How Fashion Brands Build Community in 2025
As inflation bites and politics polarise, the fashion industry in 2025 is facing unprecedented pressure to hold onto its customers. Brands are looking to community as a deeper and more emotional form of engagement. But building true community takes more than buzzwords.
In this episode, BoF correspondent Lei Takanashi joins hosts Sheena Butler-Young and Brian Baskin to unpack his case study on what it really means to cultivate community in fashion and how brands are navigating the pitfalls. Key Insights: In a time when consumers are thinking hard about every purchase, community offers a sense of connection and meaning that goes beyond the product itself. 'When I'm shopping today, I'm thinking more about what eggs I'm going to buy this week than the latest release from a brand,' says Takanashi. 'What really now drives me to make a purchase is like, what does this brand represent? What are its values? How has it improved my life beyond just something I wear?' Different communities serve different purposes, each demanding a unique approach. Takanashi outlines three community types: activity-based, personality-driven and values-driven. Activity-based communities are rooted in shared interests or habits, such as running, where engagement happens naturally through events or clubs. Personality-driven communities hinge on a founder's charisma and relatability: 'People have to see that founder story and kind of see themselves in their shoes.' Values-driven communities connect through shared beliefs and causes, but those values must be dynamic. 'Your definition of a value can't be rigid,' says Takanashi. 'You have to adapt to how consumers perceive these things.' As brands grow, scaling community takes local focus to remain authentic. 'As long as you stay committed to a localised approach and understand that it's not one size fits all,' Takanashi says, pointing to Arc'teryx and Supreme as examples of brands that scale through local relevance and hiring. In addition to staying local, real-world interaction matters and brands shouldn't rely solely on digital engagement. 'You should really be there in person at pop-ups, shake hands with people, talk to the customer... Every brand I spoke about in this case study made some effort to show up in real life.' Additional Resources:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
5 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
I swapped my Apple Watch for this budget Amazfit and never went back — now it's at its lowest price for Prime Day
The Prime Day deals are rolling in thick and fast, and we're awash with great savings on fitness tech. My favorite deal is on the Amazfit Active fitness tracker, which is currently just $74 at Amazon — its lowest ever price. I reviewed the Amazfit Active last year and loved it so much that I just, well, kept it on. That's despite me already owning an Apple Watch! Now, 9 months or so down the line, I'm still wearing the Amazfit. If you're looking for an affordable, but excellent little smartwatch to track your workouts and health metrics, look no further. This deal is for you. The Amazfit Active might be a budget fitness tracker, but budget doesn't necessarily mean bad. This watch looks and feels premium, especially with its bright AMOLED display. It can track 129 activities, plus sleep, heart rate and stress health metrics. It's a lot of watch for the money (especially now it's on sale). $74 is the lowest price we've ever seen this watch sell for, so now is a great time to buy. The Amazfit Active is also on sale in the U.K., where once again, it's going for the lowest price we've ever seen, £65. That's £34 off the RRP. I'll admit, when I started testing this watch for my Amazfit Active review, I was a little skeptical. Could a watch this cheap really be a viable substitute for my (admittedly ageing) Apple Watch 6? Obviously, the Amazfit is a fitness tracker, and not a smart watch in the same way as an Apple Watch. It can't make calls, and support for common third party apps like Spotify is limited. In reality, I rarely found myself using those features anyway on my Apple Watch — flicking through Spotify is much easier on a phone, and I simply never used my watch for calls or texts. The Amazfit Active does what I need it to, literally, and that's track my fitness and health metrics — and it does this very well. There's a wide array of activities that can be tracked, including strength training and, most useful to me, hikes! The Active also tracks key health metrics, including sleep patterns, heart rate and stress levels. All of this is visible via detailed graphs in the Zepp companion app, which is easy to use and navigate. I simply kept using the Amazfit Active, as it hasn't ever put a step wrong. Now were, oh, 9 months later, and I'm wearing it as I type. This always was a watch whose looks and performance defied its price tag. That's truer now than ever with this deal.
Refinery29
a day ago
- Refinery29
A Week In Denver On A $36,000 Salary
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. Today: an environmental educator who makes $36,000 per year and who spends some of their money this week on so. much. rhubarb. If you'd like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we're not able to reply to every email. Occupation: Environmental educator Industry: Alternative education Age: 25 Location: Denver Salary: $36,000 Assets: Checking: $2,229.73; savings: $17,757.32; retirement: $403.01. Debt: Credit card: $1,958.26. I use my credit card for almost all purchases and recently used it to pay a lump sum of my car insurance. I'm paying this off at the end of the month. Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $1,400 (depends slightly on season). Pronouns: She/they Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $950 rent. I have the smallest room in a house of four roommates. Loan Payments: $0 Xfinity Wifi: $19.01 Xcel Utilities: $30-$60 Spotify: $13.01 Apple Storage: $0.99 Climbing Gym: $102 Car Insurance: $260 Nature Conservancy: $25 Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Yes, though some of that pressure I put on myself. I think I was 'that' teenager who went hard at school, watched Scorsese and thought reading On the Road made me an intellectual. Basically I was an overstrung artsy lil' prick. Both of my parents went to college and my dad went back to school when I was young in order to become a teacher. We definitely grew up in a very academically driven environment. I definitely ran myself ragged at times trying to be the best possible student in high school, thinking that my grades were my worth. My mom taught at a university that had tuition support for students of faculty and staff at certain schools, so I only applied to schools on that list and ended up getting a partial dance scholarship to one of those schools. My mom switched to a different university part way through my time in school, but the increase in her salary, as well as the amount my parents saved, still covered the costs of school. I took out no loans and graduated debt free. This is one of the things I am most grateful for. It's a privilege I cherish given that I know my dad and many of my friends will be paying or have been paying their loans for decades. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? My family didn't talk about money super often. I attended public school, we lived in an apartment, we never owned a car, and my parents are not excessive spenders, but also we took vacations and my sister and I never worried about money or being able to do activities like dance and soccer. My family is definitely upper middle class, and my mom's career has grown as I got older. I would say it's launched us all collectively into an extremely privileged space. I wish they had talked a bit more about money and budgeting. As a teenager, I kept all of my money from my jobs in an envelope in my bedside drawer like a dragon hoard. I didn't open up a savings account until I was 18 or get a credit card until I was 22 and have only just started my retirement. My parents are both good at using credit card points and other hacks that I wish I had learned sooner. My mom especially worked extremely hard from few resources to become financially secure, and she's sometimes expressed that she thinks figuring it out for yourself is part of adulthood. But sometimes I wish they had given me a bit more guidance about some of these things. That being said, they are extremely supportive and given all the privilege I had growing up, I'm not in a place to complain! I just sometimes dream about all the credit card points I could have saved… What was your first job and why did you get it? I started babysitting at 12, and continued to babysit throughout middle and high school for money for clothes and hanging out with my friends. Eventually I began teaching dance at my local studio when I was 16 and made cash under the table. My first job that actually required signing a W-2 was doing nude art modeling my freshman year of college. Weird job. Did you worry about money growing up? I didn't really worry. At one point when I was in elementary school, which is when my dad went back to school, I was aware that we had less money, but my parents sheltered me from that a fair amount. I was mostly just aware that we had more money than some of my friends and less money than others. As I got older, I realized how privileged we actually were to be able to live in New York City, do extracurriculars and take a family vacation now and then. I don't think I understood that I was comparing myself to the literal 1%, and though we're in the 99%, we're wayyyyy up there. Do you worry about money now? Yes. I know I have a lot in savings and am generally quite capable of living frugally, but I'm scared because my industry is getting slashed federally and there's not a lot of jobs for entry-level environmental non-profit workers. I also know that my career will never really make me a lot of money, so I do have to be conscious about how I spend. I also worry about not being able to find a job with health insurance, and I'll be turning 26 this year and will be graciously booted off my mom's wonderful health insurance. I also don't have much in investments or retirement because investing and risking financial loss freaks me out, but I'm aware that it's probably the only way I can passively make income. I dogsit and donate plasma on the regular to supplement my current income as well as working two jobs, and it rarely feels fully secure. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I became responsible in stages. At 19, I got off my school meal plan and paid for my own food and general living expenses while attending school. I stopped living at home at 18 and have been responsible for my own rent whenever I wasn't attending school. However, having been on my mom's health insurance and still being on the family phone plan (which is shifting because my parents recently separated and are starting to split finances), means that I would not consider myself 100% responsible. My parents are also both incredible, generous people who would definitely support me or help me out if I ever needed it. I could move in with either of them if I needed a landing spot, and they would also definitely help me if I was in over my head. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. My parents helped me purchase my first car by contributing $3,500 to the cost (I only ended up paying about $1,000 myself) and my mom helped me buy my second car this past year: she contributed $3,500 which ended up being about half the cost of the car. Day One: Tuesday 7:04 a.m. — My alarm wakes me up. I wake up at this ridiculous time because there's something nice about feeling like I had four extra minutes of sleep than I would have if I work up at a normal human time. I had a crazy dream about being part of a large Scottish family, and the younger members were leaving the family. I feel like this dream is about my recent ex, who I'm going to meet up with tomorrow to check in and say goodbye to for a while. Normally I don't put a lot of stake in dreams per se, but seeing some dream lady just get up at the table and leave whatever toxic dream situation was going on feels like my subconscious letting me know I was right to do the same. 7:10 a.m. — Water on my face, plus moisturizer, and sunscreen (trying to be better about this). I always lay my clothes out the night before so I can be quick in the morning. I fry an egg to put on some rice with scallions, pickled onion, and some random leaves for health. 12:30 p.m. — Lunch is chickpea curry that my roommate made. We each meal prep a meal to trade each week so we get variety, and it's really sweet. It's been a good day at work so far, interesting topics with the students and great kids and chaperones. 5 p.m. — I get off a little early! I asked to work longer shifts at work for more money but I'm kind of regretting doing opening and closing shifts. I climb with my friends every Tuesday and get $1 dollar tacos after and it is so good. It gives such a good shape to my week, I know I'll see my friends and get in good time at something I love. 8:45 p.m. — I've had a pretty good climbing session today and I also see a friend whose been out of town for a bit. We spend a long time talking about relationships and being comfortable with loneliness. At the bar, I inhale a leftover taco from a friend like a vacuum cleaner. I'm so damn hungry. I order three fish tacos. There's so many of us from climbing that we take up three separate tables. I see my roommate and remember we're looking after my friend's beautiful husky dog for a few days. I tell everyone about the fire we're having on Friday in my backyard. We decided we needed to have a party last night, and I was feeling angry so we decided on a spring purging. Everyone's gotta bring something to burn (I have a few notes and diary entries about a boy I'm ready to let go of). $7 10:30 p.m. — I sleep now. Really good day, but tired, so tired. I wash my face, use my hair oil, check the weather, and lay out my clothes for the next day. I used to have style, and now I work with children. I cycle through the same shirts and pants that look a little professional but allow me to move and work outside. I read a few pages of my somewhat depressing book to wind my brain down. Daily Total: $7 Day Two: Wednesday 7:04 a.m. — I wake up and I've slept really well. Feel like I have sleep debt and when I actually get eight hours it's great. I grab some toast with peanut butter to eat in the car. 7:30 a.m. — I go to the gym to do a really quick lift. I normally do an hour session after work on Wednesdays but I have way too much to do today, so there's not time. I do a really quick legs session and shower before heading to work. 8:30 a.m. — It's a beautiful day and we're setting up a program I feel really good about for students. They're super sweet and it's a day that makes me feel good at my job. Also sometimes I just deeply love kids, they say crazy out of pocket things and it makes me laugh. 12:30 p.m. — I eat my lunch (the last of the chickpea curry) while we have a meeting about a last-minute program coming up on Friday. I do some research and type preliminary lessons up for Friday. 2:30 p.m. — I'm leaving early so I can meet up with my ex, D., at the park. I have a few things to return to him. As I'm driving to the park a song comes on from his favorite artist, Fred Again.., and it actually makes me feel happy. Bonding over music and concerts was one of the first things we connected over. We started off amazing and it was so euphoric together, but we just didn't know how to communicate and struggled with some really toxic patterns. I am mad at him for being pretty harsh to me at times and I'm going to tell him, but I still care for him and I just want us both to be okay. 3:30 p.m. — We get to the park and walk around. D. apologizes for a lot of the cruel things he said and it helps. We decide not to talk for a while and to check in with each other later. It's bittersweet and I do cry and hug him really tightly. But also I feel okay, I feel lighter and I know this is a healthy choice. 4:35 p.m. — I'm late now cause I spent five minutes not knowing how to parallel park. I estimate how much I should pay at the meter. I'm going to a meeting/food distro in another park for a housing advocacy group I started going to recently. I have supplies in my car for giving out food to folks on the street. I spend most of my time dishing out pasta and talking to an older Buddhist nun. My dad is Buddhist but I don't talk to him about it much. I'm curious to know more about the nun's spirituality. A lot of people come through for food, but there's also flyers and other resources for housing vouchers. I have some fun chats, and I'm looking forward to being here on the regular. My friend M. stops by, too. $3.95 6:50 p.m. — M. and I are gonna have dinner at his place, which is super close to mine. I stop at my house to grab some leftover pasta I have from Monday and check on the dog at our house but I can't find him, so I assume he's on a walk. Biking to M.'s place takes less than 10 minutes. It's really nice to chat with him about life things because we approach the world pretty similarly. We're sitting on his porch and its a perfect spring night. But also my roommate calls and apparently the dog was home and needed a walk. I feel bad. 9:25 p.m. — I bike home and apologize profusely to my frustrated roommate. The dog was in my other roommate's room so it makes sense that I didn't see him, but I should have confirmed. I change because I always go dance bachata on Wednesday nights. I definitely would have liked to be earlier but that almost never happens. I need to dance to keep my sanity, and it's my roommate J.'s last time going to dance before she moves. I pay the cover and ahhhh, I'm going to stay too late. I'm willing to trade dance for sleep. $10 11:30 p.m. — I get home from dance and clean the kitchen really fast to say sorry to my roommate. Not a super deep clean, just putting all the dry dishes away, going over surfaces, and making it neater. I shower really fast, moisturize, put on leave-in conditioner, and get my bag and clothes ready for work tomorrow. Daily Total: $13.95 Day Three: Thursday 7:04 a.m. — My hair looks weird because I slept on it wet. Our friend made us bread as a thank you for watching his dog and it's really good bread. I have two slices with peanut butter for breakfast in the car. It would be fun to sit down to eat leisurely but who has time for that. 8 a.m. — I get to go catch macroinvertebrates in the river for work this morning. I sometimes think I should have gone for bio or harder science so I could run around outside and collect data. My whole body relaxes when I'm doing things like this, and it makes my brain feel better. I just really love being outside. 4:05 p.m. — Leftover falafel from an event onsite, I literally take an entire tray for lunch and still have leftovers. I also have a great chat with another employee about bikepacking and where to look for a good, not-expensive bike. My bike is basically scrap metal held together by aspirations and broken gears. I got it free from a friend last year. 5:15 p.m. — Leaving work, definitely didn't finish everything I should have and I'm going to need to wake up early tomorrow to have everything prepped. J. texts me about going to dancing (bachata/salsa) tonight when she gets off work around 7:45 p.m. I stop at home to drop off my behemoth tray of food and end up chatting with my roommates about job stress and hugging the dog for 20 minutes. We should always have a dog in the house. 6:15 p.m. — Maybe going to the gym was a weird idea? I only have time for just over a half-hour workout, but I started lifting last year and don't want to lose my strength. Also, I hate my bike: one side of the gears fully don't work and it's a bitch to go uphill. But driving on a nice day to a gym that's easily bikeable feels wrong. 7:20 p.m. — Yeaaa, I should have stayed at home and worked and cooked. J. and I are supposed to leave to pick up a friend to head to dance but neither of us has eaten yet. I'm frantically cooking orzo with parsley, mushrooms, and lots of cheese and tomatoes. It turns out pretty good, and I'll eat it in the car. Classy how much my life involves a tupperware. J. and I are late as we drive, but also having a really good conversation about the social pressure to live at a certain life pace in Denver. We have a friend group of extremely active, accomplished people and it can be hard to feel like you need to keep up, even though I know it's not about that. I love my life here truly, and I feel strong in my body, but I'm aware that I'm burning the candle at both ends. 8:30 p.m. — Cover is $8 for dancing, and I run into a few friends. I have some really good dances tonight, too! I'm not gonna sleep enough. $8 12:30 p.m. — It's later than I wanted to be getting to bed, but I left several dishes out from my frantic orzo-cooking session that I need to clean up. Also I'm kinda hungry. Late-night toast. Wash face. Pass out. Daily Total: $8 Day Four: Friday 6:40 a.m. — Waking up so tired. I doze my alarm for four minutes and force myself out of bed. I feel like I look sleep deprived. I grab toast and yogurt and head out. 8:15 a.m. — I got stuck behind a train and hit so much traffic that I'm only 15 minutes early. I did do some research in the car while stuck behind the train, but still kinda a waste. $0 dollars spent financially, $50 emotionally. 1:30 p.m. — Our program was honestly kind of a mess. I eat lunch (leftover orzo) while we debrief. We don't have any other program work so I leave early to work from home. My roommate L. texts me about picking up some hooks for our storage room and I need to grab firewood for the fire tonight. I stop at home depot on the way home. $26.56 4:45 p.m. — I do another hour and a half of work and start to feel really, really tired, but I told my friend J. we'd call this afternoon. I sent him a podcast about masculinity a bit ago and he has thoughts. I figure I'll walk to the grocery store while we talk and hopefully it will wake me up. I grab skincare, kale, peppers, eggs, yogurt, and avocados. I also see that rhubarb has finally hit the shelves so I buy a fuck ton because I love it so much. $51.02 6 p.m. — We talk for a long time. J. is a super intelligent, thoughtful human and I always appreciate what he has to say. We also talked long enough that I was able to put away groceries, fold my laundry, and now I don't have anything to do until the party tonight. I was going to go to a queer climb night that my friends hosting but I'm too damn tired. I guess I should nap? 6:30 p.m. — I can't fucking nap. 7 p.m. — Legit unless I'm bone-tired-no-sleep-dying I've never been able to nap. Just doesn't work. I lay in bed. I read a few pages of my book, Neon in Daylight by Hermione Hoby and scroll on Insta a bit, but I never feel like I'm gonna actually rest. 8 p.m. — All of my housemates are tired. I have some of the falafel for dinner and we all decide to go to the bar next to our house for a drink before the party. It's the best dive bar ever (and the cheapest) and M. brings her dinner inside and it's making me laugh. She's legit eating dumplings with chopsticks in a dive bar. With dipping sauce. We take turns holding her plate so she can eat while we stand at the bar. I get a whiskey sour and I'm getting some energy back. $7.36 8:30 p.m. — I always know there's gonna be at least one friend who's bang on time and I get a call from my friend K., who's locked out of our house, as we're running back to the house from the bar. We turn on music and M. gets out her tattoo needles. I joked about tattoos for the party but its actually happening. More people start to trickle in and a bunch of us get little matching finger tatts. Mine comes out crooked, but it makes me laugh. 9:30 p.m. — I told people BYOSTB (something to burn). We have a range from a whole steak to marshmallows to my friends homework. I love my community. The fire is going in the backyard and people are jostling me about time to burn. Originally I was gonna burn a photo or diary entry about my ex, but honestly I'm not feeling that. I'm not angry and I don't need to burn him, I still care. I grab a speeding ticket (that I paid!) and write 'Fuck shame and fuck shrinking' on mine. I spent a lot of the relationship feeling like (and sometimes being told) that I wasn't good enough, and it definitely hit my confidence. I know I made mistakes in that relationship, but I don't think I deserved some of the things he said. I use my teacher voice to gather everyone. We all countdown and throw our stb into the fire together. Its pretty damn beautiful. Who knew homework would burn so pretty? 11 p.m. — I'm pretty drunk. I'm texting my old friend N., who's coming to visit tomorrow. He doesn't live here, but is in town to teach a few movement workshops (he's a dancer), and we'll be seeing each other for the first time in almost two years. We had a really lovely, kind of intense week-long summer fling a few years ago. 12:30 p.m. — We had talked about going dancing at a club nearby after this and I have a lot of energy now from all the people (and maybe a few drinks). A few of us decide to go so we run/walk about a mile to the club. It's really nice out and it feels fun to run drunk. 2 a.m. — Maybe should have stayed home. My friend gets a bit too drunk and needs to crash at our place. I hold her up for most of the walk home and we all pass out. I bought my friend a drink and we shared a round of shots at the club. $27 Daily Total: $111.94 Day Five: Saturday 8:30 a.m. — Way too early to wake up given when I went to bed. But I'm awake. And it's beautiful outside. I get up and start cleaning up. The floor is filthy from people's shoes. I sweep, mop, and start doing dishes. Eventually all my roommates wake up as well and help clean. I make a smoothie with yogurt, raspberries and a fuck ton of ginger and chia seeds. I text my friend who lives close by to borrow some jeans from her for tonight, so I take a quick walk to go meet her. 11:30 a.m. — We're going to boulder nearby with my friends A. and K. and I rouse myself to leave. I call my mom while we drive and it's really nice to catch up with her. We talk a bit about relationships (she and my father separated recently) and in many ways seeing both of them be independent has helped me remember that I can be just fine on my own. 12:30 p.m. — A. is more hungover than I am but we're both kinda wobbling around. It's insanely beautiful outside though. We end up meeting two other climbers and K. at the crag and trying some really fun but hard routes together. I manage to make it slightly farther on one climb than the boys... There's nothing as ego boosting as being able to some muscly thing that a jacked-up man can't. 3:30 p.m. — I'm so hungry it's time to go home. I make potatoes with sautéed kale and beans and salsa. Having this stretch of afternoon actually feels kind of luxurious, I finish my book on the porch and make granola so the house smells like cinnamon. I picked up the book from a free library because I liked the title, but it was kind of bleak and a little meandering. Interesting writing though. I also do a chunk of lesson prep because I've decided Monday (my work from home day) is going to be relaxed. My roommates are also home and we all kind of peacefully putter together. 7:30 p.m. — Weed and weeds! Except weed makes me weirdly silent and anxious and hungry, so just weeds! My roommates and I decided to get high and weed our front yard and plant a wildflower pollinator mix I got from work. It's kinda hilarious to be crouched like a goblin pulling bindweed while groups of people walk by us on their way to dinner or a bar on a Saturday night. I'm still waiting to hear back from my friend E. about a rooftop concert tonight. 9:15 p.m. — Finally hear back. I put on the borrowed pants and a tiny shirt. I don't know how to do my hair so I don't really bother. I do a bit of makeup. Sometimes I feel like I'm in drag as a woman — like a little kid in her mother's shoes. I do feel connected in some ways to my own femininity, but in certain moments I feel like there's a type of woman-ness that's just not mine. When I get dressed to go out is usually a strange feeling. 10 p.m. — I have to park in a silly paid lot because I don't know this part of town very well and I'm already a little late. This event is kinda wild: a stunning view of the city at night (not NYC but it makes me so happy to look at, nonetheless), there's a dude at the door with a list of names, and the rooftop is full of beautiful women and hipster dudes. Definition of a particular Denver rooftop vibe. There's a DJ who's kinda chilling and a hot tub, fur couches, and a neon sign. I end up chatting with this couple who seem super super sweet, and we have a two-hour conversation. We ultimately get really deep about toxic relationships and breaking old patterns and it's honestly really cathartic. I definitely have some imposter syndrome in this kind of space, I'm not an influencer or a consultant or a high-power corporate kid. Everyone looks so well done up. With nice hair. $12.95 12 a.m. — Ever heard the song 'Messy'? Duh. But on a rooftop in an EDM mix? Cathartic af. Also it doesn't matter what your hair looks like when everyone's dancing and facing the DJ booth. 1:30 a.m. — Eventually my new friends leave but we exchange numbers. E. is getting in the hot tub and since everyone else is too intimidating to go up to and start a conversation with I also get in (she warned me to bring a suit). I end up in a conversation with a mustache dude who's still wearing sunglasses. I'm starting to get a bit tired and getting the strangest of signals from this guy (volunteering to coach student sports: good! Building a remote pigeon gun because birds are pooping on the roof: what???! Maybe I just don't fully understand what he's saying). He asks for my number and I'm curious enough about him that I give it. 2:15 a.m. — Too tired to shower hot tub chemicals off. Sleep. Daily Total: $12.95 Day Six: Sunday 8:30 a.m. — Seriously why. 9:15 a.m. — I'm not falling back asleep. It's a nice thought though. N. is gonna be here a little after 12 p.m. so I have time to shower, wash my hair, and go to yoga class at my gym. After the class, I stop by a refill store to fill up on dish soap and I see a little shirt in a five dollar secondhand bin at the shop. Can't never resist a tiny shirt. $9.10 12:20 p.m. — I'm feeling mostly calm but a little anxious to see N. It's been a long time, and I'm trying not to get my hopes up for any feelings in particular. Sitting on my porch reading until he arrives. He does, and it's great right away. I've always really enjoyed talking with him. I don't know as many creative types in Denver, and I feel like I tap into my old dance brain in a different way with him. I love thinking about movement philosophy and how it feels to be in a creative body. I miss it. 1:30 p.m. — My NYC self is rolling their eyes. I used to think protein powder smoothies were swamp juice for gym bros. But N. makes a protein, peanut butter, kale, berry situation that's good? That sentence disturbed me. I've been a Colorado climbing rat for too long. I'm absolutely gonna make this smoothie again. We also eat some of the falafel on the porch. 2 p.m. — We're not on the porch anymore... How much am I allowed to write about in this diary? We always had fun in the past, but it's been a long time, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But it feels like time hasn't really changed anything. My roommate comes home slightly earlier than I expected at one point when N. is shirtless in my hallway. Honestly, it's a nice view, I don't think she minds? 3:30 p.m. — My friend called me to ask where to meet at the park that I was gonna be at an hour ago. We get ready to head over. I'm feeling feelings, I like this boy. We walk to the park and say hi to everybody before walking to a cafe nearby. My friend E. comes along, and we're buying coffees for two of our friends. I grab a small iced coffee to share and the two lattes. My friends venmo me back a little extra for cold coffee delivery, which is super sweet. $3.50 5:15 p.m. — The park is chill, good vibes. A bunch of my friends are there with slack lines and blankets and dogs. I get some side eyes about N. Did I mention he's deeply beautiful? We head back when we're both feeling a little tired and walk back holding hands. The affection feels comfortable and sweet. 7 p.m. — I needed this. It's fun that the chemistry is still there! It's nice to spend time with someone without any pressure or anxiety. 9 p.m. — I guess it's time to go. I didn't realize it got that late. We're gonna keep in touch more. And I think I'll see him again in NYC. I'm under no illusions that this is going to become something serious because we have different, far away lives. Regardless of any other intimacy I'm excited to have a friendship with him because he's just a genuinely good person. We finish off the last of the Middle Eastern food and primordial protein smoothie. 10:30 p.m. — I say goodbye to him at his airport hotel, cause he's catching a super early flight. It's sweet. I head back home to bed early. Daily Total: $12.60 Day Seven: Monday 9 a.m. — Work from home day! I slept! I decide it's going to be a luxurious day and I make pancakes to sit on the porch and read and work. 12 p.m. — I take my lunch break to go to a yoga class at my gym. I have pancakes for lunch, too... 5 p.m. — I'm meeting an old coworker for a walk at a park nearby. They teach me how to make flower crowns out of dandelions and we listen to birds. I love getting deep into ecology and sweet lil' nature crafts. 7:30 p.m. — I finish a little more work and am feeling kind of restless. It's been a really intense, wonderful week. I text friend M. and his roommate G., and they're making pizzas. I bike over. I love living so close to my friends. It's such an awkward bike ride though because I'm holding a bar of chocolate and a bag of butter cookies that my grandma sent me. It's so sweet at their house, we chat and make pizzas and it feels very homey. 10:15 p.m. — I bike home, take a shower, and set out my clothes for tomorrow. I think about maybe starting to journal because this diary has been really fun, and I like taking stock of the little moments I've had. I read a few pages of Eat, Pray, Love but like in a tongue-in-cheek way... I just need something to soothe me to sleep, okay? The Breakdown Conclusion 'This feels about average spending for a week for me. I didn't have to buy gas, which I try to minimize with my shitty bike, and in most weeks, save my tacos, I don't ever buy food other than groceries. Also all that leftover food from work was a godsend, it definitely meant that I cooked less and spent very little on food. I think keeping busy and spending time with friends or at the gym helps me save money and feel better. I'm already paying for my gym so I might as well take advantage of it. At this time in the season my work is more flexible with work from home hours and I try to take advantage of that time, but make sure I hit my deadlines and get a full number of hours in a week. Also, I don't need to go out and I definitely don't need to say yes to shots. It's kind of a waste. And, I'm going to learn to parallel park if it kills me.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Can Spotify's Reliance on AI-Powered Offerings Drive Growth?
Spotify Technology S.A. SPOT has consistently focused on integrating AI to personalize its offerings. This approach has helped the company's steady growth in user engagement reinforce its leadership in the audio streaming market. The AI DJ feature, launched in 2023, continues to resonate with users, with reports indicating high engagement. In the first quarter of 2023, SPOT had 515 million monthly active users (MAU), which increased 16.9% in the fourth quarter of 2023. The company then reported 615 million MAU, marking an increase of 2.1% from the previous quarter. This figure grew nearly 10% by the end of the fourth quarter of 2024. In the most recent March quarter, Spotify reported 678 million MAU, adding 3 million from the previous quarter and rising 10.2% from the same quarter last year. SPOT's AI DJ partially contributed to MAU growth, as other AI-powered features enhanced the user experience. Spotify Wrapped, an AI-driven personalized summary of listening habits, remains a strong tool for retention and engagement. In the recent earnings call, management explained that the slowdown in the first quarter was due to the strong performance of Spotify Wrapped in the previous quarter. This feature is likely to boost user engagement again in the second half of the year as well. Spotify's AI Playlist feature is gaining traction, which allows premium users to create playlists from prompts, and it has expanded to more than 40 new markets in April 2025. This feature improves the value proposition of a paid subscription, contributing toward average year-over-year revenue per user growth of 4% in the first quarter of 2025. The company has also utilized AI in optimizing its ad targeting for a significant proportion of its ad-supported user base, enhancing its user engagement. In doing so, SPOT registered 8% year-over-year growth in ad-supported revenues and witnessed an 885-basis-point increase in its ad-supported gross margin. The company has enhanced its focus on AI-based offerings up a notch by accepting audiobooks from ElevenLabs, an AI software company that offers high-quality voice narration technology. Authors can now use the ElevenLabs platform to narrate their audiobooks in 29 languages and distribute the content to Spotify, expanding their reach. That said, the global audiobooks market is anticipated to grow, seeing a CAGR of 26.2% from 2025 to 2030. Partnering with ElevenLabs is a strategic move for Spotify, allowing it to extend its global reach, strengthen its competitive moat and monetize its enormous global audience. The SPOT stock has skyrocketed 128.8% in the past year, significantly outperforming Amazon AMZN and Apple AAPL, and the industry as a whole. The industry has rallied 32%. Amazon has gained 11.7%, while Apple has declined 5.2%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, SPOT trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 64.34X, higher than Amazon's 33.26X, Apple's 28.33X and the industry's 39.73X. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Spotify has a Value Score of F, while Amazon and Apple have a Value Score of D, respectively. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Spotify's earnings for 2025 is pegged at $9.22 per share, implying 55% year-over-year growth. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research SPOT currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Spotify Technology (SPOT) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
