• Twitter Inc. “no longer exists” after merging with Elon Musk’s newly formed shell company, X Corp., according to court documents filed in California earlier this month. (Bloomberg) While it’s unclear what this means for the social media platform’s future, Musk said in a tweet on Tuesday that Twitter plans to finally remove legacy blue checkmarks on April 20. (TechCrunch)
• Netflix Inc. and Lacoste SA announced a co-branded apparel collection that will bring iconography from eight of the streaming service’s original shows to various Lacoste clothing items, including polos and hats. The collaboration marks Netflix’s latest push into consumer products after inking partnerships with Walmart Inc., Sephora and General Motors Co. (Marketing Brew) 
• The board appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to monitor The Walt Disney Co.’s Central Florida presence filed a resolution to assert control over planning, zoning and other land use in the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista. If approved, the measure would give the GOP board power to evaluate any development in the 25,000-square acres of property surrounding Disney theme parks in the area. (Reuters) 
• Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram is extending access to its creator marketplace via API, allowing brands to reach creators more easily through a priority inbox. The social media giant is also testing exclusive versions of the marketplace for brand agencies, letting them manage creator discovery on behalf of brand clients with advanced filters based on creator gender, age, interests and more. (TechCrunch)

Twitter’s ad business will bring in $2 billion less in 2023 than previously projected

Insider Intelligence 

Digital Ad Revenue Grew Again in 2022, but Much More Slowly

Megan Graham, The Wall Street Journal

Headwinds from the economy and privacy protections were offset by growth in areas such as retail ad networks and streaming TV, executives and analysts say.

KKR buys stake in communications firm FGS Global

Milana Vinn, Reuters

As part of the deal, KKR will buy up a 30% stake from senior employees at FGS Global and its largest investors, including London-based advertising giant WPP Plc. WPP, which was founded by Martin Sorrell, will retain a majority stake in FGS Global.

National TV Faces Tough Linear Ad Market, Especially Disney

Wayne Friedman, MediaPost

Walt Disney may be facing a more difficult linear TV advertising market in the coming months, one analyst says — similar to what other media companies will witness.

Etsy Seeks New Creative Agency

Brian Bonilla and Adrianne Pasquarelli, Ad Age

The online crafts marketplace has worked with 72andSunny since 2020.

Elon Musk Is Using Wikipedia to Determine Which Media Outlets are ‘Government Funded’

Jody Serrano, Gizmodo

The Twitter CEO told an NPR reporter that he was using Wikipedia to determine which media outlets should get the new “Government Funded Media” label.

Why news outlets are putting their podcasts on YouTube

Sarah Scire, Nieman Lab 

ESPN, NPR, and Slate are experimenting with watchable podcasts.

NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube starts at $249 for the 2023 season

David Pierce, The Verge 

Football didn’t come cheap to YouTube, and it won’t come cheap to you this season either. 

David Zaslav Challenged the Streaming Industry’s Orthodoxy. Now, Rivals Are Following His Lead

Joe Flint, The Wall Street Journal

Warner Bros. Discovery to unveil new streaming service Wednesday, but CEO’s playbook is much broader than that.

The Netflix Tax: Lawmakers Increasingly Take Aim at Streaming Giants to Fund Local Priorities

Etan Vlessing and Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter

Politicians in North America and Europe are turning to new regulatory ideas to fund film and TV policy goals, and even New York City subways.

Google TV expands its free streaming lineup to over 800 live TV channels including Tubi, Plex, Haystack and more

Sarah Perez, TechCrunch

Google TV, the company’s smart TV operating system that powers Chromecast devices and various TVs, is today getting a significant update aimed at expanding access to free, streaming TV. The company announced today Google TV will now integrate access to free streaming channels like Tubi, Plex, and Haystack News directly in its redesigned Live tab, alongside its existing lineup of channels from free streamer Pluto TV. 

Streaming services urged to clamp down on AI-generated music

Anna Nicolaou, Financial Times

Universal Music Group says new technology relies on unauthorised use of copyrighted material.

Brittney Griner working on memoir about Russian captivity

Hillel Italie, The Associated Press

Saying she is ready to share the “unfathomable” experience of being arrested and incarcerated in Russia, basketball star Brittney Griner is working on a memoir that is scheduled for spring 2024.

Most of the Public Believes Artificial Intelligence Tools Can Achieve Singularity and Pose a Threat to Humanity

AJ Dellinger, Morning Consult

Majority of U.S. adults are concerned that new AI tools could operate independently without human input.

Substack’s Twitter-esque Notes feature has officially launched

Lawrence Bonk, Engadget

Substack has officially launched Notes for all users. The new product takes a lot of cues from Twitter and joins the long list of services looking to lure away users from Elon Musk’s beleaguered social network. At first (and second) glance, Substack Notes looks a whole lot like Twitter.

Louisville attack shows challenge of curbing violent videos

Haleluya Hadero and Matt O’Brien, The Associated Press

Social media companies are once again in the spotlight after a bank employee in Louisville, Kentucky, killed five people in a mass shooting and livestreamed the attack on Instagram.

FanDuel deepfakes young Charles Barkley into new spot

Sara Karlovitch, Marketing Dive 

The “Think Like a Player” campaign features a deepfake-generated version of Charles Barkley from the 1990s, when he was at the height of his ability. “Young Chuck” will encourage FanDuel customers to “think like a player” when placing their bets.

A new trailer for the much-hyped Barbie movie has sent shoppers searching online for fluffy mules and pink clothes, with ‘Barbiecore’ set to be a hot trend in 2023

Sawdah Bhaimiya, Insider

The release of a new trailer for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie that features Margot Robbie has sent shoppers into a frenzy to get their hands on Barbie-related fashion items, such as hot pink outfits. 

De-influencing and humor: How Cuyana drove engagement with an April Fool’s campaign

Zofia Zwieglinska, Glossy

Thirteen-year-old accessories brand Cuyana launched, Made With Air, labeled as “the world’s first true zero-impact collection,” on April 1. Its announcement led to the brand’s social accounts seeing a 130% increase in content interaction and an over 100% increase in accounts engaged, compared to its other campaign activations.

Major retail players are walking back their metaverse strategies

Maria Monteros, Modern Retail

Walmart has reportedly shut down its Universe of Play metaverse experience on Roblox just six months after its launch, according to consumer advocacy group Tina.org. Walmart, for its part, said it discontinued the experience “as planned.” Walt Disney has axed the next-generation storytelling and consumer-experiences unit that was mapping out the company’s metaverse strategies late last month. This string of news came after social media giant Meta reported that its metaverse division generated a loss of $4.3 billion in the fourth quarter.

Uber will fund an e-bike buy-back program to help combat battery fires

Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge 

Uber says it will fund an e-bike buy-back program for delivery workers in New York City in a bid to get fire-prone batteries off the streets. The company also said it would support an additional fee on food deliveries to help workers afford safer options.

See the Chipotle of the future

Jordan Valinsky, CNN

On Tuesday, the fast casual Mexican chain unveiled an all-electric restaurant design that is completely powered by renewable energy, such as solar and wind. That means the gas grills that have become the focal point for walk-in customers are being replaced by electric systems, which are intended to help the chain achieve its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.

American Eagle jumps into secondhand sales via ThredUp

Daphne Howland, Retail Dive

American Eagle Outfitters is the latest apparel brand to sign up with ThredUp’s resale-as-a-service platform, featuring a gender-neutral selection that includes jackets and accessories priced between $10 and $40.

Gen Z is the least happy generation at work. Here’s how good leaders can set them up for success

Sarah Bregel, Fast Company

A new survey reveals significant differences among workers when it comes to what makes them happy in the workplace.

Working in the office is worth the cost of a commute—if you’re looking to climb the corporate ladder

Jane Thier, Fortune

As long as proximity bias is a thing—and in most cases, it is—going into the office will provide an edge for workers looking to get ahead. 

Your Gen Z Co-Worker Is Hustling More Than You Think

Lindsay Ellis, The Wall Street Journal

Being young and ambitious right now often means proving that you can be both of those things at the same time.

Google drops global vaccine requirement to enter buildings, says ‘world is in a very different place’

Jennifer Elias, CNBC

In a companywide email sent to employees Tuesday, which was viewed by CNBC, Google VP of global security Chris Rackow said “vaccines will no longer be required as a condition of entry to any of our buildings.”

Fractional Ad Executives: Why Some Brands are Hiring Part-Time Workers for Full-Time Roles

Lindsay Rittenhouse, Ad Age

Trend no longer just includes the fractional CMO as brands and agencies also hire fractional strategy heads, creative leads and more.