Real estate platform Zillow has unveiled Virtual Staging, an AI tool that lets buyers redesign listing photos in real time. The feature, integrated into Zillow's Showcase platform, allows users to digitally furnish empty rooms or restyle furnished ones using seven design aesthetics modern, Scandinavian, industrial, midcentury, luxury, coastal and farmhouse to more closely match their personal taste.Virtual staging addresses one of real estate's most persistent psychological barriers: helping buyers connect with properties by seeing beyond current décor or vacant rooms. While the tool doesn't offer major makeovers, it does transform house-hunting from passive browsing into active experimentation. Potential buyers can instantly test different furniture arrangements and design styles with a simple tap.TREND BITELike every other type of commerce, home shopping is becoming immersive play. By allowing potential buyers to experiment and personalize spaces in real time, house-hunting is transformed into something closer to interior design gaming, where the cognitive barrier of "I can't see myself living here" dissolves through instant visualization.We're witnessing the same consumer expectations that drive TikTok fashion try-ons and AI-powered makeup tests now reshaping real estate. When imagination becomes interactive and nearly tangible, emotional attachment follows and deals are closed.
Although the use of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT has been growing rapidly in the US, that does not yet appear to be substantially affecting the use of traditional search engines, according to recent research. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
B2B marketers are turning to subject-matter experts in short-form video to share knowledge, build trust, and connect authentically with audiences across platforms. Explore proven approaches for success. Read more. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
Nike and Paris-based creative collective Air Afrique have launched the Air Max RK61, a dress shoe that celebrates the African diaspora's connection to travel and homecoming. The collaboration pays tribute to the airline Air Afrique, which linked West African nations from 1961 until its closure in 2002, serving as a bridge for communities across the continent and diaspora. Design details reference the airline, from a zipper pull featuring its logo to Morse code spelling "Air Afrique" on the outsole. More than footwear, it's an homage to a brand that represented hope and possibility for newly independent African nations.The shoe also draws inspiration from the tradition of returning home dressed in one's finest a practice embedded in diasporic culture, where appearance signifies respect and achievement. While sneakers have steadily infiltrated formal environments over the past decade, the Air Max RK61 deliberately reverses this trend by elevating athletic footwear into dress shoe territory. By merging Nike's comfort technology with a more formal look, the design acknowledges that the journey home deserves both physical ease and visual distinction.TREND BITEThe boundaries between athletic and formal wear continue to blur, but not always in the expected direction. While sneakers have crept into boardrooms and black-tie events, brands are discovering opportunities to move upmarket rather than down. The Air Max RK61 demonstrates how companies can honor cultural traditions that prioritize formality while delivering contemporary functionality. As global communities maintain strong ties to their origins, products that understand the emotional weight of travel particularly returning home represent opportunities for companies willing to dig into these cultural nuances.
A new boutique fitness concept is blending practical street defense skills with traditional group exercise, as The Pack opens in Manhattan's Flatiron district. The studio, backed by NFL champion Russell Wilson and Grammy-winning artist Ciara, offers 50-minute sessions that move participants through strength training, cardio work and striking practice on Body Opponent Bags training tools typically reserved for martial arts and self-defense instruction.Unlike traditional defense classes that focus purely on technique, The Pack integrates practical self-defense movements into a high-energy group fitness format, combining real-world functionality with the social motivation of boutique studio culture. The concept promises to deliver both physical conditioning and tangible defensive skills within an inclusive community environment.TREND BITEDefense classes have been around for decades. What makes The Pack stand out is its reframing and repackaging, moving self-defense from fluorescent dojos to a sleek, music-driven boutique fitness setting. But there's more to the concept than interior design. For years, boutique fitness centered on sculpting bodies. The Pack signals a pendulum swing toward utility: the ability to defend yourself, move with purpose and thrive in unpredictability. Against a backdrop of rising urban crime narratives, global uncertainty and heightened safety concerns, self-defense now reads as self-care.
If employees make even small changes to the content they share on LinkedIn from their employers, they can have a big positive impact on engagement, according to recent research. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
Reddit is the most cited source of information by popular AI-powered search and research tools like ChatGPT, according to recent research. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
Philip Kotler ("the father of modern marketing") and co-author Waldemar Pfoertsch argue that "performance branding" is reshaping B2B marketing by linking brand identity to measurable business results. Read more. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport has become the first airport in China to deploy autonomous food delivery robots, partnering with on-demand delivery giant Meituan to bring gate-to-gate meal service to its Satellite Concourse. Nicknamed "Little Bumblebee," the robots navigate the terminal independently, delivering orders from 11 participating merchants, including Starbucks, KFC and HEYTEA, directly to passengers waiting at boarding gates. The innovation demonstrates Meituan's strategic expansion beyond its traditional urban delivery network into major transport hubs. Founded in 2010, the "everything app" has grown to serve 770 million users annually and processes roughly 80 million daily food delivery orders. The airport deployment serves as a testing ground for integrating autonomous delivery into high-traffic, time-sensitive environments where traditional delivery methods face logistical constraints. For airport merchants, the service promises to expand their customer reach beyond foot traffic to gate-bound passengers throughout a terminal.TREND BITEMeituan's new service addresses a common airport frustration the dilemma of wanting food while also staying near a departure gate, and not having to deal with the hassle of maneuvering luggage or kids to a food outlet. As people's tolerance for waiting diminishes and convenience expectations intensify, we'll continue to witness the emergence of micro-delivery ecosystems within new environments. The new baseline? Frictionless convenience everywhere. Consumers aren't comparing airports only to other airports they're benchmarking them against the ease of ordering at home, in a mall or in their office. If they can get Starbucks delivered to their desk, they expect the same when they're stuck at a boarding gate. By addressing the "do I have enough time to grab food" question, Meituan removes one point of stress from a passenger's airport experience.
