #5
What's 'normal'? Why Roblox matters; influencers love Dubrovnik; China embraces blockchain and more...
Another week, another half dozen quick glimpses of The Future Normal for you.
Can you use one of these data points to spark a discussion and inspire new thinking? The future is ours to build, together.
Unilever drops ‘normal’ from its beauty products
🔮 #FutureNormal // No more ‘normal or oily skin’ creams, or ‘normal to dry hair’. The New Normal is No Normal.
💡#TrendTruth // A small signal? Or symbolic of a larger mega-trend. Trends impact everything: from your vision & strategy, right down to your packaging and copy.
Roblox: Gen Z’s $30 billion metaverse
🔮 #FutureNormal // There’s been much written on how Roblox is The Future Normal when it comes to culture, creativity & commerce. Ben Thompson and Matthew Ball give two brilliant perspectives on why Roblox matters.
💡#TrendTruth // This isn’t the first time (and it won’t be the last!) that I quote Chris Dixon: the next big thing will start out looking like a toy.
Blockchain mentioned as a key technology in China’s latest Five-Year Plan
🔮 #FutureNormal // Beyond the hype around Bitcoin, blockchain’s potential to revolutionise trust, finance, law and digital security remains real. Real-world experiments at scale remain elusive, but if anyone can make these happen, it’s the Chinese government.
💡#TrendTruth // The next generation of trends, especially those at the intersection of technology & society will be pioneered in China. With all that implies for the rest of the world.
Dubrovnik invites influencers to help design its digital nomad offering
🔮 #FutureNormal // WFA (Working From Anywhere) and digital nomads are unlikely to fill the void left by mass tourism, but they are absolutely trends worth watching in our increasingly diverse Future of Work.
💡#TrendTruth // Influencers get a bad rap, often with good reason. But look beyond the word ‘influencer’: experimenting in public and seeking bottom-up community solutions is a great way to innovate our way back from the crisis.
The Line: is Saudi Arabia’s new smart city beautifully utopian or horrifically dystopian?
🔮 #FutureNormal // A city that send drones to check on you if you fall over. AI-enabled micromobility services that seamlessly whisk you to your destination. Facial recognition and biometrics ensuring security. Convenience heaven, or privacy hell?
💡#TrendTruth // There’s usually a huge gap between the glossy CGI in smart city masterplans and the mundane reality. But the truth is, most of these technologies already exist, just not in such a joined-up (or suffocating) combination.
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