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Featured article

The Beauty Wishlist: 2024’s Most Searched Christmas Must-Haves

As the holidays approach, beauty wishlists are taking shape. We looked at search data for what was most popular in November 2024 as people start gift planning, as well as how search has changed in the past one month to see what’s popping.

Pick a category to discover

Tech

Sphere
Insights

Culture

Suggested topics

consumer insights

digital marketing strategy

menstrual health

family planning

The Beauty Wishlist: 2024’s Most Searched Christmas Must-Haves

As the holidays approach, beauty wishlists are taking shape. We looked at search data for what was most popular in November 2024 as people start gift planning, as well as how search has changed in the past one month to see what’s popping.

From Memes to Mistletoe: How Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X Are Talking About Christmas

In a landscape shaped by TikTok creativity, wellness priorities, and sustainability demands, it’s no longer about whether your brand fits into Christmas, but if it can lead the conversation.

Digging Deep: The Rise of Diverse Root Vegetable Exploration

For decades, root vegetables were the quiet workhorses of the kitchen, rarely celebrated beyond the usual suspects—potatoes, carrots, maybe a parsnip if you were feeling bold.

Ashwagandha: The Ancient Herb Sparking a New Wave of Cognitive Wellness

To meet the increasing demands for cognitive wellness, a natural remedy has emerged in the face of high tech solutions and brain-training apps.

The Labubu Phenomenon: Turning Products into Cultural Necessities

Labubu has become impossible to ignore—but if you’ve somehow missed the craze, here’s the scoop: This mischievous yet kindhearted character from Pop Mart’s 'The Monsters' collection, created by artist Lung Kasing, has skyrocketed to fame.

The Revival of Kitten Heels: Retro Elegance Meets Modern Sophistication

Kitten heels are stepping up as the unexpected functional choice with flair—offering the comfort of a flat shoe while bringing a touch of sophistication, they provide a steady, stylish alternative to stilettos.

Lazy cook’s dream or expensive habit? Social Meaning makes sense of the meal kit craze

In a world where convenience reigns supreme, meal kit delivery services have quickly carved out a place in busy households. But what do people really think of these kits?

Scooby Dooby Boo: How Pet Brands Can Stay on Trend

The 'boo basket' trend—a playful, Halloween-inspired twist on gift-giving—has swept across social media platforms.

Exploring Financial Behaviors of Gen Z and Millennials: A Comparative Look through Social Meaning

The ways in which Gen Z and Millennials approach finance reflect the unique challenges and opportunities of their respective generations.

Under the Hood: Social Meaning

Social Meaning is an all-in-one analytics platform designed to help businesses make sense of the vast amounts of data generated by online consumer behavior.

The Art of Packaging: Bridging Cultural Heritage and Modernity for Global Beauty Success

We've all heard of K-beauty, but what about C-beauty? The rise of #CBeauty and #Hanfu has been phenomenal on social media, garnering over 2.5 billion views.

The future of content optimization: Speed up and scale ad testing with AI

Advertising cringe fests and controversies come and go quickly in this age of media ephemerality. But the ubiquity and speed of social media means that negative backlash hits brands harder than before.

The Evolution of Anti-Aging Ads: What the TikTok Aging Filter Means for the Industry

If you’ve tried out the viral aged filter on TikTok (and absolutely hated the results), you’re not alone. With over 13 million videos under the filter, reactions range from shock to despair, and many are beginning to wonder what they can do to mitigate the effects of aging

Elevate Your Creative Strategy: Unlocking Insights with Concept Evaluation

Today's market is flooded with products, making it increasingly difficult for brands to capture attention, let alone truly resonate with their intended audiences. Standing out requires not just creativity, but also a precise understanding of what engages and resonates with consumers.

The Art of Branding in the Luxury Watch Market

As the market for luxury watches continues to evolve, so do the interests and preferences of collectors and enthusiasts. Using our AI-driven tools, we now have deeper insights into what drives this fascination.

Indulgent Moments

We wanted to understand the landscape of "extreme indulgence" across key markets and identify opportunities for the F&B businesses in this space.

The ‘TikTok Olympics’: Lessons for Brand Marketing from Athletes' Content

Dubbed the ‘TikTok Olympics,’ the Paris Olympics mark the first true Olympic Games since the lifting of COVID-19 regulations and the meteoric rise of TikTok as a cultural force.

The Economic Education of Gen Z: Using AI to Uncover the Trends, Tools, and Challenges

Financial literacy is becoming a big deal, especially for Gen Z. Growing up in the age of unlimited digital access means they're often exposed to financial decisions earlier than previous generations.

Streaming Sense: Decoding the VOD Evolution with Social Meaning

When video on-demand (VOD) streaming services first hit the market, they promised a utopia of endless entertainment which revolutionized the way we consume content.

Here’s how you can keep intelligence and empathy in your research work in the age of AI

Here’s how you can keep intelligence and empathy in your research work in the age of AI.

Simplicity, Nostalgia and Mindfulness Dominate Summer 2024 Trends

In recent years, propelled by social media and pop culture, we've seen the rise of various summer themes: Hot Girl Summer, Rot Girl Summer, Healing Girl Summer. Each year brings its very own mood, so what’s in store this year for the girlies in Summer 2024?

How Modern Advertising Reflects Evolving Beauty Ideals

History has significantly influenced what various cultures consider beautiful. Major economic and political events, along with shifts in the cultural zeitgeist, have all played a crucial part in shaping ideal beauty standards.

Unwrapping Sweet Insights for National Candy Month

The rise in candy from around the world reflects people's growing adventurous palates and the role of social media in introducing new foods globally.

Codes of Masculinity

As societal norms around masculinity evolve, understanding the complex identities of male consumers is crucial for developing marketing strategies that resonate and engage.

Scent and Sensibility: Unraveling Gen Z's Fragrance Preferences

Everyone knows that finding a fragrance isn’t just about whether it smells good; the motivations usually run deeper than that.

Lights, Camera, AI! Tracing the Evolution of Movies from the 1980s to the 2020s

From superheroes to star-crossed lovers, movies capture a moment in time, reflecting the values, sentiments, and mood of a generation.

Navigating EV discourse across markets

Looking at discourse on electric vehicles across five countries as an example, we address the challenge of analyzing consumer conversations from different markets.

Cultural Impact of Super Bowl 2024 Ads 🏈

While the big game was being played, a parallel competition was taking place during the commercial breaks. Following the success of our ad analysis last year, we've reviewed this year's commercials to provide a comprehensive analysis.

From 'Meh' to Memorable: Leveraging AI Insights for Consumer Connection

Feeling uninspired lately? This feeling of ‘meh-ness’ is a universal human experience in instances where everything feels dull and unexciting — whether it’s a #mondayblues kind of morning or an evening plagued by an existential crisis.

Revving Up Advertising: The Power of Creativity and Unconventionality in the Automotive Industry

When it comes to marketing automobiles, conversations often revolve around horsepower, specifications, and the like. However, the average consumer seeks more than just mechanical details.

Single and thriving: Life lessons from the solo economy

The surge in solo-friendly events and fitness classes also signals a shift towards enjoying one’s own company. Singles are not just exploring the world independently, they’re ready to spend on themselves.

From Nostalgia to Confidence: A Deep Dive into Gen Z Shopping Behavior and Retail Influence

This digital generation has an unmistakable impact on the fashion industry, and much of it is owed to their dominant presence on social media.

Tacos, TikTok, Text Models: A Modern Recipe for Small Business Revival

#foodtok, #cleantok, #studytok, #calmtok, #booktok, #moneytok – is there anything TikTok can't turn viral? The answer is a resounding 'Nope.'

A Breath of Fresh Travel: Slowing Down The Journey

Travel, an industry built on the promise of uncovering adventures and stories, provides an intriguing case study. One of the noteworthy 2023 travel trends is "slow travel," a movement that encourages travelers to embrace a more leisurely pace.

Dancing with Tube Girl: How Brands Are Riding the Wave of Empowerment

Sabrina Bahsoon, also known as Tube Girl, took the internet by storm through her TikTok videos of her dancing like no one’s watching on...

The Power of Brand Narrative: Using AI to Craft Stories that Resonate

Creating a brand narrative that’s authentic, engaging and compelling enough for consumers to connect with. Isn’t that the dream? It’s crucial to...

Using Generative AI as your compass for brand positioning

In a world saturated with endless chatter and fleeting trends, businesses grapple with a daunting question: How can they rise above the noise ...

Thriving in the Era of Sustainable Fashion: Product Concept Using Generative AI

Now that the era of global boiling (no longer global warming) is upon us, companies are experiencing a massive change in consumer behavior

Redefining Sobriety Through Flavor: Using Generative AI To Innovate Products

In a world that embraces choice and well-being, there's a growing demand for innovative and alternative drinks that give individuals all the fun...

5 Things We Loved About Our Event: AI-volution of Culture

It was a day of thoughtful discussions about culture and AI led by experts across different industries. We also proudly introduced our latest innovation...

Under the Hood of Marketing Copy: System Prompts

Harnessing AI to generate cutting-edge marketing copy with Sphere’s Marketing Copy.

Under the Hood of Marketing Copy: Mitigating AI Bias

Sphere’s guide to culturally inclusive, bias-minimized marketing

Under the Hood of Culture Lens: Subcultures and Aesthetics

In the first installment of “Under the Hood,” we explored how Culture Lens uses embeddings to pinpoint the top 100 images that most accurately represent user-searched experiences.

Under the Hood of Culture Lens: Embeddings

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, understanding and staying ahead of emerging trends and consumer behaviors is crucial for businesses. At Quilt.AI, we’re harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to do just that.

Under the Hood of Ad Benchmarking: Building the Database

In the rapidly evolving world of advertising, it is vital to measure the success of your advertisements against your intent, your brand, and various industry standards....

Under the Hood of Ad Benchmarking: Creativity

In the first installment of “Under the Hood,” we talked about the development of the industry database, comprising more than 13,000 high-performing industry ads...

Lessons From A Good Ad: Turning Flaws to Fortune

With the help of Sphere’s Ad Benchmarking app, we use predictive AI to delve into the supermarket chain’s remarkable success...

Charting Success: Decoding Ads from The Best Airline In The World

In the world of aviation, one name stands out from the rest: Singapore Airlines, for the luxury, comfort, and hospitality they provide.

Marketing Copy In Minutes: Here’s How You Can Sell Anything To Anyone

Creating marketing copy. It’s something that sounds easy, but isn’t — especially if you’re looking to really make an impact.

From Short-Term Quick Fixes to Sustainable Solutions: How Dieting Has Transformed Over Time

Healthy diets have been around for as long as we can remember, but the way we diet has undergone a profound change in recent years.

Analog Adventures vs. Digital Detours: How Different Generations Escape the Daily Grind

To explore how individuals across different age groups express their need for escape, we tap into the crowd-sourcing power of Sphere’s Culture Lens app.

The Evolution of Anti-Aging Ads: What the TikTok Aging Filter Means for the Industry

The quest for timelessness transcends generations, with individuals of all ages seeking remedies for youthful, radiant skin.

Track or Wreck? Generative AI Conceptualizes Albums For Every Music Style

Quilt Create generates song and album titles of imaginary bands based on common consumer personalities.

Predictive AI Watches Decades of Viral Music Videos to Discover Trends Through Time

Like teenage blog poetry you forgot to delete and too-skinny jeans from your indie sleaze era, music videos are the ultimate time capsules.

Imagined Impact: Generative AI Redesigns Urban life

Urbanization has become the standard way of life, transforming our societies in countless ways.

Mylk Magic: How Plant-based Milks are Redefining Dairy Design

Got milk? That’s a complicated question these days, thanks to the popularity of plant-based alternatives to cow’s milk, collectively known as “mylk”.

Getting to Know Gen Alpha

What comes after Gen Z? The highly anticipated Generation Alpha, who are shaping up to be pretty transformative successors.

7 Things to Know About Artificial Intelligence 🧠🤖

Everyone’s talking about artificial intelligence lately and for good reason.

Daters Gotta Date: The Billion Dollar Business of Dating Apps

As big tech continues to permeate our daily lives, the most common answer to “So how did you guys meet?” has increasingly become “Oh, on an app”.

A Brand Love Affair

If you think about it, making a dating profile is a lot like brand marketing … yourself.

Streaming Up Sales: The Rise of Live Shopping

In an age of personalized marketing, livestream shopping is a warm, welcoming cure to the detachment of traditional e-commerce.

A Slogan For Every Season: The Business Of Hyper-personalization

In a world rife with big data, consumers are no longer simplistically defined by monolithic segments.

The New Party Drink of Sobriety

There’s been a subtle but steady shift in drinking habits that’s making hangovers go out of style.

Hangxiety Relief

It's Sunday morning. You wake up parched and overwhelmingly nauseous. Your head is pounding and the daylight is eye-searing. If you've ever had too many drinks...

How to Make the Earth Your Only Shareholder

In 2017, Forbes magazine declared Patagonia’s founder a billionaire and it really, really pissed him off.

An Occupational Guide to Internet Fame

Move over astronauts, “influencer” is now one of the top dream jobs for the next generation.

An Oral Biohack for Climate Adaptation

In a bid to stay hopeful, we turn to some AI-powered ideation on our dream biohack for living in these climes.

Is Brown The Sound of Your Brain on Vacation?

Lately, another sonic hue has joined the club — brown noise.

Speed Write Your Way to Superhost Status

The remote work economy has created great opportunities for homeowners but Airbnb hosting isn’t an easy game.

Terminally Chic: AI Picks Your Next Flight Outfit

Consumer air travel has taken off again, returning to a degree of pre-pandemic fervor as people seek adventure and respite.

The AI Guide to Looking Like a K-Pop Idol

K-pop has evolved incredibly from a music genre to a major driver of global culture, going above and beyond Asian fanbases to conquer the world.

A Neural Music Composer That’s Bringing Happiness Back

We imagined an AI-powered music therapy that could be personalized and accessible to all.

Retweet This Revolution ✊

A term originally used with derision, clicktivism or social media activism has now become an inextricable part of how we signal and support causes we care about today.

Cultural Impact of CNY 2024 Ads in Singapore

As the festive spirit of the new year is in the air, Singaporean brands engage in a yearly ritual of their own: crafting advertisements that don’t just sell buttell stories.

Pick a category to discover

Sphere Insights

Culture

Brands

Suggested topics

consumer insights

digital marketing strategy

menstrual health

family planning

The Beauty Wishlist: 2024’s Most Searched Christmas Must-Haves

As the holidays approach, beauty wishlists are taking shape. We looked at search data for what was most popular in November 2024 as people start gift planning, as well as how search has changed in the past one month to see what’s popping.

From Memes to Mistletoe: How Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X Are Talking About Christmas

In a landscape shaped by TikTok creativity, wellness priorities, and sustainability demands, it’s no longer about whether your brand fits into Christmas, but if it can lead the conversation.

Digging Deep: The Rise of Diverse Root Vegetable Exploration

For decades, root vegetables were the quiet workhorses of the kitchen, rarely celebrated beyond the usual suspects—potatoes, carrots, maybe a parsnip if you were feeling bold.

Ashwagandha: The Ancient Herb Sparking a New Wave of Cognitive Wellness

To meet the increasing demands for cognitive wellness, a natural remedy has emerged in the face of high tech solutions and brain-training apps.

The Labubu Phenomenon: Turning Products into Cultural Necessities

Labubu has become impossible to ignore—but if you’ve somehow missed the craze, here’s the scoop: This mischievous yet kindhearted character from Pop Mart’s 'The Monsters' collection, created by artist Lung Kasing, has skyrocketed to fame.

The Revival of Kitten Heels: Retro Elegance Meets Modern Sophistication

Kitten heels are stepping up as the unexpected functional choice with flair—offering the comfort of a flat shoe while bringing a touch of sophistication, they provide a steady, stylish alternative to stilettos.

Lazy cook’s dream or expensive habit? Social Meaning makes sense of the meal kit craze

In a world where convenience reigns supreme, meal kit delivery services have quickly carved out a place in busy households. But what do people really think of these kits?

Scooby Dooby Boo: How Pet Brands Can Stay on Trend

The 'boo basket' trend—a playful, Halloween-inspired twist on gift-giving—has swept across social media platforms.

Exploring Financial Behaviors of Gen Z and Millennials: A Comparative Look through Social Meaning

The ways in which Gen Z and Millennials approach finance reflect the unique challenges and opportunities of their respective generations.

Under the Hood: Social Meaning

Social Meaning is an all-in-one analytics platform designed to help businesses make sense of the vast amounts of data generated by online consumer behavior.

The Art of Packaging: Bridging Cultural Heritage and Modernity for Global Beauty Success

We've all heard of K-beauty, but what about C-beauty? The rise of #CBeauty and #Hanfu has been phenomenal on social media, garnering over 2.5 billion views.

The future of content optimization: Speed up and scale ad testing with AI

Advertising cringe fests and controversies come and go quickly in this age of media ephemerality. But the ubiquity and speed of social media means that negative backlash hits brands harder than before.

The Evolution of Anti-Aging Ads: What the TikTok Aging Filter Means for the Industry

If you’ve tried out the viral aged filter on TikTok (and absolutely hated the results), you’re not alone. With over 13 million videos under the filter, reactions range from shock to despair, and many are beginning to wonder what they can do to mitigate the effects of aging

Elevate Your Creative Strategy: Unlocking Insights with Concept Evaluation

Today's market is flooded with products, making it increasingly difficult for brands to capture attention, let alone truly resonate with their intended audiences. Standing out requires not just creativity, but also a precise understanding of what engages and resonates with consumers.

The Art of Branding in the Luxury Watch Market

As the market for luxury watches continues to evolve, so do the interests and preferences of collectors and enthusiasts. Using our AI-driven tools, we now have deeper insights into what drives this fascination.

Indulgent Moments

We wanted to understand the landscape of "extreme indulgence" across key markets and identify opportunities for the F&B businesses in this space.

The ‘TikTok Olympics’: Lessons for Brand Marketing from Athletes' Content

Dubbed the ‘TikTok Olympics,’ the Paris Olympics mark the first true Olympic Games since the lifting of COVID-19 regulations and the meteoric rise of TikTok as a cultural force.

The Economic Education of Gen Z: Using AI to Uncover the Trends, Tools, and Challenges

Financial literacy is becoming a big deal, especially for Gen Z. Growing up in the age of unlimited digital access means they're often exposed to financial decisions earlier than previous generations.

Streaming Sense: Decoding the VOD Evolution with Social Meaning

When video on-demand (VOD) streaming services first hit the market, they promised a utopia of endless entertainment which revolutionized the way we consume content.

Here’s how you can keep intelligence and empathy in your research work in the age of AI

Here’s how you can keep intelligence and empathy in your research work in the age of AI.

Simplicity, Nostalgia and Mindfulness Dominate Summer 2024 Trends

In recent years, propelled by social media and pop culture, we've seen the rise of various summer themes: Hot Girl Summer, Rot Girl Summer, Healing Girl Summer. Each year brings its very own mood, so what’s in store this year for the girlies in Summer 2024?

How Modern Advertising Reflects Evolving Beauty Ideals

History has significantly influenced what various cultures consider beautiful. Major economic and political events, along with shifts in the cultural zeitgeist, have all played a crucial part in shaping ideal beauty standards.

Unwrapping Sweet Insights for National Candy Month

The rise in candy from around the world reflects people's growing adventurous palates and the role of social media in introducing new foods globally.

Codes of Masculinity

As societal norms around masculinity evolve, understanding the complex identities of male consumers is crucial for developing marketing strategies that resonate and engage.

How Gen Zs and Millennials are Bringing Back Dinner Parties

Eater dubbed 2024 the Year of the Dinner Party back in January, and their prediction seems to be holding true, judging by search interest and the explosion of food-focused gatherings documented on TikTok and other social media platforms.

Scent and Sensibility: Unraveling Gen Z's Fragrance Preferences

Everyone knows that finding a fragrance isn’t just about whether it smells good; the motivations usually run deeper than that.

Lights, Camera, AI! Tracing the Evolution of Movies from the 1980s to the 2020s

From superheroes to star-crossed lovers, movies capture a moment in time, reflecting the values, sentiments, and mood of a generation.

Navigating EV discourse across markets

Looking at discourse on electric vehicles across five countries as an example, we address the challenge of analyzing consumer conversations from different markets.

Cultural Impact of Super Bowl 2024 Ads 🏈

While the big game was being played, a parallel competition was taking place during the commercial breaks. Following the success of our ad analysis last year, we've reviewed this year's commercials to provide a comprehensive analysis.

Does Coldplay's Sustainable Tour Resonate with Fans, and Why Should You Care?

Coldplay not only demonstrates a dedication to sustainability but also ingeniously integrates it into their marketing strategy, and immersing their fans in it.

Sneak Preview of Our Super Bowl Ad Analysis 🏈

Usher's halftime show performance, NFL fans around the world, and searches for chicken wings soar.

The Audiobook Boom: How Modern Readers Are Embracing Storytelling in Sound

Using Sphere, we wanted to find out what actually makes a good audiobook, where people are listening to them, and any insights we could find from audiobook reviews and bestselling lists.

From Nostalgia to Confidence: A Deep Dive into Gen Z Shopping Behavior and Retail Influence

This digital generation has an unmistakable impact on the fashion industry, and much of it is owed to their dominant presence on social media.

6 Things to Know About Slime

It’s almost impossible to be scrolling through social media without seeing slime. Whether it’s a slime storytime or a slime ASMR video...

An AI Analysis of the Spring 2024 Fashion Week Shows

Fashion weeks remain an essential part of the industry, bringing together the most influential people from all aspects of the business to different cities...

A Breath of Fresh Travel: Slowing Down The Journey

Travel, an industry built on the promise of uncovering adventures and stories, provides an intriguing case study. One of the noteworthy 2023 travel trends is "slow travel," a movement that encourages travelers to embrace a more leisurely pace.

Gen Z and Millennials Are Obsessed with Water: Here's What They're Drinking

Today, good hydration habits are believed to be the key to health and beauty, so people are drinking water more now than ever before.

5 Things We Loved About Our Event: AI-volution of Culture

It was a day of thoughtful discussions about culture and AI led by experts across different industries. We also proudly introduced our latest innovation...

Sugar, Spice and Everything NewJeans

Decked in nostalgic Y2K fashion and youthful vibrancy, NewJeans has quickly become the fresh-faced KPOP group to take over the world by storm.

The Taylor Swift Eras Tour Phenomenon

Whether a Taylor fan or not, the concert is a monocultural event and one that virtually everyone knows about.

Analog Adventures vs. Digital Detours: How Different Generations Escape the Daily Grind

To explore how individuals across different age groups express their need for escape, we tap into the crowd-sourcing power of Sphere’s Culture Lens app.

Do TikTok’s Trending Products Live Up to the Hype?

If you’re on TikTok, we’ve all been tempted to buy things we’ve seen on it, but how do we know if it actually works?

Beyond the Buzzer: 5 Things to Know About the NBA 🏀

As we approach the thick of the NBA Finals, we cap off an unforgettable season with a dose of basketball trivia that you might like to know.

AI Music: The Future of Music or a Threat to Musicians?

The emergence of AI music generators and the viral success of songs like “heart on my sleeve” showcases the future of AI music and its impact on the music industry.

Predictive AI Watches Decades of Viral Music Videos to Discover Trends Through Time

Like teenage blog poetry you forgot to delete and too-skinny jeans from your indie sleaze era, music videos are the ultimate time capsules.

Valentine’s Day: A Global Tour of Love

Using Sphere, we studied a total of 1.91 million unique searches and 800 TikTok posts across 10 countries to analyze how Valentine’s Day traditions are changing globally and its implication on the future of V-Day branding opportunities.

5 Things to Know About Jewelry 💎

There is a slew of jewelry options online, but we found that Shane Co., Zales, Tiffany & Co, Etsy , and Mejuri are the most popular e-commerce sites based on Sphere’s search analysis.

The Capricorn Season — Staying Rooted (Dec 22nd to Jan 19th)

As the sun continues its journey through the sky, it passes through the Capricorn Season between December 22nd and January 19th, when Venus goes retrograde.

VR Connections: The World of (Social) VR

Today, we analyze VR's lively — and sometimes lonely — world to understand better these emotions and how human desire for connection is unfolding in virtual spaces.

Lights, Camera, Travel: An AI Guide to Set-Jetting

Movie-inspired tourism can be extremely positive for local economies, so tourism boards should try to highlight these locations in their marketing and curate special experiences for visitors.

6 Things to Know About Pets 🐶🐱

Welcome to the most adorable side of TikTok. There are now dozens of videos on the platform of pets doing different challenges. Here are just a few of our favorites.

An Ode to Nothingness: Using AI to Analyze the Shift to Self-Care and Mindfulness

To survive during these fast-paced, troubling times, people are beginning to slow down their lives and take time out of their days to rest and recharge.

A tale of (sportswear) heroes

In the branding world, it’s well-known that Nike and Adidas, two leading sportswear brands, exude the Hero archetype in their positioning. However, are their ads up-to-date for the modern digital world’s definition of a Hero?

Decoding the Visuals of Taylor Swift’s Album Eras

Using Sphere’s Image Analysis tools, we break down each of her “eras” using her music videos and the brand-building lessons we can borrow from her playbook.

Getting to Know Gen Alpha

What comes after Gen Z? The highly anticipated Generation Alpha, who are shaping up to be pretty transformative successors.

Twitter’s ‘Wild Thoughts’ on Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Performance

Rihanna’s halftime show at the Superbowl divided viewers, but it certainly revealed a few truths about both her and society today.

How TikTok Supports People Battling With Infertility

Discussing fertility issues are still considered taboo today, but a group of people, mainly women, on TikTok have decided to take charge of the conversation and opened up about their struggles on the platform.

Hangxiety Relief

It's Sunday morning. You wake up parched and overwhelmingly nauseous. Your head is pounding and the daylight is eye-searing. If you've ever had too many drinks...

This World AIDS Day, We Study the Online Discourse on HIV/AIDS

This World AIDS Day, we used our AI tool, Sphere, to study the online discourse on HIV/AIDS.

Pink October: An AI Analysis of Breast Cancer Conversations Online

This week, we deep-dive into search queries and social media conversations related to breast cancer with the help of our AI tool, Sphere.

An Occupational Guide to Internet Fame

Move over astronauts, “influencer” is now one of the top dream jobs for the next generation.

Is Brown The Sound of Your Brain on Vacation?

Lately, another sonic hue has joined the club — brown noise.

The AI Guide to Looking Like a K-Pop Idol

K-pop has evolved incredibly from a music genre to a major driver of global culture, going above and beyond Asian fanbases to conquer the world.

The Leo Season — The Season of Expressing Yourself (July 20th to August 19th)

Cancer season’s introspection is out and Leo season’s roar of energy is in: The lion zodiac symbol is a time period making us magnanimous, loyal, protective, and filled with fiery drama.

Cancer Season — The Quest for Inner Joy (June 20th to July 19th)

The sun reaches its highest path in the sky at the beginning of this season on June 20th, marking the start of the summer solstice.

Gemini Season — Breaking the Shackles (May 20th to June 19th)

In the next installment of our Astrological Seasonal Trends series, we move into the season of Gemini, starting May 20th to June 19th.

Taurus Season — Time for a Breather (April 20th to May 19th)

Following the Aries season, as the sun shifts into the second sign, comes the Taurus season. A time that offers us the chance to chill, steady ourselves, and to find comfort.

Cultural Impact of CNY 2024 Ads in Singapore

As the festive spirit of the new year is in the air, Singaporean brands engage in a yearly ritual of their own: crafting advertisements that don’t just sell buttell stories.

Pick a category to discover

Culture

Brands

Virals

Suggested topics

consumer insights

digital marketing strategy

menstrual health

family planning

The Beauty Wishlist: 2024’s Most Searched Christmas Must-Haves

As the holidays approach, beauty wishlists are taking shape. We looked at search data for what was most popular in November 2024 as people start gift planning, as well as how search has changed in the past one month to see what’s popping.

From Memes to Mistletoe: How Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X Are Talking About Christmas

In a landscape shaped by TikTok creativity, wellness priorities, and sustainability demands, it’s no longer about whether your brand fits into Christmas, but if it can lead the conversation.

The Labubu Phenomenon: Turning Products into Cultural Necessities

Labubu has become impossible to ignore—but if you’ve somehow missed the craze, here’s the scoop: This mischievous yet kindhearted character from Pop Mart’s 'The Monsters' collection, created by artist Lung Kasing, has skyrocketed to fame.

The Revival of Kitten Heels: Retro Elegance Meets Modern Sophistication

Kitten heels are stepping up as the unexpected functional choice with flair—offering the comfort of a flat shoe while bringing a touch of sophistication, they provide a steady, stylish alternative to stilettos.

Lazy cook’s dream or expensive habit? Social Meaning makes sense of the meal kit craze

In a world where convenience reigns supreme, meal kit delivery services have quickly carved out a place in busy households. But what do people really think of these kits?

Under the Hood: Social Meaning

Social Meaning is an all-in-one analytics platform designed to help businesses make sense of the vast amounts of data generated by online consumer behavior.

The Art of Packaging: Bridging Cultural Heritage and Modernity for Global Beauty Success

We've all heard of K-beauty, but what about C-beauty? The rise of #CBeauty and #Hanfu has been phenomenal on social media, garnering over 2.5 billion views.

The future of content optimization: Speed up and scale ad testing with AI

Advertising cringe fests and controversies come and go quickly in this age of media ephemerality. But the ubiquity and speed of social media means that negative backlash hits brands harder than before.

Elevate Your Creative Strategy: Unlocking Insights with Concept Evaluation

Today's market is flooded with products, making it increasingly difficult for brands to capture attention, let alone truly resonate with their intended audiences. Standing out requires not just creativity, but also a precise understanding of what engages and resonates with consumers.

The Art of Branding in the Luxury Watch Market

As the market for luxury watches continues to evolve, so do the interests and preferences of collectors and enthusiasts. Using our AI-driven tools, we now have deeper insights into what drives this fascination.

The ‘TikTok Olympics’: Lessons for Brand Marketing from Athletes' Content

Dubbed the ‘TikTok Olympics,’ the Paris Olympics mark the first true Olympic Games since the lifting of COVID-19 regulations and the meteoric rise of TikTok as a cultural force.

How Modern Advertising Reflects Evolving Beauty Ideals

History has significantly influenced what various cultures consider beautiful. Major economic and political events, along with shifts in the cultural zeitgeist, have all played a crucial part in shaping ideal beauty standards.

Navigating EV discourse across markets

Looking at discourse on electric vehicles across five countries as an example, we address the challenge of analyzing consumer conversations from different markets.

Cultural Impact of Super Bowl 2024 Ads 🏈

While the big game was being played, a parallel competition was taking place during the commercial breaks. Following the success of our ad analysis last year, we've reviewed this year's commercials to provide a comprehensive analysis.

From 'Meh' to Memorable: Leveraging AI Insights for Consumer Connection

Feeling uninspired lately? This feeling of ‘meh-ness’ is a universal human experience in instances where everything feels dull and unexciting — whether it’s a #mondayblues kind of morning or an evening plagued by an existential crisis.

Revving Up Advertising: The Power of Creativity and Unconventionality in the Automotive Industry

When it comes to marketing automobiles, conversations often revolve around horsepower, specifications, and the like. However, the average consumer seeks more than just mechanical details.

Single and thriving: Life lessons from the solo economy

The surge in solo-friendly events and fitness classes also signals a shift towards enjoying one’s own company. Singles are not just exploring the world independently, they’re ready to spend on themselves.

The Audiobook Boom: How Modern Readers Are Embracing Storytelling in Sound

Using Sphere, we wanted to find out what actually makes a good audiobook, where people are listening to them, and any insights we could find from audiobook reviews and bestselling lists.

An AI Analysis of the Spring 2024 Fashion Week Shows

Fashion weeks remain an essential part of the industry, bringing together the most influential people from all aspects of the business to different cities...

Gen Z and Millennials Are Obsessed with Water: Here's What They're Drinking

Today, good hydration habits are believed to be the key to health and beauty, so people are drinking water more now than ever before.

The Power of Brand Narrative: Using AI to Craft Stories that Resonate

Creating a brand narrative that’s authentic, engaging and compelling enough for consumers to connect with. Isn’t that the dream? It’s crucial to...

Using Generative AI as your compass for brand positioning

In a world saturated with endless chatter and fleeting trends, businesses grapple with a daunting question: How can they rise above the noise ...

Thriving in the Era of Sustainable Fashion: Product Concept Using Generative AI

Now that the era of global boiling (no longer global warming) is upon us, companies are experiencing a massive change in consumer behavior

Lessons From A Good Ad: Turning Flaws to Fortune

With the help of Sphere’s Ad Benchmarking app, we use predictive AI to delve into the supermarket chain’s remarkable success...

Charting Success: Decoding Ads from The Best Airline In The World

In the world of aviation, one name stands out from the rest: Singapore Airlines, for the luxury, comfort, and hospitality they provide.

Marketing Copy In Minutes: Here’s How You Can Sell Anything To Anyone

Creating marketing copy. It’s something that sounds easy, but isn’t — especially if you’re looking to really make an impact.

From Short-Term Quick Fixes to Sustainable Solutions: How Dieting Has Transformed Over Time

Healthy diets have been around for as long as we can remember, but the way we diet has undergone a profound change in recent years.

Mylk Magic: How Plant-based Milks are Redefining Dairy Design

Got milk? That’s a complicated question these days, thanks to the popularity of plant-based alternatives to cow’s milk, collectively known as “mylk”.

An AI Read On Barnes & Noble’s Latest Chapter

Barnes & Noble has had a storied, somewhat tumultuous history, but a revival of book reading, new management, and an unexpected opportunity to take stock of their business has allowed the chain to stage a comeback.

Daters Gotta Date: The Billion Dollar Business of Dating Apps

As big tech continues to permeate our daily lives, the most common answer to “So how did you guys meet?” has increasingly become “Oh, on an app”.

A Brand Love Affair

If you think about it, making a dating profile is a lot like brand marketing … yourself.

5 Things You Need to Know About Retail Brands, Part 2

We hope you enjoyed our previous list of tidbits about retail brands. Here’s part two to round up our retail insights to ten.

Why In-N-Out Burger is So Loved

Using Sphere’s Customer Experience app, we decided to break down how people enjoy this iconic West Coast eatery with AI-generated data from Twitter.

5 Things You Need to Know About Retail Brands

A couple of weeks ago, we attended the NRF Retail’s Big Show and met some of the world’s biggest retailers and other brands doing pretty cool things. Here’s a snippet from our Sphere pulls.

A Slogan For Every Season: The Business Of Hyper-personalization

In a world rife with big data, consumers are no longer simplistically defined by monolithic segments.

The New Party Drink of Sobriety

There’s been a subtle but steady shift in drinking habits that’s making hangovers go out of style.

How to Make the Earth Your Only Shareholder

In 2017, Forbes magazine declared Patagonia’s founder a billionaire and it really, really pissed him off.

Cultural Impact of CNY 2024 Ads in Singapore

As the festive spirit of the new year is in the air, Singaporean brands engage in a yearly ritual of their own: crafting advertisements that don’t just sell buttell stories.

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Ashwagandha: The Ancient Herb Sparking a New Wave of Cognitive Wellness

To meet the increasing demands for cognitive wellness, a natural remedy has emerged in the face of high tech solutions and brain-training apps.

The Labubu Phenomenon: Turning Products into Cultural Necessities

Labubu has become impossible to ignore—but if you’ve somehow missed the craze, here’s the scoop: This mischievous yet kindhearted character from Pop Mart’s 'The Monsters' collection, created by artist Lung Kasing, has skyrocketed to fame.

The Revival of Kitten Heels: Retro Elegance Meets Modern Sophistication

Kitten heels are stepping up as the unexpected functional choice with flair—offering the comfort of a flat shoe while bringing a touch of sophistication, they provide a steady, stylish alternative to stilettos.

Lazy cook’s dream or expensive habit? Social Meaning makes sense of the meal kit craze

In a world where convenience reigns supreme, meal kit delivery services have quickly carved out a place in busy households. But what do people really think of these kits?

The Evolution of Anti-Aging Ads: What the TikTok Aging Filter Means for the Industry

If you’ve tried out the viral aged filter on TikTok (and absolutely hated the results), you’re not alone. With over 13 million videos under the filter, reactions range from shock to despair, and many are beginning to wonder what they can do to mitigate the effects of aging

The ‘TikTok Olympics’: Lessons for Brand Marketing from Athletes' Content

Dubbed the ‘TikTok Olympics,’ the Paris Olympics mark the first true Olympic Games since the lifting of COVID-19 regulations and the meteoric rise of TikTok as a cultural force.

How Gen Zs and Millennials are Bringing Back Dinner Parties

Eater dubbed 2024 the Year of the Dinner Party back in January, and their prediction seems to be holding true, judging by search interest and the explosion of food-focused gatherings documented on TikTok and other social media platforms.

Tacos, TikTok, Text Models: A Modern Recipe for Small Business Revival

#foodtok, #cleantok, #studytok, #calmtok, #booktok, #moneytok – is there anything TikTok can't turn viral? The answer is a resounding 'Nope.'

6 Things to Know About Slime

It’s almost impossible to be scrolling through social media without seeing slime. Whether it’s a slime storytime or a slime ASMR video...

Dancing with Tube Girl: How Brands Are Riding the Wave of Empowerment

Sabrina Bahsoon, also known as Tube Girl, took the internet by storm through her TikTok videos of her dancing like no one’s watching on...

Do TikTok’s Trending Products Live Up to the Hype?

If you’re on TikTok, we’ve all been tempted to buy things we’ve seen on it, but how do we know if it actually works?

Lights, Camera, Travel: An AI Guide to Set-Jetting

Movie-inspired tourism can be extremely positive for local economies, so tourism boards should try to highlight these locations in their marketing and curate special experiences for visitors.

Trends in this Year’s Best Sellers: #BookTok, Romance, and Colleen Hoover

Publishing and readership is changing rapidly due to new market forces such as the rise of self-publishing and the growing relevance of #BookTok.

Is Brown The Sound of Your Brain on Vacation?

Lately, another sonic hue has joined the club — brown noise.

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Lazy cook’s dream or expensive habit? Social Meaning makes sense of the meal kit craze

In a world where convenience reigns supreme, meal kit delivery services have quickly carved out a place in busy households. But what do people really think of these kits?

Scooby Dooby Boo: How Pet Brands Can Stay on Trend

The 'boo basket' trend—a playful, Halloween-inspired twist on gift-giving—has swept across social media platforms.

Exploring Financial Behaviors of Gen Z and Millennials: A Comparative Look through Social Meaning

The ways in which Gen Z and Millennials approach finance reflect the unique challenges and opportunities of their respective generations.

Under the Hood: Social Meaning

Social Meaning is an all-in-one analytics platform designed to help businesses make sense of the vast amounts of data generated by online consumer behavior.

Under the Hood of Marketing Copy: System Prompts

Harnessing AI to generate cutting-edge marketing copy with Sphere’s Marketing Copy.

Under the Hood of Marketing Copy: Mitigating AI Bias

Sphere’s guide to culturally inclusive, bias-minimized marketing

Under the Hood of Culture Lens: Subcultures and Aesthetics

In the first installment of “Under the Hood,” we explored how Culture Lens uses embeddings to pinpoint the top 100 images that most accurately represent user-searched experiences.

Under the Hood of Culture Lens: Embeddings

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, understanding and staying ahead of emerging trends and consumer behaviors is crucial for businesses. At Quilt.AI, we’re harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to do just that.

Under the Hood of Ad Benchmarking: Building the Database

In the rapidly evolving world of advertising, it is vital to measure the success of your advertisements against your intent, your brand, and various industry standards....

Under the Hood of Ad Benchmarking: Creativity

In the first installment of “Under the Hood,” we talked about the development of the industry database, comprising more than 13,000 high-performing industry ads...

The future of content optimization: Speed up and scale ad testing with AI

Sphere’s Ad Evaluation app harnesses the power of the internet and crowdsources mass opinions for an objective picture of how creative content will be received.

7 Things to Know About Artificial Intelligence 🧠🤖

Everyone’s talking about artificial intelligence lately and for good reason.

Zero-Shot Learning: Dataless Classification

As names go, “zero-shot” is unintuitive even by machine learning standards.

Mining for Meaning, Part 2: Database Indexing

In the previous post, we discussed how to translate a variety of questions on semantic similarity into a single, tractable mathematical problem: which vector is closest to a query vector?

The Who: Filtering Personal Data

How do we make sure that the information we gather is anonymized and does not infringe on the privacy of the individual?

Mining for Meaning, Part 1: Embeddings and Semantic Similarity

Modern search engines do not merely look for keyword matches — they apply similarity search to ensure that you get relevant results.

Where in the World: Location-Based Search

When gathering data from online platforms, we often want to “filter by location” — that is, restrict our search to a city, region or country. In this article, we discuss the problem of location filtering for online data.

Streaming Up Sales: The Rise of Live Shopping

In an age of personalized marketing, livestream shopping is a warm, welcoming cure to the detachment of traditional e-commerce.

Speed up the product development process with intelligent automation

Take your product from concept to market in half the time with AI idea generation.

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