The Takeaway: In this model the most effective and scalable publisher is faceless: atomized content creators, fueled by social media, build their own brands and develop their own audiences; the publisher, meanwhile, builds scale on the backside, across infrastructure, monetization, and even human-resource type functions. This last point makes a faceless publisher more than an ad network, and crucially, I suspect the greatest impact will not be (just) about ads.

The Takeaway: Farfetch — a fashion e-commerce platform which connects consumers with a curated global network of about 200 independent boutiques and 500 single-brand partners — cleared $800 million in transactions in 2016, up from $500 million in 2015. It generates revenue — an estimated $150 million last year — by taking a commission (averaging between 20 and 25 percent, according to retail partners) on those transactions. 

The Takeaway: Preppy labels have been jostled by fashion trends in recent years, but most have stayed true to the country club aesthetic that defines them. L.L. Bean Inc. embodies the New England countryside; Sperry Top-Sider Inc. owns the yacht club. Vineyard Vines LLC, the fast-rising Connecticut-based retailer, sells vibrant, simple clothes that belong on a tennis court or aboard a yacht. The style is nostalgic by design, but even classics need a reboot sometimes.

The Takeaway: Digital display advertising was disrupted by programmatic technologies because of the operational efficiencies gained from automating manual processes. But TV is a completely different animal. The TV advertising space is entrenched in traditional processes that largely depend on direct negotiations between ad buyers and sellers. By incorporating more data, TV advertisers can fine-tune their targeting beyond broad consumer groups, and potentially see higher returns on their ad spend.

The Takeaway: There’s no longer a back-to-school shopping “season.” Rather, there is a series of mini-seasons with distinct timelines that attract different types of buyers and involve varying types of products. The data knows everything. And it shows that, back-to-school shopping is marked by multiple, standalone events and a collection of smaller “seasons.” In today’s highly competitive retail environment, there is advantage in understanding and planning for the new timelines of back-to-school shopping. And there is danger, for both retailers and manufacturers, in viewing back-to-school as a single, albeit long, season.

The Takeaway: Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has invested $30 million at an estimated valuation of $200 million in UNTUCKit, a maker of shirts designed to be worn untucked. The New York-based company was founded in 2011 as an internet retailer, then began opening physical storefronts in 2015 as part of its so-called “clicks-to-bricks” strategy. With the new financing, the startup plans to open 15 stores in the US.

Snarky tweets here. 

The Takeaway: On Wednesday, the company is unveiling its own iOS shopping app — SHOP/Who What Wear — featuring a curated selection of products for sale from retailers like Bloomingdales, Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus and TopShop. Digital-native retailers like Revolve and Reformation are also participating, marking the first time they have sold goods through another company’s app, a spokesperson said.

Content / Commerce 2.0 is alive and well. 👇🏾

The Takeaway: The Cannes Lions festival announced the Lions Innovation shortlist Wednesday, recognizing branded projects around the world that use data and technology in creative ways to bring game-changing products to life. Below, we look at 12 of the 13 U.S. entries. 

The Takeaway: The obvious hope for a company like Snap is that advertisers will spend more if they can see that their Snap ads lead to real sales. And Snap isn’t the only company trying to figure this out. Other services that generate billions in ad revenue, including Facebook and Twitter, are doing the same.

The Takeaway: Apple could eventually open the HomePod up to outside developers, much as it did the iPhone and, eventually, Apple TV. But it's not clear if it will. For now there doesn't appear to a toolkit that third-party programmers can use to create apps for the gadget or any way to distribute them to consumers, and Apple hasn't said anything on the subject (we've asked). And with Apple pushing its own music service these days, it doesn't have a big incentive to open its new home speaker system to rivals.

The Takeaway: The new Prime offering takes direct aim at Wal-Mart, which counts on shoppers who receive government assistance for a large percentage of sales. Wal-Mart generated about $13 billion in sales last year from shoppers using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, accounting for around 18% of the money spent through the program nationwide. Those customers also spend additional income while in Wal-Mart stores.