Here are the brand and marketing highlights of the week ending 13th June, curated by Gbanga Bidemi.

Apple becomes the first trillion-dollar company in history

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the brand hit $1 trillion after Apple shares closed at $207.39 on Thursday, making the company the first in the world to reach $1 trillion in terms of market value.

 

Apple & Youtube both commit a $100 Million each to fight racism.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook revealed on Twitter last Thursday that the company will power the new racial equity and Justice Initiative with a $100 Million.

The unfinished work of racial justice and equality call us all to account. Things must change, and Apple's committed to being a force for that change. Today, I'm proud to announce Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, with a $100 million commitment. pic.twitter.com/AoYafq2xlp

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 11, 2020

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki also announced Youtube’s $100 million funds dedicated to amplifying and developing the voices of Black creators and artists.

 

Tizeti Network’s CEO Accused of Sexual Harassment.

Kendall Ananyi, CEO of Tizeti, has been accused of sexual harassment on Twitter by Kelechi Udoagwu, a former Entrepreneur-in-Training at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST).

I just laughed sadly cos I remember one Naija #tech mentor who was supposed to be mentoring me when I was in MEST & this dude (married) pulled out and put his dick in my hands in the bright afternoon, begging me for anything I could do *sigh.

— K. (@anti_ratrace) June 2, 2020

The tweet quickly spread on the social platform with a lot of people calling for the CEO, who released a statement denying the claims to step down. 

According to Tech Cabal, the Managing Director MEST, Ashwin Ravichandran responded to the allegations in an email stating that MEST has zero-tolerance for sexual harassment and have reached out to Kelechi – Once we learned about it, we reached out to Kelechi to make sure she knows she has our full support.

It was also reported that the issue is currently under investigation. 

 

Sony Unveils PlayStation 5.

The much anticipated PlayStation 5 has been unveiled, and trials of the game released. 

The latest Sony console comes in two variants: one is a standard edition that comes with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive while the other is a digital edition, which does not come with an optical disc drive.

Watch the video unveiling here.

 

Vogue magazine’s #VogueChallenge goes viral

The #VogueChallenge by Vogue magazine, which began as a tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement, took over social media feed this past week, with models and photographers from across the using the challenge to showcase their creative skills and bring their dreams to life with faux-vogue covers.

Vogue revealed that Oslo-based student Salma Noor inspired the challenge when she posted a black and white shot of herself by photographer, Angèlique Culvin, with the Vogue logo and a headline reading, “being Black is not a crime” as a kind of protest. 

 

P&G Debuts new ad to address racism in America

The choice, a new ad campaign by Procter & Gamble, encourages the whites in America to use their voice and power to fight racism in the country because not being racist is not enough.

The ad ends by directing viewers to a section of P&G’s website that provides resources for tackling racism. 

 

Mcdonald’s appoints a new global CMO.

Alistair Macrow has been named the new Chief Marketing Officer for Mcdonald’s after 11 months of the role being vacant.

Macrow, who has become the highest-ranking marketing official at the fast-food chain, is tasked with working directly with Flatley Morgan, who has also been named as new SPV, Chief Marketing Officer. The duo is expected to lead the brand out of the coronavirus pandemic as it was revealed that Mcdonald’s same-store sales from around the globe fell by 22% in March.

 

Quater Oat replaces its 130-year-old Aunt Jumaima Mascot to Sheila

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, the giant food brand Quater Oats announced on Friday that it is replacing its historically racist aunt Jamima mascot to that of Sheila, a black female lawyer who enjoys pancakes sometimes.