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☆ What it’s really like to go to the Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The person who attended the Super Bowl nine timesMike Quackenbush has been to the Super Bowl nine times — but he didn’t personally pay for tickets because, technically, he was there on business. It’s a great event and I was super lucky to go all those years.”The first-time Super Bowl attendee who went during the pandemicChelsea Bear was all smiles at the 2021 Super Bowl. Lennox McLendon/AP Most rushing yards in a Super Bowl: Washington quarterback Doug Williams won the Super Bowl MVP award in 1988, but rookie running back Timmy Smith set a Super Bowl record that year with 204 rushing yards against Denver. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Longest pass in a Super Bowl: Carolina wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad caught an 85-yard touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme during Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004. Paul Sancya/AP First score in Super Bowl history: In the first quarter of what we know now as Super Bowl I, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Max McGee scored a touchdown on a 37-yard pass from Bart Starr.

Persons: who’ve, who’d, —, he’d, Mike Quackenbush, didn’t, Quackenbush, Washington Redskins —, ”, he’ll, Peyton Manning’s, it’s, It’s, Bear, Chelsea Bear, Chelsea Bear’s, Chloe, ” Bear, couldn’t, Tom Brady —, I’ll, San, Judy Abad, “, Steve Young, Tom DiPace, Tom Brady, Brady, John David Mercer, Jerry Rice, Lennox McLendon, Doug Williams, Timmy Smith, Bob Galbraith, Rod Martin, Jeff Roberson, Bill Belichick, Belichick, Al Bello, Baltimore's Jacoby Jones, Ezra Shaw, Muhsin Muhammad, Jake Delhomme, Brian Bahr, Willie Parker, Paul Spinelli, Pittsburgh's James Harrison, Kurt Warner, Leon Lett, Lett, Buffalo's Don Beebe, Rick Stewart, Manny Ramirez, Peyton Manning, Denver's Knowshon Moreno, Paul Sancya, Max McGee, Bart Starr, McGee, Neil Leifer, Scott Norwood, Phil Sandlin, Abad, ” Abad, Mike Ryan, Chris Jeter, Ryan, Patrick Mahomes wasn’t, “ I’d Organizations: CNN, Super, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, NFL, Super Bowl, NFL Players Association, Bowls, Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills, Chelsea, Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, South Florida, Bucs, New England Patriots, Philadelphia, Patriots, Atlanta, USA, Cincinnati, Famer, Washington, Denver, Oakland, Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, New, New York Giants, Ravens, San Francisco, Getty, Pittsburgh, Dallas Cowboys, Rose, Green Bay Packers, San, 49ers, Buffalo, Bills, Kansas City, Bowl, I’m Locations: Tampa, San Francisco, Diego, Francisco, New England, Carolina, Denver, Seattle, Kansas, Miami

☆ I drove the hottest Chinese EV in Europe — and America is definitely missing out
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Alex Goy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

(And in other places, like North America, the MG brand is known for tiny vintage sports cars and little else.) The 2024 MG MG4 XPower. Alex GoyMG decided to send me the MG4 XPower, the fastest one you can get, as I am a hooligan. The interior of the MG MG4 XPower. Driving the MG MG4 XPower on the road.

Persons: It's, MG4 XPower, Alex Goy MG, you'd, there's, XPower, Alex Goy, Apple CarPlay, Uber, MG's, it's Organizations: Service, SAIC, TF, Business, MG4, Audi, EV, MG Locations: North America, United Kingdom, it's, Europe, It's, America, London

☆ The Fall of the Timepiece Gentleman, the Luxury Watch Dealer Who Ran Afoul of the Feds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( David Kushner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

Farrer is better known as the Timepiece Gentleman, the flashiest online dealer in the $75 billion luxury watch trade. All he needed was the right name for his luxury watch business — something distinctive, something memorable. In his mind, he pictured what the ultimate luxury watch dealer would look like. To launch his career as the Timepiece Gentleman, Farrer boned up on the jargon of horology, from escape wheels and spring barrels to flinques and guilloches. Despite the staggering size of the luxury watch trade, nobody had thought to market its glamour and mystique.

Persons: Reddit, I've, Anthony Farrer, Farrer, Mark Wahlberg, Marky Mark, Patek Philippes, Sharf, Prada, he'd, Cameron, Travis Baker, chronograph, Richard Chance, He'd, timepieces, Farrer boned, they're, Kevin Hart, It's, Buyers, Darby McVay, McVay, Liz Guilliams, Guilliams, You've, Dallas —, Crimepiece, vouching, Santa Monica, —, Darth Vader, y'all, reselling, Anthony, stiffing, Wesley Stokes, Stokes, Bob Schober, Joe Haden, Richard Mille, Schober, He's, Peter, Paul, didn't Organizations: YouTube, FBI, Timepiece Gentlemen, Watch, Buffalo Wild Wings, Business, Boston Consulting Group, Texans, Craigslist, Lamborghini, Malibu, Downtown, Hollywood, Cleveland Browns, TPG, Ducati, Venice Locations: Venice , California, Venice, backwoods Texas, Reddit, cowpoke, Sherman , Texas, Dallas, It's, Salt, Riding, Los Angeles, In Dallas, LA, Santa, Texas, Downtown Los Angeles, South Carolina, Scottsdale , Arizona, Stokes

☆ Fani Willis, the DA who charged Trump in Georgia, subpoenaed by House GOP
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Katherine Doyle | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has subpoenaed District Attorney Fani Willis of Fulton County, Georgia, demanding documents from her office following allegations that Willis fired a whistleblower who tried to stop a top campaign aide from misusing federal funds. In a letter Friday, Jordan says Willis has failed to comply with two earlier requests for documents related to her office's use of federal grant money. Willis' office has condemned Jordan's requests, writing last year in a letter to him that there is "no justification in the Constitution for Congress to interfere with a state criminal matter." "Instead of using these federal grant funds for the intended purpose of helping at-risk youths, your office sought to use the grant funds to 'get Macbooks ... swag ... [and] use it for travel,'" Jordan wrote. Willis' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the circumstances of the employee's departure.

Persons: Jim Jordan, Fani Willis, Willis, Jordan, Donald Trump, Georgia's, Trump Organizations: WASHINGTON, NBC News, House Republicans, Congress, Department, Washington Free Beacon Locations: Fulton County , Georgia, Ohio, Fulton County, Georgia

☆ Opinion: Taylor Swift is making this the most expensive Super Bowl in history
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Opinion Danielle Campoamor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Tickets to this year’s Super Bowl are now the most expensive in NFL history, according to SeatGeek and CBS reporting: the cheapest available at $9,858. But for an organization with a nefarious history when it comes to violence against women, does the NFL really deserve Taylor Swift? Since 2000, over 1,000 NFL players have been arrested. What’s worse, when accusations are levied against professional football players rarely if ever are they held accountable or faced with real, substantial consequences. Since her first stadium appearance, she has been wildly and falsely accused of ruining professional football for deigning to express joy publicly.

Persons: Danielle Campoamor, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid, Tony Romo —, Swift, Danielle Campoamor Ashley Batz It’s, Taylor, Jim Nantz, Isiah Pacheco, ”, didn’t, ” Daniel Sailofsky, Ray Rice, fiancé Janay Palmer, Rice, ” Rice, “, Kelce, Jason Kelce, Leonardo DiCaprio, famer, —, Tennessee Sen, Marsha Blackburn, Trump, DJ David “ Jackson ” Mueller, groping Organizations: NBC, CNN, Kansas City Chiefs, AFC Championship, CBS Sports ’, NFL Football, Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, CBS, NFL, Super Bowl, Chicago Bears, Nielsen, Apex Marketing Group, Front, Swift, Tayvis, New York Times, Baltimore Ravens, Ravens, “, Pfizer, Philadelphia Eagles, deigning, Soros, Tennessee, VAWA Locations: Colorado

☆ The state of Wall Street's drug culture
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In today's big story, we're looking at the state of Wall Street's drug culture. What's on deck:AdvertisementBut first, does Wall Street have a drug problem? The big storyHigh on Wall StreetVartika Sharma for BIOf the many stereotypes about Wall Street, one of the most prevalent is the industry's rampant drug use. From Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street" to HBO's "Industry," extreme drug use and working in finance are often portrayed as being hand-in-hand. Business Insider's finance team spoke to more than a dozen current and former finance professionals, along with several health professionals, to get a sense of Wall Street's drug culture these days.

Persons: —, Jennifer Lopez's, Vartika Sharma, Martin Scorsese's, JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE, Marty Chavez, Goldman Sachs, Chavez, that's, It's, Ted Shaffrey, Justin Sullivan, MGM Studios Jen Salke, Rachel Weisz, Alice Birch, MGM Studios Sue Kroll, Kevin Mazur, they'll, Josephine Maida, I've Organizations: Service, Business, BI, Sixth, Apple, Netflix, Big Tech, Tech, Amazon, MGM Studios, Apple Vision, Schlumberger Locations: Wall

☆ Taylor Swift is definitely in her WAG era. Here are all the moments you might've missed from her appearance at the Chiefs-Dolphins playoff game.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"I have quite literally never seen Taylor Swift so happy in my life?!? AdvertisementI have quite literally never seen Taylor Swift so happy in my life?!? Say what you want, that jacket Taylor Swift is wearing goes crazy!!! "Say what you want, that jacket Taylor Swift is wearing goes crazy!!!" AdvertisementTravis Kelce and Taylor Swift in New York City on October 15, 2023.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Swift, Emm, Kristin Ju, Britt, during the, witte, wift, ami, ime, she, egan, cause we Organizations: Service, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Dolphins, Business, Adv, ober Locations: Missouri

☆ Iowans weigh Trump’s legal woes as they decide who to back in caucuses
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Arit John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ames, Iowa CNN —Teresa Garman has attended decades worth of Iowa caucuses, but views Monday’s meeting as the most consequential. In interviews, Iowans expressed an array of opinions on Trump’s legal problems, from anger over what they say they believe is a “witch hunt,” echoing the former president’s criticism, to a desire to move on and focus on issues plaguing the country. Among those who were not considering the former president, 57% said Trump was controversial and 48% said they were concerned about his legal issues. “If Trump is the nominee, it’s going to be about January 6, legal issues, criminal trials,” DeSantis said during a CNN debate Wednesday. “I think that Vivek is, in a roundabout way, even better for Trump than Trump being in there,” Sherman said.

Persons: Iowa CNN — Teresa Garman, Ron DeSantis –, he’ll, Donald Trump, “, Trump, ”, ” Trump, –, Iowans, Nikki Haley, DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Haley, Ramaswamy, Donald Trump Jr, Joe Biden, ” Marian Webster, she’s, Biden, – Webster, it’s, ” DeSantis, Sandy Wigdahl, It’s, ” Dan Boyle, caucusing, Boyle, “ He’s, He’s, ” Boyle, I’ll, Trump’s, Pat Goodman, Goodman, ” Goodman, ” Ramaswamy, Loren Sherman, Vivek ”, Sherman, Vivek, ” Sherman, “ Vivek, Ebony Davis, Kit Maher, Veronica Stracqualursi Organizations: Iowa CNN, Ames, Florida Gov, Iowa, Trump, ” Trump –, GOP, Hawkeye State, Former South Carolina Gov, CBS, Tower, CNN, UN, West Des Moines, Ramaswamy Locations: Ames, Iowa, Florida, Colorado, New York, Urbandale, Ankeny, Des Moines, Clive, West Des, Waukee

☆ Longevity runs in my family. Here are 4 common traits I noticed that seemed to help them live longer.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-06 | by ( Courtenay Rudzinski | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

My two grandmothers, my aunts, and my mom lived full, active lives into their late 80s and beyond. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The women in my family — both grandmas, my aunts, and my mom — had no intention of planning their days around doctor visits. Embrace each dayThe women in my family tended to rise early, make their beds every morning, and fix their faces and hair. AdvertisementMy fraternal grandmother came to the United States as a child with her family, who didn't speak the language and had little money in their pockets.

Persons: —, Ralph Waldo, Henry David —, he'd, I've Organizations: Service, Energy Locations: United States, who'd

☆ Meet the founder of the Failure Museum, an exclusive collection of swag from companies that went bust
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Norwest partner Sean Jacobsohn started collecting objects from failed businesses a year ago. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . To make it into the museum, the failure has to be a physical item — no NFTs allowed, Jacobsohn said. Some even offer to donate failed business swag as a way of getting in his rolodex. He's currently scheduled to lead a guest lecture on the subject for the class "Avoiding Startup Failure,' he mentioned.

Persons: Sean Jacobsohn, he's, it's, —, Jordan Poole, Jacobsohn, Sean Jacobsohn's, freebie, Jacobsohn's, Mattel, Allan, Ken's, Michael Cera's, Harley Davidson's, Elizabeth Holmes, He's, you've Organizations: Service, Bay Area, Norwest Venture Partners, Golden State Warriors, Business, Mattel, eBay, mater, Harvard Business School Locations: Bay, cologne

☆ I'm a Swiftie Dad who traded a family summer vacation to take my kids across the country to an Eras Tour concert. It was worth every penny.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

We had already been to one Taylor Swift concert, but we wanted to try for a better experience. Additionally, I decided the family needed to forgo our usual summer family vacation and travel from Texas to Los Angeles for our second Taylor Swift "The Eras Tour" concert. A view from the author's seats at the Taylor Swift concert in Houston. The author's better half and their oldest daughter before a Taylor Swift concert in Los Angeles. Photos taken by the author's daughters at the LA Taylor Swift concert.

Persons: Taylor Swift, —, Swifties, Swift, Hannah Gaines, Cork, splurging, Clare, Taylor, Cork Gaines, Hannah, LA Taylor, Clare Gaines, Hannah Gaines Clare Organizations: Service, Ticketmaster, Cork Gaines, Business, Disney World, LA Locations: LA, Texas, Los Angeles, Houston, New York City, Ireland, Puerto Rico

It’s been a wonderful year at the movies for cinephiles, but what do you get for the film lover who has seen everything already? There are inspiration boards, script pages with handwritten annotations, correspondence with collaborators, as well as personal introductions to each film. They even have a section where you can choose films based on running time: Only have 90 minutes or less? Another special feature looks at the development of black and white 65mm film stock they pioneered for the film. Because this license plate has serious movie cred.’” It’s easily google-able, but we won’t spoil it here.

Persons: It’s, Barbie, Sofia Coppola, “ Sofia Coppola, Coppola, “ Priscilla, ”, she’s, Kirsten Dunst, Bill Murray, Tomasz Ruminski, Leszek Żebrowski ’, Andrzej Krajewski ’, thoughtfully, Parker Posey, Ozu, Ousmane Sembène, “ Hitchcock, Christopher Nolan’s “ Oppenheimer ”, Nolan, Kai Bird, Kip Thorne, Matt Singer, Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel, Siskel, Ebert, Singer, “, Samuel L, Jackson, Cillian Murphy, Jason Momoa, Steven Soderbergh, it’s, Joanna Bush, Soderbergh, ” It’s Organizations: Sundance Film, Criterion, ”, Teamsters, NICE Locations: “, Park City , Utah, Chicago

☆ Can Glenn Youngkin Save the G.O.P. from Trumpism? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Michelle Cottle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Glenn Youngkin, who is not on the ballot but is stumping hard for his fellow Republicans. This makes a certain political sense: Joe Biden won this county in 2020, as did Mr. Youngkin’s Democratic rival in 2021. But the fact that Mr. Youngkin is aggressively campaigning in blue areas is not only a sign of his popularity, it differentiates him from Mr. Trump, who largely sticks to safe conservative spaces. Mr. Youngkin’s sales pitch casts the G.O.P. It’s revealing about Mr. Youngkin’s brand of politics, but it’s also about as edgy as the guy gets.

Persons: Glenn Youngkin, Youngkin’s, Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, ”, Liberty ”, Trump, MAGA, Joe Biden, Youngkin, ruddy, —, it’s Organizations: American Legion, Liberty, Republican, Democratic, Virginians, Democrats Locations: Virginia, Middleburg

☆ Five Minutes That Will Make You Love Thelonious Monk
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Marcus J. Moore | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

I was just smiling and thinking about being at Zinc Bar in the West Village, talking to someone special. It’s become a beautiful mainstay in my vault of “deeper cuts” and I often head over to the “Thelonious Alone in San Francisco” album to listen to it. Listen on YouTube◆ ◆ ◆Andrew Winistorfer, writer and reissue producer“Ugly Beauty”Listening to Thelonious Monk sometimes feels like listening to Monk listening to Monk; he spent much of his recorded output reworking, rerecording and recontextualizing his masterwork compositions like “Ruby, My Dear” and “Crepuscule With Nellie” across multiple albums. The Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall is otherworldly. In contemporary music, I compare Dilla to Monk because of his placement of samples, challenging our idea of rhythm and hesitation.

Persons: Arooj Aftab, It’s, Andrew Winistorfer, Monk, Crepuscule, Nellie ”, Charlie Rouse, Monk’s, it’s, ”, ◆ King Britt, John Coltrane, Charlie Rouse’s, Dilla Organizations: YouTube, Carnegie Hall Locations: West, San Francisco, Japan

☆ Onboarding is crucial for small-business employee retention and satisfaction — here are 3 ways to support hires from day one
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Erica Sweeney | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Two founders share how to set up an onboarding process for success and retention. The human-resources firm Red Clover's onboarding process lasts 90 days. A poor onboarding process can leave employees feeling undertrained and undervalued, and some may quit as a result. Here are three ways to ensure your onboarding process is set up for employee success and retention. Since making onboarding more employee-centric, the company's retention rate has increased 70%, and everyone it's hired has shown up for their second day, Webster said.

Persons: —, Jen L'Estrange, L'Estrange, onboarding, Amanda Webster, Webster, that's, it's, Red Clover, they're, Clover Organizations: Service, Fund, —, they'll Locations: New Jersey, Florida

☆ 3 tips for creating branded merch your customers will love, from small-business owners and marketing experts who have used it to build vibrant brand communities
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Erin Greenawald | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

When it comes to growing a business, there's definitely a wrong way to do branded merchandise. Insider spoke with small-business owners and marketing experts about how to use branded merchandise effectively. Your brand should still be incorporated subtly on any merchandise you're giving out or selling to customers, Hofman said. The Anti-Diet PlanUse swag as an incentive for marketing or sales objectivesSimply having customers use your branded merchandise can provide low-cost, word-of-mouth marketing. Sharon LevinKassis has used branded merchandise to encourage customers to share their experience with Product League on social media.

Persons: SBOs, —, there's, Amanda Hofman, Bryan Clayton, Vistaprint, Hofman, Moriya Kassis, Julia Guignard, Kassis, it's, Clayton, Danielle Reid, Reid, Sharon Levin Kassis, She's Organizations: Small, Service, Product League, League Locations: swag

☆ How TikTok's obsession with pickle-jar sweatshirts has been 'absolutely life-changing' for one seller
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

One merchant, Jessica Slone, has sold over 43,000 sweatshirts through TikTok Shop. AdvertisementAdvertisementOne seller, Jessica Slone, founder of Bad Addiction Boutique, has sold over 43,000 pickle-jar sweatshirts at $44 a pop through TikTok Shop. The company released a Halloween version of the pickle-jar sweatshirt ahead of the holiday. "TikTok Shop is kind of this roller coaster, and right now it's on this amazing uphill journey," she said. Read more about how TikTok Shop virality is impacting sellers

Persons: TikTok, Jessica Slone, Slone, —, Anker, Slone isn't, It's, Wickles Pickles, Dill Organizations: TikTok, Service, Facebook, Shop, Slone Locations: McClure's, Mt . Olive

☆ SoftBank-backed gifting startup Sendoso just completed its fourth round of layoffs in the last 16 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Samantha Stokes | Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

SoftBank-backed gifting startup Sendoso laid off an undisclosed number of employees in its latest round of job cuts on Tuesday. This is the fourth time in the last 16 months that Sendoso has axed its headcount: the marketing startup in June 2022 laid off around 100 employees from its then 700-employee workforce, Insider previously reported . Sendoso most recently raised $100 million in a Series C funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund. Better, which went public in August via a long-delayed SPAC deal, conducted another round of layoffs last month . Do you have information about job cuts at tech startups?

Persons: Sendoso, SoftBank, it's, —, Samantha Stokes, Madeline Stone Organizations: LinkedIn, U.S, Sendoso, SoftBank Vision, Greensill, Stock Locations: Ireland, sstokes@insider.com, mstone@insider.com

☆ Why Is My Mother Obsessed With Buying Me a Status Bag?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Philip Galanes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

If she still reverts to pricey swag, recognize her blind spot and take care of yourself: sell the stuff or give it away. I don’t think their intervention helps, but I don’t want to sound like a nagging girlfriend. But if coming off as “nagging” is the worst consequence you can imagine of interfering with your boyfriend’s care during depressive episodes, then you may not know enough about depression. You may be right about the efficacy of his parents’ intervention, but you haven’t said anything about the seriousness of your boyfriend’s illness. When we asked our friend about the “no kids” policy, he suggested that my parents fly down with us.

Persons: pricey swag, Miguel Porlan, haven’t, We’ve, I’m Locations: Tennessee

☆ Nobody has figured out return to office, but Asia is winning the battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Asian nations are beating out the US in terms of office occupancy and days worked in-person. While office occupancy in the Americas sits at 49%, Asia-Pacific office occupancy is 79%, slightly above Europe at 75%, according to data from real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle. TikTok has cracked down on its return-to-office policy through a tool called myRTO, which monitors in-person office attendance. Japan and South Korea have perhaps figured out return to office the best at 0.5 and 0.4 days respectively. Are you a worker in Europe or Asia who has recently returned to the office or never worked from home?

Persons: Jones Lang LaSalle Organizations: Service, San Francisco and New, McKinsey Global Institute, Nikkei, Nikkei Research, Bloomberg, New York Times Locations: South Korea, Wall, Silicon, Asia, Europe, Americas, France, Greece, Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, San Francisco and, San Francisco and New York City, Shanghai, Tokyo, China, Japan

☆ Meta is bolstering perks like happy hours and company swag as it pushes staff to return to office, despite its 'year of efficiency'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The tech giant has revived employee perks in an attempt to boost staff morale, reports Bloomberg. Company merch, happy hours, and snack bars all saw cuts during Mark Zuckerberg's "year of efficiency." But Meta is now bringing them back as it tells staff to come into the office at least three days a week. A Meta spokesperson told Bloomberg that while the company was bringing back some perks, "Dinner, happy hour and company swag never really went away, merely adjusted given the pandemic and budgets." The revived perks, which also include a new coffee bar and earlier dinners, are part of Meta's renewed effort to lure staff back into the office.

Persons: Company merch, Mark Zuckerberg's, Mark Zuckerberg, swag, Meta's Organizations: Bloomberg, Company, Service, Meta Locations: Wall, Silicon, La Croix

☆ Salesforce turns to 'boomerangs,' luring back former execs to help reignite growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Marc Benioff, chief executive officer of Salesforce.com Inc., right, greets attendees after a keynote at the company's Dreamforce conference in San Francisco on Sept. 12, 2023. Ariel Kelman had been away from Salesforce for over a decade, when he received a direct message on Twitter from CEO Marc Benioff earlier this year. "I just thought it was good timing," Kelman said in an interview at Salesforce's Dreamforce conference in San Francisco last week. Kelman spent the few months prior running marketing at a startup called Fireblocks before rejoining Salesforce in June as chief marketing officer. Kelman and Milano are among at least eight ex-Salesforce execs who have rejoined the gang in 2023, as the company approaches its 25th birthday.

Persons: Marc Benioff, Benioff, Ariel Kelman, who'd, Kelman, Miguel Milano, Milano, Brian Millham, Millham, Dreamforce . Kelman, Salesforce, Bret Taylor, it's Organizations: Salesforce.com Inc, Amazon Web Services, Oracle, Salesforce's, Salesforce, CNBC Locations: San Francisco, Salesforce, Madrid

☆ Once upon a time, the 'Disney adult' was ridiculed. Now, kidless millennials and Gen Z-ers with money to burn are packing into the parks — here's how Disney is winning them over.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

Newlyweds Natalie and Brett Schwartz exchanged vows at Walt Disney World in Orlando this summer. "Our approach was to shine a light on the beautiful tapestry of people that come to Walt Disney World," Trejo said. Francis Dominic, the former parks worker turned influencer, has also been tapped to promote Disney parks and films. It's a difficult tightrope to navigate, but it could define the future of Disney parks. Are you a Disney parks or Walt Disney Co. insider?

Persons: Sarah Rachul, I'm, Rachul, Orlando —, —, Molly May, Francis Dominic, Dominic, who's, Taylor, Ron DeSantis —, Japan pavilion's Takumi, Jonathan de Araujo, it's, Tara Goldstein, Ann van Oostendorp, Disney, Van Oostendorp, Natalie Schwartz, Brett, Schwartz, Sierra Keller's, Keller, Natalie, Brett Schwartz, Jason Petrina, he's, Disney's, He's, They're, Petrina, Mickey, Chris Evans, Zoe Saldaña, What's, Wan Kenobi, Emperor Palpatine, she'd, welling, haven't, Neph Trejo, Walt, " Trejo, It's, Halle Bailey, Kent Phillips, Gaston, Jeremy Singh, I'd, Singh couldn't, he'd, Singh, they're, Patrick Dougall, Mark Eades, Eades, we've, Amanda Krause, Reed Alexander Organizations: Walt Disney, Epcot, Disney Vacation, Disney, Mouse, Disneyland, Disney Parks, Walt Disney Co, Florida Gov, Universal, Guardians, Galaxy, University of Tampa, Disney World, Honeymooners, Star Wars, Marvel, Magic, Cafe Orleans, Disney World's Hollywood Studios, Hollywood Studios, Star, Gucci, Dooney, Animal, Dole, Walt Disney World's, ABC, Getty, Management, Disney Imagineer, Disneyland Alumni Locations: Ohio, Disney, Orlando , Florida, Anaheim , California, Italy, China, Tuscany, Orlando, Florida, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo, Japan, Epcot, California, Anaheim, Belle Terrace, Hollywood

☆ The Secrets of Debate Swag
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Vanessa Friedman | More About Vanessa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And before you can say “in my prime” or “too honest,” it will end up on a T-shirt in a candidate’s store. At a point in the electoral cycle when candidates are desperate to distinguish themselves and have only minutes onstage to do so, being able to deliver a zinger that will play on via swag is a key advantage. Ever since the inauguration of George Washington, voters have been participating in the electoral process by means of merch. Back then, it was fancy commemorative buttons that were sewn onto clothes (and were, largely, accessible only to the well-off). Now, almost as soon as presidential contenders declare their candidacy and their websites go live, the shops go live with them.

Persons: George Washington Organizations: Republican Locations: swag

☆ Americans are shopping less. But the US economic engine is still humming
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That’s important, because Americans’ spending on goods and services accounts for two-thirds of US gross domestic product. Historically, sluggish retail sales, credit card delinquency and even shoplifting have been signs of a dark cloud on the horizon. The question of credit card debt is another area where the nuance matters. And as a share of total credit card debt, it is relatively low. But Americans’ credit card debt is unquestionably rising.

Persons: CNN Business ’, New York CNN —, Macy’s, they’ve, Taylor Swift, Barbie, ”, Ubers, Covid, Taylor, Sarah Yenesel, Chris Rupkey, Leticia Miranda, That’s, TJ Maxx, Louis Navellier, they’re, Brett Ryan, —, Alicia Wallace, you’ll Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Nike, FwdBonds, Atlanta Federal Reserve, “, “ Retailers, Deutsche Bank, Walmart, Amazon, Federal Reserve, Bank of America Locations: New York

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