oh my DOT | Connecting the Dots #93

10 %

Unilever plans to split off its ice cream division, including brands such as Wall’s, Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s, with the aim of saving €800m over three years. Most surprisingly, ice cream refrigeration accounts for 10% of all Unilever’s energy costs and is one of the main reasons behind the split (the other is Ozempic). Ice cream can become a luxury product.

Marketing and media

#1 Despite the constant battle with fast fashion, the numbers show us that the truth is a little different. Inditex (the company that owns brands like Zara, Bershka, etc.) has seen historic +10% YOY growth and net profit is up 30.3% along with expansion plans and investment in logistics.

#2 Gen Z uses Facebook as a bazaar. Despite an overall decline in platform usage, Facebook’s Marketplace is used for its credibility and convenience in finding great deals. Will Facebook be the new Bazoš?

#3 Pew Research Center survey on “screen time”. Young people are trying to find a balance between smartphone use and the need to limit their “screen time”. On the other hand, parents are trying to protect their children in the digital world, which sometimes leads to tension when they have to decide how much freedom they are to give their children. The survey reveals how families are trying to cope with the challenges of living in the digital era.

#4 Getty has images for free use. The Getty Museum has expanded its Open Content program by making nearly 88,000 images from its collection of cultural artifacts available for free under a Creative Commons Zero license. This allows them to be used publicly for any purpose, including commercial, without the need for permission. The initiative offers a wide range of historical and artistic content, from ancient sculptures and medieval manuscripts to modern photography and abstract art.

#5 The Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games will be in IMAX theaters. Live sports are experiencing a major renaissance.

#6 Lego makes the best collabs. This time Lego x Animal Crossing.

#7 USA vs. Apple. The US government has filed an anti-monopoly lawsuit against Apple, accusing it of holding a monopoly in the smartphone market through the use of exclusionary and anti-competitive practices that harm consumers and developers.

Life

#1 Young people want original films. A Tubi survey found that millennials and Gen Z prefer original content over remakes or franchises on streaming platforms. Original content is preferred by 74% of them.

#2 Movie Title Drops. A title drop is when a character in a movie says the name of the movie they are in. Here’s an extensive analysis of 73,921 movies over the last 80 years that describes how often, when, and maybe even why this happens.

#3 Why don’t we remember much before the age of seven?

#4 There is a new trend called “soft saving”, which prioritizes immediate quality of life over long-term savings. The shift suggests a re-evaluation on the topic of retirement. Significant numbers of people expect to work beyond traditional retirement age.

#5 I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake. I shake it off, I shake it off (hoo-hoo-hoo). Researchers from Caltech and UCLA found that the 73,000 Taylor Swift fans at her concert in August of 2023 at SoFi Stadium, created seismic activity similar to that of a small earthquake. The “Swift Quake” was attributed to audience movements during the concert, not the music itself. Motion detectors recorded the largest vibrations during the hit song Shake It Off.

With love.
P.