GroupM, the media buying arm of the ad giant WPP, relaxed a measurement standard for ads appearing in social media news feeds. Now, for an ad to be deemed viewable, all of an ad’s pixels must be in view and it does not need to play sound or be clicked on by a user.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. reported that same-store sales rose 1.8 percent and U.S. online sales jumped 60 percent in its most recent quarter, compared to the same period a year ago. Its quarterly profit was $2.9 billion, compared with $3.77 billion a year ago.
Apple Inc.’s move into original programming comes with about a $1 billion budget, about half of what HBO spent on content last year and about the same as what Amazon.com Inc. is estimated to have spent in the year after it announced it would produce original content.
Recent Morning Consult polling shows that while parents don’t anticipate spending more than they did last year on back-to-school shopping, the cost is a strain on their budget. They also prefer in-store to online shopping, giving Wal-Mart Stores Inc. an edge over Amazon.com Inc.
After 15 years at ABC Studios, Shonda Rhimes, creator of “Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” has signed a multi-year production deal with Netflix. Rhimes’ company, Shondaland, will begin producing content for Netflix while she continues to stay involved in her current broadcast series.
Google Inc. fired engineer James Damore after he released a 10-page memo criticizing the company’s diversity policies. The memo caused an uproar in Silicon Valley, where more women have been speaking out against bias in the workplace.
Snap Inc. saw revenue increase in the second quarter to $182 million from $71.8 million in the same quarter last year, but its quarterly loss nearly quadrupled as growth slowed in both in revenue and users. Snap’s shares hit a new low in after-hours trading.
World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. is heading to China in a streaming deal with China’s PPTV, the video site controlled by Suning Commerce Group Co. The WWE is entering the Chinese market as subscriptions to streaming services are on the rise and WWE already enjoys an existing fanbase in the country.
The Walt Disney Co. said that it would pull its content from streaming services like Netflix and creating two streaming services of its own, one for ESPN programming and one for Disney and Pixar movies and shows.
Polling shows the differences between Generation Z and millennials when it comes to brand loyalty — the younger generation prefers shopping in-store — but also shows how both demographics value loyalty programs. The Crowdtwist survey noted that few millennials engage with brands via Facebook, despite being active users of the platform.