Venmo responds to privacy vulnerability, consumers want companies to address social justice issues, and Twitter users roast CDC guidelines
Also: Retailers relax mask rules for shoppers, Palm Springs art museum blushes over Marilyn Monroe statue, and WarnerMedia & Discovery announce a merger.
Hello, communicators:
Following the Centers for Disease Control’s relaxed restrictions on wearing masks indoors for fully vaccinated people, several major retailers were quick to adjust their in-store mask policies with messaging that emphasized safety and placed a considerable sometimes questionable amount of trust in their customers.
“’In accordance with CDC guidelines, individuals who are not fully vaccinated are required to use face coverings over their noses and mouths while inside any Publix store,’ the grocery store chain said in a statement,” reports
Industry groups respond to relaxed CDC guidelines, unvaccinated adults open to financial incentives, and Apple reacts to employee outcry over new hire
Also: Ellen DeGeneres announces her show to leave the air, social platforms respond to vaccine disinformation researchers, and Twitter users question vaccine promotions.
Hello, communicators:
Ellen DeGeneres has announced that her talk show will end after its upcoming 19th season and she will seek new challenges and opportunities as a creative person. Embedded in the announcement was the news from earlier this year that her show lost over a million viewers since returning to the air this past September, a 43% decline that marked a steeper drop in viewership than any of the show’s competitors, which many attribute to allegations of a toxic workplace culture on set.
WeWork’s CEO doubts remote workforce engagement, how companies earn trust, and cruise lines share plans to resume sailing in July
Also: the latest tech offers new horizons for accessibility, Instagram adds pronouns, and Ohio creates lottery to reward vaccinated residents.
Hello, communicators:
Since the pandemic, many companies are exploring new accessibility communication tools to help differently-abled stakeholders interact with their content.
The latest example comes in the form of a new, experimental device that turns thoughts into text and has helped a paralyzed man quickly construct sentences on a computer screen. The man was able to generate text with 95% accuracy just by imagining that he was handwriting the letters on paper.
GM takes flak for flip flop; Amazon faces union vote, and Telegram rockets to the top in downloads
Also: Reddit makes waves with five-second ad, Sprinklr shares brands that stood out on social, vaccine rollout stumbles on tech mistakes, and more.
Tom Brady won his 7
th Super Bowl last night as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated last year’s champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9. Brady is 43 years old.
While some brands decided not to air advertisements for the big game, some were still able to generate some buzz on social media. Here’s the top-rated tweet, during the game, from a brand that didn’t have a Super Bowl ad, per analytics firm Sprinklr:
NFL offers virtual experiences, COVID-19 efforts for Super Bowl LV, Microsoft launches new digital workplace, and Pinterest’s 76% Q4 revenue jump
Also: YouTube launches personalized sports portal and expands ad markets, Instagram looks at vertical ‘Stories’ feature, CNN president to stay on through the end of 2021, and more.
Hello, communicators:
CNN’s president, Jeff Zucker, announced that he’ll stay on to lead the news outlet through the end of 2021, providing some stability in a year already marked with tumultuous crises and change.
Zucker came quite close to exiting, according to associates, but decided to stay on. He told employees on Thursday morning that he will remain with CNN’s parent, WarnerMedia, through the end of the year.