Advertising
Google’s latest user-hostile design change makes ads and search results look identical
Natasha Lomas, TechCrunch
Did you notice a recent change to how Google search results are displayed on the desktop?
SodaStream Taps Bill Nye The Science Guy To Tease Its Super Bowl Ad
Ann-Christine Diaz, Ad Age
Popular children’s show host hints that the brand is heading to Mars for Big Game spot.
After an Erroneous Report, the NFL Clarifies Its Position on Las Vegas Advertising in Super Bowl
Doug Zanger, Adweek
The National Football League and Las Vegas have had what can be called an “evolving” relationship over the last several decades.
Pitch deck: How Amazon is selling ads on Fire TV
Tim Peterson, Digiday
Amazon is throwing a whole kitchen sink of streaming inventory at advertisers, based on a recent pitch deck that the company has shared with ad buyers.
Media and Entertainment
Comcast Sees Q4 Profit Rise 26% On Digital Subscriber Growth
Brian Steinberg, Variety
Comcast said net income in the fourth quarter rose 26% due in large part to increases in the number of subscribers to its digital services, even as it continued to lose traditional pay-TV subscribers and NBCUniversal’s “Cats” movie failed to do bigger business at the box office.
Amazon Music subscriber numbers close in on Apple
Anna Nicolaou, The Financial Times
Ecommerce giant’s streaming service has 55m users in an increasingly crowded market.
Liberty Global Working With Hemisphere Media on a Bid for Univision
Gerry Smith et al., Bloomberg
Liberty Global Plc.’s investment arm is working with Hemisphere Media Group Inc. on a bid for Spanish-language media giant Univision Communications Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.
Maker of Hit Podcast ‘Serial’ Explores Sale
Benjamin Mullin, The Wall Street Journal
Serial Productions has one of the best-known brands in digital audio; New York Times considered a potential suitor.
NBC Sky World News Plots Summer Launch
Brian Steinberg, Variety
The company known for American news staples like “Today” and “Meet The Press” wants to create similar journalism landmarks for audiences around the world.
The Recording Academy is imploding the week before the Grammys. Here’s what we know.
Bethonie Butler, The Washington Post
Despite a lineup of in-demand performers including Ariana Grande, Rosalía, Lizzo and pop-goth wunderkind Billie Eilish, the coming Grammy Awards will, for the third time in as many years, take place amid turmoil within its ranks.
Social Media and Technology
Definitely a concern’: Influencer fraud is on the rise again on Instagram
Kristina Monllos, Digiday
Influencer fraud continues to be a problem for marketers, particularly on Instagram, per a new report.
The 17 hottest brands in influencer marketing that work with creators on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms
Amanda Perelli, Business Insider
Business Insider is recognizing the leading brands in the influencer-marketing industry, including SeatGeek, Sephora, and Chipotle.
PR and Marketing
Procter & Gamble turnround boosted by pick up in grooming unit
Alistair Gray, The Financial Times
Maker of Gillette razors has been hit as men shave less and amid growing competition.
Fairway Group Files for Bankruptcy in New York
Sunil Kesur and Tiago Ramos Alfaro, Bloomberg
Fairway Group Holdings Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York Thursday.
They Changed the Way You Buy Your Basics
Lawrence Ingrassia, The New York Times
Founders of Dollar Shave Club, Warby Parker and other billion-dollar companies exploited giant rivals’ weaknesses — and really listened to their customers.
Glossier and Taco Bell Rank Among the Top Brands in Building Online Communities
Richard Collings, Adweek
Dirty Lemon, Glossier and Taco Bell are ranked as the three most culturally relevant consumer brands effectively building online communities by Zyper, a peer-to-peer marketing platform.
The Next Big Thing in Luxury Cruising Is a Much Smaller Ship
Fran Golden, Bloomberg
One of the biggest trends in high-end cruising is extremely small. It’s the opposite, in some ways, of everything you’d expect, even from a luxury cruise brand.
Why Gen Z Loves Guy Fieri, Food Network’s Meme King
Joseph Longo, MEL Magazine
His style may be ironically cool, but the Mayor of Flavortown is earnestly adored. Happy birthday to a true legend.
The End of Opening Ceremony Marks the End of Shopping As We Know It
Lauren Sherman, The Business of Fashion
Multi-brand stores no longer serve the purpose that they once did. Why do we need them now?
Banana Republic Launches Celebration Of Black Artists
Sarah Mahoney, MediaPost
With a spring campaign called “Color-Full,” Banana Republic is using Black History Month as a jumping-off point for a rich new take on diverse content.
The company that powers Allbirds and Kylie Jenner is coming for Amazon
Patrick Sisson, Vox
It powers Allbirds, Kylie Jenner, and wants to do much more.
Coming Soon to Tinder Dates: Panic Buttons and Safety Check-Ins
Georgia Wells, The Wall Street Journal
Dating app’s partner will send police if users feel threatened; company says many are comfortable with the privacy trade-off.
Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research
CCPA Implementation and the Future of Advertising
Daniel Sepulveda, Morning Consult
As we get closer to the day when Attorney General Xavier Becerra issues the next draft of rules for the implementation of the California Consumer Privacy Act, we must solve for the law’s purpose — to increase consumer control and understanding of the use of their data.
Can you swallow the idea of lab-grown meat?
Gillian Tett, The Financial Times
The notion of ‘growing’ a steak in a test tube sounds like science fiction. But our food habits change.
It’s time to regulate fashion the way we regulate the oil industry
Elizabeth Segran, Fast Company
France now has an “unofficial fashion minister” tackling the massive pollution produced by the fashion sector. Other governments should follow suit.
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