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The Future Laboratory launches Visualised Research Decks service

Global – The Future Laboratory has launched a new Visualised Research Decks service from its Applied Foresight team.

Visualised Research Decks are focused, engaging and highly visual resources to equip clients with clear insights, capturing future findings and action points in a stand-alone format that goes deeper than a traditional presentation. 

These bespoke decks are ideal for time-pressed clients looking to access relevant research, grasp key trends and propel knowledge forward with foresight.

Visualised Research Decks are indispensable resources for brand and agency clients to understand and share new ideas across core lifestyle sectors, including luxury, retail, travel and hospitality.

Get in touch now to find out how our Visualised Research Decks can benefit your organisation.

Everlane founder launches magnesium-powered beverage Magna

Magna, US

US – Thirteen years after launching Everlane, Michael Preysman is launching Magna, a DTC sports beverage brand. Magna targets health-conscious consumers with its ‘magnesium-powered daily hydration formula’.

The brand aims to cater to non-professional athletes engaged in regular exercise, offering a formula with three magnesium compounds for energy, muscle recovery and focus, as well as sodium and potassium for hydration. Unlike traditional sports drinks, Magna boasts zero sugar. It’s available in four flavours including Lemon Lime, Tea Lemonade, Watermelon Lime and Peach Mango. A box of 30 sachets retails for £43 ($55, €50).

Preysman highlights a cultural shift towards personal health ownership, saying, ‘Health is moving from healthcare controlled by doctors to the consumer owning the journey.’ He positions Magna in the growing functional beverage market, which saw a 54% increase in sales from 2020 to 2024, reaching £7.1bn ($9.2bn, €8.5bn) (source: AP)

In our Functional Feasting macrotrend report, we forecast how water will undergo a makeover as consumers look for more functional drinks with added benefits.

Strategic opportunity

Investigate underutilised ingredients such as magnesium to create unique, health-focused beverages that address specific consumer needs such as hydration, muscle recovery and cognitive function

Balenciaga brings runway fashion to the Apple Vision Pro

Apple Vision Pro, Global

Global – Balenciaga is the first luxury fashion house to feature runway shows on the Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset.

Available through a new Balenciaga app, the first phase will allow users to experience the spring 2025 Shanghai fashion show in immersive scenarios, filmed in 4K resolution via drone views and stereoscopic footage to optimise the content for the Vision Pro.

Launched on 16 July 2024, the app lands as the Vision Pro enters markets in France and several other countries.

In the future, Balenciaga hopes the app will feature additional shows, add three-dimensional runway looks and allow users to shop for ready-to-wear garments. The experience is currently limited to a large two-dimensional screen with immersive elements, but the app is expected to mature alongside the Vision Pro.

In our How to Create a Fashion-forward Metaverse report, fashion veteran and Brand New Vision founder Richard Hobbs unpacked how the industry has thus far lacked use cases for digital clothes. By transforming fashion shows into immersive experiences, brands such as Balenciaga could help propel digital fashion forward using the Apple Vision Pro.

Strategic opportunity

Take inspiration from Balenciaga’s digital fashion initiative and integrate mixed reality experiences in your physical stores, allowing customers to virtually try on clothes and be given virtual styling advice, enhancing in-store engagement

Stat: Mediterranean holidays lead Europe’s record tourism boom

The Rochambeau Club, France

Global – International tourists are set to spend a record-breaking £673bn ($869bn, €800bn) in Europe in 2024, according to a European Travel Commission report cited by Bloomberg. This marks a 37% increase from pre-pandemic levels of £490bn ($632bn, €583bn).

‘For now, we can see that Southern European and Mediterranean destinations remain firm favourites for travellers in Europe,’ said Eduardo Santander, CEO of the European Travel Commission. Tourists appreciate the warmer weather and often lower costs in these regions, with Greece, Croatia, Malta and Albania seeing significant increases in overseas visitors.

While 72% of tourist spending has been in Western Europe, northern countries such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden are also seeing a rise in international overnight stays. Additionally, favourable exchange rates have boosted tourist arrivals in Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia.

Despite some countries enacting anti-tourism policies to combat over-tourism, international travellers continue to flock to Europe, contributing nearly £697bn ($900bn, €829bn) to the continent’s economy this year.

For more insights on what’s next for tourism, head to our Travel & Hospitality sector.

Strategic opportunity

Develop eco-friendly hotels and resorts in Mediterranean regions, incorporating renewable energy sources and sustainable building materials to meet future environmental standards and attract eco-conscious tourists