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Fang

It’s on you now, Facebook – don’t screw it up!

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The Instagram founders are out… from the business they started eight long years ago in San Francisco. CEO Kevin Systrom and CTO Mike Krieger went from a small photo-sharing app created in a co-working space to a world-wide app used by 1 billion people today. The app quickly attracted millions of users and was sold to Facebook in 2012 $1 billion.

 

With Facebook’s help… IG took over even further and added additional features like videos, stories, and even television. But the co-founders announced, “We’re planning on taking some time off to explore our curiosity and creativity again.” Systrom and Krieger will go from leaders of the app to two of the billion everyday users.

 

It seems like an amicable separation… however, Bloomberg News reported that Systrom and Krieger are leaving because of tensions with Zuckerberg. The resignation comes six months after the founder of WhatsApp, Jan Koum, announced he was going. The other WhatsApp founder also left in 2017 and supported people deleting their Facebook accounts because of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Will Systrom and Krieger be the next to ‘spill tea’ on Facebook?

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Mid caps

The restaurant formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts

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Apparently, the shorter the name… the cooler you are. Starting in January, Dunkin’ Donuts will be known only as “Dunkin’.” So the word “Donuts” will be missing from advertisements, boxes, and signage at new and remodeled stores and on the company’s official social media accounts.

 

You know the drill… Dunkin’ Donuts doesn’t want people to think that they only specialize in making donuts. The company specializes in coffees, teas, speedy service, and fast food – and they have donuts, of course. Beverages, mainly coffee, make up about 60% of the company’s sales. The rebranding is supposed to modernize the brand and the experience for customers.

 

This has been a long time coming… because the company announced last year it was thinking about such a move. Dunkin’ even tested dropping the ‘Donuts’ at stores in California and Massachusetts. The name-change is just-in-time for the company to open 1,000 new US stores by the end of 2020. But call it what you want – we call it delicious.

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Start-up

Tinder just got harder for men

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Indian women are in control… on Tinder, at least. As if getting matches on Tinder weren’t hard enough, now the app is introducing ‘My Move’ which allows women the option to prevent men from talking altogether – even if the two have “matched.” However, luckily for most of us, the feature is currently only available for Apple’s iOS operating system in India.

 

Based on feedback… women would prefer to make the first move. Those women that aren’t so pushy can opt-out of the feature and let the men do the talking. Tinder is testing the feature now, and it will be available in other countries in the coming months. Which ones? We don’t know.

 

It’s all about fun… and Tinder wants to give users a low-pressure environment to make connections. In India, this feature could be especially helpful as crimes against women in the country have been making headlines lately. There are around 100 instances of sexual assault reported to Indian police every day. So please, swipe safely, everyone. Unless you’re ugly – then swipe right on everything and hope for the best.

….I’m kidding.

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Mid caps

Arby’s – we have the…..

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Arby’s has “the meats”… and now they’ve got “the Sonic” because the company just announced that they will be purchasing Sonic for $2.3 billion. Inspire Brands is a private equity-backed firm that owns Arby’s and Buffalo Wild Wings – and now they have Sonic by paying 20% over market value.

 

We all know Sonic… the company is famous for weird advertisements and a retro outdoor dining set up. The company also has been known to launch strange new menu items, such as pickle juice slushies (okay, maybe there’s a reason these guys are struggling). Sonic has been getting crushed by the likes of McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s and company sales have been declining.

 

But don’t worry Sonic-lovers… because nothing will change the establishment that you have grown to love. The restaurant chain, with over 3,600 locations, will continue to operate independently. This deal represents another major-merger in the fast-food industry as struggling companies look to remain competitive.

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