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This tombstone campaign urges people to shop local

Buy Toronto Time by Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA)

Toronto – As people begin to hit the streets again, Buy Toronto Time is using motifs associated with death to provoke Toronto citizens to shop local and keep neighbourhood businesses alive.

The campaign by Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) involves more than 400 businesses across the city displaying posters resembling tombstones. Each poster details the business's name and opening date, but features a blank second date to represent its possible closure. Through the simple tombstone motif, the campaign evokes the potential loss of local businesses – and a sense of urgency for shopper support.

Alongside the posters, the campaign features 100 outdoor billboards, a film and an Instagram account. ‘Buy Toronto Time is about the life or death of an individual business in our city’s neighbourhoods,’ says John Kiru, executive director of TABIA. ‘With a possible end to the pandemic in sight, Torontonians may think that means all businesses will live on. But the fact is they need support now more than ever.’

With global lockdown periods placing new importance on local neighbourhoods, the demand for Micro-mmunity Retail can continue, but requires retailers and consumers to retain their local focus.

Smile Makers’ latest sex toy is clitorally inclusive

The Poet by Smile Makers, UK

UK – Recognising that bodies are all unique – and so too are genitalia – sex toy brand Smile Makers is continuing its inclusivity drive with the launch of an adaptable clitoral stimulator.

Tuning into the diverse experiences of women's sexual pleasure, The Poet toy enables a more personal approach to stimulation. The clitorally inclusive air vibrator features three different mouths, meaning the toy can be adjusted to suit varying clitoris sizes. To create the toy, the brand worked with anthropometric data along with expert insight from gynaecologists.

‘Based on insights from our community and knowing what was available on the market, we’ve created a product that caters for the fact that all clitorises are different,’ says Cécile Gasnault, brand director at Smile Makers. ‘Not only in size, but also in sensitivities and pleasure preferences, which is why our product enables the user to create their own experience. They’re the ones in charge.’

In her recent opinion piece for LS:N Global, Gasnault examines how sexual wellness R&D is helping brands and consumers to better understand sexuality through an intersectional lens.

Deliveroo riders bolster neighbourhood safety

UK – Delivery giant Deliveroo is launching a new initiative to train its riders to better recognise and assist with civic safety issues within communities.

The company is partnering with UK community safety organisation Neighbourhood Watch to offer its riders optional training verified by the Metropolitan Police. Training modules include education in spotting signs of harassment, drug dealing and human trafficking, along with advice on handling confrontation.

This initiative comes at a time when two-thirds of new Neighbourhood Watch members are concerned about community safety. In this way, Deliveroo is using the common presence of its riders to assist local communities beyond its conventional services. ‘At Deliveroo, we want to support the communities in which we operate and use our platform for good,’ says Will Shu, CEO and co-founder of Deliveroo. ‘Riders have carried out a vital role during the pandemic and are well placed to build on this experience to spot any concerns in the neighbourhoods in which they work and live.’

Recognising how such organisations can work together points to a positive future of Branded Cities that have a positive benefit for neighbourhoods.

Deliveroo in collaboration with Neighbourhood Watch, UK

Stat: India leads global nations for LGBT+ adults

Travel As You Are by Orbitz

A new global survey by Ipsos reveals that an increasing number of young people identify as non-heterosexual and non-cisgender.

The LGBT+ Pride 2021 Global Survey was conducted across 27 countries among 19,000 people aged 16–74. Ipsos reports that India (17%) has the highest percentage of respondents who identify as non-heterosexual, followed by people in Brazil (15%) and Spain (12%). Of note, China and South Korea had the lowest.

Meanwhile, 1.4% of worldwide survey respondents identify as gender minorities, with Sweden (2.9%), Germany (2.5%) and Argentina (2.3%) having the highest percentages of citizens who identify as transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender-fluid or otherwise. In terms of age range, across all 27 countries, 4% of Generation Z identify as gender minorities, compared to 1% of adults over 40.

To discover more about the mindsets and identities of young people globally, discover our Emerging Youth articles.