THETRENDSREPORT
Proudly brought to you by NATIVE VML

AMONTHLY SNAPSHOT OF TRENDS IN MARKETING,
STORYTELLING AND DIGITAL CULTURE LOCALLY
ANDABROAD.

AUGMENTATION

Many brands and retailers are still adjusting to
the way people consume content on their
phones. The introduction of smart watches and
wearable tech adds to the challenge of
understanding content consumption. Google is
already looking at advancing smaller screen
devices beyond the notification and alert system
functions to create content that is engaging and
interactive.
Human interactions
with digital
interfaces.

Making the body its own self-contained
interface control
Google’s Project Soli is focussed on the
development of a new interaction sensor that is
powered by radar technology. The sensor tracks
micro movements or twitches of the human
hand. The ability to track such movement in
such minute detail and with great accuracy,
means that it could possibly be used to interact
with smart watches, smartphones, and tablets
without touching the screen. The sensor fitted
into a chip can easily be inserted into wearable
tech and other devices.

Creating smart textiles
The Google Project Jacquard aims to add the
functionality of smartphone screens to everyday
fabrics. The structures of Jacquard yarn
combine thin, metallic alloys with natural and
synthetic yarns like cotton, polyester, or silk.
When woven into the fabric, it creates an
interactive surface that is sensitive to touch and
gestures.
READ MORE

Advances in bionics. For many, bionic technology blurs the boundary
between man and machine. Innovations in
medical science are providing procedures that
propel the human body far into the future.

Thought-controlled prosthetic limbs.
Using a neuro-prosthetic device implanted in
the brain, scientists have been able to decode
cerebral intentions of a quadriplegic patient. By
sending electrical impulses to the nerves in the
limb, the patient is able to control a robotic limb
using their thoughts.
READ MORE

Bionic lenses that give super vision.
The Ocumetics Bionic Lens is three times better
than having 20/20 vision. It is designed to be
implanted on a fully developed eye in an 8
minute procedure identical to cataract surgery.
The lenses correct the eye beyond what we
understand as perfect vision today, and because
they never degrade, the lenses could replace the
natural lenses in the eye.

INNOVATION

The proliferation of digital music has now
completely disrupted the music industry. And
while artists, record labels and streaming
services may not see eye-to-eye, it can be
agreed that the future of the music industry
requires diverse and far more equitable business
models.
The music industry
in the digital age.

Vying for the #1 music streaming spot.
Spotify, the biggest brand in music streaming
constantly need to add subscribers at a higher
rate to cover their revenue gap. As a result they
are now also looking at diversifying their offering.
The brand announced a number of key changes
including time and context specific playlists as
well as podcast and video streaming services.

The Beats-powered Apple Music service will
combine the existing Apple iTunes infrastructure
and also boast a social feature that allows artists
to share notes and photos with fans directly in
the app.

Stock exchange for independent musicians.
The Mutrs platform enables independent
musicians to sell shares in their music via a
digital exchange market. Artists release an IMO
(initial music offer) that comes with a set amount
of associated shares, each valued at a base
rate. By buying their favourite music, consumers
buy shares in that product which they can later
trade on the Mutrs Independent Music
Exchange.

Digital technology allows people to move beyond
physical, social and cultural constraints. There
are a growing number of unique apps and digital
initiatives that aim to make life easier by
providing assistance to those who need it most.
Digitised
Accessibility.

App that allows you to share your sight.
Be My Eyes is a crowdsourced video chat
service that connects someone visually impaired
with someone able to see and willing to help.
Users who sign up as a helper receive a
notification to be someone's eyes. The app is
designed to be used in short bursts at
particularly difficult moments, such as reading
an expiration date or reading signs in an
unfamiliar location.

Teaching English through pizza orders.
CNA Language School’s innovative Hello Pizza
campaign intercepts calls from customers in the
U.S. and asks them to spend a few minutes
speaking to Brazilian students in English, in
exchange for a discount on their pizza. Calls are
transferred and students find themselves
immersed in real-time conversations, that
improve their grasp of the language.
READ MORE

MOBILE, DATA AND
SOCIAL

Citizen science projects that use the efforts of
volunteers to help scientists collect valuable
data are becoming increasingly popular. Not
only does it help researchers deal with the flood
of data that confronts them - in some cases it
allows scientists to gather research in areas
difficult to reach.
Crowd sourced
science.

Turning surfers into citizen scientists.
The near-shore zone is the hardest area of the
ocean to collect data from and any equipment
used is rendered useless when left in the
turbulent water. The Smartphin enables surfers
to collect vital information about the changing
condition of the ocean’s near-shore zone.
Integrated into the board is a chip that collects
data on the pH, salinity, temperature and
directional wave spectra. This is all done in real-
time.

Smart beehives that gather data.
Open Source Beehives is a platform that
combines natural beekeeping, open source
hardware and smart devices to combat Colony
Collapse Disorder. Through their printable
beehives and an open source sensor kit that
monitors the condition of the colonies; citizen
scientists, hobbyist beekeepers, and data
scientists can share important data needed to
prevent the CCD phenomenon.
READ MORE

Beacon technology is still relatively new.
However, we’re already seeing progress in
location-based marketing beyond the store.
Skincare giant, Nivea used beacons to give
parents peace of mind in an innovative beach
campaign. More and more marketers are seeing
the potential application of the technology.
Exploring beacon
potential.

Real-time driver safety using beacons and the
radio.
Blackspot Beacons are short range targeted
broadcast transmitters, designed to evoke
immediate behaviour change to avoid hazards
on the road.
As cars pass, the beacons override the
frequency that the car’s radio is tuned into, and
delivers a short warning message.
READ MORE

MARKETINGATTHE
SPEED OF
CULTURE

Kidult, describes the phenomenon of adults
acting like kids and embracing entertainment,
food and fashion that are typically geared
towards children. There’s a growing trend
among marketers encouraging adults to indulge
in analogue activities that awaken their inner
child.
Bringing out the
kidult in all of us.

The rise of adult colouring books.
Published in 2013, Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford's Secret Garden continues to float among Amazon’s
best-selling books. The books feature patterns and designs that are intricate and sophisticated enough to
appeal to adults while not too intimidating to try.

Playing in the subway.
Working off the insight that people spend too much time sitting and not enough time exercising, Reebok
Pump Fusion created the Subway Pump Battle . The subway game chooses two opponents (seemingly
without their knowledge) to see who can press the highest amount of pump buttons in a given time.

As one of the fastest growing social networks,
Instagram presents huge marketing and
branding opportunities. Innovative marketers
are looking to move outside the platform’s ad
offering with well-crafted and compelling content.
Moving outside
social media ad
offering.

Bringing Whisky to digital.
Ballantine created whisky magazine hosted exclusively on Instagram. @w_issueone employs traditional print
thinking and design to create a unique and dynamic reading experience. Tuned into the cultural zeitgeist, the
first issue explores women changing the face of modern whisky; the rise of bitter drinks; and asks whether
Sims introduced the masses to mixology.

STORYTELLING

The notion of ‘beauty fatigue’ describes the
dissatisfaction with the unrealistic
representations of women and is gaining
momentum among audiences. In an industry
that’s all about ROI, marketers looking to attract
this consumer face a daunting task. This is often
the case because campaigns that aim to
confront fears and shift stereotypes, often
present metrics that are difficult to measure.
Beauty Fatigue.

Presenting the unapologetic woman.
In its most expansive women’s campaign to
date, I WILL WHAT I WANT, fitness apparel
brand Under Amour has partnered with model,
Gisele Bündchen. The campaign was revealed
in an interactive web experience that filmed
Gisele in a workout, working up a sweat as she
responded to both positive and negative real-
time social commentary streaming in from all
over the web.

Digital offers endless novelty, and while online
interactions are just one part of the overall
buying experience, albeit a key one, connected
consumers are looking to curate and create
unique and memorable brand experiences.
Novel digital
experiences.

Fusing AI with test drives
For the online activation for the new BMW i3
electric car, NATIVE VML built Artificial
Intelligence (AI) into a microsite. Once in the
site, the BMW i3 will answer any question you
have about ‘her’ various features; her voice
guiding you through the embedded content. The
digital experience humanises the innovative
technology in an interactive way and makes the
case for buying an electric car a lot more
exciting.

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