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Updated: Apr 24, 2020
Why is food waste important?
Food waste is a hot topic right now and rightfully so.
Consumers, businesses and environmentally conscious folks are waking up to the fact that one-third of the food in the world is wasted. This goes far beyond just letting the milk you have in the fridge go off or tossing away your leftovers (though those things count too!) There are 815 million people going hungry across the world every day and knowing what’s going on in a food supply chain can have a huge global impact.
“Reducing food waste is one of the most important things we can do to reverse global warming.”
- CHAD FRISCHMANN, CLIMATE CHANGE EXPERT.
Food waste management is the easiest way you can help with climate change
What does food waste mean?
So what if food is going to waste? It breaks down in landfills, doesn’t it? Well, yes it does, however, the impact of that break down is more significant than most people realise. When food is rotting it emits the greenhouse gas methane, much like cars and gassy cows do. A report by NRDC states that in America alone, wasted food is responsible for the same amount of greenhouse gases as 37 million cars!
Our expectations as consumers when it comes to purchasing also leads to a mass amount of wastage. Supermarkets and other food outlets have shown that they won’t purchase ‘unattractive’ looking food, as customers expect picture-perfect products.
This is undoubtedly a cultivated belief with the average person having very little understanding of how a piece of fruit, vegetable or meat looks naturally. Note: not all apples are glossy when you pick them!
This also ties into the continual debate regarding ‘Use by’ and ‘Sell by’ dates. Though there are strict guidelines around these dates for the safety of consumers, it’s now widely regarded that sell-by dates have a large disparity with use-by dates and thus lead consumers and supermarkets to waste produce that is still useable.
Knowledge is power and JOLT_ is spreading the word for sustainable solutions
There’s also the consideration that a lot of the products we consume creates waste that is going unused. However, we are now seeing a global movement with businesses being created specifically to utilise the by-product. There have even been several pre-existing companies coming together to utilise each others’ food waste as ingredients to create their products. For example, Renewal Mill, which creates a nutritious flour out of a by-product of making tofu and soymilk.
Finally, a major global concern when it comes to food waste is what is occurring in developing countries. The cruel twist here is so many go hungry in the same country where food is being wasted. This is only worsened by the increasing amount of natural disasters and the impact of climate change. Crops are no longer surviving the seasons due to freak weather episodes and conditions.
How can we fix the food waste problem?
As they say, knowledge is power. And educating yourself and others is the key to the fight against food waste. How can we be more conscious as businesses and consumers if we don’t know that there’s a problem?
Some great businesses provide wonderful educational materials, such as the Danish company Too Good To Go, which has The Knowledge Hub. Here you can find information and inspiration about tackling food waste.
You’ll also find organisations like ReFed and Good For Food who are data analytics companies specifically focused on food waste. Their expertise and targeted research are helping businesses turn around their wastage too. CEO and Co-Founder of Good For Food, Rayner Loi, says their technology helps businesses save 30%-50% of food from wastage within the first few months of implementing their “actionable insights”.
Did you know waste is a trillion-dollar opportunity to do good?
Reducing the surplus in the western world is vital. We’re seeing moves made with supermarket giants towards educating consumers on ‘ugly produce’; such as Woolworths in Australia’s ‘The Odd Bunch’, selling odd-shaped or imperfect fruit and vegetables at a discounted rate. Even Tesco’s in the UK is launching a food waste hotline so suppliers can help track fluctuations and buyers' patterns.
Knowledge about the resources required to create a product, such as land and water, is also important for awareness. Currently, the limelight is being shone on beef as the resources required to make meat products are immense. There are many other food products that carry a large strain on resources and we need to educate ourselves on how our lifestyle choices can help.
Now that you know, it’s time to act! Businesses in this space are focussing on reducing, repurposing and redistributing existing waste while educating the masses. Here are our Top 10 Sustainable Business innovators...
JOLT_ partners with +impact startups to spread the word and tackle food waste
10 businesses and organisations tackling food waste
1. Apeel Sciences
Apeel Sciences- This super innovative product is helping increase the shelf life of produce so that less food is wasted. The invisible, plant-based coating stops food from rotting so quickly. It won Fast Company’s 2019 World Changing Ideas Awards in the Food category.
So that avocado that seems to go off STRAIGHT away? Now it can be saved! This also means less unsustainable practices when it comes to importing food, as longer shelf life means food can be imported via ship instead of planes.
2. Foodsharing Copenhagen
Foodsharing Copenhagen- One of the largest volunteer organisations in Denmark fighting against food waste. They collect food surplus from their business partnerships. They host food sharing events every Wednesday and Saturday where people can grab some free food and learn more about the impact of food waste.
3. Food Surplus Entrepreneurs Network
Food Surplus Entrepreneurs Network: European entrepreneurs- this is for you! This network is passionate about connecting like-minded businesses and individuals who are brimming with ideas, to other online food surplus entrepreneurs and events. The aim is to encourage collaboration.
The world is hungry and you can help
4. Hands for Hunger
Hands for Hunger: A company started in the Bahamas by a group of passionate students. They aim to stop ‘unnecessary hunger’ by rescuing food that would otherwise be wasted. Donating food to organisations that give those in need three nutritious meals per day.
Homebiogas A fascinating Israeli based start-up that is now turning food scraps into fertilizers and cooking gas around the globe. Their tent-like structure can go into any home to create by-product energy! The team has utilised Kickstarter to not only fund their products but also to raise awareness about their brand.
6. Last Minute Market:
Last Minute Market: Started as a project at the University of Bologna is now an entire social enterprise. They assist retailers, shops, and producers to understand their own wastage with data analysis and training. They also help by connecting those with a surplus to charities and those in need. They are now spreading their knowledge to Argentina and Brazil with two new projects.
OzHarvest- : One of Australia’s first food rescue charities. Over 3500 donor businesses and organisations now contribute their surplus food to help provide meals for the needy in communities across the country. The charity also gets involved in major events, helps with education (a new primary school program launches in 2020) and hosts charity cook-offs with local ambassadors. They’ve now gone as far as opening a rescued food supermarket in Sydney.
There is a whole ecosystem of resources out there fighting food waste
8. Think. Eat. Save (United Nations)
Think.Eat.Save: The UN Secretary-General’s Zero Hunger Challenge and its Save Food Initiative have led to many great campaigns and programs globally. The Think.Eat.Save Campaign is another hub providing a portal that aims to share information, news, and resources. One to check out!
9. Wtrmln Wt
Wtrmln Wtr- When the owners of this company found out that hundreds of millions of ‘ugly’ watermelon rot each season, they made it their mission to put that delicious produce to good use. Their tasty juice is now available across the United States, with the company growing 30% every year.
10. Zero Percent
Zero Percent: These “food recovery nerds” in the U.S. came together because they believe that hunger isn’t caused by lack of food supply, it’s caused by issues with distribution problem. They also have website and an app which works as a platform to connect restaurants with excess food to charities in need.
There is ONE more memorable business we wanted to promote that deserves its own mention. We recently did a Case study on the company Too Good to Go, a for-profit business that has gone global.
What can we learn from Too Good to Go?
Too Good To Go- this fantastic app allows businesses to sell excess food they would have otherwise thrown away, to customers at a discount 30 min before closing. It's the perfect example of assisting consumers in the fight against food waste.
We recently took a deep dive into Too Good to Go’s business model to better understand how entrepreneurs and start-ups can emulate this excellent model for global sustainability and business growth.
The team at Too Good to Go recognised a massive global issue and have grown at an exponential rate since their inception.
So why does that matter to you? Well, other than downloading their incredibly helpful app this is also a demonstration to businesses and entrepreneurs of how a simple idea to tackle food waste has grown to 17.2 million app downloads and 23.1 million meals saved.
Check out our 3 main takeaways from this case study...
Plant the idea and watch it grow
Too good to Go Case study - 3 Main takeaways
1. Get the word out with crowd-funding
After their ‘aha moment’, the company tested its market with a crowdfunding campaign. Campaigns such as this really demonstrate whether your idea is viable in the real world.
Through some simple social media marketing, a crowdfunding campaign can gain incredible reach and if people donate to show their support, it’s a great indication that the market wants what you have to offer.
2. People want to help- Let them help you
Once the program was off the ground, further support was shown by the number of volunteers willing to staff the organisation- many of these are now full-time employees. They partnered with major companies and events that shared their sustainability passions.
They built and nurtured this community of people backing their idea with continuous, active social media presence on a multitude of platforms. For start-up businesses, this is a free and easy way to get the word out, as well as build your community.
3. Don't underestimate the power of digital marketing
These great ideas and proven support lead to funding- another major step to growth in the digital world. Too Good to Go developed a strong business plan, a passionate team, and a viable product making their search for funding easier.
With funding and a budget for marketing- more large scale PR and publicity is possible. This kind of leverage can help take your business from local, to national, to global.
Learn more about JOLT_ Values and Mission in our Founder's Story
What JOLT_ is doing about global food waste...
We talk the talk but how are we walking the walk? JOLT_ is focussing its efforts on global sustainability by partnering with like-minded sustainable businesses. However, we have now taken this one step further by announcing our partnership with charity Food Sharing. This not-for-profit is run by activists who collect food surplus and share with citizens, unconditionally. As well as all of the proceeds of our Festive Recipe Book being donated to Foodsharing Copenhagen, we’ll also be working with the Food Sharing to create awareness content, so feel free to follow, like and share for this wonderful cause.
Knowledge is power and there are tools out there to empower a sustainable lifestyle
How your business can tackle food waste
Be aware! Start tracking places that your business or company can cut down on food waste. There are many apps and data tracking services mentioned above, that can help you with this.
Help to educate your employees and others about ways they can better understand the food waste. You can make it a game. Make in-office competitions about the best ways to tackle food waste. Don’t pick a winner though. The future of the planet is the real winner here.
You can also look up local organisations where you can donate supplies, time or cash to help the cause of fighting food waste and hunger. If there aren’t any, maybe you should start one? As you’ve seen above, fighting food waste can still turn a profit; It can be a new way to reuse a by-product, create a community, or develop a platform for food waste education. The possibilities are endless! After all, the UN stated that tackling food wastage can be a $2.5 trillion market opportunity for businesses.
By Hannah Pendlebury for JOLT_
Agfunder news: Tech reducing foods


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This accounts for an increase in dealers by almost 50 percent, the company says.
The increase is part of a company-wide push into Canada, to take advantage of the Sterling closure and cutbacks in production by Isuzu/GMC and Hino.
"We've always found Canada a good market for our trucks," said Mike Rumsey, vice president, sales operations. "Fusos are rugged and known for their reliability, which is particularly valuable in tough operating environments. Our exclusive warranty package helps owners control their costs, and predictable costs help any company build profitability."
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America will extend its 3+4+5 Warranty package for its 2010 model year trucks. This includes a three-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, a four-year rust-through warranty and a five-year/280,000 kilometers or five-year/400,000 kilometers powertrain limited warranty on FE/FG models and FK/FM models, respectively.
"One thing not everyone realizes right away is that our five-year warranty includes not only the expected engine and drive train components, but also bolt-on components like the starter, alternator, water pump - even the turbocharger," Rumsey said.
The company says that Canadian sales have been increasing for several years. "It took us just over five years to sell our first 1,000 trucks in Canada," Rumsey said. "It only took an additional 26 months to sell our second 1,000, and that pace continues to accelerate."
More info: www.mitfuso.com.

domain: news


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By buying BoozeBud, Australia’s leading online liquor marketplace and delivery platform, AB InBev sends shockwaves through the Australian retail and beverage market. As it became known today ZX Ventures, the global disruptive growth and innovation group within AB InBev, acquired the 6-year old company at an undisclosed sum.
BoozeBud has about 400 suppliers in Australia and around the world including, Mexico, Scotland, France, Japan, and the US and offers a nationwide distribution across Australia. In Sydney and soon also in Brisbane and Melbourne the company even offers same day delivery.
BoozeBud, was founded in 2012 by Andy Williamson, Alex Gale, and Mark Woollcott, who worked before in finance and dealt with a range of online market leaders. The founders saw a shift in consumer behavior from „from brand to style“ and the need to offer them „hundreds of smaller craft breweries and distillers to sample.“
„There’s thousands of local breweries, wineries and distilleries that you’ll never see in a bottle shop simply because they’re too small to market and distribute their products Australia-wide,“, says Williamson. “An online marketplace that’s underpinned by a national logistics network can aggregate thousands of producers [and] can solve these issues which is literally physically impossible for a bottle shop to do.”
Besides the physical delivery of products, an online marketplace can also give consumers more information about the products. In the words of Williamson, „BoozeBud connects consumers directly with their favorite brands through its producer profile pages and tasting notes, which allow them to explore the story behind the product and the producer’s background.“
It is not the first time that AB InBev buys into an online business. In April this year, ZX Ventures bought UK-based spirits company Atom Group including its online spirits retailer Master of Malt. (inside.beer, 24.4.2018) Already as early as 2016, ZX Ventures acquired America’s leading home brewing supplier Northern Brewer and its sister company Midwest Supplies, which also offer a huge variety of products online. (inside.beer, 19.10.2016)
According to AB InBev, BoozeBud will continue to operate independently from the mother company. “The management independence, this autonomy of certain decisions was important from day one in our conversations,“ says Williamson. “From our perspective nothing changes. We’ve always been about a business that represents every supplier and this should be a good thing for suppliers. The resources and the capital that we now have will allow us to build a much bigger business and that is going to allow every supplier to put more of their products in the hands of more people around the country.”
First reactions by retailers and other suppliers point in another direction. Retailers expressed their concerns about whether BoozeBud will offer AB InBev product at prices which can not be matched by the traditional trade. Most of the suppliers are also shocked that the biggest brewer in Australia is now dominating also the emerging online business. Most of them will adopt a ‘wait-and-see’ attitude and will decide in the future upon a possible delisting of their products.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is more relaxed about the deal. Asked by Australian news platform The Shout, ACCC confirmed that it will not be investigating the transaction.


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LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1986, Ronald Reagan was president, "Top Gun" was the summer blockbuster movie, and Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" topped the music charts. That same year in the Midwest, spurred by Reagan's deregulation of TV commercial time limits, a different kind of advertising agency was born. Tim Hawthorne founded Hawthorne Direct, an ad agency for brands based on creating accountable and measurable results. Now the leader in brand response advertising, Hawthorne Direct celebrates its 30-year anniversary this month.
"From the perspective of 2016, it's clear Hawthorne Direct was ahead of its time with its focus on attribution and accountability in advertising," said current company owner and CEO Jessica Hawthorne-Castro. "When my father introduced direct response advertising analytics to major brand advertisers in the mid-1980s with direct response TV (DRTV), we were far away from the high-tech world we currently live in. Now campaign metrics are de rigueur, but in the 1980s at Hawthorne, we built our business on accountability before accountability was cool."
Founder Tim Hawthorne, currently serving as a key strategic advisor and board member for the agency, has made many contributions to the field of direct response TV advertising including writing one of the authoritative textbooks on the subject, "Hawthorne's Complete Guide to Infomercial Marketing," which is being re-released in honor of the 30th anniversary. In the original book, Hawthorne reviewed key accountability concepts like cost per order (CPO), cost per lead (CPL) and media efficiency ratio (MER) and how to create to the most effective brand response campaigns. While these concepts were staples in the DRTV world at the time and would eventually be proven to give brands a way to more precisely target their desired audience, they were new to traditional advertisers in 1986.
As advertising evolved and shifted to digital platforms, Hawthorne Direct's early focus on advertising measurement was revealed as prescient. In the ensuing years, the company was able to carve out an enormous advantage over competitors who were new to metrics, using its decades-long mastery of accountable advertising and its proprietary algorithms to give clients a distinct advantage as they compete with other brands for an audience that interacts with companies on multiple digital platforms.
"We're proud to have represented the best in advertising for the past 30 years — the best clients, best staff and best work in accountable brand response," Tim Hawthorne recently shared. "To the hundreds of clients and staff whom we've teamed up with for three decades — thank you for putting your trust and faith in us. You deserve the best."
Today, the company that helped pioneer the direct response industry 30 years ago remains at the forefront of performance and ROI-driven advertising. Now known simply as Hawthorne, the company is headquartered in Los Angeles and employs a unique team of data scientists, media specialists and creative strategists with a single mission: to combine persuasive brand messaging with proprietary analytic systems to create and deliver integrated campaigns that drive revenue for clients.
"We're incredibly proud of the culture we've built and the company we've become on our 30th anniversary," Hawthorne-Castro remarked. "At the end of the day, it's not about all the awards we've won or the influence we've had on the industry but rather on how we've helped clients reach their goals by delivering work that combines the art of branding and the science of analytics. We're looking forward to continuing that work for the next 30 years and beyond."
Hawthorne has successfully led more than a thousand major campaigns for some of the world's most recognizable brands, managing billions of media billings that have delivered strong returns for clients. The company engages, informs and persuades customers, driving significant market share growth and delivering value by combining creative services with data science. Learn more at www.hawthornedirect.com.
Hawthorne is a creative, analytics and technology-driven advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, creative development, production, media planning, buying and analytics, and campaign management for integrated marketing campaigns. With nearly 30 years of proven excellence, the agency combines persuasive brand messaging with best-in-class analytic systems to create accountable, high performance advertising campaigns.
Hawthorne helps brands efficiently target their consumers, improve cost per acquisition, optimize the lifetime value of a brand's customers, and even drive consumer response to key retail outlets or corporate locations. As a leading analytic and data driven, accountable brand advertising agency, Hawthorne specializes in integrated campaign solutions. The company offers a full suite of integrated solutions with creative, media, digital and mobile services. Hawthorne maintains brand integrity and metrics to efficiently and effectively optimize the results of its clients' integrated media budgets via leading edge and proven data analytics.
Hawthorne has developed successful award-winning campaigns for countless Fortune 500 brands.
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hawthorne-celebrates-30-years-of-accountable-advertising-300280340.html
SOURCE Hawthorne Direct


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BT moves to tighten grip on Cellnet
Tuesday 25 March 1997
BT has appointed Ray Smith, 42, responsible for its consumer products business and retail chain, as Cellnet managing director. It follows the abrupt resignation of Howard Ford as Cellnet MD three weeks ago. No reason has been given for Mr Ford's departure, although it has been linked with City concerns at the network's subscriber numbers in recent months.
Stafford Taylor, MD of BT's personal communications division, said after Mr Ford's departure that he would take a closer interest in Cellnet. BT has made clear it would like to buy out its 40 per cent partner, Securicor, but has so far been blocked from doing so on monopoly grounds.
Cellnet has not released customer numbers for this year, but analysts have estimated more subscribers are leaving the network than are joining. The performance puts Cellnet at the bottom of the league table of four networks.
Mr Taylor said: "Ray joins Cellnet at a time of great challenge in the cellular business and in the mobile market. I know he will bring to Cellnet the talents which he has shown in the retail and consumer products division." Mr Smith joined BT in 1987, becoming head of residential calls.
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Facebook has removed 200 accounts, groups and pages linked to a communications consultant who managed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s social-media campaign, saying individuals behind the activity used fake accounts to misrepresent themselves.
The U.S. technology giant removed the accounts because of coordinated inauthentic behavior, Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head of cybersecurity policy, said in a statement.
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Many have donned tinfoil hats over the inclusion of hardware security features in Intel's latest processors. Could such features prove to be a blessing more than a curse? That may well be the case for Valve's Steam distribution platform.
As Joystiq reports, Valve has announced Steam Guard, an account protection feature that uses the hardware encryption functionality built inside Sandy Bridge CPUs. Or, as the press release quoted by Joystiq puts it:
Steam Guard will take advantage of upcoming Intel® Identity Protection Technology (Intel® IPT), an encrypted, hardware-based feature available with the new 2nd Generation Intel® CoreT and Intel® CoreT vProT processors. IPT generates a new numerical password every 30 seconds, integrating into the processor functionality that previously required a separate card or key fob.
It's all for a good cause, though: using Steam Guard, Valve says users will be able to tie their Steam account to a given PC. They'll also receive notifications if someone tries to log into their account from another, unauthorized system. That could help limit the effect of phishing and account hijacking—Valve's "#1 support issues," according to CEO Gabe Newell.
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Shares in Intersect ENT (NSDQ:XENT) have fallen slightly today despite the medical device maker releasing fourth quarter and full year 2018 earnings that met consensus expectations from analysts on Wall Street.
The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company posted losses of $5 million, or 16¢ per share, on sales of approximately $32.8 million for the three months ended December 31, seeing losses grow 59.6% while sales grew 11% compared with the same period during the previous year.
Intersect ENT’s loss-per-share numbers were just in line with the 16¢ consensus on Wall Street, where analysts expected to see sales of $32.5 million, which the company topped.
For the full year, Intersect ENT posted losses of $22.9 million, or 76¢ per share, on sales of $108.5 million, seeing losses grow 40.1% while sales grew 12.6% compared with the previous fiscal years.
The company was just ahead of the 75¢ loss-per-share expectations on Wall Street, where analysts expected to see sales of $108 million, which the company also topped.
Intersect ENT released guidance for the 2019 year, expecting to post sales of between $123 million and $127 million, with first quarter sales of between $26 million and $26.5 million, according to a press release.
Shares in Intersect ENT have fallen 2.6% today, at $33.65 as of 12:57 p.m. EST.
Last December, Intersect ENT said that it enrolled the first patient in a trial of its Ascend drug-coated sinus balloon.
At DeviceTalks Boston, Tyler Shultz will give attendees an inside look at Theranos and how he was able to sound the alarm after he realized the company was falling apart. Shultz will take attendees behind the story that everyone is talking about: the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her diagnostic company, Theranos.
Join Shultz and 1,000+ medical device professionals at the 8th annual DeviceTalks Boston.


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Earnings on Tap: 3M
Despite currency headwinds and weakening demand, 3M should continue to earn decent returns over the near term.
3M (MMM) is set to report second-quarter figures Thursday before the opening bell. Analysts are expecting earnings of $1.70 per share compared with $1.66 per diluted share reported in the year-ago period.
In the first quarter, the diversified company reported earnings of $1.61 per share, a gain of 1.3%, compared with the first quarter of 2012. Sales increased 2% year over year to $7.6 billion, marking in an all-time first-quarter record. Results, however, lagged Wall Street estimates. According to Morningstar analyst Adam Fleck, 3M's first-quarter results showed slowing end-market demand, combined with more negative currency-translation effects than originally expected (primarily because of the weakening Japanese yen). Total sales growth remained positive, but the 2.0% year-over-year rate was markedly slower than the prior quarter's 4.2%.
The company also lowered its 2013 profit outlook, citing lower demand for electronic products and foreign currency fluctuations. For the full year, the company now expects foreign exchange headwinds to negatively affect sales growth by about 1.5 percentage points versus a neutral outlook previously. Combined with softer end markets, 3M also lowered its earnings-per-share forecast to a range of $6.60-$6.85 from a prior span of $6.70-$6.95.
However, Fleck believes the firm's long-term competitive advantages will not be dented by currency movements in any one year, and the company should continue to enjoy decent near-term growth.
The stock has rallied nearly 26% during the past six months and is presently trading above our fair value estimate.
Gazala Parveen does not own (actual or beneficial) shares in any of the securities mentioned above. Find out about Morningstar’s editorial policies.


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Manchester City Football Club has announced its teamed up with EA Sports as a new partner, which will provide “dedicated MCFC virtual content,” through the Club and EA Sports digital channels, including MCFC match simulations.
A virtual “kit launch” has been created, and it’s the first of a series of content EA Sports will create for Manchester City fans. Club supporters can now watch the team play in the new home uniform and score a goal for the very first time this season.
The video, posted below, is currently one of the first FIFA 12 gameplay edits available, and was designed especially for Manchester City fans. Each player in the first team squad had a 360 degree 3D headscan shot, which enabled the developers to create an “authentic representations of the players.”
EA Sports will also be investing in dedicated experiential gaming areas, in around the Etihad Stadium.
“We are delighted to be entering into a dynamic new partnership with Manchester City,” said EA Sports’ Nick Harford, football business lead. “Through this agreement, EA Sports will invest in the creation of bespoke content and experiences that bring Manchester City fans across the globe closer to the team they love.”
“The reputation of EA Sports is unparalleled, both within the video game industry and around the world,” added Ian Cafferky, chief brand and commercial officer for Manchester City Football Club.
“The fact that a company of EA’s calibre has joined our stable of valued partners, shows a clear indication of the Club’s growth and appeal to a global audience. Many of our supporters, not to mention first team players are huge fans of FIFA. The deal with EA was therefore a natural fit and the beginning of what I know will be an exciting partnership.”
A behind the scenes video will be released prior to the launch of FIFA 12, on September 27 in the US and September 30 in the UK, giving fans “the opportunity to download an exclusive and unique free Club specific pack design.”


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Earlier this month, Google dropped a bombshell among users of social media marketing tools as it announced that the consumer version of its social media portal, Google+, was going to be shuttered. A lack of uptake was to blame, with 90% of consumers’ Google+ sessions said to last only seconds.
While this news does have potentially adverse implications for businesses, Google is planning to roll out new enterprise-friendly features, complicating the picture more than you may have expected.
Where has Google+ actually driven adoption?
Though Google has often been dubbed a “flop” by the press, a closer look at the facts suggests that the situation wasn’t quite as clear-cut as this. It’s true that the social network, despite its integration with an array of Google services, never quite took off with ordinary, everyday users.
Google has acknowledged as such in a statement, revealing that a recent assessment on its own initiative “crystallised what we’ve known for a while: that while our engineering teams have put a lot of effort and dedication into building Google+ over the years, it has not achieved broad consumer or developer adoption”. The likes of Facebook and Twitter were clearer favourites with these users.
However, it doesn’t strictly follow that your business should rush to relinquish its presence on Google+. One reason why is that the shutdown of the site’s consumer arm isn’t scheduled to take effect until August 2019, giving you ample time to save or migrate data if you so wish.
Another reason why is the noted success of Google+ with business users. Google has reported its findings that “Google+ is better suited as an enterprise product where co-workers can engage in internal discussions on a secure corporate social network.”
Is your firm still on Google+? What you need to do
With Google having handed Google+’s consumer version a mere stay of execution, this might call on you to shift your SEO efforts away from Google+ and more towards Facebook and Twitter if you haven’t made these adjustments to your marketing strategy already.
However, even if you have filled out your company’s Google+ page with extensive information – such as the firm’s address, landline and mobile phone numbers and other contact details – with which you were attempting to reach out to consumers, you don’t have to hit the panic button.
Google has revealed its intent to spend the “coming months” releasing information about how you can download and transfer data from Google+. However, you might find that you don’t need to remove as much data as you had originally expected, as Google has also indicated its decision to “focus on our enterprise efforts and will be launching new features purpose-built for businesses.”
You might have to wait a little longer to find out exactly what shape many of those features will take. While you wait, you could give us a call on 01325 582112 to learn how we can refashion your SEO tactics for a future where Google+ won’t form a key component of your SEO strategy.


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Canada Post Begins Rotating Strikes in Victoria, Edmonton, Windsor and Halifax
Date: 22nd October 2018
From Magazines Canada News Release
On October 21, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) gave notice that they would hold rotating strikes in Victoria, Edmonton, Windsor and Halifax beginning Monday, October 22, and lasting 24 hours. In these areas, mail and parcels will not be delivered or picked up today.
Canada Post continues to operate across Canada, and is accepting and delivering mail and parcels in all other locations.
Rotating legal strikes are isolated to specific locations at a time, affecting those areas for a period of 24 hours. Once the temporary service disruption ends, Canada Post will return to normal operations in the affected locations.
Magazines Canada is in contact with Canada Post, the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Department of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour to make them aware of the consequences and grave impact this strike is having on our members. We are also examining potential alternative delivery models.


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As the Chinese slowdown is gaining strength in 2015 many Western companies are forced to take a hard look at their businesses there, leading many to reduce investments, costs and product lines and to tackle increasing bad debts. A recent equities market rout has dashed hopes China will, in the coming years, return to the robust growth it saw in the past.
Several Swedish comments give their view in a news article by Businessinsider.my.
Strategies vary across companies and sectors. Some have focused on cost reductions. Acting CEO of Sweden’s Volvo AB Jan Gurander said this was easier to achieve in China than in Europe, where workers enjoy more protections and factory shutdowns can be politically sensitive.
The deteriorating Chinese environment is also forcing companies to think harder about credit risks.
Swedish lockmaker Assa Abloy AB’s Chinese unit is heavily exposed to the hard-hit construction industry. Chief Financial Officer Carolina Happe said the time it took for Assa’s Chinese customers to pay had increased by a month in the past year, to 99 days. That compares to a group average of 55 days. The change could lead to increased bad debt provisions, she said.
Volvo issued a warning to investors last year that it would have to take a 650 million Swedish Crown ($75 million) charge for expected credit losses in China. Gurander told investors in mid July his company was having tough discussions with dealers about outstanding debts but it was hard to know if the situation was stabilizing or not.
Will Hallyer, partner with Strategy Consultants OC&C, said the toughening conditions were prompting companies to shift their focus from boosting market share to ensuring their operations were profitable or at least reducing any losses.
“It had been more of a land grab mentality — buy a position, invest heavily in growth and have confidence that at some point you’ll be able to make money,” he said.
“As the market slows down, it accelerates the shift towards people thinking hard about making sure they have a business that makes money,” he added.
But even as they moderate their ambitions in China, companies retain an eye for growth opportunities. Some are hoping the stock market drop could help them snap up local companies cheaply.
But with many Chinese companies still supported by government interventions like cheap credit, bargains are few, executives said.
“There are many, many companies for sale, and we are looking to many of those. Still they haven’t felt the heat of the downturn in full yet. That means that they (the owners) expect to get paid,” Assa Abloy CEO Johan Molin told investors.


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November 16, 2017
Trevor Wood Associates’ Going Shopping 2018 – The Definitive Guide to Shopping Centres has for the sixth consecutive year named Westfield Stratford City as the leading UK shopping centre. The comprehensive research highlights the resilience of the nation’s top division of retail centres despite significant market pressures. Alongside its renowned retail rankings, this year’s guide provides new analysis of anchor tenants and a more detailed review of the development pipeline.
In its 30th anniversary year, retail consultancy Trevor Wood Associates has published its most comprehensive research into the UK’s shopping centre market. The flagship report, Going Shopping 2018, reflects tough market conditions, with most schemes seeing their scores fall since last year. Yet the top performing centres have largely retained their league positions, with Westfield Stratford City retaining top spot, followed by Bluewater, Westfield London, Intu Metrocentre and Meadowhall, whilst St David’s in Cardiff moved up to eighth place.
The 314-page report, which will be available from December, ranks all shopping centres over 50,000 sq ft by their overall attractiveness to shoppers, retailers and investors. Information on the 741 schemes was converted into points for features including tenants, lettable area, weekly footfall and facilities.
Although there have been few positional changes in the top echelons of the rankings, there has been more activity further down the table, including news that The Lexicon in Bracknell and Westgate Shopping Centre in Oxford both stormed their way into the top 50 schemes, with more units scheduled to open in each centre next year.
The highly acclaimed report also includes analysis of the occupier market. Costa Coffee is now the leading shopping centre tenant, with 286 units in 261 of the Top 500 centres. The other top 5 spots went to Card Factory, EE, New Look and Boots.
This year’s report incorporated a new set of tables looking at the top 500 centres’ most prevalent anchor tenants. Boots is the leading anchor store for both the Top 500 and Top 200 centres, with H&M second. The top two positions are however reversed when focusing solely on the Top 100 centres.
Elsewhere, Smiggle was named the fastest growing retailer with the addition of 33 units this year following the addition of 39 last year. Blue Inc shed the greatest number of units, with 23 fewer shops within the Top 500 centres than the previous year.
LaSalle Investment Management took over from Intu Properties as the leading investment manager for UK shopping centres, even before the recent Chapelfield deal. Savills retained its crown as the top managing agent, whilst Cushman & Wakefield managed to maintain its position as the leading shopping centre letting agent.
Other key findings include regional breakdowns of analysis, together with reviews and rankings of all 114 Shopping Parks, 39 factory outlet centres and 32 shopping and leisure centres.
Trevor Wood Associates’ assessment of the development pipeline is more detailed than ever and underlines the appetite of owners to continue investing in retail destinations despite the challenging climate.
A total of 84 schemes are thought likely to proceed before the end of 2024 and developments such as Whitgift redevelopment in Croydon, The St James’ Shopping Centre in Edinburgh and Talbot Green Shopping Centre in Llantrisant are already coming out of the ground. There are five fewer proposals than in last years’ analysis but this is largely down to the fact that 14 in the previous list are now open and trading


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If you attended the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 2010 event) back in June this year, you may have seen the demonstration of the upcoming “Kinect Star Wars” game. While some of you might think that it looked quite good, an engineer from Sony claims that it won’t be.
According to a recent article over at eurogamer.net by Wesley Yin-Poole, Anton Mikhailov — a software engineer from Sony Computer Entertainment America’s department of research and development — spoke about the “Star Wars” game for the Kinect, and said it isn’t that good.
Although Sony and LucasArts have no intentions of announcing a “Star Wars” game that’s compatible with the PlayStation Move any time soon, Mikhailov claimed that it would be so much better than the Kinect version if they were to release it.
When asked by Eurogamer whether or not there is a possibility of a “Star Wars Move” game Mikhailov said that although he is not in the planning department and can’t really say more, technologically it is 100% feasible. “There’s no way Kinect can do a good lightsaber game,” he said.
What do you think about his comments? Would a Move-compatible “Star Wars” lightsaber game be much better than a Kinect lightsaber game?
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol, or (AD). Also, prices and information correct at publish time and date.
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Silo Wellness Inc. (CSE: SILO) has signed a letter of intent with Canadian-based mushroom company Mushe Inc. to create the first legal functional and psychedelic mushroom retail outlet based in Jamaica. Silo Wellness currently cultivates psilocybin mushrooms, conducts psychedelic wellness retreats, and is testing a proof-of-concept patent-pending nasal spray.
“As a company, we are very bullish about the high-potential functional mushroom category and the psychedelics sector as a whole. We continue to invest in and expand our operations in Jamaica, the only country where the cultivation, extraction, and sale of psilocybin mushrooms is permissible,” said Douglas K. Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of Silo Wellness. “Consumers are increasingly interested in incorporating mushrooms into their wellness routines. Through our propagation operations, psychedelic wellness retreats, and upcoming retail location, it’s our aim to make mushroom-based products, experiences, and education accessible at a time when so many people are struggling with mental health and other issues.”
According to the company statement, Silo Wellness and Mushe Inc. will build out and operate a “smart shop” retail establishment specializing in the sale of functional and psychoactive mushroom products such as tinctures, capsules, topicals, and edibles, as well as boutique literature and accessories. Earlier this year, Silo Wellness announced a multi-year license agreement with the family of legendary musician Bob Marley for the exclusive worldwide rights to brand, market, and sell a distinct product line of functional and psychedelic mushrooms, which will be sold at the store upon launch.
“In Silo Wellness, we’ve found a partner aligned with our mission to educate consumers about the healing powers of psychedelics and make mushroom-based wellness products and experiences more available,” added Jonathan Rakic, COO of Mushe Inc. “We look forward to introducing Jamaican residents and tourists to the wide-ranging health and wellness benefits of functional and psychedelic mushrooms – one smart shop at a time.”
While most people associate Jamaica with cannabis and Rastafarians, the country is also considered the epicenter of the psychedelic mushroom movement in the Western Hemisphere, where “magic mushrooms” are openly and legally grown and sold, positioning the island nation to directly benefit from wellness tourism as well as sales of psychedelic mushrooms. The global functional mushroom market size was valued at $46.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5% from 2021 to 2028, reports Grand View Research.


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Digital shop Isobar, part of Dentsu Aegis Network, has launched a new commerce optimization platform called ICOM.
The agency said the platform focuses more on “post click” process to help clients get customers to hit the “buy” button more often.
Navneet Virk, Isobar vice president of optimization, said that with clients who have used the new platform so far — including brands such as Avis, GM and JBL — “we recorded over 25% average increase in paid media performance.”
The shop has implemented the platform amid seismic shifts in the way consumers shop and with U.S. eCommerce expected to surpass $294 billion this year. More transactions are taking place via mobile and tablet devices, while Amazon continues to grab share from many retailers.
“It is critical for brands to convert visitors on their digital properties in this hyper-competitive marketplace,” Isobar Chief Commerce Officer Steven Moy said. “Yet for many brands, the ‘last mile’ of converting browsing behavior to buying is broken. We see many brands investing large percentages of their budgets on “pre-click” marketing services and eCommerce platforms, but post-click optimization investment is lagging. We believe the brands that invest in both strategies will be better positioned to respond to the dynamic market conditions and drive growth.”
The agency said its platform works with a wide array of third-party commerce platform providers that many marketers utilize including Hybris, Demandware, IBM Smarter Commerce, Oracle ATG and Adobe Experience Commerce, eBay Enterprise/Magento.


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Bipartisan lawmakers in the Senate and House today introduced legislation to address the urgent shortage of truck drivers affecting the movement and cost of goods throughout the United States. The DRIVE-Safe Act modernizes federal law to empower the trucking industry to fill these gaps with a qualified, highly trained emerging workforce.
The DRIVE-Safe Act has two prongs: It removes age restrictions on interstate transportation by licensed commercial drivers and strengthens safety-training standards across the industry. Young adults become eligible to seek commercial driver’s licenses at age 18 in most states; however, federal law currently prohibits these commercially licensed adults from driving across state lines before age 21.
According to a news release from the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA), "this outdated prohibition bars the trucking industry from fully utilizing their complete workforce at a time when the country is facing a massive driver shortage and growing demand for freight transportation." IFDA estimates that trucking companies will need nearly 900,000 additional drivers over the next decade.
"The growing shortage is affecting the transportation and cost of goods for all consumers, as plants lack timely transportation for manufactured products, shipping is delayed, and current drivers are strained," the organization adds, noting the driver shortage is particularly straining on the foodservice distribution industry, which delivers hundreds of thousands of perishable products each day.
"The federal age restriction on interstate transportation creates an absurdity in places like the D.C.-Virginia-Maryland metro area, where a licensed foodservice distribution driver is prohibited from making a 5-mile delivery from Arlington to D.C. yet may drive 200 miles of miles to Virginia Beach," IDFA says.
Formally named the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act, DRIVE-Safe enhances safety and training standards for newly qualified and current drivers. Under the legislation, once a driver qualifies for a commercial driver’s license, they begin a two-step additional training program with rigorous performance benchmarks. Drivers must complete at least 400 hours of on-duty time and 240 hours of driving time in the cab with an experienced driver. Every driver will train on trucks equipped with new safety technology, including active braking collision mitigation systems, video event capture, and a speed governor of 65 miles per hour or below.
The DRIVE-Safe Act is backed by a coalition of more than 50 industry trade groups including IFDA, the American Trucking Associations (ATA), National Restaurant Association (NRA), National Retail Federation (NRF), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and the American Beverage Association (ABA). The measure is cosponsored by Senators Todd Young, R-Ind.; Jon Tester, D-Mont.; Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Angus King, I-Maine; Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.; Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.; and Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; and Representatives Trey Hollingsworth, R-Ind.; Jim Cooper, D-Tenn.; Henry Cuellar, D-Texas; Al Green, D-Texas; Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas; Paul Mitchell, R-Mich.; and Bruce Westerman, R-Ark.
"Providing this workforce development opportunity for young drivers will lead to more comprehensive training, expanded career options, and access to higher paying jobs,” says Sen. Tester. “This bipartisan bill will also provide a big boost to Montana communities that rely almost exclusively on trucks to move goods in and out of the state.”
Rep. Hollingsworth adds, “The current driver shortage puts our dynamic economy at risk and closes off high-paying trucking careers to young Americans. The DRIVE-Safe Act is an opportunity to improve the lives of many young Americans, give them opportunities for advancement, increase safety and skills training, and enhance the economy by eliminating the obstacles currently preventing the trucking industry from alleviating its workforce shortage.”


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Quibi's biggest issue probably isn't the pandemic
Even before the pandemic transformed nearly every facet of daily life, it was hard to imagine how Quibi could carve out space in an extremely crowded streaming landscape. The premise was simple enough: short episodes, lasting only 5-10 minutes each, to kill the time while you’re commuting or waiting in line at the store. Get it, a “quick bite,” but condensed and pronounced incorrectly. It’s become a sort of cliche at this point that Quibi sounds like a rejected 30 Rock joke, stuffed to the brim with nonsensical shows that also could be their own 30 Rock cutaway gags. The company’s short-term tumble seems to bear this theory out.
In an interview with The New York Times’ Nicole Sperling, Quibi founder Jeffrey Katzenberg fought this assumption, pinning all of the company’s woes on the pandemic. “I attribute everything that has gone wrong to coronavirus,” Katzenberg told the Times. “Everything. But we own it.”
The first month stats indicate that things have gone spectacularly wrong. According to the Times report, Quibi fell out of the top 50 free iPhone apps after its debut week. The most recent data from analytics firm Sensor Tower found that Quibi had slid to 125, right behind the mobile game Knock’em All and the language-learning service Duolingo. Just 2.9 million customers have downloaded the app, even with a 90-day free trial period, and Quibi says 1.3 million are active users.
Although the pandemic could be to blame for people streaming short-form content less — at least initially, the same was true of music streaming’s decline under quarantine — a certain degree of turmoil was unfolding separately. Besides the departures of several executives in the beta phase, Quibi faces a lawsuit from the tech company Eko, accusing the platform of misappropriating trade secrets and patent infringement. Quibi also reportedly gave away millions of customer emails without their knowledge, which Katzenberg claims the company fixed “as soon as we heard about it.”
Katzenberg and CEO Meg Whitman are scrambling to make the service more viable for widespread shelter-in-place orders, by relaxing the plan to make Quibi a smartphone-only app. Starting this week, iPhone subscribers will be able to watch segments on their TV screens, with Android functionality to follow in the coming weeks.
The piece rises to one final crescendo as Sperling asks Katzenberg if he’s worried about the success of TikTok, another short-form video app that people are devouring in their spare time at home. He snaps at the premise that one platform in which people watch brief videos on their phones is anything like his app with a similar delivery system, and invents a brand new idiom in the process.
“That’s like comparing apples to submarines,” he said. “I don’t know what people are expecting from us. What did Netflix look like 30 days after it launched? To tell me about a company that has a billion users and is doing great in the past six weeks, I’m happy for them, but what the hell does it have to do with me?”
It’s not useful or especially novel to compare any publicly failing entity to Fyre Festival, given how specific those circumstances were, but there is a distinctly modern sort of gonzo executive denial that seems to repeat itself. Few things are more appealing or voyeuristic than watching a company collapse in real time, when the warning signs were so apparent from the start.


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The Robots Are Coming!
The Reserve Bank of India has issued a set of guidelines for India banks to set up digital banking units (DBUs)
In the budgets speech, the FM had mentioned that there will be DBUs set up in 75 districts (to mark 75 years of Independence) this year. So now to start with, all scheduled commercial banks with past digital banking experience are allowed to open such units.
But what exactly is a DBU?
Well its essentially going to be a branch with some minimum digital infra such as interactive teller machines, interactive bankers, service terminals, interactive digital walls, document uploading, self-service card issuance devices, video KYC apparatus, etc.
The rules specify that products offered in a DBU must be on both the asset and liability side of a bank's balance sheet.
On the bank's liability side, savings account, current account opening, fixed and recurring deposit products, mobile and internet banking, debit card, digital kits for merchants and customers, UPI QR code, Point of sale terminal, etc., has been made mandatory.
And on the bank's asset side onboarding of retail, MSME customers for loans, digital processing of loans, and identified government-sponsored schemes covered under the national portal must be offered at any DBU.
Interesting times ahead, and we're really hoping this reduces the "Office Office" kind of experience many of us have become used to, especially at PSU Banks.


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The boobs over belly buttons challenge has been sweeping across Twitter in response to the original and controversial belly button challenge, which was launched on China’s Weibo and immediately caused outrage.
The belly button challenge saw users looking to reach their arm’s back around their waists in an attempt to touch their belly buttons. This was immediately criticised as fat-shaming, even though it was apparently started as an indicator of health.
You can check out some of the responses below.
— BBC Newsbeat (@BBCNewsbeat) June 12, 2015
Mlns of Chinese join in “belly button challenge” – reach belly button from behind to show good figure. Give it a try! pic.twitter.com/L1nrbi04U7
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) June 13, 2015
เทรนใหม่วัยรุ่นจีน Belly button challenge ท้าใช้มือตัวเองจับเอวจากข้างหลัง pic.twitter.com/aOxnnBQ2bo
— Napatip (@Napatip_TPradio) June 11, 2015
According to the BBC, the topic was mentioned over 130 million times on Weibo as it soon went viral.
Speaking to the BBC, Jolene Tan, who is a senior manager at Aware, a non-governmental organization in Singapore that champions women’s rights, explained how this trend promoted eating disorders and promoted an unhealthy standard of beauty.
“Quirky poses and pictures can be fun but sometimes they also become expressions of competitiveness or insecurity… [It’s just] one more way of scrutinising women’s bodies to see whether they are ‘good enough’.”
However, the British lingerie retailer Curvy Kate has now decided to fight back against the above trend with its own hashtag, which simply insists Boobs Over Belly Buttons. This asks female users to upload an image of them grabbing onto one of their own breasts, rather than going to an obscene length to touch their belly button.
Curvy Kate uploaded a blog entry that explained the reason for their response to the Belly Button challenge. The website wrote, “There are a heck of a lot more important things to be checking on your own body than whether your arms are flexible enough to reach all the way around your own torso.”
They went on to add, “So welcome [to] the #BoobsOverBellyButtons movement! We want to encourage you guys to check your boobs and get to know what normal feels like.”


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Urban Outfitters Inc.’s fourth-quarter profits fell 47.8 percent as the company cut prices to clear slow-moving women’s apparel, but Richard Hayne, who reclaimed the mantle of chief executive...
March 12, 2012
Urban Outfitters Income Slips 47.8 Percent
Retailer's fourth-quarter sales tick up 9.3 percent.
Ads by Google


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It is a secret to probably nobody with an internet connection that Netflix has not had a particularly good year. The company's stock has absolutely plummeted from its high of highs to a several-year low, with the streaming service losing somewhere in the neighborhood of 70% of its value during 2022, including something like $54 billion overnight in April. This all stems from stronger competition in the streaming wars and a report of subscriber losses in the first quarter of the year, with a further loss of 2 million subscribers expected to be lost in the second quarter. It's all bad and the company seems to have few good solutions. Yet, it has been made quite clear that Netflix still plans to spend lots and lots of money over the next couple of years.
In a recent report from Variety, it was revealed that Netflix has launched a "charm offensive" with co-CEO Ted Sarandos, head of global film Scott Stuber and head of global television Bela Bajaria speaking with top creators and agents, stating that they still plan to spend "aggressively" not only to make but to market movies and shows. Also of note, the company's content budgets for this year and 2023 are said to be locked in place, with a $17 billion spend expected in 2022, matching last year's gigantic content cash dump.
Yes, Netflix has 222 million subscribers worldwide and yes, that is still by far the biggest number for any streaming service in the game. But the key is growth and it seems they've hit a wall, with Wall Street no longer seeing a big, bright future for the streaming giant. So, what is Netflix going to do with these billions and billions of dollars over the next couple of years and, perhaps the bigger question is, how long can they possibly keep this up with the stock price dropping so sharply?
Money For Content, Less For Jobs
One thing we know for sure is that Netflix has been cutting jobs left and right. To go along with 150 employees that were let go in May, another 300 people were recently let go within the company, largely in North America, per The Hollywood Reporter. Roughly speaking, that equated to about 5% of the company's overall workforce. That is, to say the very least of it, no small thing. Another intriguing thing that has been somewhat overlooked is a note on the official Netflix jobs site. Under the "Valued Behaviors" section those who are going to be employed with the company are expected to exercise good judgment and "spend our members' money wisely." But what does that mean, exactly?
One thing we know for sure is that Netflix's animation department was cut heavily in these layoffs. This suggests that the big investments that have been made in original animation in recent years may well be scaled back. So it seems we can perhaps expect less spending on animated content. Another huge impact of the layoffs was Tudum, Netflix's in-house website that was meant to create content for and market its biggest originals. This program lasted mere months before being axed as a result of the financial downturn. Clearly, the idea isn't going to be to spend money on creative marketing in this way. Is the idea to free up as much capital as possible for movies and TV shows while being more discerning about how that money is spent?
There are harsh realities associated with business and yes, employee cuts were always going to be a part of the equation when a stock drop that dramatic hits. This is not limited to Netflix or streaming. But it's somewhat clear the brass is willing to cut back on employees while not wanting to have the image be that they are cutting back on spending.
Different Revenue Streams
After all, a big part of Netflix's strategy in recent years has been to attract big talent with big money. Just look at "Red Notice," a $200 million movie that was picked up by the streamer from Universal Pictures that became its most-watched movie ever. That sort of thing doesn't come cheap and, for whatever it may be worth, critics really didn't dig what The Rock and Co. had to sell. Despite that, we are getting sequels. Big money, big talent. But even that is poised to change as a result of business realities.
Netflix was, at one point, the great box office disruptor, releasing big movies directly to streaming. During the pandemic, Hollywood doubled down hard on streaming as theaters were shut down all over the world. However, the combination of a nice box office recovery this year coupled with Netflix's downturn has gave way to a change in thinking. It seems other studios are not going to be as eager to abandon theatrical distribution so quickly as that revenue is helpful and, in turn, big theatrical hits like "The Batman" stand a better chance at becoming hits on streaming as well.
To that end, rumors have been circulating that Netflix is going to experiment more with theatrical releases. "Knives Out 2" is reportedly going to get one and, if that goes well, who knows? Box office revenue could help offset the cost of giant films for the company and make them more feasible, while also building up good will with theater owners. Not to mention that theaters have already made it clear they would welcome Netflix with open arms. And let us not forget that Netflix is experimenting more with video games too. If subscribers are drying up, expansion into other areas of media is clearly the play.
The Deep Pockets Can't Last Forever
Here is what we know for sure: Netflix won't (or perhaps can't) spend less on content in the near-term. However, with things going the way they are, they also can't outspend Hollywood indefinitely. Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+, HBO Max, Peacock, and many others are out there vying for subscribers as well. It's a crowded marketplace and, quite frankly, as this house of cards currently exists, something has to give. Netflix is the king of the hill but only for now. Eventually, one of these services is going to fail or there are going to be more high-profile media mergers. Things are going to get uglier before they get better – make no mistake.
So where does that leave us? It seems clear that less money will be poured into staff at Netflix for now and ideas such as Tudum are off the table. Meanwhile, animation is being curbed and the age of giving a guy like Martin Scorsese nearly $200 million for "The Irishman" in the hopes of winning an Oscar are over. The whole "spend our members' money wisely" thing almost feels like it was, perhaps indirectly, aimed at decisions such as that. For now, it seems the purse is just as full as it ever was and Netflix wants that message out to A-listers in Hollywood but, at the same time, those purse strings feel like they are tightening.
The company got ahead at one point by handing out rich deals to the likes of Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes, and "Game of Thrones" duo David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. One expects those rich deals are a thing of the past too. Because, no matter what the brass is trying to signal, when a company loses 70% of its value, things can't continue as they were. $17 billion per year on movies and TV that rely on subscriber dollars and growth is no longer sustainable. Things undoubtedly will change because they have to. The future is calling, Mr. Sarandos, and it is a future where Netflix is not alone at the top.
Read this next: The 15 Best Netflix Original Series Of 2021 Ranked
The post Netflix Is Still Spending Big, But For How Long And On What? appeared first on /Film.


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OpenX: Mobile topped 50 percent of global volume in Q1; Higher CPMs on apps than mobile web
The OpenX, which operates a programmatic platform that includes an ad exchange and supply-side platform, reported Tuesday that over 50 percent of global ad volume on the exchange came from mobile in Q1 2016, up 180 percent from a year ago.
OpenX said, on average, CPMs on mobile apps were 50 percent higher than CPMs from mobile websites.
In Q1, OpenX launched Bidder for Apps to extend its header bidding solution to mobile apps and Real-Time Guaranteed (RTG), which gives publishers a way to secure commitments from advertisers and execute those ad buys, complete with real-time audience targeting for advertisers, via programmatic processes. RTG supports mobile apps as well.
The company says header bidding increased 300 percent year-over-year in Q1.
These stats were part of a quarterly update by the independent firm, which did not release revenue numbers for the quarter. For 2015, OpenX reported annual net revenues of $140 million, an increase of 40 percent year-over-year.


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Elves Behavin’ Badly hit the road!
Fully branded fleet of lorries hits the roads to bring Elves Behavin’ Badly to families and retailers across the nation
The PMS International team has unveiled its new fleet of branded commercial vehicles to mark the start of the 2017 Elves Behavin’ Badly campaign.
The cheeky Elves will be on full view as PMS drivers travel across Britain in the coming months to ensure retailers can keep up with the growing demand for this pre-Christmas Countdown phenomenon. The eye-catching designs showcase the fantastic Elves Behavin’ Badly range including the original Elfie, his female elf companion Elvie, the impossibly cute Elf triplets and even Rudie the Reindeer – all of which are instantly recognisable by their big ears.
PMS’ vehicles are going to be hard to miss thanks to the eye-catching new designs featured on the side and back of the lorries. There will be 32 different commercial vehicles, including 44, 18, 12 and 7.5 tonne lorries on the road delivering these cheeky characters to stores across the UK.
Heading to Autumn Fair? See the Elves Behavin’ Badly range on the PMS International stand Hall 1, Stand E20–D21 – click here for info
“We watched the Elf tradition explode in America and decided that there was a gap in the market to satisfy demand in the UK, “ said Paul Beverley, MD of PMS International. “Our Elves Behavin’ Badly range was designed in-house and sales exceeded our expectations last year. To prepare for 2017 sales demand, our team have worked solidly developing new products including some fun accessories and even more Elf dolls. I’m constantly amazed by the creativity of customers who share their Elves Behavin' Badly photos with us. Our retail partners have a fantastic opportunity to drive pre-Christmas sales with our collectable Elf lines which will continue to expand every year.”
What started in the US a couple of years ago as animated humour and creative fun, spread across the internet rapidly. Originally started to entertain young children during the Christmas countdown in December, its creativity has made it one of the fastest growing pre-Christmas rituals. This light-hearted pre-Christmas phenomenon sees families, couples and office workers create daft poses for their Elves each day and share their imaginative results online.
PMS International’s exclusive Elves Behavin’ Badly range features unique branding and eye-catching packaging. Alongside the original Elves Behavin’ Badly vinyl-faced dolls, PMS also offer a range of Plush Elves, Bendable Dolls, incredibly cute Baby Elves, Rudie the Reindeer and an unrivalled range of Elf Accessories, to help the Elves go about their mischief making and to inspire even more creative scenes.


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As the underlying blockchain technology in the crypto realm continues to evolve, several incredible crypto and NFT use cases are emerging. Here are five NFT and crypto trends in the NFT space to keep an eye on, ranging from pop culture to shared ownership:
Take pride in your work.
Small-time crypto investors have been feeling left out of the art NFT scene as the cost of NFTs continues to rise to new highs. After all, how many of us can afford a lakhs-of-rupees Bored Ape NFT?
Fractionalized NFTs, in which ownership is split among numerous owners to bring the price of artwork down to an affordable level, is one trend that has caught on to combat this. Banksy’s Gorilla in a Street Mask NFT, which will be auctioned as a collection of 10,000 fractionalized NFTs for $750 each, is a popular example.
Gaming is being NFT-fied in the NFT space
It’s no surprise that GameFi (gaming and finance) is quickly gaining popularity among consumers and developers, with in-game NFT assets being built by some of the industry’s biggest brands. Axie Infinity, which is inspired by Pokemon and features collected pets called “Axies,” is one of the most well-known names in this field. It is said to have amassed over a billion dollars in in-game assets via its tokens, which can be utilized throughout the game’s ecosystem. Gaming and NFTs appear to be a match made in heaven, and we’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible. Look for NFTs from titles like Thunder Lands and Metawars, among others, this year.
Films get in the act
Wait till the movie If you think streaming has matured in the last several years, NFTs have become ubiquitous. The momentum has obviously changed for NFTs when it comes to the viewing experience, from web series like Ajay Devgn’s “Rudra” launching metaverse characters to using NFTs to fund the whole pilot episode of the TV series “Men of the House”. Further, the producers of the $50 million film “Antara” announced the first NFT that allows a buyer to digitally part-own rights to a Hollywood picture and profit from the box office and streaming earnings. You may use NFTs to interact with movies in a variety of ways, and you can be as active or as passive as you like with your involvement and investment.
NFTs are becoming more fashionable
The fashion and blockchain worlds were immediately opened up to the potential surrounding fashion labels when Gucci announced the debut of their $12 digital sneakers. However, fashion houses have long been a part of the NFT universe. Burberry has already teamed up with Mythical Games to release an NFT collection based on the latter’s flagship game, Blankos Block Party. Dolce & Gabbana has also produced its own NFT collection called Collezione Genesi, and a Baby Birkin NFT was recently auctioned for $23,500. Luxury goods are clearly in vogue when it comes to NFTs these days.
The NFT Bug Is Caught by Music
According to many analysts, NFTs will profoundly change the music industry. Songs, albums, music, and lyrics can all be converted into NFTs in the NFT space. Kings of Leon have already made history by becoming the first band to release an album exclusively as an NFT. Lostboy NFT is popular music and art collective that focuses on mental wellness. Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park raised roughly $11,000 for his first NFT. For the first time, musicians think they are being appropriately compensated without record companies collecting the majority of their earnings, signaling a significant shift in the way the business will expand in the months ahead.
With pop culture extending into the metaverse and fashion brands dabbling in NFTs, cryptos and NFTs have a brighter future than ever. Some applications are still being developed, but it is clear that as more people get interested in NFTs, some of these industries, particularly music and gaming, will face significant changes. And, thanks to fractionalized NFTs, owning a work of art by a well-known artist is now more accessible than ever. NFTs shine brightly and distribute light far and wide.


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The Council of Fashion Designers of America has released a preliminary Official New York Fashion Week Schedule. NYFW will run from Sept. 8 through Sept. 13.
NYFW will kick off Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. with Helmut Lang’s spring collection, which will be designed for the first time by Peter Do, and closes Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. with the Luar show by Raul Lopez, who was the CFDA Fashion Awards winner for Accessories Designer of the Year.
The preliminary schedule features more than 71 confirmed designers with additional collections being presented digitally and by appointment.
Returning brands include Alice + Olivia, Altuzarra, Anna Sui, Area, Badgley Mischka, Dennis Basso, Brandon Maxwell, Carolina Herrera, Christian Siriano, Collina Strada, Cos, Dion Lee, Eckhaus Latta, Elena Velez, Gabriela Hearst, Jason Wu, Khaite, LaQuan Smith, Michael Kors, Palomo Spain, Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schouler, Puppets & Puppets, Sergio Hudson, Theory, Tibi, Tory Burch, Ulla Johnson and Willy Chavarria.
As reported, Ralph Lauren will make his comeback to the New York runway on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. Also returning to the New York runways are Jonathan Cohen, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Sally LaPointe. Bach Mai will present his first runway show for his brand.
Thom Browne, chairman of the CFDA, doesn’t plan to show during NYFW.
“After representing American design in Paris during Couture earlier this month, we look forward to supporting our fellow American designers throughout the upcoming New York Fashion Week. Looking forward, we will realize a series of activations, both in New York and abroad, to celebrate Thom Browne’s 20th anniversary. More information will be shared soon,” said a Browne spokesperson.
Showing for the first time will be such brands as Advisry, Chan Chit Lo, Fforme, Grace Ling, and Sho Konishi.
This year’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists Colin LoCascio, Diotima, Kim Shui, Kozaburo, Melitta Baumeister, Sam Miro Vintage, Tanner Fletcher, Who Decides War and Zankow will also join the week with collection showcases.
The 9 p.m. shows will be Private Policy (Sept. 8), Kim Shui (Sept. 9), Who Decides War (Sept. 10), LaQuan Smith (Sept. 11) and Dion Lee (Sept. 12).
Those showing by appointment this season will be Cinq à Sept, Et Ochs, Markarian, Chan Chit Lo, PatBo, Hellessy, Mara Hoffman, Bed on Water, Interior, and Agbobly.
“New York Fashion Week is an integral part of New York City’s vibrant culture and sense of constant evolution and discovery,” said Steven Kolb, chief executive officer of the CFDA. “This season’s official New York Fashion Week schedule plays to this sentiment and will once again showcase the best of American fashion, both emerging and established. We’re excited to see the return of Ralph Lauren, Jonathan Cohen and 3.1 Phillip Lim to the the New York runway, adding to the week’s energy.”
Once again, Spring Studios will be the central hub for IMG’s NYFW: The Shows. The preliminary Official NYFW Schedule is in partnership with IMG’s NYFW: The Shows.
The shows and presentations will continue to be represented via Runway360, CFDA’s centralized digital hub and business tool to support American fashion brands’ collection releases year-round.
Showing off the official schedule is Coach, which will present its collection on Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
New York Men’s Day will take place Sept. 8. Showing from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. will be A. Potts, Brandon Murphy, Clara Son, Kent Anthony, and Terry Singh. From 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., are Raleigh Workshop, The Salting, Sebastien Ami, Skyco, and Tarpley.
FOR THE OFFICIAL NEW YORK FASHION WEEK SCHEDULE, SEE HERE:


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Texas Q2 2015 PCA Index Findings Infographic
Once a quarter, Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management and Dun & Bradstreet poll small and medium-sized businesses across the nation to learn more about those companies growth and access to capital.
Overall, the Q2 2015 PCA Index findings revealed that optimism and financing success among small and medium-sized businesses are the highest they’ve been in three years. Mid-sized businesses seem increasingly optimistic about their ability to secure funding, which Jeff Stibel, Vice Chairman of Dun & Bradstreet, believes “is a strong indication that smaller businesses have joined their larger peers in the economic recovery.”
Texas Small Businesses Are Less Successful at Getting Bank Loans
- Of the 47% of Texas small businesses that attempted to get a bank loan, 28% we successful, compared to 37% nationally.
- Texas small businesses surveyed are feeling restricted: 56% feel their growth opportunities are restricted and 48% feel their ability to hire is restricted.
- Despite that, 59% are planning to hire in the next six months and 33% are planning to raise financing.


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Google Apps for Business is awarded ISO 27001
Google Apps for business just get ISO 27001 certification, one of the most comprehensive Security standards and recognized. The award of this standard was conducted by an ISO accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Council member of International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and Ernst & Young CertifyPoint.
Although for an ordinary user may not exist is relevant these certifications, Google does allow a better way to convince companies to start using their systems, allowing the backup and data synchronization in the cloud.
Security remains one of the main concerns of the executives to use data in the cloud, to which were Feigenbaum, Google Enterpise safety director said that companies “are realizing that a company like Google can invest in security issues on a scale that many are not able to reach due to lack of resources. “
Google Apps also has certifications and SSAE 16/ISAE 3402 FISMA Certified Google Apps for governments.
Link: Google Apps For Business Gets ISO 27001 Certification (TechCrunch)Tags: certification, cloud, Google, google apps for business, ISO, iso 27001, Security


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A maker of electric trucks has named a former chief financial officer of Fuyao Glass America to its board of directors.
This week, Lordstown Motors announced that Steve Schrader, the CFO of electric vehicle maker Workhorse Group Inc. in Loveland, has joined its board of directors.
Prior to Workhorse, Schrader was CFO of Fuyao in Moraine, the largest single-site producer of automobile glass in the world.
Lordstown designs and makes electric trucks in a former Lordstown, Ohio General Motors plant, now dubbed “Voltage Valley.”
Workhorse is a company based northeast of Cincinnati focused on making electric vehicles for last-mile delivery. The company builds battery-electric vehicles including trucks and aircraft.
In April, Workhorse was able to secure $1.4 million from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.
“These funds will go a long way in allowing us to continue to meet our payroll needs and, as an essential business supporting the package delivery industry, keeping all our employees safe and working is critical through this challenging period,” Schrader said at the time.
Schrader worked for Fuyao from December 2015 to December 2019.
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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission cartel case against the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union ACT and secretary Jason O’Mara has collapsed. Jim McIlroy reports.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
A new ACCC report has identified major weaknesses in the water market, but recommends more of the same, reports Tracey Carpenter.
Australia’s largest milk processor Murray Goulburn has announced it will close manufacturing plants in three small rural towns: Kiewa and Rochester in northern Victoria and Edith Creek in Tasmania.
Murray Goulburn expects 360 people will lose their jobs. The closures are in areas where there are no other industries.
This will have a huge impact on these three local communities. The 700 residents of Kiewa-Tangambalanga will lose 135 jobs from Murray Goulburn's factory closure.


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This story is part of our #brewwhatsright campaign, an effort to feature people, businesses, and communities actively helping others by doing what’s right.
Of all those hit by coronavirus, some of the most affected include bars and restaurants. Even as breweries across the country implement successful to-go can sales and delivery options, many bars and restaurants find themselves without the packaging solutions to adopt similar strategies. As a result, many have found themselves without revenue for the past two months.
“Retailers really took a beating,” says Clem Pellani, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Two Roads Brewing Co. in Stratford, Connecticut. Before COVID-19, retailers made up 35 to 40 percent of Two Roads’ revenue. “Breweries took a hit because on-premise sales dried up for two months, but a lot of these retailers probably won’t be re-opening.”
To help local retailers get back on their feet, Two Roads is debuting a program called Back On The Road. As part of the program, Two Roads will apply a blanket discount to half and sixth barrels of many of their bestselling brands.
A Deeper Look At Back On The Road
“We were kicking around ideas and one of our sales directors came up with the idea of a discount on kegs,” says Pellani. “The intent was to do something great for our retail customers to help them get back into business.”
Although the size of the discount hasn’t been disclosed, Pellani says that “It’s a flat amount on half-barrels and sixtels for about eight of our best-selling brands.”
He also shared that the discount wouldn’t apply to specialty brands, as “We wanted to make the biggest difference, and those aren’t things that retailers are going to put on tap right away.”
Who Is Eligible To Take Advantage Of Discounted Pricing?
When the Back On The Road Program launches on June 1st, it’ll only be available to the brewery’s bar and restaurant retailers in Connecticut. According to Pellani, “That’s over 2,000 on-premise accounts.”
Two Roads focused the program on draft beer versus packaged beer to help the on-premise retailers that were hit the hardest. Many liquor and grocery stores have actually increased business during coronavirus. But, they will also be eligible for the discounted keg pricing as well. And while Pellani isn’t opposed to bringing the program to other markets, he felt it was most important that Two Roads debut Back On The Road in Connecticut.
“This is our home,” he said. “Our neighbors are the people who helped establish Two Roads.”
The Importance Of Community At Two Roads Brewing
In addition to Back On The Road, Two Roads has a history of supporting their local community. The company frequently works with local food banks and holds a variety of programming at their brewery.
“We do a lot of onsite events,” says Pellani. “We do a big summer concert called Road Jam, where we’ll get about 3,000 people. Unfortunately, we had to cancel almost everything this summer. The only thing we haven’t canceled yet is Oktoberfest, which takes place in September.”
As part of their new construction, they restored nearly a half-acre of wetlands behind the brewery.
“We’re paying to have them cleaned up and beautified,” says Pellani. “We’re getting rid of non-native species.”
Eventually, Two Roads plans to build a boardwalk through the wetlands so consumers can walk amongst them and observe nature. Additionally, Two Roads built their new koelschip adjacent to the wetlands, directly connecting the taste of their spontaneously fermented beer with the health of the land.
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For Hyundai, technology comes first and the vehicles second.
That’s according to José Muñoz, the president and global chief operating officer of the overarching Hyundai Motor Co. that’s come on like gangbusters in recent years to comfortably establish itself as one of the top players in the auto industry. That’s true not just of the automaker’s sales but its product offerings, too, with award-winning entries from both the Hyundai and Genesis marquees – both of which Muñoz happens to oversee in North America.
One area Hyundai is certainly showing strong technological leadership amongst legacy automakers – or at least a willingness to transform in a hurry – is electrification, with a steady stream of zero-emissions models over the past few years in particular. It’s probably more than a coincidence that those same models are the ones piling up the awards, but Muñoz said the electric vehicle (EV) space isn’t some sort of Field of Dreams-like utopia; just because the brands he’s in charge of are building award-winning EVs doesn’t mean the customers will come without encouragement.
“You need to bring innovative products (and) good features at a competitive price,” he said of what it takes to get people excited about EVs. “Second, you need to get customers to drive (them). We’ve seen (that) once the customers drive the cars, they buy them.”
Speaking during a small media roundtable during the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), Muñoz said that try-before-you-buy approach is precisely why part of Hyundai’s display this year included a test track for attendees to climb inside both the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6. The same approach was taken earlier in 2023 at the Toronto auto show, where the Ioniq 5 and Kona Electric – as well as their corporate cousins, the Kia EV6 and Niro EV – were available for test drives.
And it’s no wonder Hyundai and others are putting such an emphasis on electrification these days. With the undeniable effects of climate change leading to global emissions-reduction strategies, the auto industry is relatively low-hanging fruit. That’s why governments around the world and across North America, including here in Canada, have implemented so-called zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandates that call for the sales of new gas-powered passenger vehicles to be progressively phased out in the coming years.
In the United States, that means 50 per cent of new vehicles sold by 2030 will be emissions-free, slightly less than the 60 per cent target set by the Canadian government, while both countries are aiming for entirely ZEV sales by 2035.
Even so, the path forward isn’t one without obstacles. According to Muñoz, the biggest barrier to EV adoption in the U.S. is the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that revised the rules for tax rebates, with eligible vehicles now required to be assembled in North America in order to qualify. Like the existing federal, provincial, and territorial incentives offered in Canada, the old rules didn’t stipulate where the vehicles had to be built.
“That’s the biggest disappointment, because it prevents (us) from competing head-to-head,” he said of the ground Hyundai has lost next to other automakers like Tesla, Ford, and General Motors (GM) that build EVs in the U.S. He referenced the Ioniq 5 in particular as proof, with a three-point drop in segment share immediately after the U.S. government announced the revised rules.
Adding salt to the wound, according to the Hyundai head, is his company’s announcement in May 2022 that it plans to invest US$5.5 billion in EV and battery assembly plants in the U.S. But with the first of those facilities – a battery production plant in Georgia – not expected to be operational until mid-2025, it’s going to be more than two years until Hyundai’s EVs qualify for the same $7,500 federal rebate as its rivals – assuming it's still available by then.
“This is my biggest headache,” Muñoz said. “We’ve been working with the (U.S.) government to see if they could give us a waiver, because we made the announcement before the (IRA) was published.”
Similar trouble arose in Ontario a few short years ago, with an immediate dip in EV sales after the provincial government announced an end to what were at the time the most generous rebates in Canada. According to reports, EV sales in Ontario were down more than 50 per cent year-over-year following the cancellation of the incentive program in 2018.
This, of course, brings affordability into focus. Unsurprisingly, Muñoz said it’s crucial that EVs be priced similarly to compact cars like Hyundai’s own Elantra if markets like Canada and the U.S. are going to meet their ambitious sales targets.
“In order to achieve the (sales mandate) goals, electric vehicles need to be very affordable,” he said.
This comes down to economies of scale, according to Muñoz, with the cost of critical minerals and other battery components – “hopefully” – dropping as sales increase. In theory, those savings would then be passed along to the consumer, with lower asking prices for EVs overall. And while the process may not be playing out quickly, he thinks it’s happening in real-time.
“I think it’s happening,” Muñoz said. “The sales are growing, there is more production, now the suppliers that weren’t in this market see EVs as a promising future, and they’re investing so there’s more capacity, more supply on components, more competition.”
That’s another area that Muñoz said he sees as the way forward: localization. If the pandemic taught the auto industry at large anything it’s that regional rather than international supply chain solutions are required to keep production on pace with demand – especially in the face of macro forces like pandemics and disasters.
“Localization is the solution,” he said. “I think the supply chains have been overly optimized on the basis of saving a dime, (but) the situation has proven that you expose the entire business because of a small component.”
That’s part of Hyundai’s investment strategy south of the border, with the US$5.5 billion announced last May – along with another US$5 billion announced earlier – aimed at bringing battery supply closer to its plants in Georgia, which will ultimately produce some 500,000 EVs in the coming years. And just as history has shown, the residual effects will all but assure the company’s suppliers will follow suit with nearby plants of their own.
More evidence of this localized electrification is being seen in Canada, with automaker Stellantis – the parent company to brands like Chrysler, Dodge, and Ram Trucks – announcing last year a joint venture with LG Energy Solutions to build an EV battery production plant in Windsor, Ont., while Volkswagen’s PowerCo recently announced it will do the same in St. Thomas, Ont.
So what can apprehensive shoppers expect from EVs? It extends beyond eliminating emissions, according to Muñoz, with plenty of enjoyment, too. Ultimately, though, it all comes back to technology.
“You have more space, a lower centre of gravity,” he said. “(It) allows you to have better acceleration, better dynamics, and more powerful cars … the technology is better.”


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Fragrance Creators Association president and CEO, Farah K. Ahmed, and National Candle Association (NCA) executive director, Robert Pignato, released a joint statement emphasizing the importance of coordination across the entire fragrance value chain to help deliver positive impacts for people, perfume and the planet.
On November 18, 2021, FCA presented a one-hour webinar hosted by NCA, outlining key priorities for advancing responsible industry stewardship and areas for continued coordination between the trade associations.
The webinar featured remarks by Farah K. Ahmed, president and CEO, Fragrance Creators; Amanda Nguyen, vice president, Government Affairs & Legal, Fragrance Creators; and Darci Ferrer, chief scientist, Fragrance Creators.
“The growth of scented candle sales during the pandemic highlighted the important wellness benefits that fragrance delivers to our daily lives. The fragrance value chain is facing unprecedented impacts including significant supply chain challenges and increased regulatory activity, as well as new opportunities to advance innovation (green fragrance chemistries) and consumer understanding of the benefits that scented products provide. We look forward to continuing to work together, and with all responsible stakeholders, to advance responsible policies and programs—for people, perfume, and the planet.”