Advertising
Land Rover Takes an Urban Detour in Newest Marketing Campaign
E.J. Schultz, Ad Age
For its newest round of marketing, Land Rover is coming down from the mountain and into the city.
How brands like Wendy’s and the NFL are marketing on Fortnite
Seb Joseph, Digiday
When about 10 million players watched DJ Marshmello’s live set within Fortnite over Super Bowl weekend, you could almost hear the wheels in the industry’s brains start turning.
Twitter launches political ad tracking tools in Europe ahead of key EU polls
Foo Yun Chee, Reuters
Twitter on Tuesday rolled out tools in Europe which will make it easier for voters to identify political campaign ads tied to crucial European Parliament elections in May amidst fears of Russian disinformation campaigns and threats of regulatory action.
Media and Entertainment
Netflix cancels Jessica Jones and The Punisher
Julia Alexander, The Verge
Jessica Jones and The Punisher have been canceled by Netflix, bringing an end to all five of Marvel and Netflix’s live-action TV series.
In Bid to Conquer Oscars, Netflix Mobilizes Savvy Campaigner and Huge Budget
Brooks Barnes, The New York Times
On a Sunday in December, the streaming giant rented two soundstages on a historic movie lot in Hollywood to evangelize for “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón’s art film about a domestic worker in Mexico. Oscar voters perused a museum-style exhibit of “Roma” costumes.
Inside the Scramble to Make the Oscars Shorter
Brooks Barnes, The New York Times
The lead producer of the 91st Academy Awards, Donna Gigliotti, was in high spirits on Friday morning. Serena Williams had been confirmed to appear on the telecast in a moment involving “A Star Is Born.”
Amazon Resets Its Film Operation After Rough Year at Box Office
Brooks Barnes, The New York Times
The film business has chewed up Amazon over the last year and a half.
Time’s Up President Lisa Borders Resigns
Alex Stedman, Variety
Lisa Borders has resigned as president of Time’s Up, she and the organization announced on Monday.
Social Media and Technology
Facebook Has Behaved Like ‘Digital Gangsters,’ U.K. Parliament Report Says
Laurel Wamsley, NPR News
A new report from British lawmakers on how social media is used to spread disinformation finds that Facebook and other big tech companies are failing their users and dodging accountability.
Apple buys voice app startup Pullstring
Dan Primack and Ina Fried, Axios
Apple has agreed to buy Pullstring, a San Francisco-based startup that enables the design and publishing of voice apps, Axios has learned from multiple sources.
Self-Driving Cars Might Kill Auto Insurance as We Know It
Paul Tullis, Bloomberg
Without humans to cause accidents, 90% of risk is removed. Insurers are scrambling to prepare.
Peach isn’t dead yet
Bijan Stephen, The Verge
Social media is increasingly the internet: Facebook was founded in 2004, and it ate the web as we knew it then — a collection of microsites and curiosities run by so many individual proprietors, individually.
Uber is slowing down
Alison Griswold, Quartz
Uber generated $14.2 billion in bookings in the quarter ended Dec. 31, a figure that includes what customers spend on Uber rides, Uber Eats orders, and other Uber services.
American Girl is the latest Mattel toy to get live-action feature film
Sarah Whitten, CNBC
American Girl is the latest Mattel toy brand to get the green light for a live-action feature film.
PR and Marketing
FAA Probes Southwest Airlines Over Baggage Weight Discrepancies
Andy Pasztor, The Wall Street Journal
Government’s yearlong safety investigation uncovers problems with weight and balance calculations across Southwest’s fleet.
Tod’s Loafers Have Won Over Royals and Hollywood—But Not Many Millennials
Eric Sylvers, The Wall Street Journal
The Tod’s brand gets less than 15% of revenue from shoppers in their 20s and 30s, compared with 50% for Gucci and 65% for Saint Laurent.
After Toys ‘R’ Us Demise, No Meltdown at Biggest U.S. Toy Expo
Hailey Waller, Bloomberg
Meltdowns and toys go together. Put hundreds of thousands of toys in a space the size of seven football fields, and the odds of a temper tantrum increase.
Mattel warns of weak 2019, shares drop most in 20 years
Arjun Panchadar and Debroop Roy, Retuers
Mattel Inc on Friday issued a disappointing 2019 forecast and said demand for its iconic Barbie doll was slowing, triggering an 18 percent drop in its shares, their worst day in nearly two decades.
To protect its business, Kroger is building an Amazon-style flywheel
Hilary Milnes, Digiday
In 2017, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen and CFO Michael Schlotman introduced Restock Kroger, an initiative that would change the makeup of Kroger’s business.
Nestle says it is now well positioned in confectionery
Angelika Gruber, Reuters
Nestle’s success with its KitKat brand means its does not need to add new businesses after selling its candy unit to Italy’s Ferrero last year, the Swiss food group’s global head of confectionery said.
Papa John’s founder Schnatter says he welcomes hedge fund Starboard
Jessica DiNapoli, Reuters
Papa John’s International Inc founder John Schnatter welcomes hedge fund Starboard Value LP’s investment in the pizza restaurant chain, his lawyer said, even as he filed an updated lawsuit on Monday against the company.
Walgreens and CVS are redesigning their drugstores to focus more on health. Here’s how they compare
Angelica LaVito, CNBC
CVS Health and Walgreens are remodeling some of their drugstores to look more like doctor’s offices.
Airline Bookings to Offer New Gender Options
Alison Sider, The Wall Street Journal
Airlines are planning to change their reservation systems to give passengers who don’t identify as male or female another option when booking flights.
Angela Merkel and U.S. Auto Makers Voice Concerns as Trump Receives Key Car Tariff Report
David Meyer, Fortune
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has made his recommendations to President Donald Trump about whether foreign car imports constitute a “national security risk” to the U.S.
Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research
How Amazon Will Grow Without a New York HQ2
Jay Greene, The Wall Street Journal
The e-commerce giant still expects to bulk up its staff in New York City and boost hiring throughout the U.S. and Canada.
How to Address Fashion’s Racism Problem
The BoF team, The Business of Fashion
It’s time for fashion brands to get serious about improving their cultural IQ.
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