1.Macy’s Inc. launched its marketplace on Sept. 28 with 400 brands and 20 product categories. Shoppers should feel a “minimal difference” in the overall shopping experience, according to Macy’s chief digital and customer officer Matt Baer. There were only five retailers in 2016 with an eCommerce marketplace. Now, there are 34 retailers with operating marketplaces – 11 of them being apparel retailers and
seven as mass merchants, according to a 2021 press release by Macy’s. (READ FULL STORY)
2. The FTC’s lawsuit against Facebook’s acquisition of Oculus was always a long shot, and now it looks like the tech giant is about to score a big victory. On Thursday, Facebook filed a motion to
dismiss the case, arguing that the government failed to establish that the virtual-reality market is concentrated with high barriers to entry. In other words, the FTC wanted to prove that Oculus was a monopoly, but Facebook says that there are plenty of other VR companies out there.
It’s a pretty technical argument, but if Facebook can convince the court that the VR market is competitive, then the FTC’s case will likely be dismissed. This would be a huge win for Facebook, and
it would also be a big blow to the FTC, which has been on a losing streak lately in its attempts to block big tech acquisitions.
3. Microsoft has unveiled a new platform that allows businesses to create content for their promotions using only text prompts. The platform, called Microsoft Designer, relies on artificial intelligence to generate images that can be used free of charge. This move signals a major shift in the digital
marketing landscape, as businesses will no longer have to rely on stock image providers or artists to create visuals for their campaigns. Instead, they will be able to generate high-quality images on their own, at no cost. This change is sure to have a major impact on the stock image industry, as well as on artists who provide visuals for digital marketing campaigns. We’ll have to wait and see how these changes play out, but one thing is for sure: the landscape of digital marketing is about to
change in a big way. (READ FULL STORY)
4. On Wednesday, Comcast’s FreeWheel unit announced a new set of capabilities called Unified Yield. Unified Yield automates optimization across guaranteed, direct IO, and non-guaranteed, programmatic demand in order to help publishers boost access to
premium video inventory that’s usually inaccessible because of guaranteed deals. Here’s what you need to know about Comcast’s latest offering. (READ FULL STORY)
5. Unless you’ve somehow managed to avoid matching with a crypto fiend on
Hinge recently, you’ve probably heard about Kim Kardashian’s recent SEC charges. In case you need a recap, here’s what went down: Kim Kardashian agreed to pay a $1.26 million fine to the SEC for failing to disclose that EthereumMax paid her $250k to promote the coin—which the SEC deems a crypto asset security—on Instagram. This is a wakeup call for marketers.
6. TikTok has announced a new partnership with Linktree which will provide TikTok creators with more referral link options, directly integrated into their TikTok profile. This is great news for TikTok creators who are looking to drive more referral traffic from the app. The new partnership will
provide TikTok creators with an easy way to add referral links to their profile, helping them to get more eyes on their links and driving more traffic to their website or blog. The integration will also make it easier for TikTok users to find and follow the links of the creators they love. With this new partnership, TikTok is making it easier than ever for creators to drive referral traffic from the app.
7. But why? Why are Musk and his
investors so eager to get out of a deal that, just a few months ago, seemed like a sure thing? Well, it turns out that there are quite a few problems with Twitter that Musk & Co. weren't aware of when they first made their offer. From bot problems to security flaws and everything in between, it seems like there's no end to the issues plaguing the social media giant. (Read More on ADOTAT.com)
8. Technology investors came back from their summer vacations and decided to funnel all their energy into expensive early stage rounds in artificial intelligence, database technology, open source software, and large language models. All the fear, uncertainty, and doubt didn't stop them. They're still very excited about
early stage, tech-intensive companies — even if those startups don’t make any money yet. Growth investors are competing for these rounds, keeping prices high. Here are three funding rounds that I’ve got the goods on and two others that I hear are raising at unicorn valuations…... (Eric Newcomer <newcomer@substack.com>)
9.Professional athletes are known for their dedication to their sport. They train for hours each day, honing their skills
and striving for perfection. But what do they do when they're not on the field or court? Well, according to Tyson's new Twitch series, "Chicken and a Video Game," they eat chicken and play video games. The series pairs some of the biggest names in sports with some of the most popular video games, resulting in an entertaining and surprisingly competitive show. So far, the series has featured NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving playing Fortnite, Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte taking on Mario Kart, and
NFL cornerback Richard Sherman squaring off against Call of Duty. With a lineup of top athletes and popular games, "Chicken and a Video Game" is sure to be a hit with sports and gaming fans alike.
10. If you’re not familiar with the term “metaverse,” it’s time to brush up on your tech lingo. The metaverse refers to a shared, virtual space where people can interact with each other and with digital content. And according to a new
report from KPMG, more than half of Americans are aware of the metaverse – even though only 8% have actually used it.
The report found that claimed metaverse awareness is fairly high across all generations, but usage is still low. Just 2% of boomers have used the technology, compared to 12% of Gen Zs, 11% of millennials, and 5% of Gen X-ers. READ FULL ARTICLE ON ADOTAT
11. For many viewers these days, the answer to the video-hardware question “connected TV or streaming media player?” now amounts to “yes,” according to a study released Thursday by Hub Entertainment Research. That report found that while 83% of U.S. households had either a connected TV or a streaming media player in 2021, nearly
two thirds (65%) had both. In other words, the streaming-media player has effectively become an accessory to the connected TV, much like an over-the-air antenna or a Blu-ray player. The study also found that most consumers use their streaming players for two specific purposes: watching subscription video-on-demand services such as Netflix (70%), and watching live linear TV (54%). But as the connected TV continues to evolve—becoming, in effect, a giant computer monitor with built-in apps
and advanced features—it’s likely that the streaming media player will become even more unnecessary. So if you’re in the market for a new video device, you might want to save your money and just get a good old-fashioned TV.