Sound investments The expensive battle to be the Netflix of audio Above the din of chat-shows, dramas and documentaries streamed to blaring voice-activated speakers, a louder sound can be heard: ker-ching. On December 29th Spotify, an audio-streaming service, aired the first in a series of exclusive podcasts by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. A few weeks earlier the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon was in talks to buy Wondery, a producer of popular podcasts including “Dirty John” and “Dr Death”, for $300m. The tech giant, which got...
The great mall of China The next big thing in retail comes with Chinese characteristics Almost everyone in China knows “Austin” Li Jiaqi. The 28-year-old “Lipstick Brother”, started out flogging make-up products in Nanchang, a provincial city, and now sells them to millions by live-streaming on Taobao, part of Alibaba, China’s biggest internet retailer—once shifting 15,000 sticks of lipstick in five minutes. Some will recognise Chen Yi, nicknamed “Little Monster”, a 24-year-old girl-next-door from the coastal city of Qingdao who sells sunscreen, snacks and lots more besides to...
Carmaking: Electric blue and yellow VOLVOS SPORT subtle reminders of their Swedish heritage, from tiny blue-and-yellow flags adorning some models to the “hammer of Thor” headlights that provide illumination for all its vehicles. A brand coupling Scandi-cool design with concern for safety and the environment has in recent years helped Volvo expand its footprint beyond its European heartland to China and America. It hopes to keep going. An initial public offering (IPO), announced on October 4th will make it both “more Swedish and more global”, says Hakan Samuelsson,...
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