Acast banks on layoffs to speed path to profitability: Podcast hosting service to let go 15% of staff to cut costs in softening ad market.
Streamers won't sacrifice their brands for sports rights: Disney is keeping gambling at arm’s length while Apple and Amazon run from a Saudi golf deal.
According to video game developers, streaming will grow the most of any gaming platform by 2025, cited by 40% of those surveyed. Another 24% said mobile will grow the most, while fewer pointed to the metaverse or consoles.
Gap experiences the pitfalls of celebrity-retail partnerships: The retailer’s relationship with Kanye West’s Yeezy brand fell apart after product delays and creative disagreements.
EU moves to make IoT devices safer: Smart home device manufacturers are being compelled to develop more secure devices and be more transparent about flaws and fixes. Industry-wide standards are needed.
Fintech valuations remained steady while crypto and blockchain deals jumped 75%.
COVID-19 compounds labor shortages: A new study finds that around 500,000 workers have left the workforce due to the coronavirus, which is complicating retailers’ efforts to staff up ahead of the holiday season.
Patreon downsizes in strategy shift: Creator-monetization platform idles 17% of staff and closes offices after pandemic overexpansion.
The consumer watchdog plans to regulate BNPL providers similarly to credit card issuers following a nearly yearlong investigation.
In hopes of beefing up its Marketplace presence, Walmart has added a new suite of ad tools, making it easier for smaller brands to join and sell on the platform.
Pinterest’s new “Don’t Don’t Yourself” ad campaign highlights the platform as a site for genuineness and creativity, while hinting at the darker sides of other social media networks.
Voice assistants are progressively becoming embedded in daily life as the technologies behind these products improve. Tech companies are increasingly centralizing their product strategies around voice assistants by incorporating them into more products to build out their respective ecosystems.
Insider Intelligence spoke with Liz Ritzcovan, chief revenue officer of Hustle, which was one of the first to enable brands to reach consumers over text message. Ritzcovan shares how the company is innovating text marketing, including adding short-form video content.
Grocers seek to make inroads with lower-income consumers: Walmart, Albertsons, and BJ's Wholesale Club are among the retailers eyeing the sizable customer segment.
Fisker’s ‘affordable and sustainable’ EV: The automaker will soon start production of its Ocean EV to compete with Tesla. It illustrates the industry’s difficulties with building a truly affordable EV.