Native advertising + other news

1 minutes estimated reading time

Native advertising

Podcasting embraces native advertising | Digiday – interesting as podcasting historically has struggled with finding a advertising model and native advertising doesn’t fit that comfortably in the performance orientation of online ads. Native advertising does make sense in podcasting as it shouldn’t affect the podcasters flow and content integrity too much – more marketing content here.

Beauty

Sephora Launching Beauty Box Subscription Service | TIME – interesting that the retail brand is stepping into BirchBox territory, it’s not only about sales but product market testing and says something about the tyranny of choice. Sephora has also rolled out vending machines in high footfall areas like airports to tap into the tyranny of choice. I can see this working in high value areas but puzzled why subscriptions has caused so much universal excitement across FMCG sectors, yet not luxury brands

Business

California Court Gets One Step Closer to Deciding Uber’s Fate | TIME – important because California tends to lead legal trends in the US. Uber will be fighting this tooth and nail

Culture

Jungle, Raves and Pirate Radio: The History and Future of Kool FM | VICE – nice to see Kool FM getting some recognition, how did they manage to survive through the raids I wonder

Economics

Pepsi plant shuts down in Venezuela as desperation grows over product shortages | Fusion – soft drink becomes a form of currency exchange

Gadgets

How to be a cyberpunk, according to a 1990s tech magazine | Fusion – love this article image, but it shows how far Sony has fallen from prominence compared to where it was

 Web of no web

Refinery29 – Time cover reinforces tech stereotypes – PCGamer calls the cover “the greatest threat to VR” because it “reinforces, rather than challenges, the perception that VR is a mask that nerds use to blot out the world.” – it also probably isn’t helped by photos from the Facebook F8 developer conference with a sea of coders wearing them whilst apparently staring into nothingness.