Influx Insights Tag Feed: london

re-branding adult education

Influx Insights — 2008-09-22T23:24:11Z

An enormous number of adults are keen to continue the learning experience well after they've left their college or university, but the thought of going back to the boring classroom fills them with dread.

We want to learn, but desire to do it in a new way and perhaps learn some stuff that's a lot closer to self-help books than academia.

Sadly, the adult education world has been pretty much a void when it comes to interesting experiences, there's plenty of opportunity, but nothing that comes across as arresting.

The School of Life is an attempt to change that. With its storefront, savvy branding and its openness to embrace the desire for people to network and learn interesting stuff in the process.

They have such treats as a two-day tour of Heathrow Airport with Alan De Botton for 295 pounds and conversational dinners where you get to meet new people and learn the art of conversation at the same time.

My guess is there will be a race to see if School of Life can open up a New York outpost before it gets copied by some enterprising Americans.

The Telegraph has a story here
Monocle has a film here

Posted by Ed Cotton

the perils of a club where the clubbers generate real energy

Influx Insights — 2008-07-11T17:41:27Z

The London tabloids have been abuzz with the news that one of the world's first eco-clubs is opening in town.

The idea, not too different from health clubs, where users generate power for the building, is to get the dancing clubbers, with the aid of a special dance floor to generate the energy (up to 60% of the club's total needs)

It sounds interesting, but isn't it yet another example of putting "green" before the product experience?

Clubbers go to places where there's a good scene, good sound and great DJs.

Presenting yourself as an eco-club isn't really going to work.

Despite the desires of young adults to do good things for the world, they don't want to spend a lousy night at an eco-club.

Environmental credentials need to be built on top of great product performance, but cannot be used as a substitute.

Posted by Ed Cotton

new food ideas from london

Influx Insights — 2007-09-30T17:07:25Z

Here are some new food ideas I spotted in London last week, it includes some interesting concepts that put "health" or "healthier" at the center of the idea and a twist on the typical chocolate store.

1. Hamburger Union

A burger chain with a difference, it only uses beef from grass-fed, free-range cattle.

2. Maoz

A veggie fast-food chain with locations across Europe and now a couple in the United States and one in Australia.

3. Pure California

A new concept that exports the California fast food concept of wraps and smoothies to London.

4. Hummus Bros

A hummus and pita bread chain.

5. Hotel Chocolat

A chocolate themed hotel, not really, instead it's a luxury chocolate store.

Posted by Ed Cotton

a seductive, but ineffective idea

Influx Insights — 2007-09-25T23:23:24Z

Sometimes ideas are so powerful and iconic, that the power drowns out questions about effectiveness.

A great example is the CCTV camera in London.

Cameras are literally everywhere and appear to provide citizens with greater security. However, if you dig a little deeper, you discover the CCTVs don't seems to be effective as it might first appear.

Despite the presence of 10,000 cameras in the city, 80% of crimes remain unsolved.

Analysis of clear-up rates across different neighborhoods shows the presence of cameras don't impact the rate.

Be careful, ideas can be seductive and shiny, but we always need to be asking ourselves the question about impact, effect and challenge everyone to understand if they are solving the real problem.

Interestingly, with the CCTV camera, the desired political goal might be to provide the illusion of safety.

Via Tom Hume

Posted by Ed Cotton

crocs set to open brand stores

Influx Insights — 2007-09-25T12:00:36Z

Seen in London's Covent Garden last week.

Posted by Ed Cotton

turfing london's trafalgar square

Influx Insights — 2007-09-02T02:20:49Z

Posted by Ed Cotton

apple builds its itunes brand

Influx Insights — 2007-07-15T20:41:48Z

There’s no doubting the functional power of iTunes software, but it plays second fiddle to the more powerful and dominant iPod.

Now it looks as if Apple would like to beef up the iTunes brand a little more.

No 9 on Influx's prediction list for 2007 is happening

In the UK, Apple worked with the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art) to create the iTunes Music Festival. The festival takes place during the month of July at the ICA where bands and artists will play to an intimate crowd of 350 people. Acts lined up for this include; Ash, Athlete, Groove Armada, Imogen Heap.

Not surprisingly, there’s some nice integration with the iTunes brand, as all the concerts will be recorded and be available for sale on the site.

You can’t buy tickets, you can only win them in a prize draw, so Apple gets to capture lots of nice data.

Posted by Ed Cotton

england's national gallery brings its art to the people

Influx Insights — 2007-06-15T13:11:34Z

As a promotion to drive increased visits, England's National Gallery created reproductions of its most famous works and hung them up around the streets of London.

The result is striking.

Created with Paul's flickrSLiDR.

Photos by Fergus Jackson

Posted by Ed Cotton

london psfk conference- june 1st

Influx Insights — 2007-04-25T04:47:07Z

Lots of smart folks speaking at this one.

On 1st June, PSFK presents a series of presentations and discussions by leading innovators over the course of a day. The morning will focus on evolving new trends and ideas; the afternoon will look at future design and new marketing.

Confirmed Speakers

Niku Banaie, Naked Communications
Mike Butcher, TBites
Russell Davies, Open Intelligence Agency
R�gine Debatty, We Make Money Not Art
Jeremy Ettinghausen, Penguin Books
John Grant
Tamara Giltsoff, OZOlab brand
Beeker Northam
George Parker, Madscam
Iain Tait, Poke
Diana Verde Nieto, Clownfish
Faris Yakob, Naked Communications
Johnny Vulkan, Anomaly

Many more speakers to be confirmed. Register your interest in attending this conference here.

counter trends and cultural hubs-rough trade plans a record store

Influx Insights — 2007-06-14T18:09:51Z

It’s sometimes just as important to follow and act on counter-trends, as it is to follow trends.

One great example is the decision by Rough Trade to open a 5,000 sq ft record store in London, just months’ after Tower Records went out of business and the music industry is in a downward spiral.

While many people will buy records online, the more they do, the more they will crave the physical environment of a record store, especially one that celebrates music.

Like going to see a movie in a theater or browsing a bookstore, there is something about buying music in a store, that online just can’t replicate

"We are looking to make an official announcement in the next few weeks. Our aim is to deliver something we feel has been missing in this country for far too long - an environment that celebrates music as an exciting art form, not just another commercial commodity - but on a scale that is a departure from the traditional perception of an independent record shop.

"The music industry seems to have a lot of doom and gloom about it at the moment, despite people's passion for music being as strong as ever. We certainly hope to put some smiles back on faces with something that reflects the true public appetite for exciting new music."

Steven Godfroy-Rough Trade- quoted in The Independent newspaper

Rough Trade intends to combine a performance space with the record store making it more of a cultural hub for the independent music scene. It’s a microcosm of the passion of Indy music and a rallying cry against the commercialization and commoditization of the industry.

Amoeba Music in San Francisco is the model for Rough Trade’s new venture.