Brigadoon Weekend | March 19, 2022

Brigadoon Weekend | Global Street Smarts

Brigadoon Weekend curates 25 emerging issues shaping commerce + culture so you can make intelligent + innovative decisions.

March 19, 2022

IDEAS + INSIGHTS:

1. 52% of Americans don’t think Biden will run for re-election in two years, while 29% do expect him to pursue a second term. Nineteen percent are undecided about his future, according to a WSJ poll.

2. The war in Ukraine is triggering a global food crisis: 50 countries depend on Russia and Ukraine for 30%+ of their wheat.

3. NFZ support: A Quinnipiac poll finds Americans approve of NATO’s decision not to enforce a no-fly zone, 54% to 32%.

4. USA-UKR weapons: The US will send 100 Switchblade drones to Ukraine as part of the Biden administration’s new $800 million weapons package.

5. CNBC: Global tech firms are lining up to hire Ukraine’s world-renowned coders

+ Dozens of companies have posted job ads for tech roles on a website called Remote Ukraine that’s been set up to help firms around the world hire Ukrainians

+ WhatsApp, Grammarly, Gitlab, and Solana were all founded or co-founded by Ukrainians, while Google, Samsung, and Amazon all have research and development centers in the country

6. Foxconn in talks to build $9 billion factory in Saudi Arabia: WSJ reports the biggest assembler of the iPhone is discussing a potential facility that could make microchips, electric-vehicle components, and other electronics, according to people familiar with the matter.

7. Saudi Arabia has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit the kingdom on a trip that could happen as soon as May.

8. Macron proposes increasing France’s retirement age to 65: WSJ reports the proposal by the French president comes three weeks before national elections.

9. Making chips: The chief executives of Intel and Micron are set to testify on March 23 before the US Senate Commerce Committee on boosting semiconductor manufacturing and competitiveness.

10. NYT: Fed raises rates and projects six more increases in 2022

11. Barack Obama features in Netflix’s trailer for its new docu-series “Our Great National Parks,” which will feature narration from Obama and is set to release on April 13.

12. 68% of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050.

13. Online dating is responsible for connecting 4 in 10 American couples.

14. Art auctions saw a record year in 2021 with $17.1 billion (15.6 billion euros) in sales as the market continued its rapid growth in Asia and recovered from its coronavirus slump, experts Artprice said.

15. CNBC: Hypersonic aircraft start-up Hermeus raises $100 million to finish prototype, build out fleet

16. TikTok has become the official partner of the Cannes Film Festival.

17. Amazon closes deal to acquire MGM: WSJ reports the tech giant closed on its $6.5 billion deal for the MGM movie and television studio, adding 4,000 films including the James Bond franchise and thousands of TV episodes to its holdings.

18. Netflix to make five new Dr. Seuss animated shows.

19. Apple is crypto’s biggest wild card: Trung Phan writes that crypto applications for the iPhone could attract more than 1 billion new users.

20. Honda plans a $1.38 billion plant upgrade in Ontario.

21. Tesla hikes prices twice in a week due to rising costs - its cheapest car now starting at $46,990.

22. Volvo + ChargePoint will build EV charging stations at Starbucks in 5 states.

23. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to return: WSJ reports in leading the coffee giant for the third time, he is expected to set innovation strategy and weigh in on a successor.

24. Foxconn forecasts tough operating environment from pandemic, inflation, war: WSJ reports the iPhone assembler resumed some production in Shenzhen by setting up a bubblelike environment and keeping workers inside.

25. WP: Christian Eriksen, whose heart stopped during Euro 2020, named to Denmark’s national soccer team


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BRIGADOON RADIO:

Endurance + Obi-Wan Kenobi: On this episode of Brigadoon Radio, Chad Munitz and Marc Ross discuss GQ's 50 holy grails of modern menswear, the appeal of ‘post-industrial parks, the new office and the end of the five-day workweek, Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship, and what they are reading and watching. Watch + listen here.


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Brigadoon Weekend | March 12, 2022

Brigadoon Weekend | March 12, 2022

Brigadoon Weekend curates ten emerging issues shaping commerce + culture so you can make intelligent + innovative decisions.

ONE

A vast majority of Americans say ban Russian oil.

A new Quinnipiac University poll finds that Americans would support a ban on Russian oil even if it meant higher gasoline prices in the US, 71% to 22%.

"Americans are ready to put a chokehold on Russia's key financial lifeblood, oil, no matter what the consequences are at the pump." -- Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.

As for the steps that the Biden administration has taken so far to punish Russia for the invasion of Ukraine, 56 percent say they are not tough enough, while 30 percent say they are about right, and 3 percent say they are too tough.

TWO

Bitcoin surges on President Biden's crypto executive order.

The order, titled "Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets," directed agencies across the federal government to produce reports on digital currencies and consider new regulations. It outlined the risks cryptocurrencies pose to the economy, national security, and climate while noting their possible benefits.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the newly signed measure asked the Treasury Department, the Commerce Department, and other central agencies to publish reports on "the future of money" and the role crypto plays in this.

THREE

The future of work is hybrid.

A report by Accenture found that 83% of workers surveyed preferred a hybrid model where they can work remotely at least 25% of the time.

Why is a hybrid model so appealing?

It brings together the best of both worlds. Those who had a hybrid work model during COVID-19 had better mental health, more meaningful work relationships, and were more likely to feel better off due to working for their organizations. They also experienced less burnout than those who worked entirely onsite or remotely.

FOUR

Amazon jumps into the live audio space.

Amazon launched Amp, a live audio app that makes DJs of users' radio shows.

The app comes as the live audio space continues to heat up, with companies like Twitter and Spotify featuring new content.

CNBC reports Amazon has signed up famous artists including Nicki Minaj, Pusha T, and Tinashe, and social media influencers and radio hosts to create content for the app.

FIVE

Instagram adds new tagging options to credit creators.

In announcing the updated tagging options, the company acknowledged that many collaborators' work creates the content users see on the app.

"For many Black and underrepresented creators, crediting is an entryway to building a sustainable career as a creator, while combating cultural appropriation and ensuring the world knows who is driving culture," Instagram says in its announcement.

According to The Verge, Instagram suggests the feature will be used to highlight behind-the-scenes creators who sometimes go unnoticed or unacknowledged, like makeup artists or songwriters.

SIX

EVs powering homes during a blackout.

General Motors is working with Pacific Gas and Electric Company to turn EVs into a virtual power grid in California.

GM is the latest automaker to team up with a utility around the idea of "vehicle-to-grid" technology.

The idea is to use bi-directional charging equipment to push and pull energy from electric vehicles at any given time. In essence, it treats high-capacity batteries as not only tools to power EVs but backup storage cells for the electrical grid, according to The Verge.

SEVEN

China led the world with 500,000 EV exports in 2021.

According to the General Administration of Customs of China, the number of passenger EVs exported in 2021 increased 2.6 times to 499,573 units.

+ China accounted for more than half of the electric vehicles exported globally in 2021 due to its intense concentration on EV manufacturing.

Meanwhile, Germany doubled its exports to about 230,000 units. In comparison, the US fell 30% to around 110,000 units, and Japan increased 24% to 27,400 units -- according to data compiled by the German Association of the Automotive Industry and the Japan External Trade Organization, according to Nikkei.

EIGHT

Bundesliga launches stickers, trading cards, and NFT tender.

Bundesliga International, the international media rights sales and commercial arm of the German Football League (DFL), is inviting proposals for the licensing rights to stickers, trading cards, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga from the 2023-24 season onwards.

The invitation to tender allows interested parties to acquire the global licensing rights to the collectibles categories together as a single bundle or bid for them individually. According to Sports Business, the respective packages potentially include the rights to both physical and digital products.

NINE

An athlete 'stock market' app drops.

Alex Rodriguez and business partner Marc Lore are investing in Mojo, an app serving as a "stock market" for pro athletes through which fans can buy and sell players at values based on performance.

According to Bloomberg, Mojo wants its product to work like more established trading apps like Coinbase or Robinhood. Arrangements with state gaming commissions, regulators, and sports leagues are reportedly still in progress.

The company plans to debut by the end of 2022 and will have football as its first sport. Mojo has also raised $75 million in a funding round led by Thrive Capital and included Tiger Global Management. Bloomberg adds that the capital will be used to hire engineers, data scientists, and market makers, with additional funds used for marketing.

TEN

NFL sets salary cap at $208.2 million per team.

The National Football League (NFL) has set its salary cap for all 32 teams at $208.2 million for the 2022 season - the first time the cap has exceeded $200 million.

It marks a significant increase from the 2021 cap, set at $182.5 million per team because of projected revenue for last season and lost revenue during the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That figure was a drop from the 2020 salary cap, which was set at $198.2 million, per ESPN.

Brigadoon Weekend | March 5, 2022

Brigadoon Weekend | March 5, 2022

Brigadoon Weekend curates ten emerging issues shaping commerce + culture so you can make intelligent + innovative decisions.

ONE

European Space Agency claims joint Russian Mars rover won't launch this year.

A joint Russian-European mission to Mars will likely be delayed in light of new sanctions against Russia and the country's ongoing assault on Ukraine.

Known as ExoMars, the mission entails sending a series of robotic spacecraft to Mars, culminating in the launch of a robotic rover to explore the Red Planet's surface.

The European Space Agency and Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos have worked together on the program for the last decade.

The rover was initially supposed to launch as early as 2018 but was pushed back because the equipment wasn't ready in time.

Look for the mission, if it ever happens at all, to be delayed until 2024, when Earth and Mars are closest together on their orbits around the Sun again.

TWO

Europe gets about 40% of its natural-gas imports from Russia.

Europe's reliance on imported natural gas from Russia has again been thrown into sharp relief by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

According to the IEA, the European Union could reduce its imports of Russian natural gas by more than one-third within a year through a combination of measures that would be consistent with the European Green Deal and support energy security and affordability.

Look for the European Union to make significant policy moves to limit Russia's use of its natural gas as an economic and political weapon.

THREE

People are booking Airbnbs in Ukraine without the intention of using the space.

Curbed reports that as people outside Ukraine search for ways to support those trapped by the current crisis, an odd trend has emerged: booking Airbnb rentals in the country without intending to stay there.

The Guardian reports that Airbnb is waiving its fees in Ukraine, and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky tweeted out the trend, framing the donations as an effort to help "Hosts."

Look for the rise of "ghost" service transactions as a quick tool to send money and support for future natural disasters and war-torn regions.

FOUR

Obama to keynote misinformation event.

Axios reports that former President Barack Obama will give the keynote on April 21 at a forum on disinformation at the Cyber Policy Center at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

Look for more political, business, and civic leaders to address the spread of disinformation now burgeoning in the United States and abroad.

FIVE

UN moves towards a historic plastic treaty.

The United Nations took the first step towards a historic plastic treaty with the formal launch of negotiations to address a plastic trash epidemic.

The amount of plastic trash entering the oceans is forecast to triple by 2040, and governments have been under pressure to unite behind a global response to the crisis.

According to sources close to the negotiations, AFP reports that the framework for a comprehensive treaty has been approved by UN member states, including significant plastic producers like the US and China.

Look for treaty negotiators to consider new rules that target plastic pollution from its birth as a raw material to its design, use, and safe disposal.

SIX

Netflix names the company's fourth marketing chief in just three years.

Former Spotify executive Marian Lee replaces Bozoma Saint John as Netflix CMO.

Saint John first joined the streamer in 2020 after holding executive roles at Uber and Apple. Lee arrived at Netflix in July 2021 as VP of marketing in the US and Canada.

The average tenure for CMOs is 43 months.

CMOs more likely to move up and out of positions between 30 and 45 months, according to a report by Winmo provided to Marketing Dive.

CMO tenure is less than half that of a CEO, which averages 7.2 years compared to a CMO's 3.6 years.

Look for the tenures of chief marketing officers to continue to shrink as companies face growing global and disruptive competition.

SEVEN

NFT sales continue to slide.

NFT daily sales have been down 83% since January 31, and the selling price of NFTs has dropped to below $2,000, according to NonFungible data.

Bloomberg reports Nonfungible tokens -- most often digital art such as cartoonish-looking apes and penguins -- saw their daily average price last year go from $128 to nearly $4,000, according to NonFungible. OpenSea, the biggest NFT marketplace, recorded its best month ever in January.

Since then, prices have steadily retreated as concern about easing pandemic era stimulus, and geopolitical tensions weighed on the entire crypto market. The decline has only accelerated since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Look for further price declines due to the likelihood of increased regulation as the US Securities and Exchange Commission is scrutinizing creators of NFTs.

EIGHT

TikTok goes longer.

TikTok now lets users upload videos as long as 10 minutes in a challenge to YouTube.

TikTok, owned by ByteDance in China, launched with a one-minute limit on uploaded videos but bumped the cap to three minutes last year.

As TikTok evolves into longer-form videos, look for YouTube and Instagram to expand their use of short-form videos.

NINE

Chevron raises clean energy bet.

Chevron announced its intention to acquire Renewable Energy Group, an Iowa-based manufacturer of renewable fuels, for $3.15 billion.

REG, which is known for making sustainable biodiesel fuel out of byproducts such as animal fat and corn oil, will remain in Ames, Iowa, as a branch of Chevron after the merger.

Major oil firms are facing increasing pressure from governments and investors to shrink their carbon footprint and join the fight against climate change, given their extensive contributions to global emissions.

Look for US refiners to take advantage of increased state and federal subsidies to decarbonize their fuels with renewable diesel production.

TEN

Ligue 1 is the next major league to sell a stake to private equity.

Front Office Sports reports France's top soccer league is taking bids for shares in a new entity that would hold its media rights business.

The league is looking to raise $1.7 billion through the investment and reportedly asking bidders how large a stake they seek for that amount, rather than how much they would like to invest price-wise.

In March 2021, France's National Assembly voted in favor of a bill to allow professional sports leagues to create a commercial entity and sell a stake to external investors.

Look for European sports leagues to seek foreign direct investment with rules ensuring that leagues maintain control of any entity's voting and economic rights.

Look for more athletes to embrace the knowledge that bodies need to adjust based on environments and altitudes, focusing on how athletes should eat and hydrate in unfamiliar conditions.

Brigadoon Weekend | February 19, 2022

Brigadoon Weekend | No. 6 | February 19, 2022

Brigadoon Weekend curates the top ten emerging issues from the week shaping commerce + culture.

ONE

The metaverse is happening for white-collar workers.

By at least 2025, Bill Gates says, white-collar workers will be meeting together in the metaverse.

"Within the next two or three years, I predict most virtual meetings will move from 2D camera image grids—which I call the Hollywood Squares model, although I know that probably dates me—to the metaverse, a 3D space with digital avatars." -- Bill Gates

And JP Morgan is bullish.

The bank predicts that the metaverse will become a $1 trillion market opportunity in yearly revenues, given that its virtual worlds will "infiltrate every sector in some way in the coming years," says a report.

Over the past three months, ever since Facebook changed its name to Meta, media coverage of the metaverse has exploded.

Look for more companies and brands to claim space in the metaverse in the world's third digital land rush.

TWO

The DOJ has a cryptocurrency czar.

The US Department of Justice has named a veteran cybersecurity prosecutor to lead a new team dedicated to investigating and prosecuting illicit cryptocurrency schemes by cybercriminals and nation-states.

Eun Young Choi will be the first director of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, which will serve as the focal point for efforts to identify and dismantle the misuse of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.

The FBI is also launching a unit for blockchain analysis and virtual asset seizure.

"If we're going to see — as I think we will — cryptocurrency gaining more traction and gaining wider adoption, we've got to make sure that the ecosystem that they operate in can be trusted and, frankly, can be policed." -- Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco

The DOJ is aware that crypto fraud now cuts across a swath of activity, including financial crimes, bribery, narcotics cases, ransomware attacks, hacking attacks, money laundering, terrorist financing, and sanctions evasion.

Look for this new cryptocurrency czar to coordinate with the US and international law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, and private industry to establish new rules and regulations for the crypto space.

THREE

Reese says hello to NFTs.

Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine production company has forged a partnership with the World of Women. This NFT partnership is committed to cracking open the male-dominated cryptocurrency world while celebrating inclusivity and equality.

World of Women launched in July 2021 with 10,000 artworks from women creators, quickly becoming one of the most popular and profitable purveyors of non-fungible tokens.

Variety reports that as part of the partnership, Hello Sunshine will build out the World of Women character universe and franchise into entertainment properties, including feature films, scripted and unscripted TV series.

The move is another sign of the growing popularity of NFTs and the potential they hold for traditional media companies on the prowl for intellectual property.

Look for the Hello Sunshine and World of Women partnership to be at the forefront of educating female fans of Reese Witherspoon about the NFT space.

FOUR

Can Bitcoin be a national currency? El Salvador is trying to find out.

Led by the efforts of Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador, the country made Bitcoin legal tender last September and now is aiming to raise $1 billion to fund comprehensive economic policies by cashing in on the crypto craze.

But the IMF warns that Bitcoin is too risky, and even members of the US Senate have an opinion of the new legal tender of El Salvador.

Legislation proposed by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Sen. James Risch (R-ID), and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), called the Accountability for Cryptocurrency in El Salvador (ACES) Act, would have the State Department analyze the risk of Bitcoin as a legal tender in El Salvador and propose a way to mitigate risk to the US financial system.

"El Salvador's adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender raises significant concerns about the economic stability and financial integrity of a vulnerable US trading partner in Central America." -- Sen. James Risch (R-ID)

Look for more politicians and regulators from the West to sort out the impact of El Salvador's decision to make Bitcoin legal tender, especially as it relates to the geopolitical and financial actions of China and organized criminal organizations.

FIVE

Consumer Reports named Ford Mustang Mach-E the top EV pick of the year.

Consumer Reports is swapping the Tesla Model 3 for the Ford Mustang Mach-E as its new top electric vehicle pick for 2022. The designation is sure to give Ford a morale boost as it seeks to outpace Tesla in the race to become the number one EV manufacturer in the US.

The Verge reports Tesla has long dominated CR's EV rankings, with the Model 3 holding the position for the past two years. But the publication says various factors, including ride quality, reliability, and the in-car user experiences, have led it to crown a new winner in the Mustang Mach-E.

Look for this announcement by Consumer Reports to confirm that the rest of the automotive industry has finally caught up with Tesla, and the global EV auto race is on.

SIX

Americans' trust in scientists other groups declines.

Pew reports that trust in scientists and medical scientists has fallen below pre-pandemic levels, with 29% of US adults saying they have a great deal of confidence in medical scientists to act in the public's best interests.

This is down from 40% in November 2020 and 35% in January 2019, before COVID-19 emerged. Other prominent groups – including the military, police officers, and public school principals – have also declined their ratings.

Look for a continued decline in public confidence in medical scientists and scientists regardless of party membership or ideology.

SEVEN

Nearly a quarter of the US gets news from podcasts driven by the young.

Pew reports that overall, the share of Americans who say they often get news from a podcast is relatively tiny, at just 7%; 16% of adults say they sometimes do.

Those with more formal education and higher incomes are more likely to get news, at least sometimes from podcasts. For instance, US adults with at least a college degree are more likely to get information at least occasionally from podcasts than those with a high school education or less (28% vs. 17%, respectively).

Younger adults, in particular, are more likely than older adults to at least sometimes get news from podcasts.

One-in-three adults ages 18 to 29 say they at least sometimes get information from podcasts, compared with 12% of adults 65 and older.

Look for more younger adults to continue to turn to podcasts for their news.

EIGHT

The Economist's new digital strategy amid changing news diet habits.

Lara Boro, chief executive of The Economist Group, says the company needs to attract the Zoom generation to survive.

Boro reminds folks that The Economist started in 1843 as a two-page newsletter, not as a color magazine.

"So it will just change. Whether it will be fully audio one day or whether it will be a film, it doesn't matter because the essence of it is the content and the values of the brand." -- Lara Boro, chief executive of The Economist Group

Look for The Economist to embrace digital and new media habits to produce engaging and exciting content for a generation that's native to video games and Zoom.

NINE

Silver Lake to invest in New Zealand rugby.

After months of delays, US private equity giant Silver Lake has agreed to invest in the organization behind New Zealand's All Blacks rugby team.

FT reports the private equity group to put $134 mn into the organization.

Under the deal, the firm will back a new entity that owns the legendary team's commercial rights.

The deal values NZR CommercialCo, the new holding company for the revenue of All Blacks and other New Zealand rugby associations, at NZ$3.5 bn.

Silver Lake is already a significant investor in professional sport, taking a minority stake in Manchester City. It is also a backer of sports retailer Fanatics, Endeavor, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Look for a continued drive to professionalize global sport with significant private equity investments.

TEN

Peer-reviewed Norway science wins Olympic medals.

Norway has won 10 biathlon medals by embracing a plan that prioritized adapting to especially high altitudes.

The "Preparing for the Nordic Skiing Events at the Beijing Olympics in 2022: Evidence-Based Recommendations and Unanswered Questions" report was the blueprint for Olympic success.

The year before the Olympics, the report recommended Norwegian athletes train for more than 60 days and participate in several competitions at such an altitude.

And immediately before the Olympics, they should spend 10 to 14 days somewhere with a similar altitude as the competition.

Not only did this plan help their bodies adjust, but it helped the biathletes and skiers understand how to eat and hydrate in unfamiliar conditions over two weeks of competition.

Look for more athletes to embrace the knowledge that bodies need to adjust based on environments and altitudes, focusing on how athletes should eat and hydrate in unfamiliar conditions.