SWC’s Fast Five
Are there plans to end planned obsolescence? There are some afoot to end the five-day work week as cities transition from incentives to attract employers to those to mine micro talent, that talent increases its love for emojis at work and we all watch Europe as restrictions emerge to deal with COVID variants and we wonder, is that what’s next for America?
So, here’s this week’s Fast Five:
1 The five-day work week is dead
The five-day workweek is so entrenched in American life that it can be hard to imagine any other way. But the trauma and disruption of the last year and a half have lots of Americans reevaluating their relationships to work, saying it is time for a reboot.
2 What will it take for brands to design products that aren’t disposable?
In a throwaway society, we take it for granted that products won’t last. Companies have little immediate motivation to change since short product lifespans mean that people end up buying more but planned obsolescence is getting the stink eye.
3 New marketing for cities – goodbye incentives, hello micro-talent mining
Instead of trying to attract big companies with tax incentives to bring a new headquarters or manufacturing plant to town, city leaders are looking for the “micro-talent,” the individual who already has a job somewhere else but is looking for a better place to live.
4 Delta variant-spurred curbs cloud European recovery outlook
Rising coronavirus infection rates, driven by the fast-spreading Delta variant, are forcing more countries around Europe to re-impose restrictions that could cast a pall over the region’s economic recovery prospects. As goes Europe, so goes the U.S.?
5 Emojis get the thumbs up at work
A recent survey found that whimsical icons can make people feel more connected and more receptive to new tasks. They allow people to quickly share ideas, make group decisions more efficient and can even reduce the need for meetings and calls.
