• Netflix Inc. announced its advertising upfront presentation, scheduled to take place next Wednesday at the Paris Theater in New York City, will now be conducted as a fully-virtual event. The streamer did not provide an explanation for the last-minute change, which followed an earlier announcement that CEO Ted Sarandos will no longer appear at the PEN America Gala next week. (The Hollywood Reporter)
• The Walt Disney Co. plans to add content from its Hulu streaming service to Disney+ in an effort to create what CEO Bob Iger called a “one-app experience.” Iger detailed the move during the company’s earnings call yesterday, saying a combined streaming platform will “provide greater opportunities for advertisers” and give subscribers access to a wider array of entertainment.   (CNBC)
• Microsoft Corp. CEO Satya Nadella told employees via email that the company will not offer salary increases to full-time employees this year, citing economic conditions and recent major investments in artificial intelligence as explanations for the move. Nadella also said that the tech giant will not “overfund” its stock and bonus award program to the extent it did in 2022. (Insider) 
• ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok is delaying the rollout of its e-commerce platform in the United States, which was initially slated for early spring, until June at the earliest, according to people familiar with the matter. The timeline shift follows weaker-than-expected merchant adoption during tests in recent months, primarily driven by concerns over a possible nationwide ban of the video-sharing app. (The Wall Street Journal)

In the game of trust, consumers value data transparency over liking a product or service 

Insider Intelligence

What to expect from this year’s IAB Podcast Upfront 

Alyssa Meyers, Marketing Brew 

NewFronts are behind us. Upfronts season looms. But before the TV networks make their annual pitches to advertisers, podcast companies will do the same Thursday at the IAB’s Podcast Upfront.

Comscore Pitches Social Media Deduplication Beta 

Joe Mandese, MediaPost

Comscore has begun inviting brand marketers to participate in a private beta of a new product capable of analyzing the unduplicated audience reach generated by simultaneous exposure on social media vs. their own websites. 

Tucker Carlson’s Twitter Show Complicates Elon Musk’s Bid to Win Back Advertisers

Suzanne Vranica et al., The Wall Street Journal 

Brands that are already wary of the social-media platform show little appetite for controversial cable host.

Apple Executive in Charge of TV+ and Sports Businesses to Depart

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

Apple Inc.’s top executive in charge of its video and sports businesses is departing, according to people familiar with the matter, reshuffling a services division that has fueled much of the company’s growth in recent years.

Disney Earnings: Streaming Losses Shrink and ARPU Rises, Disney+ Subscribers Fall to 157.8M

Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter

Higher prices did not seem to materially impact the Disney+ domestic subscriber base even as the service lost subs due to international arm Disney+ Hotstar.

‘F–king Disgrace’: CNN Gifts Trump Primetime Campaign Rally

Ryan Bort et al., Rolling Stone

Network insiders who spoke to Rolling Stone were distraught that the former president had free rein to “spew lies” during the ill-advised town hall.

iHeartMedia launches branded podcast studio as buyers say distribution and scale are key

Sara Gauglione, Digiday

iHeartMedia has formed a branded podcast studio to double down on the production, sales and marketing of custom podcasts created for brands. 

Google and Amazon’s Social Shopping Push Threatens Reign of Instagram Influencers

Alex Barinka, Bloomberg

The biggest tech companies are betting big on their US social commerce businesses — well, all but the one that put social shopping on the map. 

Elon Musk invites ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon to host a show on Twitter

Alexandra Steigrad, The New York Post

Elon Musk invited Don Lemon — who last month was fired from CNN following a string of gaffes as co-host of “CNN This Morning” — to revive his career by launching a show on Twitter.

Mommy blogger Heather Armstrong, known as Dooce to fans, dead at 47

Leanne Italie, The Associated Press 

The pioneering mommy blogger Heather Armstrong, who laid bare her struggles as a mother and her battles with depression and alcoholism on her site Dooce.com and on social media, has died at 47.

Google drops waitlist for AI chatbot Bard and announces oodles of new features

James Vincent, The Verge 

Support for new languages, dark mode, export functions, and visual search were all announced. Google is throwing everything at its AI chatbot Bard — while cautioning users it’s just an ‘experiment.’

Google debuts latest AI model, updated chatbot, Pixel devices

Ina Fried, Axios

Google CEO Sundar Pichai used the company’s I/O developer conference on Wednesday to announce PaLM 2, a more sophisticated version of the large language model it is using in more than 25 AI-powered products. Google also debuted new Pixel devices, including an updated entry-level phone, its first foldable smartphone and a long-promised Pixel Tablet.

EU decision clearing $69 billion Microsoft, Activision deal expected May 15, sources say

Foo Yun Chee, Reuters 

EU antitrust regulators are set to approve Microsoft Corp’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision next week, with May 15 as the likeliest date, people familiar with the matter said.

Couples can now make Etsy wedding registries

Mia Sato, The Verge 

Wedding registries can include vintage, handmade, and custom items for sale on Etsy.

Meta Tests Revenue Sharing For More Reels Creators

Colin Kirkland, MediaPost 

Meta has announced that it is testing a new way to pay creators on Reels, giving them a cut of its ad revenue for the first time, a move that more closely resembles YouTube’s payout structure. 

Miller High Life, Planters nod to dive bars and ballparks in co-branded push

Sara Karlovitch, Marketing Dive 

The tie-up celebrates the connection the two brands have in community spaces like dive bars and ballparks, per release details. Through Sept. 5, consumers can win prizes by scanning a QR code on limited-edition Miller packaging or by visiting a landing page.

McDonald’s gets Gen Z hyped about 40-year-old McNuggets

Ellen Ormesher, The Drum

Even the best of friends are reluctant to share their nuggets in the latest McDonald’s spot. McDonald’s is celebrating 40 years of sharing Chicken McNuggets by inviting the nation to decide who is #McNuggetWorthy.

Google Is Testing Generative AI for Shopping

Marc Bain, Business of Fashion

The search giant is debuting an experimental new search experience and will use its shopping vertical as a key testing ground.

DiGiorno Targets Gen Z With TikTok Songs About Its Pizza

Alyssa Boyle, AdExchanger 

Marketers at DiGiorno asked themselves this question while planning the brand’s first paid campaign on TikTok last year. Apparently, the answer is a musician – more specifically, a rapper.

Starbucks new CEO’s first big menu change hits customers up for an extra $1 for fruity Refreshers ‘hack’ 

Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune

Starbucks has officially launched its summer menu and one change is not going down all that well with customers.

Procter & Gamble’s Top Media Executive is Stepping Down

Jack Neff, Ad Age

Gerry D’Angelo oversaw major transformation with widespread in-housing and growth of programmatic buying.

Work-Life Balance Is Their Second Priority. Work Is Their First.

Callum Borchers, The Wall Street Journal

Young professionals pledge admiration for peers who carve out personal time, then fail to do the same for themselves.

Largest U.S. employer seeks to ban salary history questions in job interviews

Emily Peck, Axios

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which oversees 2.2 million federal employees across the country, released a proposed regulation Wednesday morning that would prohibit federal agencies from using a job candidate’s current or past salary to determine pay in most federal jobs, as Axios first reported.