Snap's Rollback of Redesign May Signal an Identity Crisis
*By Britt Terrell*
Snap is doing something that is unprecedented in social media. The maker of Snapchat has answered angry users' protests and revamped its app to make it more similar to the original version.
"It's a sign of humility in a way for Snapchat," said Marty Swant, a staff writer at Adweek. "In a way, I wonder if they have a bit of an identity crisis."
Is Snap making a tool for publishers or is the app catering to its core users?
Snapchat's 2017 redesign was meant to bring more people to its publishing page. But loyal users revolted: A petition called for the app maker to revert to the old design, the platform saw its user growth [decline in the last quarter](http://deadline.com/2018/05/snap-inc-snapchat-slowest-growth-earnings-stock-plunges-1202380663/).
As Snap's stock continues to plummet ーit's down nearly 50 percent year-over-year ー the company must figure out ways to appeal to advertisers.
"I think the big picture that Snapchat has now is their ads are a lot more creative than the ads you're seeing on Instagram stories - Snapchat's main competitor," said Swant in an interview Monday with Cheddar. "They're just cooler looking, they're more engaging. I think that's a big play, but the question is, do users actually spend time with them?"
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/snap-redesigns-its-redesign).
Electric vehicle charging company Wallbox goes public via a SPAC on the NYSE under the ticker symbol WBX.
Wallbox has merged with special purpose acquisition corporation Kensington Capital Acquisition. Enric Asunción, CEO of Wallbox, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The parcel delivery industry is getting more competitive as more companies enter the space with climate change in mind. Carl-Magnus Norden, founder and executive chairman at Volta Trucks, joined Cheddar to talk about electrifying delivery vehicles as well as the startup’s $44 million funding round. Despite ongoing driver shortages, he noted that he didn't see autonomous delivery being available in city settings within the next five years.
Jeff Bezos' space travel company Blue Origin is under fire after a group of 20 current and former employees signed a letter to the FAA claiming safety violations that were detailed along with accusations of sexual harassment.
Cloud contact center software company Five9's shareholders voted against the $14.7 billion all-stock acquisition deal from Zoom. A return to offices and in-person meetings have been cited for at least some of the reasons the deal ultimately fell through.
Autonomous car companies Waymo and Cruise are one step closer to offering driverless ridesharing in California after receiving approval from the state's DMV to begin charging fees for their services. Both companies still need approval from the California Public Utilities Commission before offering rides to the public.
