The Great Resignation incites high need for competitive health benefits—but it’s getting expensive: Employers are in a tight spot as the cost of providing health benefits skyrockets. We unpack how digital health startups like Sesame have a solution.
Roku looks to boost hardware sales with smart TVs: The company has seen sales of its CTV devices slow over the past year, and tapping into smart TVs could be the answer.
Spotify acquisitions cement its future in podcasts: Additions of Chartable and Podsights would enhance ad analytics capabilities, making the company a more attractive partner for marketers.
Unionization efforts pose a challenge to brands’ images: Labor efforts at Amazon, Apple, REI, and Starbucks show a side of these popular brands that could turn off consumers.
Clearview AI’s quest to grab 100B photos could be running out of time, money: The company is raising funds for a database of every person’s face, but investment should go into removing racial bias.
Virgin Galactic’s bumpy stock ride raises questions about space tourism’s viability: The nascent space tourism industry is proving popular among the wealthy, but long-term market viability is unclear without affordable options.
Smartphones continue to dominate W-Fi consumption in Comcast homes: Development in Wi-Fi technologies could go a longer way than 5G investment for home broadband access.
JPMorgan has established a presence in the blockchain-based virtual world Decentraland and published a report on opportunities within the sector.
On today's episode, we discuss what Amazon's deceleration is telling us and what to make of the ecommerce giant's ad business breaking out. Then for "In Other News," we talk about whether shopping in 3D can move the needle and what store openings and closings reveal about the brick-and-mortar landscape. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Andrew Lipsman.
Consumers around the world rely more on their phones as they shop in-store: Retailers looking to improve omnichannel capabilities should focus on adding mobile touchpoints to in-store experiences.
Privacy Sandbox on Android won’t be as bad as IDFA changes: Google is unlikely to make changes as drastic as Apple’s to its mobile marketing ecosystem.
Snapchat’s Ticketmaster tie-up bolsters its location data goals: The partnership includes a way to discover nearby concerts via the Snap Map, plus a new mini-app that suggests ideas based on user preferences.
Binance’s SEC probe highlights crypto exchanges’ potential conflicts: The US regulator is looking into the relationship between the company’s stateside division and a pair of market-making firms controlled by its founder.
The firm can use its blockchain expertise to offer faster, cheaper remittances, which may put more pressure on incumbents to digitize.
U.S. Bank jumps into earned-wage access: It’s partnering with Payactiv to let its customers’ employees tap portions of their paychecks early, as several payroll fintechs already do.