Inspiring the Future of Consumer Experiences
Inspiring the Future of Consumer Experiences
At the end of the year, we like to regroup and look back at the big brand stories that caught our attention throughout the year. And this year was a particularly strange one. The pandemic experience has become regionalized and our appetite for doom scrolling has kind of disappeared. Political intrigues have been flying under […]
Best Brand Stories of 2021 Read More »
Welcome to SLD’s second annual trends report! Last year, we were in the midst of a global pandemic that called into question what the future of design and business as a whole could look like. Though a lot of those questions still linger, 2021 has at least provided some clarity on the trends that will
SLD’s 2022 Trends Report Read More »
As we look back on 2021, it would be nice to be able to view COVID-19 in the rearview mirror with a sigh of relief. But to quote Michael Corleone, “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” This must be the way a lot of brands are feeling right now,
The Best Brand Pivots of COVID-19 Read More »
Though the popularity of online shopping was trending upwards even before COVID-19, the past year and a half has seen a dramatic increase in online sales across a wide range of industries. While expected categories like household supplies, food delivery and personal care products saw significant growth, one of the largest jumps has been in
How CPG Brands Can Elevate Their Social Media Presence Read More »
Even though grocery stores remained open during lockdown, many people chose to do their grocery shopping online to avoid exposure to COVID. In fact, in SLD’s recent study on e-commerce for CPG brands, 69 percent of respondents said they shopped more online for groceries during the pandemic. For CPG brands, this news is not generally
The Future of E-Commerce for CPG Brands Read More »
ZERO WASTE, BIG IMPACT Big shelf impact for a seismic shift in sustainable design CLIENT Kraft Heinz Canada PROJECT Maxwell House Zero Waste Pods RELATED SERVICE Package Design Conceptual Design Design Roll-out THINK With sustainability being a must for CPG brands, Maxwell House took on the challenge by introducing zero-waste pods to the Canadian market.
The GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN Awards are an annual celebration of the “designers and architects who improve our quality of life and the built environment.” Now in its 14th year, the first round of winners were recently announced, and SLD is proud to have been recognized with awards for our work with bbtease, Maxwell House,
SLD Takes Home Four Awards at Grands Prix Du Design Read More »
CPG brands are trying their hand at direct-to-consumer e-commerce with mixed success. In our 2021 E-Commerce for CPG Brands consumer study, one of the takeaways was that respondents would consider going to a CPG site for a better price. While brands like Unilever have offered bundled subscriptions with a deep enough discount to achieve some
How CPG Brands Can Succeed With Direct-to-Consumer Platforms Read More »
This blog is not taking a pro-Israel or pro-Palestine perspective – we are exploring the Ben & Jerry’s boycott from a brand strategy perspective. On July 19, 2021, Ben & Jerry’s announced they would stop selling their products in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas occupied by Jewish settlements that are largely seen as
The Ben & Jerry’s Boycott – On Brand or a Major Misstep? Read More »
Already trending before COVID-19, online shopping for groceries and other consumer packaged goods has skyrocketed during the pandemic. As CPG brands look ahead, many are asking how sticky this new behavior will be, what they can do to stand out on a virtual shelf, and how to approach their own e-commerce sites. This study will
E-Commerce for CPG: Key Consumers & Emerging Behaviors Read More »
Inclusive brand marketing has become a hot topic, and for good reason. By 2036, the number of Canadians who are foreign-born will about 1 in 3, with around 35 percent belonging to one or more visible minority groups. Today, nearly 4 in 10 Americans identify their race or ethnicity as something other than white, with
Inclusive Brand Marketing 101 Read More »
The future is unfolding in real-time, all the time, but most retail brands are in a state of constant catch-up – just being at par before another innovation appears. This is partly a result of fast-moving times, but it’s also the result of an industry that’s been somewhat lackadaisical about innovation. To really become a
Business Leaders, Bold Thinkers, and the Brand of the Future Read More »
The 2021 PAC Canadian Leadership Award winners have been announced, and SLD is proud to have been recognized in the Revitalized – Beverage and Limited Edition categories for our work with Maxwell House and Tetley. In the Revitalized – Beverage category, SLD received an Award of Distinction for the Maxwell House Zero Waste Pods packaging. As
SLD Wins Big at 2021 PAC Canadian Leadership Awards Read More »
As we hit the halfway point of 2021, one trend that we have been particularly interested in at SLD is the continued rise of fake news and misinformation. While our recent DeepReal research elevated the conversation around real versus fake, the publishing of Facebook’s State of Influence Operations 2017-2020 Threat Report has helped validate our own findings and further
What Facebook’s Threat Report Means for Brands Read More »
Many of the attitudes and behaviours that have driven decision making for retail brands have been called into question by the pandemic, but there are other forces disrupting the consumer-brand relationship. At SLD, one that we think is critical is the rise of fake news and misinformation, especially on social platforms. We wanted to determine
DeepReal: Strategies for CPG Brands in the Age of Misinformation Read More »
The rising concern about misinformation and fake news is a top concern of people around the world, whether we’re talking about Russian interference with foreign elections or an organic seal on a carton of milk. Skepticism is high and consumers expect it to become even harder to figure out what’s true in the future. Today,
Discussing SLD’s DeepReal Study With Jean-Pierre Lacroix Read More »
UPTOWN CRUNCH Rich, sumptuous flavors deserve to be dressed in style. CLIENT PepsiCo Canada PROJECT Miss Vickie’s Signatures Packaging RELATED SERVICE Conceptual Design Final Art & Art Direction Photography THINK Miss Vickie’s is a giant in the world of potato chips, so venturing into a premium line seemed only natural. In reviewing the marketplace, SLD
Miss Vickie’s Signatures Read More »
In a world where distribution channels are becoming more and more tailored to specific locations, consumers and products, technology is enabling innovation that would have been impossible only a few years ago. Today we’re speaking to Corey Yantha, CEO of Dispension Inc. about a very unique way to sell a specific kind of product and
The Future of Distributing Regulated Products is Already Here Read More »
From Fake News to Deepfakes, it is no surprise that consumers have become wary of the information they receive – whether it comes from the news, social media, or a brand. To help understand how current market trends are impacting a consumers ability to make confident decisions, and what they expect from brands in an age
The inability to tell fact from fiction is being driven by a number of factors and is challenging the way that consumers perceive and engage with brands. To help gain a better understanding of how consumers discern information and make their purchase decisions, SLD conducted a study among 2000 respondents in January, 2021. As part
DeepReal Part 2: The Blurring Line Between Fact and Fiction Read More »
