Our KIN network takes us on a trip to their home cities. This time we head into the night with creative agency owner Jun Bae in Seoul…

It always feels safe going out in Seoul.

“Walking around crowded party areas like Hongdae and Itaewon is like walking through my own quiet neighbourhood.” 

There’s been a lot of change over the last few years. 

“You used to have to go to party hubs to hang out at night – Hongdae, Itaewon, Gangnam – now every corner of Seoul offers something fun. On one small alley in my neighbourhood there’s a wine bar, a cafe, a Mexican restaurant, an independent bookstore, and (of course) a Korean BBQ joint.”

Seoul is feeling the generation gap. 

“… especially when it comes to the ‘work hard, play hard’ ethic people associate with South Korea. Office culture is changing; when I started working in 2010, we’d work until 11pm, go out for drinks, and then go back to work the next day – even on weekends. Koreans are changing though, and individual happiness is becoming more important. The 52 hour work week is being strictly enforced by the government, for a start.”

Evenings at home and staycations are two growing trends.  

“People are spending more time at home during the evenings – socialising, hanging out, drinking – and caring way more about their home interiors. Staycations are also huge in South Korea right now. So many local guests use our hotel rooms at RYSE as their party rooms – not like the typical American house party, but for small gatherings and as a base camp for their night out.” 

There’s nothing like the night mood of Seoul. 

“The shift from day to night is different depending on where you go. In Hongdae it gets louder, younger and brighter; while Jamsil becomes quieter and slower; and Itaewon welcomes in a totally different crowd at night. Wherever you go, Seoul has a sense of serenity and beauty at night.”

To delve into more city life read City Limits, our series of pieces exploring the urban experience here.

How does a healthcare brand gain the trust of women who feel that the system is failing them? Crowd DNA’s Sundari Sheldon decodes what happens when you put women at the center of it…

As ‘Femtech’ and the female wellness market is booming, it’s helping to expose the failings in how healthcare has been delivered to women. It’s often a fragmented system, where women’s body parts are treated by different doctors, ignoring that gynecology, mental health and wellness are part of ‘whole’ health. Further, gender concepts are complex, and of course, no two journeys are the same. 

Taking an intersectional approach to individualized personal care for women is a necessity to land well with the consumers of today.

As part of our regular cultural decode series, Semiotics At Crowd, we’re looking at tia and how this company is leading in the representation of women’s wellness. Tia – from the Spanish for ‘aunt’ – is a US wellness hub that integrates gynecology, primary care, and mental wellbeing: a holistic service from puberty to menopause (and the majority of its offerings are covered by most insurance plans).

The brand is focused on intersectional wellness as “the modern medical home for women”. And it utilizes a unique brand strategy to reflect how it’s open to the complexities of women’s experience. Below, we’ve used tia to explore three new key codes of ‘modern medical’ wellness that are shining through in women’s health. 

1. Wellness as individualized personal care 

Faceless, unidentifiable illustrations throughout tia’s online presence are a focus on ‘you’. Literally, as a design concept, with faceless drawings, you become the focal point. In contrast to the unrelatable use of perfectly placed models with often cheesy expressions, by using anonymous illustrations it enables onlookers to fit themselves into tia’s wellness approach.

Tia’s focus on the individual also comes through visually with components like illustrations of tia’s services circling around around the word “you”, and consistent language that highlights their mission of putting the individual needs of each consumer first, for example “Your health is an open conversation. Our providers decide what’s safe. You decide what’s best.”

2. Wellness as true, genuine representation 

Tia’s use of a muted palette speaks to diversity, and the pops of color highlight their vibrant – some could claim revolutionary – message. The team bios and photos are posted in black and white with pops of color in the background. Elsewhere only parts of illustrations are colorful as a contrast to the mostly beige background of their website pages and clinic interior designs. Where there is a colorful background, a beige font is used. Additionally, tia signals diverse body shapes by using softer shapes for their illustrations of women. The message is that tia wants true, genuine representation with their approach to health. 

3. Wellness as an intersectional offering

Intersectionality is a crucial lens through which to view wellness today. Tia reflects that by acknowledging that there must be fluidity in treating the various wellness needs of their patients. The use of messy brush strokes (in contrast to fine lines) represents that things are more fluid now – especially in regard to gender expression.

Their non-aggressive and smooth lines serve as a representation of the fluidity offered by their individualized care. Additionally, their signature pink dot is a testament to not only their friendly font and color choice, but it’s about their inclusive and well ’rounded’ approach to healthcare.

Overall, tia is redefining what women’s wellness means in modern times – the semiotic codes connect it to individualized personal care, diversity, and intersectionality. The company is drawing a line in the sand from traditional approaches to health and wellness, and redefining what the future will look like: on one level, the gynecologist for the self-care generation (a recent ad campaign: “Finally, Healthcare That Hears You” timed to clinic openings in Manhattan and Brooklyn). And also we can look at its visual identity as a how-to guide to coding safe space for women.

Need help talking women wellness? Get in touch at: hello@crowdDNA.com

So this isn’t just men wearing old festival wristbands? No, this is much more intentional. Unlike festival wristbands that are usually forgotten and left on for the entire summer, the bro-celet is a carefully considered accessory – often with a heavy subtext. For Charles, the inclusion is a subtle nod to his positioning as an environmentalist King. 

Clever! These are very carefully planned. Men are purchasing them from designer boutiques and incorporating them into their daily wardrobes. Work, gym, pub; the bro-celet is a constant companion, favoured by both bankers in boardrooms and tech bros in Silicon Valley who wear them as a savvy power move, often paired down with an Apple watch.

And what about those A-listers you mentioned? Bro-celets have appeared on the wrists of some big names, like David Beckham, Harry Styles, Timothée Chalamet and Brad Pitt. It’s a subtle way to show some rebellion, and can easily be hidden under a sleeve when needed. Plus, many of these bracelets have a charitable connection, which is a nice bonus for those who want to avoid getting too political about capitalism and what not.

I was planning on wearing a tuxedo today, can I still ‘bro-celet’? Go for it! While some may assume a casual bracelet wouldn’t go with a formal suit, like the one worn by King Charles, the mix of high and low is all part of the charm.

TL;DR: Want to tell the world how much you care about [insert charitable cause], but are too busy getting ahead? Throw on a bro-celet and let your accessory of choice do the talking for you. 

Our relationship with food doesn’t only reflect our culture, it also helps to define it. In our latest issue of City Limits we invite you to enjoy our appetizers and insightful mains on city food…

City Limits Volume Nine – download it here.

We’ve seen so much in our City Limits series – Crowd DNA’s ongoing exploration of the urban experience – since it began in 2018. Over five years, it is our opportunity to bring together thoughtful reporting of what is happening now in cities and forecast how it could look next in compelling sectors like city living, youth culture, and mobility, to city-centric solutions and the night economy. 

We’re now back with our ninth issue and to ask what’s happening in the food and drink business in cities around the world after a challenging few years. It explores how what we eat and drink impacts on a city’s culture, ways that urban plays its part in a product’s story, and how food is such a pleasurable taste of change as it happens in our ever-evolving cities. 

We go to restaurants in Tokyo where Kaiseki fine dining means fun and frivolity, find out why Singapore’s hawker food culture is being harmed by nostalgia, enjoy slow moving cuisine in London, and taste when food gives community to the diaspora in cities around the world – and ultimately, to us all.

The full 17 page magazine includes:

City Limits Volume Nine – download it here.

Our global Crowd Numbers team on how to make waves with a game-changing business segmentation…

Successful segmentations are transformative. They become part of the DNA of an organisation, inspiring a shared feeling of ‘these are our customers’ that everyone – from product, to marketing, to the C-suite – can visualise and respond to. They’re also a quintessential form of quantitative research. And, if done well, can provide a robust yet nuanced understanding of people, not just profiles. 

All too often, however, the hard work that goes into a segmentation falls victim to reports overloaded with data; pen portraits with zero personality, and disengaged stakeholders. Getting them right is both an art and a science. Here, our global Crowd Numbers team sums up how to build a segmentation guaranteed to have impact.

 

1. Segmentations without cultural context aren’t going to change the world (or your brand)

Segmentations can sometimes feel sterile and devoid of any of the context that surrounds the segment profiles. This can lead to an exclusion of nuance that ultimately influences consumer behaviour. At Crowd, we combine cultural understanding and quantitative analytics to bring customers to life. When designing segmentations, we take into account current trends, cultural shifts and data from different sources to replicate the real world thinking and experiences of the people behind the numbers.

 

2. Avoiding death by data-overload will win you fans

Data overload is an all too common problem when faced with a segmentation. At the heart of the numbers are real people, so our goal is to enhance understanding of them and their lives by reducing the data-induced noise – not adding to it. We aim to demystify the numbers as much as possible by simplifying them (with easy to understand language, and an appreciation that not all data points are worth including), and making the segment information accessible to everyone across the business.

 

3. A segmentation lives or dies by how it’s socialised

Linked to data-overload is the fact that segmentations are only useful if they lead to meaningful action – aka whether they’re used or not. One of the best ways to achieve action is to breathe life into the segments so they become easier to empathise with. Our in-house Socialise team creates outputs that land a segmentation in the most impactful way for organisations. Whether it’s profile videos, one-pagers, editorialised zines or stakeholder workshops, we ensure the segmentation lives on long after the project wraps up.

 

4. The trick to coming up with something solid is to keep things flexible

As contradictory as it might sound, a robust segmentation is built on a bed of flexibility. There’s no such thing as an off-the-shelf approach when it comes to our segmentations. We recognise that needs and priorities can evolve over the course of a project. Having the freedom to adapt means we can overcome challenges and create an approach that works for everyone. Need more time to perfect the questionnaire? No problem. Want to explore the different segment solutions before committing to a final output? We actively encourage it.

 

5. Successful segmentations require constant collaboration  

From the beginning, we aim to become an extension of a client’s team. Joining up our thinking at every stage means the segmentation will be crafted from both a research and business perspective. Kicking things off with a stakeholder workshop ensures we design the project from the ground up. We then work with clients every step of the way, driving engagement and inspiring the business at key moments. Crucially, defining segment profiles is a key piece of the puzzle and one which we believe should be done together.

 

6. Don’t forget to think outside the box

Lastly, segmentations are both an art and a science. While there are some general ground rules, challenging the status quo is always worth it. We don’t rip up the rule book each time, rather look for ways to enhance tried and tested methods with creative thinking. Working with our STRAT7 partners, Bonamy Finch, we combine the latest in data analytics with our research expertise to create data-driven and relevant segmentations, all with the aim of driving culturally charged commercial advantage for our clients.

 

If you’d like to hear more of our thoughts on segmentations, please get in touch: hello@crowdDNA.com

Cities don’t need to feel devoid of empathy. Crowd’s Olivia Anderson explores how safe and inclusive urban spaces begin with building for women…

Urban mobility specialist Mónica Araya was recharging her electric car in a remote part of Norway when she had a thought: she wouldn’t have felt safe there without her husband. But while much thinking about the female experience of cities is rooted in functional-spatial concerns around safety, she acknowledged it can be taken so much further. 

While streetlights and street-facing windows can mitigate the problem of women’s safety, they aren’t completely solving it. We can consider what happens when you take values traditionally associated with femininity – kindness, sensitivity, co-operation – and use them to shape a city. How embedding a different value system could be the catalyst for impactful cultural shifts. And how to plan a city through the prism of the female experience can make space for values like inclusivity and empathy.

For example, cities can take into account a more modular mode of living with decentralised hubs and flexible, multi-functional spaces that make it easier for women to access all parts of the city. In 2020, mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo led on this with her hyper-local vision for the 15-minute city: urban planning so that people live, work and have access to all the services they need — whether that’s shops, schools, theatres or medical care — within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. 

The drive to prioritise accessibility in urban design can also be seen in the creation of inclusive spaces; Geneva uses female figures in road signs, and Vienna features LGBT couples in traffic lights. These simple acts legitimise the presence of women, and other marginalised groups. And here we see how attitudinal shifts can often follow these concrete planning initiatives – in this case, tolerance.

Meanwhile, ensuring diverse representation in urban planning at the different stages of development is a way to also avoid oversights that make cities inaccessible for women; for example, planners in Barcelona identified that the public restrooms couldn’t accommodate prams. In Amsterdam, there was a public outcry around the lack of sanitary facilities for women. Conversely, Edmonton in Canada supplies free period products in every public restroom. This kind of provision has the power to drive inclusion. 

Most persuasive for a collaborative city is knowing that if you get gender right, it can build empathy and emotional intelligence into the DNA of a city – making space for those to whom cities have historically been inhospitable. Improvements like more rest areas for people with disabilities, or better lighting, and facilitating access to all the things a city has to offer signifies that the city is for everyone. 

The social implications of empathic infrastructure have the potential to be far-reaching and to effect a more equitable urban environment. After all, our spaces define us as much as we define them. 

To read more about spotlighting safety measures for women our City Limits: Solutions here.

Our KIN network takes us on a trip to their home cities. First up, we join creative entrepreneur Toye Sokunbi on the Lagos party scene…

There ain’t no party like a Lagos party

“Lagos’ biggest party season is in December, and a frenetic series of mixers, exhibitions, weddings, birthdays, house parties, concerts, music festivals, club nights and more that begin in the last days of November stretching through December, and sometimes bleeding into the early weeks of the new year. ‘Detty December’ as it’s fondly called by Lagosians has gained global infamy in recent years as a seasonal destination for hedonist debauchery and cheap but tasteful fun.“

Now ‘Detty Easter’

“A growing number of events are packing out Easter holiday weekends. Though relatively milder compared to the Detty December, it’s not unusual for big UK and US artists to have headline concerts in Lagos during Easter, or for Nigerians in diaspora and holidayers from around the world to party in Lagos for a few days during Easter. With reduced flight costs in April, and the mellower pace, Detty Easter is a budget-friendly Detty December.“

Budget Lagos nights

“Clubbing is not cheap anywhere in the world, and Lagos is no different. Recently though, the demand for pocket-friendly alternatives has become an opportunity for party promoters to host electronic music-themed, events. Though the frequency of EDM events is still limited to monthly and bi-monthly ticketed parties and festivals, the community is growing because it gives the underserved budget clubbers an experience of what a good Lagos night should actually be: a progressive safe space to enjoy good music with friends without having to break the bank. Element House is a monthly house music party often hosted in Lagos by Spektrum Live and attracts DJs from around the world. Similar events are hosted by  independent promoters are Sweat It Out Lagos, EkoLectro, House On The Reef and more.“

Alt-Nightlife Lagos

“Elaborate Escape Rooms, game nights, arcades, silent parties, play-listing parties and themed-private dining, are only a few of the new innovative alt-nightlife activities that have grown in popularity around Lagos since the end of the pandemic. 

Bature, an outdoor craft beer spot set in Victoria Island, for example, offers a touch of indigenousness and authenticity on its drink menu. Beezus Kitchen, a catering company based in Ikoyi also hosts a monthly ticketed 8-course private-dining event called K-BBQ Night, which — as the name implies — is a Korean-themed dinner menu for a select number of guests. Last year, Wafflesncrm, a Lagos-based skate brand celebrated its 10th anniversary with a skate-themed concert, featuring indoor ramp skating side-by-side music performances and DJ sets. The goal for many of these themed spots and events is to give nightlifers unique experiences that cannot be easily replicated.“

A lot of Nigerians unwind by partying

“The way Nigerians let their hair down is changing with younger generations and the advent of social media. While it’s largely still confined to red light district subculture, the adult entertainment industry is growing in popularity and becoming a subject of fascination, among working class urban men and women alike. Over the years there’s been more open curiosity and less stigma around experimentation with drugs, too. Nigerians are quite laid back people, generally speaking – but nowhere parties like Lagos!“

To delve into more city life read City Limits, our series of pieces exploring the urban experience here.

At Crowd DNA, it’s possible to travel the world and still be at work. We caught up with some of our team who’ve taken advantage of our Work From Anywhere benefit, to see how it went in their far flung hide-aways…

A beach in Sicily, a caravan in the Gobi desert, a casino in Las Vegas, up a tree in Socotra – it’s all an office to us. Our Work From Anywhere benefit means Crowd DNA’s gang of intrepid adventurers and impassioned people-watchers can work for 30 days anywhere in the universe. Unsurprisingly, people have been making good use of this perk – the envy of all cultural strategists – ever since travel restrictions eased.  

 

Dan Steward – Osaka & Tokyo, Japan 

In November 2021, I was lucky enough to spend 30 days working in Japan.  I’m half Japanese and hadn’t  been to the country of my birth for almost 9 years. It was just a great opportunity to reconnect with my heritage and culture beyond simply a two week whistle-stop tour, as well as spending some quality time with family. 

And what a unique time to visit! Covid restrictions meant that only those with a Japanese passport could enter (lucky me!) and so I was treated like a local returning home, despite my rusty Japanese. The word ‘authentic’ is overused, but as a cultural experience, it’s really the only word I can think of.  When tourism is basically illegal, you cease to become a tourist, and the sheer surprise of having a (half) foreigner in the country meant people were even more welcoming than usual.

From this special time in the country, I really learnt about the contradictions of Japanese culture. They’re super curious people. And the country is very globally connected in one sense, but in another it’s very isolationist – especially culturally. I had some eye-opening moments, learning how big the world is. Like, no one in Japan has heard of the Gorillaz apparently (wut?). I marvelled, too, at how an incredibly futuristic city like Tokyo hasn’t got (as far as I could see) a single street sign. I loved how Osakan kids worship LA hip hop  – if you’re in Osaka, you’ve got to check out Orange Street.

I feel very blessed to have had such experiences at a time when our physical worlds were so restricted.   

Amy Nicholson – Sicily, Italy

May 2022, optimism’s in the air and I took off from London to  Sicily for some sun, sea and granita for my 30 days Work From Anywhere. We stayed in Modica, a small town on the south coast, and the local characters were plentiful. Like Stefano, the parking attendant who watched dutifully over our moped as we enjoyed a morning dip in the sea. And Lucas, the animated and often inebriated chef who presided over his outstanding Sicilian-Japanese fusion restaurant we stumbled upon one balmy Monday evening. Giovanni, too, the retired architect who called in every evening to check the wifi was playing ball and who couldn’t understand why a young person (like me) can’t magically tempt a perfect signal into a 17th century home.  

As for the work side of things – I was careful to carve out quite a strict work/life balance. I cherished the mornings, starting off, of course, with an espresso with the locals. I always, always took a full hour for lunch – soaking in the view and savouring the sweetness of the pomodorini. And the same goes for the evenings – I became basically religious about my granita at the close of day. I’m not going to lie – the problem was the wifi, and the relaxing environs were tainted ever so slightly by the awkward video call lags and agonising 45 minute uploads. But enough of that! 

I also may have found a new talent… Everyday we would pass the local ticket seller, who touts the tourist train that runs from morning until night throughout the town. One day, on discovering I’m from London, she became insistent that I provide the English voiceover to the new service they’re launching in nearby Noto. I of course agreed to! 

The idea that a part of me will always be playing out for other visitors discovering this area for the first time fills me with joy. 

Dave Stenton – Melbourne, Australia

Uninterrupted focus while UK colleagues slept. Occasional chats with our APAC team at mutually agreeable times. That’s how I envisaged two weeks working remotely from Melbourne. 

The reality was a little different. Three little words – Australian. Grand. Prix. 

I was staying a few blocks from Albert Park, where it takes place. The race itself is over in hours. But practice sessions, qualifying, demonstrations, exhibitions etc stretch across several days. From mid-morning till dusk there was a near-constant roar of engines, buzz of helicopters and rattling of windows. Count myself lucky, said the long-suffering locals — it was even louder before hybrid engines were introduced.  

Still, at least it’s given me something to moan about in a city that is otherwise hard to fault. Doubtless you are aware of Melbourne’s reputation for coffee. Its restaurants and wine bars deserve similar acclaim. And having endured the world’s longest lockdown the locals were making the most of them. Good luck getting in anywhere half decent without a reservation. 

Speaking of lockdowns, if, like me, you developed a serious walking habit during the pandemic, Melbourne’s great for that too. There are numerous parks, pedestrian bridges that let you criss-cross the Yarra and the picture perfect Royal Botanic Gardens. For my pre-work morning walks I alternated between the faded glamour of St Kilda and the new and shiny — and somewhat soulless — developments in Port Melbourne. Even the weather gods were on my side, Melbourne — and Victoria — having been less affected by the La Niña weather pattern that led to a cool, wet summer in NSW and southern Queensland. Over the Easter weekend — early autumn in Australia — we enjoyed temperatures in the mid-20s as we day-tripped along the Great Ocean Road.

As the roar of high performance vehicles left, a sense of freedom settled.

To be continued…