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02/11/2026

CO/INSIGHT // Brand Operations in Emerging Industries

In emerging industries, most companies don’t fail because the category is wrong. They fail because the structure can’t hold early growth.

McKinsey’s 2023 research shows that companies that integrate brand with commercial ex*****on significantly outperform peers in long-term value creation. The common thread is alignment.

Brand Operations is that alignment.

It connects what a startup builds, how it positions itself, and how it runs internally. In early-stage environments, those three elements often drift apart. Product evolves faster than positioning. Messaging outpaces operational capacity. Hiring accelerates before clarity is established.

That misalignment is expensive in emerging industries, where regulation, distribution, and consumer behavior are still forming.

Brand Operations reduces that friction. It creates cohesion between product, narrative, and ex*****on so early momentum compounds instead of collapses.

In new categories, clarity is leverage.

This is the discipline we focus on.

01/14/2026

01/01/2026

CO/NEWS // MTV Shuts Down Multiple Linear Channels Today

Paramount Global shut down several MTV-branded linear television channels today, continuing its pullback from traditional cable distribution as audiences move toward streaming and social platforms.

The closures affect a mix of international and music-focused MTV channels that have seen sustained declines in viewership. Paramount cited changes in consumer behavior and the economics of maintaining legacy cable networks as reasons for the decision.

MTV, launched in 1981, was once among the most disruptive innovations in media — redefining how music, youth culture, and visual storytelling converged. Today’s shutdowns mark the end of formats built for a different era of distribution, not the end of the brand’s influence.

Paramount has indicated that resources will be redirected toward digital and streaming strategies, including Paramount+ and social channels, as MTV continues to exist primarily as a content and cultural brand rather than a linear network.

The move highlights a broader reality across media: even the most innovative platforms must eventually sunset the formats that made them famous.

LegacyMedia

12/30/2025

NEWS // EU Fines on U.S. Tech Outpace Taxes Collected from EU Tech Firms

European Union regulators have imposed substantially more in fines on U.S.-based technology companies than the EU collects in corporate tax revenue from its own domestic tech sector, according to publicly available enforcement and tax data.

Since 2017, the European Commission has levied more than €20 billion in antitrust and data-protection fines, the overwhelming majority targeting U.S. firms including Google, Meta, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft.
(Source: European Commission Competition Cases; GDPR Enforcement Tracker)

By comparison, corporate tax contributions from EU-based digital and technology firms remain materially lower, reflecting both the smaller scale of Europe’s domestic tech champions and the region’s continued reliance on non-European platforms for consumer and enterprise digital infrastructure.
(Source: OECD Corporate Tax Statistics; European Court of Auditors)

This imbalance underscores a broader structural reality: while the EU has developed strong regulatory authority over global technology markets, it has produced relatively few technology companies operating at comparable scale. As a result, regulation and enforcement have become primary tools for shaping the digital economy.

For U.S. operators, investors, and founders with European exposure, the takeaway is clear. Regulatory risk in the EU is not evenly distributed and continues to fall most heavily on foreign platforms operating at scale, with fines functioning as both policy enforcement and economic pressure.

12/10/2025

Brand Operations is the system that aligns how a company makes, says and runs. These are not creative concepts. They are the core inputs that determine whether a company can scale.

MAKE
How the company defines and builds its product and offering.

SAY
How the company communicates that offering to the market.

RUN
How the company organizes, decides and executes around the work.

When MAKE, SAY and RUN operate in silos, companies lose time, money and momentum.
When they operate as one system, companies create repeatable growth.

This is Brand Operations.

12/07/2025

Frank Gehry, Architect Whose Work Redefined Contemporary Design, Dies at 96

Frank Gehry, the internationally renowned architect whose experimental forms and influential buildings reshaped contemporary architecture, has died at 96. His death was confirmed on December 5, 2025.

Born in Toronto in 1929, Gehry became one of the most celebrated architects of his time. His work is recognized globally for its innovative use of form and material, as well as its impact on the evolution of late-20th- and early-21st-century design.

Among his most notable projects are the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles — both considered landmarks in contemporary architecture and frequently cited as examples of his signature approach to sculptural, expressive design.

Throughout his career, Gehry received numerous honors, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal, two of the highest recognitions in the field.

Gehry remained active in architectural practice for decades, continuing to design, collaborate and influence emerging generations of architects. His body of work leaves a lasting imprint on the global architectural landscape and continues to shape how buildings and cities are imagined.

11/20/2025

CO/NEWS // Federal Court Orders Stronger GMO Labeling

A federal appeals court has ruled that USDA must strengthen national GMO labeling, closing the loophole that allowed highly refined GMO ingredients — including corn and soy oils — to go undisclosed in packaged foods.

The court also rejected QR-code-only labeling, requiring clear on-package disclosure for consumers. More than 90 percent of Americans support GMO transparency, making this ruling one of the most consequential shifts in food-labeling policy in years.

The decision forces USDA to reopen rulemaking and will directly impact brands across food, beverage and wellness as supply chains and disclosure standards tighten.

11/15/2025

CO/NEWS // Wins INVESTBEV Pitch Day

Shake Up Cocktails has been named the winner of this year’s 2025 Pitch Day and $100,000 Capital investment.

The team stood out for its clarity of vision and disciplined approach in a category that continues to evolve.

CO/STUDIOS was proud to sponsor this year’s cohort and support the founders building the next wave of beverage innovation.

11/12/2025

CO/NEWS // Farm Bill Moves to Redefine H**p

Congress is advancing new language in the 2025 Farm Bill that would tighten the federal definition of h**p, closing the loophole that has allowed intoxicating h**p-derived cannabinoids — including Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC — to be sold nationally since 2018.

The intoxicating h**p-derived products segment is estimated at $2.8 billion in annual sales, while the broader industrial and wellness-based h**p economy adds another $2.3 billion, putting the total U.S. h**p market near $5 billion in 2023.

If passed, the new rules would wipe out much of the intoxicating h**p category, directly affecting beverages, edibles, and vapes made with psychoactive h**p derivatives, along with the manufacturers and retailers built around the current 0.3 percent Delta-9 THC threshold.

Industrial h**p and non-intoxicating CBD products remain protected, but companies using h**p-derived cannabinoids for functional or recreational innovation will face new compliance, labeling, and distribution hurdles.

This would mark the most significant regulatory shift for h**p since the 2018 Farm Bill — reshaping one of the fastest-moving emerging industries in the U.S.

11/09/2025

Congratulations to Outkast and our friend and founder of A Myriad of Pyramids (AMoP), André 3000, on their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

A timeless recognition for a duo that changed the sound and direction of modern music, and for an artist whose curiosity and creativity continue to expand far beyond it.

11/04/2025

What was once defined by leagues, media rights and sponsorships is now being rebuilt around participation, behavior and community. Growth is coming from new ecosystems — emerging leagues, creator-led platforms and companies built around how people play, train and connect.

At CO/STUDIOS we’ve been studying this shift and what it means for the next decade of opportunity. The work captures how sports, lifestyle and creativity are converging into a new kind of infrastructure that will shape the next wave of companies and culture.

SPORTS: From Lifestyle to Behavior
CO/STUDIOS Industry Thesis 2023–2032
[link in bio]

10/31/2025

CO/MMUNITY // Rare Impact Fund Gala

We joined the Rare Impact Fund Gala for its fifth year — an evening that continues to highlight the importance of access to mental health resources for young people everywhere.

Events like this are a reminder of what purpose-driven companies and partners can accomplish when they align around impact. Mental health isn’t a side conversation anymore. It’s central to how brands build, how leaders operate and how communities grow.

Thank you to the team for an incredible evening and for continuing to lead with purpose.