Women get only a fraction of equity ownership at S&P 500 companies + Cats or dogs: Which fuzzy animal has the power to sell more stuff in ads?
Cats or dogs: Which fuzzy animal has the power to sell more stuff in ads? The definitive answer according to a recent study: It depends. It’s no secret that animals can tap into our emotions with their innocence and quirkiness — just take a look at the countless hours people log on YouTube watching cats and dogs do funny things. But marketers need to keep in mind that using the four-legged pets is most effective in ads when they are aligned with people’s perceptions of specific dog and cat characteristics, according to the study. Dogs, for example, are usually associated with eagerness, loyalty, high activity, and reward-seeking behaviors, while cats are usually seen as inquisitive, vigilant and smart.
What does that mean for creative directors? If, for instance, you want to promote a vitamin that boosts energy, a dog would be more effective, but if the vitamin has a more prevention-related effect, go for a cat instead. “When the advertisement didn’t conform to stereotypical traits, the positive effect of using a dog or cat was muted,” Lei Jia, an assistant professor at Kent State University and one of the study’s co-authors, told the Wall Street Journal.
Women get only a fraction of equity ownership at S&P 500 companies: Women executives at S&P 500 companies control only around 1% of the value of shares compared to their male peers, according to the results of an unreleased study from the University of Dublin and gender data company ExecuShe seen by Bloomberg. Male executives held around USD 770 bn-worth of shares in 2020 while women executives held USD 9 bn, said University of Dublin professor Andreas Hoepner. The ratio is still skewed after removing outliers in the data, such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is the wealthiest exec in the index. As more women make it to the top of companies, a big chunk of their compensation is often dependent on equity or stock options. However, the new research shows that equity ownership should be another metric with which to measure gender equality and the wage disparity in the workplace.
The studio behind the new Top Gun is facing a lawsuit that could tarnish its blockbuster screening: Top Gun: Maverick has had blockbuster weekends in the box office since its release, with expectations that it could join the USD 1 bn club. However, Paramount — the studio behind the film — is facing a lawsuit from the family of the author of a 1983 article titled “Top Guns” which inspired the original 1986 film, reports CNBC. Shosh and Yuval Yonay, heirs to the author Ehud Yonay, are suing Paramount over claims that the film infringes the copyright that they reclaimed in January 2020. The family alleges that they sent notice to Paramount that they would reclaim the copyright in early 2018 before the movie began shooting. Paramount then started filming in May 2018 and the movie was slated for release in 2019 but was pushed for nearly three years. The Yonays allege that the production of Maverick wrapped in May 2021, not 2019. The timeline is expected to be a big deciding factor in the copyright lawsuit.