Spotter’s Brand Partnerships Director on Why Fewer Creators and Deeper Deals Win
Christian Liquigan, Spotter’s Director of Brand Partnerships, says creator marketing is evolving from one‑off influencer spots to always‑on, network‑style collaborations. Brands that treat creators as media publishers and lock in deeper, performance‑based deals with a handful of creators can reduce costs and gain better audience proximity. He points out that operational bottlenecks—contracts, approvals, data visibility—prevent scaling, and proposes creator councils as a strategic solution. Early adopters will secure cheaper, more effective creator ecosystems while competitors overpay for late‑stage access.
India, South Korea Tighten Digital Ties
India and South Korea announced a comprehensive digital partnership during President Lee Jae‑Myung’s state visit, unveiling a “Digital Bridge” to deepen cooperation in AI, semiconductors and IT. The deal is part of a broader agenda that includes shipbuilding, steel, ports,...
Zephyr's Adjusted for Risk: Mike Khouw on Options for Income and Risk Management
In a Zephyr Adjusted for Risk podcast recorded from Lake Tahoe, market strategist Ryan Nauman interviews YieldMax ETFs strategist and CNBC contributor Mike Khouw about the surge in options‑based exchange‑traded funds. Khouw outlines YieldMax’s single‑stock call‑write approach, which aims to generate...
Lilly Adds Gene Delivery Technology to CAR T in up to $7B Kelonia Deal
Eli Lilly announced an up‑to $7 billion acquisition of Kelonia Therapeutics, securing its Phase 1 lentiviral in‑vivo CAR‑T candidate KLN‑1010 and the iGPS gene‑delivery platform. iGPS uses lentiviral particles to program a patient’s own T‑cells, potentially eliminating ex‑vivo manufacturing and pre‑treatment chemotherapy. The deal...
The World Wants Chinese Tech. China Is Determined to Keep It
Global companies are increasingly alarmed that China is tightening control over its most advanced technologies, shifting the narrative from fears of technology transfer to concerns about technology denial. A former Chinese trade official acknowledged the paradox, noting that while China...
How the Visa-Mastercard Card Fee Case May End
A proposed settlement to end the long‑running Visa‑Mastercard interchange‑fee litigation would cut rates by ten basis points for five years and set a 1.25% fee for standard consumer cards for eight years, while giving merchants the right to decline certain...
US Toymakers Absorbing Tariff Costs, Importing Less to Preserve Sales
U.S. toy manufacturers boosted 2025 retail sales by 6% while deliberately cutting import volumes, choosing to absorb higher tariff costs instead of raising consumer prices. Analysts say the shift reflects a strategic response to steep duties on Chinese‑origin toys, with...
Get Recruited Appoints Chloe Marsh as Managing Director Amid Changing UK Hiring Trends
Get Recruited has promoted Chloe Marsh to Managing Director as UK hiring expectations shift toward adaptable, commercially‑aware talent. Marsh, a key architect of the firm’s growth, will now lead the next expansion phase across major cities from London to Glasgow....
Google Ads Budget Pacing Explained
Google Ads budget pacing is a delivery control feature that spreads an advertiser’s spend evenly over a chosen time horizon, preventing early exhaustion of daily or campaign budgets. The tool adjusts bid amounts in real time, aligning spend with forecasted...
The Scoop: When to Call in the CEO
Recent coverage highlights a growing pattern of restaurant CEOs stepping into ads and social media, especially when brands face operational or financial headwinds. McDonald’s CEO became a meme after tasting a new sandwich, while Burger King’s Tom Curtis narrated a...
FMC Chief: Ocean Carriers Knew War Could Increase Fuel Prices
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) rejected Maersk’s third request to waive the mandatory 30‑day waiting period for emergency fuel surcharges, citing insufficient justification. Maersk argued that the Iran‑Hormuz conflict drove VLSFO prices from $509 to $929 per metric ton between...
Pre-Markets Off Last Week's Highs on 4/20
Geopolitical tension escalated on Monday as an Iranian oil vessel was seized, derailing a scheduled peace meeting in Islamabad and keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed. The uncertainty pushed pre‑market futures lower, with the Dow off 225 points (‑0.45%), the...
$60 Billion Project Matador Stalls After CEO Exits the Trump-Branded AI Data Center Megaproject
Project Matador, a Trump‑branded AI data‑center campus in the Texas Panhandle, has stalled after CEO Toby Neugebauer resigned on April 17, 2026. The $60‑90 billion megaproject, envisioned to deliver up to 17 GW of AI compute and on‑site power generation, lacks a...
Omnicom Launches Frequency Probe, Finds 'Negative Reach'
Omnicom’s OM Intelligence unit released the first report in its “Why Frequency Matters” series, revealing that excessive ad repetitions can trigger a phenomenon called “negative reach,” where consumers develop adverse brand perceptions. The study shows that as few as two...
Interview: Freshwave CTO Offers AI-RAN Walkthrough
Freshwave Group’s CTO Tom Bennett says AI‑enabled radio access networks are feasible, but only if the underlying data infrastructure is ready. He argues that massive GPU deployments at cell sites are unnecessary; instead, high‑capacity fibre links should funnel RAN data...
I Reviewed 10 Best Social Media Listening Tools for 2026
The article reviews the ten leading social media listening platforms for 2026, including Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Meltwater, Vista Social, Brandwatch, BrandMentions, Reputation, Agorapulse, YouScan, and Brand24. It evaluates each tool against G2 user feedback, core feature sets, usability, and real‑world...
Knak Makes Enterprise Marketing Production Callable by AI Agents
Knak announced support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI agents and orchestration layers to call its production platform directly. The integration lets AI assistants generate on‑brand emails, landing pages and other assets using Knak’s template library without manual...
From Waterfall to Scrum: How to Navigate the Transition Smoothly
Transitioning from Waterfall to Scrum requires a mindset shift and a structured change‑management plan. The article outlines a four‑week preparation phase, a pilot project with clear scope, and the introduction of basic backlogs and two‑week sprints. It stresses the importance...
Treasurys Hold Gains as Oil, Stocks Flash Mixed Signals
Oil prices jumped to their strongest level in four years as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, sending crude markets into turmoil. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury yields edged higher, with the 5‑year, 10‑year and 30‑year benchmarks posting...
The Backup Myth that Is Putting Businesses at Risk
Businesses often equate backup with protection, but backup only restores data after an outage, leaving operations stalled. Research shows downtime costs average $9,000 per minute, or $540,000 per hour, making rapid recovery essential. While 60% of firms believe they can...
‘Hormuz Moment’ Could Herald Decline of US Dominance: Citic Securities Analysts
Citic Securities analysts argue that the ongoing Iranian blockades in the Strait of Hormuz signal a "Hormuz moment" that could erode U.S. strategic dominance, drawing a parallel to the United Kingdom’s 1950s "Suez moment." They note that the United States...
360% | Payroll 'Pressure' Prompts Surge in HMRC Tip-Offs About Underpaying Bosses
Employees are increasingly reporting employers for failing to meet the UK minimum wage, with 7,622 tip‑offs recorded last year. That figure represents a 360% jump from the 1,656 reports filed in 2020‑21. HMRC responded by opening 1,137 investigations, up from...
How Prime And A Smarter Alexa Are Giving Amazon An AI Shopping Edge
Amazon launched Alexa+, an AI‑powered upgrade to its voice assistant, to all users in March 2025. The new assistant can handle complex conversations, place orders, manage smart‑home devices, and suggest recipes, all while leveraging Amazon’s 30‑year e‑commerce expertise. Early data show...
3 Business Challenges Zoholics USA Will Help You Solve
Zoholics USA, a two‑day conference in Houston on May 12‑13, tackles three core business pain points: fragmented SaaS tools, manual processes, and underutilized data. Attendees experience live demos, breakout sessions, and one‑on‑one time with Zoho experts to learn how to integrate...
Eigen Secures $15M Seed for ‘Mutual Friend’ AI Tool
San Francisco‑based Eigen emerged from stealth with a $15 million seed round led by Benchmark, backed by notable angels such as Pinterest co‑founder Ben Silbermann and Spotify’s co‑president Gustavo Söderström. The startup is building what it calls the world’s first “mutual...
Adams Street Calls for Greater Transparency From BDCs and Interval Funds
Adams Street Capital Management is urging business development companies (BDCs) and interval funds to adopt a new transparency framework. The firm outlined six concrete metrics—covering liquidity, portfolio concentration, leverage, valuation methods, cash flow, and redemption policies—to replace vague reassurances. By...
Feedback Wanted: Ottawa Launches Consultations on Federal Labour Law Reforms
The Canadian government has opened a consultation period, ending May 18, 2026, to consider sweeping reforms to the Canada Labour Code that govern federally regulated workplaces. Proposed changes include mandatory collective‑bargaining timelines, a new “special mediator” role, stronger protections against misclassification and...
Why Are Workers Stuck? Not Enough Employers
Bloomberg argues that the U.S. labor market is behaving like a recession despite the economy not meeting the technical definition of one. A sharp decline in the Labor Market Tightness Index and a rise in long‑term unemployment signal slowed job...
Reimagining Annual Brand Planning with AI
EVERSANA’s fourth annual brand‑planning survey reveals that 60% of pharma marketers lack a trusted single source of truth for brand data, and only half maintain a consistent planning process across the enterprise. Nearly two‑thirds of leaders are already using or...
JPMorgan Maintains Overweight Rating on StoneCo (STNE)
JPMorgan analyst Guilherme Grespan lowered StoneCo's price target to $20 from $21 while maintaining an Overweight rating. The Brazilian fintech announced an extraordinary dividend of $2.53 per share payable on May 4, 2026. In Q4, StoneCo posted adjusted EPS of $0.51,...
Podscribe Launches Radio Measurement Capabilities and Smart Columns to Bring Digital-Level Clarity to Audio Advertising
Podscribe unveiled Radio Measurement Capabilities, a platform that blends aircheck verification with performance attribution to give advertisers digital‑grade transparency for radio spots. The solution supports terrestrial, satellite and multi‑market campaigns, using machine‑learning and Bayesian models to quantify lift in site...
Headliner Makes Video Tools Free
Headliner announced that its video podcasting suite is now free, eliminating subscription fees and credit‑card requirements. The offering includes unlimited, watermark‑free exports, a library of video templates, captioning, and an auto‑clipping tool that can generate up to ten short clips...
BLOK: Still Diversified, But Bitcoin Now Matters - And That's A Risk
Amplify Blockchain Technology ETF (BLOK) has been downgraded to Hold as its bitcoin exposure climbed to roughly 40%, up from about 30% a year ago. The higher crypto weighting makes the fund more sensitive to Bitcoin’s price swings, eroding the...
Uni Pod Festival Returns to Birmingham UK Spotlighting Video Podcasts Whilst Platforming Diversity in Podcasting.
Uni Pod Festival returns to Birmingham on May 8, 2026, centering its program on the surge of video podcasting and YouTube‑first growth tactics. The one‑day event gathers broadcasters, academics, and platform experts for talks, demos and networking, while reinforcing its commitment to...
Adobe Summit 2026 - Adobe Gives CX an Agentic Makeover with the Launch of CX Enterprise
Adobe unveiled CX Enterprise at its 2026 Summit, an end‑to‑end agentic automation platform that layers a persistent AI co‑worker on top of the Adobe Experience Platform. The new co‑worker can orchestrate multiple purpose‑built agents, integrate third‑party systems, and extend AI capabilities...
Gunby Sticks Around at FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting CEO Steve Gunby, 68, has reversed his plan to step down in 2027 and will continue serving as both chief executive and chairman. The firm had combined the two roles temporarily to mentor a successor, but the transition was...
Thomas Cook Chief Alan French to Join Europe's Sunweb Group
Sunweb Group, a fast‑growing European holiday operator, has appointed former Thomas Cook executive Alan French as Chief Product and Technology Officer, effective 11 May. French brings a track record of digital transformation at Thomas Cook and eSky, positioning him to lead AI‑driven product...
RBI Draft for Upper Layer Non-Banks Affects CICs Disproportionately, Raises Compliances Costs
The Reserve Bank of India issued a draft rule that classifies any finance entity with assets‑under‑management (AUM) exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore (≈$12 billion) as an upper‑layer NBFC (NBFC‑UL). The provision applies on a consolidated basis, pulling large core investment companies (CICs) such as...
What the Northernlion Creator SuperCruise That Got Cancelled Can Warn Creators About Going Too Far
Creator Ryan "Northernlion" Letourneau abruptly cancelled his planned 2027 SuperCruise after announcing it, citing safety concerns for both creators and fans. The six‑day cruise, priced at several thousand dollars per cabin, promised meet‑and‑greets, live shows, and onboard content with fellow...
Clio Awards’ CEO on Celebrating the Power of Creators
Clio Awards CEO Nicole Purcell announced the launch of Clio Creators, a new program designed to honor the creator economy as a distinct industry. The initiative follows a series of vertical expansions—including Clio Health, Clio Entertainment, and Clio Sports—that tailor...
Is Microwave Popcorn Ready for Disruption? Opopop Thinks So
Opopop, a Colorado‑based popcorn startup founded in 2018, is moving from a direct‑to‑consumer model into mass retail with a Walmart rollout after a successful Target test. The company has reengineered its premium, flavor‑wrapped kernel kits into single‑use microwave bags that...
Getting Too Personal with Family Status Accommodation Requests
Recent arbitration decisions in Alberta and Ontario clarify the limits of employer inquiries in family‑status accommodation requests. In Alberta, Epcor’s detailed financial and lifestyle questions were rejected, and each employee received $12,500 CAD (≈$9,300 USD) for injury to dignity. In Ontario, Bombardier’s...
3 Strategies to Help CPG Marketers Drive Breakthrough Results with Less Money
C‑price‑goods (CPG) marketers are confronting tighter budgets and fragmented media while consumer attention splinters across devices. A new InMarket "Breakthrough Outcomes" report, highlighted by VP Matt Knust, distills three strategic pillars—precise timing, creative clarity, and real‑time personalization—that drove incremental ROAS up...
Tech Leaders, Brace Yourselves: AI Costs Will Only Go Up
Anthropic has rolled out a blended pricing model for enterprise Claude users, charging a $20 per‑seat fee plus variable usage fees tied to the specific model. This shift signals a broader trend of rising LLM costs as providers seek a...
Angelfish Marketing Expands AEO and AI Search Services for B2B Brands
Angelfish Marketing has broadened its Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and AI Search services to help B2B tech, SaaS and financial brands appear in AI‑driven results from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. The offering blends technical SEO, structured data,...
Rand Fishkin: Zero-Click Search Began Long Before AI
Rand Fishkin argues that the rise of zero‑click search started around 2011, well before the AI boom, with Google answering queries directly on the results page. He cites data showing more than two‑thirds of searches now end without a click,...
RevOps Roundup: Week 16, 2026
The RevOps Roundup for week 16 highlights fresh research and thought leadership across AI trust, incentive‑comp execution, and GTM analytics. A survey of 2,000 leaders shows that data‑security and explainability concerns are preventing 75% of revenue teams from realizing AI‑driven win‑rate...
Markets on Hold Pending US–Iran Talks, Warsh Fed Chair Hearing Next Catalyst
Traders are sitting on the sidelines as they await confirmation on a second round of US‑Iran talks before the April 22 cease‑fire deadline, leaving equities, currencies and the dollar in a neutral stance. Oil prices have retreated below the $100 per...
HB on the Scene: Newport Hospitality Group Brings ‘Living Hospitality’ to Life
Newport Hospitality Group hosted its 2026 Leadership Retreat at the Ellie Resort in Myrtle Beach, centering on the “Living Hospitality” theme. CEO Andrew Carey emphasized building a shared identity that transcends individual hotel brands, while offering practical tools to improve...
Magnite, AMC Global Media Partner On Programmatic
Magnite announced a partnership with AMC Global Media to make the broadcaster’s linear‑television inventory available through programmatic buying. The deal coincides with the launch of the 2026‑27 TV upfront season, signaling a push to unify linear and streaming ad transactions....