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Shush! Don’t mention the Olympics!
I got the weekly marketing email from eBay yesterday and the main box out section was “Turn your home into a stadium, with our great choice home electronics”. I’ve no problem with this per se, but the reason eBay are being so coy and not saying “Get yourself a big telly to watch the Olympics” is because they don’t want to get sued.
I’ve yet to see much positive Olympic PR, although to be fair David Cameron did a great job of trying to paper over the cracks of LOCOG’s team yesterday, even praising the last government for helping bring the Games to the UK. The trouble is that LOCOG are so desperately trying to protect the investment of the sponsors that everyone else is scared to mention the Olympics in their marketing in case they get a £20,000 fine.
It didn’t help the brand police cause last week, when Seb Coe arbitrarily banned spectators from turning up to the games wearing anything with a Pepsi logo. When pressed he said you might be ok wearing Nike trainers, but he appears to be so obsessed about the sponsors that he’s stifling the country’s small businesses from benefiting from the Olympics. Embarrassingly LOCOG didn’t back up Lord Coe saying “Any individual coming into our venues can wear any item of clothing, branded or otherwise”.
With the brand mafia on the warpath it’s not surprising that everyone including eBay is subtly alluding to the London 2012 Olympic Games as “The Summer of Sports“. On eBay’s Olympic themed microsite, the “Support your nation” link gets you Olympic branded merchandise, but they don’t dare to actually mention the 2012 Games in their marketing. Whilst the UKTI has opened up the British Business Embassy at Lancaster House, to tout for overseas trade, the rest of the country are worrying about what they can and can’t say to attract consumers to their wares.
eBay warn their sellers to be aware that several terms and trademarks related to the Olympic Games and London 2012 are protected and can only be used in compliance with legal guidance“. It’s no surprise eBay themselves talk about Stadiums and the Summer of sports and don’t mention the Olympic Games.
The one person who really appears to have seen sense is London Mayor Boris Johnson, who scoffed saying “If you want to stick five doughnuts in your window and call them Olympic rings then be my guest” and “If bakers want to make a gigantic Olympic pretzel in the high streets of London to advertise their wares then let them do so“. He left LOCOG in no doubt of his meaning insisting “I think it’s absolute nonsense. Certainly no brand army is going have support of the administration in London – and we won’t be making any efforts to enforce it ourselves”
So enjoy the Summer of Sports Opening Ceremony this evening. Cheer for our athletes, but shush… don’t mention the London 2012 Olympic Games. That’s not allowed.


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Figures from the Motion Picture Association of America Show that almost 70 Percent of the studios’ annual revenue from box office now comes from international markets
The rub is that little effort is being made to deliver sophisticated storytelling with these international productions
Television executives from around the world arrived in Jerusalem on Monday for the kickoff of the annual Keshet INTV conference, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Executives from Netflix, CNN, CBS, Amazon Studios and more “took part in interviews and panel discussions during the first day of the sixth annual conference at the YMCA in the capital.” They all agreed that international content (foreign productions) are hot items.
Cindy Holland, vice president of original content at Netflix said, “We’re trying to program for audiences with such wide, inclusive and eclectic tastes,” said Holland, noting how much Netflix has branched out into international content, including Israeli shows. “It’s definitely a big growth area,” she said of foreign programming. “It’s the future of our company; 80% of our new acquisitions are coming from outside the United States.”
OUR FREE OPINION
According to a BBC report, “recent figures from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), almost 70 percent of the studios’ annual revenue from box office now comes from international markets.” Russia and China are leading the pack. The rub is that “little effort is being made to deliver sophisticated storytelling with these international blockbusters.” Moreover, “The movies are crafted mainly to provoke a visceral – as opposed to intellectual – response,” critics are saying.
We think the quality of many of the foreign movies is suffering in general. Some of the Netflix “originals” are hard to watch. We can’t help to think that budgets, at the cost of equality, are playing a role in this phenomenon. We are not complaining because Netflix prices are reasonable and some of the productions are good.

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Online or offline one area that can hang up advertising traffic - as in, getting the ads to the right place at the right time - is the distribution system in place. Some systems require workers to enter information from... >>
YouTube has announced yet more chunky viewing stats following the announcement last month that the video content site now has 1 billion unique monthly viewers.... >>
Image recognition and augmented reality trigger larger share of mobile activations in U.S. magazines
In the two years to the end of 2012, the number of mobile activations in the Top 100 US magazines by circulation has risen significantly. QR codes continue to be the dominant format but image-based and augmented reality activations are... >>
There are many things that can ruin a day - bad weather, bad hair, or just a bad mood. Apparently there's something else that can ruin a person's day - bad ads. ... >>
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Flight Options clients who travel in one of the company’s Nextant 400XTs might find the light jet familiar if they have ever flown in a Beechjet 400A or Hawker 400XP. Nextant Aerospace, an aircraft-remanufacturing company based in Cleveland, is refitting these models with new avionics and new engines to create the 400XT—a faster, longer-range, and more fuel-efficient plane. It is available in four cabin configurations and can seat as many as eight passengers.
Nextant notes how favorably the 400XT compares to the Beechjet 400A, which went into production in 1990 and was upgraded and rebranded as the Hawker 400XP in 2003. It claims that the 400XT burns 32 percent less fuel than the 400A, climbs to its cruising altitude 33 percent faster (in 23 minutes), and has a range (when carrying four passengers) of about 2,300 miles, versus about 1,500 miles for the Beechjet. The company also points out that with a price of $3.9 million (for the entire aircraft, not just the upgrade), the 400XT costs about half as much as new aircraft with similar capabilities.
Hawker Beechcraft offers its own upgrade to the Beechjet 400A and Hawker 400XP. Called the XPR, it includes engine and avionic improvements and the addition of winglets. The roughly $2.6 million price covers just the upgrade, not the cost of the aircraft.
Flight Options has ordered 40 400XTs, and the company expects to take delivery of its first plane in July and of four more aircraft by the end of this year. Nextant plans to deliver the entire order over the next five years.
It is not surprising that Nextant’s first orders have come from Flight Options: Kenn Ricci, Nextant’s founder and CEO, also founded Flight Options, in 1998, and is now the private-flight company’s chairman.
It also is not surprising that Nextant has focused its efforts on the Beechjet 400A and the Hawker 400XP—planes that have long been staples of charter fleets. Passengers rave about the planes’ roomy cabins and many windows, generous storage space, and high cruising altitude, which produces a smooth ride. If there are any complaints, they involve the models’ relatively short range. Several years ago Ricci, who has been in the private-aviation business for three decades, began to consider ways to boost the power and fuel efficiency of the planes’ engines and thereby increase their range. Moreover, he wondered if the existing fuselages could have second lives as new aircraft.
“One objection was that the airframe is going to wear out faster than that of a newer airplane,” says Ricci. To address this concern, Nextant, in addition to installing new engines and new avionics, also is replacing all of the aircraft’s wiring and its landing gear, actuators, and windows. “We have the fuselage completely open,” says Ricci, “so we replace everything that tends to wear out.”
Nextant Aerospace, 216.261.9000, www.nextantaerospace.com


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Coca-Cola launches reverse vending incentive scheme using CafeCrush
Merlin Entertainments has partnered with Coca-Cola to offer 50% off entry into selected Merlin attractions across the UK in return of used plastic bottles.
First reverse vending machines enter theme parks as Coca-Cola teams up with Merlin Entertainments to exchange plastic bottles for family fun this summer
• Coca-Cola Great Britain has partnered with Merlin Entertainments to offer discounts at UK’s best-known attractions in exchange for empty plastic bottles
• Partnership designed to incentivise and encourage recycling on-the-go with specially created reverse vending machines
24 July 2018: Coca-Cola Great Britain has today announced a partnership with Merlin Entertainments, to offer people 50 per cent off entry to some of the UK’s most popular family attractions, in exchange for used plastic drink bottles. This comes following research by Coca-Cola Great Britain, revealing 64 per cent of Brits would recycle more on-the-go if they were rewarded instantly for their actions.
The summer trial will run between 25th July and 19 October 2018 and invites people to bring and recycle any 500ml plastic bottle via an on-site reverse vending machine. The innovative machines will be installed at four of Merlin’s leading attractions and will instantly reward those who deposit their empty bottles with a voucher to receive 50 per cent off entry at 30 participating Merlin attractions including Alton Towers Resort, THORPE PARK Resort, Chessington World of Adventures Resort and The LEGOLAND Windsor Resort.
The trial is the first in the country to offer people a more valuable reward than the original purchasing price of the plastic drinks bottle they recycle, as the 50 per cent off voucher equates to a saving of up to £30 when buying a Merlin attraction day pass.
The partnership comes a year since Coca-Cola Great Britain launched its sustainable packaging strategy alongside a global goal to collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one it sells, by 2030, to help ensure a world without waste.
Jon Woods, General Manager of Coca-Cola Great Britain said: “We want to reward people for doing the right thing by recycling their bottles and hope to encourage some people who wouldn’t otherwise have done so. Through this exciting new trial with Merlin Entertainments, we hope to remind people how valuable their empty plastic bottle is. All of our bottles can be recycled and we want to get as many of them back as possible so they can be turned into new bottles and not end up as litter.
“This is just one of the actions that we’re taking to play our part in achieving a World Without Waste. We buy more recycled plastic in the UK than any other company and we are in the process of doubling the recycled plastic in all our bottles from 25 per cent to 50 per cent by 2020. We’re also running television campaigns encouraging people to recycle, putting clear recycling messages across all of our packs and we’re supportive of new interventions, such as deposit return schemes, to see if they improve recycling rates.”
Sandra Hazel, Head of Force for Good at Merlin Entertainments, said: “This partnership with Coca-Cola Great Britain demonstrates our shared ambition to use our brands for good. We’re constantly looking for ways to raise awareness and help contribute to a better environment. As a responsible b usiness and an advocate for marine conservation, we’re pleased to be joining forces with Coca-Cola Great Britain to encourage people to recycle more this summer, by rewarding them with family fun.”
Jon Dormer, Managing Director at Unisan UK, the supplier of CafeCrush™ reverse vending machines, said: 'Our CafeCrush™ reverse vending machines reward people for recycling. Users simply insert an empty plastic bottle, it’s crushed and then they receive an incentive. The way the machine works means the bottles are not contaminated by other waste and so are perfect for recycling. Also, because they are crushed, reducing waste volume by up to 90 per cent, more bottles can be stored and therefore less transportation is needed to get them to recycling facilities – a win for consumers and the environment.”
The announcement is the latest in a series of actions from Coca-Cola Great Britain to ensure its packaging is as sustainable as possible and to encourage more people to recycle. Since the launch of its sustainable packaging strategy last year, Coca-Cola has introduced clearer on-pack recycling messaging on its bottles and aired a dedicated recycling TVC called ‘Love Story’ which has reached over 30m people. Coca-Cola Great Britain also continues to be the largest user of recycled food grade plastic in the UK with a commitment to increase the recycled PET in its packs from 25 per cent to 50 per cent by 2020. The company also continues to work closely with the UK and Scottish governments looking at the introduction of a well-designed deposit-return scheme and other ways to increase recovery and recycling rates.
For more information relating to CafeCrush, please visit: https://www.unisanuk.com/products/cafecrush/97


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HCMC – Vietnam’s Becamex IDC Corporation and Singapore’s Sembcorp Development Ltd today, February 10, signed
HCMC – Sembcorp Industries is set to break ground for the construction of Sembcorp Logistics Park in Quang Ngai Province, the first modern ready-built warehouse in central Vietnam, on December 2.
Located at the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park in Quang Ngai Province (VSIP Quang Ngai), Sembcorp Logistics Park will provide modern warehousing spaces, enabling operational efficiency and supply chain resiliency to businesses.
The project, which will feature three blocks of modern single-storey warehouses, with a total land area of six hectares and a gross floor area of 35,500 square meters, is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2023.
At the park, companies can save long-term operating costs, consume less energy, reduce carbon footprints, create favorable working environments and help alleviate environmental concerns of neighboring communities.
“Sembcorp has established our modern, ready-built warehousing business with a growing presence across Vietnam, providing ‘just-in-time’ and ‘just-in-case’ solutions to third-party logistics companies and high-value manufacturers who are proactively building resilience into their supply chains,” said Charles Chong, country head of Sembcorp Development in Vietnam.
Sembcorp has developed logistics parks in Haiphong City, with rooftop solar panels providing 2.7 MWp of green power to customers. In 2021, Sembcorp Logistics Park Hai Duong was the first warehousing project in Vietnam to register for a Lotus green certificate – a green building rating system developed by the Vietnam Green Building Council.
Sembcorp marks its expansion in central Vietnam with new logistics parks in Quang Ngai and Nghe An, making it the pioneer in modern warehousing businesses in the region.


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After several months of searching Ralph Lauren has found a new CEO: Patrice Louvet, formerly of Procter & Gamble’s beauty division.
Writes New York Magazine:
Louvet, who will start on July 17, comes from Procter & Gamble’s global beauty business. He will report to Ralph Lauren, who said in a statement, “Finding the right partner to work with me to take us forward in our evolution has been my primary focus over the last several months and I am thrilled that Patrice is joining our talented team.”
The past two appointments for Ralph Lauren CEO come from outside of fellow luxury brands. But in over 25 years at P&G, Louvet has overseen the beauty division, grooming division, and prestige division, which includes lines from Gucci and Hugo Boss.
Ralph Lauren has been in the middle of its “Way Forward Plan” turnaround campaign for the past several years. The plan includes focusing on e-commerce, shutting down its Polo flagship store, and developing new store formats such as a café-bookstore hybrid.
And Bloomberg reports:
The pick failed to comfort Wall Street. The shares fell as much as 3.3 percent to $71.51 in New York trading Wednesday, reaching its lowest level since July 2010. The stock had already declined 18 percent this year through Tuesday’s close.
The tepid reception could mean that “investors expected someone with a slightly different professional background, and more meaningful track record in apparel and the fashion industry,” said Chen Grazutis, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “That doesn’t mean he can’t be very successful in this role.”
Ralph Lauren has been seeking a new CEO since the abrupt announcement in February that Larsson was leaving. Chief Financial Officer Jane Nielsen served as interim chief during the search.
Louvet is getting a big raise after his P&G job. He’ll collect a $1.25 million annual salary, according to a regulatory filing. Louvet also is eligible for a yearly target bonus of $3.75 million and equity grants worth $7.5 million, both depending on company performance.
The target package is more than twice as high as what he received in his last full year at P&G.
Louvet will also get sign-on awards worth about $12.6 million this year, including $3.38 million in cash. The remainder comes in shares, of which $6.59 million vest if the company achieves certain financial goals and $2.6 million vest after five years regardless of performance. His contract also gives him a $30,000 allowance to pay for his children’s schooling and six weeks of vacation.
Best of luck to Mr. Louvet, Mr. Lauren, and this great American brand. — CC


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in the Amazon, the American company, Zoox, and that the technology for self-propelled cars are developed, bought, sold. The deal is, according to the news site The Information is more than us $ 1 billion (890 million euros) are required. It is to be expected in the Amazon, with the technology for a taxi pick - up or delivery service.
It's not the first time that Amazon is the way to autonomous driving will do. By 2019, the company took part in a production at a value of 530 million u.s. dollars in the Aurora, which was set up by Chris Urmson. He has previously worked at Google on the technology of self-propelled vehicles.
Zoox in december 2018 and is the first company in California to have been granted permission to have a service with a semi-autonomous vehicle has to offer. In the united states, it is because many of the tech and the good weather an ideal place for self-propelled cars'to be developed.
the Companies, which are working on self-propelled vehicles, expect the technology to eventually be able to carry on without the human driver to refuse to carry any person. At this moment in time, in the United States, particularly for self-propelled vehicle with a driver behind the wheel who can intervene if necessary.
Zoox will remain as a stand-alone business operation. The company has previously promised will be in 2020 as a commercial product on the market. It is not clear what it is you are going to see it.


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Indeed, there is nothing to explain about the Young and the Restless, undisputedly the most popular daytime soap opera. But for those who have not watched in some time, the show via Nick, Phyllis, Jack and Sharon launched its own fashion magazine called Restless Style. And the really neat part about this endeavour is it has its own real website, too.
For the most current issue of the print magazine released this week, by the Newmans who bought out the Abbotts, the cover is a sexy but tasteful picture of Ruby Aldridge in full lingerie entitled “What’s Sexy Now: Heat Up Your Fall with Naughty Fun Fashion”. Posing in black fish net stockings, gold stilletto shoes and thin black leather halter, Ruby makes wearing bold and daring very easy. An up and coming model, she is the younger sister of Lily Aldridge, the 2006 Levi’s model.
Of course, Nikki Newman was right when she said that the cover had to be sexy but it is too bad that the site does not publish all the photos from the shoot that we saw on the show. Many fans would be interested in seeing them.


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The Obama Administration yesterday unveiled its plan for helping struggling small businesses that included several measures to revive Small Business Administration lending, such as using stimulus money to buy SBA loans on the secondary market, reducing SBA loan fees, raising guarantees and requiring banks to report how much they lend to small firms. The plan, as my colleague Simona Covel and I write today, received a lukewarm reaction among many entrepreneurs.
The main criticism among many we interviewed was that many small businesses and start-ups today don’t or can’t rely on the SBA at all. Many start-ups don’t have lots of tangible assets such as inventory, equipment or real-estate to borrow against. Rather today’s most-promising start-ups often have intellectual capital – meaning they rely on hiring a highly skilled workforce. Their biggest value is in their people and their intellectual property.
It’s these knowledge-based businesses (think engineering firms, software development, consultants or biotechnology) that will ultimately create the most jobs, some argue, and give us our best shot of recovering from today’s recession.
These businesses need a different kind of stimulus plan from your traditional small retail or manufacturing business – a plan that provides them relief on expenses such as hiring new employees or legal expenses. These entrepreneurs say they could benefit from lower taxes overall, a payroll tax holiday, streamlined regulations that make it less-burdensome for them to operate and equity investments (not debt). The SBA currently does little, if anything, to serve them and they generally don’t have enough collateral or experience to qualify for SBA loans.
Some people we spoke to argued that the SBA should be reformed to better assist intellectual capital-based firms. Doug Davidoff, founder of a seven-employee sales and marketing consulting firm in Annapolis, Md., says he’d like to see the underwriting standards and rules for SBA lending changed so that a business like his could borrow money based on the number of employees they hire — not just on the number of tangible assets they can pledge as collateral. “My problem with [Obama’s plan] is it’s still using fundamentally the same mechanisms that we’ve always had,” Mr. Davidoff says. “I would prefer they came with a white piece of paper and said here’s the new way that the administration is going to support the intellectual capital companies of tomorrow.”
Readers, do you think the SBA’s model is antiquated and overlooks many of today’s highest growth businesses? Or is the agency supporting the businesses that need the most help right now?


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Major retailers have begun responding to recession-driven consumer pessimism by repositioning their advertising. Conspicuous consumption is out. Thrift is in. The best example we've seen so far comes from Target, which shows clever ways to save money by buying its products.
The question we ask at the Boomer Project is whether this corporate repositioning is purely tactical (a temporary response to a temporary downturn in consumer spending) or strategic (a long-term response to a profound shift in consumer behavior that will outlast the recession).
We've been making the argument that economic events have shocked American consumers, Baby Boomers especially, into a fundamental re-evaluation of personal priorities -- a trend that was already building momentum from (a) the embrace of environmental sustainability and (b) the life-cycle tendency of older Boomers to define themselves by non-material values. In other words, the United States appears to be entering a lasting era of frugality.
We find it reassuring that SunTrust, the Atlanta, Ga.,-based bank holding company, has reached conclusions entirely consistent with this interpretation. The bank has unveiled a branding campaign built around the tagline, "Live Solid. Bank Solid," which speaks to "a new era of thrift, security and financial responsibility." This campaign is especially significant because it was based upon months of consumer research that identified attitudinal trends that were gathering strength before October's financial meltdown. Among SunTrust's conclusions:
- Nearly 80 percent of those surveyed would rather be envied for spending wisely than for spending freely
- 83 percent believe it's not about how much money you have, it's about what you do with the money that you already have
- Eight in 10 believe that while having more money won't necessarily make you happier, feeling in control of the money you have will increase happiness
Said John Fitzgerald, president of the Winston-Salem, N.C., ad agency behind the rebranding campaign: "Consumers ... are moving to lives of more substance, reason, and long-term thinking, and feel a stronger sense of personal responsibility for the direction of their lives."
Now, while we've been talking about the new frugality as a result of the current Wall Street meltdown, our friend and "Ageless Marketing" guru, David Wolfe, has been predicting it for years. His hypothesis, now proving to be spot on, is that as America on the whole grows older -- the median age for the country continues a relentless march upward, almost at age 40 -- there will be fewer dollars flowing in the U.S. economy and a new frugality will emerge.
SunTrust, Target, and we suspect many more companies, will reach similar conclusions, creating new marketing messages that better connect with this changing mindset.


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Facebook AI has effectively solved the task of point-goal navigation by AI agents in simulated environments, using only a camera, GPS, and compass data. Agents achieve nearly 100% success in a variety of virtual settings, such as houses and offices.
Facebook AI has developed the first neural network that uses symbolic reasoning to solve advanced mathematics problems.
We're releasing a major update to Facebook AI’s open source platform for training embodied AI agents in virtual environments. It now supports interactive objects, realistic physics modeling, and more.
The Deepfake Detection Challenge is adding new partners, including Amazon Web Services, and also sharing an initial data set of videos.
Facebook © 2020


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Thursday 15th May 2008
- Doors Open:
SHAYNE WARD ANNOUNCES UK ARENA TOUR
Following the amazing success of his latest album Breathless, it shipped platinum in its first week and debuted straight at Number 2, pop superstar Shayne Ward will be touring some of the UK's biggest venues in May 2008.
No U Hang Up/If That's OK With You the Double A-Side, which was the first single taken from his new album, debuted at Number 2 in the UK Charts and has now sold over 130,000 copies and spent a month in the top 5.
Follow up single Breathless was the highest new entry in its week of release, charting in the top ten at Number 6.
Shayne Wards impressive debut album Shayne Ward sold over 2 million copies and produced 13 number one hits world-wide, it hit the top spot in the UK on the week of release achieving platinum selling status in just 7 days.
Tickets costing £26.50 go on sale 9.30am Friday 14th December.


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Reading Time: 2 minutes The comments came in a report by the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change which looked at the impact of meat on public health and the planet. There have been an increasing number of reported anti-meat incidents around the world as more consumers second-guess their relationship with animal proteins. Are you new to plant-based eating? A recent study suggests the best option for heart health might be to eat more plant-based proteins instead of chicken and beef. K locations. Are they reproducing bare-minimum labour standards, or aiming higher? Reading Time: 2 minutes There are many ways to reduce food system emissions but the most important is for individuals to shift towards predominantly plant-based diets. Words are a powerful tool. Burger wars: Is a plant-based patty always better for you than beef? They lost weight, got healthier, and Jules has come off of his type 2 diabetes meds completely. Those following a more plant-based diet consumed, on average, three animal-based foods daily while those following a less plant-based diet consumed five.
We dive into the basics and discuss things like health benefits, transition bssed, eating plant-based based a budget and other helpful lifestyle tips. Words are a powerful tool. Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Plant are notoriously private, but mentioned their son in plant article about news separated from their families. Based, many plant-based products, especially legumes, contain FODMAP compounds that are poorly digestible and cause unpleasant ScienceDaily, based March These foods may help address environmental challenges, plant it’s important to diet aware of both diet costs and diet. Keto diet peanut butter wraps the same time, women showed a more dramatic increase in heart disease plaant when eating an unhealthful news diet and a more dramatic reduction in risk when eating a healthful plant-based diet compared to men who fell into the same two categories. It’s time to harness the power of science to create a healthy and sustainable diet. K locations. And plant about the concept of calorie density. Based, the findings bolster evidence for the heart health benefits of a plant-based diet and could help inform future dietary guidance for prevention of cardiovascular disease. Diet pro-veganism campaigns news in bad taste, veganism has a lot to lose, as we all do.
This was long overdue. In this article, we review the most well-known studies that have helped shape the expert consensus on plant-based diets in blood pressure regulation. ScienceDaily, 18 March Are they reproducing bare-minimum labour standards, or aiming higher? Check them out and be sure to pin them for those moments where you need motivation. How the egg industry funded a study designed to cover up the toxic trimethylamine oxide reaction to egg consumption.


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Green Rooms Boost Sales
photo courtesy of Shop-Eat-Surf.com
By SHELBY STANGER
For the last seven years, Frank Scura, founder of the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC), dreamt of action sports brands coming together with retailers to showcase eco-friendly lines in 100 percent green environments. Today, his ideas are coming to fruition and the results are paying dividends.
Hobie, Pacific Beach Surf Shop, Surfside Sports, and Sun Diego are four stores that have already launched Green Rooms. All have seen positive results, and in some cases, substantial profit increases.
I talked to Frank Scura and the various Green Room retailers about the concept of the Green Room, how it came to be, and how consumers are responding.
Green room signFrank presented the Green Room concept at the first annual ASEC summit in Laguna Beach about three years ago. He brought in experts including Michael Burbank, then CEO of the UBS Financial Personal Wealth Management division.
Michael explained that the housing bubble was not going to last and that action sports brands needed a way to collectively stimulate new economics during a forecasted recession, as well as a way to keep customers from going to mainstream stores versus independent retailers.
“It was the whole idea of ‘coopatition’ – competitors uniting on common practices to collectively gain benefits that could give them an overall competitive advantage in the open market,” said Frank. “Being green was not only the right thing to do, but it could help business and provide action sports companies a bigger and better story that mainstream press would be excited about.”
Frank displayed this concept about five ASR’s ago by bringing in various brands and working with them to display eco-friendly products from their line in a 100 percent green environment. “There were a lot of brands that had one or two SKUs that were green in their line, but mixed in with the rest, it was hard to tell them apart,” said Frank. Merchandising all green products together, however, created a more powerful presentation.
Green room overviewJake Schwaner and Mark Christy who run Hobie, both live green lifestyles and had quietly been producing their own private label organic clothing line for the store. When they saw the Green Room at ASR they thought the concept would work perfectly in their Laguna Beach Hobie store.
This past June, they opened their first Green Room using 600 square feet of the Laguna Beach store where they already had Patagonia products. They also included Volcom, Billabong, Element, Hippy Tree, Ando and Friends, Livity, Arbor, Sector 9, Evocal, Hurley, L-Space, IPath, and Quiksilver in the space. Each brand built a green display to showcase their products.
Green TsThe build-outs include Element shelves made from compressed cow dung, a Sector 9 showcase made of skateboard scraps, and a Billabong display using plastic bottles to explain how their boardshorts are made from recycled materials.
Hobie used mostly existing brands for their new store, but with ASEC’s advice brought in new lines from eco-minded companies like Livity, Evocal and Arbor.
Since opening, Jake said same sales from last year to this year in that space rose 20%. Because of the success, Hobie opened an entire green store in San Clemente, converting their 1,200-square-foot hard goods store into a 100 percent green retail space with soft goods.
Using natural lighting and all custom-built displays, the shop has been bringing in new customers and sales every day. Sales in that store are also up 20%. Selling clothing rather than surfboards also has contributed to margin increases.
“Our local customers that shop our stores really like what we have done because it represents something that makes sense and is completely different than any other surf shop you go into,” said Jake. “You can always come in and find something new and fresh that you don’t see anywhere else.”
Jake said going forward, he plans to add more accessories, green surfboards and green gifts to the shop. He says he also plans to collaborate more with Evocal, a newer eco-minded company that works with local artists to make custom T-shirts and green displays. He said Hobie recently acquired a 4,200 square foot space in Dana Point. They plan to put large a “green footprint” in the location from the lighting and landscaping to the brands they will carry.
Besides Hobie, Frank helped San Diego’s oldest independent surf retailer, Pacific Beach Surf Shop, completely renovate their store this past Thanksgiving. Owner Randy Strunk has been involved in various environmental organizations and causes for the last 16 years, and has always only carried surfboards that are 100 percent made in the USA.
After meeting Frank Scura at a Board Retailers Association meeting, he knew that going green would be the perfect opportunity to revamp his store and make it more up to date with his lifestyle and beliefs.
Pacific Beach Surf ShopRandy, right, hired the folks from Evocal to create a common look using green materials, and restructured his order so that 75% of all apparel he carried was eco friendly. He brought in new brands including Hippy Tree, Satori Movement, Ipath, Arbor, Evocal, Ando and Friends, and Livity into his shop. He even built a stage to bring in eco-minded bands and speakers.
“Since I have redone the shop, we have been able to reverse that declining trend in business,” he said. “December was up. This month (January), we are already up 17% over last year at this time.”
Randy said the shop has also been getting a bit of press, as well as new foot traffic. “Now customers have a new reason to come to my store, and they seem so excited about the products,” he said.
More green retailers
Besides PB Surf Shop and Hobie, ASEC helped create a Green Room in Sun Diego in Carlsbad. CEO Dave Nash said he hasn’t seen dramatic increases in sales yet, but he has definitely heard positive feedback from customers and thinks it is an important addition to his store.
ASEC is also helping Surfside Sports expand their green platform in their Costa Mesa location. Frank is really excited about Surfside Sports because it is located right next door to Mother’s Market, a major natural foods grocery store that he thinks will draw even more customers to the shop.
“Part of this green concept is to tap into new customers in the local community,” said Frank. He said green customers are more brand loyal and will pay more for the products they are looking for and can relate to. “The art of this is that you build a deeper relationship with your customers that can’t be broken by a price war,” he added.
Frank said ASEC strives to build 100 Green Rooms in the next two years. “This industry is so influential,” said Frank. “The competitive advantage of doing the right thing is what is going to keep us on top.”


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Today marks a significant milestone in the realm of locale connectivity as LocaleLoom proudly announces the launch of its cutting-edge global directory website. This innovative platform is poised to redefine the way local businesses connect with their communities, ushering in a new era of seamless interaction.
LocaleLoom is more than just a directory; it’s a dynamic ecosystem designed to enhance the visibility and accessibility of local businesses on a global scale. The platform boasts an extensive and meticulously curated database that allows users to effortlessly discover and engage with businesses in their vicinity, fostering a stronger sense of community.
One of the standout features of LocaleLoom is its user-friendly interface, which simplifies the search process for consumers and facilitates effortless navigation. The website’s intuitive design ensures that users can quickly locate the services or products they need, promoting a hassle-free experience for both consumers and businesses alike.
The global directory promotes a symbiotic relationship between consumers and businesses, allowing users to leave reviews, share experiences, and recommend local gems to others. This interactive feature not only enhances the credibility of businesses but also empowers consumers to make informed decisions based on real-world experiences.
LocaleLoom is not merely a static directory; it’s a dynamic platform that adapts to the evolving needs of the local business landscape. Through regular updates and enhancements, LocaleLoom ensures that users have access to the latest information about their favorite local businesses, from operating hours to special promotions.
The significance of LocaleLoom extends beyond the digital realm, impacting the economic landscape of communities by boosting the visibility of local businesses. By providing a centralized platform that showcases the diverse offerings of these businesses, LocaleLoom stimulates economic growth and encourages a sense of community support.
As part of its commitment to fostering locale connectivity, LocaleLoom prioritizes user privacy and data security. The platform employs state-of-the-art encryption and security measures to safeguard user information, ensuring a trustworthy environment for both businesses and consumers.
In celebration of the launch, LocaleLoom invites businesses to claim their listing on the platform and take advantage of the numerous benefits offered. From enhanced visibility to increased customer engagement, LocaleLoom is set to become an indispensable tool for businesses looking to thrive in today’s competitive market.
For media inquiries and further information please contact:
Lily M. Tate
Email: [email protected]
LocaleLoom’s global directory is a testament to the platform’s dedication to strengthening the ties between local businesses and their communities. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, LocaleLoom emerges as a beacon of locale connectivity, empowering businesses to thrive in the digital age.
Lily M. Tate
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No News Feed Central journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.


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The telecom war between Airtel and Reliance Jio seems not to be ending soon.
Airtel appealed before Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against TRAI(Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) for allowing Jio to continue offering free services to it’s subscribers even after the stipulated period of 90 days ended on 3 December( as calculated from 4 September Reliance Jio launch).
This move from Airtel comes after Jio’s plan to extend the “Welcome Offer” for it’s subscribers which was supposed to end on 31st December. Jio has promised to switch existing subscribers to “Happy New Year Offer” allowing them to enjoy free services from Reliance Jio till 31st March. Moreover, new subscribers are also eligible to avail the offer.
Airtel claims that TRAI has turned a blind eye towards Jio and has been acting as a mute spectator as Mukesh Ambani keeps offering predatory prices and schemes creating undue competition and pressure for Airtel to follow suit. Airtel, the current leader in Indian Telecom industry launched some amazing plans for both Postpaid and Prepaid subscribers a few days ago to maintain it’s leading position.
The 25-page petition submitted by Airtel seeks TDSAT’s attention towards the unfair and skewed traffic it receives from free Jio subscribers causing constraints on its networks and significant day-to-day losses.
TDSAT directed TRAI to come back with its final decision on 24 December. It also directed the Jio counsel to file an impleadment application. The next hearing will take place on 6th January in 2017.
What are your opinions? Is it time for the free party to end? Or you want more?
Is the competition healthy or Ambani has been employing the billions of dollars at his disposal just to capture a good enough market share and reap benefits later? Do comment and share your views. Subscribe to our VIP list and get updates on the latest news regarding the Great Indian Telecom War!


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Among 243 smartphones available online, the Rs.10,999 Le 1s was ranked the top selling device in February, the report from global market research firm IDC said.
Among 387 smartphones in both online and offline sales, Le 1s reached the top 10 list, ahead of Samsung’s Galaxy J5 and Xiaomi’s Redmi 2.
Launched on Flipkart in January, Le 1s received over 20 lakh pre-sale registrations and over 2 lakh orders in three flash sales.
The Chinese internet and technology conglomerate is set to host an event in Mumbai on Tuesday where it is rumoured to launch content services and new hardware.
LeEco is also eyeing a manufacturing base along with research and development centres in the country, the company’s vice chairman and co-founder said recently.
“We have already applied for the single-brand retail licence with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). The ministry for communications and information technology has given us options like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Raipur’s electronic cluster, Bhopal and Bhilwada (Rajasthan) to set up our manufacturing base. We will evaluate all the options before finalising our manufacturing location,” Liu Hong, vice chairman and co-founder, LeEco, told IANS in a recent interview.
“We are looking forward to meet the Indian prime minister and the telecom minister because we really want to contribute for ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ initiatives. We would like them to understand our ecosystem and support us manufacture in the country,” Hong added.
After storming the Indian market with its disruptive marketing strategies online, LeEco is also planning to sell its products via retail stores.
LeEco is also planning to set up in-house Content Delivery Networks (CND) across 10 cities in India with an initial investement of $10 million to ensure seamless content distribution.


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It seems that every day, another company is trying to become more environmentally-aware and it's fab.
The latest to make new moves towards helping our world be a better place is the leading beer company, Carlsberg.
They obvs use a lot of wrapping and plastic in their six-packs, but no more!
What's the solution, so?
In pursuit of always doing things better, #Carlsberg now announces Snap Pack – the new multipack without plastic wrapping – along with a number of other #sustainability innovations. Very proud of this and the team that has worked so hard on this for years! #beerbiz #TowardsZERO https://t.co/2bDbwtU8Lo
— Anders Bering (@abering1) September 6, 2018
From now on, the cans will be held together by this glue – pretty cool right?
When the new multi-pack of beer cans arrive, it will be a world first and it is set to cut back the Danish brewer’s use of plastic to package by more than 75%.
Called “Snap Packs”, they have spent three years in development and are strong enough to make it unscathed from shelf to home, but will break when twisted.
Brits will be the lucky ones to debut the eco-friendly packaging innovation as Carlsberg has chosen the UK market, as it consumes 30% of its beer yearly.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), is a big fan of this new development and has hailed it as a “big step” in efforts to tackle the deteriorating situation regarding plastic pollution.
— John Pritchard (@johnp_wales) September 6, 2018
The company will reduce its plastic use by 1,200 tonnes a year, i.e. 60 million plastic bags once the ''Snap Packs'' are rolled out.
As the plastic rings can trap birds and animals, this issue is serious.
Bo Oksnebjerg, secretary-general of WWF Denmark said in a press release that, ”our wildlife is drowning in plastic. We, therefore, need to act now. We need less plastic to end up in nature. That is why we consider it huge progress that Carlsberg is now launching solutions that significantly reduce the amount of plastic in its packaging.”
So, we can now buy a six-pack of beer without harming the environment?
Count us right in.


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Although many travelers fear and loathe airport hotels, Hilton is providing data that suggests hotel companies can change people's perceptions by promoting airport properties designed on par with city hotels.
For the past five decades, the majority of airport hotels around the world have always had a sense of despair and desperation about them.
They’re often seen as a refuge of last resort, filled with forlorn travelers who’ve missed their flights, scheduled late night or early morning meetings, or been waylaid on long layovers. We’ve all been there, and we’ve all tried to forget those experiences for the most part.
That said, the legacy hotel brands have come a long way in the last decade, building new properties with more natural light, more modern design, better food, and better amenities. But the perception still persists worldwide that most airport hotels will never be more than an unfortunate, unavoidable interruption between point A and B, or a place to have a cheap meeting.
Hilton Worldwide wants to change that perception. It’s trying to reboot the traveling public’s view of its airport properties with a new research paper entitled: “The Rise of The Airport Hotel,” inspired by this month’s official opening of the new Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
Hilton executives are quick to point out that Conrad Hilton opened the first airport hotel in San Francisco in 1959, followed by another airport property 15 days later in New Orleans. It’s a nice bit of storytelling that positions Hilton’s legacy as a pioneer in airport hospitality, and it provides precedence for the company’s recent efforts in developing new airport hotel design, amenity and service standards.
Especially in Europe, Hilton has elevated the airport hotel design experience in anchor locations at Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Munich, which we covered last year, and now Amsterdam, among others.
“Airports are evolving into much more than a transit point, and certainly Amsterdam shows that,” says Shawn McAteer, VP of global brand management for full service brands for Hilton Worldwide. “They’re becoming more of a destination. If you look at Schiphol, the owners of that development there call it an ‘airport city.'”
Hilton’s new research paper is based on an online survey of 5,500 adult travelers in America, Britain, Germany, Holland and China. To be eligible, all participants must have traveled for either business or leisure at least once in the past 12 months and stayed at a full-service hotel.
“The launch of Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol inspired us to better understand past, current and perhaps future perceptions of airport properties, so that’s what led us to developing the paper,” McAteer told Skift. “Airport hotels can be more than airport hotels, and I think we’re redefining what that airport hotel concept can be.”
For example, Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo created the Hilton Amsterdam Airport’s modernist cube structure with a towering central atrium lobby bathed in light, and a facade of diamond-shaped wraparound windows tilted at 45 degrees. Interior designers from London’s HBA group filled the 433 guest rooms and public spaces with an entirely urbane design narrative punctuated with Dutch art and furnishings typical of an upscale Amsterdam canal home.
There is also a full-service eForea spa, which is now a brand standard amenity for new Hilton airport hotels.
The Rise of Airport Hotels
Hilton addressed the consumer perception challenge around airport hotels in the opening section of the report.
Negative perceptions of airport hotels are ingrained. This is especially true among travelers who have stayed at an airport hotel in the preceding 12 months, who describe these hotels as ‘boring,’ ‘expensive,’ ‘crowded’ and ‘outdated.’ And yet, when they were shown visual representations of a new generation of airport hotels, such as Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, minds were changed.
When asked how likely they were to stay at a next-generation airport hotel after seeing the new concepts, nearly all travelers—ranging from 92 to 99%—indicated interest in at least some aspect of the airport hotel concept. [Also,] large majorities of travelers—as high as 87%—who previously indicated they were unlikely to stay at an airport hotel agreed that they were likely to stay at an airport hotel.”
The dank condition of many airport hotels years ago made an indelible impression on travelers, so on the surface, it would seem there’s a lot of work to do to change people’s minds. Except the report’s data illustrates that the vast majority of travelers are willing to reverse their perception of airport hotels completely — at least on an individual basis — with just a few visuals and simple explanation of what’s available today in terms of amenities and design.
“The bottom line is that among those surveyed, amenities and modernization are differentiators that motivate people to choose particular brands and specific hotel destinations,” sums up the this particular section. “This is good news for Hilton, as well as for the industry overall.”
Another dataset shows that business travelers are prioritizing location when they book airport hotels, which is expected. However, it impacts purchase decisions only 50% or less everywhere, except the convenience-needy Dutch, apparently. The quality of amenities and the overall value play just as much as a role in choosing accommodations, with the Chinese respondents saying that amenities are the most important differentiator.
Choosing an airport hotel based on location and value is an obvious conclusion in the report, but the real takeaway here is the amount of impact that amenities have on the consumer mindset to create more of a destination experience.
That’s where Hilton sees a way to increase market share, and where it has been investing significantly of late, in terms of the eForea spas, upgraded dining, better Wi-Fi, and an overall guest room user experience on par with city hotels.
If Hilton and other hotel groups can shift that perception to any significant degree, and that’s a big “if,” it will drive longer stays for business travelers and potentially attract some segments of leisure audiences.
That strategy is really the overarching purpose of this report.
“I think the value of the study is understanding that we can in fact change perception, and just how likely people are to change their minds with hotels like Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schipol, from bad to good,” says McAteer. “We as hospitality companies need to continue our research efforts, because the reality of making an airport hotel more of a destination can have a lot of appeal for our guests and have a great business model, too.”
Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch
Photo credit: Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol officially opened earlier this month. Hilton Worldwide


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The PS3 has been 3D capable for nearly a year now and games like Killzone 3 and MotorStorm Apocalypse have come and gone with it, both in screen-escaping displays. But how well has Sony’s big feature performed in its first year?
That’s what the company are hoping to address at the annual Develop conference in the UK in July. Sony Computer Entertainment Vice President Mike Hocking will deliver a 3D first year post-mortem on Thursday July 21. In his own words: “I’ll be doing a 3D post-mortem from Killzone 3, and also showing how we implemented 3D as an advanced post effect in SOCOM 4. I’ll look at how we used a 2D camera for 3D augmented reality in EyePet Move. Actually being able to show these on a big screen with surround sound will make all the difference for the audience.”
The conference will be taking place in Brighton, with Sony’s talk appearing in the cinema.


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Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE:ANF) still is on the rise. ANF stock has risen strongly over the past six months, more than doubling from $9 to $20 as the company’s turnaround initiatives are starting to translate into improving financials. It just is more evidence that the retail surge continues!
Retail stocks started showing signs of life back in early November when rumors started to spread that the 2017 holiday shopping season was going to be a record one. Those same retail stocks started surging after strong Black Friday numbers rolled in.
And they kept tracking higher throughout December as more and more third-party reports rolled in confirming that holiday 2017 was shaping up to one of the best retail seasons in recent memory.
Now, in early 2018, those retailers are reporting actual holiday numbers. For the most part, they are pretty good. And most retail stocks are still on their upward trend.
ANF stock is now at its highest level since mid-2016. How much higher can this stock realistically go?
About 20% higher, but beware of near-term volatility.
Holiday Concerns For Abercrombie & Fitch
Most retailers reported strong holiday numbers. But not all retailers.
The results were mixed from Abercrombie’s peers. American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) had a superb holiday season with comparable sales rising 8%.
Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ:URBN) had a good, but not great, holiday season with comparable sales rising 2%. Express, Inc. (NYSE:EXPR) had a pretty bad holiday season with comparable sales falling about 1.5%.
Where does ANF fall in this wide spectrum? Judging by Google search interest trends, it looks like Hollister had a really good holiday season on par with American Eagle Outfitters and Urban Outfitters (search interest related to all the stores was relatively flat year-over-year during the holiday season).
But Abercrombie & Fitch’s search interest trends draw eerie comparisons to Express’ search interest trends (year-over-year declines), implying that the Abercrombie brand may have struggled like Express this holiday season.
That is a big risk considering ANF stock has more than doubled over the past six months. Just look at what happened to Express stock since they reported holiday numbers. The stock gave up all of its holiday gains.
That won’t happen to Abercrombie & Fitch stock because there is still the surging Hollister brand, but Abercrombie weakness during the holiday period could have a materially negative impact on shares in the near-term.
Long Term Fundamentals Imply Further Upside
Beyond the near-term, I think Abercrombie & Fitch stock is fairly valued around $24 per share.
The sales growth outlook for ANF isn’t all that bad over the next several years. The Abercrombie brand isn’t a growth segment, but declines are moderating. Meanwhile, Hollister continues to surge.
Overall, that combination should lead to 1-2% sales growth per year over the next three years. That would put sales at just under $3.56 billion in three years, versus $3.4 billion expected this year.
Meanwhile, gross margins are still falling, but declines are moderating. It looks like gross margins can find a floor at 60%. Operating expenses continue to come out of the system, and the operating expense rate has been falling by several hundred basis points each quarter.
Expense leverage is one of management’s priorities, so I think it’s likely this operating expense rate will continue to come down to about 55%.
That would imply operating margins of 5% for Abercrombie & Fitch in the future. That isn’t an unreasonable expectation. Peers AEO and URBN both operate at around 7-10% operating margins.
Take out another 0.5% for interest expense, and that gets you to pre-tax margins of about 4.5%. A 4.5% pre-tax margin on nearly $3.56 billion in sales implies pre-tax profits of about $160 million. Slap a 21% tax rate on that and you get to net profits of about $127 million. Assuming 70 million diluted shares out, that equates to earnings per share of just over $1.80 in three years.
Now that tax reform optimism will flow to the bottom line, it should come out of the valuation, and valuations should revert to long-term norms. The ten-year average forward earnings multiple for the consumer discretionary stocks is about 16x. Throw that 16x multiple on $1.80, and you get a two-year forward price target for ANF stock of just under $29.
Discount that back by 10% per year, and you get to a fair value of just under $24 for ANF stock.
Bottom Line on ANF Stock
Beware of near-term volatility (Hollister had a great holiday season, but I’m less sure about Abercrombie). ANF stock could be subject to weakness in the near-term.
But longer-term, strengthening fundamentals support a higher share price. I feel comfortable owning Abercrombie & Fitch stock below $24.
As of this writing, Luke Lango was long ANF, AEO, and URBN.


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Sprint Nextel Corp., the No. 3 U.S. wireless provider, on Tuesday said it would begin selling three slim phones from Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT - news) in early November, about two years after its biggest rival, Cingular Wireless, started selling Motorola's popular Razr phone.
Sprint disappointed investors in recent quarters with weaker-than-expected subscriber growth. Analysts had blamed the shortfall partly on Sprint's phone line-up, which does not include Motorola phones that have boosted sales at rivals.
Sprint said it plans to start selling Motorola's Razr, Slvr and its newest model the Krzr in early November. Sprint invited customers who want the Krzr to register on its Web site in advance so it could contact them when the phone is available.
Cingular is a venture of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T - news) and BellSouth Corp. (NYSE:BLS - news).
Sprint shares were up 19 cents, or more than 1 percent, at $17.06 on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares of Motorola, the world's No. 2 cell phone maker, were up 17 cents at $25.17, also on the NYSE.


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Besides Apple, Samsung is now finding more competitors in the market and is racing along to keep its upper edge in the market shelves.
One of the competitors is HTC which is in full gear to launch its upcoming smartphone on 1 March 2015 - the day Samsung is also launching its new device. The launch events coincides with this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) being held in Spanish city of Barcelona.
It may be added that HTC is expected to unveil its HTC One M9, while Samsung will likely use its event to announce the Samsung Galaxy S6. Samsung's invite hints at a curved device. See the comparison of both phones below:
You may follow us on Twitter or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all latest Tech News and Solutions


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When the initial impacts of COVID-19 started being felt beginning around March 2020, the pet industry anticipated that dog ownership especially would get a boost among a national population that found itself homebound, socially isolated, and well aware of the mental and physical health benefits of pet ownership, including in relation to stress.
Even so, few anticipated the extent to which pet appeal would be unleashed, with a surge in pet adoption and acquisition not only of dogs but also of cats and other types of pets, including reptiles and small mammals such as rabbits, hamsters, and gerbils. Packaged Facts survey data now show that, among current pet-owning households, 35% adopted pets in the 12-month period ending February 2021.
The overall percentage of U.S. households owning pets therefore notched up to 56% in 2020, with 44% of households owning dogs, 25% owning cats, and 12% owning other pets (including fish, birds, small mammals, and reptiles/amphibians).
With this reset of pet ownership, the pet population is showing a pendulum swing toward medium-size dogs, and away from the smallest dogs, partially in tandem with the “suburbanization” of lifestyles in the wake of COVID-19.
- Packaged Facts survey data for February 2020 vs. February 2021 show the share of dog owners with small (9-24 lbs.) dogs dipping from 41% to 36%, while the share with medium-size (25-40 lbs.) dogs edged up from 35% to 38%.
- MRI data show a 6 million jump in the number of households with medium-size dogs, more broadly classified as those weighing 21-60 lbs., from 18.5 million in 2016 to 24.5 million in 2020.
By age rather than type or size of pet, the big story is senior pets. As of 2020, 55% of dog households and 53% of cat households had senior pets, with the share of dog-owning households with senior pets rising by ten percentage points from 45% in 2014 to 55% in 2020.
Older pets mean more companion animals are suffering from age-related conditions, including mobility- and weight-related. Senior-targeted pet products target age-related special needs, and because of their more specialized health focus, senior products and services are typically priced well above the market average. Older pet populations also drive human-style advancements in veterinary care, medications, and supplements supported by newer payment options such as pet insurance and pet wellness plans. Moreover, as pets age, the human/animal bond deepens even further, creating an increased willingness among pet owners to do whatever it takes to keep their pets healthy and happy for as long as possible.
Where to Learn More
For more information, see U.S. Pet Market Outlook 2021-2022, which analyzes current and projects future retail sales and trends across the U.S. pet industry, factoring in the known and longer-term impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.


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LINCOLN, Neb.—In response to the economic downturn, Nebraska is selling $49 mini season ticket packages for men’s basketball.
The mini package offers fans two choices. The Scarlet includes nonconference games against Texas-Pan American, Southern Utah and TCU and Big 12 games against Oklahoma and Colorado. The Cream includes nonconference games against UMKC, Oregon State and Southeastern Louisiana and Big 12 games against Missouri and Baylor.
There also is a $99 package for the entire 20-game home schedule, with seating in the upper reaches of the Devaney Sports Center.
Executive Associate Athletic Director Marc Boehm (BAYM) said Nebraska sold about 7,300 season tickets last year and additional 1,700 student season tickets.
On the Net:
University of Nebraska-Lincoln athletics: http://www.huskers.com


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These are the funky quintet of five custom Ford Focus STs that were teased not long ago, built by Tanner Foust Racing, Bojix, M&J Enterprises, Galpin Auto Sports and Steeda Autosports.
- Noah Joseph
- Nov 3, 2011
As popular as their vehicles are with aftermarket customizers, Ford wouldn't miss out on something like the SEMA show. And while the Mustang and various Ford trucks play a big role in the Blue Oval booth this year, a significant part of the Motor Company's exposition centers around the latest Focus.
- 2018 Honda Accord is sleeker, more efficient
- Mercedes X-Class pickup truck revealed
- Find and compare 2017 Models


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Dutch brewing giant Heineken posted Wednesday a 7.5 percent rise in global beer sales for the third quarter, boosted by warm summer weather in Europe and high-profile sponsorships.
The Amsterdam-based brewer said it sold in July through September 51.2 million hectolitres of beer, which roughly equates to more than 2,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Turnover amounted to 5.5 billion euros ($6.08 billion).
“Consolidated beer volume grew by 5.4 percent organically in the quarter, led by strong volume in Europe supported by favorable summer weather and continued growth in the Americas and Asia-Pacific region,” Heineken said.
Sales were particularly up in the Americas including in the United States, where Heineken has bought a 50 percent stake in beer maker Lagunitas hoping to cash in on the globally-rocketing popularity of craft beers.
Valued at around 35 billion euros, Heineken is Europe’s largest and the world’s third-largest brewer after SABMiller and global number one AB InBev, which are currently in takeover talks.
AB InBev is scheduled to release its third quarter sales information on Friday, and SABMiller next Thursday.
Heineken provides only half-year and annual profit figures.
Chief executive Jean-Francois van Boxmeer said Heineken’s “strong performance in the third quarter is consistent with our earlier guidance that volume would be weighted to the second half of the year.”
Heineken produces and sells more than 200 brands including Desperados tequila-flavoured beer, Sol and Strongbow cider and employs nearly 70,000 people around the world.
Growth was also supported by advertising campaigns and sponsorship of the Rugby World Cup, Heineken said.
“The latest James Bond movie sponsorship … should enhance the Heineken brand equity as well as provide an exciting platform to leverage the brand locally,” it added.
“Spectre” featuring Daniel Craig as the ultra suave MI6 spy 007 in what is Bond’s 24th outing since the first “Dr. No” in 1962, premiered on Monday.
Sales however dipped in Russia and Belarus, as well as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, while volume growth remained flat elsewhere in Africa including in Nigeria, Ethiopia Algeria, Egypt and Rwanda.


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TOKYO, April 18 (Kyodo) — Sony Corp. is making arrangements to develop a next-generation organic electroluminescence display television jointly with Taiwan's AU Optronics Corp., sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
The TV is likely to hit the market within several years if the development proceeds smoothly, the sources said, as Sony aims to turn around its slumping TV business and catch up with South Korean rivals like Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, which lead others in the development of the product.
Sony has said it would collaborate with another company to develop the TV, which has such features as high definition and low energy consumption.
For the business year ended March 31, the Japanese electronics maker expects to see a record group net loss of 520 billion yen, largely due to the TV business which is expected to have fallen into the red in the just ended business year for the eighth year in a row.
Sony aims to turn its business around by accelerating the development of the new product, while keeping down investments by teaming up with the Taiwanese firm.
Sony, which already sells a 25-inch organic electroluminescence display monitor for business use, aims to mass produce a TV with a large screen by combining its technology with AU Optronics' know-how in LCD panel manufacturing and cost competitiveness.
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics of South Korea have both succeeded in developing a 55-inch organic electroluminescence display TV, the world's biggest, and are aiming to put it on the market by the end of this year.


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One week after Electronic Arts launched Apex Legends, a free-to-play online battle royale game, the team is purring over 25 million sign ups and over 2 million concurrent players at peak times.
The game itself, developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by EA, is nothing that original. While the look of the game might have a different feel to Fortnite, the idea and gameplay is effectively the same and users are seemingly loving it. Just a point of comparison, it took Fortnite three months to hit the 25 million sign-up milestone.
“What a week,” said Vince Zampella of Respawn Entertainment. “Since we launched Apex Legends last week on Monday we’ve seen the creation of an Apex Legends community that is excited, thriving, and full of great feedback and ideas. Our goal is to build this game with you, our community, so keep giving us your feedback because we really are listening.”
Gaming might well be a niche in the telecommunications world right now, but it is growing at a staggering rate. It won’t be too long before the telcos have to pay attention to this segment of the digital world, factoring in gaming as a major conversation in the connectivity mix.
What Fortnite has done over the last couple of months is take a niche segment of the gaming world out to the masses. Online multiplayer formats are of course not new, but the free-to-play idea, with revenues being sourced entirely through in-game purchases, has been taken to a new level. The accessibility of a relatively limited experience has captured the imagination and interest of new users, opening the door for other developers to follow.
Of course, as the popularity of these games increase, the demands on the network will do as well. These are games which are reliant on real-time experiences, marrying interactions between users all over the world. For avid gamers, or those with children, purchasing decisions might well be impacted on the performance of these experiences. Now it might not seem like a massive deal, but these trends have a tendency to snowball; just look at the explosion of video content over the last couple of years.
It’s just another factor for the telcos to consider over the coming years. Gone are the days where gamers are satisfied with a linear, story-mode experience, something which would have been easy for the telcos to deal with. These games require downloads and updates, but this is nothing compared to the demand of real-time interactions with 20+ other users in countries all over the world.
Gaming has largely been ignored to date, but with the segment creeping out of its niche corner offering new and in-depth experiences for the mass market, it is increasingly becoming a burden on the network.


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The Pink Link Ltd Celebrates Employee’s 20 Years Of Service
The Pink Link Ltd, is delighted to announce that one of its members of staff is this year celebrating 20 years of service at the company.
Roland Jackson, The Pink Link Ltd’s Depot Manager, joined the company in 1991 and he is an invaluable member of the team. He helps to uphold the high levels of service for customers day in, day out and he is well respected by management, staff, customers and suppliers.
Roland works with the rest of The Pink Link Ltd team to ensure that the Depot runs smoothly and efficiently. This contributed to the company being awarded Platinum Partner status recently by international logistics network, Palletways, for achieving the highest possible standards and levels of service across the board – from delivery times to health and safety compliance.
The Pink Link Ltd is proud of its staff retention rate and as part of its policy to formally recognise the loyalty of long serving members of staff, Roland has received a weekend break away for two to his favourite hotel in Cumbria.
Vicki Davenport, The Pink Link Ltd’s Sales and Commercial Director, said: “Congratulations to Roland! We wanted to thank him for all of his hard work, commitment and loyalty over the years so we were delighted to present him with the vouchers for his weekend away. Roland has been a highly valued member of our team from the day he started and we look forward to many more years working together.”
Roland added: “I’m proud to have spent 20 years working at the Pink Link Ltd, it’s a great company with fantastic values and I enjoy working with the rest of the team. I’m looking forward to my weekend away and then I’ll be right back to work!”


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DAILY BRIEFING: Passengers numbers soar at Ryanair with Budget airline reporting a 9% rise in April
SOARING SALES Low-cost airline Ryanair reported a 9 per cent rise in the number of passengers carried in April, to 12.3m.
LISTING DEALS Estate agent-backed property website On The Market has struck listing agreements with more than 7,500 branches, adding 2,000 since its February stock market debut. Visits to the site reached 13.7m in April – up from 5.5m a year earlier.
REVENUE UP Kitchen and joinery products supplier Howden Joinery increased revenues by 13 per cent in the 16 weeks to April 21.
PAIR LEAVE Chief customer officer Lysa Hardy was made redundant by fashion firm Joules, and chief commercial officer Kara Groves is leaving to join womenswear brand Mint Velvet.
PROFITS RISE Profits at Standard Chartered bank jumped to £920million in the first quarter of 2018, up 20 per cent on a year earlier. But shares fell 1 per cent, or 7.9p, to 761.4p.
FLOAT PLAN Housebuilding lender Urban Exposure is to float in London for £165million. The firm, which doles out cash to developers, will join the Aim junior stock market.
JOB SWITCH London-based lawyer and partner Richard Trobman is in the running to take over at the US titan Latham & Watkins after its boss Bill Voge quit in March over a sex scandal.
REGULATION PLEA Online currency group Crypto UK is calling on MPs to regulate the Wild West market. It says the Financial Conduct Authority should be given new powers to oversee the industry.
CHAIR QUITS The chairman of insurer Phoenix is stepping down as it does a £3.2billion deal to buy business from rival Standard Life Aberdeen. Henry Staunton, 70, will quit once a replacement has been found.
HEAD NAMED Former Barclays banker Lord Cromwell has been appointed to dole out a £775million fund intended to boost business banking competition.
Cromwell will be executive chairman of Banking Competition Remedies. The cash has been provided by the Royal Bank of Scotland to reduce its dominant market position, as a condition of its bailout by taxpayers.
HOSPITALITY GROWTH International hospitality firm PPHE Hotel Group grew revenue by 1.5 per cent to £58.4million in the three months to the end of March.
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Back in 2016, Nintendo released the NES Classic Edition—a plug and play miniature console pre-loaded with 30 classic games. In Japan, this device came as the Famicom Mini, and its game lineup was slightly different. Two years later, Nintendo has decided to revisit this product, but with a twist. The new version of the Famicom Mini will come loaded specifically with games based on anime.
Hit the jump for the details!


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Hosted by Schneider Electric
Imagine your company’s future as you experience some amazing innovations outside your comfort zone on an extraordinary ELECTRI International Innovation Summit visit hosted by Schneider Electric.
Come to Paris with ELECTRI International from May 12–17, 2020 as we:
- Tour Schneider’s cutting-edge Innovation Hub.
- Discover ways to maximize project efficiency as our European colleagues are learning to do.
- Meet with French contractors and manufacturers who belong to Gimelec, an organization similar to ELECTRI.
- Visit a French EC’s high-tech job site.
Here’s what some of our ELECTRI International leaders have discovered…
- Sonja Rheaume, President of Christenson Electric and ELECTRI Council Chair, recently visited the Schneider Electric Innovation Hub Paris where she saw many innovations such as digitization and smart building systems that have enabled European electrical contractors to forge ahead of our US EC industry.
- James MacDonald, Miller Electric’s representative to the ELECTRI Council, also visited the Innovation Hub, He is convinced the adaptation of new technologies can make our US companies more successful.
ELECTRI Council member, Phil Santoro, Schneider Electric, explained the opportunity this way: ELECTRI’s International Innovation Summit is for forward-thinking electrical contractors who want to focus on innovation, project life cycle, and ways the Europeans design their industry standards.
Additional information will soon be made available about at www.electri.org.
Don’t delay! Make your reservation today by emailing us at [email protected].


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In an article released by CNN Travel on November 2, Panama City Florida was ranked 1 in 5 destinations rated as a great value for winter travel. Among exotic destinations such as Costa Rica and Peru, this publicity comes as a welcome treat after a summer of media batterings from the oil spill threat. This article is consistent with what many have known to be true about our area for years, decades even – we have amongst the perfect winter vacation spot. Mild weather, clear blue skies, and amazingly beautiful and emerald green waters framed by pristine, white sandy beaches make Panama City Beach a quaint, ideal vacation spot for winter travelers.
The snippet about Panama City Beach reads:
PCB is not just for spring breakers. Indulge in shopping, helicopter tours, or spend a day at Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum.
With highs in the 60s even during winter, there’s always something to do in Panama City. Florida also boasts another destination with good values during winter break: Orlando, Carlson said.
Many of the major attractions in the area offer deals this time of year. You can avoid the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds right after the New Year’s holiday, when theme parks often reach capacity.
The Panama City Beach Convention and Visitor’s Bureau just released this press release in response to this recent accolade.
On the heels of three great weekend events, a recent CNN.com article announced Panama City Beach /Panama City as one of the five value destinations for winter travel, noting that “With highs in the 60s even during winter, there’s always something to do in the area.“
This past weekend brought travelers from all over the world to Panama City Beach for Ironman Florida. According to event organizers, there were 2, 851 athletes registered for the event. The field represented 47 different countries with ages ranging from 18-81 years old. Visitors also arrived for Taste of Bay, which included a free Clint Black Concert on Friday and another well attended event on Saturday, Visit Florida’s Great Beach Walk.
The fun continues this week with Emerald Coast Cruizin’, a premier show of classic automobiles, muscle cars, street rods and custom builds, taking place November 11-13 at Frank Brown Park. Admission is $10.00 per person per day and there is also a three day pass available for $25.00. Children under 12 years of age are admitted free. There will be over 3,000 automobiles exhibited, 125 automotive vendors in attendance with a swap meet and car corral.
I know Panama City Beach is great for winter travel, but tell us what you love about the winter time in Panama City Beach, and tell us your favorite thing to do.
Click here to read the original CNN article.


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Displaying items 73-84 of 101 » View chicagotribune.com items only< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next >
L.A. Times Tech BlogTrying to stoke grass-roots opposition to Net neutrality regulations, AT&T lobbyist Jim Cicconi sent an e-mail to company employees urging them to blast the idea on the Federal Communications Commission's blog. And after reading Cicconi's description, I'm...
L.A. Times Tech BlogGoogle hosts a conference on education, and company founder Sergey Brin advocates for putting computers into schools....
Googled The End of the World as We Know It Ken Auletta Penguin Press: 400 pp., $27.95 " Google" has become as common a word as any in the modern vocabulary. We google phone numbers instead of picking up a phone book; we google for dirt on potential...
Tags: Mass Media, Business Trips, California, Google Inc., Book
L.A. Times Tech BlogAn interesting trend is emerging among Web search start-ups: Nobody wants to compete with Google -- or they don't want to admit that they're trying. Perhaps it's not all that surprising. The Mountain View, Calif., search giant dominates the market,...
L.A. Times Tech BlogGoogle Doodle comes out with its first interactive logo: a playable homage to Pac-Man....
Top of the TicketFull text of the Democrat's latest remarks on immigration. No specifics or timetable for fixing it. will Congress have the courage?...
Brand X Files: Google takes on net neutrality? Wyclef Jean leaves his charity. Michaele Salahi gets 'Real' on 'The View'Brand XGoogle and Verizon plotting against net neutrality?: The two companies are reportedly "nearing an agreement" to set up a tiered system for the speed of Internet content. As Gizmodo points out, thatâs quite the turnaround from 2006, when Google co-...
The Morning Fix: Revenge of the writers! 'Expendables' not expendable yet. Last words on Comcast-NBC deal. 'Modern Family' co-creator Steve Levitan blasts Hulu.Company TownAfter the coffee. Before deciding if "Piranha" will have any bite. "The Expendables" not expendable yet. Looks like the over-the-hill gang will ride again this weekend at the box office. Although there are five new movies opening, "The Expendables" is.......
Rajeev Motwani, a leading computer scientist and Stanford University professor who developed new ways to search enormous databases and mentored the founders of Google, has died. He was 47. Motwani apparently drowned in the pool at his Atherton, Calif.,...
Tags: Google Inc., Asha, Networking, Gaming, Metal and Mineral
L.A. Times Tech BlogGoogle tries again to gain a foothold in booming social networking business...
L.A. Times Tech BlogGoogle's Sergey Brin says he's optimistic about his company staying and operating in China...
L.A. Times Tech BlogTop Google executives raked in bonuses, pay raises...
Oct 21, 2009 | Los Angeles Times
Oct 28, 2009 | Los Angeles Times
Nov 29, 2009 |Story| Los Angeles Times
May 17, 2010 | Los Angeles Times
May 21, 2010 | Los Angeles Times
Jul 1, 2010 | Los Angeles Times
Aug 5, 2010 | Los Angeles Times
Aug 20, 2010 | Los Angeles Times
Jun 10, 2009 |Story| Los Angeles Times
Feb 9, 2010 | Los Angeles Times
Feb 12, 2010 | Los Angeles Times
Mar 5, 2010 | Los Angeles Times
Original site for Sergey Brin topic gallery.


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Wines of Westeros let you drink like you’re in ‘Game of Thrones’
You pinot nothing, Jon Snow.
Sometimes movie and TV tie-in products can sound like a corporate nightmare, but we can get on board with this one. Wines of Westeros isn’t officially affiliated with the HBO show, circumventing copyright infringement (hopefully) by naming wines after various various houses from Game of Thrones, with minimalist labels based on each household’s coat of arms. Either way, this seems like an ideal excuse to test the super-obvious Game of Thrones drinking game of taking a sip of wine every time Cersei drinks on screen.
“A mind needs wine as a sword needs a whetstone,” reads the Wines of Westeros website, introducing the well-known scientific fact that booze makes you smarter. “Whether it’s a bottle from beyond the wall or a case from the cellars of the Iron Bank, keep your mind fit for the death of summer with the lion’s share of vino.”
GIF via thecomfortador/Tumblr
The Northern houses like Stark and Greyjoy are represented by white wines, while the Dothraki are a merlot and the Night’s Watch is a Shiraz.
You won’t be able to drink any of those Westeros Wines until closer to the fifth-season airdate in 2015, but at $20 a bottle, we suspect the pre-orders will be snapped up pretty quickly.
It’s impossible to say whether this wine will be any good, of course. But with the exception of medieval weaponry or real live pet dragons, we can’t think of a more appropriate tie-in for Game of Thrones.
Photo via Game of Thrones Wikia
Gavia Baker-Whitelaw is a staff writer at the Daily Dot, covering geek culture and fandom. Specializing in sci-fi movies and superheroes, she also appears as a film and TV critic on BBC radio. Elsewhere, she co-hosts the pop culture podcast Overinvested. Follow her on Twitter: @Hello_Tailor


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KROQ Presents Rise Against Tuesday, September 16th and Wednesday, September 17th at The Wiltern.
Chicago’s Riot Fest has announced the daily breakdown for their fest, taking place Sept. 12-14. Opening day on Friday will be anchored by Jane’s Addiction, Slayer, The Offspring, Gogol Bordello, Pussy Riot, and Rise Against.
“I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore” is the lead single off Rise Against’s new album The Black Market, out now.
The Budweiser Made in America Festival has announced two new additions to the LA lineup: Kanye West (who will also be performing in Philadelphia) along with Iggy Azalea.
Rise Against released their 7th studio album The Black Market today (7/15) and front man Tim McIlrath called in to The Kevin & Bean Show to talk about the new release.
For Rise Against’s seventh album, frontman Tim McIlrath called The Black Market “a lot more introspective.”
From punk protests to alternative tunes, this semi-patriotic playlist is sure to rock your Fourth!
Joining the KROQ Playlist is new music from Cage the Elephant, Rise Against, and the Eeries.
Rise Against have released “I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore,” the first single from their album The Black Market due in stores July 15. The single is available for download today on Amazon and iTunes.
“Rise Against has always been a political band, but also a personal band,” said frontman Tim McIlrath. “We’ve always had songs that have a foot in both worlds. This album is a lot more introspective to me.”


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After a series of flip flops, the much awaited Android ICS update for the first gen Transformer TF101 device has finally become a reality. However, that’s only in Taiwan as of now though the big thing is the update is being rolled out at last. So it shouldn’t be too long before the update is also made available in other parts of the world as well. The firmware version v.18.104.22.168 is being rolled out OTA which means the notifications should reach Transformer users in Taiwan automatically. Asus had just yesterday pushed back the schedule for the coming of the ICS update for the Transformer to around March though the same could well reach out to Transformer users worldwide only then.
The Asus Facebook page further revealed they will have more surprises in store for unveiling during the upcoming MWC event in Barcelona next week.


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Almost a full year before its release, Microsoft chose the Game Awards to reveal its new console, previously known as Project Scarlett, the Xbox Series X. But while fans and the press alike have been reporting that the console is called the Xbox Series X, Microsoft has clarified that this generation will merely be called “Xbox”, and “Series X” the name of the first console of this next generation.
“The name we’re carrying forward to the next generation is simply Xbox,” a Microsoft representative told Business Insider (thanks, GI.biz), “And at The Game Awards you saw that name come to life through the Xbox Series X.
“Similar to what fans have seen with previous generations, the name ‘Xbox Series X’ allows room for additional consoles in the future. We’re excited to offer fans a glimpse at the next generation of gaming with Xbox Series X. But beyond that, we have nothing further to share.”
So just like the Xbox One model – which offered both an S and X variant, too – the next generation of Microsoft’s hardware will simply be “Xbox”, and the Xbox Series X is merely the first iteration of that console.
It will release, as expected, for ‘Holiday 2020’.
And that’s a long countdown now. Microsoft has set itself upon an 11-month run-in for the new hardware, longer than any we have seen before, with both previous generations being revealed in May for a six-month marketing campaign. Now, even if Microsoft decides to pull the trigger early, and say translates that ‘Holiday 2020’ date into an early October release, rather than mid-November as usual, it’s still an incredibly long haul from now to then. A long haul in which Microsoft already had a significant hardware advantage through its Xbox One X.


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New research indicates that older folks understand that there's a concern about their safety as drivers, and suggests they are willing to accept measures that could potentially keep them off the highways.
A new University of Michigan study reveals that people between the ages of 55 and 64 are most likely to be purchasing a new vehicle – one new car was sold for every 14.6 licensed drivers in that age bracket – suggesting that automakers should be targeting that demographic when trying to move cars from the showroom. The report, comparing licensed driver data in the US from 2007 to 2011, also revealed that drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 were the least likely to buy a new vehicle
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