Are the Alexa ads coming? Amazon has been in talks with several companies about allowing them to advertise products on the company’s Echo devices, powered by the Alexa voice assistant, according to several people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named. Consumer companies, including Procter & Gamble and Clorox, have been involved in these talks, according to the people involved. The move by Amazon, which right now does very little advertising on the Echo, could mean big things for consumer companies worried about having an influence on the voice-powered shopping experience.
Washington L&H rebounding: The Washington Hospitality Association examined its leisure and hospitality job growth over the past ten years: Employment in the state’s L&H industry fell by 7.4% from its 2008 peak to a low in 2010. Since that time, L&H employment rose by 21.4% through 2016 versus a gain of 14.3% for all employment in Washington. In the last year through August 2017, L&H employment in the state rose by 2.3% (+7,800 jobs).