Doodle Inspirations – February 5, 2021
With all the talk regarding Super Bowl ads, here are some stories that got us talking this past week completely unrelated to the big game:
While historically one of the hottest convention tickets, CES went completely virtual this year because of COVID. Having wrapped about a month ago, we came across this interesting perspective of the event from a first-time exhibitor. Based in Taiwan, Wondercise’s team highlights the logistical challenges they dealt with from time differences to networking and press coverage. We love the perspective on innovation and troubleshooting this article brings to light and provides a great “things to consider” as the traditional trade show continues to look like a virtual situation for now.
Like almost everything else, the wedding industry was upended because of COVID causing wedding planners and brides-to-be to rethink what the “big day” would look like. Though a vaccine is on the horizon, The Knot’s Kristen Maxwell Cooper provided interesting discussion regarding how the brand helped the anxious at the onset of the pandemic as well as trends she expects to see continue even after the vaccine is widely available/administered. We liked how The Knot adapted their website and content to address consumer need during the onset of the pandemic.
Imitation is the highest form of flattery and competing social networks continue to imitate each other’s innovations. Instagram announced the development of the user-scrolling experience with the platform’s Vertical Stories – which mirrors the scrolling functionality one would see/feel in TikTok. This leaves us wondering if all social platforms are working toward complete homogenization.
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we couldn’t end without a couple great stories centered around tributes to your ex. Hotels.com is running a “Put your Ex where they belong” promotion. By visiting their entry site, consumers can tell the company why their ex deserves to stay in a dumpster and where their dream solo hotel stay would be. While there is no actual “dumpster stay” up for grabs, 15 entries will win a $300 gift card that doesn’t expire. If a dumpster isn’t enough, the San Antonio Zoo is running their second annual “Cry Me a Cockroach” fundraising event where for $5, someone will be able to symbolically name a cockroach after their ex and then have it served up for dinner to some of the zoo’s animals. There are additional variations available – $25 for a frozen rat for a snake or $5 herbivore-friendly options.