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Nike Tokyo unites global audiences through radio

NikeLab Radio by Nike Tokyo Live

Global – The sports and lifestyle retailer is connecting its global fan base through a branded audio show. The project, NikeLab Radio, is part of the brand’s Nike Tokyo Live platform, and includes a podcast show, music playlists, video content and audio playlists of readings to aid relaxation and promote restorative sleep.

Available to stream within the Nike app and on major streaming platforms, the initiative also provides a global stage for Japanese creators such as fashion designer Jun Takahashi and streetwear designer and influencer Hiroshi Fujiwara. By tapping influential voices from the nation, the brand can stimulate cultural interest in Japan, while inspiring viewers to 'unite through the common love of sports to move, watch, listen, and create'.

As radio platforms continue to gain popularity across a range of demographics, Nike showcases the opportunity for brands to use these audio outlets to facilitate regional cultural conversations.

Strategic opportunity

Across sectors, brands can use the medium of audio to engage customers in new ways. Take cues from Nike Tokyo and consider how you can spotlight regional voices and cultural nuances to an international audience

Rihanna’s Fenty Parfum embodies her cultural identity

Fenty Parfum by Fenty Beauty, US

Fenty Parfum by Fenty Beauty, US & Global

Global – Rihanna has unveiled a deeply personal fragrance as part of her Fenty Beauty line. Dubbed Fenty Parfum, the scent has been designed to represent Rihanna’s own heritage and values. Described as an ‘intimate unisex fragrance’, it combines notes of magnolia, musk tangerine and patchouli to create a scent that is both sweet and spicy.

Housed in an elegant amber bottle, the product is being marketed as embodying Rihanna’s personal identity. ‘Brown is who I am. Brown is what I come from,’ explains Rihanna in a press release. ‘If I’m going to make a fragrance that represents me, even the body language of the bottle needs to marry that.’ Through the product’s scent and aesthetic, Fenty Parfum communicates a sense of cultural identity while also inviting wearers to experience fragrance in their own unique way.

In the wider beauty industry, we’ve been tracking how the sector is developing to meet the needs of Black consumers – driven by innovative Black founders who are prioritising their preferences and requirements.

Strategic opportunity

Beauty and wellness brands should recognise how fragrance can encapsulate identity, creating scents that embody cultural identities in an authentic way. When doing this, consider elements from ingredients to packaging

L'Oréal and Clue synchronise hormonal skin health

France & Global – Recognising the impact of menstrual cycles on people's skin, beauty giant L'Oréal and period-tracking app Clue are teaming up to offer tailored skincare advice relating to hormones. The partnership sees L'Oréal use Clue’s existing data around period cycles to offer bespoke, in-app solutions relating to hormone-induced concerns such as acne, dryness and dermatitis.

As people become increasingly attuned to their natural cycles in relation to holistic wellbeing, such innovations demonstrate a shift towards Synchronised Care. ‘We really want to focus more on providing more personalised information and giving people an understanding of how their skin is evolving and changing, and then alluding to some potential routines and [providing] understanding [of] how they can use their current beauty products at home,’ explains Guive Balooch, head of L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator.

Elsewhere, we’ve identified the ways that fitness brands are empowering people to harness their hormonal cycles as a way of optimising their exercise routines.

L'Oréal in partnership with Clue, France & Global

Strategic opportunity

Looking ahead, there's scope for brands to collaborate with period-tracking specialists to inform personalised products and services. From nutrition to fitness, each sector has the opportunity to develop their awareness of the impact of hormones on wellbeing

Stat: Night owl shoppers are driving Chinese retail

Shaping by Eyla Llarena Aliaño

E-commerce platforms in China are experiencing a spike in interest in the evening, according to new research by JD Big Data Research Institute. This is mostly being driven by night owl Millennial consumers, who are spending on a range of products from alcohol to pet services in the after-hours.

Focusing on data between 1 May and 1 July, the research reveals that online sales in China made between 8:00pm and 11:00pm increased by 100% year on year. In particular, sales of alcohol, skincare and beauty products, as well as pet services, all surged by 100%. Late-night entertainment is surging too – sales of digital products such as films, music and e-books rose by more than 500%.

This spending behaviour is most common among those born between 1985 and 1990 – known as post-85s in China – a group who place 51% of their orders at night. To discover more emerging opportunities in this area, delve into our China E-commerce Market.

Strategic opportunity

With these findings in mind, retailers can capitalise on the digital presence of Chinese consumers in the evening hours. Consider how your advertising and marketing might need to change to cater to this night owl demographic