Polina's Everything You Need To Know | 14 May 2021

Happy Friday All!

Did anyone else feel like this week went on forever and at the same time flew by? Or is it just me?

As promised, every Friday I will be sharing a weekly doze of "Everything You Need to Know" with a sprinkle of my commentary in Polina's Media & Tech Report of the week. All sources are attached for those wanting that little bit extra detail :)

Without further ado, there's a lot to cover this week:

1.    Dentsu Americas Aims for 50% of Executive Roles to be taken by women by 2025. In addition, the company is aiming for 30% multicultural representation in the U. S. by 2025. Article HERE

Although that's a great move by one of the biggest network agencies, I'd love to see more on how the same efforts can be scaled up in their operations across the globe.

2.    Disney+ surpasses 100 million subscribers, but the platform’s slower than expected growth indicates a shift in pandemic streaming behaviour. Link HERE

Anyone working in the entrainment industry would be aware of the risk of people abandoning home entertainment and opting in for out of home entertainment choices after many have spent a year at home and are now desperately looking for new experiences or glimpses of the “new normal” as big parts of the world slowly re-open.

3.    P&G is planning to spend $1M to increase LGBT visibility in advertising over the next 3 years by bringing Fortune 100 advertisers to create a blueprint for LGBT inclusion in advertising, as well as authentic representation of the LGBT community. Link HERE.

4.    From Oscar ratings hitting an all time low to the arrival of connected TV (CTV) and fragmentation of streaming industry, top media buyers this week have been outlining the 7 biggest trends likely to impact the future of TV. Article link HERE

5.    Paramount + comes to the rescue and drives ViacomCBS’s total streaming subscribers to 36 million delivering 6 million new sign ups. Article HERE.

6.    Reddit launches in-house agency to help brands tap into communities in authentic way. Link HERE

7.    Nando’s hosts 21 June celebrations across five cities in the UK turning restaurants into music venues. Article HERE

8.    Haagen-Dazs embraces the outdoors with the return of floating cinema. Link HERE.

9.    Adidas & Nike see drop in online sales after a boycott of international brands that have taken a stand against the treatment of Muslim Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region. Article HERE.

10.  Ellen DeGeneres to end talk show after the upcoming 19th season at the end of her contract in 2022. This is following reports of a toxic work culture on the show by numerous ex employees published in July 2020. This sees the end of the longest-running and most successful daytime talk series. Article HERE.

11. Instagram enables users to add pronouns to their profiles. Article HERE.

12. Clubhouse begins roll out of a beta version for Android users in a long-anticipated move welcomed by many users. Article HERE.

13. Heavy podcast listeners aren’t just tuning in to content, 25% of the audience also enjoys when brands engage with them through audio advertising indicating strong marketing potential. Link HERE.

14. Despite international fans being unable to attend the Summer Olympics, there’s still strong interest with 53% of Americans saying they’re still interested in watching it live. Full article HERE.

15. Although TV viewership has gone up 17% in lockdown, online grocery sales slow as UK lockdown eases and many opt in to eat out. Article HERE.

16. Monzo is to offer employees paid leave after pregnancy loss with either partner being able to take up to 10 days’ leave after miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion. Article HERE

17. Adidas Xbox shoes leak ahead of 2021 release. Article HERE

18. E.l.f. Cosmetics to launch a branded Twitch channel with three-hour long livestream hosted by a gamer and special effects makeup artist Autumn Rhodes plus guests addressing how people put on their makeup in preparation for live-streaming sessions. E.l.f. Cosmetics is the first major beauty brand to start a branded Twitch channel. Article HERE.

19. States Urge Facebook to Abandon Plan for Children’s version of Instagram citing behavioural and privacy concerns about social media’s effects on young people. Article HERE.

20. Hasbro sets up life-size Monopoly experience as the brand focuses on location-based Marketing activations. Article HERE

21. In a move to tackle childhood obesity, the UK government puts restrictions on High Fat High Sugar advertising on TV and online. Link HERE

22. Brands don’t need to avoid violence in games – just need to make sure it’s right for their audience. Link HERE

23. UK economy shrinks by 1.5% in the first quarter amid lockdowns. Article HERE

24. Microsoft Named as Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of The Year. Article HERE

25. Burger King AR game allows customers to enter the world of Angry Birds upon purchase of a King Jr kids meal. More details HERE

26. Volvo’s Reddit Campaign calls on community to share terrifying car crash stories in an attempt to encourage millions to talk about car safety and how safety belts can save your life…and it WORKS! Article HERE.

Thank you for your time. Feel free to share with friends and colleagues if you enjoyed reading my weekly summary.

Have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments.

Have a great weekend!

Polina