Sorry, But Snapchat Is Not Bringing Back the Old Design
If early reviews are any indication, Snap’s decision to overhaul its messaging app may have backfired with its key teen demographic.
And Daily Beast reporter Taylor Lorenz says the changes may not bring in enough “older” users over the age of 25 to make up the difference.
“It’s going to have to provide a more compelling use case for them,” she told Cheddar. “Older users are not looking to chat on it. A lot of them use other chat platforms -- Stories has been taken over by Instagram.”
Snap has seen backlash from younger users over a complete redesign that was rolled out globally last week. When announcing the new look, CEO Evan Spiegel said the changes separate the platform from the rest of social media and strengthen its relationship with users and the media.
Lorenz says that could mean the app becomes more of news destination, but whether the strategy pays off remains to be seen.
“They’re hoping to have 10 thousand tiles on the right hand side, so that’s a big opportunity to sell ad inventory. But I think they’re going to need to come up with more unique products, and I think they’re going to have a really hard time competing with Facebook and Instagram who have so much data.”
And for those hoping the company will revert to its old design, Lorenz says not to hold their breath.
“There is less than a zero chance, I’m so sorry to all the youngsters out there. There’s no going back, unfortunately, for them.”
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/snapchats-teen-revolt).
General Motors reported its Q4 earnings Tuesday. While chip shortages impacted sales and revenue last quarter, Paul Jacobson, GM Chief Financial Officer, told Cheddar chip availability has gotten better since Q3. This is crucial as GM has pivoted its focus toward electric vehicles. It recently announced it will be building a new battery plant in Michigan, making $35 billion in EV investments, and producing a million electric vehicles by 2025.
Google’s philanthropy arm, Google.org, recently announced a $10 million grant for the AARP Foundation to aid in teaching digital skills to low income older workers. As the implementation of hybrid work expands, a greater emphasis is being placed on helping workers 50 years old and up — especially among women and people of color — to be digitally literate in order to keep the workplace generationally diverse. Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of the AARP Foundation, joined Cheddar News to talk about the curriculum of the partnership. "Those of us who are 50 and older are not digital natives, so we do have a learning curve that we have to address," she noted.
AT&T announced earlier today it is spinning off its media properties in WarnerMedia in a merger with Discovery in a $43 billion deal.Scott Rostan, founder and CEO at Training The Street, joined Cheddar to talk about what the unwinding of the telecom giant's Time Warner media properties means for investors. "I think the investor sentiment is they're digesting the new information, and they're looking into the dividend, especially the reduction of the dividend," said Rostan, noting the transaction allows AT&T to focus on its core telecommunications business.
Greg Bishop, Senior Writer for Sports Illustrated, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says Tom Brady's legacy is all about 'progress' and expects the future Hall of Famer to bolster his entrepreneurial ventures following his retirement.
Anthony Saccaro, Founder and President of Providence Financial, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he elaborates on why he is excited that the market is beginning to rebound and believes February has the potential to be a good month after a turbulent January.
A 2021 report from UK Research and Innovation found that the shipping industry makes up at least 2.5 percent of the world's total CO2 emissions. It's a problem that energy solutions company, Leclanché, is trying to solve. Founded in 1909, the company has been developing and producing batteries for more than 100 years. Today, Leclanché's lithium-ion battery is used to electrify not just ships, but also railroad locomotives, trucks, and specialty vehicles. Cheddar News spoke with Pierre Blanc, chief technology and industrial officer of Leclanché, to discuss.
