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Portuguese grocery retailer Pingo Doce is demonstrating how hyperlocal community engagement can be deployed at scale through its Bairro Feliz (Happy Neighborhood) initiative. Now in its fifth year, the program enables each of the chains 450+ stores to support local causes with microgrants of up to EUR 1,000. The initiative takes an entirely participatory approach: community members submit project proposals, and shoppers vote for their preferred causes using plastic tokens they receive with purchases: one token for every EUR 10 spent. The campaign showcases how national retailers can maintain authentic connections with local communities no matter how many locations they operate. Since launching in 2019, Bairro Feliz has funded nearly 1,500 community projects, with causes varying by neighborhood based on local needs and priorities. Requests that have been fulfilled include musical instruments for a community centers programs for kids, a vital signs monitor for volunteer firefighters and a campaign to neuter and spay stray dogs and cats.Effectively turning routine grocery shopping into an act of community building, Bairro Feliz and similar programs elsewhere offer valuable lessons for companies looking to move beyond traditional corporate giving: by fragmenting their social impact budget into hyperlocal microgrants and empowering customers to direct those funds, brands can foster deeper community ties and ensure their social initiatives remain relevant to each location they serve.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Japanese video game maker Sega is rebooting the pager for todays kids, but with a twist. Slated for launch in December 2024, Emojam is a WiFi-enabled messaging device that lets users chat with registered friends exclusively in emojis. It offers over 1,100 original emojis, with an Emoji Lab feature that can combine two emojis into a new one. Each message can contain a string of up to ten emojis, and the device supports one-on-one messaging as well as group chats for up to five participants.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Singles Day has become a calendar moment synonymous with mega sales, but PUMA India and Bumble celebrated the occasion by going back to the days matchmaking origins. On November 10th, the two brands joined forces to host a singles-only running event in Bangalore for young adults aged 21-35. The event aimed to provide an alternative way for singles to connect in person ahead of Singles Day on November 11th. Starting at Nexus Koramangala Mall, the 3 km run ended with a social mixer.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
A new online game is helping people master pronoun usage for transgender and non-binary individuals. Just launched to kick off Transgender Awareness Week in the Netherlands, Pro-Now provides a safe environment to practice gender-affirming language by way of a memory game. Through four progressively challenging levels, users are introduced to eight recurring characters all actual members of the queer community and complete fill-in-the-blanks that require remembering and correctly applying various pronouns in everyday sentences. The games structure trains pronoun muscles while removing worries about messing up during real-world interactions.Pro-Now addresses a growing need as people encounter more diverse gender expressions whether among family and friends, colleagues and clients, or their broader community. While many genuinely want to be supportive, they may still struggle with the mechanics of using correct pronouns. By providing a space where people can make mistakes without feeling awkward or causing harm, Pro-Now bridges the gap between good intentions and ingrained habits. One to bring to your own neck of the woods? Or could your brand build or sponsor a similarly fun and friendly tool to transform other social challenges into approachable learning experiences?
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Following an earlier campaign in July 2024, fast fashion brand Mango is presenting its current crop of sportswear for teens using AI models. Set in a dance studio as well as outdoors, the lookbook images are marked as generated by AI. The move is part of Mangos self-described earn lever, aiming to add value through better use of tech and data management.The upsides for Mango are clear: creating AI images, once technology and processes are up and running, is quicker and cheaper than hiring human talent saving not just on models but also on bookers, photographers, make-up artists, set designers, runners... In theory, AI models also make it easier to show clothes on a more diverse cast of people. So far, Mango seems to be skipping the opportunity to explore a range of sizes and ethnicities, sticking instead to a traditionally waifish, light-skinned young woman.AI models arent just a natural fit for large (fast) fashion brands, though. Gen AI could be a significant driver of efficiency and creativity for smaller labels, too sustainable knitwear brand Sheep Inc, for example, started experimenting with artificially generated models and backgrounds in 2023.In an interview with Country and Town House last year, co-founder Edzard van der Wyck explained how AI benefits Sheep Inc: AI offered us an innovative, energy-efficient way to create a campaign with high production values without leaving a trail of carbon and waste behind. Its been a real game changer for us, as it means we can combine detailed product photography with computer generated design, to create stunning visuals that showcase our products and world view in a much richer manner. It has also allowed us to make the sheep themselves central to our campaign without animal welfare issues. Hard to argue with that ;-)
Category:
Marketing and Advertising