The legalization of sports gambling in more than 20 US states has opened new business opportunities, and potential pitfalls, for broadcasters and streaming services that seek to tie in betting content, such as fantasy leagues, with live broadcasts—or at least market separately to the sports viewing and gambling audiences.
Livestreaming ecommerce—a market-like online shopping experience that feels like an amalgamation of the Home Shopping Network (HSN), game shows, talk shows, and auctions—has taken China by storm. The phenomenon was in part fueled by the pandemic, as brick-and-mortar stores temporarily closed down and consumers sheltered in place. Yet, a year later, livestream shopping is still going strong in the country.
For our recent “Ecommerce and Retail Customer Experience 2021” report, we spoke with Sasha Siddhartha, co-founder and CTO of Thrive Market, about how the company uses first-party data to improve personalization and, in turn, drive customer loyalty.
New ways to listen: Facebook and Spotify introduced new social audio opportunities this week as most social media companies explore their own take on the growing format.
Robots for fulfillment: Alibaba and Amazon are investing in a robot-based automated future as ecommerce continues to soar and consumer expectations for instantaneous delivery rise.
No promotions on Disney+: Disney CEO Bob Chapek said the company has no intention of sliding in an ad-supported tier for Disney+.
China is often seen as the wild west of privacy protection, where unscrupulous companies collect and trade personal data as regulators and consumers stand idly by. The Chinese government has been trying to change that, most recently by drafting a privacy law akin to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). While the implications for businesses are still murky, it’s clear that China is determined to tackle this issue its own way, at its own pace.
Auto insurers’ $18 billion in premium refunds couldn’t offset poor communication ratings—insurers will likely invest in digital communication tools to fuel more effective interactions.
Verizon rolls out kids banking app: The US telecom is making a banking foray with a paid app meant to boost kids’ financial literacy—and the product could pose a competitive threat to niche neobanks, since Verizon could cross-sell it to its millions of wireless users.
Credijusto becomes a neobank: The Mexican fintech is the first to combine with an established bank in the country, setting itself up to compete in the SMB space and for cross-border banking involving US companies.
The banking giant narrowly got the top spot in J.D. Power’s annual U.S. Banking Mobile App Satisfaction Study—a designation it achieved as it has rolled out mobile security and alerts features.
On today's episode, we discuss how productivity is being reimagined in the WFH era, the implications of physical stores closing again this Thanksgiving, which companies have had recent turnaround performances, whether Netflix opening an online store makes sense, what the Olympics going ahead could mean for everyone, how to trick yourself into eating less, and more. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analysts Nicole Perrin and Paul Verna and analyst at Insider Intelligence Blake Droesch.
Vida Health and Virgin Pulse are collaborating to provide digital mental health/chronic condition solutions to Virgin Pulse’s enterprise customers as more digital health players vie for employers as a distribution funnel.