Ditching The Duolingo Owl

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Happy Tuesday, Future Party. Costco is really trying to win over the fashion crowd. After debuting an exclusive Nike sneaker a couple of months ago, the big-box retailer is now selling Off-White hoodies at locations in Canada. Next thing you know, Gucci will be staging a runway show down the produce aisle.

The Justice Department and Live Nation have reached a surprise tentative settlement in the antitrust case against the music giant, allowing the company to stay together.

The Big Picture: The Justice Department was initially looking to separate Live Nation from Ticketmaster, which it acquired in 2010, alleging the company operates as an illegal monopoly. Such a move would have reshaped the ticketing and touring landscape, especially since Live Nation controls 80% of “major concert venues” and is, arguably, the de facto gatekeeper for most of the biggest acts. Keeping Live Nation intact ensures it remains the king of the music industry.

Behind The Curtain: Just because Live Nation is staying united doesn’t mean it won’t have to make some concessions.

Encore: There’s a lot of drama surrounding this proposed settlement. A trial was already underway in Manhattan, and both the judge and 39 other states (and DC) were blindsided by the deal. The judge will still need to approve it, but New York AG Letitia James said that NY and 25 other states will continue their legal action without the DOJ.

In other words, this case hasn’t hit the final note yet.

Next Gig: With Live Nation allowed to stay big, some rivals may look to merge in an effort to compete.

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DoorDash has made one of the savviest moves in the marketing industry — hiring former Duolingo Head of Social Zaria Parvez.

Why It Hits: Parvez transformed Duolingo from a humble language-learning app into what is probably the most-envied brand presence online. That’s invaluable in an ecosystem where it’s nearly impossible to break through the noise. Prepare for DoorDash to really step up its branding game across social platforms.

Behind The Virality: Parvez’s work at DoorDash is already delivering some wins.

Closing Thoughts: Parvez said her goal is to go viral every 30 days. She’s doing that by “flipping” DoorDash’s typical social-branding model — moving away from treating platforms like “distribution channels” and instead focusing on the insight base, the heart of the idea, and using other things that were traditionally distribution channels. Or, as Tubefilter describes her strategy: “content first and marketing second, getting people hooked on an actually engaging video before they even realize it’s a DoorDash ad.”

Content truly is king.

Next Post: While Parvez’s work may not immediately translate into meaningful sales, the new currency of online corporate behavior may simply be being cool at any cost.

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36.1% of you voted Haven’t used one in yesterday’s poll: What has your experience with temp or staffing agencies been like?

“We do a lot of our hiring through temp agencies, and it’s normally a mixed bag of what you’ll get. Our positions are temp-to-hire, and we get a lot of people who only want to stay on as temps, so we end up having to let them go.”

“I worked with an agency when I was young, which gave me exposure to a variety of jobs that eventually led to a full-time position because the company that hired me as a temp liked my work ethic and was willing to work with my college schedule.”

“I was laid off from a company and brought back a few months later as a temp. I was subject to all the negative things going on in the company, but not the same rules — for example, a 20% pay cut, but without being cut to a four-day work week like full-time employees. I feel companies unfairly take advantage of temps. It all comes down to: ‘How badly do you need the job?’”

“Despite having a Ph.D., decades of experience across multiple fields and disciplines, and a willingness to relocate, none of the ‘headhunters,’ online job sites, staffing agencies, or even temp agencies were able to find me a position.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join Poll Of The Day, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🍿 Pixar’s Hoppers bounced to the top of the box office with $88 million at the global box office.

👀 Casey Wasserman’s embattled Wasserman agency has rebranded to “The-Team.”

🎥 Google and Range are partnering with XPrize to offer $3.5 million in prizes for movies that feature “optimistic science fiction storytelling.”

💻 Apple is rolling out an ultra-premium line of products later this year.

👨‍💻 Russian state hackers are reportedly targeting Signal and WhatsApp users in a large-scale global campaign.

🤖 Microsoft debuted a new AI called “Copilot Cowork” to compete directly with Anthropic’s similar tool… and even built it using Anthropic’s AI. Expert trolling.

💼 Jay Graber has stepped down as the CEO of Bluesky, transitioning to Chief Innovation Officer.

🫰 X will allow users to paywall their threads.

📱 X is also testing a new ad format that will connect posts to products.