Mike's Industry View - Issue #173
AI / Creativity
Despite limitations, 3D and AR are creating new realities in retail — techcrunch.com “Within the next five years, I think we're going to see that having AR and 3D on your dot-com and beyond will be mandatory.”
Mojo Vision teams up with optics leader Menicon to develop AR contact lenses — venturebeat.com Mojo Vision has teamed up to develop AR contact lenses with Menicon, Japan's largest and oldest maker of contact lenses.
Business/Marketing/Adv
Wendy's teams with Uber Eats on customised menus for Twitch gamers — www.marketingdive.com
Wendy's "Never Stop Gaming Menu" includes combinations of items selected by five of the most popular streamers on the Amazon-owned livestreaming platform.
The flex commerce era 💪 — andjelicaaa.substack.com
What new ways of showing off mean for the consumer market.
Don’t save the high street – change it completely, says retail guru Mary Portas The pandemic has accelerated huge shifts in the way people shop. Now firms and government will have to wake up and innovate
Interestingness
Why Klarna’s millennial customers are losing faith — www.newstatesman.com Klarna has become one of the world's biggest fintech companies on the promise of fast, fearless online shopping, but its bubblegum-pink exterior is beginning to crack.
Burger King is selling a sundae stuffed full of French fries in Singapore after noticing diners dunking fries in their ice-cream — www.businessinsider.com Burger King released the limited edition "Mashed Up Fries" dessert item after noticing how many customers dipped fries in their ice-cream.
Wellness
Denmark has overtaken the UK as the home of Europe's happiest tech employees, new research suggests — www.businessinsider.com "Back in London I was working a lot of extra hours but here it's not expected of me at all."
Tony Hsieh’s American Tragedy: The Self-Destructive Last Months Of The Zappos Visionary — www.forbes.com When the business icon died in a fire last week, questions abounded. The answers seem rooted in a Covid-period spiral, where he turned to drugs and shunned old friends.
Platform News
Instagram chief says TikTok is the most formidable competitor the company has ever seen — www.cnbc.com
Photo-sharing service Instagram announced Thursday morning that it’s bringing together two of its biggest priorities — online shopping and its new Reels short-form video feature, which competes with fast-growing social media network TikTok.