Dear Industry Board Members,

Hope you’re doing great.

We’re seeing clear signals that innovation is becoming more practical, more human, and more rooted in real behavior.

Let’s dive into this month’s innovation updates.

Key Trends in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)

Mondelez just launched Sugar-Free Oreos.

Yes, sugar-free Oreos are real. And this isn’t a quick marketing experiment.

They’ve said it took years of reformulation to get the taste right without losing
what makes an Oreo feel like an Oreo.

Oreo isn’t a niche wellness brand living in the “better-for-you” aisle.

It’s pure indulgence!

So if Oreo can remove sugar without turning into a disappointment… it changes the conversation.

GLP-1 users to make up 35% of food sales by 2030

FoodDive reports that GLP-1 users are already driving a multi-billion-dollar shift in grocery behavior.

Around 23% of U.S. households currently have a member using GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic or Wegovy, the report found. By 2030, these households are projected to represent 35% of all food and beverage units sold.

Matching products and marketing to health-first consumers is increasingly important.

Key Trends in Tech

Exoskeletons are quietly becoming the e-bikes for your legs.

It’s an emerging tech that reduces exertion by boosting leg strength (up to 40%), making tough trails accessible and offering smart controls for different terrains.  

Though they add weight and require practice for optimal use

This category is only getting started. 

I first thought, “Who is this really for?” Then I tried to understand how they actually work!

They don’t walk for you. They don’t turn you into a robot. 

They sit on your body, read your movement, and give you tiny boosts at the right moments.
People describe it in a surprisingly human way:

You feel like yourself... Just lighter. Less tired.

Sounds like a good excuse to skip your gym workout… 😄

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Tri-Fold launched in Korea and sold out within hours, despite a price tag north of $2,000. Demand was strong enough to empty the inventory almost immediately.

Not planning to switch, but this feels like an iPhone that comes with a free iPad on the side.

IKEA just proved that wireless chargers don’t have to look like sad black hockey pucks.

They launched a new Qi2 charger that looks like a bright red silicone donut, snaps magnetically to your phone, and doubles as a grip. Charge your phone.

Hold it. Fidget with it. All for around $10.

Every time I talk about the future of tech, smart glasses keep coming up. 

CNET just published an interesting article showing how smart glasses are slowly becoming useful, not just experimental.

Feels like one of those quiet shifts.

Soon, we will all have a pair… 😎

Innovation Impossible Podcast

The latest episode of the Innovation Impossible Podcast features my favorite, Dr. Liubov Ruchinskaya, a visionary and the founder of Insights Lighthouse. 

With over 20+ years of global insights leadership at Colgate-Palmolive, Electrolux, and Diageo, Liubov is always very inspirational.

She talks about something we see all the time:
Breakthrough innovation often comes from reframing everyday categories, not chasing shiny objects.

A few takeaways that stuck with us

• Why consumers can’t always articulate future needs, and how to read behavior instead

• How gray areas and lack of focus quietly kill innovation

• Using AI and synthetic data as inspiration engines, not shortcuts

Whether you’re leading consumer insights, innovation, or product strategy, this episode delivers grounded advice you can apply immediately.

🚀 What’s New at Prelaunch.com

Do you remember when I mentioned our new AI Interviewer in a previous newsletter?

Well… you can officially congratulate us 😊

It’s live.

We’ve rolled it out as a soft launch, and the feedback so far has been genuinely exciting.

Teams are already using it to talk to real consumers at scale, uncover patterns faster, and surface insights that would normally take weeks of calls and analysis.

More soon. But for now, it’s one of those moments where you pause and think:

Yep, this is working.

That’s all for now. 

Enjoy the holidays, recharge a bit, and we’ll see you in the new year with more ideas and innovations. 

-Narek