–MasterCard and Marie Claire have teamed up for The Next Big Thing Concept Shop, a pop-up exploring the “seamlessly integrated [retail] experience across both the digital and physical.” Via PYMNTS.
–”The scary story that large brands are dying turns out to be wrong,” according to a new report from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science. Via Campaign.
–Google’s new headphones can tap into Google Assistant to translate languages directly into a user’s ear; they are currently available for pre-order. Via CNBC.
–Keith Wood, chief marketing and communications officer at Unilever, shares his top three takeaways from Advertising Week NY with Google.
–YouGov’s 2017 ranking of the Top 10 Millennial Brands may surprise some retailers, Adweek writes.
–A new Snapchat filter lets users interact with a giant Jeff Koons artwors—but only in nine select locations around the world, including New York’s Central Park. Via Time Out New York.
–Shake Shack is nixing cashiers at its upcoming location, rebranding its staff as “hospitality champs.” Via Eater.
–Auto brands see a new opportunity in Saudi Arabia now that the ban on female drivers has been lifted, writes the Wall Street Journal.
–Condé Nast is launching a multi-platform LGBTQ publication called Them, its first new independent brand since 2007. Via Business of Fashion.
–Mobile phone company Orange is expanding into mobile banking, with a November 2 launch date. Via TechCrunch.
–Blue Apron’s new branded podcast, “Why We Eat What We Eat,” is “an interesting marketing move given the meal kit brand’s recent challenges,” writes Fast Company.
–Why did IKEA buy TaskRabbit? PSFK unpack’s the retailer’s digital ambitions.
–Onward is a new mobile banking app designed to help low-income workers save money, rebuild credit and more. Via Fast Company.
–Dubai is building a mock Martian city in the middle of the desert. Via Engadget.
