| 1. SUPER BOWL RATINGS INCREASE FOR GAME & HALFTIME SHOW: Ratings for Sunday’s Super Bowl rose this year, with an estimated 102 million people watching the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers on Fox. (Some 103 million tuned in for the halftime show with Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.) CNN: “The Super Bowl is the most-watched program on television every year. It also draws big crowds at viewing parties, bars, and restaurants. Nielsen doesn't count those watching outside of the home, so the actual audience size is likely bigger than what the numbers portray. In this year's matchup, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led an exciting charge during the final minutes of the game to win the team's first Super Bowl in 50 years. Super Bowl LIV serves as the perfect cap [to] the N.F.L.'s year, which included ratings increases for its regular season and several rounds of the playoffs.” 2. FASHION INDUSTRY CONSIDERS VALUE OF RUNWAY SHOWS: As New York Fashion Week, and fashion month around the world, gets ready to kick off, designers, event producers, and publicists are considering the future of the runway show. What’s the value of participating in the official schedule or hosting a rogue event? How can it be less circus and more marketing tool? With social media, do designers even need to host live shows? Vogue: “Using a fashion show as a marketing and communication tool isn’t some nefarious scheme. Look back to the most spectacular fashion shows of the last decade and you’ll see that those with the most lasting impact are often the ones in service of a greater message. That can be a social message, an aesthetic message, or a cultural message, but rarely is “Let’s sell some bags!” enough to carry a brand from year to year. … [T]his all might all translate into Instagram posts in the end, but for the people in the room seeing dozens of shows per day, these emotional gestures can create a deeper bond to the brands. A retailer might be more keen to buy into a label with a positive show experience. A critic could give it a better review. An influencer who had fun might be more likely to post later on.” 3. STATE OF THE UNION SHOWS PARTISAN RIFTS: The State of the Union address to Congress is steeped in Washington pageantry. But on Tuesday, President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did away with protocol and pleasantries. He refused to shake her hand, she skipped the usual stately language in her introduction. The New York Times: “But it was the flourish at the end—when Ms. Pelosi made a point of picking up her copy of the speech, ripping it in half, and throwing the pieces on the table in front of her—that grabbed the attention of the public and drew the ire of Republicans. The gesture was particularly out of character for the speaker, who prides herself on exhibiting proper decorum.” | 
