Back in early 2020, TrendWatching launched ‘Covid Innovations’ to inspire entrepreneurs and marketers to serve their customers better in dire covid times.
With covid no longer deeply impacting daily life, we’re fully focused again on all innovations that make the world a little bit better - check out MakeShift, our free weekly publication to stay on top of the latest trends, insights and innovations.
The 'Seis-Foot cooler' from Heineken are at the minimum length distance the US Government advices people should stand from each other. They will be given away as part of an activation for the sub-brand Dos Equis’ social distancing drive to highlight social distancing guidelines, and will be available in the US from July 3rd while supplies last.
Read MoreMortimer’s app, BYEVID, enables Swedish drinkers to book their pub visit online, ahead of time, or to scan a QR code once in the bar, allowing owners to see if the venue has reached its safe capacity. Owners can vary the maximum number of customers, depending on the rules in their country. Information on what they do to keep the place clean during COVID will also be featured.
Read MoreWith the Stammisglaset, Carlsberg Sweden produces unique beer glasses in one piece per tavern and sell them at auction to the highest bidder. By winning the tender, people can support their favourite place and at the same time get a glass personalised with their name ready and waiting for their next visit. Carlsberg Sweden doubles the amount that all auctions collect, up to a total of 1 million SEK for the campaign. The amount is then divided equally among all participating restaurants.
Read MoreFreshBytes has just created an innovative system of contactless dine-in experience, where customers scan the QR code to view the menu, order and pay directly from their mobile device.
Read MoreDanish multinational brewer Carlsberg partnered up with Grey Europe to launch the 'Adopt a Keg' campaign, which lets people fill up an adopted virtual keg online and exchange it for a real pint of beer in a bar or restaurant when they reopen. Carlsberg will be fronting payment for the beer that is redeemed, which will go to support local bars.
Read MoreBubly’s parade is asking LGBTQ+ people and allies to don their best Pride looks, strut their stuff in a 3-7 second video uploaded to either TikTok or Instagram Stories using the hashtag #UnstoppablePride on Saturday, June 27. Bubly will then upload each video to the campaign’s webpage so that participants can watch as their personal march is added to the virtual parade.
Read MoreBeginning in June, Sean Porter will host 'Daddy’s Dogs Drive-In Concert Series' at his flagship hot-dog stand in Nashville’s the Nations neighborhood. Different artists will perform on an outdoor stage built over a shipping container in Daddy’s Dogs’ parking lot, with up to 40 cars parked around it, tuning in to the music via an FM signal on car stereos.
Read MorePanera partnered with M7 Innovation, a tech company specialized in AI and immersive realities to create an AR experience, enabling fans to access immersive filters on Facebook and Snapchat. Customers can thus wake up with the company's signature coffee and breakfast wraps and can then flip their cameras over to be presented with an animated breakfast wrap on a tray.
Read MoreOrdelina offers digital services to restaurants and hotels with QR menus (clients can instantly browse a menu just by scanning a QR code, without needing an app), contactless orders pickup curbside and contactless service (guests can also scan the QR codes to order to room or table), with self-managed delivery (no commission taken).
Read MoreAs Starbucks looks to jump start sales after revenue disappointed analysts in eight of the past nine quarters, drive-thru and pick-up stores could be a good solution, answering to the need for ease, convenience and speed from customers, especially in a post-COVID era.
Read MoreThe kit is a solution that allows restaurant guests to use their personal mobile devices to order and pay their food, without the need for touching any foreign surface or contact with people. Since its launch two weeks ago, the Contactless Dining Kit has received orders from over 5,000 restaurants in 22 countries across 5 continents.
Read MoreThe app enables customers to safely order and pick up food before their flight. The app also enables travellers to check their flight status and receive alerts about flight updates. It can also provide boarding gate information and news about the weather conditions at the destination.
Read MoreThe app, available in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and a few US cities, makes live grocery data accessible, telling consumer show busy the shop is, to help them follow social distancing guidelines during COVID.
Read MoreVouchers for Uber Eats lets businesses customize their meal plans for remote employees and customers. Through a dashboard, company admin can set rules around when their workers can order meals and how much they can spend. But vouchers also enables to provide meals for attendees of large-scale virtual events, treating potential clients to lunch at virtual sales meetings.
Read MoreMadeGood Foods has donated nearly $250,000 in food and funds to food banks and non-profits during COVID. The company has now launched the MadeGood Moments campaign in May to spread positivity and encourage parents, families and anyone that is currently staying at home with easy recipes and stay at home activities, and the chance to win $500 every day.
Read MoreThe iconic Park Street's restaurant Mocambo's interior will appear to be different due to a 5 feet glass partition separating tables. In addition, 50% of tables will remain vacant at all times to keep up with the norms. Other interesting measures include: options to place an order on phone from the table, virtual instruction cards to inform guests about the new guidelines, a marked waiting area for those queuing up at the entrance door, quicker delivery of food.
Read MoreEach Friday, shoppers can collect their orders where the market normally takes place. In this way and in a very short period of time, the Lokaalmarket has managed to keep its whole organisation going and to give access to a wide range of local and fresh products to its customers in one place.
Read MoreLokaal Kilo's Schuiven, local food market in Groningen, partners with online platform De Streekboer from Drachten, which enables people to order directly from local farmers, to launch 'The Food Box'. The box is filled with local products from farmers (bread, dairy, fruits..), that would otherwise be wasted because the regular sales channels are closed due to COVID.
Read MoreDishcraft Robotics has created a cleaning service that will drop off all the clean, reusable dishware and cutlery a restaurant could possibly need in the morning and pick up all the dirty dishes, cups and silverware that the diner uses throughout the day, enabling to save tons of plastic, non-compostable takeout containers, dishware and cutlery from ending up in landfills.
Read MoreAtria, the leading food company in Scandinavia, is donating BBQ grills to libraries (that usually rent out not only books but also sewing machines, board games or even sports equipment) so Finns can embrace their love of BBQing when lockdown ends. Atria wants to make the staycation time of all Finns as enjoyable as possible, while also promoting Finnish cuisine.
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