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AARP, Tough Mudder, Wix.com and Porch.com share their methods for measuring video advertising success.
What’s a video view worth these days? YouTube says 30-seconds, but Facebook counts a video view at the three-second mark.
Just last month, the Media Rating Council and IAB both defined a video ad as viewable as long as 50 percent of an ad’s pixels are visible for a minimum of two-seconds.
But, do any of these metrics matter if a video fails to achieve true engagement with the viewer?
“Our consumers are increasingly viewing videos across their screen of choice, so we’re always looking for effective ways to engage with them during that experience,” says Taco Bell’s VP of media and sponsorships Juliet Corsinita.
According to Corsinita, the industry is still in the early days in the scope of media available to brands, and the guidelines for video measurement standards are continuing to evolve.
To get a true “view” of the marketing metrics that matter, we asked four top brands how they measure the success of their video efforts. AARP, Tough Mudder, Wix.com and Porch.com have all achieved substantial results with their video marketing efforts – today they share the insights that helped them get there.
Tammy Gordon, VP of AARP Studios
“Historically, AARP was very YouTube-centric, but we have recently shifted additional focus to Facebook video because baby boomer and Gen X audiences are heavy Facebook users – especially on mobile,” says AARP’s Tammy Gordon, “Facebook video is a great match for AARP because it allows us to publish frequent, lightweight, short-form stories that deliver value across our areas of interest.”
Gordon says YouTube remains an important part of AARP’s video strategy, but the company sees the platform as more of a search engine versus a social network.
“If someone is specifically searching for a topic, they will be more patient when viewing YouTube videos, resulting in consistently higher watch times compared to Facebook,” said Gordon. When asked about video view metrics, Gordon said her team is more interested view-duration, tracking the percentage watched in relation to the full length of a video.
“This allows us to identify where viewers are dropping off, and use those insights to inform the development of future videos,” said Gordon. In addition to view duration, AARP tracks video shares and reach.
“Beyond quantitative metrics, we closely monitor comments to better understand our community’s reaction to the topics we’re covering.”
Gordon notes a recent short video AARP produced on the topic of hearing loss.
“While the 250,000+ views were awesome,” said Gordon, “The more insightful metric was the 150+ comments from people who personally experienced hearing loss or shared stories about how hearing loss has impacted relationships with their family.”
Jerome Hiquet, Tough Mudder CMO
Tough Mudder CMO Jerome Hiquet says YouTube, Facebook and Instagram are the most valuable channels for Tough Mudder’s video marketing efforts. His team has found followers on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram are more engaged, and more likely to share on their own channels or tag friends.
“We also use Twitter to push out some of our video content, such as ones we share on YouTube,” said Hiquet, “Which is great to increase reach and engagement.”
He said his team has recently started using SnapChat as well.
Hiquet reports 30 percent of their viewers engage with Tough Mudder’s Facebook videos for around 30-seconds, with many videos earning even longer viewing duration periods on the social network.
“Our YouTube engagement rates show that viewers engage for about 50-60% of the video’s length,” said Hiquet, “It’s important for us to push out content that’s engaging from beginning to end; we create content that reflects this goal, and we often see viewers stay engaged until the very last second.”
When asked about video metrics, Hiquet says video views alone should not be the main KPI to gauge video marketing efforts.
“Ultimately, your conversion and click-through-rates are very telling in terms of how your videos are performing,” said Hiquet, “We don’t want consumers to view a video and close their screens; we want them to spend time engaging with our websites and social channels, sharing our videos within their network, and, then, ultimately, purchasing tickets to participate in an upcoming event.”
Hiquet says his brand tracks different metrics based on a video’s objective.
“Our awareness measurement framework is driven by a Brand Lift Survey and/or Search Lift Survey,” said Hiquet, “For engagement, few metrics are more valuable for us than total views and completion rates. It’s important to use view and completion rates to optimize your content strategy to gauge what is and is not working.”
In addition to total views and completion rates, Hiquet also notes the importance of using CTAs to measure a video’s performance.
“Whether that CTA is signing up to receive e-newsletters, tagging a friend in a video, registering for a Tough Mudder, or sharing on social, a CTA is a good indicator of how well your video is performing and whether you’re hitting the engagement rates and KPIs you’re aiming for.”
Hiquet notes how consumption rates have shifted dramatically in recent years, with consumers spending less time on branded content than they did five years ago.
“People also tend to view content on mobile more than desktop,” says Hiquet, “So it’s important that your video content is created with a mobile consumer in mind.”
Hiquet says his brand posts videos approximately six to eight times per month so as not to inundate followers with too much content. This year, the brand’s “Finish Strong” video series generated more than 1.3 million aggregate views.
“Baby Mudder was a huge hit in terms of reach and engagement,” said Hiquet. The video – created as an April Fool’s joke for the brand – earned more than a million views on Facebook, with over 15,000 likes and more than 40,000 views on YouTube.
“We even had people asking how to register their babies for this,” said Hiquet.
Omer Shai, Wix.com CMO
This year, Wix.com took its video marketing efforts to a whole new level with its first-ever appearance as a Super Bowl advertiser. In addition to the brand’s Super Bowl ad, Wix.com released a series of teaser video ads on YouTube more than a month out from game night.
CMO Omer Shai says his brand focuses its video marketing efforts on YouTube and Facebook, and that recorded views are not the only KPI Wix.com uses to evaluate the performance of its video campaigns.
“We look into all available metrics, from views, percent retention, clicks to the engagement metrics – like comments and shares – but, we developed additional KPIs that are based on our data,” said Shai.
Shai said his team has created an evaluation model for its video marketing efforts that utilizes additional data sets on top of the metrics provided by social networks.
Joanna Lord, Porch.com VP of Marketing
Home improvement site Porch.com says most of its videos live on YouTube, but the brand also leverages Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to distribute video content.
“At Porch we believe whole-heartedly in the future of content being interactive, and video is key to our strategy,” said Porch.com vice president of marketing Joanna Lord, “We have an in house videography team to demonstrate this commitment. Currently we push out a range of videos – from culture, to content marketing, to educational, to testimonials and case studies.”
Porch.com is also developing branded Vine videos.
“We have a great deal planned as we continue to expand our micro content strategy,” said Lord, “Video marketing is just gearing up and we’re excited to try new platforms as they open.”
She says Porch.com is constantly tweaking and testing its strategy. According to Lord, video is really about brand awareness, engagement and links for Porch.com.
“We believe in building community and viewership both on and off Porch.com, so it’s most important to us to understand how viewers bounce back and forth between platforms and how their engagement changes based on platform layout.”
Porch.com relies on cross-promotional activity with brand partners and syndication distribution for much of its video marketing strategy.
“When we see a big publisher pick up our videos and share them, linking back to Porch, we weight that heavily,” said Lord, “We also want our viewers to love our videos. We pay attention to whether they complete, re-watch, or share our videos. Did we deliver something they really enjoyed?”
Porch is another brand that pays close attention to what viewers are saying about its videos.
“I do believe, in addition to the more typical video marketing metrics, it’s important to pay attention to true reactions,” said Lord, “How does your audience feel about your videos? We pay attention to what content topics really drive peak responses of delight. We take that into account when planning our next quarter’s video content.”
One Porch.com video that generated a lot of buzz with nearly 400,000 views was its “4 Ways to Clean with WD-40.”
Lord said Good Housekeeping picked it up, helping the video earn hundreds of shares, “Our goal with video is to leave our audience thinking that was great, I gotta share this.”
Curious how YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Vine measure a video view? Check-out our rundown at: What’s A Video View? On Facebook, Only 3 Seconds Vs. 30 At YouTube.
(Some images used under license from Shutterstock.com.)


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The long planned for transparency of industry payments to doctors, pharmacists, nurses and others has shone some dappled light on the UK industry, writes Leela Barham.
The long planned for transparency of industry payments to doctors, pharmacists, nurses and others has brought some dappled sunlight to the UK. As part of European wide efforts to increase transparency, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry Association (ABPI) has made available Disclosure UK. The publicly available database sets out payments made by companies during the calendar year 2015 to doctors, nurses and others with a role in prescribing. But with some limitations on the database and its contents, there is still more to be done to bring bright sunshine.
Those who want to take a look at the database have two options: to interrogate the database via its online portal or to download the database content in an excel spreadsheet. The online portal might well be what patients will use; they can look up their GP or specialist and find out how much they’ve been paid, for what (in high level categories covering registration fees, travel and accommodation, consultantcy fees and related expenses, sponsorship and/or donations and grants) and by which companies.
For those who want to get a sense of industry behaviour the three page spreadsheet covers conditions of use, a sheet called ABPI UK Disclosure which lists named recipients as well as organisations and an aggregate sheet which provides the full amounts paid by companies for both individuals who have opted not to have their named shared as well as research and development related payments. Whilst an excel spreadsheet means it will pretty much be in a format anyone can open, don’t expect this to be an easy to navigate database with some pre-specified basic analysis. However if you’re prepared to put the time in, it can provide some useful insights.
The big spenders are probably those companies you’d expect; Astra Zeneca tops the list with £42 million in total (12% of the total £363 million spent for the 109 companies in the database*). The top ten are:
Share of grand total
Roche Products Limited
Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd
Merck Sharp & Dohme Ltd
Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Servier Laboratories Ltd
Together they account for £237 million, or 65% of the grand total.
Just to illustrate the effort required to work this out; analysis of over 50,000 rows of data.
Type of spend
Payments related to research and development were always going to be presented as aggregate spend by companies as industry has argued that these details are already available in the public domain. R&D payments are the biggest category of spend, some £253 million and dominate aggregate payments (payments to individuals who did not wish to be named) (figure 1). R&D accounts for 70% of the grand total (aggregate payments and payments attributed to named individuals and organizations).
It’s proven a task too far to identify just which person (of those who agreed for their name to be published) has received the most. That’s because it seems to require manual aggregation; the database doesn’t provide a unique reference number for a person and with the potential for the same name to be different professionals, as well as professionals potentially moving between employers, and more than one company paying them, it’s not easy to design a look up to help (or my excel skills have failed me). Eyeballing over 50,000 entries would take some time.
Easier, but incomplete, is identifying the biggest payments. On that basis, the biggest payment to an individual was £87,954.56 from Allergan Ltd to Dr Raj Acquilla as a fee for service.
UCB Pharma Ltd paid the most in a single donation of £1.1 million to King’s College London. In fact, named organisations received £56 million; that puts the £24 million named individuals payments in the shade. It also reveals that the industry makes a not insignificant contribution to a number of organistions, including NHS organisations. As an example, Addenbrookes received just shy of £400,000.
Full company disclosure: partial information from professionals
Individuals have the right to opt out of their names being revealed in company submissions to the database. That is a source of concern to some; after all if there’s nothing to hide, then why hide your name?
GSK has already put a policy in place that it will only want to work with those who are willing to have their names published. NHS England is calling on other companies to follow suit.
More sunlight needed
There will be many who will be pleased to see the UK industry take a further step in opening up on what remains a contentious area. However, there will be those who might like those receiving the payments being more willing to have their name in the public domain.
There is also a broader interest in payments; with concern about how attractive the UK now is in light of potentially leaving the EU, the database could serve as an additional benchmark. If companies place a greater priority on engaging with individuals and organizations outside of the UK, the database could signal that through declining payments. Will it be £363 million this time next year, or less?
* The database is dynamic, so the total based on the spreadsheet downloaded on 1 July was more than the ABPI press release figure of £340 million.
Leela Barham is an independent health economist and policy expert. You access her website here and contact her at email@example.com

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#Farmers have staged #protests at supermarkets and distribution centres in parts of #France, as they try to secure better prices for their produce. Their representatives are in talks with food giants and supermarkets are taking part in discussions over prices, under a law passed in 2018. Farmers say they’re not earning enough to cover their costs, while retailers argue consumers cannot afford to pay more. Also today, the US Federal Aviation Administration has ordered inspections of planes that use the engine involved in Saturday’s mid-flight failure in Colorado.
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The Fintech Times Bi-Weekly News Roundup takes a look at the latest international fintech stories. This Thursday, we hear about OakNorth and ComplyAdvantage hooking up, in addition to a partnership for GoCardless and goDonate.
Launches & announcements
Mobile payments company Auka renames to Settle. The company says the change is in order to unify and best reflect its mobile payments product offering. In addition, its mission is to become the number one mobile payments platform in Europe.
Emirates NBD has launched a digital supply chain financing platform for its corporate and institutional clients. It says the smartSCF platform will offer businesses in the UAE a set of integrated, automated tools designed to enhance and simplify their supply chain collaborations while also optimising working capital and reducing transaction costs.
Dubai investment banking and asset management firm Shuaa Capital has unveiled three Sharia-compliant funds and already secured $75million of commitments. The three funds – Shuaa High Yield Sukuk Fund, Nujoom Aggressive Fund and Nujoom Balanced Fund – are part of Shuaa’s fund platform rolled out in Abu Dhabi’s international financial hub.
Appreciate, home of Love2shop, has launched a new digital gift card that enables businesses to reward and incentivise employees and customers instantaneously. Based on Mastercard, the Love2shop Contactless digital gift card can be used online or in-store through a mobile wallet with over 80 retailers and leisure providers. Digital gift cards instantly by email, text, Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp to an unlimited number of recipients. Appreciate Group has collaborated with payments technology company CleverCards to develop the new offering to coincide with the rebrand of its B2B arm to ‘Appreciate, the home of Love2shop’.
Meanwhile, fintech Galaxy and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) have launched a virtual hackathon for financial inclusion and regulatory collaboration in the Arab region, the Yalla Fintech 2020 Hackathon. Winning proposals in each theme will be awarded prize money of €5,000.00 to kick start the scaling of the solution.
FintechOS, the global technology provider for banks, insurance and financial services companies, has created and implemented a digital onboarding solution for OTP Bank Romania. It includes a current account available through a Mastercard debit card, with Internet and Mobile Banking services, all with zero costs to the user if the necessary sign up conditions are met. What’s more, customers no longer have to visit the bank branch in order to open an account with access to a card and internet banking services.
Plus, Suguba reveals eight startups are joining its second investment readiness programme in French-speaking West Africa. Bio Agripol, Mousso, Dothan, Eneza, CinetPay, Carfics, Shop Me Away and Kamtar will be joining the L’Afrique Excelle accelerator programme.
Mergers and acquisitions
Nexi, an Italian PayTech leader in digital payments and SIA, the Italian and European leader in payment technology and infrastructure services, have signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the integration of the two groups through the merger by incorporation of SIA into Nexi. SIA is controlled by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti through its subsidiary CDP Equity.
While, financial services network StoneX Group has completed its acquisition of online payments company Giroxx. With the name change to StoneX Financial, Giroxx is now officially integrated into StoneX’s larger global payments division.
Account-to-account payment solution provider Nuapay and Cybersource – Visa’s global payment management platform – have joined forces. Nuapay’s end-to-end cloud environment for collecting recurring payments has been integrated into Cybersource’s payment gateway.
Charities using the goDonate platform can soon offer GoCardless as a payment method. goDonate says it has partnered with the recurring payments fintech in order to make charity donations simpler and more convenient.
Our API means that charities can now collect payments quickly and seamlessly straight from donors’ bank accounts, resulting in a more predictable income and cash flow pipeline.
OakNorth Bank and ComplyAdvantage have joined forces to combat financial crime. Their partnership will ensure OakNorth is fully compliant with anti-money laundering regulations, as well as screen for risk at onboarding.
Emirates Islamic has forged a long-term strategic partnership with Mastercard to offer credit cards to the bank’s corporate banking clients. In addition, Emirates Islamic’s clients will also have full access to a range of Mastercard’s advisory services.
Cybersecurity solutions provider HUB Security teams with insurance broker Marsh to offer insured storage solution. Financial institutions can now store and manage digital assets, including cryptocurrency, on HUB’s platform and purchase up to $400million in ‘cold storage’ insurance through Marsh’s digital asset risk transfer team.
Meanwhile, fintech prepaid card issuer Tenpo has selected Paygilant to provide Chileans with robust digital fraud prevention. In addition, Paygilant says it supports Tenpo’s mission to ‘redefine the LATAM financial services market’.
Pan-European payment solution Lemonway, has partnered with Ripple to enable instant, more transparent and cost-effective European transactions. The payment solution company will now be able to provide instant payouts with reduced costs, which in turn allows marketplaces to offer more competitive payment services to merchants.
Saudi Arabian digital wallet, STCPay, has selected cloud-native, cloud-agnostic Temenos Payments and Temenos Transact running on a private cloud to achieve exponential growth and expand its digital payments capabilities. Temenos Payments provides Straight-Through Processing (STP) rates over 99% and will underpin STCPay’s digital customer experiences.
Finally, Tezos Gulf, the decentralised, public blockchain platform, has achieved certification recognising its features and governance is in alignment with Sharia standards.
RGI Group, a portfolio company of private equity firm Corsair Capital, has hired Cécile André Leruste as group CEO. Leruste succeeds interim CEO Christophe Quesne. She most recently served as managing director for Accenture Global Banking.
Payments issuer processor Global Processing Services (GPS) has bolstered its executive leadership team with a trio of appointments. Richard Hodgson is now chief financial officer, Shaun Puckrin is chief product officer and Jerome Gudgeon is chief technology officer.
Their collective wealth of experience stands to enrich the team and propel us forward into the next stage of our evolution, which will see GPS deploying our payments processing technology into new territories.
First Derivatives, the capital markets experts, has tasked Nicholas Dolan with further accelerating its growth strategy. Dolan, who has considerable expertise in Calypso software, will focus on growth in North America, the UK, Australia and South Africa, as well as strengthening services in Newry, Ireland and Micassaga, Canada.
Genesis, the global financial markets software firm, has received a strategic investment from Citi via its Markets FinTech Investments and SPRINT groups to leverage Genesis’ “Low-Code Application Platform” (LCAP) to drive its key innovation priorities.
Spoon Guru the London-based AI-powered food search and discovery technology start-up, has announced that it has secured a Series A funding round with W23, the Venture Capital arm of Australia’s largest retailer, Woolworths Group. The multi-million dollar investment will be used to expand Spoon Guru’s footprint with retailers across APAC, North America and Europe, at a time when governments are putting a greater focus on the importance of food and health to boost national health.
Chargebee, the subscription billing and revenue operations platform powering thousands of fast-growth subscription businesses, today announced a new $55M Series F funding round led by Insight Partners. The current round of funding includes participation from existing investors, bringing the total funding raised to date to $105M. Chargebee provides the subscription platform used by thousands of businesses across the world, from startups to large businesses like Okta, Pret a Manger, and Envoy.
And Simply, the non-bank SME lender, has announced a fourth financing tranche from the British Business Bank to add to its existing ENABLE Funding facility. In total, the four rounds of financing will provide more than £230m of funding to smaller businesses across the UK. This is now the largest facility under the Bank’s ENABLE Funding programme, which aims to improve the supply of asset and lease finance to smaller UK businesses.


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New findings from the ‘Bing Lee Multiple Hats Mum Report’ provide Australians with insights into what mum wants this Mother’s Day.
Supporting the latest Mother’s Day campaign #MultipleHatsMum and commissioned by family-owned Australian retailer Bing Lee to mark its new warehouse in Melbourne, the ‘Bing Lee Multiple Hats Mum Report’ highlights that practical (not pampering) gifts are on-trend this year.
The national survey found that almost a third (31%) of respondents believe that a new smartphone is a top gift this Mother’s Day, and over a quarter (26%) of mums surveyed confirmed a smartphone was their preferred present – suggesting that keeping in touch with family, friends and colleagues with the latest technology, video conferencing apps, along with great camera functionality is a high priority for most.
The ‘Bing Lee Multiple Hats Mum Report’ found that close to a quarter (24%) of Australians believe mums would love to have a new white good appliance as a gift for Mother’s Day, followed by a food processor (22%) and exercise equipment (19%). The Australian mums surveyed backed up the popularity of white good appliances, with one third (33%) saying they would love to have a new white good appliance, such as a washing machine, dryer or microwave in their home in the future. Additionally, almost three in ten mums (29%) confirmed a robotic vacuum is on their wish list, which would certainly help the increased cleaning of the home at this present time.Well-known Australian TV personality, and mother of two Natalie Bassingthwaighte says, “The role of us mums in the family home is busier than ever in the current environment and we are all trying to wear multiple hats. Not only are we trying to run an organised household, we are also attempting to work remotely while playing the home chef and substitute teacher! The juggle (or struggle) is real and as a parent of two young kids myself, I can definitely relate to the many hats that Australian mums wear daily, now more than ever. This Mother’s Day, all mums definitely deserve a gift that brings them positivity and enjoyment, recognising all the hard work they do.”
As part of the campaign, Bing Lee has launched www.multiplehatsmum.com.au which will help Australians pick a gift mum will love through a virtual wish list that mum can complete. Natalie is also helping Bing Lee encourage Australians to share an image of their mum, their family or a friend who is a mum to their Instagram and explain why they are a deserving recipient of an extra Mother’s Day treat this year.
“Both Bing Lee and I want Australians to show a little piece of gratitude for all these wonderful women in our lives. That’s why we’re launching the #MultipleHatsMum social media competition and rewarding a special mum with a $1000 Bing Lee gift card,” said Natalie.
Spoil your mum this Mother’s Day – visit www.multiplehatsmum.com.au for gifting inspiration, and have your mum create a wish-list for your chance to win the ultimate Mother’s Day gift.


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This story appears in the May 15 print edition of Equipment & Maintenance Update, a supplement to Transport Topics.
Technological advances soon could make electric Class 8 tractors feasible for longhaul applications, but rather than relying solely on plug-in battery systems, those trucks likely will incorporate other power configurations such as hybrid solutions and hydrogen fuel cells.
At the same time, many predict that diesel fuel will continue to play a prominent role in powering the truck of the future.
“For longhaul, I don’t think any of the regulators or truck manufacturers today see batteries as a path to get to an all-electric truck,” said Patrick Couch, vice president of technical services for Gladstein, Neandross & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in alternative-fuel applications. “There would have to be a really fundamental breakthrough in the technology we have today.”
BEST OF MAY E&MU: More stories, columns
The challenge of a battery-electric vehicle for longhaul is the battery weight and charging requirements.
“If you were to consider a full-electric vehicle, Class 8, with a 200-mile range and a 65 miles-per-hour top speed, you’re looking at a battery that weighs as much as 16,000 pounds,” said Darren Gosbee, vice president of powertrain and advanced technology for Navistar International Corp., maker of the International brand of trucks.
Bill Kahn, principal engineer at Peterbilt Motors Co., a unit of Paccar Inc., estimates that a battery with a 200-mile range could cost up to $100,000.
Manufacturers have several methods beyond batteries to electrify a Class 8 tractor.
Many manufacturers are taking “baby steps” before going all in, said Robert Braswell, acting executive director of American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council. “In terms of electrification, you can either do a lot or a little.”
“You’re trying to reduce your use of fuel and repurpose wasted energy to power something more productive,” Braswell said.
Electric and hybrid-electric Class 8 trucks would come at a premium over a diesel truck because of the price of the batteries, but that cost should come down over time, said Vinoo Thomas, director of electrification business development at Cummins Inc. In addition, operating costs would be significantly lower than a diesel in terms of fuel and servicing, which would help offset the initial higher cost of an electric option.
Electric Class 8 vehicles are likely to make an appearance in the North American and European longhaul markets around 2020 or 2021, Thomas said. “Initially, this will be at very low volume but may begin to register from around 2025 as [electric] truck purchase costs begin to decline due to battery improvements.”
Cummins, a major supplier of diesel and natural gas engines for the trucking industry, is working on a plug-in hybrid driveline, which provides greater range capability than that of a full-battery electric vehicle.
“A downsized engine acts as a generator to supply power to the vehicle, and this enables the vehicle to switch between battery-only power, diesel engine power or a blend of engine and battery power,” Thomas said.
Peterbilt is working with strategic partners to develop several electric and hybrid-electric powertrain configurations.
“Depending on market acceptance, some of the technologies can be ready within the next few years,” Kahn said.
Given current technology, longhaul customers most likely will benefit from a hybrid configuration, which uses a smaller motor generator and battery pack to provide up to 5% driving benefit with traffic stop/start and a quieter last-mile delivery, Kahn said.
Other alternative fuels could play a key role in electric-hybrid technology.
Startup truck maker Nikola Motor Co. plans to launch its hydrogen-electric Class 8 tractor in mid-2020 and has secured reservations for more than 8,000 sleeper models and day cabs, CEO Trevor Milton said in late March. Road tests will begin in October 2018 with several fleets, including U.S. Xpress Enterprises.
The Nikola One will use high-density lithium-ion batteries and a hydrogen fuel cell. The tractor will be at least 2,000 pounds lighter than a traditional diesel-powered Class 8 truck, Milton said. “You’re talking about giving fleets an additional $1,000 in revenue,” he said.
Operating costs for the Nikola tractors will be more than 30% less than those of a diesel-powered tractor, Milton said. The company will offer its trucks through a flat lease rate of $5,000 to $7,000 a month or a per-mile rate that had yet to be determined as of late March. The lease will run six years or 1 million miles and cover all maintenance expenses, Milton said.
Nikola plans to produce hydrogen on-site at fueling locations through electrolysis, and the company is in discussions with major truck stop chains.
“We will have a major announcement in July,” Milton said.
Thomas, of Cummins, said the high cost of setting up a hydrogen fueling infrastructure is a major barrier to the fuel, and according to some reports, the CO2 emissions created from hydrogen production are higher than the CO2 savings achieved by the hydrogen fuel cell truck.
Cummins is evaluating the hydrogen fuel cell as a potential energy source and could transition its emerging electric vehicle capability to hydrogen when the fuel cell becomes a viable commercial proposition for Class 8 applications, Thomas said.
Navistar’s Gosbee said hydrogen fuel cells are very attractive — if the infrastructure challenge can be addressed.
Tom Liutkus, a spokesman for TravelCenters of America, said the truck stop chain likely would provide charging if the demand for electric trucks or cars reached critical mass.
“Technology must improve the range and recharging time of the vehicle in order to compete with today’s fueling methods,” he said.
Electric carmaker Tesla Inc. also intends to jump into the heavy-duty truck market. Co-founder and CEO Elon Musk said in April that the company plans to unveil an electric semi-truck in September. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment in mid-March.
Amid the current buzz around electric trucks, many in the industry said diesel fuel still will be the primary energy source for Class 8 trucks for years to come.
“Diesel fuel will be the fuel of choice for longhaul trucking for a very long time,” said Mike Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency. “It is an available fuel, and it is easy to use.”
“We have probably 120 to 150 years of fossil fuel infrastructure,” Navistar’s Gosbee said. “Changing that to be a different infrastructure isn’t something that can happen overnight.”
What’s more, clean diesel technology continues to improve, said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technol- ogy Forum. “You’re seeing the truck OEMs deliver the next generation of diesel vehicle,” he said, adding that the low cost of diesel has made it harder for electric-hybrid technology to compete.
Andy Schmahl, an adviser for PricewaterhouseCoopers, said that although some companies look at new technology from a dollars-and-cents perspective, others look at it to support their sustainability initiatives or satisfy shippers that have made commitments to lower their carbon footprint.
Batteries remain an expensive choice for manufacturers, but costs are decreasing and battery technology is improving.
“With electric battery storage technology making these massive leaps and bounds, you will see it becoming practical where this is a possibility,” TMC’s Braswell said.
Vehicles with a hybrid electric or full-battery electric drivetrain weigh more than a diesel-powered equivalent, but the weight difference is usually less than a 10% increase, Thomas said. Regulators might allow electric trucks to have marginally higher weight limits than their diesel equivalents to provide the same payload capability, he said.
Currently, most lithium-ion battery packs should not be recharged in less than one hour.
“Therefore, with a 100-mile range truck and one-hour recharge times, it becomes impractical to do longhaul,” said Andy Swanton, vice president of truck sales at BYD, which manufactures a Class 8 battery-electric truck marketed to shorthaul and drayage operations.
Battery swaps could be a solution to that problem. “You have configurable trucks that could pull in and swap packs much like filling up a tank,” Swanton said.
Cummins is not far away from developing a full battery-electric system that would be viable for Class 8 trucks, initially for shorter routes but with the potential to cover extended routes as the charging infrastructure expands, Thomas said.
And TransPower offers a shorthaul electric tractor with a 40-mile range, but it plans to offer a range extender using compressed natural gas or hydrogen by the end of the summer, which could provide about 340 miles of range, said Joshua Goldman, vice president of business development for the California-based company.
As for electrified accessories, Navistar has turned to a “microhybrid” approach for cooling fans, water fan and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, Gosbee said. The internal combustion engine still moves the vehicle, but energy captured through regenerative braking and waste-heat recovery provides power, so accessories can be turned on only when needed, saving energy, Gosbee said, noting this technology still is in development.
What’s more, the ability to turn systems on as needed allows engineers to configure the systems to run at their most efficient point, providing additional energy benefits, Gosbee said. There is no clear timeline currently for the widespread introduction of electrified accessories, but there may be greater use of electrification to meet 2024 or 2027 greenhouse gas emissions standards.
Several components could be electrified as well.
“Think of all the things that run on the belt,” Braswell said. “That is a parasitic load,” he said, adding that electric power steering, brakes and water pumps could increase efficiency.
Meanwhile, Hyliion is developing electric drive axles for trailers to capture wasted energy when the vehicle is traveling downhill, store it in a battery and reuse it upon acceleration. The result is an average 30% reduction in fuel consumption, said Thomas Healy, CEO of the Pittsburgh-based company. “The truck is always the one pulling, but instead of having to pull all 80,000 pounds, now it is 50,000 pounds.”
Sensors determine and transmit inclines, declines, speed and changes in altitude.
“There is a delicate balance between letting energy go or capturing energy,” Healy said. “If it knows what is up ahead, it can decide when to release energy, at what rate and when is the best time and when should you recharge the battery.”
Hyliion will begin testing its system in the third quarter with four fleets and plans to enter full production in 2018.
Hyliion’s axles increase a truck’s weight by 700 to 800 pounds, but they’re categorized as an auxiliary power unit. “With that, the fleets are allotted an extra 450 pounds of payload they can carry,” Healy said. ³


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- People are turning to wild plant foragers to teach them how to live off the land as the coronavirus health crisis continues.
- Expert foragers across the US are reporting a huge uptick in interest in their classes.
- As the pandemic threatens global supply chains, people are preparing themselves for alternative ways to get food, one forager said.
- View more episodes of Business Insider Today on Facebook.
Grilled pigeon is on the menu for Candace Thompson.
As a wild food educator, Thompson cooks with ingredients found around New York City — and serves them at public banquets.
Her hauls include crabs she found in the East River and weeds she collected in Donald J. Trump State Park.
Thompson has been foraging since childhood. But as food insecurity grows during the coronavirus health crisis, more and more people are trying to learn survival skills like hers.
"Maybe being able to call upon the weeds that grow in your yard or your local park could become of service to you," she told Business Insider Today.
Expert foragers are reporting a huge uptick in online interest. One of the people reaping the benefits is Mark "Merriwether" Vorderbruggen, who runs the website Foraging Texas from his suburban home outside Houston.
"Normally I'd be getting 400 new followers a month, maybe 100 a week, and it tripled," he told Business Insider Today.
Vorderbruggen engages with his audience in daily livestreams. He says many of his followers were drawn to his site over fears that the American supply chain would break down, forcing them to fend for food on their own.
"There's all these articles of farmers not being able to get their crops through the infrastructure that finally gets it out to the grocery stores," Vorderbruggen said.
"So people are staying in this and they're going, 'Damn, there might not be food. What do I do? Well there's green stuff all around me. Some of it's got to be edible, you know? What did people do beforehand?'"
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Pascal Baudar has been teaching workshops about wild edible plants for nearly two decades.
Since California began implementing lockdowns, Baudar estimates that 60% of what he eats comes directly from nature, compared to 20% from before.
"We have a pandemic and people don't know what to do," he said. "And I really don't have any problem because I can find my food everywhere."
Although he canceled in-person classes because of the pandemic, he says his online interactions are skyrocketing.
"What I'm getting right now is a gazillion emails with photos right now saying, 'What is it? Can I eat it?' I get so many of those," he said.
Baudar emphasizes in his classes that foraged food doesn't have to lack flavor. He uses wild ingredients to brew his own beer and ferment kimchi, and he's supplied several gourmet restaurants with produce.
"Here's the irony — I'm getting the most unwanted plants to a three-Michelin-star chef that was using it in the dishes that rich people would pay a s---load of money to eat," he said.
The trend could be spreading as restaurants fight to stay open through statewide lockdowns. One Brooklyn restaurant, Honey Badger, even started selling boxes of wild foraged food to customers, who line up around the block for packages of purple dead nettle and Japanese knotweed.
But foraging comes with risks. Some wild plants are poisonous, while others can be contaminated with heavy metals or pesticides.
"I made a meal for us out of all foraged items. It turns out one of them was not edible," psychologist Nicole Landwehr said.
She and her partner Noah Adelman fell ill after mistaking daffodils for ramps, a type of wild leek, on their property in Missouri.
"Daffodils are a flower that pretty much every part of the plant is poisonous, it turns out," Adelman said. "And it's got a chemical in it that causes pretty much instantaneous vomiting."
And in some places, gathering wild food may be illegal. That's what the ecologist "Wildman" Steve Brill learned in 1986, when he was arrested by undercover New York City park rangers for eating a dandelion in Central Park on one of his foraging tours.
But as more people are getting a taste of the wild, experts warn that learning how to survive on foraged food alone takes time.
"I still get emails from people that say, 'I am done with society, done with humanity. I'm going to run off into the woods. What plants can I eat?'" Vorderbruggen said.
"This is something you need to spend a few years learning before you run off into the woods."
But for those who are dedicated to the lifestyle, foraging has plenty of benefits.
"Foraging is basically like yoga outside because you're bending, you're twisting, you're reaching, you're stretching occasionally you're running really fast," Vorderbruggen said. "What's the saying, let food be thy medicine? I could take it one step farther — let gathering food be thy medicine."
Baudar is hoping that the health crisis inspires more people to take their first steps into the woods.
"For me, it's extremely spiritual. It's like meditation, you know. I'm all by myself. It's just me and nature," he said.
"Why do we need to do pandemic to have that authentic, to have the real sound of a forest?"


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According to Shanghai Daily, the seized meat, totalling 530 tons, included contaminated or diseased chicken wings.
Police today claimed that the detained meat had been destroyed using biomass power generation in Xiamen City.
The development came after the country’s biggest meat-smuggling case in a decade was opened in Guangdong Province last month, following the seizure of 2,219 tons of smuggled beef, chicken wings and pigs’ feet worth CNY200m (US$31m).
According to authorities, the smuggled meat posed serious food safety dangers and a significant cost in evaded tax.
Chinese food authorities are in the midst of a food crime crackdown and in July 2015, police uncovered a secret hold of smuggled meat, some of which was over 40 years old.


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Word out of GSM confab from DT USA execs is that 3G will finally be ready in the USA by June, and it will be the best 3G in the mkt. UMTS capable phones are already available in the usual line of crappy koren phones with long contracts. Who knows they might even get a clue and start offering state of the art phones like the e90. Data rates are still unbearable here in OR.
No word on if port 506x will be blocked to mobile voip services like truphone.
Given att/cingular/most soviet cell provider in the USA has tripled thier data traiffs this should be good news for the share price once 3g gets going.


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Nike has emerged as a leader in alleviating the effects of climate change. Through disruptive innovation, Nike intends to build a sustainable network that fosters growth and financial success.
Fast fashion is fundamentally antithetical to sustainability, but H&M is leading the charge to minimize its environmental impact.
NIKE efforts to reduce their global footprint
As H&M operates nearly 4000 stores worldwide , its very actions stand to destroy its success soon.
Nike is leading the pack in addressing climate change by setting a new standard for sustainability in the apparel sector.
Nike is implementing a sustainability plan with ambitious goals to achieve by 2020.
For many men, the ideal shopping experience is markedly different than what women typically envision. The ecommerce platform, Bonobos, took advantage of this difference to create a business model specifically targeted for the needs of male shoppers. To achieve their value proposition, the Company has paradoxically turned to operating features characteristic of more traditional retail: hands-on customer service and brick-and-mortar stores
Nike has found its fast. How category offense has brought Nike up to speed and past the competition.
Through its flagship brand Zara, Inditex has revolutionized fashion retailing through its promise to design, produce, and deliver cutting-edge apparel in under 3 weeks. Read on to find out how Zara successfully delivers to over 2000 stores in 88 countries every week, and why they continue to grow by 8% after decades of operation.
Nike, take note. Oiselle has figured out how to speak to and sell to female athletes. Can they keep it up?


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Unilever said Monday that it has become a wholly British company, completing a historic merger of its Dutch and British corporate entities to end its double-headed structure.
The new group, Unilever PLC, will now be headquartered in London under a so-called unification strategy designed to make it more responsive to economic challenges including coronavirus.
Unilever, which has experienced strong demand for hand cleaners and household cleaning products during the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, insisted there will be no change to its operations, locations, activities and staffing levels.
“Unilever is pleased to announce the completion of the unification of its group legal structure under a single parent company, Unilever PLC,” it said in a statement.
“From today, and for the first time in its history, Unilever now trades with one market capitalisation, one class of shares and one global pool of liquidity, whilst also maintaining the group’s listings on the Amsterdam, London and New York stock exchanges.”
Shareholders had overwhelmingly approved the move in September after the group had unveiled the plan in June.
The company’s Dutch corporate entity Unilever NV had ceased to exist on Sunday, it added.
“This is an important day for Unilever and we would like to thank our shareholders for their strong support of our Unification proposals, which give us greater flexibility for strategic portfolio change, remove complexity and further improve governance,” added Unilever Chairman Nils Andersen.
The company’s food and refreshments division will continue to be based in Rotterdam. Britain will continue to be the base for both its home care and its beauty and personal care units.
Unilever was founded in 1930 after the Dutch margarine producer Margarien Unie merged with British soapmaker Lever Brothers, but had until now kept its dual-headed structure.
The firm had attempted to move its corporate base from London to the Dutch port of Rotterdam in 2018. However, it had to back down after a revolt by shareholders in Britain.


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China might block Microsoft purchase of Nokia's assets unless patent fees are reduced29
This wouldn't be the first time that China has held up a major tech transaction. Back in 2012, the Chinese government held back on approval of Google's acquisition of Motorola until the former promised that it would keep a free licensing policy for the Android OS. Now, the Chinese government is worried that once the Microsoft purchase closes, Nokia will use its patents (which it retains in the deal) to bring in some revenue by forcing Chinese handset makers to pay licensing fees.
Nokia has not gone after manufacturers in the country, some of whom have possibly been infringing on its patents, since it was selling smartphones in China. Once smartphone sales belong to Microsoft, there is nothing holding back the Finnish based firm from demanding that Chinese OEMs sign licensing deals in order to use Nokia's patents. The Chinese manufacturers are using this situation to request that the Ministry of Commerce demand lower patent fees from both Nokia and Microsoft, using approval of the pending transaction between them as leverage.


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EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio, Jun 27, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- GE today unveiled Link, a new and affordable connected LED bulb that lets consumers remotely control their home lighting from anywhere in the world and sync with other connected devices. Enabled by the new Wink app, Link eliminates the need for expensive add-ons typically associated with connected devices, making it an easy and cost-effective way for consumers to light up their smart homes.
Starting below $15, the Link connected LED will be available for pre-order starting Monday, June 30, at www.homedepot.com. Consumers can find Link in The Home Depot stores beginning this fall.
Link provides the same high-quality lighting, energy efficiency and long life that consumers expect from the GE brand and is available in three popular lighting applications:
“Our very own Thomas Edison built the first commercially viable bulb, and today we’re proud to announce the first commercially viable connected bulb designed for Wink users,” says John Strainic, General Manager, North America Consumer Lighting for GE. “We know the quality of light consumers love and want in their homes, and we’re a brand they trust.”
Initial education of the benefits to a smart home will be key for driving adoption. Running off a connected hub, ZigBee-certified Link LED bulbs help consumers:
GE is proud to be a founding partner of Quirky’s and Wink's initiatives to build a smarter home.
About GE Lighting
GE Lighting invents with the vigor of its founder Thomas Edison to develop energy-efficient solutions that change the way people light their world in commercial, industrial, municipal and residential settings. The business employs about 13,000 people in more than 100 countries, and sells products under the reveal® and energy smart® consumer brands, and Evolve™, GTx™, Immersion™, Infusion™, Lumination™, Albeo™ and Tetra® commercial brands, all trademarks of GE. General Electric GE, -7.26% works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information, visit www.gelighting.com.
Wink is one, quick and simple way to connect you and the products you rely on in the home. Wink allows you to confidently interact with and operate many different products – all from an Apple or Android mobile device. Through retail partnerships with The Home Depot and Amazon.com, as well as partnerships with everyday household brands, Wink extends the comfort you have with your home products to the smart technology that runs them. For more information, visit www.Winkapp.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140627005585/en/
SOURCE: GE Lighting
Megan Lavelle, 216-266-9702
Copyright Business Wire 2014


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A new report from BI Intelligence, has identified how Starbucks‘ mobile app strategy is paying off. The coffee chain noted an increase of 21% of mobile app transactions in the US in 2015 and plans to increase its mobile spend in 2016.
Starbucks increases mobile transactions to 21% across US
Indeed, the company said mobile was one of its core strategies for the year ahead. Loyalty cards and rewards using QR-codes have driven the usage of its app. However, it’s the order-and-pay feature that has transformed the experience into a more rounded one.
In-app marketing plays a significant role here. Starbucks is a clear example of just how effective in-app messages can be and data from Salesforce is backing this up.
In-app marketing grows fast
According to the research, 77% of marketers noted positive ROI from mobile marketing, whilst another 20% have plans to use apps for marketing over the coming 12 months.
Starbucks confirmed that it plans to expand its mobile marketing strategies to increase purchases in-app through personalised recommendations.
Mobile strategy specialist Crone Consulting LLC told Bloomberg that this could up individual purchases by up to 50%.
Peter Saleh, Analyst, BTIG LLC, says:
“The mobile and order-and-pay is just going to keep driving their growth going forward. It helps to drive their average check higher. It also provides them with a lot of data.”


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Though the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the impact of late B2B payments in the U.S. — both due to U.S. corporates paying their suppliers late, as well as U.S. vendors struggling with delayed payments — the matter is, and always has been, a global one.
This week’s late payments roundup finds new efforts from corporates and their financial service providers to address the issue, while separately, research warns that late B2B payments are adding extra pressure to small companies’ cash flows — with stories from the U.S., U.K., Australia and Malaysia.
Gap Reverses Vendor Payment Course
Apparel brand Gap recently announced a reversal of its initial decision not to pay vendors for canceled orders. Reports in Sourcing Journal said the company, which owns Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta as well as its Gap brands, has now vowed to pay vendors in full for canceled orders.
“While we have extended payment terms on certain orders, in the immediate term we are providing low cost financing to our vendor partners, and are working with our banking partners to increase the amount of funds available within the program as we move forward,” the firm said in a statement.
U.K. Supermarkets Put On Watch
While the pandemic has introduced cash flow constraints for many industries — like apparel — and led to delayed vendor payments, supermarkets have emerged as a leader in on-time and even accelerated vendor payments amid the market volatility. Yet new analysis by The Grocer suggests supermarkets may not be as on top of their accounts payable as previously thought.
Speaking with the publication, Federation of Small Businesses Senior Policy Advisor Daniel Bellis warned that even top-performing vendor payers may still have lackluster processes in place.
“Almost every sector is a poor payer, so it is no endorsement to be better than average,” he said. “It is very easy to damage the supply chain, and during coronavirus it is harder than ever for small suppliers. If businesses aren’t careful there won’t be a supply chain to come back to in some cases.”
New data from Pay.UK cited by the publication found that top food companies, including Magners and United Biscuits, take more than 60 days to pay vendors, with at least 15 percent of their invoices being paid outside of agreed-upon terms.
NAB Warns Of Spiking Late Payments
National Australia Bank (NAB) issued a new report that warned late payments are piling up for the nation’s small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Mozo reports said. In its “Supporting Economic Recovery” report, NAB found a total of AU$115 billion (about US$80.5 billion) in late payments every year.
The bank also applauded recent regulatory efforts to curb late B2B payments to small suppliers under the Payments Time Reporting Bill 2020, which will require the largest corporates to report on their vendor payment practices.
The publication also pointed to recent data from small business accounting platform MYOB, which found 38 percent of SMBs say they face financial stress as a result of late payments. Forty-two percent said they are concerned about cash flow because of late payments.
HSBC Malaysia Enables Proton To Speed Payments
In Malaysia, HSBC Bank Malaysia is implementing its HSBC Supply Chain Finance program for automotive company Proton Holdings, which is seeking the financing arrangement in an effort to accelerate vendor payments, according to The Edge Markets reports.
In a statement, HSBC said the program will enable Proton to pay suppliers early in exchange for a discount, an initiative the bank said is “getting increasingly more important for SME suppliers in Malaysia under the current environment.”
HSBC also noted that it is implementing a streamlined and digital vendor onboarding service to help suppliers be able to access capital at rates that can be more affordable than if they were to seek credit from their own financial institutions, thanks to Proton’s stronger credit profile.
Selected by Fintech Tube


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LENEXA, Kan., Aug. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Avenue Link, a leading online marketing company specializing in targeted online and mobile lead generation and data monetization services, has announced it was ranked #2 on Ingram's 2014 Corporate Report 100 listing of the Kansas City area's fastest growing companies. The company has grown consistently and profitably since its formation in 2010, growing revenues 26-fold and expanding its customer base.
The Corporate Report 100 listing, which marks its 29th year in 2014, solicits nominees and ultimately ranks the 100 fastest-growing Kansas City area-based businesses that meet its growth criteria. Avenue Link was selected from a field of applicants throughout Greater Kansas City and the surrounding 22-county area.
Avenue Link specializes in the financial services and automotive sectors, utilizing email and affiliate marketing, search engine pay-per-click advertising, and data management to generate high-quality, targeted leads for clients. The company's ability to successfully match and connect consumers with the financial entities that can best meet their needs has enabled it to deliver industry-leading results for its clients. This success and Avenue Link's strong reputation within the industries it serves has resulted in its sustained revenue and customer acquisition growth.
"Since we formed the company, our goal has been to profitably grow and build our business in a way that maximizes the talents of our team and generates strong results for our customers," says Jon Cross, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer. "We're very excited by this recognition in that it validates our success at doing that."
About Avenue Link
Avenue Link is an online marketing company that specializes in the financial services and automotive industries. Avenue Link utilizes a variety of strategies including email and affiliate marketing, search engine pay-per-click advertising, and data/list management to generate high-quality, targeted leads for clients. The company's combination of a proprietary, best-in-class technology platform and email lead generation expertise enables it to quickly and accurately connect consumers to the lending sources that can best meet their needs.
SOURCE Avenue Link


text: This is noteworthy because Lindner says this on his Twitter account, saying that Germany should „learn from Russia’s experience” and „instead of becoming too dependent, we must quickly rethink the situation” because China remains Germany’s most important trading partner. for the seventh consecutive year. Germany’s trade balance with China was around 8 billion euros last year. Countries used about 298 billion euros of goods – about 21% more than in 2021. Germany imported goods from China worth 191 billion euros last year, which is about a third more than the previous year. At the same time, German products were exported to China in the region of 107 billion euros, which is only a 3% increase compared to the previous year.


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Two new malls are coming to Abu Dhabi
Al Jimi Mall in Al Ain recently unveiled its new extension, while Reem Mall and My City Centre Masdar are set to open within the next couple of years
Shoppers in Abu Dhabi are in for a treat, with the expansion of Al Jimi Mall in Al Ain and two more huge projects on the way. Here's a look at the latest news on the mall scene in the capital.
Al Jimi Mall
Al Jimi Mall in Al Ain recently unveiled its new extension, which saw the arrival of more than 100 brands, and food and beverage outlets, bringing the total store count to well over 200 shops. New stores include American Eagle, NYX, Bath and Bodyworks, Danube Home, United Furniture, Muji, H&M and the largest Home Centre in Al Ain. The mall includes Al Ain’s first outdoor ‘Retail Park’ concept, eateries including The Coffee Club, Triangle and Cafe Afi, and the first eight-screen Vox cinemas. This takes in two Theatre by Rhodes screens, a Max cinema with a mega-screen, a kids' cinema and four regular screens.
My City Centre Masdar
Majid Al Futtaim will open its first mall in the capital with My City Centre Masdar. The shopping mall is on track to launch in the second quarter of this year, and will feature 70 stores across 18,500 square metres, including a 7,000-square-metre Carrefour Hypermarket. The mall is within the Masdar City transit network, adjacent to the city's proposed metro station. In keeping with the area's sustainability theme, electric car owners will have access to 18 charging points and there will be bicycle parking facilities near all the entrances of the mall.
Reem Mall is set to open its doors in the second half of 2020. Located on Reem Island, the shopping destination will comprise 450 stores, including 85 food and beverage outlets, and the world's largest indoor snow park. It will also feature a hypermarket, four department stores, two food courts, a multiplex cinema and more. Reem Mall will also be divided into three areas: Mangrove Atrium, Urban Façade and Dynamic Façade — each inspired by the capital's mangrove forests, which includes salt flats and crystal formations.
Published: March 17, 2019 04:52 PM


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When news broke that Rihanna would receive the Fashion Icon award at the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards, there was one very important thing on everybody's minds -- what was she going to WEAR to the ceremony? But with the stylish star's recent (and tragic) disappearance from Instagram, there was no hope of even getting a glimpse of her look before red carpet time. So, begrudgingly, we all waited in anticipation the old-fashioned way... sans social media.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, after seeing Riri step out in a barely there, custom Adam Selman gown, covered head-to-toe in Swarovski crystals (literally, over 200,000 of them) and carrying a pink fur stole, it seems like this look was worth the wait.
Whether you love it or hate it, you cannot deny that the starlet is channeling some serious old Hollywood glamour. You might even say she was paying homage to Josephine Baker, who would be celebrating a birthday tomorrow (June 3.)
Of course, it wouldn't be Rihanna if it wasn't outrageous. In a move we can only assume sends an "I'm going to show my nipples whenever I want" message to the Instagram employees who disabled her account, the dress left, well, nothing to the imagination.
What do you think of her look? Sound off below!


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Posted December. 17, 2004 22:57,
Beginning next year, when you purchase a car with capacity below 800cc, the amount of imposed taxes will decrease by nearly 70,000 won.
Also, the amount of succession and gift taxes on unlisted stocks will increase greatly.
On December 17, the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE) announced that it prepared a 2004 Tax Law Enforcement Decree Reform Bill with such contents. After passing the bill through a cabinet meeting, it will be enforced beginning January 1.
Rural Special Tax Exemption for the Matiz-
The government has exempted compact cars of under 800cc from acquisition and registration taxes of four percent of the price (excluding value-added taxes) and levied rural special taxes of 0.8 percent.
However, starting next year, the government has also decided to exempt rural special taxes.
Consequently, beginning next year, those who purchase a GM Daewoo Matiz will pay 69,600 won less in taxes.
Though this tax reform bill decreases the amount of taxes by only 70,000 won, when one takes into account the high oil prices and the long-term economic depression, as consumers tighten their belts, the demand for compact cars is expected to rise.
Heavier Tax Burdens for Succession and Gifts of Unlisted Stocks through Expedients-
Beginning next year, the expedient of willfully devaluating unlisted stocks to decrease succession and gift taxes will be harder to employ.
When evaluating the value of unlisted stocks to calculate succession and gift taxes, the government has considered the companys profits, losses and asset situation.
Consequently, a portion of the rich has bought unlisted company stocks and used the expedient of succeeding or giving the stocks away when the company was suffering losses.
However, the government has decided to valuate corporations that have not commenced yet, corporations with less than three years of business, and corporations with three consecutive years of deficits by asset value only.
Director General for Property, Consumption and International Tax Affairs of MOFE Gwon Hyuk-se said, Through this measure, owners of unlisted companies who use periods of difficulty to hand down stocks to their children or those who purchase stocks of unlisted companies and give them to their children will find a much heavier tax burden.
Reinvigoration of the Cash Receipt System-
The MOFE has decided to hold a cash receipt lottery to reinvigorate the cash receipt system that will be introduced next year.
Each month, they will draw serial numbers of cash receipts and pay 100 million won to the first place winner, 30 million won to two respective second place winners, five million won to three respective third place winners, 100,000 won to 100 respective fourth place winners, and 10,000 won to 7,000 fifth place winners.
Along with this, the government has stipulated in the enforcement decree that even businesses that do not receive credit cards or give out cash receipts are available for tax investigation.
In addition, as a solution to the problem of people with poor credit ratings has not been found, the exemption of collection service businesses from value-added taxes has been extended from this years end to the end of next year.


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Exports from Canada dropped 2.9 percent month-over-month to CAD 48.3 billion in November of 2018, the fourth consecutive monthly decline. Shipments of energy products fell 9.2 percent to CAD 8.4 billion, following a 6.7 percent drop in October, led by crude oil exports (-17.7 percent). Lower sales of crude oil were partially offset by higher exports of coal to South Korea, China and Viet Nam. Additionally, sales of basic and industrial chemical, plastic and rubber products decreased 7.5 percent, with exports of lubricants and other petroleum refinery products down 26.4 percent, mostly on lower exports of motor gasoline blending stock to the northeastern United States. Also, exports of forestry products and building and packaging materials were down 5.7 percent, due to lower exports of pulp and paper (-10.1 percent). Exports in Canada averaged 21960.94 CAD Million from 1971 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 51023.40 CAD Million in July of 2018 and a record low of 1366 CAD Million in February of 1971.
Exports in Canada is expected to be 50500.00 CAD Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Exports in Canada to stand at 49500.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Canada Exports is projected to trend around 53000.00 CAD Million in 2020, according to our econometric models.


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Jeans Warehouse to open new store
Even though surveys indicate that optimism among retailers nationally and locally is ebbing, Jeans Warehouse is looking to expand.
Phil Fong, president and chief executive officer for Jeans Warehouse, told members of the Business Banking Council yesterday that plans are underway to open a new flagship store at Ala Moana Center this summer.
The new 5,000-square-foot store will rival the chain's current flagship outlet, a 4,500-square-foot space at Pearlridge Shopping Center, Fong said. The retailer now has two smaller spaces, 2,324 and 1,726 square feet, at Ala Moana.
"In a good economy most retailers will do well, but in a softer economy value becomes more relevant," said Fong, whose chain's tagline is "Fashion Happens for Less."
Ala Moana spokesman Matt Derby said the company is in the final stages of lease approval for the space vacated by KB Toys.
With its Ala Moana store expected to open in June or July, the 26-store company is scouting other expansion possibilities, Fong said.
Neighbor island economies could absorb a few more stores, Fong said, but the challenge of finding employees to work there could constrain momentum.
"Although the economy is down, we still have a very limited employment base," Fong said.
Hints of a recession on the mainland appear to have made some Hawaii business owners nervous. However, teen shoppers -- the bread and butter of Jeans Warehouse -- may prove to be a market that defies the downturn. In the past, some of Hawaii's businesses found that economic setbacks did not trickle down to the teen disposable-income market.


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Industry Analyst -- Fuel Economy
Erin researches and reports on fuel-economy trends and environmental regulations.
Latest From Erin Sunde
Automotive industry experts point to the post-2030 timeframe for BEVs to be similarly priced to ICE cars, with a majority predicting lithium-ion battery packs will reach $100/kWh after 2025.
Regulations around the world point to automakers as the responsible parties for end-of-life lithium-ion battery packs in their products. Traditional recycling methods have been inefficient and costly, but with a surge of EVs coming off the roads in the next few years, new processes can better match material supply with rising demand.
A look at the U.S. emissions and fuel-economy policy and how it is impacting the electric-vehicle market.
While the California Air Resources board is planning the maximum emissions reductions for the post-2025 era, it is also considering how to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles by addressing consumer hesitancy and other uncertainties.
There is some agreement on if the policy goals will be reached, but opinions differ on whether it can make it through the Supreme Court.
Toyota helped boost the market to a record-high hybrid rate.


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Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund surpasses £300m investment milestone
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) has directly invested over £300m into 952 businesses across the North of England, alongside an additional £400m of private sector co-investment, taking its total delivery to more than £700m.
Launched in 2017 to address market gaps and regional imbalances in access to finance, the milestone is a result of 1,280 investments into businesses across a range of size, sectors and locations spread widely across the NPIF region. In total, the Fund has provided £122m in equity finance, £162m in debt finance and £19m in microfinance.
The most active sector for NPIF investments to date has been advanced manufacturing, with support provided to companies working in a dynamic range of sectors, from renewable energy and ecommerce, to technology, media and telecoms and health and life sciences.
NPIF has already announced several investments in 2022. These include an 8-figure funding round led by NPIF – Maven Equity Finance in Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) provider AppLearn; a £70,000 NPIF – BFS & MSIF Microfinance investment into Liverpool-based nutritional snack company Nutry Nuts; And a six-figure investment into Leeds-based manufacturer of printed marketing and communication materials Alpha Card Compact.
The news comes just three months after the Chancellor announced the next generation of NPIF in the latest Spending Review. £660m in government funding has been allocated to the British Business Bank for the launch of the next phase of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.
Catherine Lewis La Torre, CEO of British Business Bank, said:
“The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is an important source of funding for hundreds of businesses across the North of England. Through improved access to finance, these investee businesses have been able to realise their growth plans, create jobs and achieve their full potential. We have built an incredible network of partners and stakeholders across the region which will underpin the launch of our next generation Investment Fund, which we view as a vital step in delivering a stronger north.”
Matt Robinson, Head of Lending for GC Business Finance, added:
"GC Business Finance is proud to have played a key role in the successful delivery of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund to date. NPIF funding has had a significant positive impact on the Northern economy and we are delighted to continue delivering the Fund to SME businesses across the North West. I would encourage any eligible business to take advantage of the NPIF Microfinance Fund to create and safeguard jobs and to continue to recover from the pandemic and grow their business."
To find out more about how your business could benefit from the NPIF Microfinance Fund here.


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The humanoid robot promised last year by Tesla CEO Elon Musk made its appearance this week at Tesla AI Day..
Google’s experiments with household robots and conversational AI have collided to produce a new language model called PaLM-SayCan for parent..
A Minnesota nursing home has begun using two AI-powered robots as care assistants for those with dementia or early-stage Alzheimer’s...
Robotic AI startup Sanctuary Cognitive Systems has closed a $58.5 million Series A funding round of strategic investment from Bell,..
Virtual bartender Cecilia has joined Florida International University as a new teaching tool. Cecilia’s conversational AI and 3D avatar combination..
Robotics startup Promobot is offering a big check for the right to make a robot with someone’s face and voice...


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At last week’s National Organic Conference in Tullamore he presented some of the results of an organic census carried out in 2012.
Speaking to AgriLand Clavin said: “The census covered all the area of organic production in Ireland including: cattle, dairy, sheep and horticulture. The sector is growing. There is currently, on the livestock side, more than 1,400 farmers of this 981 are in beef production, 26 in dairy and 410 sheep farmers. There is also 156 involved cereals and 400 in horticulture.
According to Clavin: “The current national strategy for organics is to get five per cent of agricultural land farmed organically. We’re increasing steadily. There were 1,000 farmers in 2007 and there are 1,400 now which is a significant increase.”
The recent census showed that organic production is spread extensively throughout the country. It is popular in counties such as Laois, Donegal, Cavan among more. A highlight has been a clustering effect, noted Calvin.
“We’ve seen a clustering of organic production in certain areas throughout the country. There are a lot of pioneering farmers in those areas who are encouraging others into the industry.”
In terms of beef production, Clavin said: “It’s on a smaller scale than conventional production in Ireland. Majority of finished cattle is coming from small herds. Results from the census has shown that 85 per cent of farmers finish less than 20 cattle. This corresponds to 75 per cent in conventional production which seems a small difference. However, there is a lack of big finishers in organic beef production. The production in organic comes from a wider range of smaller farmers.
“There are 9,000 organic cattle killed annually in Ireland. This has increased in recent years. There is growing demand of Irish beef especially in Europe. Countries such as Germany and Scandinavia have seen huge growth. A lot of our organic food is used in baby food on the continent. Where is would have an excellent reputation for quality and safety.”
In terms of breeds, Clavin noted: “On good land where crops can be produced continentals are popular. In more marginal areas traditional breeds tend to be more dominant.”
On the dairy side, he said: “All our organic dairy farmers are liquid milk producers. There is a market there for organic milk production. Most farmers would be involved in winter milk production. Winter costs are very high for these producers. Ration costs could be as high as €500 per tonne.
The census found that Friesian would be the dominant breed. “However there is increased crossbreeding in the sector. Organic dairy farmers are looking to get the most form then cow,” Calvin observed.
“Most of our dairy production would be retained within the country for our own consumption. Although Glenisk would export a certain proportion of its production. But the majority on Irish organic milk is on Irish shelves. Recently 11 producers got together and formed the Little Milk Company, which has been successful for them. We would defiantly encourage producers groups. Especially in the beef and sheep side where they could have huge potential. We would hope there are elements in the new Common Agriculture Policy to support this,” stressed Clavin.
On the sheep side, he said: “There is a market there for organic lamb, however the supply is too high at the moment. There are 30,000 organic ewes in the country and there just isn’t enough demand for that level of production. “Conventional lamb is already seen by consumers as a premium product. There is an opportunity for famers to get involved with direct selling.”
The organic tillage sector has seen the biggest growth, according to Clavin. There were 94 growers in 2007 now there are 156. 2300/ha of land are now in organic crop production. According to the census: “Most of this is oats, which to a large extent supplies Flahavans. Weather has a big bearing on success for farmers in this area. There was an excellent crop this year. However the previous two years were very tough and a large amount of organic grain had to be imported. Organic crops usually have lower yields than conventional ones. However costs are lower and organic farmers receive a good price premium.”
Clavin continued: “Organic horticulture remains a very small sector in Ireland. We still import a large amount of our fruit and vegetable needs.” The census showed there are currently 400 organic horticulture growers in the sector. It found that there are 281/ha in vegetable production and 41/ha in fruit Clavin noted: “There are only 20 growers who produce on more than 6/ha. There is huge scope for increased production in this sector. The industry is wide spread are around the country and a farms are often located close to urban areas closer to customers.”


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Augusta, ME: Maine lawmakers have finalized rules and regulations governing the licensed production and retail sale of cannabis to adults. The proposed guidelines now await action from Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who is expected to sign the provisions into law.
Under the proposed rules, commercial licenses will initially (until 2021) be granted only to state residents. State employees, active members of law enforcement, those with felony drug convictions, and those who have been denied licenses in other states are ineligible to participate in the retail cannabis industry.
The regulations impose limits with regard to THC content and the appearance of cannabis-infused edible products. Retailers will not be permitted to sell customers more than 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and/or five grams of concentrate in a single day. Retailers will need to first receive local approval prior to applying for a state operator’s license.
Maine voters initially approved the legalization of cannabis sales in November 2016, but lawmakers – led by former Republican Gov. Paul LePage – repeatedly took steps to delay the law’s implementation.
Once the proposed rules are signed into law, it is estimated that that cannabis sales could begin by March 2020.
Governor Mills has previously signed legislation into law this session explicitly permitting the retail sales of hemp-derived CBD products (LD 630), and allowing those with out-of-state medical cannabis registration cards to access Maine dispensaries (LD 538).
For more information, contact Carly Wolf, NORML State Policies Coordinator, at (202) 483-5500.


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Two black women are accused of stealing the wallets of shoppers in Fort Smith. Now police need your help identifying them.
The thefts occurred on Dec. 14, according to a police report.
A woman reported her wallet was stolen while she was shopping at Hobby Lobby on Rogers Avenue. A couple hours later, another woman reported her wallet had been stolen while shopping at Walmart on Zero. Both victims noticed fraudulent charges were made using their credit cards, the report states. Combined about $6,000 worth of fraudulent charges were made with the victims’ accounts.
Police believe the two cases are connected.
They are now trying to identify two black women believed to be between 20-30 years of age. The women are considered persons of interest in the case.
The suspects are possibly driving a black, early 2000 model Chevrolet Blazer with a fake license plate, Arkansas 331 – MSL.
Anyone with information about these crimes should call (479) 78-CRIME. You will remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward.


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Can Van Luc, a member of the National Advisory Council for Financial and Monetary Policies, gave predictions about Vietnam’s inflation situation in 2023 at the 67th Businessmen Café Program organized by the HCM City Business Association on February 25.
According to Luc, Vietnam’s inflation index will increase at least until the end of Q1 2023, which is in contrast to the downward trend in the world.
Explaining this, Luc said there is always latency between global and Vietnam’s inflation. The imported inflation accounts for half of the inflation reasons, while the remaining half relates to money supply in the economy.
In other words, enterprises have to import materials for domestic production and sale. Consumers have to pay for the final product and the latency is about six months.
The second reason lies in the price adjustments of some essential goods and services, including electricity, healthcare and education.
“As for electricity prices, people need to accept the electricity price increases in 2023, estimated at 5-7 percent,” he said.
EVN (Electricity of Vietnam) has incurred a loss of VND31 trillion. Meanwhile, input material prices are escalating, including coal prices. If EVN is not allowed to raise electricity prices, it will incur bigger losses, which will threaten energy security and supply.
Third, money supply to the national economy in 2023 is expected to increase sharply compared to 2022. This is attributed to a 14-15 percent credit growth rate and a public investment disbursement increase of 20-25 percent.
Regarding electricity pricing, in early February, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai signed Decision No02/2023 on the average electricity retail price framework.
Since February 3, the electricity prices have been as follows:
The minimum average electricity retail price is VND1,826.22 per kwh, an increase of VND220.03 compared with the price stipulated in Decision 34/2017, while the maximum price is VND2,444.09, an increase of VND537.67.
Under the decision, when factors used to calculate the price frames fluctuate heavily, and not all the production costs are taken into accounts when calculating average electricity prices, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) will join the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to calculate and adjust the average electricity price frame to submit to the PM for consideration and decision.
EVN takes responsibility of monitoring and reporting to MOIT and MOF when there are big upheavals in the indicators for price frame calculations.
The average electricity retail price frame sets the floor and ceiling price levels for the government to fix the average retail electricity prices.


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Tech vets launch NH startup with $12M
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- Mass High Tech Staff
Former EqualLogic employees have launched a New Hampshire startup with $12 million in funding.
DataGravity, a company co-founded by Paula Long, the former co-founder of storage provider EqualLogic and vice president of product development at Heartland Robotics, and John Joseph former, vice president of marketing at EqualLogic, is an early stage storage area networking company, according to its website.
Charles River Ventures and General Catalyst pumped $12 million into the Nashua, N.H. startup, according to Boston.com. Charles River is the same investor that backed EqualLogic, which was sold to Dell in 2008 for $1.4 billion. Founded this year, the company currently has eight employees and is expected to grow the company to and they expect to grow the company to 25 employees over the coming year.
The startup said its mission is to turn data into information by using its products to help customers extract value and information from stored data and to remove the need complex software packages. DataGravity plans to either “radically change an existing market, or create a new market,” the company states on its website.
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Is it a good time to sell?
26 Jan 2023
The last 3 years have seen unprecedented demand in the UK housing market, the like of which we haven’t seen for many years across the whole spectrum of buyers - those making their first step onto the property ladder, those wanting more space - or less space - and those wanting to ‘live the dream’ in the countryside. Whatever their choice for selling and buying, the common problem was the overall lack of supply i.e. there were simply not enough properties on the market to buy.
With a combination of low levels of available stock, historically low interest rates and a stamp duty holiday, this led to the start of frenzied viewings by anxious buyers desperate to find their dream home, ‘best and final’ offers with multiple over asking price bids and sales being agreed even before the for sale board went up. The end result was the dramatic house price increases seen across the UK and certainly in our part of the country.
At the moment that is changing but here at Beadnall Copley we are very encouraged by the start of a new selling year. We’ve seen a steady increase of both valuations and new instructions across all price brackets and an increase in the registration of new buyers actively looking to move in 2023. This is all good news for those wanting to sell and move home with more choice of properties to buy becoming available in our local area.
The Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has in recent days said that inflation is likely to fall rapidly this year as energy prices fall and that the recent easing of inflation could be a sign that "a corner has been turned”. A major component of inflation has been economies recovering from the pandemic together with soaring energy costs. However wholesale energy costs have been falling in recent weeks and this has made the Bank more optimistic that inflation could be on an "easier path".
Whilst mortgages are now more expensive, we’ve already seen signs of positivity with many lenders reintroducing products including more new fixed rate mortgages and some even reducing their rates.
It’s certainly not doom and gloom at Beadnall Copley, we’re looking forward to another successful year and have already agreed sales on properties that have only just come onto the market. So if you’re considering a move why wait, now is a good time to do it! Give our friendly sales teams a call today and let’s get you moving!
Harrogate 01423 503500
Ripon 01765 698100
Wetherby 01937 580850
WE ALSO DO LETTINGS 01423 505458
Pictured: Eel Mires Garth, Wetherby – A 4 bedroom family home in a popular residential area, came onto the market on the 12th January 2023 and already SOLD subject to contract


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Calling all goblins and ghouls! For the first time in seven years, Halloween will fall on a Saturday, and no one wants to be caught dead in the same outfit twice. Spirit Halloween‘s “2015 Top Costumes” infographic provides a glimpse of what is all the rage this season. Giving shoppers throughout the country the chance to stay fresh and frightful all weekend long, this annual list offers the coolest looks based on pop culture to make Halloween a devilish good time for all.
This year’s elite ensembles range from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Star Wars and DIYers, ensuring anyone can go to Spirit Halloween for inspiration to find their desired costume of choice. With an anticipated spending of almost $7 billion this season—according to the National Retail Federation—Spirit Halloweenplans to give Halloween revelers options all weekend long with costumes that reflect this year’s hottest trends; highlighting top celebrities, movies and TV shows, princesses, superheroes and more!
“2015’s Halloweekend gives every party-goer and trick-or-treater the chance to keep the festivities fun, and Spirit Halloween is there to help every step of the way,” said Steven Silverstein, President and CEO, SpiritHalloween. “With our wide selection of thousands of costumes, accessories and products, this year consumers have the opportunity to wear multiple outfits, and our infographic provides a look at some of the top costumes and trends.”
Spirit Halloween‘s “2015 Top Costumes” infographic features new pop culture trends as well as some classic looks from over the years. Halloweekenders can check out Spirit Halloween‘s “2015 Top Costumes” infographic here. For more information on top costumes and other items, visit any Spirit Halloween store or go online to spirithalloween.com.


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The sun shines equally on all South Carolinians, but when it comes to renewable energy policy, specifically solar energy, many African American consumers have been left in the dark. Now a ray of sunshine is moving through the Statehouse, known as Senate Bill 1189 or S.1189. The bill helps South Carolina develop new sources of clean solar energy and stimulates jobs and economic growth in South Carolina.
While the cost of installing solar has declined and electricity rates have risen, solar has become an increasingly attractive investment option for homeowners.
As more and more customers put solar on their rooftops, it is important that the rules governing solar installations are fair to all utility customers.
S.1189 addresses potential inequities by ensuring that customers who generate their own electricity pay their share of the cost of maintaining the electric grid and utilities pay a fair price for solar power generated by their customers.
S.1189 empowers consumers by allowing them to lease solar panels to use at their homes. This policy, often called "no money down solar" will reduce the barriers and the cost of generating solar energy and lead to more solar facilities in the state, creating jobs and economic growth for our communities.
This bill is a win-win for our communities. Not only will we see additional sources of clean energy generation brought on line in a state with great sun, but we will protect low-income households that could see their energy prices stabilize and have the opportunity to enter the customer-generation market.
S.1189 brings together the solar development community, environmentalists, consumer advocates, civil rights advocates and utilities in securing a better economy and cleaner environment for South Carolina while ensuring fairness and equity for all South Carolinians.
Senator, District 42
Charleston and Dorchester Counties


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Orange launches in Africa, on StarAfrica.com, the 2nd edition of the music contest in partnership with Deezer and Zimbalam
In order to promote new African music talent, StarAfrica.com (http://www.StarAfrica.com) launches the second edition of the StarAfrica Sounds music contest, in partnership with Deezer and Zimbalam.
Open to all, the contest aims to give maximum visibility to artists coming from the African continent, notably through the distribution of their songs on the main streaming and downloading streaming platforms.
The first stage will be held between April 2013, 15th and May 2013, 31st: the candidates (singers, groups, artists, musicians…) will have the opportunity to register on StarAfrica.com, proposing an original song, representative of their musical universe. This song will then be online on StarAfrica.com, available for everyone to enjoy.
The second phase, from May 31st to July 1st, will let the public vote on StarAfrica.com and support their favorite candidates. The 5 candidates who will have collected the highest number of votes will then be selected for the final.
In a third and final stage, a jury composed of music professionals will designate the overall winner from the five finalists. His identity will be revealed in exclusivity on StarAfrica.com on July 2013, 8th.
The StarAfrica Sounds contest will allow the finalists to have their songs on Deezer Africa and North Africa, and distributed on the main digital platforms thanks to Zimbalam. Moreover, many prizes are to be won:
– 1st prize : an highlighting on StarAfrica.com and Deezer Africa and North Africa, a contact with the prestigious African music label Musiki, a Deezer for Artists certified account, a one year free access to Deezer Premium + and 3 album accounts on zimbalam.com
– 2nd to 5th prizes : a Deezer for Artists certified account, a one year free access to Deezer Premium + and 3 album accounts on zimbalam.com
The StarAfrica Sounds previous edition had been marked by the participation of more than 60 artists, coming from 19 countries, and the final victory of Kutchala Sutchi with his song “Gomanan”.
Deezer, the global music subscription service, recently launched in Africa bringing people access to over 20 million songs on any device with just one subscription.
Deezer’s mantra is music discovery, helping fans rediscover the joy of finding and sharing fantastic new music. Deezer’s partnership with StarAfrica.com will offer artists an exciting platform to reach new audiences around the world.
Thanks to the partnership with Zimbalam, the finalists will have the possibility to sell their music on the streaming and downloading platforms all over the world, receiving 90% of the generated royalties, without exclusivity or time commitment: they remain independent, free and owner of their music.
Find out all the details about the 2013 edition on: http://en.starafrica.com/music/starafrica-sounds-2013
Source: APO – Press Release – 16 April 3013