Socially Conscious Consumers Got Spotify to Change Its Tune
*By Britt Terrell*
Spotify's decision to remove the R&B artist R.Kelly's songs from parts of its streaming music platform was a considered response to consumers' demands that brands behave in a more socially responsible way.
"These social movements typically backed by large groups of young users are pressuring companies to take a stance," said Phillip Tracy, a tech writer for The Daily Dot.
According to a 2015 Nielsen [report](https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahlandrum/2017/03/17/millennials-driving-brands-to-practice-socially-responsible-marketing/#3946f9034990), 66 percent of consumers are willing to spend more if a product comes from a sustainable brand. Millennial customers are even more demanding ー 81 percent of millennials expect their favorite companies to make public declarations of corporate citizenship.
To appeal to those sentiments, some brands are responding increasingly quickly to online calls to action when new controversies arise.
Spotify made a statement this week when it responded to a #MuteRKelly movement that started after the singer was [accused](http://www.vulture.com/2018/04/another-woman-is-accusing-r-kelly-of-sexual-misconduct.html) of sexually abusing women in a sex cult. Like the hashtag campaigns #MeToo and #TimesUp, the online effort around R.Kelly sought to hold the artist accountable in the marketplace.
Citing its new Hate Content and Hateful Conduct Policy, Spotify said it would no longer include R.Kelly's music in its algorithm and editorial-curated playlists.
Tracy said in an interview Friday with Cheddar that it's hard to say whether other streaming services such as Apple Music will follow Spotify's example.
Spotify has 75 million subscribers as of its first public earnings report earlier this month. Apple has 40 million.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/spotify-takes-the-keys-from-ignition-2).
Payoneer CEO Scott Galit joined Wake Up With Cheddar to talk about the company's partnership with Walmart to provide working capital to retailers on Walmart's marketplace.
Between uncertainty over the Omicron variant, and the possibility of a sooner-than-expected taper from the Fed, it was an especially volatile week for the markets. The release of the November jobs report on Friday, with job growth coming in way lower than estimates also caused movement on the market. Frances Stacy, Director of Strategy at Optimal Capital explains why all of this, combined with Bitcoin’s huge drop over the weekend, could make for another rough week for investors.
Ahead of Instagram head Adam Mosseri's congressional hearing on the mental impact of the social platform on teens, the company announced a number of updates aimed at teen safety.
Developers for the video game "Call of Duty: Warzone" staged a walkout in protest of 12 quality assurance testers being laid off by parent company Activision Blizzard. This marks the latest work stoppage for the embattled game publishing giant.
Earlier this year, JetBlue flew its inaugural flight into the United Kingdom. It was a game changer — not only did the airline enter the transatlantic market, but the plane that completed the flight was a single-aisle jet. For decades, flying the distance was synonymous with jumbo jets, but today narrow-body aircraft are now proving they are up for the task — and maybe even the best option. In this episode, Cheddar examines why airlines are betting on narrow-body aircraft.
2022 is just around the corner and one of the world's most famous trendspotters says that there is a wide-ranging mix of trends coming up in the new year that could impact businesses, culture, and our society at large.
Trendspotter and cultural zeitgeist analyst Marian Salzman, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Spotify has just officially released its 2021 'Wrapped'. For the past few years, the streaming giant has been presenting customers with their listening habits from the prior year, including favorite artists, most listened to the genre, podcasts, songs you name it. However, critics say this method just shows how apps can collect our data. CEO of Prevailion Karim Hijazi, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Recent internal documents obtained by the New York Times reveal how exactly TikTok's algorithm works. The report highlights how the app is mainly focused on retaining two metrics which are retention and time spent. In addition, the document titled, "TikTok Algo 101" details how the algorithm understands human nature from when we get bored to our sensitivity and culture ques. It means the app monitors will kind of videos you like. Professor of Computer Science at the University of California in San Diego Julian McCauley, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Carlo and Baker discuss the sweeping new vaccine mandate in NYC that will target all private businesses. Plus, Trump's media venture gets its CEO and more.
