LSN : Signals & Stats : 04 : 07 : 25

Cashify flips Indian wedding tradition to promote smartphone resale

Phone Wala Shagun, Cashify, India

India – Smartphone reselling platform Cashify is challenging outdated attitudes to second-hand tech by reimagining a long-standing wedding ritual as a celebration of circularity.

In its latest campaign, wedding guests gift old smartphones in place of traditional shagun – typically monetary blessings given to the couple – leaving them with a trove of trade-in-ready devices. By positioning used phones as untapped resources, the brand aims to spark a cultural shift in how Indians perceive ownership, obsolescence and worth.

According to Cashify, over 300m smartphone users in India are eligible for upgrades each year, yet most old devices are stored away or forgotten. ‘India doesn’t have a resale problem. It has a mindset problem,’ says Nakul Kumar, co-founder and CMO. ‘Resale shouldn’t be reactive, it should be reflexive – a default part of the digital ownership journey.’

This behavioural reset is especially likely to resonate with Gen Z consumers. As explored in our Gen Z in India report, this generation is guided by values of sustainability, authenticity and relevance – making them more receptive to resale reframed not just as thrift, but as modern wisdom.

Strategic opportunity

Cashify’s campaign opens doors for brands to embed resale into cultural moments, transforming how consumers perceive value and ownership. By aligning resale with tradition and sustainability, brands can tap into Gen Z’s desire for authenticity and eco-conscious choices, making second-hand tech a mainstream, proactive part of everyday life

Foresight Friday: Dede Mivehchi, foresight intern

Renaissance World Tour, Beyoncé, The Netherlands

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, foresight intern Dede Mivehchi dives into Post-Beyoncé Depression, a LinkedIn profile to watch and Martha Stewart Summer.

: Post-Beyoncé Depression (PBD) is the very real phenomenon trending on TikTok, describing the emotional slump fans feel after seeing Queen Bey live. I caught it after night three of her London shows and haven’t recovered since. The concert unfolded more like a cinematic journey than a show, with pre-recorded visuals of Beyoncé honouring her culture, her lineage and the people who paved the way. There was even a stunning moment featuring a Black tap dancer and an ode to Black girlhood. For more on the rise of over-the-top tours, LSN’s The Great Concert Comeback report explores how artists such as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are reshaping fan culture and the live music economy.

: Grad Girl Marketing is a LinkedIn profile created by Ashleen Narula offering daily marketing insights to a growing community of over 350,000 followers. From brand breakdowns to campaign hot takes, it’s become a go-to scroll for marketers and aspiring strategists alike. Narula’s voice is sharp, clear and refreshingly unpretentious – finally, a corner of LinkedIn that feels less like a pitch deck and more like a group chat.

: Gen Z is embracing a Martha Stewart Summer and swapping screen time for sourdough starters, backyard gardening and slow-living rituals. It’s a quiet rebellion in linen while sipping a no-lo Martha-rita, driven by the same generation known for being hyper-online. From TikTok tutorials on strawberry jam to unplugged weekends, this analogue shift is a clear expression of the contradictions LS:N Global explores in Gen Z Now and Next: From Vision to Contradiction. Tech-savvy but burned out, spiritually curious but secular, Gen Z’s adoption of digital detoxes reveals a desire to slow down in a world that never stops.

Quote of the week

‘It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history’

Beyoncé (source: Los Angeles Times)

Stat: New overtourism report maps the global crisis

Photography by Sheila Condi

Global – Wellness Retreats Magazine’s 2025 Overtourism Report ranks 40 major cities facing acute tourism saturation – and the data underscores a growing imbalance.

Orlando tops the tourist-to-resident ratio, hosting 36 tourists per local, while Macau ranks highest in visitor density, with over 547,000 tourists per square km. Shanghai emerges as the most visited city globally, welcoming 396.7m tourists a year – a figure that represents more than one-third of total travellers among the cities analysed.

European cities dominate the top 10 in all categories, with Paris (442,125 visitors per square km) and Barcelona (152,110 visitors per square km) following Macau in density. Amsterdam, Lisbon and Dubrovnik also feature prominently.

These findings reinforce mounting concerns around resident pushback. Head to our Anti-tourism Market report for more on the evolving attitudes in the travel and tourist industry.

Strategic opportunity

Rethink destination branding with overtourism data in mind. Prioritise off-peak campaigns, promote lesser-known locales and collaborate with local communities to craft sustainable, high-value alternatives that align with shifting traveller ethics