Trends

Pearl’s POV on Hershey’s Kitchen

We checked out the new Hershey’s Kitchen in downtown T.O. Here is our assessment: The Experience The store was bright, fun, and smelled delicious! The storefront was covered in giant cookie decals, which were hard to miss, and the inside featured a “Life is Sweet” burst of candy with the Hershey’s name. They made the process simple by labeling where to order and pay from the moment you walked i [...]

2019-12-10T10:37:55+00:00 Innovation, Strategy, Trends|

Pearl’s Top 3 Picks: Consumer Trends for 2020

Trend Watching just released five emerging consumer trends for 2020. Below we call out our top 3 picks and provide examples of products and services that support their forecast. Green Pressure Consumers are moving from eco-status to eco-shame in 2020. Eco-consumption will become less about the status of opting in, and more about the shame of opting out. We already see evidence of this when it c [...]

2019-12-05T23:43:12+00:00 Innovation, Strategy, Trends|

CMA Insights – 5 Key Takeaways

Pearl attended the CMA Insights Morning Event yesterday. Today we are sharing with you some of our favourite insights.   1. Performance of an ad in a secondary market is mostly dependent on brand development and cultural variables. Never assume you can transfer an ad between Canada & the US without giving it a gut check. There are major differences when it comes to brand status, catego [...]

2019-03-18T11:33:49+00:00 Trends|

Pearl’s Top 5 Trend Picks 2019

Mintel’s Global Trend report highlighted a number of interesting global consumer trends. Below we will review our top 5 picks, provide examples of products or services that are delivering well to these trends and complimentary insights from work we’ve done at Pearl.   Total Wellbeing   Consumers continue to evolve in their definitions of health and wellness. They are looking for new a [...]

2019-01-25T12:18:05+00:00 Trends|

What We’re Reading This Summer

We recently attended Rotman School of Management’s Lifelong Learning Conference and left with a pile of books we can’t wait to dig into. Four titles set to challenge our creativity, expand our views on innovation and help us understand the opportunity technology provides us.   Quirky: The Remarkable Story of the Traits, Foibles, and Genius of Breakthrough  Innovators Who Changed the World  by [...]

2019-01-27T11:42:57+00:00 Trends|

7 Emerging Food Trends

We asked consumers about 7 emerging food trends and here’s what they said. In Canada, health & wellness continues to evolve, creating new demand for healthy products and services in food & beverages, retail, restaurants and personal care. To find opportunities in the health and wellness space, we surveyed 1,000 Canadian adults, with representation across ages, genders and provinces, in Eng [...]

2019-01-27T11:43:13+00:00 Trends|

3 Standout Retail Trends

Pearl reviewed TrendWatching’s report “Trends Reshaping Retail in 2019 and Beyond” and we’ve picked our favourites along with the implications for marketers. 1. Magic Point of Sale Smartphones aren’t going anywhere, in fact consumers continue to expect more from their mobile experience. Personal assistants and smart speakers continue to advance. Consumers dependence on their mobile devices [...]

2019-01-27T11:43:51+00:00 Trends|

What Do The 2018 SIAL Innovation Winners Have In Common?

We reviewed the top 2018 SIAL Innovation Grand Prize winners. Pea Pops Roasted green pea snack INNOVATIVE QUALITIES: Technology, Manufacturing process, Marketing positioning, Merchandising Kitchen & LOVE Ready-To-Eat Vegan Meals INNOVATIVE QUALITIES: Recipe, Ingredients, Packaging Crickstart Cricket based protein bars. INNOVATIVE QUALITIES: Recipe, Ingredients While they all won f [...]

2019-02-01T10:47:52+00:00 Innovation, Trends|