Rise of Facebook + more

At Cannes, the Ad Industry Confronts the Rise of Facebook – The New York Times – takes some of the heat from Google as most hated media partner, but few have woken up to the existential threat that the rise of Facebook poses for the advertising industry and brand marketers.

Amazon to Add Dozens of Brands to Dash Buttons, but Do Shoppers Want Them? – WSJ – the financial terms Amazon is getting from the FMCG companies for Dash buttons is insane. $15/ button plus 15% of sales… More on the Amazon Dash button here. It’s no wonder that the Amazon Dash button was launched on April’s Fools Day 2015 as a giant grift that they tried to play on FMCG marketers…

A British tragedy in one act | HKEJ Insight – nice byline by Chris Patten aimed at an audience of Hong Kong readers. But one can’t also ignore the implicit racism in many of the British decisions – such as not giving the Hong Kong people British passports

E-Mail from Bill – The New Yorker – fascinating artefact from 20 years ago, it reminds me of some Skype chats that I have with my friend Noel who lives in Hong Kong

China says Brexit is a sign of a ‘losing mindset’ | Irish Times – “East Asia has witnessed decades of high-speed growth and prosperity. Europe stays where it was, becoming the world’s centre of museums and tourist destinations. Unfortunately, Europe is also close to the chaotic Middle East. Waves of refugees flood into Europe, coinciding with increasing terrorist attacks,” the editorial ran. Among Chinese citizens, the reaction has been largely one of bewilderment. The European Union is generally seen as something that countries strive to get into, rather than out of. “I thought Brexit was a joke, I never thought it could come true,” wrote one online commentator, Xiong, while Momo said: “I think more Chinese people were watching Brexit than actual British people voting.