Happy 100th day of the year, fam. We hope you’ve kept those resolutions. And if you haven’t, at least there are 265 days to make them right again.

In other news… brands brace for a potential TikTok ban, Spotify lays off and throws down, and the rise of the dumb phone.

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• YouTube – Star Wars Outlaws

• X (Twitter) – Mister Cee

• Google – Barcelona

• Reddit – NCAA

• TikTok – “Obama Runtz” - BossMan DLow

• Spotify – “Please Don’t Fall in Love With Me” - Khalid

.SOCIAL MEDIA.

Brands brace for a potential TikTok ban

The Future. The potential TikTok ban has reignited discussions about the risks of relying solely on viral success as a sustainable marketing strategy. While the bill has yet to pass the Senate, the possibility of losing access to the platform will likely shape how brands think about marketing, no matter what the White House decides.

Ban or no ban?
Brands are creating contingency plans ahead of a potential TikTok ban.

• The bill to ban TikTok is now moving to the Senate, where its fate will be determined, potentially leading to a countdown for the company’s US operations.

• Most brands aren’t too frazzled by the potential ban and are creating contingency plans on competitors like Reels and Shorts in the meantime. 

• Still, others acknowledge that no existing platform can truly replicate TikTok's cultural cache and level of engagement.

Wait and see
Most brands are skeptical that a ban would ever take place — especially with how much money is behind the platform. According to eMarketer, TikTok is expected to top $8 billion in ad revenue this year, making for a growth of 31% year-over-year. Erik Hamilton, vice president of search and social at Good Apple media agency, put it best:

“There’s so much money here that it seems crazy that they wouldn’t just spin it off or sell it to whatever consortium of US companies, be it Microsoft, Oracle, whoever the buyer is.”

73.9% of you voted No in yesterday’s poll: Are you a content creator?

.A WORD FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE CRYPTO CODE

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Media, Music, & Entertainment

• Pop song lyrics are now angrier, more repetitive, and more vain, according to new research. And experts say social media is to blame. [Read More]

• Hollywood studios, including Netflix and Disney, are joining forces to fight back against digital piracy. [Read More]

• Ice Spice is making her acting debut alongside Denzel Washington in Spike Lee’s upcoming film, High and Low. [Read More]

Fashion & E-Commerce

• Perfume can be used to treat depression, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh. [Read More]

• Jessica Alba is stepping down from the Honest Company as Chief Creative Officer. [Read More]

• McDonald’s has deployed an ad campaign featuring scented billboards that smell like its french fries. [Read More]

Tech, Web3, & AI

• Beeper, the app that turned green chat bubbles blue, has been acquired by Automattic, the parent company of WordPress and Tumblr. [Read More]

• Dumb phones are catching on as more and more people try to ditch their smartphone addiction. [Read More]

• Microsoft is investing $2.9 billion to expand its cloud and AI infrastructure in Japan. [Read More]

Creator Economy

• X is now automatically changing mentions of Twitter.com to X.com, but it’s creating a lot of unintended consequences. [Read More]

• YouTube is introducing a read-only comments section for kids. [Read More] 

• Check out the pitch decks that helped creator and influencer startups raise millions. [Read More]

.BUSINESS.

Spotify throws lavish parties despite huge layoffs

The Future. Last November, Spotify threw a huge, ritzy Wrapped party — then fired 1,500 workers. This is a head scratcher for music streaming giant, which is facing major scrutiny for the decision. The pressure may force Spotify to reorganize their budget structure entirely.

Murder on the dance floor
Spotify is facing major scrutiny as it slashes huge chunks of its workforce.

• Spotify fired 17% of its workforce following the November Wrapped party, with CEO Daniel Ek citing a bloated company cost structure.

• This seems to be true since Spotify fired 2,300 workers in 2023 after doubling its staff from 2019 to 2022.

• But the company has said it’s set on throwing parties, some of which entail flying new hires across the world for presentations many employees find pointless.

Victims of success
Spotify pays around 70% of its revenue to the owners of music rights, so their margins don’t improve as they grow. Firing workers can only do so much.

Spotify is expanding into alternate forms of media to grow more profitable, and this might save them… but parties probably won’t.

.A WORD FROM OUR FRIENDS AT QUARTZ DAILY BRIEF.

Gotta know the global economy

We like to keep our eyes on industries that define the zeitgeist, shape the environment, and have massive economic implications. To stay ahead of the curve, we read the Quartz Daily Brief.

Meeting at the center of important and interesting, their no-cost newsletter delivers a delightful analysis of forces influencing the global economy.

See why half a million business professionals trust it.

• Read: In light of Netflix’s limited-series reimagining of The Talented Mr. Ripley, Vanity Fair explores how Patricia Highsmith’s personality eerily mirrored that of the notorious protagonist.

• Listen: NPR reviews Beyoncé’s smash hit album Cowboy Carter, delving into the project’s goals (and whether Knowles achieved them).

• Watch: The trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux showcases a romance between Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker and Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn.

JOBS OF THE WEEK

Explore a weekly curated list of the latest and greatest opportunities in business, tech, and entertainment. For more listings, check out the complete job board.

Business Development & Booking Intern
Live Nation
New York, NY

Associate Motion Graphic Artist
FanDuel
Los Angeles, CA

Senior Software Engineer, Applied AI/ML, Audio/Video
Adobe
New York, NY

Editor and Technical Content Writer
Moody's Corporation
London, UK

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