Morning Update: Vice’s new gaming site launches live ads; Instagram unveils retail shopping; Reuters cuts 2,000 jobs
AdWeek: Carl’s Jr. Used Live Ads to Sponsor a 72-Hour Livestream for Vice’s New Gaming Site
Waypoint, Vice’s newest offshoot, doesn’t want to be the typical gaming site, so it also didn’t want to launch in a typical way. That’s why Waypoint used a 72-hour livestream to celebrate its launch, which just ended.
“There are plenty of interesting communities and stories within gaming that aren’t really attached to product cycles or marketing campaign successes,” said Joel Fowler, Waypoint’s publisher, who stepped away from the livestream to chat Monday. “We’d rather focus on the notion of why people play games or create stuff.”
Ad Age: Here’s a Look at Instagram’s New Shopping Posts for Retailers
Retailers have a new way to present their products with posts that act like shopping catalogs on Instagram.
The photo- and video-sharing app is launching these new sales tools on Tuesday for 20 retailers, including J. Crew, Macy’s, Levi’s and JackThreads. The retailers can put price tags into the photos, next to the products for sale, and consumers can click to get a closer look at the items. Then consumers can click to buy them on the retailer’s website.
Guardian: Thomson Reuters to cut 2,000 jobs worldwide
Thomson Reuters is to cut 2,000 jobs from its global workforce and swallow up to $250m (£204m) in restructuring costs as part of a move to “simplify and streamline” its financial news and data business.
The company, which employs about 48,000 staff globally, said there would be no cuts from the Reuters news operation.
Mumbrella Asia: Barbie film highlights the power of play
Mattel has launched a film designed to demonstrate the power of play among young girls in the region.
A film created by BBDO Hong Kong shows how girls from countries including Australia and China are inspired by playing with Barbie.
In the rush to engage today’s connected consumers, the fundamentals of brand strategy are being neglected. That’s why a clear brand positioning is more important than ever, David Taylor and Jon Goldstone write.
There is no doubt that digital marketing is the main topic of conversation for marketing directors and their teams today; in some cases, it appears to be the only thing they want to talk about. Every week, it seems a sexy new social media channel will pop up and sell itself as the next big thing.
