You may have taken a nice break for the holiday weekend, but the world of marketing and advertising sure didn’t. Catch up on the top news stories you need to know for the week ahead.

A Record-Breaking Black Friday

This year, Black Friday online sales totaled $6.22 billion, according to reports from Adobe Analytics. Though it’s traditionally the single largest shopping day in the US, Friday wasn’t the only star of the weekend. Thanksgiving Day online sales reached $3.7 billion, Small Business Saturday was on track to reach $3 billion, and Cyber Monday today is expected to bring in nearly $8 billion – all new records for each day.

The real winner on Black Friday was the smartphone. Of the $6.22 billion generated in sales, more than $2 billion came from mobile shoppers, the most in history. This staggering number highlights the growing importance of mobile for marketers as more consumers turn to their phone to make purchase decisions. Check out the full story here: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/24/black-friday-pulled-in-a-record-6point22-billion-in-online-sales-adobe.html

Dolce & Gabbana’s Global Disaster

Luxury Italian fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana is in very hot water after a series of unfortunate decisions last week. The brand released video clips online widely criticized for racism and stereotyping, as they show a Chinese model trying to learn to eat spaghetti and pizza with chopsticks. To make matters worse, co-founder Stefano Gabbana got into a name-calling fight with an Instagram user, and then proceeded to claim his account was hacked.

The scandal has quickly spread through the Internet, especially in China, where people have posted photos of “Not Me” posters plastered on D&G store windows and e-commerce sites have pulled their products. Can Dolce & Gabbana’s reputation survive this global crisis? Read on here: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/fashion/dolce-gabbana-china-disaster-backlash.html

Apple’s Supreme Court Date

The US Supreme Court will hear Apple’s appeal today on a lawsuit against the company for allegedly violating federal antitrust laws. A group of iPhone users first sued Apple in 2011 for requiring apps to be sold through the Apple App Store and then taking 30 percent commission from each purchase.

The justices’ decision will have important consequences for how we use our smartphones and the future of e-commerce. Apple supporters say the lawsuit threatens the field of e-commerce and the US economy, while the plaintiffs’ supporters (including 30 state attorneys general) claim that Apple’s monopolistic behavior needs closer monitoring. Get all the background for the case here: https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-court-apple-int/u-s-supreme-court-weighs-antitrust-dispute-over-apple-app-store-idUSKCN1NV161

The New Lion King Trailer Rules

On Thanksgiving Day, people took a break from feasting on turkey and pie to view Disney’s first trailer for its new “live action,” CGI-animated version of The Lion King. The almost two-minute trailer garnered 224.6 million views in just 24 hours, the second-most for any movie from any studio.

The highly anticipated remake, which will be released next summer, will feature a cast of famous voices, including Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Seth Rogen and James Earl Jones. Do you think the buzz around the remake will help drive excitement for Disney’s upcoming streaming service? Find out more here: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/11/disney-is-already-winning-big-with-its-new-lion-king-trailer