Apple cuts App Store fees in half to help small businesses

The news arrives a month after a congressional report on antitrust claimed that Apple stifles competition, and specifically mentioned App Store fees.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 19, 2020

Pepsi challenges home cooks to share ‘baking fails’

As many Americans try their hand at preparing a Thanksgiving meal for the first time, contest entrants can win a bottle of Pepsi’s new apple pie-flavored cola.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 19, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Marketing Dive

From the evolution of influencer marketing and paid media to the ongoing importance of data and culture, here’s a look at key trends driving marketing in 2025.

By Marketing Dive staff

Verizon touts 5G with geotargeted AR concert on Snapchat

The wireless carrier is giving people a chance to see a virtual performance by Black Pumas singer Eric Burton outside the New York Public Library.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 19, 2020

Google revamps Google Pay, adds 3 new partner banks

Google continues its push into the payments space with a redesigned app and expanded network of banks offering co-branded accounts.

By Anna Hrushka • Nov. 19, 2020

YouTube touts audio ad results in shot across Spotify’s bow

Among brands that tested the platform’s first push into radio-like ads, 75% experienced an increase in awareness.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 18, 2020

Chipotle turns fans into ‘royalty’ with TikTok challenge

With its latest campaign on the embattled video app, the QSR gives users a chance to win $10,000 and turn their go-to orders into a temporary menu item.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 18, 2020

Reebok reveals Cardi B footwear in Spotify soundboard experience

The “B Unexplainable” experience in Spotify’s desktop app lets users of its free service mix 40-second beats that include the rapper’s catchphrases.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 18, 2020

Facebook debuts shoppable livestreams with Anne Klein

The social network kicked off a four-part “Celebrate the Holidays” series of live shopping events with the fashion company.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Nov. 17, 2020

How sonic branding could ease voice commerce security concerns

Applying audio strategically can augment how consumers engage with retail, providing more immersive experiences that foster trust, writes Eric Seay of Audio UX.

By Eric Seay • Nov. 17, 2020

Apple’s mobile identifiers targeted in European privacy complaints

The company faces a formidable legal opponent in Max Schrems, a privacy activist who rose to fame with complaints against Facebook that resulted in a 2015 landmark ruling.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 17, 2020

Gap, H&M open mobile storefronts on Group Nine’s new Swipe.Shop platform

The publisher of NowThis and Thrillist will provide 20 million impressions’ worth of free ad space to 10 small businesses affected by the pandemic.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 17, 2020

Sonic Drive-In’s RCS test boosts app downloads 5x over MMS

Side-by-side tests of two messaging technologies found the upgraded rich communications services can spur better results through more engaging tools.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 17, 2020

Home improvement retailer Wickes taps TikTok influencers in UK

Spurring 613,000 views so far, the campaign has seven creators demonstrate Wickes’ range of products in social videos offering DIY tips.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 16, 2020

Hyundai touts Elantra with virtual hometown tours on Spotify

“My City Unlocked” aims to immerse music fans in a multimedia experience that’s part travelogue, part curated playlist and part podcast.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 16, 2020

Stella Artois applies Venmo stickers to aid culinary industry

In partnership with Holler, the AB InBev brand gives Venmo users a way to support the James Beard Foundation as they make payments on the app.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 16, 2020

Chipotle teams with Uber Eats, Hinge for ‘cuffing season’ menu

Targeting singles seeking a relationship for winter, the campaign gives customers a chance to receive dating tips from comedian Rebel Wilson.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 13, 2020

Instagram, Messenger copy Snapchat with new vanish mode

In a rare home screen redesign, Instagram is also highlighting its shopping capabilities and Reels, the app’s TikTok clone.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 13, 2020

Why grocery giant Kroger made the leap into mobile game advertising

A customer shift to mobile and concerns around a contentious election helped push the chain into a market with a surprisingly strong audience match.

By Peter Adams • Nov. 13, 2020

Leesa Sleep’s social challenge asks people to go bedless for charity

The DTC mattress brand is urging people to share their experience of sleeping without a bed for a night to raise awareness and funds for kids.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 12, 2020

App Annie: Mobile ad spending will rise 20% as at-home becomes new normal

Much of the growth will come from mobile commerce as consumers continue to adjust to life during the pandemic.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 12, 2020

Michelob Ultra offers runners a chance to star in commercial

The beer brand is offering social media followers several ways to win the grand prize by participating in a series of running challenges.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 12, 2020

Twitter launches carousel ads to drive web traffic, app installs

App carousel ads boost installs per impression an average of 24%, while web carousel ads lift clickthrough rates by 15% in Twitter’s tests of the new format.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 11, 2020

HBO releases AR wellness app for ‘His Dark Materials’ season premiere

As wellness app downloads surge, fans of the fantasy show can create a personal “daemon” who helps inspire them to engage in self-care activities.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 11, 2020

Spotify grows podcasting ambitions with audio ad company acquisition

The $235 million deal will let advertisers target 60,000 audience segments on Megaphone, which is used by more than 20,000 marketers and publishers.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 11, 2020

Verishop reworks app for social shopping

A new approach to shopping is playing out on Instagram and Pinterest, with browsing photos and videos online as the modern version of window shopping.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Nov. 10, 2020