 when it comes to welcoming mega-brands into their locales. Recognising the power of a local-first approach, 

 is moving beyond ride-hailing to become a Swiss Army knife of super-apps. With the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia among the top ten receivers of global remittance, it’s expanding into insurance and cross-border remittance payments, helping banked and unbanked users to dispatch money instantly and securely to people in other countries using their GrabPay wallets. In Indonesia, meanwhile, banking app 

 is helping people transfer money, pay bills, and manage savings from their smartphones. Both will be game changers for the 53% of people in Southeast Asia who don’t have a bank account.

The desire for digital banking is growing across the world; 

 in emerging Asian markets who didn’t use digital services in 2017 said they were likely to start using them within the next six months. In Africa, more people have mobile wallets than bank accounts, largely because local banks charge crippling fees on transactions, transfers, and other financial operations. To accommodate these consumers and their overseas family members, 

 are making it more affordable to send money abroad using pre-paid cards and cryptocurrency.

It’s not just national identities that are influencing people’s financial choices. The global Muslim population is expected to grow from 1.8 billion in 2015 to nearly three billion by 2060, but many financial service providers don’t currently address the needs of these consumers. 

 is a disruptor in this space, using a halal-compliant robo-advisor platform that allows clients to dodge investment in stocks that contradict Islamic principles, such as gambling, tobacco and firearms. In an era of increased scrutiny on CSR, Wahed’s full-time review board ensures transparency and could attract people of all faiths and beliefs.

Islam is the UK’s second largest listed religion, yet followers of the faith are underserved by mainstream financial service providers. Through its robo advisor platform, Wahed Invest lets Muslims easily manage their money through portfolios that are in-line with their religious principles.

Wahed Invest: fintech that targets the ‘Muslim pound’

Having started as a solution for a safer taxi experience in Malaysia, Grab is the dominant ride-sharing service in south-east Asia. Set on becoming an everyday super app – will it manage to cater to the digital economy set to triple to $240 billion in the next 7 years?

Grab: The hyperlocal power of South East Asia’s super app

Audio manufacturers Bang & Olufsen have released a line of future-proof headphones with modular components designed for easy repair and replacement. As eco-concerns converge with more critical spending habits, perspectives on sustainability are shifting to centre durability and slower consumption

Bang & Olufsen centre durability with modular headphones

Visa has announced an initiative to help boost consumer protection when people pay bills by bank transfer. As concerns over financial fraud with digital and online banking increase, the enhanced security measures are set to give consumers greater control and protection over how they pay.

Visa to launch enhanced consumer payment protections

A combination of responsibilities for their children and aging parents and economic challenges mean Gen Xers are feeling financially unprepared for retirement. Many are considering moving in with their kids to make ends meet and may need help broaching these conversations.

Gen X ‘Silver Squatters’ feel unprepared for retirement

More than half of US parents report needing financial assistance to buy the technology their kids need for their education, a worrying statistic as the back-to-school season kicks off. As tech becomes more essential in schools, parents seek reliable and affordable products for their kids.

US parents face financial barriers in buying tech for kids

How are UK cities engaging their inhabitants in city life? Where do city dwellers go for fun, and to spend their money? And what challenges are people in cities facing in 2024? This Urban Cultural Snapshot blends data and expert insight to illuminate contemporary behaviours in UK cities.

A Cultural Snapshot of the urban UK 2024 - 2025

M&S’s back-to-school campaign, ‘School Happens,’ captures the everyday chaos of school life. By focusing on the durability of its uniforms, M&S taps into parents’ focus on quality and value, offering a relatable take on what kids – and their clothing – really go through during the school year.

M&S shows durability and value in back to school spot

Why are rural Britons more concerned with climate change? How is a shift in political leadership impacting rural communities? Why is there renewed invest in localism? This snapshot explores the behavioural shifts and norms of those living in rural communities up and down the UK in 2024.

A Cultural Snapshot of the rural UK 2024 - 2025

Gen Zers are becoming landlords in increasing numbers as property investment grows as a side hustle for ambitious young Britons. As traditional career paths fracture, young people are looking for alternative ways to make ends meet, looking for passive income to allow them to pursue their passions.

Buy-to-let culture builds British Gen Z's passive income

Inspired by the success of brands, Lidl launched a limited edition set of GBP 20 ($26.4) mystery boxes for shoppers in the UK. Each box contained items usually found in the retailer’s notoriously eclectic middle aisle worth over GBP 100 ($132.2), meeting desires for thrifty indulgence.

Lidl’s middle aisle mystery boxes promote cheap splurges

As the older half of Gen Xers approach retirement age, many are without adequate pension funds to leave the workforce. As this group navigates a myriad of financial pressures, there’s an opportunity for brands to better support the needs of an often overlooked generation.

Retirement is becoming a distant dream for US Gen Xers

TikTok finance influencers have found popularity among Gen Z by doling out advice on how to get rich quickly. With economic insecurity fuelling widespread anxiety among this group, young people are increasingly turning to alternative sources of authority for ways to circumvent a broken system.

‘Hustle bro’ influencers sell financial freedom to Gen Z

Indians are increasingly drawn to exclusivity, customisation, and status when it comes to their gadgets, opening doors for high-end phones and specialised services. Leading this shift in the country are brands like Apple and Samsung, which are considered luxury products.

How are phones transforming into personal assets for Indians?

Stables is at the forefront of digital payment innovation, bridging traditional finance and the stablecoin market. By pioneering new ways to integrate and simplify digital assets, it taps into Australia’s growing adoption of digital transactions, making stablecoin a seamless part of finances.

How Stables drives crypto inclusion in Australia

Teens are turning to summer jobs again in increasing numbers, reversing a decades-long decline. The cost of living crisis is pushing Gen Z to look for short-term work during the season. As teens look to get an early start on their careers, employers have an opportunity to attract young talent.

Cost of living crisis spikes Gen Z summer job growth

Axis Bank has joined hands with Visa to launch Primus, a premier credit card for India’s ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs). As luxury appetites mature, affluent Indians will expect brands to offer insider, bespoke products and services that centre on one-of-a-kind experiences.

Axis Bank unlocks VIP experiences for India’s UHNWIs

As Americans struggle to make ends meet, credit card balances are skyrocketing, with young spenders falling into delinquency at higher rates. While an inflationary economy has eased, many young Americans are still struggling to keep afloat and risking their economic future to do so.

Young Americans fall behind on credit card payments

In 2024, Australians will navigate the balance between their deeply held values and economic realities. While their decisions mirror their desire for societal change, the cost of living crisis has shifted priorities. How do these dual realities shape people’s lives and decisions amid trying times?

A Cultural Snapshot of Australia: 2024

The price and rigidity of healthcare payments present a major barrier to Americans getting the support they need. Acknowledging the challenges around payment plans, PayZen enables people to pay their healthcare costs in installments either before or after they receive the treatment.

PayZen adds flexibility to American healthcare bills

’Tis the season to gift, browse, and shop. Aussies haven’t lost any appetite for the Christmas season as a majority of the country continues to celebrate despite rising costs of living, spending most of their time and money with family. How can brands tap into the country’s holiday spirit?

How are Aussies shopping for Christmas?

Age Concern New Zealand and ANZ have launched a scam prevention campaign featuring American crime drama series CHiPs. The ad reimagines the series to resonate with older audiences, who are typically targeted by scammers, providing them with the tools and confidence to protect themselves from fraud.

ANZ campaign prompts Boomers to watch out for scammers

Expedia, Wells Fargo and Mastercard have unveiled two new co-branded credit cards offering enhanced benefits for U.S. travelers. As people continue to prioritise experiences over material goods, they're seeking more holistic loyalty programs that integrate seamlessly into their lifestyles.

Expedia travel credit card rewards everyday spenders

Credit Karma reports that US Gen Zers continue to be influenced by social media when it comes to overconsumption, but they’re also resisting the allure of influencer-driven purchases. As brands navigate these tensions, there’s an opportunity to invest in non-paid UGC to drive long-lasting loyalty.

Young Americans fight back against overconsumption

Everyone knows that Gen Zers are a digitally savvy bunch – but not all banks seem to have caught up yet. With the majority of this cohort now in adulthood and ready to open a flurry of accounts with financial services providers, how can brands win them over and satisfy their need for convenience?

What are Gen Zers looking for in a bank account?

After a three-year wait, Revolut has received a UK banking licence (with restrictions) from the sector regulator. Digital banks are becoming increasingly popular in the UK, meeting audience expectations for convenience, personalisation, and accessibility, whereas legacy banks are lagging behind.

New licence puts Revolut in revamped challenger position

Venmo, the American mobile payment service, has achieved cultural clout and a dedicated following among US Gen Y and Zers thanks to its novel approach in making it fun to send money between friends. What does its rise in popularity say about how people's money management skills are shifting?

How Venmo became the go-to payment provider for US youth

Pret a Manger has announced the end of its coffee subscription programme. The service offered its subscribers nearly unlimited coffee for a monthly fee. As people look to cut costs, they’re looking to give their loyalty to brands that help them save money on daily splurges.

Pret a Manger shutters popular subscription service

Indian fintech startup Jupiter is refashioning banking in India at breakneck speed. With its live expense tracking, easy investment channels and smart saving tools, Jupiter takes on the role of a financial partner to Indian Gen Y and Z. But how did it make its name in the sacred space of banking?

How Jupiter simplifies money management for Gen Y Indians

With youth unemployment at an all-time high and forecasts for Chinese GDP indicating a continued slowdown, young people are saving in an attempt to take control. In contrast to global trends, China’s youth are shirking impulsive purchases and setting extreme saving challenges on social media.

Chinese Gen Z are ‘revenge saving’ for economic security

Despite being seen as high-tech, Japan has been slow to adopt fintech solutions. The country ranks among the top in APAC that are slow to embrace cashless payments. However, this situation may soon change as Olive tailors its app and all-in-one card to promote cashless living in Japan.

How Olive manages Japanese people’s cashless confidence

Belong is a new savings app targeting UK Gen Yers who feel priced out of the housing market. It wants to help them find new approaches to building their personal wealth, but how can their strategies help to boost people’s financial outlook in the long term?

How Belong helps Gen Y Brits build long-term wealth

Gen Zers are driving membership in big-box stores like the Walmart-owned Sam’s Club, pointing to changing money-saving behaviors among young Americans. As belts continue to tighten, young people are investing in cost-cutting memberships to afford daily indulgences.




Cost-conscious Gen Zers flock to Sam's Club

Tito’s Handmade Vodka has launched a campaign targeting those going on ‘staycations’ this summer, looking to connect with those relaxing at home instead of traveling for holidays. As more people embrace staycations as economic concerns force cutbacks, they’re looking for ways to relax at home.

Tito's Vodka taps into staycation behaviors

Mschf Plays Venmo invites fans to join a social experiment-style lottery game. Players collaborate, make secret deals, and form alliances, employing strategies reminiscent of popular shows like The Traitors and Squid Game, and offering users an opportunity to deepen their connections.

Mschf Plays Venmo lottery builds on fan co-participation

Stunted by the cost of living, young Singaporean couples are turning to early marriage to secure affordable housing through the government, leading to regret for some. As both marriage and divorce rates rise among the young, there's a need for more comprehensive financial support and education.

Couples in Singapore get married earlier to afford homes

In an attempt to beat ‘shrinkflation’ and restore consumer confidence in supermarket retailers, the French government has introduced compulsory ‘shrinkflation’ labels. As brand loyalty takes a hit amid rising prices and faltering trust, transparency is one way of restoring faith.

Shrinkflation labels encourage supermarket transparency

As energy prices soar, so does anxiety, which is causing many Aussies to forgo brand loyalty in favour of lower costs. As inflation encourages consumers to rethink their spending, energy companies are considering taking steps to earn trust and prioritise consumer retention.

Money conscious Aussies switch power providers

Unsure what the future holds and still making up for years of restrictions, Gen Y and Z are prioritizing the here and now and splurging on non-essentials. As a result, they're turning to credit and their parents' support, signaling both a desire for escape and a need-it-now mentality.

Gens Y and Z turn to parents instead of saving

Monzo has introduced innovative app-based security features to protect their customers' savings from thieves and fraudsters. With increased phone theft and fraud rates among Britons, people are seeking reassurance, and banks are working to protect their best interests.

Monzo launches tools to protect customers from fraud

Some young Americans are rejecting the dream of homeownership, arguing instead that renting offers flexibility that makes more sense for their budgets and lifestyles. As homeownership becomes less attainable, young people are shifting their priorities and looking for new paths to success.

Some American Gen Yers are giving up on homeownership

Many young Chinese singles are focusing on themselves rather than getting married and starting a family. Although a rising singles economy leads to lower birth rates and an ageing population, changing social norms have allowed Chinese youth to explore who they are and their adult life priorities.

A new era of Chinese singles is shaping the economy

Credit Karma has revealed that young Americans are determined to have a summer of fun, even if it damages their finances. As they reckon with uncertain futures, people are looking to satisfy their escapist desires sooner rather than later and are prioritizing fun-filled travel to fulfil this need.

Young Americans are prioritizing summer fun over finance

For the last five years, Mastercard and its CMO, Raja Rajamannar, have been committed to creating a brand that people can recognise through all five of their senses. Though the awareness such an approach drives doesn't necessarily translate to trust, it can bolster perceptions of competency.

Mastercard’s multi-sensory branding builds trust

India's PM Narendra Modi won a third term, but his party lost an outright majority. Luxury spending rises, but the class divide grows. Tech innovations loom but also spread misinformation. Why? This Cultural Snapshot uses local stats to explore behavioural norms shared by people in India in 2024.

A Cultural Snapshot of India: 2024

What began as revenge spending post-pandemic has now become par for the course, with Indians splurging on sprawling residences, lavish holidays, fashion, tech, and more. Simultaneously, however, India’s income inequality and unemployment numbers are soaring through the roof.

How luxury spending in India thrives amid a turbulent economy

A survey has shown that America's view on tipping culture is changing, with three in five Americans now viewing tipping negatively. As people continue to operate with a heightened sense of value in a cost of living crisis, brands will face increased pressure to prove their equitable offerings.

Americans are viewing tipping differently

‘Farmfluencers’ play an important role in shaping the perception of products and agricultural methods in the farming community. Green loans company HeavyFinance is making brand ambassadors out of highly respected, digitally savvy farmers who are helping spread the word about sustainable practices.

How HeavyFinance engages climate-conscious farmers

Climate change is creating a home-insurance crisis in America, with minority and lower-income households more likely to be the worst affected. Understanding the impacts and where the pain is most felt will enable insurance firms and other organizations to help consumers navigate new risks.

What’s behind the rise of uninsured homes in the US?

A housing crisis, financial precarity, and distrust in corporations have led many Gen Yers in Australia to be more conscious of their spending than ever before. Yet why do many continue to splurge on experiences, products, and services that fall somewhere between the forever and the everyday?

Aussie Gen Yers' unstable finances are shaping their spending

For Gen Y, the cultural script for adulthood is in flux. With increasing numbers of this cohort now choosing to delay or forego traditional life milestones, new research suggests that, for many Gen Yers, the infamous mid-life crisis is just another financial impossibility.

Gen Yers can’t afford a midlife crisis

A study has revealed that teens from lower-income households in South Korea are less inclined to have a family in the future, signalling the deep-seated inequalities within Korean society. Financial pressures are putting young people off starting a family, changing and altering life milestones.

Money woes put Korean teens off the idea of marriage

The post-pandemic return to travel is seeing many over-60s pack their bags and jet off overseas. But as Boomers take full advantage of their renewed sense of exploration, what must insurance firms understand about their hopes and fears? How can they provide a sense of safety on holiday?

What do Boomers want from travel insurance?

In South Korea, office workers are swapping their go-to lunch restaurants for cafeterias and office-based canteens in an attempt to save on their lunch-related expenses. Amid the cost of living, people are having to adjust to decreased budgets and adopt new spending habits.

Cost-savvy Koreans are turning to cafeterias for lunch

Overwhelmed by rising day-to-day spending, Americans are grappling to control their finances. Many are embracing loud budgeting and small investments, but are these methods bringing them any closer to their life milestones? Canvas8 spoke to eight people from across the US to find out.

How is the cost of living shaping Americans’ life milestones?

Buying a house? Having a baby? Retiring? Many Britons feel the necessity to reframe their expectations in the face of prolonged financial pressure and the housing crisis. Canvas8 spoke to eight people from across the UK to find out how this shift plays out across generations.

How is the cost of living shaping Britons’ life milestones?

South Koreans celebrate their ‘Chuseok’ holidays with a mix of traditional and modern practices, reflecting the nation’s economic fluctuations and wealth disparities. How are these factors influencing gift-giving habits, and what strategies can brands adopt to cater to people’s diverse needs?

The economic crisis is changing how Koreans celebrate Chuseok

Inflation, stagnant wages, and the cost of living crisis have forced people to become financially literate and savvy. Hacking their way to staying afloat, people are looking for ways to get more from their money, embracing risk, and abandoning traditional financial strategies.

Finance Hackers 

Finance platforms are increasingly gaining customers' attention by making finance more 'fun' and accessible, often through gamification and content. While this is an effective way of getting people involved in finance and understanding its importance, there are dangers involved when money and income are treated more like a game than gold.

Gamified Gains

People are feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis on their intimate relationships and families. The strain on their wallets means people are approaching love and friendships through finance-first lenses and finding value in financial compatibility. This is also reshaping home dynamics, as Gen Zers find themselves moving back into their family homes and Gen Xers grapple with the burden of caregiving for their children and parents.

Finance-first Relationships

Gen Z and Y are feeling considerable pressure from the prolonged cost-of-living crisis, which is warping their expectations and understanding of finances. Often making conflicting choices and shuffling milestones, it's challenging for them to develop a clear financial strategy.

Money Dysmorphia

How does money dysmorphia affect young people and their expectations of the future? What are the pros and cons of the increasingly widespread financial gamification? How is the cost of living crisis affecting dating and family relationships? Why are people turning to financial hacks?




Money Sector Snapshot: May 2024

Chinese Gen Zers’ financial concerns are changing where and how they shop on social channels. From deal hunting to virtual influence, what do brands need to know about the new realities of social commerce in the country – and where do the biggest opportunities for innovation lie?

Gen Zers’ thrifty mindsets are changing social shopping in China

Despite inflation, affluent consumers continue to spend on luxury travel experiences – and even greater numbers are using the American Express Platinum Card to do so. Why has the card maintained its enduring appeal, and how is it adapting to luxury consumers’ changing tastes?

How American Express has maintained its exclusive edge

Amid the cost of living crisis hitting Aussies, Gen Zers are finding new ways to save up despite the difficult job market and rising costs of goods. Younger generations are taking control of their finances, holding themselves accountable, and relinquishing their fear of judgement around money.

Why are Aussie Gen Zers embracing loud budgeting?

How is Japan’s shrinking, ageing population impacting locals’ decisions? Are government efforts to regulate work hours actually leading to shifts in Japan’s notoriously overworked society? This Cultural Snapshot uses local stats to explore the behavioural norms shared by people in Japan in 2024.

A Cultural Snapshot of Japan: 2024

A 2024 study has demonstrated that the face of luxury shopping is changing, revealing that young parents are becoming the most likely to make luxury purchases. As economic uncertainty has shoppers remaining hesitant to make big purchases, luxury shopping is becoming increasingly aspirational.

Luxury demographics are skewing younger

Money

The Juggernaut is transforming media by focusing on South Asian narratives often overlooked by mainstream outlets. Despite challenges in funding, the platform's subscriber-supported content is striking a chord with young desis who are eager to invest in narratives that truly resonate with them.

How The Juggernaut brings South Asian realism to US media

Penguin has unveiled a book vending machine for students in Scotland. Spotlighting diverse writers like Salman Rushdie and Toni Morrison, the initiative ensures young readers can access and appreciate diverse narratives, pushing a shift towards a more representative literary landscape in the UK.

Book vending machine boosts diverse education in the UK

Hinge has enlisted a group of contemporary writers to create an anthology inspired by real user love stories. At a time when young people are turning their backs on digital dating, the campaign taps budding interest in romance literature to reframe perspectives on modern love.

Hinge’s ‘No Ordinary Love’ taps romance lit buzz

In an era when Japanese shoppers are losing interest in the written word, Tsutaya is reimagining ways to bring them back to bookstores. The famous chain offers a range of literature, music, film, and other artefacts, often not found anywhere else, in a space built for community and self-expression.

How Tsutaya Bookstore reinvents the literary retail space

The city of Madrid has launched a new initiative aimed at reviving public interest in reading. With many people growing fatigued with time spent on social media, brands can harness the power of interactive storytelling and experiential activation to further immerse people in new worlds.

Decline in reading takes book culture outdoors in Madrid

The ‘romantasy’ literary subgenre – which sets passionate romance amid supernatural dreamscapes – is seeing a boom both online and off. How can brands and publishers engage Gen Yers’ and Zers’ appreciation for the ‘reader’ as an identity and coming-of-age narratives for adults?

50 Shades of Fae: What’s behind the Romantasy book boom?

Spotify has struck a deal with Ingram Content Group to offer books from over 100 independent publishers. With audiobooks gaining popularity on the platform and beyond, there’s an opportunity to enhance multisensorial immersion and take people’s reading experiences to the next level.

Spotify partnership courts indie audiobook fans

A national survey has found that the number of UK adults reading regularly is declining, with younger adults finding it especially difficult to pick up a book. With many reporting that time scarcity and overwhelming distractions are to blame, there's a challenge – and opportunity – for slow media.

Digital distraction is driving a decline in UK reading 

Slow Factory is a fast-growing digital platform that champions climate justice and human rights through engaging and intentional content. By centering marginalized voices and creating digestible news on social media, it has built a loyal community of people seeking radical change.

How Slow Factory articulates climate justice for Gen Z

Rebind is partnering with a team of literary experts to power AI-driven, interactive reading experiences. Amid a growing sense of unease about the role of emerging technology within the arts, the app is positioning AI as a tool that can enhance – not replace – human creativity.

Rebind is bringing literary texts to life with AI

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has taken home the Industry Craft Grand Prix at Cannes Lions for its 100th edition featuring holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. As harrowing crises play out globally, people are looking for empathy and integrity.

German newspaper wins a Grand Prix for emotive campaign

With reading skills declining globally, Playbrary is targetting tech-savvy youth to boost interest in literature. It uses a custom ChatGPT prompt to transform classic books into immersive and interactive games based on the plots of classic novels, enabling deeper fandom while inspiring new readers.

Playbrary allows GenAI to be immersed in classic fantasy 

In partnership with Real Simple magazine, Pinterest has launched a shoppable issue featuring product recommendations and easy purchase options. This move highlights how brands are trying to bridge online inspiration with real-life shopping to make things more accessible to consumers.

Pinterest co-creates shoppable magazine

Long before the ‘hot girl’ movement propelled reading into the mainstream consciousness, China was already a country filled with bibliophiles. Today, its bookstores are fulfilling a new role, serving as community hubs and brand opportunities to strengthen customer loyalty.

How China’s bookstores are evolving experiential retail

The Tokyo-based start-up Orange has secured $19 million in investments to develop AI software that can translate manga titles into English. While the tech may broaden global readers’ access to Japanese media, it could also threaten the role of the fan translator in the proliferation of such content.

Orange uses AI to speed up manga translations in English

The New York-based newsletter distribution start-up Beehiiv has raised $33 million in series B funding on the promise of continued growth. With people growing wary of being plugged into social media, newsletters allow them to engage with niche communities at a slower pace.

Beehiiv banks on newsletters’ appeal to niche audiences

Rihanna has given readers a peek into her life like never before, speaking on her relationship and future plastic surgery plans. Fans are increasingly interested in honest depictions of their favorite cultural icons and want to hear the unfiltered truth directly from the source.

Rihanna interview taps desires for celeb transparency

A parody game in which users play editor-in-chief and choose headlines shows users how coverage of crises impacts The NYT's business. The game highlights declining trust in mainstream media and offers an immersive understanding of competing interests that may influence editorial decision-making.

Meta news game trains users on editorial framing bias

Come for explicit photos of celebrity crushes, stay for the community. From an Instagram page to organising physical exhibits, Y2K Kabaklaan’s intentions are simple – to usher in a safe space for pent-up gay desires and to document an unforgettable epoch in Filipino pop culture.

Why Y2K Kabaklaan archives Filipino queer desires

Several approaches have been developed to teach young Southeast Asians money management. However, economic issues and hustle culture make lessons hard to remember. That’s why The Simple Sum keeps financial literacy simple through bite-sized comic strips about real-life budget experiences.

Why The Simple Sum strips money talk down to comic truths

Inspired by the 'romantasy' communities of TikTok, elaborate fantasy events like book balls are gaining traction among Gens Y and Z. Driven by people’s desire for connection, escapism, and worldbuilding, brands have the opportunity to create immersive activations and experiences.




BookTok fuels a resurgence of immersive fantasy events 

The US has witnessed a surge in book bans in schools and libraries. The increasing controversy over reading materials highlights increased polarization in the US, with activist groups pressing to ban books and brands seeking to counter restrictions and improve access to literature. 

Record number of books banned from US libraries in 2023

In response to backlash, online bookstore Allstora has reversed its decision to continue to stock anti-LGBTQ content despite its commitment to uplifting marginalized voices. As polarization deepens, audiences are becoming more assertive about their expectations of brands in doing their part.

Online bookstore removes anti-LGBTQ books after backlash

Gen Zers in the UK are flocking to book clubs, looking for free and healthy ways to socialise amid changing habits and a desire to disconnect. Young people are turning away from pubs and clubs as the default way of spending time with friends, seeking out community in those with similar interests.

UK Gen Zers are bringing book clubs back

Slowquest combines digital gaming UI with a choose-your-path comic book format, bridging the digital and physical realms. Slowquest taps into both the desire for tech-driven experiences and a nostalgic return to offline print media – offering up a dual-format entertainment landscape.

Slowquest immerses gamers in phygital TTRPG zines

In the face of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza – and declining faith in institutions to take action – writers have united globally to support the cause,  auctioning off signed copies of books to raise money to fund reconstructive surgery for critically injured children.

Writers raise money for Gaza's children with auction

The "Light Blue Embryologist" explores the hurdles of infertility treatments in Japan. It sheds light on women's stress and depression in infertility treatments and educates men on the stressful process of IVF. The manga offers an accessible way for men to learn more and support their partners.

Manga demonstrates how husbands can support IVF process

Death, political division, and the climate crisis. Not your classic kids’ book topics. But then, Begin Again isn’t your classic kids’ book. Designed to bridge generation divides, can it help people of all ages talk about important global topics by offering tactile escapism, and even a little hope?

How Begin Again uses tactile media for deep connection 

Audible has launched its 'This is The Story' campaign, showcasing the range of genres available on the audio storytelling platform. The campaign aims to highlight how storytelling can transform everyday life and its ability to transport listeners into different worlds, providing escapism.

Audible billboards illustrate escapism of a good book

Publishing

People are seeking payment options fit for their community

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