Google is winning with AMP and blocking ads in Chrome: both seem bad, but aren’t they actually good for consumers? That is the paradox of aggregation.
Olympics Ratings, P&G and Olympics Advertising, Total Audience Advertising
Olympic Ratings are down, but less than expected! Unfortunately for NBC, so is revenue. That, though, is expected: sports and its advertisers remain interconnected. Then, at least NBC finally figured out how to manage multiple mediums.
Twitter Earnings; The End of TellApart; Direct Versus Brand Marketing, and Size
Twitter’s earnings were both less and more impressive than they appeared; plus, a lesson I have learned about direct versus brand advertising, and what it means for both Twitter and Snap.
Snap Mania and Metamarkets; John Perry Barlow Dies; Barlow, Disney, and Streaming
When it comes to struggling companies like Snap, bullishness is all relative — and there’s a big red flag in their earnings. Then, John Perry Barlow passed away: his influence was immense, even on surprising entities like Disney.
Snap Earnings, Fox Signs Deal for Thursday NFL Football, The Sports Linchpin and Snap et al.
Snap had strong results that build on progress made last quarter; the company is looking less like Twitter, at least for now. Then, FOX spends on football, even as the Sports Linchpin weakens.
Apple’s Middle Age
For Apple, hitting middle age means a strategy primarily focused on monetizing its existing customers. It makes sense, but one wonders what happens next.
Facebook Earnings, Microsoft Earnings
Amazon Health was not about the health insurance industry, but about Amazon. Then, Facebook’s earnings were stronger than most appreciate (and as predicted), while Microsoft’s hybrid strategy continues to pay off.
More on the Switch, Apple Music and the HomePod, Songwriter Royalties Increase
More on the Nintendo Switch, and how Apple Music is more strategic than I appreciated. Then, Spotify hits another obstacle — is the streaming service an acquisition target?
HomePod Goes on Sale, The Smartphone and the End of History, The Success of the Nintendo Switch
The HomePod goes on sale tomorrow — finally — and it’s still not clear whether or not Apple is ready to move beyond the smartphone; the success of the Nintendo Switch suggests the world isn’t waiting.
Fixing the Conclusion, Licensing Amazon Go and Self-Checkout, Netflix Earnings
Fixing the conclusion of Amazon Go and the Future, and why I don’t think Amazon Go’s technology is a primitive. Then, Netflix continues to be an aggregator, and other notes from the company’s earnings.