CNN.com
Southwest, Delta and Alaska Airlines all reported computer problems on Tuesday that affected their ability to sell tickets and caused more than 500 Southwest flights to be cancelled. “Passengers across the country took to social media to express their frustration and demand answers after the issue left some people grounded, stranded and stuck on planes,” per CNN. Southwest’s outage was the second technical issue in less than 24 hours.
USA Today
USA Today found that “a whopping 65% of respondents said they'd be interested in a credit card that offered crypto rewards rather than traditional cash back or points.” The credit card issuers are taking note, and at least one crypto rewards credit card has been announced. There are a number of ways to use it to make a purchase at retailers that accept it (including Tesla, of course.)
Fast Company
A new version of the millennial-favorite Oregon Trail video game aims to be more culturally sensitive. “What’s different is that Native American history scholars gave input,” per Fast Company. “That input led to more human, and historically accurate, representations of Indigenous people, culminating in the first playable Native American characters in any Oregon Trail game.”
Chain Store Age
Walmart and Amazon have both launched prescription savings programs. Both programs deliver additional savings on the most commonly prescribed medications across a variety of health conditions. Walmart+ Rx for less is exclusively for members of its Walmart+ paid subscription service. Amazon is offering members of its Prime paid loyalty program six-month prescriptions starting at $6 for a selection of frequently prescribed medications.
The Drum
Unilever hopes to improve conditions in five cities or regions ranked worst for LGBT+ people. “Aiming to make frontline change, instead of offering a ‘one size fits all’ Pride campaign, the third year of its ‘United We Stand’ campaign will support on-the-ground grassroots organizations, looking beyond major cities that typically offer more support and services for its residents,” per The Drum. Local organizations in the five cities/regions – Monroe,Louisiana; Moore, Oklahoma; Clemson, South Carolina; Florence, Alabama and southern Missouri – will be supported by Unilever year-round, beyond the month of Pride.
Chain Store Age
Calares, the parent company of footwear brands including Famous Footwear and Naturalizer, has appointed Jennifer Olsen as chief marketing officer, effective June 28. She will oversee all brand marketing including consumer analytics, media and creative. Olsen was most recently CMO of specialty clothing retailer Untuckit and previously was at Yahoo, StitchFix, Crate & Barrel, and Gap Inc.’s ecommerce start-up Piperlime.
The Verge
Apple’s new SharePlay feature will allow video and music sharing on FaceTime. “Using SharePlay, people will be able to watch or listen to content in sync with everyone else on the call, either by casting the content to an Apple TV device while staying on the call or by watching both on the same screen using Picture in Picture,” per The Verge.
BuzzFeed
Instagram is rolling out initiatives aimed at disgruntled influencers. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed up at Instagram's first-ever “Creator Week” to discuss features that the social network is working on to help influencers make money directly through the platform, which Facebook owns, per Buzzfeed.News.
Morning Brew
OTC painkiller Midol aims to take the apologies out of menstruating. The Bayer-owned brand conducted a survey with Wakefield Research that found 62% of women under the age of 40 in the U.S. have apologized for their cycles, while roughly 70% of Gen Z respondents said the same, per Morning Brew. The video will air across social platforms with both organic and paid posts.
USA Today
Burger King is taking aim at Chick-fil-A and the brand’s historic reputation as the opposite of an LGBTQ ally. Burger King will donate 40 cents for every chicken sandwich sold in June (Pride month) up to $250,000, or 625,000 sandwiches, to The Human Rights Campaign. There have been calls to boycott Chick-fil-A after Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy was recently identified as a donor to the National Christian Charitable Foundation, which has a history of funding opposition to The Equality Act.