Snoop Dogg is an 'ambassador for happiness', McDonald's and Nike are down, Guinness is up, and Graza launches an olive oil for kids
Snoop Dogg is an 'ambassador for happiness', McDonald's and Nike are down, Guinness is up, and Graza launches an olive oil for kids
Issue #18
Rise Up is a weekly newsletter with can’t-miss headlines on brands, marketing, and startups.
Weekly Exhale: Cyclical Yet Unpredictable
Emotions are sometimes compared to weather systems. Just as clouds blow over and a rainbow appears out of nowhere, so too can the way we feel. I don’t have any empirical data on the half-life of sentiment, but patience is a factor—granted, not an option for everyone.
Nike is face-planting under John Donahoe, PepsiCo volumes are shrinking across North America, and McDonald’s sales are down for the first time since the beginning of lockdowns. Meanwhile, go to a pub garden this Summer, and we’ll all be drinking Guinness instead of beer—a bright outlook after years of gloom.
The Zettabytes of information in LinkedIn's posts make us believe systems are complicated but manageable (A leads to B) when, in reality, they're complex (A sometimes leads to B but may not). The like button is a form of self-help. It's far too scary to imagine that we're flying in skies that change both cyclically and unpredictably.
I’m reminded of this video, back from the dark days of the pandemic. Sometimes storms strike; it's probably not your fault. And when life is sunny, go claim your prize and be kind to everyone.
Let’s rise together with every issue. 🧡
Market Movements
First interest rate cut in four years | BBC
A momentous week for central banks, but more cuts won’t be easy | FT
UK house prices rise at fastest rate in 18 months | The Guardian
Brand Beat
P&G hikes ad spend by $600m, but growth slows | AdAge
WPP and Nvidia partner to make AI ads for Ford and Coca-Cola | AdWeek
McDonald’s sales down for first time since 2020 | The Guardian
Nestlé backs icon brands over innovation for growth | Marketing Week
Nike is flailing. Is the CEO the new John Sculley? | The Rebooting
Super cute: Graza launches “Little Drizzle” for kids | LinkedIn
Agent Provocateur gets heat for sexually charged Olympics spot | Instagram
CMOs are leaving to become Exec Coaches | Marketing Week
Prada is up 17% thanks to Miu Miu | Vogue Business
Guinness 0.0 leapfrogs Heineken 0.0 to become the largest alcohol-free beer | The Grocer
Brand loyalty is in crisis, including words from Pepsi | Financial Times
Don Lemon sues Elon Musk and X over axed show | The Guardian
Less than half of young people are watching live television new research shows | The Standard
Startup Spotlight
London-based ed tech Female Invest raises $11m | Vestbee
Four startup founders on avoiding “hindsight bias” | Big Think
Grace Beverley launches AI talent management tool | UKTN
Tech Tidbits
Apple beats Q3 expectations despite slower iPhone sales | Yahoo Finance
OpenAI announces SearchGPT, directly challenging Google | CBS
Intel to lay off 15,000 employees as Nvidia domination continues | Wired
Male-founded start-up becomes femtech's first unicorn - does it matter? | Sifted
Twitter disappears from Apple App Store | TechCrunch
Venture Vibes
“VC trolling” is in; here’s why everyone is making fun of bro-investors | Sifted
How one VC is supercharging relationships through AI | Forbes
Breastfeeding in an LP meeting is a great test, Heidi Lindvall interview | Sifted
Design Driven
Speedo’s new brand refresh. Did anything change? | Little Black Book
15 Olympic architecture icons from the last century | Dezeen
Hello, Happiness
If you earn over $500k a year, you are substantially happier, new study shows| Inc
Snoop Dogg is Paris Olympic’s ‘ambassador of happiness’ | The Washington Post
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