Zone’s Mark Sylvester handpicks and shares the five best news stories on digital trends, experiences and technologies…
1. Digital must drive your office culture
There was a time when offices buzzed with chat, loud phone calls, and only slightly essential sprints to the printer. However, in the post-pandemic era, and up to our ears in hybrid working, all that has changed.
Office vibes are now often tethered to our tech, and so the need for it to work smoothly is crucial. While businesses don’t have control over everything that attracts and retains talent, they can sort out their glitchy tech and dusty software that’s killing their office culture.
2. The future could be checkout free
If there’s one thing we can all agree upon, it’s that our time is precious, and anything that can give us some of our time back should probably be embraced — such as a checkout-free future.
In an industry first, London’s ExCel has teamed up with catering firm Levy UK+ Ireland to employ Amazon’s Just Walk Out Technology at its Market Express store. A single tap of a customer’s device or card allows them to browse, shop and wander out in a seamless journey. Another reminder to brands that friction points must be a thing of the past.
3. Sustainability is more than an ad-on
The digital takeover of advertising has a host of amazing benefits, such as agility, personalisation, and engagement. But the planet is paying the price. The explosion of new technology, faster connections and proliferation of web pages comes with a hefty dose of CO2.
Luckily, the first serious efforts to build in sustainability as standard are starting to reap financial rewards. And according to Kris Doerfler, head of innovation at CMI Media Group, measuring environmental impacts and setting industry standards is the next step in downsizing ad carbon footprint.
4. All aboard the creator bandwagon
Another fallout from the pandemic is a massive boost to creator content, fuelled by more creators simply giving it a go as the desire for content increases. According to a report by Goldman Sachs, the creator economy in the US is currently worth around $250bn and could top half a trillion dollars by 2027.
Culturally, where the US leads, the UK often follows. And as creator-loving Gen Z matures, the expanding world of engaging short-form content looks to give brands plenty of food for thought.
5. Stemming the tide of the online scammers
A digital crime wave is sweeping the UK, with around £2,300 being scammed by unsuspecting victims every minute. With so much of our finance now living online, it’s no surprise that digital fraud is the single biggest crime in the country.
But now a posse of banks and tech giants is on the trail of the scammers. Google, Meta, and Microsoft are among the 21-member group that plans to interact with the scammers and use that data to shut them down. Digital is changing the world, but safety and trust must be at its heart.
