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I love you, Ilona Maher (And Innovating for The Strength Era)

By
Kate Fairweather
For those of us who grew up in the 90s and 00s — the era of Diet Coke and SlimFast and Kate Moss — Ilona landed like a correction we'd been waiting decades for. She didn't just win fans by being brilliant at rugby (though she is), she won them by being visibly, unapologetically strong — and treating that strength as something to celebrate rather than apologize for.
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Gen Z: The Remix Generation — Ep.3 The Gen Z Masculinity Makeover

Every generation was expected to be messy in roughly the same ways… too much drinking, too little sleep, questionable decisions on repeat. Entire industries were built around this assumption. Brands didn't just serve the chaos, they glorified it.

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Illustration featuring a colorful, glitchy 'looksmaxxed' Greek bust statue

Gen Z: The Remix Generation — Ep.3 The Gen Z Masculinity Makeover

Every generation was expected to be messy in roughly the same ways… too much drinking, too little sleep, questionable decisions on repeat. Entire industries were built around this assumption. Brands didn't just serve the chaos, they glorified it.

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Gen Z: The Remix Generation — Ep.2 The Death of Debauchery

Every generation was expected to be messy in roughly the same ways… too much drinking, too little sleep, questionable decisions on repeat. Entire industries were built around this assumption. Brands didn't just serve the chaos, they glorified it.

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Illustration featuring a cocktail glass spilling out a colorful, glitching liquid

Gen Z: The Remix Generation — Ep.2 The Death of Debauchery

Every generation was expected to be messy in roughly the same ways… too much drinking, too little sleep, questionable decisions on repeat. Entire industries were built around this assumption. Brands didn't just serve the chaos, they glorified it.

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An illustration featuring a serene black & white landscape with a vibrant, holographic lotus flower floating on the black & white lake.

Gen Z: The Remix Generation — Ep.1 Wellness Gone Wild

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May 21, 2026
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An illustration featuring a serene black & white landscape with a vibrant, holographic lotus flower floating on the black & white lake.

Gen Z: The Remix Generation — Ep.1 Wellness Gone Wild

Gen Z is radically redefining wellness and nutrition to make it a space to play and an opportunity for joyful mess. It is a phenomenon I like to call the Wellness Gone Wild Era. It is playful, dynamic, and entirely authentic to Gen Z.

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Expo West Nibbles '26

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Logo of Expo West Nibbles 2026

Expo West Nibbles '26

A Bite-Sized Food & Beverage Report on the Bravest CPG Event of the Year.

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A bold and vibrant illustration of a perfume bottle, wrapped in sneaker laces.

Could Fragrance be the Next Sneaker?

It’s official: the era of signature scents is here, and fragrance is hitting its cultural moment. Just as sneakers once evolved from practical footwear to high-stakes collectibles, scent is undergoing a powerful transformation from afterthought to obsession in self-expression, fashion, and beauty.

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A bold and vibrant illustration of a perfume bottle, wrapped in sneaker laces.

Could Fragrance be the Next Sneaker?

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Expo West Nibbles '25

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Expo West Nibbles '25

A Bite-Sized Food & Beverage Report on the Bravest CPG Event of the Year.

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An illustration of a raised fist, with a friendship bracelet spelling out 'Fandom"

From brand loyalty to fandom: what Swiftie bracelets can teach brands about innovation

For years, brand builders have been tweaking their loyalty programs, mulling the metrics and upping the offers to unlock the elusive next transaction. That's not wrong, but there's a bigger way to think about it — embracing the transformational power of fandom.

October 31, 2024
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An illustration of a raised fist, with a friendship bracelet spelling out 'Fandom"

From brand loyalty to fandom: what Swiftie bracelets can teach brands about innovation

For years, brand builders have been tweaking their loyalty programs, mulling the metrics and upping the offers to unlock the elusive next transaction. That's not wrong, but there's a bigger way to think about it — embracing the transformational power of fandom.

October 31, 2024
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Filling the Massive Innovation Void

For any veteran of the innovation front lines, the past few months have signaled a seismic shift in modern innovation practice, with a massive conundrum at the heart of it, and a gaping opportunity in solving it.

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A picture of a grey brain slapped with a "sold" label on it

Filling the Massive Innovation Void

For any veteran of the innovation front lines, the past few months have signaled a seismic shift in modern innovation practice, with a massive conundrum at the heart of it, and a gaping opportunity in solving it.

April 16, 2024
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Expo West Nibbles '24

A Bite-Sized Food & Beverage Report on the Bravest CPG Event of the Year.

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Red Banner with Expo West Nibbles Logo

Expo West Nibbles '24

A Bite-Sized Food & Beverage Report on the Bravest CPG Event of the Year.

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