Editor’s Note: Out of Scope’s HQ will be closed next week (12/25-12/29) so we will share this edition and then resume operations shortly after the New Year. Best wishes!
Happy Friday! This week, we close out the year with a love letter to that little slice of paradise known as Connecticut. But first…
📡ON OUR RADAR
Adobe retracted its $20 billion Figma acquisition bid this week, attributing the decision to European regulatory concerns. Elsewhere in the digital content world, Google plans to “restructure” its 30,000-person ad sales unit, aiming to streamline customer experiences and purchasing ability by leaning into AI and machine learning.
The Summer of Girlhood is being followed by the Winter of Reflection. As the media continues to lean into girlhood, with marketing microtrends on TikTok and Ozempic finding its way into girls’ medicine cabinets, writer Isabel Cristo chalks up this year’s phenomenon to growing discomfort with womanhood. As she wrote for The Cut, “Maybe, in 2024, we might be able to find some joy and lightness in growing up as well.”
Reddit’s rumored IPO could come early next year, with a projected valuation of around $15 billion. This could reshape New York’s media landscape—back in 2005, Conde Nast acquired the platform for a meager $10 million. For a company constantly waylaid by layoffs, a cash infusion could prove transformative.
💡ON OUR MINDS: The Nutmeg State’s New Era
Image: WSHU
This week, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont debuted a new brand and marketing campaign for the state titled “Make It Here.”
The need for a CT rally cry was realized after research indicated that only 50% of residents are proud of the state, while a mere 21% would recommend it to others.
The campaign aims to showcase Connecticut as a hub for innovation, boost resident pride, and finally shed the state’s “sleepy and stuffy” reputation.
By highlighting Connecticut’s creativity, diversity, and undeniable strengths in realms like pizza and basketball, “Make It Here” aims to attract new waves of tourism, businesses, and families in search of a place to call home.
Whether or not the campaign will succeed in proving that CT is more than a drive-through state, only time will tell. We’re just hoping it can finally answer this question.
🥊QUICK HITS:
In case you missed these reads.
Watch your step! Apple Watches are facing patent problems, resulting in the suspension of sales for certain versions. Meanwhile, France slapped Rolex with a €91.6 million fine for its online sales restrictions.
Bird—the company behind those scooters that invaded cities nationwide—is going out of business.
Let influencer Arielle Charnas and her brand’s fire sale be a lesson – influencers’ ambitions to build the next great fashion empire might be as unsustainable as the clothes themselves. Thanks for reading,
HL
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