Reading up on the most compelling social media, tech, and brand stories is one of the joys of being the editor of Marketing Dive.
From Snapchat's foray into advertising to the new .NYC domain, here are a few of the "need to know" stories from the week.
Elon Musk unveils the D
After tweeting an inexplicably mysterious ad about "the D and something else," Elon Musk has revealed what Tesla has been up to. "The D," instead of being an innovative new car, stands for dual motor all-wheel drive. Turns out investors didn't appreciate the hype over a nonexistent car, and Tesla's stock was down 6.4% as of this writing since Friday's open.
Red Bull gets its wings clipped
It should come as no surprise that Red Bull doesn't actually make you sprout wings and fly. However, some still felt that the marketing campaign that went on for nearly two decades was misleading because it doesn't even give drinkers figurative wings. A class action lawsuit was settled this week for $13 million when, according to the plaintiff, the drink did not enhance concentration and performance. So if you've consumed a Red Bull in the past 12 years, you could be eligible for a payout from the brand.
Ever wondered how people find your profile on LinkedIn?
Anyone who uses LinkedIn is familiar with the "Who's Viewed Your Profile" feature on the site. Now, the social site is offering up some explanation on how people landed on your page to begin with, likely to the delight of active job seekers. The new feature lists actions the user has taken that have triggered traffic to their profile, like joining groups, new connections, and endorsements.
It's coming: Ads on Snapchat
Brands and public figures have been tooling around on Snapchat app for a while now, but CEO Evan Spiegel announced Wednesday that ads are officially coming to the messaging app. "They aren't fancy. They aren't targeted," he said during a Vanity Fair event. Though Snapchat doesn't have any advertising revenue now, the app is still valued at $10 billion.
The .NYC domain is here
This week, .nyc became a purchasable domain—and a PR blitz has begun across the five boroughs. GoDaddy has commissioned a banner on the side of a Hudson River barge that reads ".NYC Domains At GoDaddy, Shhh—Don't Tell New Jersey." For brands that consider New York City home, the domain could be a welcome marketing tactic.