Brand Channel
Deloitte Global has released results from its Impact Project survey that highlights emerging forces now shaping today's brands in a values-driven marketplace. The survey included 150 brands in 28 countries and revealed a common desire to drive change and build loyalty in an era of constant disruption and rising expectations.
Detroit News
Toyota Motor Corp. said that its profit fell 23% in the October-December quarter from a year earlier as its sales fell and a stronger yen squeezed its overseas earnings. The company recently relinquished the crown of world's biggest automaker to German rival Volkswagen. Quarterly sales of the maker of the Prius hybrid, Camry and Lexus luxury cars slipped 3.5%.
Tech Times
Apple has been dabbling with augmented reality for quite some time and it seems it is finally in the process of making a smartglass that deploys the technology. Tech evangelist Robert Scoble said the next big Apple product would be an AR headset, which the company is reportedly manufacturing in tandem with Carl Zeiss.
The Canadian Press
Scotiabank says recent price increases for new cars and light trucks will probably drag on Canadian vehicle sales this year. The bank released a report Tuesday saying it expects 1.94 million passenger vehicles will be sold in Canada in 2017, down from the 1.95 million sold the year before. Affordability will factor into sales this year.
Marketing Land
Budweiser's "Born the Hard Way" was the most watched Super Bowl ad on YouTube and also won the most social shares among Super Bowl spots, according to data from video analytics firm Unruly. This is the fourth time in five years Budweiser has ranked No. 1 on Unruly's list of the top ten most shared Super Bowl ads.
USA Today
Tyson Foods, the largest producer of meat in the U.S., on Monday disclosed a new federal investigation apparently sparked by private lawsuits that have accused the company and others of manipulating chicken prices. The SEC served Tyson with a subpoena on Jan. 20, Tyson said in a quarterly financial filing.
ABC News
Hyundai's emotional Super Bowl ad virtually reunited U.S. troops overseas with their families who were at the game in Houston. The commercial was shot in a suite at Super Bowl LI and at an undisclosed overseas military base where Hyundai built "360-degree immersive pods," which "allowed the soldiers to feel as though they were in the stadium."
Forbes
Bluetooth tracker gadget Tile will pop up in Atlanta on Feb. 24 at locations revealed on their website and social feed. They'll hand out 51,000 trackers to help Atlanta residents "experience less loss for the rest of the year," according to Tile CEO Mike Farley. It's a clever giveaway that has the bonus of creating an instant network of deployed Tiles.
Pymnts
Ellen DeGeneres has launched a pet brand line with PetSmart. Consumers can now have outfits branded with the talk-show host's name, as well as buy home decor design options. This product launch, in particular, may give PetSmart an added boost. In 2016, the national retailer opened 60 new locations, with plans to double that in 2017.
Bloomberg
Engineer Mark Moore is leaving the confines of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, where he has spent the last 30 years, to join one of Google's rivals: Uber Technologies Inc. Moore is taking on a new role as director of engineering for aviation at the ride-hailing company, working on a flying car initiative known as Uber Elevate.