Advertising
This Cannabis Company’s First 6-Figure Lead Came Through Instagram
Chris Ariens, Adweek
Papa & Barkley, a California-based cannabis company, is shaking up the traditional retail industry with its digital-first approach.
How Fancy Water Bottles Became a 21st-Century Status Symbol
Amanda Mull, The Atlantic
The potential judgment of students can lead a teacher to do strange things. For Monique Mongeon, an arts educator in Toronto, starting a job teaching adults sparked a small crisis of confidence.
DTC brands are running into TV advertising’s legacy limitations
Tim Peterson, Digiday
In response to Facebook’s ever-rising ad costs, direct to consumer marketers have flocked to TV. They’re now finding the traditional media platform comes with its own complications.
Giphy Wants Brands to Advertise in Private Messages
Kelsey Sutton, Adweek
CEO Alex Chung says it will give them the chance to ‘be part of a conversation.’
To attract direct response advertisers, Reddit adds more performance tools
Kerry Flynn, Digiday
After releasing cost-per-click buying last month, Reddit has launched app install as a campaign objective for CPC buying and an improved conversion pixel.
Media and Entertainment
T-Mobile, Sprint execs defending merger to lawmakers
Marcy Gordon and Tali Arbel, Associated Press
With their $26.5 billion merger hanging in the balance, top executives of T-Mobile and Sprint are taking their case to Congress, arguing that joining their companies won’t hurt competition or jack up consumer prices for wireless service.
Royalties on 1983 Finance Classic ‘Trading Places’ Go Up for Bid
Ben Foldy, Bloomberg
It’s not quite a secret report on the orange crop, but fans of the film “Trading Places” looking for their next investment can bid on a producer’s share of royalties for the 1983 comedy classic.
Social Media and Technology
New rules hit gambling brands targeting under-18s
Charlotte Rogers, Marketing Week
Online gambling ads featuring animated characters, celebrities or influencers who appeal to under-18s will be banned to protect children from harm.
Facebook under pressure to halt rise of anti-vaccination groups
Ed Pilkington and Jessica Glenza, The Guardian
Experts are calling on company to counter closed groups where members can post misinformation without challenge.
Report: Voice assistants in use to triple to 8 billion by 2023
Sarah Perez, TechCrunch
The use of voice assistants is set to triple over the next few years, according to a new forecast from the U.K.-based analysts at Juniper Research.
Lyft brings on Uber’s former global head of internal audit
Megan Rose Dickey, TechCrunch
The battle between Uber and Lyft, which are both expected to go public this year, continues. Today, Lyft announced the hire of Michelle DeBella, formerly Uber’s global head of internal audit, as its own VP of finance strategy.
More than 26 million people shared their DNA with ancestry firms, allowing researchers to trace relationships between virtually all Americans: MIT
Jessica Bursztynsky, CNBC
Consumers purchased the same number of at-home DNA tests in 2018 as in all previous years since 2012 combined, according to the publication.
Fortnite effect strikes again: Activision lays off 8% of its workforce
Paul R. La Monica, CNN
Activision Blizzard said Tuesday that it is laying off 8% of its workforce and restructuring its business to focus on its top games.
PR and Marketing
Walmart, Google-backed Deliv end online grocery partnership
Nandita Bose, Reuters
Walmart Inc and logistics firm Deliv pulled the plug on a key same-day grocery delivery partnership, dealing a setback in the retailer’s race against rival Amazon.com Inc to deliver groceries to customers’ homes.
Gucci Owner Admits to a Blind Spot on Blackface
Matthew Dalton, The Wall Street Journal
The French billionaire who controls Gucci pledged to redouble the luxury fashion brand’s cultural-sensitivity training for employees after being stung by controversy over a Gucci sweater that critics likened to blackface.
Molson Coors Hit by Decline in American Beer Drinking
Aisha Al-Muslim, The Wall Street Journal
Molson Coors Brewing Co. said it would spend more to draw young adults to its beers as the brewer tries to combat weaker sales in North America due to declining rates of drinking.
Under Armour Posts Flat Sales in Holiday Quarter
Khadeeja Safdar, The Wall Street Journal
Under Armour Inc. reported flat revenue in the holiday quarter, as strong gains overseas offset declines in North America and in its footwear business.
JAB Looks to Boost Stake in Coty With $1.75 Billion Offer to Buy Shares
Saabira Chaudhuri, The Wall Street Journal
JAB Ltd. has offered to significantly boost its stake in Coty Inc. by buying up to $1.75 billion in shares, a move intended to signal its confidence in the embattled beauty giant.
Chuck E. Cheese’s denies it recycles pizza slices following Shane Dawson video
Julia Alexander, The Verge
Shane Dawson’s new two-part series investigates different popular conspiracy theories, including whether Chuck E. Cheese’s serves reused leftover pizza to customers.
Hilton profit beats on higher room rates
Rama Venkat, Reuters
Hotel operator Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday, as healthy travel demand helped it boost room prices.
Dish reports 5 percent drop in quarterly revenue
Sayanti Chakraborty and Sheila Dang, Reuters
Dish Network Corp on Wednesday reported a nearly 5 percent drop in quarterly revenue, as the U.S. satellite TV service provider lost more-than-expected pay-TV subscribers.
REI leader resigns over undisclosed relationship
Associated Press
Outdoor retailer REI says its president and CEO has resigned for failing to disclose a relationship with the head of another organization in the outdoor industry.
Lufthansa Is Suing a Passenger for Missing a Flight
Chris Morris, Fortune
Bargain-hunting travelers beware of this potential trend: Germany’s largest airline is suing a passenger who skipped the last leg of a booked flight, a practice called “skip lagging.”
Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research
Google May Employ More People Than the Entire U.S. Newspaper Industry
Justin Fox, Bloomberg
Another milestone has been passed (sort of) in the supplanting of legacy media. There are some problems with that.
The Twitter Takeover of Politics Is Just Getting Started
Tyler Cowen, Bloomberg
Social media elevates the interests of politicians over parties, which means things are only going to get messier.
How Coca-Cola, Lego and Gillette tapped into the wisdom of crowds
Sarah Vizard, Marketing Week
Gillette, Lego and Coca-Cola are among the big brands using crowdfunding as a means of increasing the speed and reducing the risk of innovation, while getting rare direct access to consumer data and feedback.
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