Walmart is acquiring the women's online plus-size clothing brand ELOQUII in a deal — worth $100 million, per Recode — that will close later this year.
Why it matters, via Axios' Erica Pandey: Brands like ELOQUII have figured out how to circumvent the likes of Amazon and Walmart by dominating a very narrow market. Now the big players are taking notice and gobbling up these successful, small, digital-first brands.
Eighty-three percent of U.S. IPOs this year have involved unprofitable issuers, which represents an all-time high, according to data from University of Florida finance professor Jay Ritter (first reported by the WSJ).
Why it matters: The previous record was in 2000 (81%), just before the dot-com crash.
Some of the industry's most well-known and influential marketers today are female executives like GE CMO Linda Boff, Facebook VP of Global Marketing Solutions Carolyn Everson, JPMorgan Chase CMO Kristin Lemkau and Endeavor CMO Bozoma Saint John.
Why it matters: The "Mad Men" stereotype of male-dominated advertising and marketing bosses has long been challenged by women who have risen to become CMOs with personal brands that transcend their employers.
A new Pew Research Center study out Sunday found that the percentage of Americans that do various media activities, like use social media or the internet has plateaued. Those forecasts mimic those of eMarketer (above) which has found a similar pattern.
Why it matters: The reason the percentage growth of usage of technologies like mobile, internet and social media is declining is because those technologies have reached a saturation point in the U.S.
Nearly all of the biggest U.S. advertising companies are trying to rebrand their convoluted ad tech services under simpler names.
Why it matters: It's a marketing move by marketers. Industry consolidation and rapid change in the digital advertising world has led to such confusing ad tech stacks — or suite of services — within mega companies that marketers struggle to keep up. A simplified ad brand helps bring a better-packaged product to market.
Social media avatars are reaching new dimensions — three dimensions, to be exact.
Driving the news: 3D avatars of all sorts are appearing, from Apple and Snapchat’s animated cartoons to apps like Gabsee and the stealthy Morphin app, which lets users re-create famous GIFs with a computer-generated imagery (CGI) version of themselves.
The National Rifle Association has spent just $1.6 million on political activities and campaign contributions in 2018, compared to the $16 million it spent in the run-up to the midterm elections at this point in 2014, reports McClatchy.
Why it matters: The drop in political expenditures may be attributed to the NRA's declining popularity in the wake of surging gun control movements like March for Our Lives, organized by the survivors of the Parkland school shooting. The NRA is also under investigation by the FBI for possibly accepting money from Russia to bolster its support for President Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Sarah Sanders' chocolate pecan pie, which became Twitter-famous last Thanksgiving, is featured in "The Happy Cookbook," by "Fox & Friends" host Steve Doocy and his wife, Kathy.
Doocy reveals that Sanders uses a hammer to crush the pecans:
"She uses good bourbon and a store-bought pie crust, because sometimes life is too short to make crust from scratch. Her final touch? She uses a hammer — not kidding, a real hammer — to crush the pecans in a zip-top bag. 'Less mess than a food processor, and a great stress reliever!'"
PepsiCo's North America beverage business rebounded Tuesday after reporting better-than-expected earnings and revenue in the company's most recent quarter as long-time CEO Indra Nooyi prepares to step down.
Why it matters: PepsiCo, which owns Frito-Lay, has been riding high on its snacks business while investing and diversifying its drinks unit as consumers shift away from sugary drinks. In August, PepsiCo announced plans to acquire carbonated water-maker, SodaStream.
Understanding timing is everything, according to famed investor Howard Marks, in his new book "Mastering the Market Cycle."
Between the lines: Marks' book is essentially a how-to for forecasting stock market fluctuations, but he tells Axios that his intent isn't to warn investors about the bull market's finish line:
"Where we stand in the cycle determines our likely outcomes.Unless you're happy being [a passive investor], I think you should try to figure out where we stand and behave accordingly."
After years of preaching self-regulation, the world's biggest advertising companies are suddenly getting behind the idea of national regulation on privacy.
Why it matters: The ad industry realizes it can't avoid regulation forever — especially in light of increased data breaches and scandals over the past year — so its best bet is to support federal rules now rather than face dozens of different state regulations down the line.
