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Growing up in rural Northern California and later serving in the military, stationed in Mississippi, I experienced firsthand the stark disparities in access to quality goods. Even finding fresh, local produce often meant bypassing the grocery store for a farm stand because the desired options simply weren’t stocked. In many communities I lived in and visited, the available choices were severely limited, creating a significant market gap that persists today. This isn’t just a social issue I observed; it’s a massive missed revenue opportunity for retailers who are overly focused on saturated urban markets while overlooking the immense potential waiting in rural and Middle America. This gap is critical as consumer packaged goods (CPG) undergoes a seismic shift. NYU Stern reports that about 33% of CPG growth now stems sustainability products, despite these representing only 18.5% of market share. This reflects a nationwide desire for products aligning with personal health, environmental consciousness, and ethical sourcing. A 2022 NielsenIQ study found that 78% of U.S. consumers say a sustainable lifestyle is important to them. The demand isnt coastal; its cultural, and a significant portion of it, particularly in America’s Heartland, remains largely untapped. The ethical consumption gap The challenge for businesses aiming to capture this values-based shopper demographic is twofold. First is a physical distribution gap. Potential customers in underserved areas often can’t find healthier, more ethical product options locally, despite attempts to seek them out. My own experiences shopping at military exchanges highlighted this. The quality difference compared to civilian stores in metro areas could be drastic, driven by the need to offer lower prices. Second is a digital discovery challenge. Even when better options are available, shoppers struggle to verify claims about manufacturing processes, ingredients, and supply chains, making them hesitant to purchase. This all contributes to the ethical consumption gap: A growing divide between what people want to buy and what they can actually access because of legacy systems in both supply and search. High-end players and e-commerce giants have made strides with programs like Amazons Climate Pledge Friendly, where products with certifications for health and sustainability are highlighted to shoppers with a green leaf. But what about the millions of Americans relying on dollar stores, regional chains, or even local military exchanges? The real opportunity sits with these retailers serving the everyday consumer. The landscape has changed Historically, understanding complex supply chains and verifying product attributes was a costly and manual process. Today, technology allows for automated data collection and verification, enabling retailers to efficiently identify, vet, stock, and promote products that meet specific standards. This democratization of data has transformed a logistical headache into a powerful competitive advantage. Yet retailers remain tethered to old approaches and often overlook rural markets. This isnt because of lack of interest but rather outdated merchandising models that havent adapted to the decentralized discovery journey. Consumers today dont wait for a store reset to find what they want. They search, scroll, and share. If your products aren’t showing up in that journey, you’re invisible. Retailers must recognize the changed consumer landscape and use data to understand their entire customer base, not just rely on assumptions about location or price sensitivity. The belief that Heartland consumers only care about price is often misguided. The reality is that many want healthier options but lack access to them. With these insights, retailers can invest in merchandising programs that highlight trustworthy products, educate their customers, and build trust. Think a dedicated section like Clean Beauty at Target or data-backed labeling like Raleys Shelf Guide. The digital shelf in particular offers a low-risk entry point as retailers can significantly expand their online assortments with verified, values-driven products without immediately overhauling physical store layouts. Analyzing online sales from specific regions can then provide the confidence needed to introduce these products into the physical stores where demand is proven. This approach directly addresses the distribution challenge while meeting consumers online, where they increasingly begin their discovery journey. Design for unmet values-based demand Fintech revolutionized access to banking for rural and underbanked populations with mobile tools and data-driven personalization. Retail has the same opportunity if it stops building its future assortment based only on past point of sale data and starts designing for unmet values-based demand. Concerns about cannibalizing sales or tight margins miss out on attracting new customer segments, especially younger, growth-driving demographics who may currently bypass these stores. It’s about growing the pie and maintaining relevance as preferences evolve. Offering these products isn’t just about ethics; it’s smart business, tapping into a proven growth category. Retailers, especially those serving rural communities, need to embrace their role in democratizing access to better products. By leveraging data, they can bridge the information and distribution gaps, empowering people in all communities to make choices that align with their values. This isn’t just about catering to an elite niche; it’s about recognizing the universal desire for healthier, more responsible consumption and making it accessible at all price points and locations. By transforming product deserts into engines of growth, retailers can unlock new revenue streams and build lasting customer loyalty. More importantly, they can contribute to a more equitable and inclusive marketplace where everyone, regardless of ZIP code and income level, has the power to choose healthier products. The future of retail isnt just urban, upscale, or algorithmic. Its rural, values-driven, and ready. Whoever closes the ethical consumption gap first wont just gain loyaltytheyll redefine retail relevance for the next decade. Kimberly Shenk is cofounder and CEO of Novi Connect.
Category:
E-Commerce
In an era where artificial intelligence is rapidly redefining creative industries, branding stands at a pivotal crossroads. Tools like Midjourney and DALL-E are often portrayed as threats to traditional visual branding, but their true value may lie elsewherenot in replacing human creativity, but in expanding the sensory dimensions of brand expression. At the bread and butter, a global brand consultancy, we believe branding should never be superficial. It should touch. Move. Resonate. Thats why we built our practice around Betterment Brandinga philosophy that connects long-term brand growth to emotional, sensory, and social resonance. Today, the intersection of AI and human sensation is where we see brandings next great leap. The limits of sensory brandingand why AI matters Tactile and sonic brand assetslike the velvet-soft finish of a skincare package or the fizz of a signature sonic logoare among the most emotionally powerful tools a brand can use. Yet they have traditionally been difficult to describe, prototype, or communicate, especially in early development stages. High-cost testing and abstract metaphors were often the only ways to translate these invisible experiences. Now, AI offers a powerful alternative. Through carefully trained prompts, generative models can simulate not just visuals but feelings: a feathery softness, a glassy chill, or the echo of footsteps in an ancient hall. We are moving from imagination to interactive sketchenabling faster, richer, and more immersive brand ideation without sacrificing emotional depth. Visualize the senses: A new aesthetic language At the bread and butter, we recently explored this frontier by creating a conceptual series of digital artworks visualizing the five human sensestouch, hearing, taste, smell, and sight. Each piece was crafted using AI assistance (via DALL-E) while carefully preserving emotional nuance and contemporary aesthetics. Designed by: The Bread and Butter Against pristine white backgrounds, minimalist organic forms bring the intangible into focus: Touch: A dense, fur-like sphere evokes warmth and intimacy. Hearing: A cloudlike bloom suggests sound diffusion. Taste: A flowing droplet reflects flavor complexity. Smell: Fine radiating lines capture scent dispersion. Sight: A glowing orb of rainbow gradient embodies visual diversity. This project demonstrates how AI can serve as an aesthetic translatorturning previously hard-to-articulate sensations into vivid, communicable design assets. Why humans still lead Despite these technological advances, AI cannot feel. It lacks context, culture, and emotional intuition. While AI can generate visual shortcuts, human consultants must embed them with meaning, strategy, and symbolism. At the bread and butter, we use AI not to automate identity, but to amplify insightmaking design both faster and more human-centric. Design the invisible future Imagine sketching a brands signature scent in a mood board or transmitting tactile sensations through AI-informed 3D renderings. These are not distant dreamsthey are rapidly approaching realities. As branding becomes more sensory-driven, new roles will emerge: sensory strategists, emotion engineers, multisensory modelersexperts who blend computational tools with human empathy. AI is making the invisible visible, and its democratizing the ability to design with emotion for everyone from startups to heritage brands. From efficiency to empathy For consultancies like the bread and butter, this evolution isnt just about saving timeits about elevating meaning. By translating the nuances of touch, sound, and even intuition into design-ready assets, we make brand experience more accessible, more agile, and more authentic. Importantly, we believe that the use of AI in branding must remain ethical and human-centered. Technology should not strip away emotional richness; it should help brands deepen it. By using AI thoughtfullyas a collaborator, not a creatorwe ensure that human intuition, empathy, and context continue to lead brand development. This is not the end of branding as we know it. Its the beginning of something more dimensional. More human. More felt. Authentic, human-centric branding is essential. Understanding and reflecting genuine emotions and experiences is fundamental to building deeper connections with consumers.
Category:
E-Commerce
When most people think about innovation, they imagine sprints, whiteboards, late nights, and the relentless pace of deadlines. Whats often missing from this image are genuine acts of kindness and empathybut perhaps they should be at the center. As the leader of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a global youth STEM education community, Ive seen firsthand the power of Gracious Professionalism. This ethos is about more than producing quality work: Its about valuing othersteammates, competitors, and the broader communityand showing respect at every turn. Gracious Professionalism empowers everyone, regardless of role or tenure, to lift others up and help create a culture rooted in acceptance and shared success. While the term may sound gentle for the high-stakes world of science and technology, its influence is anything but passive. Gracious Professionalism demonstrates that even in a competitive corporate landscape, it is possibleand powerfulto lead with trust, respect, and a spirit of cooperation. Companies that embrace this mindset can gain a real edge in innovation, talent recruitment, and long-term success. The origin of Gracious Professionalism Gracious Professionalism was the vision of the late and much beloved Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, Woodie Flowers, PhD. He was also a distinguished advisor to FIRST and longtime collaborator and friend of Dean Kamen, FIRSTs founder and a lifelong inventor. Woodie believed deeply in the power of blending competition with kindness. His philosophy emphasizes striving for excellence while valuing others and treating everyoneteammates, competitors, and community memberswith respect. Today, Woodies legacy lives on through millions of FIRST participants and alumni. The mindset appears in small but powerful moments within our competitive youth robotics events, like when a team lends an opponent a spare part for a malfunctioning robot, or when a student pauses to encourage a teammate who is experiencing self-doubt. These everyday acts of support and empathy keep Woodies profound vision very much alive. From robotics to the real world As demand grows for durable skills like collaboration, resilience, and ethical leadership, Gracious Professionalism is more relevant than ever in the workplace. Ruhi Lankalapalli first encountered Gracious Professionalism as a FIRST participant. Today, as a manufacturing engineer at Medtronic, she credits this ethos with shaping her approach to work and leadership. Gracious Professionalism has shaped how I work and leadit has helped me build trust quickly, collaborate effectively, and stay focused on long-term success. Ive taken on many projects, spanning several teams at Medtronic, and maintaining the values of Gracious Professionalism has been crucial to building strong partnerships and finding common ground, she said. When I stepped into my current role in Medtronic, I was invited to join a major project within just two months. Though I was new to the position, I stood out because of how I collaborated with the team and embraced new challenges, which set me apart through the ways I support others and contribute to a stronger team culture. It shapes corporate culture The impact of Gracious Professionalism extends beyond individual growth. It builds organizational cultures rooted in trust, teamwork, continuous learning, and ethical decision making. The result? Greater innovation, stronger employee engagement, and long-term business success. Qualcomm, the global wireless technology company, is a longtime supporter of FIRST and has hired many program alumni who practice Gracious Professionalism in their everyday roles. Our employees who grew up participating in FIRST are known within Qualcomm for their ability to handle challenges with a positive attitude and a collaborative approach, said Angela Baker, vice president, corporate responsibility, and chief sustainability officer at Qualcomm. Their ability to balance competition with respect and kindness is consistent with our value of winning together. Their dedication to continuous improvement accelerates their own career growth while also contributing to our companys long-term innovation pipeline and their work ethic helps us deliver results. The impact of Gracious Professionalism Gracious Professionalism is not just about being kind: It is a strategic advantage. Employees who practice this ethos develop essential skills like collaboration, empathy, and creative problem-solving, making them invaluable contributors and culture-builders. In a world where agility and integrity are essential for businesses success, Gracious Professionalism proves that the most powerful path forward is one built on respect, excellence, and a collective drive to growtogether. Chris Moore is CEO of FIRST.
Category:
E-Commerce
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