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June 8, 2021
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More Than Half of Voters Support 2-Year Trump Facebook Ban

Late last week, Facebook Inc. announced that former President Donald Trump will remain banned from its namesake platform and Instagram for at least two more years. Morning Consult asked registered voters what they think of the decision, and found that a slim majority (51 percent) support it, writes Morning Consult senior editor Matt Bracken. Read more here, including breakdowns of opinions based on political affiliation: 51% of Voters Support Facebook’s Decision to Keep Trump Off Platform for at Least Two Years

 

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  • Apple Inc. announced a new round of changes, set to roll out with its iOS 15 iPhone software this fall,  that are aimed at further protecting user data, dealing yet another shakeup to the digital advertising industry. Among the changes are an app privacy report that tells users when apps are gathering data about them, improved data protections in the Mail app that will prevent marketers from tracking whether their emails are opened and a service that works to hide users’ internet traffic from providers. (The New York Times)
  • Retailers including Gap Inc. and H&M have joined a campaign led by the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the nonprofits Open to All and Hollaback dedicated to discouraging retaliation against retail workers as they enforce pandemic protocols such as social distancing and mask wearing. The campaign is designed to show customers how to help de-escalate situations and support workers, said Calla Devlin Rongerude, director of Open to All, and participating retailers will post signs in their stores with QR codes leading to a pledge of support and tool kits with advice for customers who encounter abuse against store workers. (The Associated Press)
  • Hyundai Motor Co. has inked a wide-reaching advertising deal with Walt Disney Co. that will have Marvel characters, characters from ABC’s “Black-ish” and announcers from ESPN’s “SportsCenter” promoting the new Tucson compact SUV in a series of 12 commercials and in digital and social content over the next few months. Hyundai’s agency Innocean has been working with Disney’s agency CreativeWorks on concepts since January, said Andrew Messina, a senior vice president at Disney Advertising Sales, with Marvel Studios managing the executions for its characters, the first time it has worked with Disney’s media networks for this kind of ad package. (Variety)
 

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What Else You Need to Know

Advertising
 

The Richards Group’s multicultural arm Lerma has split from the independent ad giant, taking some execs and clients with it

Lindsay Rittenhouse, Insider Premium

Lerma has split off from The Richards Group, the biggest independent ad agency. Lerma accelerated the split after a controversy last year where The Richards Group founder made racist comments.

 

Stagwell Makes Concession In MDC Deal, But Key Shareholder Rejects Offer

Bradley Johnson, Ad Age

Existing MDC shareholders would own bigger stake in merged company under revised terms.

 

NBCUniversal Adds More Content, Advertising to ReachTV Airport Network

Jason Lynch, Adweek

Deal comes as air travel is at an all-time high since the pandemic.

 

Thrillist’s new LGBTQ+ travel channel aims to extend Pride Month ad budgets throughout the year

Kayleigh Barber, Digiday

The advent of travel post-vaccine rollouts, plus the return of Pride Month media spending has convened into an opportunity for both travel marketers and media brands alike.

 
Media and Entertainment
 

Disney’s Cancellation of Hulu Overseas Push Triggers Feud with Comcast

Jessica Toonkel, The Information

The issue has inflamed arbitration proceedings now underway between the two companies over the value of Hulu, said people familiar with the situation.

 

Pluto TV Ad Revenue to Exceed $1B in 2022, Says ViacomCBS CEO

Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter

“Everyone thought we were nuts” when his team first mentioned that figure, Bob Bakish tells an Evercore ISI investor conference. He also forecast an ad-supported version of Paramount+ would end up with higher average per user than the ad-free product.

 

Paramount+ Rolls Out Ad-Supported Tier Priced at $4.99 Per Month

Kelsey Sutton, Adweek

Service is also adding 2,500 titles this summer to both offerings.

 

NBCUniversal Says Tokyo Olympic Games Are On With 7,000 Hours Of Programming Across Platforms

Jill Goldsmith and Dade Hayes, Deadline

NBCUniversal said Monday that it will present an unprecedented 7,000 hours of coverage of the Tokyo Olympics this summer on two broadcast networks, six cable networks and multiple digital platforms serving both English- and Spanish-language viewers.

 

Trump Allies Acquire Cable Networks in Family-Friendly TV Push

Gerry Smith, Bloomberg

An investor group led by Hicks Equity Partners, a firm with links to the Republican National Committee and the Trumps, is snapping up cable channels in a bid to create a family-friendly TV empire.

 

Journalists at The Atlantic unionize, the latest in a wave of media organizing.

Katie Robertson, The New York Times

The Atlantic intends to voluntarily recognize a newly formed union of editorial workers, the magazine’s editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, said Monday.

 
Social Media and Technology
 

Spreading Vaccine Fears. And Cashing In.

Liz Essley Whyte, Center for Public Integrity

Meet the influencers making millions by dealing doubt about the coronavirus vaccines.

 

Apple Unveils FaceTime SharePlay, Allowing Synchronized Media Playback and Real-Time Chat

Todd Spangler, Variety

Apple has inked deals with partners including Disney (to support co-viewing features in Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus), WarnerMedia (for HBO Max), MasterClass, TikTok, Twitch and ViacomCBS (for Paramount Plus and Pluto TV).

 

Apple under pressure to close loopholes in new privacy rules

Patrick McGee, Financial Times

Experts warn thousands of apps are continuing to collect data from users who opt out of tracking.

 

Apple is turning privacy into a business advantage, not just a marketing slogan

Kif Leswing, CNBC

Apple unveiled new versions of its operating systems which showed that the company’s focus on privacy has taken a new turn. It’s not just a corporate ideal or a marketing point anymore. It’s a major initiative across Apple distinguishing its products from competition.

 

Google Responds to Remote Work Boom, Microsoft With Workspace App Improvements

Sarah Krouse, The Information

Like other companies, Google had never seen anything like the demand for its video-calling and other productivity tools until the pandemic, which turned a big chunk of the population into remote workers. The surge helped Google staffers figure out issues with those same products.

 

Clubhouse Doubles Up on Android Again, Reaching 4M Users

David Cohen, Adweek

The invite-only social audio app hit the 2 million mark last week and 1 million the week before that.

 
PR and Marketing
 

ANA Now Ranking Brands By Environmental, Social And Governance Impact

Adrianne Pasquarelli, Ad Age

Consumers and brand watchdogs have a new way to keep track of how brands are measuring up on their purpose-driven promises. ANA introduced a measurement tool, called the ESG Brand Perception Index, that ranks brands by environmental, social and governance impact.

 

Gap finally unveils the first product in its hotly anticipated collaboration with Kanye West’s Yeezy brand: a $200 bright blue jacket

Mary Hanbury, Insider

Gap first said it would partner with Yeezy in June 2020. Since then, customers have been waiting. Gap said the collab had “big potential,” but some analysts questioned how much it’ll boost sales.

 

G7 moves to tap Amazon in new global corporate tax plan

Chris Giles, Financial Times

Finance ministers are plotting a raid on Amazon’s lucrative cloud-computing business to ensure it pays more corporate tax under the new G7 agreement on a global rate.

 

Amazon, Google and Facebook will be hit hard by the G-7 tax deal. Here’s how they responded

Ryan Browne, CNBC

The G-7 backed a U.S. proposal that calls for corporations around the world to pay a minimum 15% tax on profits. Amazon, Facebook and Google welcomed the historic agreement.

 

Airlines Seek Trans-Atlantic Restart on Eve of Biden Trip

Siddharth Vikram Philip and Mary Schlangenstein, Bloomberg

Airlines from Britain and the U.S. issued a joint plea for the resumption of travel between the two countries, saying government curbs on the world’s most lucrative air route are holding back an economic recovery.

 

High Heels Are Ready to Stomp Out Crocs and Birks

Ruth La Ferla, The New York Times

“I feel like a gazelle that’s just been born,” said one woman strapping back on the stilettos.

 

Starbucks memo lists 25 items that could disappear from some stores as the chain struggles to fix supply chain issues

Mary Meisenzahl, Insider

Starbucks says it is experiencing temporary shortages and is apologizing to customers. Supply chain disruptions have led to shortages and long waits across retail.

 

What ever happened to Sheryl Sandberg?

Sarah Todd, Quartz

For more than a decade, Sandberg has been the most powerful woman in Silicon Valley, and perhaps in all of business. 

 

New Pandemic-Era Accessory: A Bracelet That Signals Your Boundaries

Jennifer Levitz, The Wall Street Journal

Event hosts are offering green, yellow or red wristbands to let people know if they can come in for that hug—or not. It can get a little awkward; “The greens are just ready to party.”

 

Shopify has seen a sudden rush of departures despite massive growth. Insiders say CEO Tobi Lütke’s management style has helped spur the turnover.

Madeline Stone, Insider Premium

They described CEO Tobi Lütke as a gifted tech mind who struggled with interpersonal issues.

 
Morning Consult