Five smart brands and innovations from ’emerging’ markets

Our sister-site trendwatching.com’s latest briefing focuses on the EXCEPTIONALL, highlighting the fact that exceptional B2C innovations will increasingly come from all corners of the globe, with brands and talent from emerging markets getting ready to shine. The briefing is full of fun examples, here are five to get you started: CHINA | Forever is a Shanghai based bicycle brand founded in the 1940s. Having fallen out of favor in the 1990s, the brand was relaunched under the leadership of 23-year-old Chen Shan, offering a range of bikes in bright colors, appealing to younger consumers. The company now sells 1.3 million bikes a year. INDONESIA | The Magno AM/FM radio is handcrafted using sustainable materials in an Indonesian village. Profits from sales go back to initiatives supporting the producers such as the education in handicraft and work skills and the growth of plantations for wood used to make the products. TURKEY | Istanbul-based graphic designer Beste Miray came up with the idea of selecting a location in Google Maps and using a print-out of the map as the inside of an envelope to send to a friend via old-fashioned snail mail. Later, a New York designer took that concept and launched a web application for it: Mapenvelope. BRAZIL | Cosmetics brand Kapeh uses coffee from the Brazilian state Minas Gerais in all of its formulations. The products, which include moisturizers, soap and bath oils, are now exported to the Netherlands and Portugal, as well as being available online. INDIA | An innovation by Indian mega-national Tata, the Swach is a water filter and purifier that produces clean drinking water through the use of common ash. The portable purifier doesn’t require running water or electricity. For many more examples, check out trendwatching.com’s briefing.