1. Elon Musk Faces Lawsuits
Elon Musk has violated federal securities laws by suggesting Tesla may go private in a tweet. Specifically, the tweet said, “Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.” According to a class action complaint, Tesla and Musk “embarked on a scheme and course of conduct to artificially manipulate the price of Tesla stock to completely decimate the company’s short-sellers.” The complaint claims the series of tweets drove shares up $45.47 and Musk falsely stated he had secured funding to take Tesla private. Meanwhile, Tesla and Musk could face an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. However, it’s not stopping Tesla from exploring a proposal this week to take the company private.
(Source: USA Today)
2. Startup Helps Advertisers Read Minds
Spark Neuro, a startup that helps companies understand consumers’ reactions to ads, movies, and trailers, is making a move towards replacing focus groups and surveys with its EEG headset. The company uses software that attaches to a person’s sensors (i.e. fingers and head) and shows a clip, displaying the person’s attention level and emotional response on a 1-10 scale. Advertisers and producers can then use that data to understand how successful their content was. For example, a Mr. Clean ad performed poorly in a men focus group, however, Spark Neuro found it performed well among both men and women. The men were just too embarrassed to admit they liked it.
(Source: TechCrunch)
3. Beards Are Back in Fad
According to the vice president of Gillette, “men are not judged negatively when they skip a shave — it is not considered lazy or disrespectful.” Those under the age of 45 have a more laid-back approach and more men are seen wearing the look in the office. However, this fad is putting a strain on razor companies, such as Gillette. In total, men are now shaving two times less per month. Since June, blade sales have fallen 5.1%. In response, Gillette staged an “intervention,” shaving (yep, we went there) prices by an average 12% and pushing facial-hair-maintenance tools. Hopefully, this new initiative will grow on them.
(Source: CNN, The Hustle)
—
Are you utilizing social media to its full potential? Check out which companies have not, and learn from their mistakes here.
