In the turbulent economic environment, money is losing its value. Consumers are reevaluating their spending across sectors. With a looming crisis of trust in financial institutions, how are people managing their budgets? And how can brands navigate the complex relationship between value and cost?

Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience.

As the new post-pandemic normal settles in and people adapt to a context of uncertainty, constant adversities, and pessimism, we are moving away from a moment in which consumers expected brands to rise up to society's challenges and into one when they’re demanding genuine allyship from businesses.

When author Kyle Chayka explored 2010s minimalism in Longing for Less, a very different world existed. Today, a polycrisis-ridden and digitally saturated society finds people yearning for more. Whether you chalk it up to post-pandemic release or a general sense of impending doom, people are now looking for a...

From putting off marriage to ‘lying flat’, Chinese young people are quietly rejecting their country’s rigid social norms, seeking out more mindful activities, and ‘do-gooding’ on behalf of society. How is their growing sense of individualism impacting how they buy luxury?

Starbucks has debuted its Intenso Collection in China, which doubles down on strength and comes in an elevated cup design. As China's interest in coffee grows, caffeine drinkers are looking for niche, strong, and culturally aligned coffee offerings, as well as a focus on premium products.

Liquor brands Moutai and Luckin Coffee have teamed up to release an exclusive liquor latte to win over young Chinese audiences’ experimental tastebuds. The collab demonstrates people’s sustained appetite for patriotic signalling – especially when manifesting in the most unexpected moments.