Labubus and the Blind Box Economy, plus what ice cream shops do in winter.
Plus tech news including Apple's attempt to make pre diabetes tools and a reworked Christmas song thanks to "responsible AI".
Hey there, you fabulous folks out there! Dex here!
Welcome to another edition🥳 of Brightwaves, this planet’s latest business + tech orientated newsletter with a hearty side serving of culture and society.
In this edition, we’re featuring Asia’s biggest cultural trend right now, and of course, some ice cream.
As usual, we also tech news, tools and resources, and useful unclassified for services.
I’m realigning the newsletter to come on on Wednesdays every week, so that it’ll come out in the middle of the regular business week instead of during your Saturday morning coffee. Hope that works better!
Disclaimer: I’m writing this as a co-founder of my own tech firm and we will advertise our own services here. But I’ll strive to keep all things fair and you can check out other similar services that can help your business advance!
ICYMI - News Roundup 🗞️
Tech & Products
American Airlines will shame line cutting passengers with new technology that will literally trigger an alert. (Source).
Apple is developing non-invasive blood sugar app that will help pre-diabetics manage their condition and make lifestyle changes. (Source)
201 dialects from 288 cities in China are recognised by AI in a LLM developed by Chinese tech firm iFLYTECH. (Source)
Passport free clearance gates that only take 10 seconds to go through have rolled out at Singapore’s Changi Airport. (Source)
Vivo is India’s top smartphone brand, ahead of long-time rivals Samsung and Xiaomi. (Source)
Businesses & Investments
Quebec’s tech ecosystem is now worth C$95 billion, with clean tech leading in attracting investment while AI lags behind. (Source)
Singapore-based startup leveraging on DNA based wellness solutions has raised US$550K in funding. (Source)
A Canadian tech firm fighting climate change has raised US$11.4 million with its technology that helps with alkalizing the ocean. (Source)
India’s Zomato plans to raise US$1 billion ahead of its rival Swiggy’s own IPO later this year. (Source)
China’s Luckin Coffee plans to enter the US market next year in a bid to compete with the likes of Starbucks and Dunkin. (Source)
Entertainment, Sports, & Society
An online athletes career marketplace (Free Agent) is being developed by Canadian Olympian Kirsten Toth. (Source)
A classical Christmas song has been reworked in Spanish thanks to AI, with the use of Soundlab’s responsible AI technologies. (Source)
Making Waves: Labubu and Blind boxes 🌊
Bringing you trends from around the world, from tech to consumer goods and food!
The biggest cultural trend to sweep East Asia these days is Labubu, an elvish looking plush toy with serrated teeth and devilish eyes that’s part of “The Monsters”1 series of comics created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung in 2015.
His creations were first licensed on PopMart in 2019 as keychains and bag charms and had a decent following before Lisa - the beloved Thai member of Korean girl group BLACKPINK - started collecting these toys for herself in April this year.
We’ve of course heard stories about products and their (perceived) value going up after a celebrity becomes involved, and things started heating up (literally) with physical fights, scams and politicians getting into the trend themselves.
These collectibles can cost anywhere from C$28 to anywhere in the hundreds, so much so that even avid fans have spent nearly C$10,000 on them so far. An ecosystem around the collectables has also appeared, with beauticians, florists and bakers all jumping in on the bandwagon.
Let’s also consider the phenomenon of the blind box, which is another key phenomenon that’s aiding the popularity of Labubu collectables.
A blind box is a type of package that is sealed to keep its randomly distributed contents a mystery (and to drive consumer curiosity), and to add to the mystery, there’s even blind boxes that contain mystery collectables that are not even known to the public!
Note that it’s not just the sale of Labubu collectables that’s commanding the blind box trend, but anything ranging from plushies to miniatures of convenience stores.
Such is the world of consumer and pop culture in East Asia that a thriving blind box economy has emerged. It is now projected to grow to 110 billion Renminbi (equivalent to US$15 billion) by 2026, with PopMart as the biggest beneficiaries of that growth.
At the core of all these sales is the air of mystery and joy that a fully sealed box can spark. Looks like the Labubu wave and the growth of the blind box economy in Asia is here to stay for a little while longer.
How do ice cream shops survive winter? 💡
Do you ever wonder what Canadian ice cream shops do when the winter comes and the lines disappear? Here’s what they do.
TLDW: Some close after an intensive spring/summer to do R&D for the next season, while others stay open to partner with other similar stores in malls or focus on selling tubs for people to bring home.
Useful Tools/Resources📚
Last Week in Marketing and AI - fantastic marketing +AI newsletter that’s curated by senior social media marketing expert Cristiana Techeres.
Bootstrapped startup or small business owner who needs basic SocMed assets for your product, company or brand? Adobe Express is free to use with basic functions2. I’m using this now and it’s been helpful!
AI safety and governance will be a big sector by 2030, and if you want to be trained for it there’s a course offered by a non-profit that can help you gain crucial skills.
Unclassified (Business services you can use)📢
Software Development: My software startup Lumina Future builds and upgrades software and applications. Check out our services and get in touch with us here!
E-Learning: Need creative e-learning solutions for your business or organisation? Montreal based OctoD covers you in English and French. Check them out here.
Support us and stay informed! 🫶
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I hope it has been a good read for you! I’d love to hear what you think about this newsletter, and we’ll keep iterating to make this more useful for you.
And if you have any suggestions of who I can feature or interview, and if you’d like to be featured - do reach out!
Till the next issue - have a great week ahead!
Labubu is not the only character in The Monsters - there’s Zimomo, Tycoco, Spooky and Pato.
Basic free features snags you access to 1k templates and up to a million royalty-free stock photos. Premium features are included with Adobe Creative Cloud plans.