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☆ I swapped alcohol for 'Psychedelic Water' popular among sober-curious people online. I found it's the perfect drink to avoid social anxiety without a hangover.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"Psychedelic Water?" Despite the name, Psychedelic Water doesn't include LSD or psilocybin and definitely won't make you hallucinate. The main side effect I experienced while drinking Psychedelic Water was an occasional tingling sensation on my tongue and minor stomach pains. Psychedelic Water was one of the previously unheard-of brands that took off on social media during this time. Psychedelic Water is available in four flavors: hibiscus lime, blackberry yuzu, oolong orange blossom, and prickly pear.

Persons: —, seltzer, Robbie, Abby Wallace, Pankaj Gogia, Ben Rogul, Gogia, psychedelics Organizations: Service, Pacific Islanders, National Institutes of Health, Nielsen, Urban Outfitters

☆ Data giant Snowflake is building a marketplace for retail media data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Ryan Joe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Data giant Snowflake is building a marketplace for retail media data. Data giant Snowflake is building a marketplace for retail media data as it tries to grab a bigger piece of the $80 billion retail media market. Investing in retail media is a top priority for Snowflake, said Rosemary DeAragon, the company's global head of retail and CPG. There's sharp competition in the ad industry to grab as much retail media share as possible, while the market is still relatively nascent. While tech giants like Amazon and Google have their own clean room offerings, they don't field a retail media data marketplace.

Persons: Snowflake, Chase cardmembers, Rosemary DeAragon, Myles Younger, Damian Garbaccio, who've, haven't, Morgan Stanley, Criteo, Shiv Gupta Organizations: Affinity Solutions, Affinity, IRI, Nielsen, Walmart, Google, Amazon Locations: Snowflake

☆ ‘Gladiator’ sequel on-set accident injures ‘several crew members’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —An accident on the set of the next “Gladiator” film – the sequel to the best picture Oscar winner from 2000 – injured multiple people involved in the production. “While filming a planned stunt sequence on the set of the Gladiator sequel, an accident occurred during which several crew members experienced non-life-threatening injuries,” a spokesperson for Paramount Pictures shared in a statement to CNN on Saturday. They are all in stable condition and continue to receive treatment,” the statement continued. Variety, which was first to report the news, detailed that six people in total received treatment for burn injuries after the accident, which took place on the film’s set in Morocco. The “Gladiator” sequel is being directed by Ridley Scott, who helmed the first film.

Persons: ”, “, Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe, Gladiator ”, Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn Organizations: CNN, Paramount Pictures, Variety, Paramount Locations: Morocco

☆ Gen Z is drinking less. That's bad news for concert venues that depend on alcohol sales for profits.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Brad Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

That's worrying concert venues that depend on alcohol sales for their profits, Billboard reported. "Bar sales are important for every music venue, but especially for smaller ones," a talent agent told the magazine. That's because alcohol sales help keep the lights on at clubs around the country. David Slutes, who runs a venue called Club Congress in Tuscon, Arizona, said that he'd noticed alcohol sales had dropped up to 25% when booking shows for a Gen Z-focused crowd. Some venues told the magazine they're experimenting with renting out their facilities for more private events to make up for lost revenue.

Persons: Z'ers, —, it's, Evan Johnson, Daydream, David Slutes, he'd, Z, Dayna Frank, Nielsen Organizations: Gallup, Billboard, Service, Daydream State, Nielsen Locations: Seattle, Tuscon , Arizona

☆ HBO's controversial 'The Idol' starring The Weeknd has divided the world, according to new data about its global popularity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Nathan Mcalone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It's a hit in Scandinavia and Latin America, but hasn't performed as well in the US, per data from FlixPatrol. HBO's "The Idol" was divisive before it even debuted on June 4, and its popularity around the world has also been uneven, according to new data. But the controversies started for "The Idol" well before the reviews started rolling in. A bombshell story from Rolling Stone in March said the show had gone "wildly, disgustingly off the rails," according to interviews with 13 sources. Tesfaye called the Rolling Stone article "ridiculous" in an interview with Vanity Fair shortly after its publication.

Persons: hasn't, Sam Levinson, Lily, Rose Depp, Abel, Max, Variety's Peter Debruge, Gyarkye, Stone, Levinson, Tesfaye, Depp Organizations: Rotten, HBO, Netflix, Stone, Cannes Film Locations: Scandinavia, Latin America, FlixPatrol, America, Central Europe, Western Europe, Sweden, Hungary, Denmark, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia

☆ Tucker Carlson launches first episode of low-budget Twitter show after Fox News firing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Tucker Carlson is back — sort of. He wrapped up by declaring that U.F.O.s and extraterrestrial life are ‘actually real.’”“As of today, we’ve come to Twitter,” Carlson said in the video. Regardless, whether the Twitter show has the same influence and reach as Carlson’s one-time Fox News time slot is far from certain. Carlson faces an uphill climb if he hopes to reclaim the power he once enjoyed through Twitter videos. The first episode of “Tucker on Twitter” didn’t help.

Persons: CNN — Tucker Carlson, “ Tucker, Carlson, Katie Robertson, Jeremy Peters, Vladimir V, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Carlson, “ We’re, Bryan Freedman, Rupert Murdoch’s, Musk, Nielsen Organizations: CNN, Elon, Twitter, Fox News Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ Could Jeff Zucker Fix CNN? He Seems to Think So.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The complaint wasn’t unusual for Mr. Zucker, 58. He often compares notes on the media business with former colleagues and industry acquaintances, many of whom call him to grouse about the current state of CNN. Mr. Zucker’s criticism may be painful for executives running CNN to hear second- and thirdhand. Last month, CNN hosted a town hall with Mr. Trump in New Hampshire that was criticized for airing false information. Many anchors Mr. Zucker hired or promoted, including Jake Tapper, and Kaitlan Collins, who moderated the town hall, are still in prominent spots in CNN’s lineup.

Persons: Zucker, Chris Licht, Donald J, Trump, Jake Tapper, Kaitlan Collins Organizations: CNN, Nielsen Locations: New Hampshire

☆ Here's why Diddy is suing Diageo over his vodka and tequila brands
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Diddy attends The After, hosted by the entrepreneur and Doja Cat, powered by Ciroc Premium Vodka and DeLeon Tequila at Club Love in New York City, May 1, 2023. Sean "Diddy" Combs is suing multinational spirits giant Diageo for alleged racial discrimination in the handling of his vodka and tequila brands, which Combs claims the company typecast as "Black brands." In a lawsuit filed Wednesday with the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan, Combs' lawyers accuse Diageo of neglecting his Ciroc vodka and DeLeon tequila brands, and of marginalizing their appeal by marketing them as "urban" brands. Following the success of the partnership, Diageo co-purchased the DeLeon tequila brand with Combs' company in 2013. Diageo, a multibillion-dollar, publicly traded spirits company based in London, owns more than 200 brands, including the Don Julio tequila brand.

Persons: Diddy, DeLeon Tequila, Sean, Combs, DeLeon, Puffy, George Clooney's, Clooney's, Bump Williams, Don Julio, Stephen Rust, Martha Stewart, Rust, They're Organizations: Diageo, New York Supreme, Clooney's Casamigos, Nielsen, CNBC Locations: New York City, Manhattan, London, Ciroc

☆ Constellation Brands vs. Molson Coors: Here's which beer maker is the clear winner to buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

In a battle of beer makers, Molson Coors (TAP) has had the advantage lately over rival Constellation Brands (STZ). Molson Coors has a diverse portfolio of popular beer brands including Coors Light and Miller Lite as well as other summer favorites Blue Moon and Leinenkugel's. Shares of TAP have gained about 17% in 2023, driven by strong beer growth and strategic partnerships. TAP STZ YTD mountain Molson Coors vs. Constellation Brands YTD performance At Club holding Constellation, its core beer brands are Corona, Modelo and Pacifico. While Molson Coors is catching much of the Bud Light exodus, Constellation's popular beer brands will also be a beneficiary.

Persons: Molson, Molson Coors, Miller, Bud Light's, influencer, Bud Light, BUD, Jim Cramer, Roth, Jim, Bud, Roth MKM, STZ, Gerald Pascarelli, Seltzer, Pascarelli, it's, Filippo Falorni, Falorni, Filippo, Wedbush's, Edward Lewis, hasn't, Robert Sands, Bill Newlands, Sands, Newlands, Jim Cramer's Organizations: Molson Coors, TAP, Constellation Brands, Modelo, Coors, Miller Lite, Anheuser, Busch Inbev, Club, Constellation, Corona, Nielsen, Constellation's Modelo Especial, Molson, CNBC, Coca, Citi, Falorni, STZ, Cinco de, Getty Locations: Corona, Pacifico, STZ, North, North America, Cinco de Mayo, San Diego

☆ Desperate for streaming profits, media giants look to a soft ad market for help
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

(AP Photo/Universal Pictures) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures/Tippett StudioAfter spending years amassing streaming subscribers at great cost, media companies now need to make some profits. Look no further for proof of that than the most recent annual Upfronts, the events where media companies like Fox Corp ., Warner Bros. During Disney's earnings call earlier this month, CEO Bob Iger put new emphasis on ad-supported streaming. 'We need ads'There's been an uptick of consumers signing up for ad-supported streaming subscriptions. But media companies are struggling with the question of whether ad-tier subscriptions make up for other losses.

☆ CNN getting more Republicans on-air as it seeks political diversity
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

We need to show both sides of every issue.”Advertisers “don’t want to be part of an advocacy network” but they do want to be part of a news network, Zaslav said. CNN has taken heat for its broadcast of a May 10 town hall with former Republican President Donald Trump. On Wednesday CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour publicly criticized the town hall in remarks at Columbia Journalism School, the first of the network’s on-air talent to do so. “I still respectfully disagree with allowing Donald Trump to appear in that particular format,” Amanpour said, according to the CNN “Reliable Sources” newsletter Wednesday night. The Trump town hall attracted 3.3 million viewers, making CNN the most-watched cable news network that evening, according to Nielsen data.

☆ Netflix stock jumps 10% as it boasts ad-tier growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Discovery highlighted their ad-supported streaming options at their presentations. Netflix saw its stock rise nearly 10% on Thursday soon after unveiling details about its new ad-supported tier that suggested the business model is starting to pay off. Netflix stock rallied on Thursday soon after the company offered new details about its ad-support streaming tier. Netflix launched its ad-based option in late 2022, following quarters of stagnating subscriber growth that sent its stock tumbling. The company posted mixed financial results in its most recent quarter, but said it added 1.75 million subscribers.

☆ These 18 top Netflix execs are driving its advertising push under head Jeremi Gorman as the company makes its first big TV upfronts pitch
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Peter Naylor, VP of global advertising salesPeter Naylor, VP, global advertising sales. Netflix has also brought on several directors and other roles in ad sales who've worked at Hulu, Snap, and elsewhere. They are Kinsey Osberg Tamberrino, who is Publicis' main point of contact, and who spent eight years at Hulu, rising to director of advertising sales. Chad Rumminger, who focuses on automotive accounts, from automotive ad sales at Twitter. Julie Taylor Green is head of US vertical ad sales; she was TikTok's director of global business solutions before that.

☆ The AI boom shakes up stocks, disrupts tech, and could be on the brink of its 'iPhone' moment
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Over the last several months, I've turned to ChatGPT for research, book summaries, and even pasta recipes. It was only in March that Bank of America strategists declared that AI was on the brink of its "iPhone moment," and that it was about to change the world forever. In the stretches he's referring to, stocks appreciated 15% on average, and inflation's also declined, something that would be welcome news for the Fed right now. The giant's quarterly iPhone sales slowed last quarter, and shareholders may have to brace for another snag. Apple's "base business is stagnating and its high-margin apps platform could be disintermediated by ChatGPT plugins," Wood said.

☆ Trump says he's 'amazed' that CNN staffers were 'traumatized' by his town hall appearance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump said that he was "amazed" that CNN staffers were "traumatized" by his town hall appearance. CNN staffers were horrified watching their network conduct the 70-minute town hall, Insider has reported. Trump told news outlet The Messenger that CNN should have ignored the backlash and bragged about ratings instead. "They were actually traumatized," Trump told news outlet The Messenger in a wide-ranging interview published on Monday. Trump also told The Messenger he was "surprised by the level of hostility" he says he received during the town hall.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery's ad sales chief reveals how he'll tout flexible offerings and 6 new measurement deals to grab brand dollars from TV rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Discovery ad sales chief Jon Steinlauf has a strategy to grab market share at the TV upfronts. WBD left money on the table at the 2022 upfront, Steinlauf said, and faces a soft 2023 ad market. Discovery's pitch to advertisers was all about the breadth of its newly merged portfolio of news, sports, and lifestyle entertainment. When it comes to WBD's Premiere package of top ad inventory, for example, ad sales chief Jon Steinlauf emphasized how advertisers could customize the mix of programming to meet their wants. Discovery debuted at an inopportune time, just a few weeks ahead of the biggest TV sales event of the year.

Revisit some of the predominant trends in music that came to define a mercurial decade, from pop-rap and boy bands to aesthetic sadness and protest anthems. Rap goes the viral pop routeAt the beginning of the 2010s, rap stars had trouble scoring their own No. Dark and dreary pop blows upLana Del Rey helped to usher in a new era of downbeat and dark pop. Karl Walter/Getty ImagesBoth the Weeknd and Del Rey have pivoted since their debuts, with their images becoming more complicated than their indie origins belie. Del Rey, meanwhile, has only burrowed deeper into her niche, crafting intensely personal records that have matured with her listeners.

The departure of ads chief Linda Yaccarino to Twitter has thrown NBCU into chaos. The exit comes on the heels of the departure of NBCU CEO Jeff Shell after sexual harassment allegations. One advertising executive who works closely with NBCUniversal described the situation inside the company as a "Cuban missile crisis." NBCU does have a deep bench of ad executive talent that's highly regarded in the ad industry. Although Yaccarino's departure from NBCUniversal to Twitter was a surprise, she had been close with the company and its billionaire owner.

☆ The latest sign Linda Yaccarino could be Elon Musk's choice for Twitter CEO? She just resigned from NBCUniversal.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Yaccarino is reportedly Elon Musk's likely candidate to replace him as Twitter's CEO. Linda Yaccarino is leaving NBCUniversal on the heels of reports that she's the likely contender to replace Elon Musk as Twitter's CEO. She was a key contributor to NBCU's push into streaming TV, with the rollout of the ad-supported version of streaming service Peacock in 2020. Under Yaccarino, NBCUniversal has offered to let advertisers buy ads using non-Nielsen ratings from competitors like VideoAmp and iSpot.tv. Mark Marshall, another longtime NBCUniversal ad exec and formally president of ad sales and client partnerships, will take over Yaccarino's role on an interim basis, NBCUniversal said.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery's top ad exec details his plans to grab market share from TV rivals with flexible offerings and 6 new measurement deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Discovery ad sales chief Jon Steinlauf shared plans to grab market share at the TV upfront. WBD left money on the table at the 2022 upfront and faces a soft ad market. When it comes to WBD's Premiere package of top ad inventory, for example, ad sales chief Jon Steinlauf emphasized how advertisers could customize the mix of programming to meet their wants. Discovery debuted at an inopportune time, just a few weeks ahead of the biggest TV sales event of the year. WBD dove into its 2022 TV upfront negotiations without the benefit of time to share information across its predecessor companies, causing some blowback among top advertisers.

☆ CNN's Trump town hall drew 3.3 million viewers — about what Tucker Carlson's top-rated Fox News show pulled before he was canned
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

CNN hosted a town hall with former President Donald Trump on Wednesday night. But CNN drew 3.3 million viewers, about what Tucker Carlson was drawing to his Fox News show. CNN's decision to host a town hall with former President Donald Trump was heavily criticized — both before and after the chaotic event took place Wednesday night — but still drew in 3.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. The town hall ratings were also good news for CNN boss Christ Licht, who has worked to attract Republicans to the network since taking over as CEO in 2022. CNN's ratings Wednesday night were significantly lower than several Trump town halls put on by Fox News in 2020, including one held by host Sean Hannity in June 2020 that drew 5.1 million viewers.

☆ Tucker Carlson is popular with the boomers, but at Twitter he will be courting a different — and much younger — audience
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The median age of Twitter users is much younger than that of Fox News viewers, reports show. Tucker Carlson is officially moving to Twitter, but whether his loyal — and older — Fox fans will follow is yet to be seen. In a video, Carlson touted the social media platform to his seven million followers as a place of "free speech." Back at Fox News, the median age of an average viewer was 65, according to Nielsen ratings. A Pew Research study shows a stark difference: The median age of a Twitter user is 40.

☆ Black Tech Twitter, trans users and more marginalized groups flock to Bluesky
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Daysia Tolentino | J.J. Mccorvey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Her first objective was to get her community, Black tech Twitter, onto Bluesky. Once Black Twitter users started moving to Bluesky, Aveta said, others wanted to follow. Some signs indicate a slowdown among Black Twitter users that predates Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter last year. Aveta said she prioritized moving the Black tech community to Bluesky first to combine social appeal with technical knowledge. Pariss Chandler, the organizer of Black Tech Twitter and the founder of the recruitment platform Black Tech Pipeline, said diversity, equity and inclusion should be considered early in a platform's launch.

☆ This Asian MMA promotion wants to crack the US market -- without the blood and trash-talking
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Could 2023 be the year mixed-martial arts (MMA) in the United States finally returns to its pure, humble beginnings nurtured in Asia nearly 5,000 years ago? “I can’t wait for the US fans to be exposed to true martial arts. Fighting on American soil, it’s amazing to be able to headline this landmark event,” said the former longtime UFC champion, who joined One in 2018. Courtesy Aaron Pan/ONE ChampionshipWhat “true martial arts” means in new-era combat sports is certainly up for interpretation. That’s more true to the spirit of martial arts and its traditional values.

☆ These robot dogs can't bark — but they can speak in full sentences thanks to ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Boston Dynamic's robot dogs can now speak thanks to OpenAI's ChatGPT, Fast Company reported. Boston Dynamics' robotic dogs may not be able to bark — but they can speak in complete sentences, thanks to generative AI. Using Google Assistant's voice technology, ChatGPT gives the robot dogs the ability to understand and respond to humans face-to-face. When asked a question about the robot's tasks, ChatGPT can interpret it and formulate an answer by analyzing the robot's data, he said. A demonstration of these robot dogs shows they are are capable of answering verbal questions in a clear way.

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