 |
|
|
|||||
3:52 a.m.: Wake up. 3:54 a.m.: Pour out a cup of Saratoga Water. 4:04 a.m.: Work out next to a bottle of Saratoga Water. 5:49 a.m.: Dunk face in ice-cold bowl of Saratoga Water. These are just a few of the steps of fitness influencer Ashton Halls extremely specific morning routine, which grabbed the internets attention over the weekend for its oddly regimented timing and near-comical flaunting of wealth. One particular video of Halls schedule has amassed 98.4 million views on TikTok and 674.5 million views on X, spawning countless reactions and copycats, as well as shout-outs from Mr. Beast and Sweetgreen. And theres one brand thats clearly the winner amidst all of this publicity: Saratoga Spring Water. Viewers were quick to notice that Halls routinewhich also includes rubbing a banana peel on his face, doing dead sprints on a treadmill, and eating breakfast seemingly prepared by an in-home cheffeatured a disproportionate amount of product placement shots for Saratoga-branded water. In his most viral TikTok alone, the eye-catchingly blue bottle appears in around 25 different shots. Apparently as a result of this discourse, Saratoga Water’s parent company, Primo Brands, saw its stock rise by as much as 16% in premarket trading this morning, according to MarketWatch, although it was essentially flat by midday. Meanwhile, according to Google Trends data, search queries for the brand have spiked more than 1,000% to an all-time high since Sunday. Saratoga’s big brand moment? Now, dozens of TikTok and X users are putting their own spin on Halls ultra-privileged routine. Several influencers have attempted to capitalize on the moment by mimicking Halls routine shot-for-shot, including by purchasing their own bottles of Saratoga. Brands including the Detroit Lions and Sweetgreen have both posted tweets referencing Hall’s video. Even Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast), the most popular creator on YouTube, took to X with his own joke about participating in the trend. Some have been more overtly critical. Makeup artist Matt Bernstein said in an Instagram story that the Hall’s video had an “extreme undercurrent of misogyny,” noting the presence of a woman who appears out of frame to present him with food and water. Others are taking a more satirical route. One X user posted a photo of their grocery cart, filled with only bananas and Saratoga water, and asked, am I forgetting anything? Another user captioned a GIF of rapper Lil Baby counting stacks of money, Saratoga water CEO for the next three weeks. One tweet with 4.3 million views simply shows a man standing in front of a fridge full of Saratoga with the caption “Locked in.” Saratoga finally responded to the trend with an Instagram post on Sunday telling users, Plunge. If you must, and crediting Hall for his video. Still, the brand has yet to truly capitalize on this moment with its own contenta move that seems like the natural next step, given its sudden visibility in the cultural zeitgeist. While Halls original viral video doesnt specifically list Saratoga as a brand partner, it seems probable that the content is sponsored, given that the brand invariably appears in almost all of Halls TikToks. We’ve reached out to Hall for comment. In a presentation for investors last month, Primo Brand executives shared that the brand has grown significantly since it was acquired in 2021, going from $13 million in sales that year to $71 million in 2024. Saratoga did not immediately respond to Fast Companys request for more information on how the recent trend has influenced sales.
Category:
E-Commerce
In the corners of social media dominated by wellness content, influencers recommend an assortment of treatments and products to support weight loss, fight exhaustion, or promote other desired health outcomes.Some of the endorsed approaches may be helpful. Many play into fads with scant evidence to back up enthusiasts’ claims, medical experts say.Some influencers encourage their followers to avoid specific food items, such as seed oils, while others advocate going all in on certain foods, such as the meat-heavy carnivore diet. There are video pitches for berberine, a chemical compound that’s been touted online as “nature’s Ozempic,” and for nonmedical IV vitamin therapy, which businesses popularly known as drip bars market as cures for hangovers or fatigue.To be sure, alternative health practices and cures that lacked the medical establishment’s backing were a part of popular culture long before the internet age. But the plethora of advice shared online has both prompted calls for safeguards and found a measure of mainstream acceptance.The new U.S. health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had his Instagram account suspended in 2021 for posting misinformation about vaccine safety and COVID-19, but many of the ideas he champions have a widespread following. Critics of Dr. Mehmet Oz accused him of sometimes making misleading assertions on the talk show he used to host; Oz now is President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.A Netflix series released last month explored the story of Belle Gibson, a popular Australian wellness influencer who amassed a following talking about curing her terminal brain cancer with a healthy lifestyle and alternative medicine. In 2015, Gibson admitted to lying about having a cancer diagnosis. Australia’s federal court later fined her for failing to donate money she said would go to charity through sales of her cookbook and app.With personal wellness remaining a hot topic, here are some tips health experts have for evaluating the material you see online: Be cautious when an influencer promotes products Most influencers have or want business relationships with companies that allow them to earn income by promoting products. The arrangements don’t necessarily mean content creators don’t believe in what they’re marketing, but they do have a vested interest in publicizing products that may or may not work.Creators can get paid for pictures or videos that hype up a product and also earn commissions on sales through features such as affiliate links. Experts note it’s therefore better to proceed with caution when someone inspires you to hit the “buy” button, whether it’s for natural supplements, teas with purported weight loss benefits or any other wellness products that show up in your social media feed.Research published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a sizable amount of Instagram and TikTok posts that discussed five popular medical tests mostly came from account holders with “some form of financial interest” in promoting the screenings.After analyzing roughly 980 posts on the two platforms, researchers said most of the posts they found were misleading and failed to “mention important harms, including overdiagnosis” resulting from healthy people having full-body MRIs or tests to detect early signs of cancer, evaluate microorganisms in the gut or measure hormone levels.Promoting dietary supplements has been a particularly lucrative exercise for many influencers, said Timothy Caulfield, a health policy and law professor at the University of Alberta. He views the supplements industry as “the backbone” of health misinformation aimed at consumers and designed to fuel billions of dollars in revenue.“It’s gotten to the point where if someone is selling a supplement, it’s a red flag,” he said. “I don’t think it was always like that, but it certainly is now.” Check for expertise In general, consumers should take all bold claims with a degree of skepticism, said Cedric Bryant, chief executive officer at the nonprofit American Council on Exercise. The goal of creators is to increase engagement with their content, and some influencers may be tempted to make unproven assertions to draw in more viewers.“If it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” Bryant said.Some health and wellness influencers have medical training, but many do not. Before taking health tips from someone on social media, it’s a good idea to make sure they have the proper expertise or at least able to share the data that led them to recommend certain products or lifestyle choices.In the fitness area, Bryant recommends checking to see if a creator holds certification from an accreditation organization and then confirming the information through the U.S. Registry of Exercise Professionals database.The American Medical Association and The American Board of Medical Specialties maintain searchable databases for medical doctors, which may help verify the qualifications of creators who share their legal names and general locations. States also operate databases that allow users to check if someone is licensed to practice medicine or has been disciplined for misconduct.If an influencer holding the appropriate credentials pushes certain products, consumers still may want to consider if a brand partnership or other factors are shaping their recommendations.Federal Trade Commission guidelines that reflected the agency’s interpretation of federal law directed influencers featuring specific products or services to prominently disclose any endorsements. Yet sponsorships and potential conflicts of interest are not always revealed.In 2023, the year the guidelines were issued, the FTC issued warnings to a dozen online influencers for failing to adequately disclose paid social media posts that promoted “sugar-containing products” and aspartame, a sweetener found in diet soda, ice cream and other foods. Some of the influencers were registered dieticians. Compare to the prevailing medical consensus If a creator cites studies to support health and diet claims, it’s best to check and see if what they’re saying aligns with the latest evidence-based medical consensus.“Just because somebody has an ‘M.D.’ after their name doesn’t make them entirely trustworthy,” said Elias Aboujaoude, a psychiatrist and Stanford University professor who studies the intersection of psychology and technology.Aboujaoude suggests double-checking health claims with traditionally reputable sources, such as major academic institutions or government health agencies. He also advised looking at studies cited by creators and assessing whether they’ve been published in reputable journals and subjected to peer review.In some cases, it might be too soon to know if promising results should be trusted or not, said Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian with the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. For example, a study might show the benefits of a specific type of herb. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the findings have been replicated in other research, a requirement for treatment methods to be considered proven effective, she said. Haleluya Hadero, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
When people are protesting at an automakers retail locations because of the CEOs political actions, when that automakers sales are plummeting around the world, when that companys vehicle lineup is sorely in need of a hot new model or redesign that isnt coming any time soon, and when that companys market valuation is based largely on the promise of technological advancements that have yet to be demonstrated, that company is in trouble. That company, of course, is Tesla, which is in the midst of a corporate self-destruction unlike any Ive seen. To help you understand what were witnessing, Im going to lay out Teslas problems, with assists from analysts, and then explain whydespite the pleasure many people derive from seeing Elon Musks company implodewe should worry about what a weakened Tesla means for the U.S. electric vehicle market. I see a company that has accomplished a lot, but is facing more challenges than ever, said Karl Brauer, a longtime auto industry analyst who now works for iSeeCars.com. Theres nothing super exciting, or even really modestly exciting, coming down the Tesla product pipeline, he said. Every time weve been promised some new, refreshed version of one of [Teslas] cars, its been a pretty weak refresh, to be honest. Hes talking about Tesla as an automaker, but it differs significantly from other car brands. Teslas justification for its market valuation is based on the idea that its cars are a step toward a future of profits in self-driving vehicles, robotics and other businesses. Auto sales help to provide a financial bridge to the future, and that bridge looks shaky. We struggle to think of anything analogous in the history of the automotive industry, in which a brand has lost so much value so quickly, said a March 12 research note from J.P. Morgan. The investment bank cut its estimates for how many vehicles Tesla will deliver in the first quarter and for 2025 as a whole, projecting that the automaker will fail to meet its sales guidance and continue to lose value. This financial reckoning follows a post-election boom for Tesla, whose CEO, Musk, is a leading supporter of Donald Trump and now oversees the newly created, agency-dismantling Department of Government Efficiency. Musk is working in government while maintaining his role as head of his companies. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Its share price peaked on Dec. 17 when it closed at $479.86. Its market capitalization, which is the sum of the value of its stock, was $1.5 trillion. As of the market close on Wednesday, the share price was $235.86, down 51% from the peak, and the market cap was $759 billion. For perspective, the market cap of General Motors is about $50 billion. [Image: Paul Horn/Inside Climate News] Plenty of other analysts share a bleak view of Tesla. For example, Wells Fargo Securities has set a price target of $130 per share for Tesla, which would be nausea-inducing for anybody who bought near the peak. [I]investors are starting to agree that there is no fun in the fundamentals, Wells Fargo said in a March 14 note. And yet, some analysts continue to see a bright future for Tesla. Wedbush Securities is sticking with its $550-per-share price target. Dan Ives, a Wedbush analyst, said in a recent note that Tesla is entering a period of major growth and innovation. One thing that just about every observer agrees on is the importance of Teslas launch of a self-driving taxi service in Austin, Texas, which Musk has said will happen in June. Also, Tesla has said it will provide more information about development of a low-cost car. Reuters reported last week that Tesla is developing a smaller and less expensive version of the Model Y crossover, which Tesla has not confirmed. The Model Y is the companys top seller, and has a base price of $61,630 before the $7,500 federal tax credit. If the taxi launch and a new-model announcement happen and provide enough detail to assure investors, then Tesla could ease the panic. But many analysts arent betting on it. We see a high probability of a delay or underwhelming launch, said Wells Fargo, about the taxis. Aside from product issues, Musk is likely to continue to do things that alienate customers. His association with the Trump administration and his role in layoffs and agency overhauls have made Tesla a toxic brand. Opponents of Musk and Trump have organized protests at Tesla showrooms. Social media is filled with photos of Teslas that have been vandalized. Some Tesla owners have put stickers on their cars with messages showing their disapproval of Musk, such as I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy. Its not just a U.S. phenomenon. Musks support for the far-right AfD party in Germany and his support for Trump have hurt Tesla with European buyers and helped inspire protests at Tesla locations there. (Im reminded of Brewsters Millions, the 1985 movie starring Richard Pryor about a man who, for reasons of plot contrivance, has 30 days to get rid of an immense amount of money. A U.S. corporate executive taking time to give a live video ddress at an AfD rally is a Brewsters Millions kind of move. A recent Google search tells me I am nowhere near the first person to make this observation.) Tesla sales also are way down in China, the worlds largest automotive market, which is likely due to a combination of backlash against Musk for his support of Trump, and competition from cheaper Chinese EV brands. While some people may be pleased to see Tesla and Musk struggle, and most of the damage was self-inflicted, Teslas swoon is probably bad for the U.S. EV market. It helps to have a sense of just how big Tesla is relative to other EV makers that sell in the United States. Last year, 48% of the EVs sold here were Teslas and no competitor cracked 10%, according to Cox Automotive. Tesla also is a key player in building and maintaining EV charging stations. If any of the companies behind charging infrastructure run into financial problems, that could be a big concern, said Samantha Houston, a senior manager for the Clean Transportation program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Having those publicly accessible networks be reliable, and expanding them, is an essential piece, she said. If Tesla or other charging companies scale back their efforts, it would be an impediment to increasing EV ownership for all brands. This is especially true now that most automakers have adopted Teslas North American Charging Standard, which means Tesla charging stations can be used by people driving other brands, Houston said. In addition to practical issues such as charging, Teslas struggles could fuel a perception problem for EVs. I dont think its good for the EV market to have Tesla seen in a negative lightimploding, said William Roberts, senior research analyst for Rho Motion, the United Kingdom-based research firm that covers batteries and EVs. He explained that Tesla is synonymous with EVs, especially for consumers in the United States. For Tesla to be viewed as an object of derision is not helpful for easing the concerns of potential buyers, especially those who are deciding between an EV and a gasoline vehicle. At the same time, sales figures show that other automakers were able to increase their EV sales to offset Teslas decline, and then some. Teslas U.S. sales were down 5.6% last year compared to 2023, while overall EV sales in the nationwhich includes Teslawere up by 7.3%, according to Cox. Through the first two months of 2025, Tesla sales were down, especially in Europe and China, but global EV sales were way up, according to Rho Motion. Global sales were up 30%, including an increase of 35% in China and 20% in Europe and the United States/Canada. (Rho Motion includes plug-in hybrids in its totals, while Cox doesnt.) I just dont see the EV sales surge as a reason to think that the market is shaking off Teslas problems. The reason is simple: We dont know what sales would have been with a strong Tesla. In sports terms, a star player is limping. Thats almost never good for the game. This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||