text:
Social media has become an integral part of our global society, shaping the way people connect, share information, and engage with each other. As of the latest available social media statistics, the worldwide landscape of social media is vast and continually evolving, reflecting the dynamic nature of online communication.
In the blink of an eye, a tweet flies across continents, a TikTok dance ignites a global craze, and an Instagram story paints a window into a life halfway across the globe. Social media, the digital agora of the 21st century, has woven the world into a tapestry of instant connection, shared experiences, and boundless information.
According to the latest data from various sources, social media has experienced a remarkable expansion in recent years. The number of social media users worldwide has increased from 2.07 billion in 2015 to 4.95 billion in 2024, which is equivalent to 61% of the world’s population. Let’s delve into the fascinating world of social media statistics worldwide, unveiling the numbers behind our digital lives.
Social Media Statistics: Shocking Facts
Let’s break down some social media statistics and analyse their shocking facts.
Global Usage and Growth
Imagine a population larger than the United States and China combined, all united by a single digital thread. That’s the staggering reality of social media usage in 2024.
According to the latest data from various sources, social media has experienced a remarkable expansion in recent years. The number of social media users worldwide has increased from 2.07 billion in 2015 to around 4.95 billion in 2024, which is equivalent to 61% of the world’s population.
This means that almost every person on Earth uses some form of social media at least once a month. Moreover, the average user now spreads their digital footprint across six to seven platforms every month, highlighting the need for a multi-platform approach to social media marketing.
Every single day, the global social media ecosystem welcomes another 300 million users, a growth rate that shows no signs of slowing down. This means by the time you finish reading this sentence, another village’s worth of individuals will have joined the digital congregation. The implications are immense—from shaping global marketing strategies to bridging cultural divides, this tide of interconnectedness reshapes our planet in real-time.
However, this digital terrain isn’t uniformly levelled. Eastern Asia leads the charge with a staggering 85% penetration rate, painting a vibrant picture of online communities across bustling metropolises and remote villages alike.
Europe follows closely behind, with 78% of its population immersed in the social media landscape. In contrast, Africa paints a different picture, with internet access limitations keeping penetration rates at 45%. This disparity highlights the digital divide that still separates regions, showcasing the need for bridging infrastructure gaps and ensuring equitable access to the online world’s opportunities.
Top Social Media Platforms
Within the boundless realm of social media, certain platforms have risen to dominate the landscape, commanding millions of active users and shaping digital trends. These are the titans of the online world, each catering to unique audiences and forging distinct online communities.
Undoubtedly, the lion’s share of the social media jungle belongs to Facebook. With a staggering 3.05 billion active users, it remains the undisputed behemoth, connecting friends, families, and businesses across the globe. Its strength lies in its versatility, seamlessly weaving together personal updates, news feeds, and targeted advertising, making it a one-stop shop for digital connection and marketing.
However, despite its dominance, Facebook has faced challenges recently, with younger generations gravitating towards more visually-driven platforms. Nonetheless, its ability to cater to diverse demographics and adapt to evolving trends ensures its continued reign as the social media king.
YouTube is the second most used social media platform in the world, with 2.5 billion monthly active users as of October 2023. Businesses leverage YouTube’s powerful reach to engage customers, educate audiences, and build brand loyalty.
However, navigating the ever-evolving algorithm and combating misinformation remain challenges within this vast video library. Despite these hurdles, YouTube’s undeniable storytelling power and ever-expanding user base solidify its position as a crucial player in the social media landscape.
Stepping into the vibrant savannah of Instagram, we encounter a platform pulsating with visual storytelling. With over 2 billion active users, this image-sharing powerhouse allows users to curate picture-perfect snapshots of their lives, fostering a culture of aesthetics and aspirational lifestyles.
Brands have flocked to Instagram, leveraging its captivating visuals and influencer marketing potential to engage with target audiences. However, concerns surrounding unrealistic beauty standards and the curated nature of online representation highlight the need for conscious consumption and promoting body positivity within this visually-driven platform.
Demographics and Usage Patterns
The online landscape pulsates with the energy of generations. At the forefront stand our tech-savvy Gen Z, natives of the digital world. With 98% penetration in Europe, they devour content, embrace ephemeral platforms like TikTok, and champion authenticity–a stark contrast to their boomer counterparts, 28% of whom dabble on Facebook, often seeking news and connection with family.
In between, millennials carve their path, balancing curated Instagram snapshots with LinkedIn networking, reflecting their dual focus on personal branding and professional success. Understanding these age-specific nuances is crucial for creating targeted content and marketing strategies that resonate with each demographic.
However, age is just the tip of the iceberg. Social media users are not mere numbers; they are individuals driven by passions, hobbies, and unique identities. Fitness enthusiasts gather on Strava, gamers congregate on Twitch, and bookworms flock to Goodreads.
These niche communities offer businesses a chance to hyper-target audiences and build genuine connections based on shared interests. Delving into the diverse ecosystems within platforms like Reddit or X, where political activism and humour collide, reveals the vibrant tapestry of social media beyond demographics.
Understanding these diverse communities not only fosters engagement but also challenges us to move beyond stereotypes and embrace the richness of the human experience online.
Social Media Trends and Insights
The social media landscape is a dynamic dance floor, constantly shifting rhythms and evolving trends. While we’ve mastered the basic steps – posting, sharing, and engaging – the future holds exciting new moves that promise to reshape how we connect, consume, and even think online.
Move over long-winded blog posts and static images; the future belongs to bite-sized brilliance. Short-form video platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts are already taking the world by storm, capturing our attention with snackable content that’s both engaging and informative.
Businesses, take note! Adapt your marketing strategies to embrace these dynamic formats, showcasing products, sharing tutorials, and connecting with audiences in a way that’s quick, impactful, and oh-so-addictive. This isn’t just a fleeting trend; it’s a seismic shift in how we consume information and interact with brands.
Remember the days of endlessly scrolling through irrelevant content? Artificial intelligence is about to change all that. Algorithmic intelligence will tailor our feeds to our individual preferences, curating experiences that feel eerily personal. Imagine seeing ads for products you genuinely desire or stumbling upon news articles that perfectly align with your interests.
Brace yourselves for a reality where the lines between the physical and digital worlds blur. Augmented reality (AR) is poised to transform how we interact with everything around us, from shopping to education to entertainment. Imagine trying on clothes virtually, exploring historical landmarks through your phone screen, or even attending concerts without leaving your living room. Businesses, get creative!
Challenges and Concerns
Social media isn’t without its thorns. The very features that connect us also expose us to vulnerabilities, raising vital questions about online safety, ethical practices, and the impact of these platforms on our individual and collective well-being.
Fake news, clickbait headlines, and manipulated content spread like wildfire, posing a threat to informed decision-making and even fuelling real-world harm. Businesses must prioritise transparency and fact-checking, while individuals need to develop critical thinking skills and verify information before sharing. We all have a responsibility to become responsible stewards of information, ensuring the digital space fosters informed dialogue, not manipulation.
Sharing our lives online comes with a cost: our personal data. From browsing habits to location information, social media platforms amass vast troves of personal information. Data breaches and targeted advertising raise concerns about privacy and security.
Businesses must prioritise data protection and transparency, while individuals need to be mindful of what they share and learn to safeguard their online identities. Remember, in the digital age, privacy is a precious commodity, one we must fiercely protect.
The anonymity of the online world can unleash darker tendencies. Cyberbullying and hate speech cast long shadows, causing emotional distress, reputational damage, and even pushing individuals to the brink.
Social media platforms must implement stricter enforcement measures, but ultimately, combating online toxicity requires a collective effort. Reporting offensive content, promoting empathy and understanding, and engaging in respectful online discourse is essential for combating the darkness that can fester in the corners of the digital world.
In Conclusion, the dynamic landscape of social media statistics worldwide reveals the profound impact these platforms have on our interconnected global society. The global reach, platform diversity, and the evolving nature of social media contribute to its status as a transformative force in shaping how individuals, businesses, and societies interact in the digital age. As the social media landscape continues to evolve, it will be essential to monitor emerging trends and adapt strategies to navigate the ever-changing terrain of online communication.


text:
Lovely Spring days bring warmer weather but it also returns BMW prototypes to Nürburgring testing, and we’ve just spied on video the king of all current BMW prototypes – the much-anticipated [B]F80 M3 Sedan[/B]. Powered by an inline 6 or V6 displacing more than 3 litres good for roughly 450hp and featuring up to 3 turbos (with possible electric turbo), the new M3 is set to be better than its predecessor in any and every regard, as usual. BMW will again offer both a … CONTINUED
After a few months of cold weather testing in the frozen climate of Sweden, the 2014 M3 F80 sedan has returned to further honing where it most belongs and excels – on the Nurburgring track. As we approach the warmer months we should begin to see it undergo hot weather testing where it will hopefully shed some more camouflage for the sake of adequate cooling.
In this sighting, we get some good close looks at the F80 M3 kidney grilles which we’ve pointed out before as being … CONTINUED
We’ve posted plenty of spy photos and videos of the next generation M3 sedan (F80) but this is the first high speed chase video we’ve seen, and the chase car is no slouch. Watch as a tuned BMW 1M coupe (with 420hp) pushes a F80 M3 prototype to 240+km/h on the Autobahn.
The F80 M3 is due to debut in the second half of 2013, likely for market release in Europe at the end of 2013 and in the US early 2014.
We had the opportunity to sit down with the gracious Dr. Friedrich Nitschke, current BMW M GmbH President, at the 2012 Geneva Motorshow last week. We were primarily interested in discussing future M models and developments and here’s what we are able to report.
Is it safe to assume that will there will be a successor to the popular 1M coupe?
We sold more than 5000 units worldwide and we are thinking for a successor, but we haven’t made a decision yet.
We’ve seen next generation M3 … CONTINUED
We continue to spy the BMW F80 M3 sedan conducting winter testing in the frozen surroundings of Northern Sweden. This time we’ve got 3+ minutes of footage on the next generation 2014 M3.
Two days ago we brought you spy photos of the 2013 BMW F80 M3 sedan being cold weather tested in Sweden. We’ve now put together some live video footage of the F80 M3 making its rounds on BMW’s winter test track.
It’s been a while since the last F80 M3 spy photos, but we’ve now spotted the next generation F80 BMW M3 Sedan undergoing winter testing in Sweden. Compared to the previous spyshots, the F80 prototype has lost a bit of camouflage – mostly at the rear which now shows the tail lights in their full glory. The car’s appearance is low, wide, and impressive with massive fender flares. The M3′s kidney grilles are also very obviously styled in a sleeker/sportier shape than the F30 3 series … CONTINUED
We spent some time at the 2012 Detroit NAIAS with Matt Russell, M Brand Manager for BMW North America. Matt is a BMW enthusiast like us and is a BIMMERPOST member himself. We asked Matt some current hot M related topics and he was able to share the following.
BMW 1M COUPE
What were the final production numbers for the US 1M?
740 units. The very first one imported was the Valencia Orange 1M Pace Car which debuted at the Rolex 24 hour race at Daytona.
Matt further expanded … CONTINUED
The 2013 F80 M3 sedan continues public testing, and we’ve just spotted it in Munich. Wearing the same level of camouflage as seen in our previously posted photos and videos, the F80 M3 continues to show off its brawny shape and proportions.
Expected in 2013, the F80 M3 has been conducting road testing since the summer of 2011. Based on the same platform/chassis as the 2012 3 Series sedan (F30), the F80 M3 will powered by a turbocharged 6 cylinder engine (inline or V … CONTINUED
Posted to our facebook page by artist Jacek Kolodziejczyk are these beautiful renders of a BMW F82 M3/M4 coupe. Although the F82 M3/M4 coupe won’t receive the same front fascia as the F80 M3 sedan (as depicted in these renders), this is nonetheless a fun and imaginative look at what the next M3 coupe could somewhat resemble, at least in size and proportioning.
Some weeeks ago we brought bring you the very first video of the 2013 BMW M3 sedan internally dubbed F80. We’ve now posted the first footage of F80 M3 prototypes on and around the Nurburgring and conducting high speed performance runs!
As you’d expect from an M3, the F80 prototype looks very planted and stable while being pushed around the Nurburgring. The video provides the best listen yet at the F80′s engine/exhaust noise. And although we can tell with certainty that it’s powered by a 6 cylinder … CONTINUED
Turbochargers are a popular technology in the automotive world as of late. It allows rather low displacement engines to have relatively high power outputs, while also managing to return fairly good fuel consumption figures (on paper).
Despite the technology being decades old, some of its drawbacks could still be improved upon. One of these issues is the well-known problem of turbo size. A smaller turbine spools up quicky but runs out of steam at higher revs while a bigger turbine offers enough power at high revs but … CONTINUED

domain: news


text:
Singapore (Singapore) – September 18, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Sabre Corporation the leading technology provider to the global travel industry, today announced a collaboration with Singapore Airlines for the expansion of their NDC programme, KrisConnect. Effective November 2019, this venture will provide select Sabre connected agents in Singapore with the ability to access and book unique NDC content from Singapore Airlines. As the programme continues to roll-out across the region, all Sabre connected agents will have the ability to leverage KrisConnect.
As a member of Sabre’s innovative Beyond NDC program since 2018, Singapore Airlines’ commitment to NDC is well-established. The new KrisConnect programme, which will expand digital distribution capabilities and enrich the customer experience, further establishes collaboration between two industry leaders, which will be essential to the success of the programme.
Under the KrisConnect programme, Sabre will provide travel agents with scalable, NDC-enabled offerings from Singapore Airlines, and enable end-to-end workflows with rich, integrated content. With this launch, Sabre agencies will have access to a broader array of fares and a more tailored shopping experience via the Sabre agency point-of-sale, in addition to having access to new, KrisConnect-exclusive content categories, ancillary bundles, and third-party content.
“Sabre is pleased to support Singapore Airlines’ in their fast-tracked NDC journey. With our scalable platform, we can transform the way air products are retailed, fuel product differentiation and optimize time-to-market to generate incremental revenue for the carrier,” said Rakesh Narayanan, vice president, South Asia and Pacific, Sabre Travel Solutions Airline Sales. “Together, with our long-term customer Singapore Airlines, Sabre is committed to making NDC become an everyday reality for travellers, carriers, agencies, corporations and more,” he added
About Sabre Corporation
Sabre Corporation is the leading technology provider to the global travel industry. Sabre’s software, data, mobile and distribution solutions are used by hundreds of airlines and thousands of hotel properties to manage critical operations, including passenger and guest reservations, revenue management, flight, network and crew management. Sabre also operates a leading global travel marketplace, which processes more than US$120 billion of global travel spend annually by connecting travel buyers and suppliers. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world.


text:
It's almost 'time' for Qualcomm's big Apple Watch-contending Snapdragon Wear upgrade12
Google had high hopes for Android Wear back in 2014, when numerous analysts viewed wearables in general as the industry’s next big thing, but several years in, this is still a product category in search of a purpose.
Qualcomm reportedly aims to change that by unveiling a long overdue sequel for the Snapdragon Wear 2100. We can't be 100 percent certain of this, but the next-gen chipset confirmed for a fall launch a few months ago could well see daylight on September 10.
That’s by far the safest bet we can make based on save the date cards sent out to various journalists and bloggers earlier today by the semiconductor giant. These feature suggestive taglines like “it’s time” and “set your watches”, as well as a rough depiction of a generic circular timepiece with the Qualcomm logo and a San Francisco weather widget.
It feels reasonable to assume this (not so) mysterious September 10 event will take place in the Californian city, although its timing doesn’t look very wise, as Apple is expected to announce three new iPhones and the Apple Watch Series 4 just two days later.
The Snapdragon Wear 2100 was certainly a solid upgrade over the repackaged Snapdragon 400 powering the first wave of Android Wear devices, but after two and a half years, it’s definitely “time” for a new chip. One that Qualcomm described back in May as “designed from the ground up for a no-compromises smartwatch experience”, which sounds like the ideal candidate for a Google Pixel Watch expected out in October.
previous coverage: Wareable


text:
Persona 4 Arena will finally be released in Europe on May 10th for Xbox 360 and PS3, nine months after it was first released in America. The game’s European publisher, Zen United, also revealed the game’s pre-order bonuses, which includes the Original Arrange Soundtrack (featuring exclusive artwork), as well as a “digital fan pack” made up of wallpapers and avatars. The publisher also promised more news in the future.
Persona 4 Arena was originally released in Japan in June last year, and was released in America last August. Both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 versions of the game were region locked — Xbox 360 region-locking isn’t unprecedented, however this was the first time that a publisher had opted to region lock a PS3 title. This meant that anyone outside this region had no way to play Persona 4 Arena, short of importing an American or Japanese console. Zen United had previously stated that the delay was due to the European build being developed; on it’s official Persona Europe website, it said, “Unfortunately, as we are not directly involved with the development of the game, we do not have any further information about its progress or when the EU build will be complete.” It received these builds in January this year.
Australian release dates have yet to be specified.


text:
FX & CFD trading involves significant risk
Statistics Canada released consumer inflation data on Friday. Annual inflation rose 2.4% in June, after an increase of 2.3% in May. June's inflation reached the highest level since February 2012.
The Bank of Canada's inflation target is 2%. The Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz said this week that the current increase in inflation is temporary.
Inflation was driven by food, shelter and transportation costs. Food prices rose 2.9% on an annual basis. Shelter costs jumped 2.9% on an annual basis. Electricity prices increased by 4.2%. Gasoline prices gained by 5.4%.
On a monthly basis, consumer inflation increased 0.1% in June, missing expectations for a 0.4% rise, after a 0.5% gain in May.
Canadian core consumer inflation (excluding eight volatile products) gained 1.8% in June, after a 1.7% rise in May.
On a monthly basis, Canadian core consumer inflation fell 0.1% in June, missing expectations for a 0.4% increase, after a 0.5% rise in May.
|remaining time till the new event being published|
All posted material is a marketing communication solely for informational purposes and reliance on this may lead to loss. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Please read our full disclaimer.


text:
Best of the Best2020
Antwerp under threat, diamond dental implants, and other stories on the industry’s radar this week:
– EU again considering diamond sanctions. Antwerp braces for fallout.
– Zimbabwe to use diamonds to secure loan. Angolan president’s daughter richest woman in Africa, due to diamonds. Ireland whiskey magnate now looking for diamonds.
– New micro diamonds can disappear instantly. Diamond dental implants may be the future.
– Indian diamantaires excited about change in government. India allowing some gold importation, which cheers up diamond business.
– Media Watch: BBC on two-month salary guideline. The Daily Beast on diamonds and the Central African Republic. Reuters says Antwerp is under threat.
Subscribe Now and receive the latest news directly to your inbox


text:
U.K.-based market research company IHS Markit has revised down its guidance for newly installed global PV capacity for 2018, as a result of the recent measures introduced abruptly by the Chinese government to contain solar energy development this year.
The company said it now expects approximately 105 GW in newly installed PV capacity for this year, 8 GW less than its previous forecast of 113 GW. This result, however, would be still 11% higher than in 2017, it also stressed.
As for the Chinese market, IHS Markit has cut its growth forecasts by 15 GW to 38 GW. Most of this year’s projects, according to the company, will be grid-connected in the first half of the year, due to the new 30 June deadline set by the Chinese government, while in the second half newly installed solar power will be less than half the number installed in the first half of the year.
Dropping modules prices due to overcapacity in the Chinese industry will lead to make solar PV more competitive in power markets worldwide, research director for solar and energy storage at IHS Markt, Edurne Zoco said. As a consequence, markets with pent-up demand such as, among others, India and Australia will particularly benefit from increasing competition among Chinese PV panel suppliers.
Lower modules prices, which according to BNEF may even drop by more 30% after the new provisions of the Chinese government, could also spur additional growth in Europe, where the effect of cheaper modules may be combined with the cancellation of minimum import prices by the EU, and the US, where lower prices may off-set the 201 case import duties, while creating the conditions for more solar module imports.
“The fact that solar is becoming increasingly competitive in power markets worldwide perhaps offers some light at the end of what is currently a rather dark tunnel for the PV industry,” IHS Markit said in its statement. The company, however, has made it clear that we will have to see, again, another wave of oversupply, low profitability and consolidation in the industry.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
North Carolina store owner accused of lotto ticket larcenyBy robertslaw, In White Collar Crimes, 0 Comments
The owner of a Pop Mart convenience store just 40 miles south of Raleigh has been accused of theft of a winning lottery ticket in order to cash it himself. He was charged last week with obtaining property by false pretense and felony larceny. The real owner of the ticket in question stands to claim nearly $90,000.
The police investigation suggests the winning Carolina Cash 5 lotto ticket was purchased a few hours away from the Dunn, North Carolina Pop Mart at a different location out on the coast this past summer. The report claims a woman had bought this ticket in Carolina Beach back in August and had attempted to cash it at the Dunn Pop Mart shortly thereafter.
His word against hers?
Upon attempting to claim her prize, the woman claims she was told by the store owner that she was mistaken and that her numbers did not match the winning numbers for that week. Police are accusing the store owner of theft, alleging he kept the ticket for himself. They claim he walked into the North Carolina Education Lottery office in Raleigh on February 8th with the ticket in question, attempting to claim nearly $90,000 in prize money.
The store owner informed lottery officials he had purchased the ticket, though they became suspicious of the man for reasons unknown. He left the lottery office after he realized he was not going to be able to cash in his winnings that day.
The woman claiming the ticket as her own says that the numbers played are the same numbers she plays weekly at a different gas station in Dunn. North Carolina Lottery officials have validated the fact that these numbers are indeed played weekly at that gas station. However, the woman’s claim that she is actually the person playing those numbers has yet to be substantiated and will ultimately be decided in court.
The convenience store owner was released last week on $50,000 bond. Lottery ticket sales have been suspended at his location pending results of criminal proceedings.
Source: WRAL.com “Police: Dunn store owner pocketed winning lottery ticket” 3/17/11


text:
On Monday, the Guild Wars 2 team announced that the release date of the expansion End of Dragons would be revealed on February 1.
There are rumors swirling around about what we might get at this year's BlizzCon -- everything from Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 to a potential WoW expansion announcement.
The third round of BlizzCon tickets have been sold out -- but November is just a few short months away.
Okay I'm going to flat-out say it: I did not think that Blizzard was ever going to announce classic servers.
The day has finally arrived -- in just a few short hours we'll be absorbing everything we can from BlizzCon 2017.


text:
The most recent update for Battlegrounds Mobile in India, as well as the release date, is as follows: Last week, Krafton released the Battlegrounds Mobile India beta, and CAIT is now pushing the government to prohibit the PUBG Mobile India version due to security concerns. Continue reading to learn more.
Battlegrounds Mobile is set to premiere in India in the coming days. The release date has yet to be announced. Battlegrounds Mobile India’s beta version is now available for download, and millions of players have already done so and are enjoying the game. However, it appears that Battlegrounds Mobile India is not progressing as planned.
According to a recent report, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has filed a letter to Union IT and Communication Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, requesting that Battlegrounds Mobile India be banned. CAIT has called for a ban on the PUBG Mobile India edition, claiming that the game is “not just a threat to India’s national sovereignty and security, but also destructive to future generations.”
CAIT has also requested that Battlegrounds Mobile India creators not be allowed to access the Google Play store for the game. Since June 17, the Battlegrounds Mobile India beta version has been available for download on the Google Play store.
“After #PUBG was banned last year [and] now they are making backdoor access by evading Indian laws,” wrote CAIT Secretary-General Praveen Khandelwal on Twitter in response to the Battlegrounds Mobile India ban.
According to a prior report, the Indian government cannot prohibit the release of an unreleased game. Only after the game’s release may a ban be issued. The release date for the PUBG Mobile India version has yet to be announced by Krafton. Because the developer wants consumers to test it and report back, we expect the rollout to take a few more weeks.
The Battlegrounds Mobile India game will be available first for Android users and then for iOS users. However, Krafton has yet to share any information on the iOS version.


text:
If you're embroiled in one of those battles in which you feel a constant need to one-up your neighbor (brother-in-law, co-worker, whatever) with your consumer electronics, getting your hands on this will put you ahead in a big way.
The world's biggest producer of plasma TVs is planning to sell the world's largest plasma TV by early 2007, reports Reuters and other sources.
Matsushita Electric Industrial announced Monday that it hopes to sell a 103-inch plasma TV, beating out Samsung's announced 102-inch plasma screen by exactly an inch. Described as "bigger than a double-sized mattress and almost as heavy as an upright piano," the flat-panel television measures about 7.8 by 4.5 feet and weighs a mammoth 474 pounds.
Though the company hasn't settled on a price point yet, its largest plasma television currently available (a mere 65 inches) goes for $7,500 in Japan, just to give you an idea.
While your neighbor might be insanely jealous if you snagged one of these next year, it's doubtful he'd trade utility bills with you.


text:
Footwear brand Crocs is introducing a retail takeback pilot programme in the US to address environmental concerns.
This initiative encourages Crocs consumers to recycle their old shoes by bringing them to select Crocs retail stores.
In doing so, consumers can contribute to the brand’s circularity ambitions.
Participation across ten US states
The pilot programme started on 27 October for customers in ten states in the US: Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Each participating store will feature designated collection boxes, streamlining the process for fans eager to join the movement.
Participants can receive a complimentary ‘Crocs Saver’ Jibbitz charm while supplies last.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below formBy GlobalData
Crocs and fans collaborate for a sustainable future
Crocs vice president and global head of sustainability Deanna Bratter expressed excitement about this stride toward a circular economy, stating: “This pilot programme aims to address both environmental and social challenges faced by the fashion industry when it comes to product waste. Together with our fans, we can unlock innovation and partnerships to effectively reduce waste, reuse our materials, keep shoes out of landfills and help people in need.”
Collected shoes will be donated to Soles4Souls, a non-profit organisation dedicated to creating local economic benefits through entrepreneurship and job opportunities.
Well-loved pairs that are no longer wearable will undergo creative repurposing, potentially finding new life as upcycled materials for manufacturing new Crocs shoes.
This initiative marks the latest chapter in Crocs’ commitment to a circular economy, building upon previous efforts in material innovation, biobased Croslite integration, industry collaborations and community partnerships.
The success of the pilot programme will pave the way for future phases, with plans to expand the programme to all US Crocs retail and online stores.
Deanna added: “Our responsibility extends beyond the sale of our product. We want to keep Crocs products in use for as long as possible.”


text:
Several analysts and traders on CryptoTwitter are of the concept that Dogecoin’s label pattern in 2021 is akin to that of Bitcoin. Nonetheless, others restful stare it as a bubble that is about to burst.
Whereas the major altcoins march to the tunes of Bitcoin and Ethereum, the meme-coin, DOGE was as soon as now now not a ways gradual. The digital asset which managed to register a market capitalization of $34.10 billion ranked as the seventh-ultimate cryptocurrency on CoinMarketCap.
On the time of press, DOGE marked a 450% amplify since the originate of the twelve months, and was as soon as buying and selling at $0.2733.
After Dogecoin bought Elon Musk’s approval and lend a hand on masses of situations, it was a widely popular payment instrument – from the Dallas Mavericks to The United States’s oldest wine vendor. Moreover, the predict for DOGE expanded out of doors the US as successfully. Latvia’s ultimate air carrier, AirBaltic, enabled its prospects to form bookings with it.
Nonetheless, some cryptocurrency proponents voiced concerns that the meme coin’s parabolic amplify might possibly possibly be indicative of a clear bubble.
CoinShares’ CSO, Meltem Demirors now now not too long within the past spoke to CNBC with regard to DOGE. She opined that the Shiba Inu-impressed meme coin is a conventional instance of a bubble:
“It’s a classic kind of bubble, in my stare. My firm does now now not invent evaluation on Dogecoin for a motive. We don’t personal a dogecoin within the market. We don’t alternate dogecoin.”
Mike Novogratz, founder, and CEO of Galaxy Digital shared equal thoughts about it. He seemed in a CNBC interview to assert his concept on BTC and DOGE.
“Despite the indisputable fact that both cryptocurrencies personal skyrocketed in label, they’re very quite so much of in form. The major cryptocurrency is a successfully-disbursed store of cost whereas Dogecoin’s challenge is extraordinary.”
One other believer in Bitcoin – Jim Cramer – when in contrast DOGE to playing a game. Infected Money’s TV host extra mentioned that buying the digital asset was as soon as tantamount to gambling:
“I mediate dogecoin is a sport, attempting to search out the digital asset is in overall gambling, now now not investing. A fun game is gambling, and I don’t specialise in that gambling might possibly possibly honest restful be encouraged.”
In incompatibility, Sign Cuban has been a DOGE promoter since the very originate. He now now not too long within the past seemed on a Tuesday’s edition of “The Ellen DeGeneres Demonstrate” to focus on Dogecoin. (He even tweeted about it.)
He mentioned that Dogecoin was as soon as a staunch investment since other folks passe this coin actively and an increasing number of tall Western corporations had been accepting DOGE as payment now.
Because Doge is the one coin that of us if truth be told exercise for transactions. We steal many others via @BitPay . But other folks use their Doge and that procedure extra corporations will originate taking it. The final be conscious inhibitor to it’s increase is that you are going to personal the ability to’t use the Doge you steal on Robinhood https://t.co/TrhT9pYkcb
— Sign Cuban (@mcuban) April 26, 2021
Subscribe to our Newsletter


text:
New Boeing 777s gets approval Just last week, Boeing’s new line of planes received..
Tag Archives: faa
Expect to see more drones in the skies. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is..
Amazon announced its ambitious plans for drone-to-home delivery back in December 2013, imagining a..


text:
Followup: Move to ban GM, Chrysler lobbying efforts snuffed out
Issa (shown above) is on the record as being against the government bailout and ownership of GM and Chrysler, and he reportedly put the measure up for vote because he felt that it didn't make sense for the automakers to use government money to ask for more government money. The amendment would have blocked the use of lobbyists by any federally controlled entity unless the government cedes any direct or indirect influence over said companies. GM has spent $4.3 million and Chrysler $2.3 million lobbying congress since the two companies exited bankruptcy one year ago.
[Source: Detroit Free Press | Image: Alex Wong/Getty]
- Most and least efficient car companies
- Fastest-depreciating cars in the United States
- Find and compare 2017 Models


text:
Using the latest Tweetbot release in bed will be a much more enjoyable experience after today, thanks to the latest update that introduces a brand new night theme. The version 3.2 release also makes it faster to switch between multiple accounts, and allows you to reorder them for your convenience.
All items tagged with "Tweetbot"
Tweetbot 3.1 for iOS just hit the App Store, and it comes packing a whole bunch of new features — some of which a being brought back from its predecessor. You can now view lists as timelines again, set square avatars instead of circular ones, and resize text within the app — plus lots more.
Tweetbot, the immensely popular Twitter client from Tapbots, finally got its long-awaited iOS 7 update yesterday, introducing a beautiful new design for iPhone. Unsurprisingly, it’s been a massive success so far, and less than 24 hours on, it’s already the top paid app in 35 countries.
Tapbots has released its highly-anticipated iOS 7 redesign of Tweetbot, a popular third-party Twitter client. Version 3.0 is a radical departure from the iOS 6 app, and it’s available now in the App Store for iPhone.
You may have heard that there’s a big update in the works for Tweetbot, one of the most popular third-party Twitter apps out there. Version 3.0 for iOS 7 has been kept under wraps for the past several months, and today the app is one step closer to your iOS device.
Tapbots, the small app company that makes Tweetbot, announced today that it has submitted Tweetbot for iOS 7 to the App Store.
Instagram’s new video feature has taken off like wild fire as more than 5 million clips were uploaded in the first 24 hours alone. Many of those new 15-second Instagram videos are all over Twitter, but depending on the Twitter client you’re using, you might not be able to view them.
Tapbots announced today that it has added Instagram video support to its popular Twitter app, Tweetbot. The update is available on both the iPad and iPhone apps which run $2.99 a piece in the App Store.
- Source iTunes
Today Tapbots released a big update for Tweetbot on the Mac. The main addition is the enhanced media view that is already present in the iOS version. When viewing a timeline, tapping ⌘F now allows you to switch between a text and media-only experience. The media view displays a stream of images and videos from tweets in the timeline.
Tweetbot for Mac also supports cover photos for individual profiles, another feature that has been present on mobile for a long time. Viewing the details on a specific tweet will now show how many times it has been favorited and retweeted.
Tweetbot — just our favorite Twitter client for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad — has just gotten a sweet update with one killer new feature: a swank new media timeline that allows you to quickly browse through just the images and videos popping up in your Twitter stream.
QuickPhoto is a new tweak for jailbroken iPhones that brings the camera roll to your keyboard for super speedy image uploading. Once installed, you have one-touch access to all the photos you’ve taken on your device — just hit the same globe key you would use to access an international keyboard.
Too cheap to actually buy Tweetbot, Tapbot’s awesome Twitter app for iPhone, iPad and Mac? Are you pirating it despite the fact that it only costs a couple bucks, and Tweetbot has a limited number of tokens that it can distribute before Twitter says they can’t sell their client anymore?
Well, Tweetbot’s not going to force you to do anything, but they have started autofilling the Tweet box in its iOS app to publically broadcast that they are no-good, dirty pirates.


text:
NEW DELHI: The government on Monday said it will develop a prototype of one kilogram in next three years that will be in sync with the new definition of kilogram, which is coming into effect from next May across the globe.
The new scientific standard of kg will help in accurate measurement, which will immensely benefit sectors such as pharma and precious metals, a consumer affairs ministry official said.
Last week, the world’s standard definitions of kilogram, the ampere, the kelvin and the mole were changed, after representatives from 60 countries voted to redefine the International System of Units (SI) for weight, current, temperature and amount of chemical substance.
Consumer affairs secretary A K Srivastava said the prototype of one kg will be developed in India with an expenditure of about Rs 60 crore.
A budget proposal for the same is being formulated stage and it would take 3-4 years to develop.
Asked whether the 1 kg weight will change with the new definition, Aswal said that there could be a difference of 10-100 micro gram either side, which is negligible for the normal trade but is crucial in sectors like pharma, biotechnology and scientific research.


text:
As more and more fashion-conscious consumers are taking to the slopes each year, the skiwear sector is undergoing a massive surge in growth. It is now big business: a 2019 report by retail analytics firm Edited shows skiwear sales contributed a substantial USD$11.3 billion to the US economy last year, while the market is currently worth GBP£3 billion in the UK.
Increasing consumer demand calls for high-performance options that don’t compromise on style. Thus brands and retailers who aren’t well versed in the world of skiing have been dipping their toes into the category in recent years; heritage outdoor specialists have realigned their style offering for the modern sophisticated consumer. ORDRE takes a look at field leaders and what’s selling in the sector.
Despite affordable fashion brands expanding into ski apparel, the category is largely dominated by luxury: Edited suggests luxury skiwear lifted a staggering 260 percent in the US from October 2018, and some of the biggest names are taking charge.
Following in the footsteps of Fendi, which debuted its ski line in 2016, Chanel launched Coco Neige in July 2018, its first dedicated winter sportswear line. For AW’18, French furrier Yves Salomon tapped into the après-ski market with a line of casual snow boots in collaboration with Moon Boot, while Louis Vuitton has enlarged its ski accessory offerings in recent years including functional fibreglass skis and ski goggles.
Retailers Make Their Mark
With luxury brands increasingly leveraging the skiwear trend, its counterpart retailers are inevitably following suit: in 2014 Net-a-Porter launched its activewear sister site Net-a-Sporter, including an in-house après-ski collection, while its main e-commerce boutique features skiwear from brands like Fendi, Pucci and Perfect Moment. MatchesFashion’s ski edit includes technical skiwear, après-ski and accessories, while Harrods online site features skiwear for women, men and kids.
Online retailers and department stores are not the only ones wading into the snow: Specialist boutiques dedicated to holiday wear are becoming progressively popular across the globe such as Koibird in London, which changes its label edit according to season, and Gorsuch, Aspen’s leading destination for luxury ski apparel.
Technical Brands Up Their Offering
Premium outdoor specialist brands like Moncler and Canada Goose are also commanding this space, with the advantage of having technical expertise and more accessible price points than their luxury competitors. Over the past decade, Patagonia reported quadrupling sales, while North Face’s US revenue grew 15 percent for the first quarter of 2018.
These brands have witnessed commercial success by striking a balance between utility, style and authenticity, often including clever functional features like water-repellency, windproofing, and pit zips to release heat.
So which styles are selling? Edited suggests that ‘80s nostalgia is making a comeback, with significant interest in retro and vintage designs as well as bold colours. Additionally, a preference for women’s onesies is on the rise, with sales doubling year on year in the UK.
Lifestyle performance brand Perfect Moment is winning over A-list stars like Nicky Hilton and Michelle Williams with its block coloured one-piece suits adorned with graphic star and arrow motifs. Idaho-based Cordova is another brand offering a fresh spin on classic ski staples with vibrant puffer jackets and tailored ski bodysuits in bubble gum pink, lemon and fire engine red.
Back to Basics
Yet black remains a key colour for the sector, with many consumers opting for the shade for its polished and timeless look: according to Edited, last year it made up 34 percent of new women’s skiwear arrivals in the UK and 32 percent in the US.
French ski authority Fusalp is one such label finding success with its elegant and unfussy fitted silhouettes in a range of classic dark colours, while heritage Austrian brand Toni Sailer is leading the trend with its clean sophisticated pieces, often including accents of contrasting colour on sleeves and hems.


text:
Structured notes to surpass CDs this year, finds survey
Structured notes are likely to surpass certificates of deposit (CDs) this year, according to a December 2012 survey by US structured products distributor Incapital.
Specifically, non-principal-protected notes have the greatest growth potential among investors of all structured products, according to the majority of respondents.
Incapital says it has noticed a shift in investors’ appetite that is likely to continue into 2013, as more and more financial professionals gravitate towards non-protected or partially protected notes, according to the distributor.
While to some this may signal an increase in investor risk appetite – a move away from CDs, which are government insured, and into notes that put investors’ capital at risk – many industry participants say the shift is due primarily to the low interest-rate environment, which makes it nearly impossible to structure products that are capital protected.
“The appetite for risk this year versus last year is about the same,” says Mike Clark, New York-based managing director and head of retail distribution at Credit Suisse. “However, the terms on CDs have become so uneconomical that they are not as much of a viable alternative.”
If we were in a higher-rate environment, we would not be discussing the switch out of CDs to non-government guaranteed products, says Clark.
As a result, investors are looking for higher returns and those higher returns are not easily available within the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insured market (market-linked CDs), says Serge Troyanovsky, head of North America retail distribution at BNP Paribas in New York. Therefore, investors are cautiously beginning to look at the structured notes (both principal-protected and non-principal-protected) to get a pick-up in yield, he says.
The survey, for which nearly 100 financial professionals were interviewed, also revealed that 60% of respondents view education as the main component in making structured products more popular. In addition, the survey found that the greatest attribute of structured products is enhanced yield, with 42% of respondents finding them most valuable for that purpose.
This article was first published on Risk


text:
Funcom has dropped the subscription requirement for MMO The Secret World.
Having struggled to gain much traction using the subscription model, the developer has now adopted the more traditional pay-up-front model, with the title available to download online or to buy from retail.
The studio has gone against an increasing trend in the industry for subscription MMOs to adopt free-to-play to help generate increased interest, and has instead opted for a more traditional pay-up-front model.
Although the developer has said it will continue to release free updates – called Issues – it will now also offer optional paid content packs. It is not clear however what extra benefits paid DLC will offer uses over other players.
Despite the removal of the subscription system, a new membership option will be available to users to provide extra bonuses such as in-game currency and discounts as well as double experience points at specific times during the day.
“With this recent change there is no reason not to join and take part in ‘The Secret World’,” said Funcom game director Joel Bylos.
“Most players end up having a ton of fun once they delve into the myths and legends of ‘The Secret World’, and we believe the game has the potential to be even more successful without the subscription entry barrier. It is an ambitious and very exciting move for us.”
Following the release of The Secret World in July Funcom was forced to lay off around 50 per cent of its staff as the game struggled to gain traction among consumers and by September had garnered just 200,000 in sales.
The developer has since said it will be focusing on smaller titles with lower costs in future.


text:
Sometimes the things we need, like a set of keys, can mysteriously disappear throughout the day. No thanks to couch cushions.
Motorola has just launched new Moto X ads that takes a dig at other smartphones by calling them “Lazy Phone.”
The ads are quite brilliant, and highlight some of the features of Moto X such as Touchless control, Active Display and Quick Capture.
Google’s Motorola launched the much-awaited smartphone, Moto X, to take on competition from Apple’s iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4 yesterday. We initially thought it won’t be a high-end device, however the pricing and the features suggest that Motorola wants to take on Apple and Samsung head on.
Motorola unveils Moto X; comes with a plethora of customization options, Touchless Controls, 24-hour Battery
One of the reasons, Google bought Motorola for $12.4 billion was for its patent portfolio. However, it looks like things haven’t worked out for Google as they had planned, as the U.S. International Trade Commission upheld a judge’s finding, which invalidated Motorola’s sensor patent.
In yesterday’s earnings call, Larry Page dropped hints (or what people are taking as hints) that Google could be working on a new phone—a phone unlike the Nexus which would be completely controlled by Google. Features? Unbreakable screens, long battery life, and wireless charging are all rumored to be part of a mythic Google X phone
As part of the ongoing patent case between Apple and Motorola Mobility (i.e. Google) in Miami, Moto/Google have been asking Apple for access to iOS 6 source code to check for patent infringements. All perfectly normal and acceptable thing to ask for. Except Apple hasn’t provided the source code, despite promises to do so for months.


text:
Asia’s Enterprises Continue to Realize the Power of Oracle Autonomous DatabaseMarch 27, 2019
Asia has seen so much growth in terms of technology and business, and at one of its most prosperous country, Singapore, Oracle held the Oracle OpenWorld Singapore last March 26, 2019. Oracle discussed the increasing number of businesses in Asia that are turning to Oracle Autonomous Database to lessen and eliminate complexity, human error, and manual management.
“Oracle Autonomous Database is one of the most successful new product introductions in Oracle’s 40-year history. Today we are seeing users across the globe realize the benefit of autonomous. Already, we have nearly 1,000 paying Autonomous Database customers and around 4,000 new Autonomous Database trials were added in the last quarter alone. This momentum confirms that the Autonomous Database has arrived at a perfect time for our customers, when data is growing at an almost immeasurable rate and we need a new way of managing, securing and getting value from data. There are some great examples of companies using it here in Asia to reduce costs and risk, automate core tasks so they can focus on innovation, and to empower all areas of the business from finance, to Marketing and HR to get maximum value and insight from their data.” – Steve Daheb, Senior Vice President, Oracle Cloud
Sharing their stories at Oracle OpenWorld Singapore are:
“Using Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse has been a complete game-changer for us. Operating over 120,000 vending machines nationwide to give our customers the ability to do things like top-up their mobile phones and e-wallets and transfer money to friends and family, our business generates a lot of transactional data – around 2 million transactions per day. Now, with Autonomous Database, we are able to generate real-time insight into our network of vending machines, whereas previously this would have taken us 2-3 days. This has had a significant impact across our financial reporting, ability to undertake complex segmentation and predictive analytics, allowing us to focus more of our efforts on innovation.” – Pawarit Ruengsuksilp, Business Development Analyst, Forth Smart
“Operating over 70 brands in Hong Kong and Macau regions, Mainland China and South East Asia across more than 1,300 outlets in an industry as fast-paced as the food industry, we need to stay on-top of our game. Data is key to helping us do this, but with more than 600,000 transactions records per day in Hong Kong alone it is hard for us. Using a mix of Autonomous Data Warehouse and Oracle Analytics Cloud, mixed with detail from our ERP systems, we can now get extremely timely and valuable information regarding consumer habits and behaviour, and rapidly adapt to changes in how our different restaurants are performing. This is essential, especially as we look to expand into Mainland China and further into South East Asia.” – Louis Mah, Director, Information Technology, Hong Kong Maxim’s Group
“Today delighting customers and delivering a personalized experience is everything. So we want the holy grail of getting data centralized around the patient. This will help ensure we have the right products on shelves and that when health practitioners talk to patients they have the latest and complete information, can join the dots and make informed decisions. But that’s hard. Traditionally, backend systems across the healthcare industry are legacy and have limited data sharing, often designed purely to transact the event at that time. Additionally, we are talking significant data volumes– we fulfill four million medical prescriptions alone each year, and that’s without other information regarding products, or even external factors such as weather. What having access to the power of autonomous database means is that we can give us real-time insight, securely and at speed, and that’s transformative.” – Ryan Klose, Executive General Manager – Corporate, National Pharmacies
“Through the use of Autonomous Data Warehouse and Oracle Analytics Cloud we have been able to completely transform the way we operate. We have been able to completely streamline how we collect information. Previously for deep market insight, we would have been heavily reliant on buying expensive reports from third parties. Now, we are able to do most of the research and analysis ourselves. The output is also really helping our sales teams become data-driven and identify which properties to target the right customers, rather than using their instinct to make decisions.” – Steve Chang, CIO, Kingold
“We continue to see Asia-Pacific enterprises opening up to and having a sharper appetite for database-as-a-service (DBaaS) propositions with AI and ML features being particularly strong drivers for an enterprise migration to cloud-based database environments. This is due to the cost reductions they deliver, and their ability to derive new business insights at speed. This has the potential to shift the global cloud arms race amongst hyperscale cloud players towards those that have a strong play in controlling enterprise databases – most of which still reside in a legacy client-server infrastructure.” – Hwee-Xian Tan, Senior Analyst, SoHo and SME Research
Oracle Autonomous Database uses ground-breaking machine learning and automation to deploy, optimize, patch and secure itself with no human intervention, bringing new levels of performance, security, and efficiency. As a result, users have proven that they are able to significantly improve and fast-track business decisions, improve their customer experience, introduce new products/services to market quicker and create a smarter workforce.


text:
Cormorant Announces New Album "Dwellings" Release Date
Cormorant has announced the band's new album "Dwellings" is due out December 6th, 2011. Pre-orders for the album are now available online at this location. The artwork for the release is also available below.
Please share this article if you found it interesting.
- Previous Article:
Lifelover Vocalist Passes Away, Band Breaks Up
- Next Article:
Obscura Reveals New Bass Player
2 Comments on "Cormorant Announces 'Dwellings' Release"


text:
Reddit-inspired surge in stocks such as struggling video games store and AMC dive as hedge funds close positions
Shares in GameStop plunged by 65% in early trading on Wall Street as the trading mania sparked by small investors, that sent its stock surging and cost hedge funds billions of dollars, lost momentum.
The struggling Texas-based video game store chain has been the focal point of a battle by small traders, using forums such as Reddit, to punish Wall Street hedge funds that have bet on certain stocks falling in value. GameStop shares hit a high of $470 last Thursday but slumped to $80 shortly after the market opened. They recovered to $117 by mid-session, down 48% on their opening price.


text:
Bimbo Bakeries USA-owned Entenmann’s brand has added chocolate party cakes to its Little Bites’ line as a new “seasonal favorites” product, the company announced in a statement.
Grab-and-go breakfast products are forecast for growth as busy Western consumers continue to forgo the traditional sit down breakfast.
Long-time candy maker and owner of the Ohio-based Fantasy Candies, Joel Fink, hopes to take probiotic chocolate to the national level through his new startup called Blue Planet Chocolate.
Food waste-conscious start-up, ChicP, transforms leftover fruit and vegetables into a variety of flavoured hummus, and is crowdfunding to expand into new markets.
European snack startup, Belgian Boys, will roll out its butter cookies inspired by the original Belgian cookie, Speculoos, across the US in February.
The US Department of Labor (DOL) has filed a lawsuit against the owner of Lone Star Western Beef, John Bachman, after he fired an employee who called 911 to help...
BakeryandSnacks correspondent has collected comments from several renowned US CPG brands about their business plans for 2017, and what direction the food industry is headed.
Twinkie has gone back to its roots with the addition of a banana-flavored variety to its deep fried line.
Palsgaard A/S has purchased Brazilian food ingredients company Candon Aditivos para Alimentos, according to the acquiring firm.
Sales in resealable closures and spouts are expected to reach $16.15bn in 2022, driving future F&B market growth, says Zion Market Research.
The UK bakery has launched a range of 12-slice 650g bread loaves based on customer insights.
Premium meat snack brand, Krave, has brought its first bar line to CVS stores and other retailers across the US, as the company believed there are few savory options existing...
Credit Suisse has removed Kellogg from its US Focus List after downgrading the food stock to Neutral over concerns that growth at the Kellogg Company isn’t keeping up with peer...
Nibbly Bits has partnered with Ishida after launching a lighter snack product called Pop Crisps and finding its existing weighing equipment was delivering too many overweight and underweight packs.
Snyder’s-Lance is selling the nut business of Diamond Foods to private equity firm Blue Road Capital.
Cisse Cocoa has brought fair trade, single-origin cocoa beans to its chocolate bark products, as the company believes the 'snackfection' trend is no longer a secret to the consumer
Bakery producers are looking to escalate the fight against the negativity that surrounds the sector, particularly in the developed Western packaged bakery markets, according to Mintel’s global annual review.
Putting the consumer’s need at the heart of innovation will pay big dividends for food manufacturers.
Former Shark Tank competitors, Nick and Elyse Oleksak, share their story of how Bantam Bagels has expanded to more than 7,700 Starbucks locations and the frozen section of grocery stores...
Royal Dutch Zeelandia (Koninklijke Zeelandia Groep b.v.) has purchased mincemeat and fillings producer James Fleming & Co. from Südzucker Group.
Twinkie’s maker Hostess Brands has announced the completion of a debt refinancing, including the terms of its existing first lien term loan and debt.
Mr Kipling maker Premier Foods will be protected from the effects of Brexit, according to CEO Gavin Darby.
Speaking to BakeryandSnacks during the recent Food Vision event in Chicago, Veggies Fries’ founder and CEO, David Peters, said, in order to create a “disruptor product” in the food industry,...
Crisp Sensation Holding SA has developed five crumb coating flavors for frozen and chilled snacks it claims give deep-fried crispiness without a deep fryer.
One of the major US manufacturers of packaging machinery, equipment and systems, ADCO has launched its latest wraparound case packer at the recent Pack Expo in Chicago. The new machinery...


text:
Those hoping to try out Watch Dogs before it launches are out of luck. The futuristic, hack-savvy new IP will not be getting a pre-release demo.
Watch Dogs Creative Director Jonathan Ronin confirmed the news on Twitter that there is, “no demo planned before release.” Not a huge surprise considering the fact that Ubisoft rarely releases demos for its upcoming games.
However, Watch Dogs is a game that probably needed a demo. Angry fans have been degrading the game for its apparent downgrade in visuals. Putting out a demo would have been a great way to show off the game’s visuals and gameplay to those who remain unconvinced.
Watch Dogs is out May 27 on PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. The Wii U version does not have a release date at this time.


text:
(Adds annual inflation rate) MEXICO CITY, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Mexico's annual inflation accelerated faster than expected in early December and reached its highest level in two years, stoked higher partly by a weak peso that has pushed policymakers to raise borrowing costs. Inflation in the 12 months through mid-December was 3.48 percent, the national statistics institute said on Thursday, the highest half-month reading since December 2014. A Reuters poll had projected the rate would accelerate to 3.42 percent from 3.29 percent in early November. Mexico's central bank targets inflation of 3 percent. Last week, Mexico's central bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 5.75 percent in a bid to cool inflation after the peso fell to record lows following Donald Trump's Nov. 8 U.S. election victory. It was the fifth rate hike this year by policymakers who are concerned the weak peso could push consumer prices higher. The central bank expects the inflation rate to rise toward 4 percent next year before easing back toward its target in 2018. The annual reading of the core price index, which strips out some volatile food and energy prices, rose to 3.46 percent in early December, above a forecast 3.30 percent and 3.33 percent in early November. The core index reflects higher goods costs as the weak peso drives up import prices. On a monthly basis, Mexican consumer prices rose 0.42 percent during the first half of December, while the core price index climbed 0.47 percent in early December. The data showed higher airplane ticket and tourism package costs drove much of the increase in prices. Separate data showed the pace of economic activity slowed in October from the previous month as output from the services sector slowed and industrial production remained sluggish. (Reporting by Michael O'Boyle; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


text:
10/23 CMO Breakfast with:
On October 23rd, we heard from Meaghan Morelli, Director of Digital Content for Subway, discuss how Gen-Zers have such a powerful impact on brands today
Director of Digital Content
Meaghan is a storyteller at heart. And she is a believer that social and digital media are fundamentally transforming the way we tell our stories, as brands and as people. Prior to joining Subway, she spent many years on the agency side, conceiving and creating groundbreaking and award-winning campaigns for brands like Snapple, Trojan Condoms, and Red Stripe Lager. In her two years at Subway, she has launched a digital content hub, and led the creation of a global content strategy. She’s also a writer, avid reader, and enthusiastic public speaker.


text:
Black Opal Just Joined The Ranks Of Black Women-Owned Brands Yesterday, Black Opal announced that the global beauty brand has been acquired by Desiree Rogers and Cheryl Mayberry McKissack, making it officially a Black-owned beauty brand. The brand was originally created in 1994 by a chemist named Niko Mouyiaris.
What are some black-owned makeup brands?
20 Black-Owned Makeup Brands to Add to Your Makeup Bagbeautybakeriemakeup. 1.2M followers. imancosmetics. 118K followers. patmcgrathreal. 3.8M followers. fentybeauty. 10.9M followers. thelipbar. 295K followers. mentedcosmetics. 243K followers. lawsofnaturecosmetics. 9,478 followers. juviasplace. 2.5M followers. •Aug 9, 2021
Is Sacha Cosmetics Black-Owned?
Sacha Cosmetics is a veteran in black, vegan makeup. Sacha Cosmetics began operations in 1979 in Trinidad and Tobago which is an ethnically diverse market. Their vision was to develop a brand of makeup that all women, regardless of ancestry, could wear. Their brand has expanded to 500 retail stores in 45 countries.
Is beauty Bakerie black owned?
Beauty Bakerie is a black woman owned & lead brand. In fact our executive team of decision makers is 75% black and our Board of Directors is also 60% Black.
Who is the owner of Sacha Cosmetics?
Kama Maharaj Sacha Cosmetics started business 35 years ago and is currently distributed in 23 countries and sold online in North America. The company started with a vision, “to develop a cosmopolitan brand of cosmetics which would look equally exquisite on all skin tones”, according to Founder and Managing Director Kama Maharaj.
How many employees does Sacha Cosmetics have?
130 employees Sacha Cosmetics now employs 130 employees.
Did Beauty Bakerie steal Huda?
She “copied” Beauty Bakerie... yet Beauty Bakerie didnt invent the concept of baking, and Beauty Bakerie blatantly copied ABH Glow Kits – and not a peep was said about it.
How much is Beauty Bakerie worth?
Now the founder and CEO of Beauty Bakerie, a cosmetic brand worth an estimated $15 million that recently received a $3 million investment from Unilever, her success did not come easy.
Where is Sacha Buttercup made?
Trinidad and Tobago Sacha Cosmetics a Trinidad and Tobago-based cosmetics manufacturer. Founded in 1979, Sacha cosmetics is distributed in 23 countries.


text:
Minn. organic farm profits improve
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)--Things are looking up for Minnesota's organic farmers, a new report says.
The annual report on organic farm performance from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and University of Minnesota said 2010 was "a good year but not a stellar year for these farms. Profits improved but were not outstanding.'' Balance sheets, however, were on average very sound as they headed into 2011.
The report said that after a difficult 2009, the median organic producer earned a net farm income of $62,463 in 2010. That was a sixfold increase over 2009 and was consistent with returns earned in 2007 and 2008, which were considered very profitable for the organic sector.
Profits in 2009 were low for organic and conventional farms alike. The 2009 report attributed the fall in organic farm profitability to several factors, particularly sharp drops in prices for organic spring wheat and corn, along with slightly lower yields coupled with higher production costs. But 2010 was a banner year for nearly all of Minnesota agriculture thanks to near-perfect growing weather and high prices.
Organic dairies generated solid profits on average last year, while organic crop farms were less profitable due to production problems, cost increases and variable prices, the new report said.
Minnesota's conventional farms also reported sharply higher profits in 2010, the report said. The median conventional farm earned a net farm income of $125,021 in 2010. Their profits were driven by high prices for conventional crops, lower costs for crop production and the return to profitability of livestock farming. It said conventional crop and hog operations were very profitable, while dairy and beef operations made moderate returns.
Minnesota's average conventional farm in 2010 had total assets of $2.2 million compared with $1.2 million for organic farms. Conventional farms also generated higher total sales.
"When it is all put together, the conventional farms, on average, outperformed these organic farms in 2010. This does not mean that these organic farms performed poorly. Rather, the conventional farms had an exceptionally profitable 2010,'' the report said.


text:
Kia announced this week that it has teamed up with NBA basketball player Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers to be its latest spokesperson for the brand.
Read This Article
Kia Motors has released pictures of its first rear-wheel-drive full-size sedan, a vehicle we're likely to see on our shores sooner than later.
This coming week the 2014 Kia Forte Koup will make its debut at the 2013 New York Auto Show.
Without a Kia Sedona for the 2013 model year, the Korean automaker was left to its devices of selling however many of its aging, but award-winning, minivans as long as it could.


text:
It seems that after eight years, Google is eager to dabble into the Chinese market again. And the company is leaving no stone unturned in its quest to enter the world’s most populous country. To successfully carry out the controversial project called Project Dragonfly, Google is not even averse to toe the line with the Draconian censorship rules of Chinese government. However, this step has sparked widespread outrage amongst the employees. The company is not above limiting its worker’s access to the documents regarding the project to quell the tumult inside the company. An anonymous source revealed that the company is turning off everyone’s access to the documents [...]
A US-based research and brokerage firm, Bernstein has said that Google will pay Apple USD 3 billion to remain the default search engine on iOS devices. According to a note to investors, Google has increased the payment from $1 billion three years ago to $3 billion for 2017. Google’s licensing fee makes up a large bulk of Apple’s service business. In fact, this license fee from Google comprises about 5% of Apple’s total operations profit.
Apple has stated that its services business is growing at a fast pace and that the profit from the services sector will help the company get listed in the Fortune 500 companies. An analyst from Bernstein also says that iOS devices [...]
Its no secret that Google and Apple, two massive rivals, have an agreement in place which enables the search engine to be the default search provider on the iOS platform, but what is emerging right now are details of this deal born out of convenience, and the numbers involved here are staggering!
Google which makes 4 times more money from iOS users than it does from users of its own Android platform, holds the business from the Apple based devices very important to its core business, and as such it has gone to great extents to keep its search engine running on iOS devices worldwide.
According to details that have emerged in the midst of a high-profile Oracle vs [...]
16 year old, Anmol Tukrel is an Indian-origin Canadian citizen who is now challenging the Google search engine. He has designed a personalised search engine that he claims is 47 percent more accurate than Google and is 21 percent more accurate, on an average.
This search engine was created as part of a project for the Google Science Fair, which is a global online competition open to students aged 13 to 18 years. He said that he took a few months and approximately 60 hours to code the engine. This is what he told Times of India:
“I thought I would do something in the personalized search space. It was the most genius thing ever. But when I realised Google already [...]


text:
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said a plan by the Trump administration to pay as much as $12 billion in relief to U.S. farmers hurt by a burgeoning trade dispute is a stop-gap proposal and doesn’t signal a willingness to make a habit of aid programs.
“What we’ve put on the board is what I think is a temporary assistance measure, I don’t think it’s going to get near to $12 billion,” Kudlow said during an interview on “CBS This Morning” on Wednesday. “Nobody’s really thrilled about this. We’re just trying to protect American agriculture from some of the unfair trading practices.”
The proposal was panned even by some Republicans in Congress who said it failed to address the underlying problem of the White House’s own trade policies. Extra farm aid would be a balm to producers who are seeing prices drop and inventories rise because of disputes with China, Canada and other trade partners who are significant purchasers of U.S. pork, soybeans and other products.
While the overall economic impact of tariffs on steel and aluminum and Chinese imports already implemented by President Donald Trump is expected to be muted, American industry has warned it could hurt their earnings and lead to higher prices for consumers. On Wednesday, General Motors Co. cut its profit forecast this year on surging metals prices.
Automakers like GM are also warning Trump to drop plans to possibly impose 20 percent tariffs on vehicle imports on the grounds of protecting national security.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump tore into his critics on trade, saying that “people snipping at your heels during a negotiation” undercut his administration’s ability to negotiate an agreement that is more fair to the American economy.
Kudlow said the attempt to shore up markets is a reaction to a “broken” system of world trade that has worked against the U.S. in the past. He called for patience in allowing the U.S. to achieve reciprocity in trade.
“No one is thrilled with subsidies, I get that,” Kudlow said. “On the other hand, we need a backstop for our patriotic farmers who have been hurt.”
Copyright 2018, Bloomberg


text:
John Lawson – CEO of the Cape Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Another year, another blast of hot air about the state of the nation.
But when the sound bites are all cleared away the Province still sits with the same enormous headache smack in the middle of the regional economy: Transnet.
Inefficiency at the country’s ports threatens to overtake load shedding as the single biggest threat to national wellbeing, that is if it hasn’t already done so. While businesses and wealthier households can invest in alternative power, there is no circumventing the country’s ongoing logistics crisis. In the case of the Western Cape, our economy is hostage to the nuts and bolts of gantry cranes and the staff that keep them going.
Port stakeholders, the Cape Chamber included, can be forgiven for feeling frustrated by the number of detailed power point presentations offered up by way of port corrective action, with the latest blueprint delivered earlier this month at yet another port stakeholder meeting. There is no shortage of promises, amidst an apparent shortage of just about everything else. Plans speak of new purchases and operational improvements – exactly what stakeholders hope to see in reality, rather than in policy frameworks.
There are also assurances, from the Presidency down to TNPA, of public-private partnership to address the most pressing challenges off the day. And yes, private concessions are forthcoming, each one hailed as proof of government’s commitment to economic development.
Yet underlying all of the verbiage is the same unanswered question, more troubling the longer it remains. Why is government holding on to the vital Cape Town container terminal? The steady decline of this most essential facility, the heartbeat of the local economy, is there for all to see. Even as government professes transparency and efficiency, it clings to the asset most in need of repair. The challenge at the port is not complexity or weather or equipment; it is merely the fact that, compared to the private sector, government is terrible at running a business.
Moving containers on and off ships happens speedily all over the world, often in circumstances a lot less resourced than Cape Town. It is not rocket science. Private sector companies produce vehicles consisting of 25 000 components; local firms build satellites that orbit the earth. Why not let the free market work out the best way to load a ship?
The continued failure to fix the container terminal doesn’t make sense. Or does it? Is there a logic to government’s dogged resistance to private sector partners inside the port’s key engine room?
The longer the port fails to deliver the more the numbers add up to dereliction of duty at a time when government preaches transparency but fails to put it into practice.


text:
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Realme announced that it will launch the world’s fastest smartphone charging technology on 28th February at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022. The latest tech is expected to be unveiled along with the Realme GT2 Pro for global consumers.
Gizmo China featured an image of the yet-to-be-released Realme charger. Similar to many other adapters from the company, the upcoming adapter does not sport a white-colored paint job.
Regulatory text printed on the charger mentions the model number VCK8HACH.
The power ratings claim that the charger maxes at 200W (20V-10A). The printed text suggests that the fastest smartphone charging solution could max at 200W. The text also confirms added support for USB PD that is limited to 45W (15V-3A, 20V-2.25A).
Previously, popular tipster Digital Chat Station revealed that the company will debut a 150W charging solution. However, Realme appears to be delivering a little extra.
The brand’s self-claimed world’s fastest charging solution is expected to take less time to fill a 4,000mAh battery than the record set by Xiaomi’s 200W charging technology.
Currently, Realme uses a charging solution that maxes out on 125W and still only uses 65W charging for most of its models.


text:
Unipart secures major North American contract
- Posted by: Alan Feldberg
- Category: News
Unipart Logistics has won a three-year contract to provide customer services across Jaguar Land Rover’s North American aftermarket.
The new business growth sees Unipart as the single point of contact for Jaguar Land Rover retailers across the US and Canada.
The team of 30, based at Mahwah in New Jersey, has joined the Unipart North America Customer Support team.
Claire Walters, chief commercial officer, Unipart Logistics, said: “We are immensely proud of our strong partnership with Jaguar Land Rover. This new contract recognises the strength of our Customer Service team, and the invaluable support they provide to Jaguar Land Rover retailers, sharing their digital and process expertise.”
Caroline Benton, director, American Market, Unipart Logistics, said: “The team in North America are delighted to grow our partnership with Jaguar Land Rover and we are looking forward to delivering exceptional service to the retailers for the long term.”
This is the second new contract for Unipart Logistics with Jaguar Land Rover in the US, following the award of a five-year contract to support Jaguar Land Rover’s US expansion in the North East from Mickleton, New Jersey.


text:
The universe of online shoe subscription companies has shrunk.
Intelligent Beauty Inc.-owned JustFab has agreed to acquire competitor ShoeDazzle for an undisclosed price. The combination of the two companies will create the biggest e-commerce entity in the Los Angeles area, on track to profitably reach $400 million in sales in 2014 and exceed $500 million in 2015.
The deal to bring ShoeDazzle under JustFab’s umbrella developed over the last three months, but Intelligent Beauty co-chief executive officer Adam Goldenberg said, “Really, this is a deal that has been in the making for three-and-a-half to four years. Brian [Lee, ShoeDazzle founder and ceo] and I had already known there would be benefits to putting these companies together, and we were finally able to make it happen.” He added, “There is so much synergy that we reach at scale. It is a combined company that is going to capture about 15 percent of online footwear sales.”
Goldenberg and Don Ressler, co-ceo at Intelligent Beauty, will serve as co-ceo’s of JustFab and ShoeDazzle. MJ Eng, ShoeDazzle’s founding president who came back to the firm last year after leaving to launch Teeology, will be tasked with specifically running ShoeDazzle. Lee will no longer be involved in the day-to-day operations of ShoeDazzle, but will join JustFab’s board. He will turn his full-time attention to online baby products specialist The Honest Co.
A once high-flying startup that spawned a tidal wave of entrants, most notably JustFab, into the online subscription space, ShoeDazzle started stumbling in 2011 when Lee stepped aside in favor of short-lived ceo Bill Strauss. He detached ShoeDazzle’s business model from subscriptions and pushed its presence into categories beyond shoes, including apparel. Lee’s return to the helm last year helped steady the ship, but ShoeDazzle still faced an uncertain future.
Although ShoeDazzle’s sale to JustFab could be seen as a disappointment for a company that had harbored hopes of its own lucrative initial public offering or a splashy sale to a strategic acquirer that isn’t a direct competitor, Lee was sanguine about the prospects of ShoeDazzle under JustFab’s watch. “I’m extremely excited, actually. I wouldn’t say disappointed at all. Our investor base is excited. Our employer base is excited to be part of the largest e-commerce site in Los Angeles,” he said.
Earlier this year, Lee told WWD that ShoeDazzle’s revenues climbed 80 percent last year to $100 million. The company launched in 2009 and had raised $66 million from Andreessen Horowitz, Polaris Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Crosscut Ventures. JustFab has disclosed that its total sales are expected to cross $250 million this year and were more than $100 million in 2012. Jointly, JustFab and ShoeDazzle have roughly 33 million members.
ShoeDazzle and JustFab will retain separate nameplates, but next year will be housed together at an around 70,000-square-foot campus in El Segundo, Calif., where JustFab is based. “They will maintain their own brand identities and dedicated teams. In fashion, women want choice. There is not a single woman who shops at one store for all her fashion,” explained Goldenberg.
@pantone announced their Color of the Year 2018: Ultra Violet. Nearly 20 months after the musician Prince’s death, fashion is having a purple moment. Varying shades of purple appeared on spring or fall runways, from @christopherkane to @calvinklein. @gucci’s Alessandro Michele bathed his fall runway in ultra violet-colored light at one point. Pantone 18-3838 is meant to “push the boundaries of what inspires us to look upward and outward to the future.” #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @kukukuba)
@badgalriri’s @fentybeauty launch in September was a massive success on social media, powering $72.9 million of earned media value, according to Tribe Dynamics. The brand’s foundation offering sparked conversations about diversity in beauty, launching the growth of emerging influencers and propelling the brand’s support on social media. Today, #fentybeauty won Launch of the Year at the WWD #BeautyIncAwards. (📷: Chema Moya/EPE-EFE)
@marianna_hewitt has become one of the most influential content creators in the beauty space, with almost 800,000 Instagram followers and a newly launched skin care line called @SummerFridays. Today, she was awarded Influencer of the Year at the WWD #BeautyIncAwards. (📸: @sophiachabbott )
As shopping behaviors evolve, the retail experience must follow. Head over to retail experts @colliersinternational’s Knowledge Leader series to read more about the shift in our shopping era. #colliersretail #lovecolliers
@prada opened a pop-up club, called Prada Double Club, in collaboration with German artist Cartsen Höller at @artbasel Miami. Last night, guests – including @youngparis, @ritaora and even Miuccia Prada herself – gathered in a former ice factory where the pop-up is housed for a performance from @wyclefjean. Go to WWD.com for full coverage on all the exhibits, parties and more at #ArtBaselMiami. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
@louboutinworld and @disney are making magic once again, creating a set of shoe designs for the release of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Louboutin designed a pair of shoes for each of the film’s four female leads: Rey (@daisyridrey), Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (@lauradern), Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) and Rose Tico (@kellymarietran). The shoes will debut on Saturday at the L.A. premiere of the latest episode. #wwdfashion
Today at the #BeautyIncAwards 2017, WWD will be joined by beauty leaders from around the world as we honor this year's most innovative people, products, brands and places. Follow along here and on Twitter for live coverage from the exclusive event. #wwdsummits (📷: @elizaflorendo)
Exclusive: Beauty superinfluencer @marianna_hewitt is launching her first-ever skin care brand with her business partner @laurengores. Their new line Summer Fridays, which will be sold exclusively at summerfridays.com starting in January, is launching with just one product – a hydrating cream Jet Lag Mask. “We wanted to focus on one product that was amazing,” said Hewitt. Read the full interview on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdbeauty #wwdnews
Michelin star-rated chef PJ Calapa marks his first solo endeavor with today’s opening of @scampinyc –– the new Southern Italian restaurant located in Manhattans’ Flatiron District. The upscale yet welcoming environment matches the menu, which includes two types of scampi: traditional Italian langoustines in butter and the Americanized version with shrimp over pasta 🍤 - pictured here. #wwdeye (📷: George Chinsee)


text:
Ever since the pandemic started, online shopping trends have skyrocketed. Most of the consumers now prefer ordering their products online and receiving the right to their doorstep. The changes in ecommerce and warehousing are obviously going to have an effect on logistics companies. In today’s post, we will briefly discuss the effects of ecommerce on the warehousing sector.
The warehouses will grow globally in the next 5 years
According to research by Interact Analysis there’s going to be a massive grown in the number of warehouses. This is because of the rise in ecommerce shopping trends. As per their estimate, the expansion of ecommerce will result in the creation of around 28,500 new warehouses by 2025. The online shopping trend is here to stay thus driving the need for new warehouses and fulfillment centers across the globe. The multinationals have immensely benefitted from the ecommerce boom with companies like Amazon and Walmart making spectacular profits.
There will be investments towards automation at warehouses
To quote Jason de Preaux, the Principal Analyst at Interact Analysis, “While many industrial and service sectors continue to reel from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, warehousing and fulfillment centers are a real growth area, with staffing set to increase by 50% by 2025.” He clearly explains the situation and mentions how it will prompt investments in the automation of the warehouses. “There has been a surge in automation projects caused by labor shortages in some markets. Yet 60% of all warehouses are in regions where the cost of labor is under $10 an hour”. Moreover, “automation has yet to gain a firm foothold. As developing economies advance, which they inevitably will, we can expect to see major growth in automation in these regions too,” adds Mr. Preaux.
The shift from bulk orders to individual parcels
Until now, warehouses were mostly there for processing bulk orders. However, to enhance customer experience, online shopping companies are now shipping their orders in small batches. This has led to a considerable emphasis on picking, packing, and shipment of individual orders. Furthermore, the warehouse owners of these shipments are now investing in online tools. These tools include inventory management systems, warehouse robots, and slotting optimization systems. For this reason, warehouses that want to stay ahead in the competition should start investing in automation like never before.


text:
The TV ad, which also appeared online, depicted a Coca-Cola can and stated the message “=139 happy calories to spend on extra happy activities”.
It then went on to feature various activities – such as “25 minutes of letting your dog be your GPS” and “75 seconds of laughing out loud” – to demonstrate how the calories could be burnt off. Further text stated “but if today you don’t feel like doing it…have a Coke with zero calories” and then went on to feature a Coke Zero product.
The ad sparked 10 complaints challenging whether the activities depicted were sufficient enough to negate the effects of consuming a can of Coke and the ad was therefore misleading.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) agreed it was likely to mislead because the use of a + sign between the activities was not as prominent as the on-screen text describing them, meaning viewers were likely to mistakenly believe each individual activity could burn off 139 calories.
Speaking to Marketing Week, Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland communications director Joel Morris, said the company is “disappointed” with the ASA’s decision – not least because it was cleared by Clearcast and there have been “no problems” with the campaign where it has been broadcast elsewhere in the world.
He adds: “In March for the first time in our history we chose to talk directly about the calorie content of our brand and talk about calorie balance.
“This was a primetime campaign as we thought it was important to connect with many consumers. It reached 39 million people and this investigation was triggered by 10 complaints.
“We take the clarity of our ads very seriously and we were conservative in measuring the amount of calories people would expend [by partaking in these activities].”
In its original response to the complaints in the ASA’s adjudication, Coca-Cola said the ad “explicitly” communicated the actives needed to be done in combination to burn off the 139 calories. It also pointed to the + and = signs featured, which it said clearly meant it was the sum of the activities that amounted to the 139 calories in a can of Coke, and on-screen text that stated “calories burnt may vary”.
Coca-Cola will continue to commit to communicating the importance of energy balance in its advertising, with more campaigns planned for the coming months, Morris said. It is not planning to appeal the ASA’s decision, however, and has removed the TV ad from its UK online platforms.
Recently the company has also made other commitments to fight the global obesity problem and as part of its Responsibility Deal pledges, including launching smaller cans, reformulating Sprite and pledging additional marketing support behind its diet cola brands.
The TV ad in question also sparked complaints as to whether the presentation implied a general health claim, which is not compliant with the BCAP Code, but this was not upheld by the advertising regulator.
A separate complaint about a scene in Diet Coke’s “hunk” TV ad which featured a female actor rolling a can of the drink towards the hunk’s lawnmower was cleared by the watchdog this week, despite prompting a complaint the action was “irresponsible” and likely to condone or encourage dangerous behaviour.


text:
It is clear that “open but struggling businesses require further support,” says Chancellor Rishi Sunak
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) October 22, 2020
WATCH: Mixed messages. Johnson suggests a more rapid relaxation of tiering restrictions than Whitty.
Get our free daily email
Start your day with all the latest Conservative news, insight and analysis.
19 comments for: WATCH: “They, and other open-but-struggling businesses, require further support.” The Chancellor’s latest package.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
After opening its first local location on the edge of Matthews in February, a breakfast-focused chain will add another location next week.
First Watch, which claims to be the nation’s largest daytime-only restaurant chain with 330 restaurants in 29 states, will add a second local location Monday at 6311 Providence Farm Lane, on Providence Road near I-485.
Good Morning Carolinas, which owns the local locations, has already announced plans to open 12 First Watch locations in Charlotte and Greenville, N.C., as well as Spartanburg and Columbia in South Carolina.
With a “curated” menu of breakfast, brunch and lunch options, First Watch is known for specialties like Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, maple-syrup-dipped Million Dollar Bacon and coffee from its own Project Sunrise grown by female farmers in Colombia.
Sign Up and Save
Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer
All locations are open from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and all serve the entire menu all day.


text:
Apple’s iOS 7 could introduce deep integration with Flickr and Vimeo, similar to how Twitter and Facebook are currently built into the company’s mobile ecosystem. According to9to5Mac, those partnership talks first mentioned back in April are turning up some exciting opportunities for the two companies; Flickr would be a huge one for both, especially since Yahoo just announced 1TB of free storage for every Flickr user.
Presumably, users will input their Flickr/Vimeo credentials into the settings menu and then have the option to upload photos and videos directly from the iOS Photos app. That simple integration is a no-brainer, and would quickly grow Flickr’s forgotten photo-sharing emporium. Apple’s iPhone is already the most popular method for shooting photos—adding Flickr integration would instantly spike the device’s presence up even more.
Vimeo integration would work in a similar fashion, giving users the option to upload immediately after a video is recorded. It’s no YouTube—you can always use YouTube Capture for that—but it introduces a separate option that would certainly increase the popularity of the oft-overlooked video-sharing platform. Both Flickr and Vimeo already offer integration in OS X, and this only seems like a natural extension.
Being able to instantly upload photos and videos to well-known services can provide more opportunities for users to share, and it’ll free up much needed space on an actual device. Not only that, but integration would likely boost the profile for each service, and especially give Flickr a big uptick in traffic. That 1TB of free storage certainly doesn’t hurt and is pretty darn enticing.
9to5Mac does note that the features, if not fully ready, could be removed prior to Apple’s WWDC in June. With rumors that Apple and Yahoo were in discussion to introduce deeper integration between the two companies, Flickr and Vimeo sound like prime candidates. Now if only Yahoo’s new weather app would get more deeply integrated into iOS 7.


text:
Atmel® Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML), a leader in microcontroller and touch technology solutions, today announced its popular Tech On Tour (ToT) is hitting the road in a 40’ x 85’ mobile trailer, which opens out into a 900 square feet walk-in space.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to multivu.com/mnr/60066-atmel-tech-on-tour-mobile-trailer-showcase-hardware-software
Loading more stuff…
Hmm…it looks like things are taking a while to load. Try again?