Month: September 2019

Weekly Industry Brief: 9.30.2019

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One last post for September! Here is a recap of industry news from the last week.  As always, sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands + Retailers

  • Forever 21 files for bankruptcy.  Fast Company
  • Barney’s receives interest from potential buyers.  The Wall Street Journal
  • WeWork still needs cash after pulling IPO.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Apple plans to bring feature-length films to theaters.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Lease of faith: Why churches are going into malls.  Retail Dive
  • Healthcare may eventually become a bigger business for Best Buy than selling electronics.  Forbes
  • McKinsey to open a store at Mall of America.  Fortune
  • Rent the Runway pauses taking new customers as inventory and supply chain issues mount.  CNBC
  • Tod’s appoints former Google exec to amp up digital efforts.  The Business of Fashion
  • Old Navy is set to split from Gap.  Fortune
  • Uber is testing letting users record audio if they feel unsafe on their ride.  Fast Company
  • Mattel’s Barbie bets big on gender-neutral dolls.  Fortune
  • Diesel and Coke team up on fashion collection made from recycled packaging.  AdAge
  • Amazon focuses on Alexa privacy as it unveils new gadgets.  AdAge
  • Sneakers are set to outsell fashion footwear in the US for the first time.  Quartz

Marketing + Social Media

  • Instagram launches reminders to support product drops.  Vogue
  • Snapchat extends video ad limit to three minutes.  AdAge
  • How to create an online community that people will pay for.  Harvard Business Review
  • The age of anxiety is making wellness a generational obsession.  Glossy
  • Why brands no longer need CMOs.  Vogue Business
  • Ipsy’s $500M in revenue is driven by influencers.  The Business of Fashion
  • The Food Network’s Peloton-style streaming service will bring Guy Fieri into your kitchen.  The Verge
  • Retailers look to spend more on Amazon advertising.  Modern Retail
  • How Chevy is winning with Gen-Z and millennials.  Forbes
  • Pinterest users are more likely to try new CPG products.  AdWeek
  • Instagram launches a ‘creators’ account to encourage more creation.  TechCrunch
  • Cracking the code on podcast advertising for customer acquisition. TechCrunch
  • Twitch tweaks its visual identity.  AdWeek
  • YouTube TV is now available on Fire TV devices.  TechCrunch

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

  • Facebook to buy startup for controlling computers with your mind.  AdAge
  • The new ways retailers are watching you shop.  The Business of Fashion
  • DoorDash suffers data breach affecting 4.9M people.  TechCrunch
  • Hyundai is getting into the flying car business. TechCrunch 
  • Sephora’s Accelerate startups stress sustainability.  Glossy
  • Unilever sees promise in blockchain ad-buying pilot.  Campaign US
  • Google brings wearable tech to Levi’s trucker jacket.  TechCrunch

International

  • The biggest trend in Chinese social media is fading and another is already taking its place.  CNBC
  • India’s holiday commerce sales to test severity of shopping slump.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Facebook tests hiding like counts, like Instagram, in Australia.  The Next Web
  • PayPal to enter China through GoPay acquisition.  TechCrunch

Weekly Industry Brief: 9.23.2019

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Happy Monday and officially Happy Fall!  Here is a roundup of industry news from the last week.  As always, sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headlines.

Brands + Retailers

  • Walmart is testing a fulfillment service for vendors to match Amazon.  Bloomberg
  • Amazon expands two-hour Whole Foods delivery to more cities.  Bloomberg
  • Walmart launches two new credit cards offering 5% back on digital purchases.  TechCrunch
  • Allbirds to Amazon: don’t seal our design, steal our sustainable practices  Fast Company
  • Gen Z shopping habits can fuel a brick-and-mortar resurgance.  CNBC
  • Macy’s will try free same-day delivery in select markets.  Business Insider 
  • Hollister to debut small-format store in NYC.  CNBC
  • Amazon pledges to meet Paris climate pact 10 years early.  Bloomberg
  • Best Buy to expand lease-to-buy program to more locations.  Star Tribune
  • HP is pay9ing $11M to protect forests.  Fast Company
  • A look at 50 years in Denim and Khahi at the Gap.  The New York Times 
  • Walmart to stop selling e-cigarettes.  CNBC
  • Why and what millennials and Gan Zers rent instead of buy.  AdWeek
  • More of the products you view on Amazon are coming from ads.  Recode 
  • Google says it’s cutting back on audio data collection on Google Home speakers.  Fortune
  • Big brands like P&G and Kimberly Clark try new products in feminine care.  The Wall Street Journal

Marketing + Social Media

  • Facebook experiments with AI-powered styling program.  Vogue
  • Facebook details three new interactive ad options.  AdWeek
  • Behind Pinterest’s bet on shopping.  AdAge
  • Pinterest’s lens can now recognize 2.5B home and fashion objects.  VentureBeat
  • Twitter wants to be a laboratory for marketers.  AdAge
  • YouTube stars rattled by verification changes.  BBC
  • Snapchat uses AR billboards in LA to back two of its Snap original shows.  AdWeek
  • ‘Play Pass’ is Google’s answer to Apple Arcade. Fast Company
  • Even Tinder is getting into original content with Swipe Night.  AdWeek
  • Facebook reviews millions of third party apps for data privacy.  Fortune
  • Louis Vuitton brings fashion to League of Legends.  AdWeek
  • Instagram’s algorithm favors more realistic content because that’s what people want.  Quartzy
  • Marketers are looking to casual gaming to target audiences.  AdWeek
  • Oracle wants to bring big data to GIFs.  AdWeek
  • Google rolls out massive shakeup to ad business. AdAge

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

  • WeWork to delay IPO.  Gizmodo
  • Stripe launches Stripe Capital to make instant loan offers to customers on its platform.  TechCrunch
  • @ThingTesting gets VC-backing for Instagram DTC reviews.  TechCrunch
  • The Wing has $118M in funding and is just getting started.  Inc.
  • Behind AirBnB’s purchase of HotelTonight and push into hotels.  AdAge
  • Facebook buys startup building neural monitoring armband.  TechCrunch
  • How Peloton made sweat addictive enough to IPO.  TechCrunch

International

Weekly Industry Brief: 9.16.2019

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Happy Monday! Here is a rundown of news from the last week.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands + Retailers

  • Amazon’s new multi-story warehouse aims to cut delivery times.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Old Navy outlines growth plans as standalone company.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Madewell files paperwork to take itself public, a spinoff from J.Crew. Fast Company
  • Nestle plans for a new world of sustainable packaging.  Fast Company
  • Gap CMO plans turnaround for iconic brand.  The Drum
  • Amazon changed search algorithm in ways that boost its own products.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Online grocery sales grew 15% this year.  GroceryDive
  • Under Armour stresses performance over athleisure.  CNBC
  • As Gucci tripped on social media, sales fell.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Lululemon’s first new brand is finally here.  Fast Company
  • Crate & Barrel to expand restaurant to up to 15 locations.  Fortune
  • Amazon faces a probe by U.S. antitrust officials over its marketplace.  AdAge
  • GameStop closing 200 stores.  Fortune
  • How Hasbro’s CEO s transforming the brand.  Forbes

Marketing + Social Media

  • Why Marriott is betting big on content and starting to look like a media company.  AdWeek
  • Secret Deodorant commits to boosting attendance at women’s soccer games by purchasing 9,000 tickets.  Yahoo
  • Facebook rolls out new video tools.  TechCrunch
  • Why weather data is the hottest new commodity for brands and businesses.  AdWeek
  • Pinterest shares details on Halloween-related searches.  AdWeek
  • Google has a new Tinder-style interface for finding stuff to watch.  The Next Web
  • Facebook leans on Instagram to boost new dating service. AdAge
  • Marketers developing affinity for TikTok. eMarkter
  • Snapchat partners with DoubleVerify for brand safety.  MarketingLand
  • How Dirty Lemon built its brand on Instagram and texting. Yahoo
  • Brands start marketing towards holiday.  AdAge

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

  • Consumers increasingly prefer voice and chat assistants to humans.  VentureBeat
  • New hand gesture technology could wave goodbye to passwords.  Forbes
  • McDonald’s buys startup to automate drive=thru ordering.  AdAge
  • Walt Disney Studios partners with Microsoft Azure on cloud innovation lab.  TechCrunch
  • Smile Direct Club makes its debut on the public market.  TechCrunch

International

  • Canada’s Hudson’s Bay ditches 300 brands in quest for cool factor.  Financial Post
  • Jack Ma retires from Alibaba. CNN

Weekly Industry Brief: 9.9.2019

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Happy Monday! Here is your recap of industry news from the week.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands + Retailers

  • Nordstrom lets you return online orders to Macy’s.  Bloomberg
  • As luxury brands exit 5th Avenue, activewear companies are swooping in with tech-focused stores.  Glossy
  • The luxury evolution of the museum gift shop.  Fashionista
  • With Aerie, Jenn Foyle has revolutionized the lingerie industry.  Fashionista
  • Amazon is testing a ‘new’ badge to help shoppers identify new products.  Fast Company
  • Starbucks is opening a pick-up-only store.  Fast Company
  • Walmart tests dentistry and mental care as it moves deeper into primary health.  CNBC
  • Target’s loyalty program is expanding nationwide in October with perks for all shoppers.  USA Today
  • Nintendo switches it up again with new fitness device.  Forbes

Marketing + Social Media

  • Facebook, Google targets of potential antitrust violations.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Google is fined $170M for violating children’s privacy on YouTube.  The New York Times
  • Facebook and Instagram are testing new shopping features.  AdWeek
  • To acquire customers more cheaply, DTC brands are partnering up.  Modern Retail
  • Facebook says it may remove Like counts, too.  TechCrunch
  • YouTube starts phasing out exact subscriber numbers.  Campaign Live
  • Google set to roll out first-price auctions.  AdWeek
  • The story of the Gila Disruptor II, the internet’s most divisive shoe.  Dazed
  • Brands, influencers join forces on TikTok.  eMarketer
  • How Amazon’s ad growth is threatening Google, Facebook, agencies and ad-tech.  Marketing Dive 
  • Coca-Cola’s Fanta shifting TV spend to digital, social.  Digiday
  • Popular YouTube toy reviewer who’s just a kid under scrutiny for ‘deceptive advertising.’ AdAge
  • Coffee, travel and skincare are among 12 industries millennials are boosting.  Fast Company
  • Underwear ads lose the macho: how marketing has embraced real men.  The New York Times
  • Spotify and Snapchat are rolling out an integration on iOS, Android.  AdWeek

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

  • These startups are tackling the most frustrating women’s health issues.  Fast Company
  • WeChat launches product that allows consumers to pay with facial recognition.  Pandaily
  • General Motors to launch new in-vehicle services with Google.  Telecompaper
  • How much is WeWork worth? Maybe half as much as people previously thought.  Fast Company
  • Shopify buys warehouse automation tech developer 6 River Systems for $450M.  TechCrunch

International

Weekly Industry Brief: 9.2.2019

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Ah, Labor Day. A day to re-charge and re-set before the start of the “new” year (i.e. school), and the unofficial end of summer/start of fall. As you ease back into the work week, here is the industry news from the last week.  As always, sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands + Retailers

  • Peloton files for IPO on Nasdaq.  Fortune
  • Ulta Beauty cuts sales forecast as consumers cool on makeup.  The Wall Street Journal
  • The high price of fast fashion.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Lord & Taylor sells clothing rental subscription company Le Tote.  CNN
  • FedEx, UPS jockey with Amazon as tech giant expands into shopping.  CNBC
  • Apple apologizes over Siri privacy and says it will no longer retain audio recordings.  AdAge
  • Forever 21 prepares for bankruptcy filing.  AdAge
  • The missing piece of Amazon’s New York debacle: it kept a burn book.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Tourists aren’t shopping like they used to. Who will replace them? The Business of Fashion
  • Sir Philip Green plots to break up his TopShop empire.  The Times
  • Target’s drive-up pickup service expands nationwide. TechCrunch
  • StichFix buys Finer, a digital wardrobe startup co-founded by Brooklyn Decker.  Yahoo
  • Rihanna’s lingerie brand receives $50M in fresh funding.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Marriott to remove mini toiletries from all hotels as part of corporate sustainability drive.  AdWeek
  • After Kimono backfired, Kim Kardashian plays it safe with new shareware name.  LA Times
  • Sources say Barney’s in talks for sale to online luxury retailer Farfetch.  New York Post
  • L’Oreal’s only female CEO, the founder of IT Cosmetics, is leaving.  Forbes
  • Gap shares plans for Old Navy spin-off.  Fox Business

Marketing + Social Media

  • Twitch pitches branded games.  Digiday
  • Google to pay more than $150M in YouTube privacy case.  AdAge
  • Generic brands are getting some serious upgrades.  AdWeek
  • Snap unwraps $380 high-tech specs.  Tech News World
  • Instagram is reportedly building a new messaging app named Threads.  Gizmodo
  • Gartner: four emerging digital ad trends.  ClickZ
  • Mattel thinks beyond toys to expand iconic brands like Barbie.  AdWeek
  • Ralph Lauren makes TikTok debut with ad campaign tied to the US Open.  Glossy
  • Inside the selfie factory for influencers.  BBC
  • Now Facebook says it may remove like counts. TechCrunch 
  • What does VSCO think about the ‘VSCO Girls’? The New York Times
  • Do influencers need to tell audiences they’re getting paid?  Harvard Business Review
  • Retailers are rethinking their Google Search strategies.  Modern Retail

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

  • With $175M infusion, ThredUp plots its future.  AdWeek
  • Walmart’s robot army has arrived.  Fast Company 
  • Nike created a high-tech shoe that you can control with Siri.  Fast Company 
  • IBM serves up an ace with AI at the US Open.  AdWeek
  • 7-Eleven introduces mobile checkout in NYC.  Retail Dive

International

  • Flipkart partners with Authentic Brands to license and distribute Nautical in India.  Economic Times