Strategic Foresight

How will AI be Regulated? What Brands Need to Know

Brand Strategy, Communications, Organizations, Retail, Thought Leadership / Melinda Deines

Lawmakers around the world are scrambling to regulate advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The European Union (EU) recently passed the Artificial Intelligence Act, while President Biden has signed several executive orders regarding advanced AI. Canada’s Bill C-27, not yet passed, attempts to regulate AI but has come under heavy criticism for being insufficient. As retail […]

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The Best and Worst Brand Stories of 2023

Brand Engagement, Brand Strategy / Michelle Kwok

It’s always fun to wrap up a year with a retrospective on the most interesting brand stories. However, 2023 was not exactly a fun year. With the overwhelming number of gravely serious events unfolding around us, good news has been hard to come by. In our look back on 2023, we won’t avoid some of

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2024 SLD Trends Report

Retail / Matthew Wilson

The world appears to have drastically changed in 2023. With conflicts erupting all over the world, inflation taking hold, and the unprecedented growth of commercially available AI, brands have had to manage and react to a wide range of issues. 2024 will be a year for brands to demonstrate their beliefs and their concern for

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Building Brand Trust in an Age of Deep Fakes, Bot Factories & Angry AI

Brand Strategy / Melinda Deines

In 2021 we launched a consumer study series to understand how misinformation impacted consumers. We discovered that despite an emerging skepticism, there was a high level of optimism as the pandemic appeared to be subsiding and life was finally “returning to normal.” Today, inflation, the war in Ukraine, climate-related extreme weather, and political division unfolding

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Inclusivity In Retail Banking

Financial Services / Matthew Wilson

Why study inclusion now? It’s been a hot topic for the past ten years, with chief diversity officers and DEI training becoming more commonplace. However, a backlash against “wokeness” is rising, driven by social media and hard-right politicians. Brands increasingly find themselves targeted for acts of inclusion, such as partnering with LGBTQIA+ content creators or

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5 Mistakes Banks Are Making With Bank Branch Closures

Financial Services / Matthew Wilson

Digital banking has become a priority for many central banks during the pandemic. As a result, many financial institutions have taken advantage of the opportunity to reduce their branch network. According to research, 2021 had one of the highest rates of bank closures, up 38% from the previous year. With banks making decisions to close

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Canadian Produce Marketing Association 2023

Matthew Wilson

SLD President Jean-Pierre Lacroix delivers a presentation on what the future of sustainable packaging looks like to the Canadian Produce Marketing Association. The video below will cover: The challenge with sustainable packaging in both Canada and North America Why the Circular Economy might be a solution A visual exploration of what the Supermarket of the

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What Will 2023 Look Like For Retail Brands?

Brand Strategy, Retail, Thought Leadership / Matthew Wilson

We are emerging from the pandemic and should expect a period of chaos as customers establish new values, such as working from home, inflation, and the recession. At the same time, companies try to respond to remain relevant. Our predictions for 2022 were fairly accurate, citing increased automation, the need to go green, the emergence

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SLD’s 2023 Trends Report

Retail / Matthew Wilson

As the calendar turns to the new year, brands have faced numerous challenges throughout the year. From growing digital workforces to the latest NFT craze, brands have found success by listening to what their customers and audiences truly want. 2023 is set to be a year when brands show their appreciation for not only their

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Why Digital Banking Services Can’t Beat The Superior Branch

Financial Services / Matthew Wilson

Banking trust is still regarded as one of the top priorities for consumers, with research indicating that it is one of the most important factors in selecting a bank. It is critical to demonstrate trust as a brand and as a service in order to attract customers and create customer engagement. With the rise of

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Overcoming Bad Press

Brand Strategy / Matthew Wilson

No brand is immune to falling from grace even beloved brands have come under fire for both serious misconduct and things that are completely beyond their control. Some have managed to regain consumer confidence while others stumbled for years or even completely faltered. In today’s conversation, we’re talking about how brands need to address negative

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Why Bank Branches Are The Solution for Successful Digital Transformation in Banking

Financial Services / Matthew Wilson

Most financial institutions continue to prioritize digital transformation and digital technology, leveraging their online and mobile platforms to reduce customer attrition caused by branch relocation and closure. As a result of this shift, many banks and credit unions have shifted from traditional banking to digital-first institutions. This change increases online and mobile customer usage and

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5 Interesting Ways to Humanize the Banking Customer Experience

Financial Services, Retail / Jean-Pierre Lacroix

The Banking Experience Summit recently convened leading bankers from three continents in Chicago to discuss the industry’s challenges and the future of banking. The two-day event drew more than 40 top institutions, ranging from large national and regional banks like JP Morgan Chase and Regions Bank to a diverse range of mid-sized institutions and credit

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Understanding Customer Segmentation

Brand Strategy, Retail / Matthew Wilson

TRANSCRIPTION Male Speaker: This is “Think Retail,” a podcast where top designers, strategists, thought leaders, and business people discuss what’s coming next. Melinda: Hi, I’m Melinda, and you are listening to “Think Retail.” And today we’re gonna be talking about some different approaches you can take to customer segmentation. Understanding your target consumer is key

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The Future of Payment Systems

Financial Services, Retail / Matthew Wilson

The future of payment systems has been evolving as technology continues to make its mark on the payments landscape. Finance and retail have long been inextricably linked, and with customers obsessing over the latest technology, payment systems have had to keep up. In this dynamic environment, businesses are increasingly exploring innovative solutions to streamline transactions,

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Part 3: The Future of the Store

Design Innovation, Retail, Retail Design / Matthew Wilson

This three-part blog series on the future of the store focuses on insights from the Future Stores Conference in Seattle, Washington. In the first two parts, we discussed the changing role of retail and how retailers need to shift from focusing on the consumers to front-line associates. The third and final section will focus on how brands

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Social Media Trends In Retail

Brand Engagement, Customer Experience, Retail / Matthew Wilson

Social media is constantly evolving. Something as little as removing the number of likes can make a big difference in the way users respond to a post. Just when marketers feel like they figured it out, a new platform, a new trend, or a tweak to the algorithm switches it all up again. Today, we’re

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How To Develop an Omnichannel Customer Journey

Brand Strategy, Retail / Matthew Wilson

As consumer shopping patterns and expectations are constantly evolving, it’s important for retailers to ensure an effective omnichannel strategy is implemented within their customer journey. To deliver an impactful service experience, organizations need to ensure that all customer touch points truly reflect their customer’s shopping habits. Not only should the customer journey consider both the

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Creating the Right Omni-Channel Experience Journey in a Metaverse World

Brand Strategy, Retail / Matthew Wilson

The customer journey is closer to becoming seamless with the convergence of brand focus on UX, omnichannel, and overall shopping experience. However, much will change as a new sales channel emerges with the advent of the metaverse and augmented reality. What seems like a novel platform gained momentum with the recent announcement that Apple’s creation

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The Future of Sustainable Packaging

Uncategorized / Jean-Pierre Lacroix

Understanding the sustainable packaging context Brands, retailers, and consumers increasingly want to reduce their use of unsustainable products and packaging. However, visiting a supermarket anywhere in North America doesn’t necessarily reflect this desire. Consumers still shop without reusable shopping bags, and the recycling bins are only getting fuller. There are some positive signs: in 2021,

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Strategic Foresight

How will AI be Regulated? What Brands Need to Know

The Best and Worst Brand Stories of 2023

2024 SLD Trends Report

Building Brand Trust in an Age of Deep Fakes, Bot Factories & Angry AI

Inclusivity In Retail Banking

5 Mistakes Banks Are Making With Bank Branch Closures

Canadian Produce Marketing Association 2023

SLD’s 2023 Trends Report

Why Digital Banking Services Can’t Beat The Superior Branch

Overcoming Bad Press

Why Bank Branches Are The Solution for Successful Digital Transformation in Banking

5 Interesting Ways to Humanize the Banking Customer Experience

Understanding Customer Segmentation

The Future of Payment Systems

Part 3: The Future of the Store

How To Develop an Omnichannel Customer Journey

Creating the Right Omni-Channel Experience Journey in a Metaverse World

The Future of Sustainable Packaging

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