Laura Nichols
Morning Consult
Washington, DC, United States
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Past articles by Laura:
Brands Brief: Tronc Acquires New York Daily News
The New York Daily News has a new owner: Tronc, parent company of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune. The $1 deal, which includes the assumption of operational and pension liabilities, that closed Sunday includes the paper and some of its additional assets. → Read More
Brands Brief: Week in Review & What's Ahead
Tech’s biggest companies are betting on a slate of new partnerships to put more voice-assisted devices in U.S. households, especially for online purchases, but so far Americans are more likely to use them for playing music or checking the weather. → Read More
Poll: Smart Assistants Used More for Music, Weather Than Shopping
Tech's biggest companies are betting on a slate of new partnerships to put more voice-assisted devices in U.S. households, especially for online purchases, but so far Americans are more likely to use them for playing music or checking the weather. → Read More
Brands Brief: Glenn Beck Cuts Jobs at The Blaze
The conservative commentator Glenn Beck laid off more than 20 percent of the combined workforce at his news and video website The Blaze and his production company, Mercury Radio Arts, citing advertising and funding challenges. → Read More
Brands Brief: Disney Unit Plans Deep Job Cuts to Reduce Costs 10%
Disney-ABC Television Group is set to cut hundreds of jobs in an effort to reduce annual costs by 10 percent by the end of the fiscal year next month. The move will also include restructuring and streamlining divisions to focus on content development. → Read More
Brands Brief: Fox News Channel Goes Dark in Britain
Fox News is no longer available in Britain, in a move the parent company, 21st Century Fox Inc., called a business decision. The parent company, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, is currently pursuing a $15 billion deal for the 61 percent of British pay-television company Sky that it doesn't already own. → Read More
People Say They Like Department Stores, Even if They Don't Shop There
There is sometimes a difference between what consumers say and what they do -- and that is particularly true for the department store industry. → Read More
Brands Brief: Retailers' Losses From Tropical Storm Harvey Estimated at $1 Billion
A weather analytics company has estimated that Tropical Storm Harvey would cause $1 billion in losses for Houston-area restaurants and retailers alone, with companies such as PF Chang's, Chili's and Dillard's being among the most affected. → Read More
Brands Brief: Box Office Sees Worst Weekend Since 2001
North American movie theaters had their slowest weekend in nearly 16 years, with the top 12 films pulling in only $49 million -- the worst domestic weekend since the period right after the 2001 terrorist attacks. → Read More
Brands Brief: Week in Review & What's Ahead
Advertising spending is falling at some of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, and pressures in the advertising industry have been worsened by an erosion in trust between marketers and agencies. → Read More
Brands Brief: Amazon to Lower Prices at Whole Foods
As Amazon.com Inc. gets ready to take over Whole Foods on Monday, it will attempt to shed the upscale grocery chain's "Whole Paycheck" image by reducing prices. Amazon also plans to turn its Prime membership program into a Whole Foods rewards program, offering discounts to customers. → Read More
Brands Brief: Sears to Close Another 28 Kmart Stores
Sears Holdings said it will close 28 Kmart locations, in addition to the 330 Kmart and Sears stores it had already planned to shut down, as the company posted a loss of $251 million in its second quarter. The retailer, which will still have about 1,000 stores after the closures, said it had at least a year's worth of cash left to continue operations. → Read More
Poll: Most Don't Share Streaming Accounts
A poll conducted Aug. 17-19 reveals that while most people do not share their streaming accounts, young people were much more likely to do so, with 56 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds saying they share their passwords. → Read More
Brands Brief: Young Cord-Cutters More Likely to Add Services Despite Cost Concerns
Young people generally think they're paying too much for streaming services, but they are still willing to add more streaming options to see the shows they want to watch, according to new Morning Consult polling data. → Read More
Brands Brief: Immelt Leads Candidates for Uber CEO
Former General Electric chief executive Jeff Immelt has become the leading candidate to replace Travis Kalanick as head of Uber Technologies Inc. “We all know Immelt’s not the dynamic entrepreneur that Travis is, but he can certainly settle things down,” one source said. → Read More
Google Brand Remains Unscathed After Anti-Diversity Memo
Google was rocked by condemnation from both left and right after firing an employee who highlighted gender differences to explain women's under-representation in tech. → Read More
Brands Brief: Apple Prepared to Spend $1 Billion on Original Programming
Apple Inc.'s move into original programming comes with about a $1 billion budget, about half of what HBO spent on content last year and about the same as what Amazon.com Inc. is estimated to have spent in the year after it announced it would produce original content. → Read More
Brands Brief: Walmart Favored by Parents in Back-to-School Shopping Poll
Recent Morning Consult polling shows that while parents don't anticipate spending more than they did last year on back-to-school shopping, the cost is a strain on their budget. They also prefer in-store to online shopping, giving Wal-Mart Stores Inc. an edge over Amazon.com Inc. → Read More
Poll: Walmart Is a Fan Favorite Among Parents for Back-to-School Shopping
Parents are worried about the dent back-to-school shopping makes in their bank account, so they're prioritizing bargains over brands. They also overwhelmingly favor in-store over online shopping — and it's giving Walmart an edge. → Read More
Brands Brief: Shonda Rhimes Signs Deal With Netflix
After 15 years at ABC Studios, Shonda Rhimes, creator of "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy," has signed a multi-year production deal with Netflix. Rhimes' company, Shondaland, will begin producing content for Netflix while she continues to stay involved in her current broadcast series. → Read More