How brands welcomed the latest microfame star, food obsessed Millennials get broken down (in a less-than-scientific way), your new hipster stay-at-home Lego dad, Fitbit dominates the market, and other links we found this week…
1. Back At It Again With the White Vans:
We are living in an age where fame can happen to anyone, and “DAMN! Daniel” is proof of that. This week one teen became the latest microfame star when a clip of him, narrated by a friend saying “Damn Daniel!” and “Back at it again with the white Vans!” has been viewed over 45 million times, and inspired a rap song. This week they even appeared on Ellen as her latest viral guests, where Daniel received a lifetime supply of Vans. Don’t miss how brands like Clorox and Axe leveraged the video and Daniel’s love for white Vans to promote their own content—including a fan-fiction worthy story on twitter about Daniel, his sneakers, and breakfast by Denny’s.
2. Anatomy of the Food Obsessed Millennial
Millennials’ passion for food and unique tastes have transformed the traditional food industry, and created a new standard of what ends up on your plate and in your cup. This week we identified the top food trends we learned at Bitten, a conference on the future of food, including Instagrammable restaurants, and a new “raw fish craze” called Poké. Don’t miss Bon Appétit’s “less-than-scientific” infographic outlining other trends and the anatomy of the food obsessed Millennial. Once you had a good chuckle, don’t miss one Millennial’s response: “I don’t care if the Baby Boomer generation thinks we’re food-obsessed…There’s nothing wrong with eating consciously or pretentiously.”
3. Meet Your New Hipster Stay-at-Home Lego Dad
For the generation that demands inclusion, toy aisles are responding by getting more diverse. A recent trend in playthings that focuses on representation includes Barbie’s (potentially late) creation of new models with various body types. Lego, in response to a #ToyLikeMe movement, debuted a figurine in wheelchair at the 2016 toy fair…and it looks like they will continue their inclusive strategy. Don’t miss the debut of a hipster-looking Lego stay-at-home dad and a working mom aimed to “to mirror the cultural landscape as [they] evolve.”
4. Fitbit Dominates the Market
The digital generation loves their tech toys. More than half believe technology positively effects their happiness—compared to 42% of Xers and 30% of Boomers. Since Millennials are early adopters of tech and ultimately influence what older generations purchase, we recently asked 1000 13-33-year-olds to tell us what tech items are at the top of their wishlist. Laptops were number one, followed by televisions, and then their most prized possession smartphones. Smartwatches and Apple watches made the top ten, and wearables, including Fitbit made the top 20. Don’t miss how Fitbit is dominating the market, and blew away analysts’ projections for the fourth quarter by making revenues of $712 million.
5. The New Entrepreneurs
Big brands are losing the love. We recently spoke to the Millennial founder of small cold brew coffee brand Brooklyn Diamond Coffee, and discussed how she uses hospitality to create a personalized experience, compete with the big brands of the industry, and uses fan feedback on social media to shape the future of her startup. Don’t miss Fortune’s break down of “Millennipreneurs”—a growing number of 20-35-year-olds business owners who are targeting higher profits than the generations before them.
