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Chipotle is not the enemy.
Many internal challenges need to be solved.
Relatively low P/E, good CF, good ROE should limit future negative prices movements.
McDonalds, a company that started out as one single barbecue joint in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald has morphed info one of the largest food companies on the planet. Earning revenues from rents, royalties and fees paid for by franchise owners and store revenue McDonalds posted over $27 Billion US in 2014. Even with its size McDonalds recorded an impressive eight-year run from 2004 to 2011averaging annual worldwide comparable sales
growth of 5.6%. But for the fast food king the fundamentals have weakened in recent years amid
increased competition and lack of focus on direction-for as we all know, you cannot be all things to all people, you must chose your target audience. To deal with these issues, the new CEO Steve Easterbrook has introduced a four-part approach to improvement; emphasizing organizational accountability, customer centricity, progress over perfection, and process simplification.
While everything said so far sounds good, a recent 23-minute video of Easterbrook talking about his strategy lacks any real details. One former McDonald's chief marketing officer Larry Light spoke with Business Insider was quoted as saying the "plan failed to address the two biggest issues for McDonald's: hemorrhaging of the customer base and deterioration of the brand." Light was further quoted as saying "McDonald's has to find a way to stop the bleeding in the next three to six months if it wants to achieve a successful turnaround". Light is not just some passive observer, he was involved in a similar turnaround at the company in 2002.
Signs of trouble
The burger giant that put supersize, value meal, and "would you like fries with that" into American popular culture is losing some weight: For the first time in more than 4 decades, McDonald's plans to shrink the number of restaurants in the U.S.
McDonald's plans to close more restaurants in the U.S. than it opens this year, according to the world's biggest hamburger chain. That hasn't happened since at least 1970, according to an Associated Press review of McDonald's regulatory filings
The number of store that it plans to close is small compares to the total it has in America or globally, but this maybe more signs of trouble combined with falling sale.
The company enjoyed explosive growth for much of its history by offering predictable food at affordable prices, wherever you went globally. It even showed its strength in the recession of 2008, when its Value items attracted people trying to save-and save money they did.
Today, is another story, recently McDonalds did something that would give most investor an uneasy feeling. McDonald's has announced that they will no longer be providing monthly sales reports. Investors now will have to wait for quarterly reports. It would be prudent for the average investor to assume McDonalds would prefer to have to deal with bad news every 3 months, instead of month after month.
Relative Value was derived from a justified P/E calculation and will be discussed more below.
Quality of Managers is based on the current plan Easterbrook has laid out for the future of McDonalds. From what restaurant owners and analysts are saying it lacks any real strategy to get the younger millennials in the door. Also there are continuing questions about the direction of McDonalds; whether they are focusing on cheap and fast or customizable and slow. The real lack of concrete direction has forced me to give management a negative rating.
Industry Prospects are a neutral rating. Fast-food is only projected to grow at America's normal GDP growth.
Insider trading is very much skewed to the sell side. A quick glance at Yahoo Finance all you see exercising of options and sale of stock. There is no buying.
There are many challenges facing a large company like McDonalds let's look at those challenges from the view point of SWOT to get the most balances picture of what they having going for themselves and against them.
With a Global presence of McDonalds you end up with one of the most recognizable and at most times trusted brands in the world!
The chain's focus on customizable standardised menu and fast service has helped it to grow to more than 36,000 restaurants in almost every country in the world. It has been profitable for most of its + 60 year run; after a short struggle in the early 2000s, the firm's share price grew over 700% to $100 in 2013. The standardised menu and homogeneous operating procedures should make it easier to move in different directions, once a concrete turnaround plan has been initiated.
As much as a fairly standard and simple burger menu has propelled McDonalds for most of its life. Some executives at MCD have conceded recently that an overly complicated menu led to inaccurate orders and longer wait times.
Poor perception of food qualify, high fat foods and unhealthy foods in general are turning some people away from McDonalds and fast food in general. But this maybe an over simplification of McDonalds situation because sales at its competitors like Burger King, Wendy's, Popeyes and Jack in the Box are all growing. The only major burger brand suffering is McDonald's.
This has led some to speculate that MCD's problems are ones of its own creations:
- A menu that has morphed into something too large and too cluttered with too many new products.
- Menu items may not be geared toward its core customer; bargain conscious customers that want the best value around.
Not focused on its core customers
It is not just perception but McDonald's core customer are concentrated toward lower income families that. By choosing McDonald's they get fast and cheap not healthy food options or superior taste, but rather something that fits into their budgets.
Instead of directing their attention and new products towards their core base, McDonald's prefers to obsess on young millennial consumers, offering them McWraps, lattes, and salads. Offering millennials these new products may not be the right strategy, according to RBC Capital Markets and the NPD Group. Restaurant traffic from millennials with high incomes was down 16% at burger chains over the last seven years, this should suggest MCD is chasing a customer that is becoming less important
Menu changes out of wack
At the same time McDonald's says it's committed to streamlining a packed menu; it has created the Create Your Taste initiative which is all about customization. Giving customers even more choice over what kind toppings and buns to have is in direct conflict with streamlining.
McDonald's maybe transfixed on the wrong target. Chasing after Chipotle's younger hipper customers may not be the right course of action when the numbers show McDonalds is mostly losing customers to other burger chains.
As was mentioned in a recent Business Insider article, "On one hand, McDonald's is talking about menu simplification, while on the other hand they are talking about customization, expanding the line of Quarter Pounders and adding breakfast all day," says Richard Adams, a franchisee consultant who worked in McDonald's corporate offices for close to two decades. "They are going in a bunch of different directions and trying to be all things to all people. That's been their problem for the last five or six years."
Another weakness that McDonalds has in America-which it lacks almost anywhere else-is its sheer size. In Australia, McDonald's food orders are prepared fresh, right in front of customers to see. Numerous fresh items like pineapple are offered in the Australian locations. This would be hard to imagine in America.
McDonald's has tried some of the same innovations in North America unfortunately its sheer store size has prevented it from scaling new ideas as easily.
A recent example of it trying to innovate in the face of sheer size, when MCD tried to develop a customizable order format it was bogged down with numerous challenges to the franchisees like higher costs and longer wait times; this is not what you want in fast food.
Mcdonald's faces greater competition in America then it does globally, where fast food chains have been a staple of the American landscape for decades now we start to throw in healthier alternatives like Panera bread and Chipotles, the American competitive landscape is only intensifying.
Not understanding why something is happening is a huge weakness
McDonald's is going after the wrong customers!
"The burger chain is trying to steal market share from fast-casual chains like Chipotle by adding more upscale burgers and allowing people to customize their orders, instead of focusing on retaining its core customers, who are increasingly frequenting rivals like Wendy's and Burger King, according to former McDonald's executives.": Businessinsider.com
Lack of direction is a huge weakness
Some franchise owners are unsure about the direction of the chain. One franchisee owner came from a recent summit and was "completely confused" about the chain's direction. Does McDonalds want to be expensive and slow or cheap and fast. You cannot be selling customizable burgers alongside a Dollar Menu.
I feel that MCD should focus on what it has traditionally excelled at-low prices and quick service.
Trying to compete with a company that, from what the numbers well us, is not directly competing with you will be financially costly.
McDonalds's new customisable format can take up to 8 minutes to prepare, which is unacceptable for most people looking for fast food. It is unclear if these 8 minutes is at optimal operational capacity; I would like to see waits during peak times.
A recent study by QSR mentions that the burger chain is already challenged from a service slow down; this is without the new customizable format. The drive through time is the slowest it has had in over 15 years. The chain's average drive-thru time is 3 min. and 9 seconds.
Recently management under the guild of new CEO Easterbrook has laid out a strategy to:
- improve growth,
- localizing strategy towards regional needs
- cutting costs and decision time
- trimming menus
The bulleted points should be relatively easy to implement. Getting more of a young crowd in the doors has not been touched upon yet. Of the 36,000 restaurants globally McDonald's has, 90% should be franchised over the next four years. That's a 9% increase from current levels and will mean the company will rely more on franchising fees and less from the day-to-day work of running restaurants. At the end of the day, the restaurant should be a flatter organization that is able to move faster and tackle opportunities quicker.
Currently MCD does plan on a net decrease in stores, this may look like a sign of more bad things to come, but it poses an opportunity for the fast food giant. In a recent Globe and Mail article it was quoted: "Closing weak stores isn't unusual for companies trying to turn around their fortunes. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz shuttered hundreds of U.S. cafes after returning to head the company in 2008. Since then, the coffee chain has enjoyed healthy sales growth and expanded its footprint. And McDonald's is still growing globally". Howard Schultz had a clear vision of where the company was going and we executed well.
Mike Donahue, who served as McDonald's chief communications officer before leaving in 2006, said McDonald's McDonalds still has room to grow.
Management plans to hit a total of 36,000 restaurants this year by adding another 300 globally. There have been naysayers for decades saying that McDonald's had reached its full capacity in America. But year after year, McDonalds has always found a way to grow.
With revenues of over 27 billion and a stock that sells at 3.3 x revenues compared to its closest competitor Restaurant Brands International Inc, the parent company of Burger King and Tim Hortons, sells at 6.4 x revenue. Getting a similar price to sales ratio for MCD would mean an almost doubling of stock price. Is a price increase possible when sales are falling slightly for MCD? The answer to the question is most likely not. Currently, Restaurant brands international is priced at 6.4 x Rev. while having a negative ROE of -23%, MCD's is 32%.
Source data: Google Finance
As McDonald's continues to struggle in the US, it should be looking globally as much as possible.
The company plans to open hundreds of restaurants in Europe and Asia.
One bright spot for MCD is in France. The company has a small foot print of 1,200 locations there and is investing 200 million Euros to grow.
General consensus is that the McDonalds in France are miles apart from their American cousins. Customers have the ability to place orders on touch screens offering different languages and menu options are highly localized.
Another opportunity, if executed well-with focus, can be the added customization launched by MCD with their Create Your Taste program. If all goes well, the program should be rolled out to 2,000 restaurants this year. This program is an initiative to give customers greater flexibility, which top management feels is increasingly valued by their customer. The only problem is what has already been talked about in the Weakness's section. There are many that feel McDonalds need to focus on speed and standardization, which is in direct competition to customization. If enough thought and effort are expanded I feel they have a good shot at achieving their goals. But the most important thing still needs to be speed of service for McDonalds.
When ingredients are concerned, McDonalds has been seen to be making a half hearted effort to appeal to the health conscious consumer. Recently McDonalds announced that it would limit the use of antibiotics in its chicken within 2 years. Executives have also suggested they might be willing to remove some preservatives in some items. I truly I don't believe this will be enough, they need to be leaders in their efforts, not just followers. And to what extent do they plan on limiting? Even thou this is an opportunity for the company to grow, I feel it's a half hearted effort at best.
The fast food segment is under threat from consumers that are becoming more savvy about food quality and food health. Consumers are becoming more attracted to new segments like fast casual, which have been symbolized by one company in particular-Chipotle Mexican Grill and a hand full of other concepts. With same store sales down 2.2% in the U.S. in May, the domestic sorrows have only continued. While McDonald's has been around since the 40's, and is a global force, the newer, healthier and fresher concepts are the ones prospering today. This leads to a good question when you have a company that has over 36,000 restaurants worldwide-could MCD be too-big to turn around quickly enough?
The new breed of fast casual restaurants like Chipotle, that market themselves as serving better food and ingredients have been luring young customers away from McDonalds. There are not just new concept restaurants in other segments that are taking away customer from the Golden Arches. MCD is in direct competition from "better burger" chains such as Five Guys Burgers and Fries.
Many have speculated that McDonald's past success led to "a natural overconfidence," said John Gordon, an analyst with Pacific Management Consulting Group.
Today's young consumers want more than just a place to eat; they want to know the places they eat are doing some good in the world. All the most trusted companies are selling good food.
Recently Reputation Institute wrote that a Corporate Social Responsibility (NYSE:CSR) drives Chipotle success. Initiatives like the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, Food with Integrity, helping local farmers, and getting rid of GMO's are all helping to differentiate Chipotle from McDonalds.
Some of McDonalds's problems lie in operational missteps globally. More specifically, in Asian, where it makes 1/4 of its revenue, has seen several health scares. Revenue fell sharply after it was revealed that one of its suppliers in China was using expired meet. More surprisingly, some Japanese customers have claimed to have found bits of plastic and one claimed to have found even a tooth in the food.
Geopolitics has also had an impact on sales. Russian food inspectors temporarily closed down some outlets in what some are describing as retaliation for Americas sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis. Some Russian politicians have even called for McDonalds to be shut down nationally.
If only geopolitics and bad publicity where the crux of McDonalds problems. McDonalds faces some of its biggest problems at home. It's facing competition from other fast-food restaurants such as Burger King, which have been gaining market share as of late. Many are describing Burger Kings menu as a simpler and cheaper version of McDonalds. From a different direction McDonalds is experiencing pressure applied from the fast-casual segment of the market, which has been attracting more health and socially conscious customers.
Source: Google Finance
Seismic shift in food perceptions among young people (people want healthy, organic, pesticide free)
"There are major changes going on in the food industry," said Susan Schwallie of NPD Group. As evidence of the current shift, Schwallie cited heightened interest in organic food, concerns about preservatives, the drop in processed food sales and the rise of yogurt and nut sales which have a healthier perception.
According to Schwallie, the revolution is largely being led by the young. NPD's research shows millennials consistently prefer Chipotle and Panera Bread to Burger King and McDonalds, although they increasingly prefer to eat at home. Restaurant visits are down almost 10 percent from 2000 levels.
Schwallie goes on to says "chicken has been growing like crazy." Organic produce sales are experiencing a rebound after falling off during the recession, as more consumers have more disposable income available to avoid food treated with pesticides
A little more insight: Why other companies have performed well
When talking about trust in the restaurant business Brad Hecht, Reputation Institute's Vice President told USA Today, "The key takeaway is that it's really not about the products or services the company provides. The company has to have a core purpose and stand behind it. The best companies do an excellent job at both". The article further goes on to say brands like Chipotle (CMG), Subway and Panera Bread (PNRA) have captured consumers' hearts.
While many casual observers believe McDonald's disappointing sales are a sign of how deeply the health focused dining trend is cutting into McDonald's business that may not be the whole story. If it were the whole story, other fast food providers would be in the same boat, Restaurant Brands International Inc. (QSR)-parent company of Burger king and Tim Hortons-and Wendy's (WEN) would also have falling sales, but they do not! The graph below clearly shows that McDonalds is the laggard of the bunch when it comes to sales growth.
I have my concerns when I look at the short term and long term prospects of MCD. Consumers are increasingly turning to other restaurants as time goes on. As of late McDonalds has brought forward a rough road map for improving sales, but that road map is lacking specifics, and lacks any targeted plans on getting young people in.
- One of the world's most recognizable brands
- Standardized operations
- Global reach
- Menu is starting to be unmanageable, wait times are increasing both in store and drive through
- Not focusing on its core customers. MCD is trying to be all things to all people
- Does not have a clear strategy to get millennials in the door
- Focused on Chipotle while its losing customers to Burger King.
- A plan to improve operations has been laid out. But this is just operations; strategy to get millennials in the door is missing.
- International operations are growing and have been able to incorporate localized food successfully.
- Customers are becoming savvier about health, food quality and the conditions farm animals are raised in.
- New restaurant chains are focusing on healthy quick serve foods
- Places like Burger King are focused on a cheap simple menu, which is a direct attack on McDonald's core customers.
- McDonalds has unhealthy food in general. Not only are younger adults turning away from the golden arches, but some of their current older customers-that maybe told by their doctors to start eating better-may start to turn away as well.
- Recently they have been rocked by a few food scandals in Asia.
When you add up the Strengths and Opportunities we get 5 bullet points compared to 9 bullet points for Weakness's and Threats. There may not be any weighing scheme for the different points, but when you start getting a difference of 9 vs. 5 bullets a general theme starts to emerge.
With revenues of $25 billion and a market cap of $91 billion, the stock sells at 3.3 x revenues. Competitor Restaurant Brands International Inc, the parent company of Burger King and Tim Hortons, sells at 6 x revenues. Relatively speaking compared to its major competitor MCD seems undervalued or at best fairly valued. But what if other companies in the industry are overvalued, seeing as some of them trade with P/E's between 20-41. Let us take a more fundamental approach to valuation.
Overvalued based on a Justified P/E.
Most mature businesses that are growing (definitely not shrinking) at the rate of GDP will have P/E's around the 15-20. With a 21 P/E my only concern is that MCD has had falling revenue in the last few quarters and a turnaround plan that is unimpressive. Dividend yield is respectable at 3.5% and a D/E ratio that is well within industry standards. Let's turn to the valuation with Justified P/E. The required rate of return is based on CAPM model while the growth rate is based on the most likely long term growth prospects for MCD. The 3.3% is based on the last 4 years (2010-14) growth rate in revenue-which is similar to America's GDP growth rate. National GDP growth is reasonable for a large mature company like McDonalds.
Source: Morningstar Equity Analyst Report, June 1 2015
The dividend current payout ratio = 65%
R= 8.17 %
NOTE: Dividend payout ratio has risen from roughly 50% in 2010 to 65% in 2014 this continuous rise is unsustainable. If they start to cut dividends in the future this will have negative effects on the stock.
Based on the above formula MCD's current P/E should be 14.7.
In my opinion the road to a turnaround will be long. Management has laid out a blue print for improving growth by focusing on regional needs, reducing costs and reducing the bureaucracy. While reorganizing the management and trimming the menu is relatively easy compared to the task of enticing millennials. Doing the required work to changed peoples perception of McDonalds will not be easy and management will need to be 100% committed to one course of action. They must finally decide in what direction they want to go, fast and cheap or slower and pricier. With all the challenges facing them, a relatively low P/E, good cash flow and reasonable dividend yield should limit negative price movement.
Until there is a clear, focused and inspiring plan, I would not even look at McDonalds today.
Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.


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North America’s Major League Baseball has entered into a partnership with Utz Quality Foods.
Global food company Mars Wrigley Confectionery has signed a four-year extension to its partnership with the English Football Association.
Cricket Australia’s commercial partners are considering their options as the ball-tampering scandal arising from the national team’s Test match in South Africa continues to make headlines, both at home and abroad.
US wrestling organisation WWE has extended its sponsorship deal with Mars-owned chocolate bar brand Snickers.
Peters Ice Cream has agreed a deal to sponsor the 2018 edition of the Commonwealth Games multi-sport event, which takes place in Australia’s Gold Coast region.
Frozen yoghurt vending company Reis & Irvy’s has signed an innovative sponsorship deal with NHL ice hockey team the Dallas Stars.
The Nigeria Football Federation has entered into a partnership with confectionery products manufacturer Cadbury.
Unilever-owned ice cream brand Magnum has agreed a three-year deal to become a new partner of the French Open grand slam tennis tournament.
Multinational snack foods company Mondelēz International has extended its partnership with the British Paralympic Association.
Chewing gum brand Wrigley has upgraded its sponsorship of the Big Bash League to become a an official partner of the Australian Twenty20 cricket competition.
US ice hockey competition the National Women’s Hockey League has extended its partnership with coffee and baked goods chain Dunkin’ Donuts.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has signed up confectionary brand Goleador as a new sponsor.
Mars-owned chocolate brand M&M’s has entered into a partnership with Italian Serie A football club Juventus.
Multinational confectionary, food and beverage company Heinz has entered into a partnership with the UK division of the NFL American football league.
The French Football Federation has entered into a partnership with confectionary company Carambar&Co.

domain: news


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World Cup years always bring with them the latest innovations for cleats and apparel and 2014 looks to become a revolutionary one for soccer gear. adidas unveiled the Primeknit FS, the first knitted soccer cleat and sock hybrid, on Wednesday.
The Primeknit FS hybrid will also have a limited edition release and initially will only be available in Black/White/Red.
“Following the launch last week of the adidas Samba Primeknit, the world’s first knitted football boot, we’re excited to be able to give the World a glimpse into the future of our products,” Markus Baumann, Senior VP for Global Football at adidas said.
“The introduction of the adidas Primeknit FS is only the latest chapter of adidas football products and further cements our place as the pioneer of footballing innovation.”
The knitted cleat idea is taking hold but is far from proven among consumers. Liverpool’s Luis Suarez will debut the Samba Primeknit, the first all knitted cleat, against Manchester United on March 16. The limited edition release is only available outside of the U.S.
Nike released their version of the knitted cleat today as well. The Nike Magista is within grasp of the consumer. It will be available for pre-order on April 29 and for shipment on May 22.
What do you think of knitted cleats? Is it more hype than substance? Will this be the trend in 2-5 years? Talk soccer cleats on 365.WorldSoccerShop.com.


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A pivotal tenant to harm reduction is the dissemination of accurate information about specific risky human behaviors. Broadly, harm reduction can be viewed in various forms. For example, consider how schools have been able to help curtail teen pregnancy and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections among minors with thoughtful and accurate safe sex education.
When you consider the impact that cigarettes have had on the world’s health, safer forms of nicotine delivery fit the agenda. Tobacco harm reduction interventions should eliminate the risks of combustible smoking. Nicotine e-cigarettes, certain oral tobacco products, and even nicotine patches and gums offer much safer means of delivery. In turn, information about nicotine use through these mediums needs to be holistic and accessible.
Inaccurate information dissemination can be seen with the treatment of the recent lung disease outbreak linked to the behavior of vaping. With hundreds of hospitalizations reported across dozens of states, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that its federal scientific investigation is still ongoing.
The CDC released statements about “e-cigarettes” apparently having a link to the outbreak of noncommunicable lung illness. These claims, further recycled by tobacco control advocacy organizations, were construed as proof that vaping is a public health threat of great proportions. Allow me to remind you all: Vaping isn’t safe, but it is safer.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services, an agency in a state with many of the cases, announced that the majority of reported cases were tied to individuals vaping THC oils purchased through illicit means. Wisconsin is still a state that prohibits the sale and production of medical and recreational cannabis.
Despite announcements like this, the spotlight has focused on e-cigarettes that contain nicotine. Though it took a while, the CDC announced that many of these substances likely came from primarily illicit sources. A spokesperson for the center indicated that many of the ill individuals vaped illicit and potentially contaminated THC or CBD oils or obtained devices and product “off the street.”
The lessons from this example underscore the need for accurate communication. The CDC, local, and state-level agencies must offer nuance and clarifications. For example, the term vaping is commonly associated with the act of vaping nicotine, not cannabinoids, or other substances.
The term “e-cigarettes” is also miscommunicated. E-cigarettes, by definition, are products that contain nicotine and serve to be alternative products to combustible cigarettes. If we consider the acronym ENDS, or electronic nicotine delivery systems, e-cigarettes in their simplest form will be vaporizer systems that contain nicotine-infused liquids.
The CDC, in this case, also failed to communicate the other types of substances that can be vaped. Given the fact that vape devices can be customized and the creation of e-liquids can easily be done in a home setting, people have been able to obtain vape liquids that contain illicit substances like psychedelics, cocaine, black market morphine, and even meth. By the nature of a drug deal, there is also no guarantee that a buyer is purchasing what the dealer claims to be selling.
More details required
To further note, the Washington Post reported that scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have identified a foreign oil derived from vitamin E in predominantly cannabis liquids. After testing this oil derivative known as vitamin E acetate in certain cannabis liquids, they found matches in patients potentially linking the substance. The FDA found vitamin E acetate in 10 out of 18 tested cannabis products. Out of 12 other nicotine samples, there were no suspect chemical compositions. Only a few of the reported cases, according to the CDC and FDA, have been linked to liquid nicotine use.
There is also no exact information about which brands of nicotine have been analyzed or whether they are regulated or illicit, as is the case for the potential legal and illicit cannabis products tested.
All the while, this case also provides more evidence to the effectivity of drug legalization and decriminalization as viable harm reduction strategies. When an illicit substance is legal and commercialized, there are regulations, manufacturing standards, and user precautions institutionalized to minimize as many adverse health impacts as possible. E-cigarettes and many THC and CBD liquids purchased through brick and mortar retail or legitimate e-commerce websites are regulated and monitored by the respective public health authorities.
Indeed, the CDC and the FDA have recognized the potential benefits of vaping nicotine to help smokers quit through an alternative means of nicotine delivery. However, these products are not regulated as smoking cessation aids in the United States. Instead, nicotine-containing e-cigarettes fall under the Tobacco Control Act of 2009 as a deemed tobacco product. E-cigarettes, however, contain no trace of tobacco flora. This is an institutional mistake. Risk-proportionate regulation is needed.
We need to be concerned
This argument does not diminish my concerns about the “vape lung” outbreak. Now that there have been 5 reported deaths (at the time of this article) linked or potentially linked to vaping, clarity is important now more than ever.
For example, one of these unfortunate cases out of Oregon has potentially been tied to an individual vaping a cannabis product from a local dispensary. The latest death to come out of Minnesota, another unfortunate case, confirms that an illicit THC product was linked to the passing of this individual.
The latest death out of California was a similar scenario. This individual, only identified as a person aged over 55 years, fell ill and eventually faced a complicated hospitalization before passing after using a vaping device to ingest a THC product. There was no indication that this product was legal and regulated or illicit and risky.
Another case out of Indiana was reported, but I have been unable to obtain more details about this. The first reported death out of Illinois was additionally scant on the details of the vaped substance.
The CDC, in a more recent call with news media, has further clarified its position on the state of the outbreak.
“CDC has advised that individuals consider not using e-cigarettes because as of now, this is the primary means of preventing this severe lung disease,” Dr. Dana Meaney-Delman, with the CDC’s Lung Injury Response team, told reporters.
While this is excellent advice for individuals who are new to vaping substances or have never done so, there is still much to consider about the wider population of vapers in the United States.
The Wall Street Journal reports that around 13.8 million people vape nicotine-containing e-cigarette products across the country. Do authorities expect this large population to succumb to lung problems? I don’t mean to sound condescending; however, this is a legitimate question.
Spill the beans
Interestingly enough, the American Lung Association has criticized the CDC for being too vague with its transparency efforts. Michael Siegel, a professor of community health sciences at Boston University, noted on his personal blog that even the association was being vague.
Siegel refers to a recent Politico article where the association is quoted saying: “We know that it’s important with health communication to deliver very clear messaging, unambiguous meaning.”
“When I saw this quote, I thought that the American Lung Association was absolutely on-point with its criticism because the CDC has been far too vague by warning people not to use “e-cigarettes” generally instead of focusing on the illicit, bootleg marijuana vape carts that have been associated with the vast majority of the cases,” Siegel wrote. “However, I then read what the American Lung Association suggested as a less vague and more appropriate warning. It was: “Don’t use these products.”
According to one of the association’s most recent health warnings, the organization reminds people not to use “e-cigarettes.” Like I mentioned before in this piece, the term e-cigarette is mainly associated with nicotine vapes, not cannabis. The CDC, luckily, communicated that many of these cases are linked to cannabis products. The American Lung Association didn’t.
The point is clear. Consumers, especially the millions who use nicotine and cannabis vape products every day, have a right to know the full picture. What do authorities and advocacy groups mean by saying “these products?” Are these products tied to regulated or illicit sources? What are the brands or the exact chemical compounds found in these substances?
People are dying. People are sick. Government regulators and the public health community should work with the legal vaping industry, both in the nicotine and cannabis verticals, to resolve this crisis. All the while, as I have long argued, information dissemination still needs to be accurate.


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This is usually the time of the year when audiophiles and early adopters alike start drooling and checking their bank accounts as the CES Show rolls into town (that town being Las Vegas this year) highlighting manufacturers dreams and plans for the forthcoming year in electronics and more importantly to us, audio.
The Consumer Electronics Show has been running now for the best part of four decades and is owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) with an active membership of over 2000 companies to date.
Traditionally audio companies have used the CES to launch their roadmap and new products for the forthcoming year and in 2012 we had exciting line-ups from Sennheiser and Philips to name but a few.
This year in Vegas the CES is being hosted in the Las Vegas Convention Center and World Trade Center (LVCC)/Las Vegas Hotel & Casino (LVH) and The Venetian.
Last year, the event hosted more than 3000 exhibitors and something like 150 different countries has representatives with over 150, 000 attending as part of the general footfall. That is some serious numbers and you can understand why many companies want to get a piece of the action.
Us humble press and bloggers that cannot make it to the show should instead hit the refresh on FB every five minutes starting from January 8th, 2013 to January 11th, 2013. It is going to be 5 days of some very interesting news for headphones and mobile audio.
CES Event Milestones
Just a snippet of some key milestones first shown at the CES show over the last four decades include:
Videocassette Recorder (VCR), 1970
Laserdisc Player, 1974
Compact Disc Player, 1981
Digital Audio Technology, 1990
Compact Disc – Interactive, 1991
Radio Data System, 1993
Digital Satellite System, 1994
Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), 1996
High Definition Television (HDTV), 1998 Hard-disc VCR (PVR), 1999
Digital Audio Radio (DAR), 2000
Microsoft Xbox, 2001
Plasma TV, 2001
Home Media Server, 2002
HD Radio, 2003
Blu-Ray DVD, 2003
HDTV PVR, 2003
HD Radio, 2004
IP TV, 2005
An explosion of digital content services, 2006
The new convergence of content and technology, 2007
Companies included in this years line up that may catch your eye are:
The list goes on and is very long indeed.
If you are going let us know how it went. We will post whatever we hear and find starting next week on our Facebook page at Headfonics Facebook as well as any big news here at the main website so stay tuned.


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When it comes to reaching potential customers online, aside from Google there’s no better site to use than YouTube. Recent estimates suggest at least one-third of all people on the Internet are official YouTube users.
To help smaller businesses create engaging ads tailored to YouTube, Google (YouTube’s parent company) recently announced the creation of the YouTube Director program. Businesses who take part in this program get to work with a professional film director on a short ad designed to take advantage of YouTube’s platform.
In a recent post on Google’s official blog, YouTube’s Group Product Manager Nicky Rettke said anyone who spends a minimum of $350 on YouTube advertisements via Google AdWords can take part in the YouTube Director program. As a part of this program, participating businesses will have the opportunity to work with a professional film director on a 30-second YouTube advertisement.
Before shooting the video, Google will set up a phone interview so the assigned director better understands his/her client’s business, goals, and customer base. Next, you’ll meet with your YouTube Director to record your ad no more than one week after your call.
Once the filming is completed, it should take no longer than 10 business days for the film crew to polish the ad. After business leaders approve of the content, YouTube will publish the ad on its site.
To help small businesses compete on YouTube even further, Google announced that clients who use this program will only be charged when YouTube users interact with the customer’s video. Plus, with YouTube’s new TrueView feature, clients can create their own unique call-to-actions. Rettke says this feature can help businesses “drive the outcome that’s most important for [them].”
Just a few popular companies that have had great success with YouTube Director in the past include Konverse, Island Creek Oysters, and Warmoth Custom Guitar & Base Parts. In the case of Warmoth, YouTube says the Washington-based guitar company has seen a staggering 130 percent rise in revenue after launching its ad on YouTube.
As of today, YouTube Director has filmmakers in about 170 major American cities. To find a filmmaker near you or to learn more about the YouTube Director program, feel free to check out the webpage https://director.youtube.com/onsite/#/.
Latest posts by Eric (see all)
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- Wikipedia Wages War On “Fake News” – New Content Restrictions Announced for 2020 Election Page - October 28, 2020
- July 2020 Pinterest Algorithm Update – Home Feed to get More Diversity & Video Content - July 12, 2020


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Until the coronavirus pandemic struck, the Kodiak Island Brewery was a thriving local business, but sales crashed after the brewery closed its tasting room in March. Ben Millstein hopes he can turn that around when he reopens his brewery,
For the last four months, his only customers have been those who drive up to a small sliding glass window at the side of the business, customers like Tom Crimmins, who buys a malt beer called “Wingnut” in cans.
“It’s kind of a heavier amber, almost a red beer. And that’s kind of my favorite,” said Crimmins.
And while he appreciates the take out service, Crimmins says he’s looking forward to a time when he can go inside and enjoy people’s company — yet at the same time, he’s glad Millstein has exercised caution in reopening.
“I don’t think anybody should sacrifice public safety to make a buck,” Crimmins said.
Inside the brewery, you’ll find Millstein at work trying to figure out his next move.
“Any day now, we’re hoping to reopen. Any day now,” Millstein said, as he filled a glass with Snowshoe Pale from the tap, one of 13 craft beers he makes in the big metal tanks in the back of his business. What’s on tap is what sells the best, but open container laws prevent sales at the drive-up window.
In contrast, Millstein has had very little take out business. Beer sold in cans, pigs and growlers have just not had the appeal of beer on tap. He estimates he’s doing 10-15 percent of the business he had when his tasting room was packed with patrons.
During the closure, Millstein gave the floor a fresh coating of bright red paint and began work on a deck outside.The heavy, wooden church benches and funky fishing décor are still there. The sunlight streams in. The room seems oddly peaceful given the turmoil his business has gone through.
Although bars in Kodiak re-opened months ago, Millstein continued to keep the indoor side of his business closed. He said he and his staff of five weren’t comfortable reopening.
In the interim, he’s given a lot of thought about how he might reopen safely, but still struggles with how best to do that. After all, the success of his business was based on bringing people together, not to distance them from one another.
“It was kind of like a town clubhouse atmosphere, where people can come with friends, or come by themselves, and just meet people who are hanging out,” Millstein said. “A lot of people used this as an informal office space.”
But that was then. And this is now.
“I’ve tried to be in a constant brainstorm mode,” Millstein said. “What can we do differently that would be more appropriate now in this business situation?”
For starters, Millstein says he will have a separate entrance and exit to reduce cross traffic. There will also be plenty of sanitizing wipes for customers and markers on the floor to remind them to keep their distance from each other. Millstein will also limit customers to one-third capacity, very different from before, when the brewery regularly drew standing room only crowds.
Millstein says he has fewer than a dozen drive-through customers a day, not nearly enough to break even. He says he used some federal Paycheck Protection Program funds to stay afloat – and even now isn’t sure reopening his tasting room under the new constraints will put his business back in the black.
“It’s a bit hard to predict how it will evolve,” Millstein said. “I don’t see the environment of the pandemic changing drastically any time soon, except that it could get a lot worse in Kodiak, which we all hope we can avoid.”
Four of five staffers will return to be able to go back to work when the brewery reopens. One is having a baby. All of his staffers will wear masks, but Millstein doesn’t think it’s practical to ask his customers to wear them, because they would have to take them on and off to drink their beer.
Initially, the brewery will be open Monday through Saturday with limited hours. Initially, the tasting room will open at 3:00 p.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. And if that goes well, he’ll stay open until 10:00 p.m.
Millstein says his customers should expect changes, because some adjustments will be needed, once his business, and his taps, start to flow again.


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Digital TV equipment must be made affordable to everyone before the UK can be ready for a complete switch to digital TV, a consumer body has said.
The analogue signal is expected to be switched off in 2012
The government should help low income and special needs groups, according to the Consumer Expert Group, made up of charities and consumer organisations.
The government wants to turn off the analogue signal - which is used for conventional TV broadcasts - by 2012.
More information should be available about the switch, the group added.
The Consumer Expert Group was appointed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to offer independent advice on the future of digital TV.
In its report, it said a major concern was some people felt left behind in the digital race because they could not receive digital television in their areas.
The government says this will not be a problem once the analogue signal is turned off because that will free up space to increase digital terrestrial television broadcasts.
The group also wants a formal consultation exercise about the timetable and process about the switch-off.
And its report says 70% of households should have digital televisions as their main TV set before switch-off is announced.
Broadcasting minister Andrew McIntosh said the UK was already a world leader in digital TV, with 55% of the population already signed up.
He said the Consumer Expert Group was "knocking on an open door" with its recommendations.
"Viewers can be assured that their interests, particularly those of the most vulnerable, will be at the heart of every decision we make," he said.


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At least one financial institution won’t offer Apple Pay until next month. USAA, according to the Daily Dot, will support the mobile payment system for its Visa and MasterCard customers starting on Friday, Nov. 7.
When it was originally announced at the iPhone 6 and iWatch event in early September, Apple said the system would arrive in October. Many had expected support to launch alongside iOS 8.1, which is widely expected to be unveiled this month.
On the Apple Pay site, USAA is on the of the financial institutions “coming soon.” The participating banks listed first on the site include American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo.
More than likely, those six financial institutions will roll out Apple Pay support sometime before USAA.
Currently, the payment system is only supported by the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. But that list could possibly grow. During a special media event next week on Thursday, Oct. 16, Apple is expected to introduce a new iPad Air with a Touch ID sensor, a big part of Apple Pay.
The company is also expected to discuss more about payment technology at the event.
For other news today, see: GT Advanced hopes bankruptcy court will keep ‘third-party’ documents secret, Carl Icahn makes a strong case for an UltraHD Apple ‘iTV,’ and Apple’s suppliers reportedly postpone production of ‘iPad Pro’ in favor of new iPhones.


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Dow erases gains for year, Nasdaq enters correction territory; New-home sales plunge to near two-year low; Tesla delivers ‘historic’ profit (not sure what’s going on w/its reliability ranking); Dunkin’ takes shot at Starbucks w/less expensive espresso; eBay predicts 50 hottest toys of 2018 holiday season; Alexa can now trade stocks for you?; Yahoo paying up to $85 million to settle class action lawsuit over its massive data breach; Horror films making killing at box office; Santa going all out this year; Amtrak – becoming like the airlines?; Trader Joe’s new Pumpkin Spice Cream liqueur; Costco’s 4-pound pumpkin pie.
Prone to binge drinking? This might be why…; FDA approves first new flu treatment in nearly 20 years (fast-acting, single-dose oral medication); Jamie Lee Curtis opens up about opioid addition she hid for 10 years; Hot baths could be more effective at beating depression than exercise?; The CBD-and adaptogen-infused selzer that’s like LaCroix for stressed-out people.
Is AI the future of perfume??? IBM is betting on it; Tori Burch Foundation champions women through NYC pop-up shop; Estée Lauder files restraining order against Deciem’s Brandon Truaxe; Balenciaga gets sued for copying tree-shaped air fresheners w/its $275 key ring; Apple finally fixing that ‘skin-smoothing selfie’ problem w/the new iPhones; Rainbow teeth is 2018’s weirdest beauty trend.
What is body checking and when is it a problem?; FBI releases physical fitness app for exercise buffs and aspiring agents; Obesity a painful reality for 1 in 6 U.S. youths; Gisele’s diet — work for anxiety?; How a free app can help you lose weight and decrease blood pressure; What Cher eats in a day to stay so fit (Can you believe she’s 72?!); The game-changing yoga mat that rolls itself up like a snap bracelet.


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DC Comics celebrates 30 years of Harley Quinn this week with the release of a 100-page super spectacular! Check out the official preview of Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special #1 here…
You are cordially invited to an oversize extravaganza celebrating the Clown Princess of Crime’s thirtieth birthday on this fantabulous particular! That’s proper—Harley Quinn turns 30 in absolute fashion and has invited a squad of her previous inventive buddies to affix her with a killer lineup of fantastic tales! And the evaluations are in—it’s assured AWESOME.
Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special #1 goes on sale on September 20th.


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Chipotle plans to more than double its use of local produce this year, increasing its fresh food supply by at least 10 million pounds.
In a business wire released today, Chipotle announced plans to increase their use of local produce grown from farms within 350 miles of their 1,100 restaurants.
Chipotle founder and Co-CEO Steve Ells said in a statement:
While sourcing produce locally can be difficult -- particularly in regions with short growing seasons -- we continue to find like-minded suppliers to allow us to serve this better food. Not only is local produce fresher and better tasting, but it also helps support the environment and regional farming communities around the country.
Fresh ingredients vary by region. For example, in California where the growing season is almost year-round, Chipotle sources locally grown lemons, cilantro and avocados. Other regions may provide fresh bell peppers, oregano and other vegetables.
Chipotle began serving local produce in 2008 and has been working to increase its local produce supply every year.
According to the Associated Press, the company's shares were up by $1.80 in midday trading to $288.85.


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WOODLAND, CA—Walmart has agreed to take over a former Mervyn’s department store here at County Fair Fashion Mall.
The new Walmart Neighborhood Market will occupy the now-vacant, 62,000-sq.-ft. building at 1250 E. Gibson Road. The company has started construction and expects to open soon.
Scott Sterlekar, director of real estate and leasing for Primero Management, said the store will be a great addition to the mall. “This new Walmart will allow for improvement in the retail climate in the Woodland area and provide a non-competitive synergy with other mall tenants. With proximity of the various neighborhoods surrounding the mall, in addition to the new residential construction next door, this will be a great fit.”
The mall is anchored by JCPenney, Burlington Coat Factory and Cinemark theaters. Negotiations are now underway for another new anchor to replace the 57,000-sq.-ft. former Gottschalk’s. Primero Management manages the property.


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|Bill Gates' visit to Viet Nam has contributed to the IT development in the country|
Viet Nam is expected to become a full member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) next week, a move which will help the country catch up with its economically successful neighbours, the UK’s BBC said in a report entitled “Viet Nam prepares for boom times.”
The report said that Viet Nam “is making waves.” The country, which had to import rice 20 years ago, has now become the biggest rice exporter in the world. Viet Nam is also exporting steel, computer parts, and now highly skilled outsourced services.
The report added that Viet Nam has recently unveiled big reforms which legitimised private business and turned many state-owned firms into shareholder-owned companies. The impact has been as dramatic as the Chinese industrial revolution. Foreign investment is pouring into the country.
Viet Nam now attracts more overseas investment than India and it is second only to China in the Asian economic growth league. Fifty percent of the population is aged 35 or under and they are well-educated, and very ambitious, BBC said.


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The Norwegian Coastal Administration has awarded a grant of Nkr21M (US$2M) to supply chain company ASCO to implement digitalisation infrastructure at its base in Leirvika, part of its Hammerfest supply base for the offshore oil and gas industry
An operator of a number of Norwegian offshore bases, ASCO sees the investment as creating a new logistics starting point in northern Norway. The grant also builds on the development of the ASCO’s Risavika Offshore Terminal in Tananger, Rogaland.
ASCO Hammerfest base manager Tom Eirik Lysmen Jakobsen said “When the base in Leirvika is completed and we have implemented solutions around efficiency and digitalisation, it will provide significant benefits to customers and we believe it opens up the use of the terminal to new industries.” Added Mr Lysmen, “It is about getting the right equipment at the right time with 100% control, which will save time and resources for our customers.”
ASCO said the grant will underpin deploying smart technology at ASCO’s Hammerfest base. Logistics for the region will be streamlined through the terminal and operations will receive digital infrastructure with electronic data capture, aiming to save time and money. This will allow vessels to be better utilised, enabling more goods to be transferred from road to sea reducing emissions, contended ASCO.
Efficiency improvements include streamlining freight flow for sea-based transport and logistics chains, placing the company in a more competitive position for sea transport for the seafood, aquaculture, fishing, consumer goods and oil and gas industries.
ASCO Norge AS chief digital innovation officer Christopher Hoftun said “The efficiency gains will offer time savings, estimated at 80% for trucks and 20% for vessels, which emphasise that this will also provide an environmental benefit. The vessels will have a shorter lay time at the quay resulting in less noise and CO2 emissions.”
Work is underway, and the Hammerfest terminal will be operational during 2020.
Riviera will host a week of free to attend 45-minute webinars focused on maritime air pollution commencing 26 May. Register your interest now


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A visit to Harry Style’s House in Berlin
I was sipping an idle cappuccino at breakfast in Berlin when Harry’s House popped up right across the street.
Motel One at Dircksenstrasse, at the centre of Berlin, is where we were staying and it was my friend from Finland Maryan Abdulkarim who put me on to the piece of news when I wondered aloud why scores of youngsters were queuing up since early morning on the pavement. “That’s for Harry Styles’ new album,” said Maryan.
Indeed, a quick scan of the local news on the Net revealed that “Rosa Luxemburg Strasse 2, 10178 Berlin” was the location of one of the nine Harry Styles shops that had come up across the world. For three days, May 20 to 23, Harry’s House was to welcome in fans and give them a chance to pick up exclusive merchandise that would be available only at these pop-up shops.
Despite not being keen on the Sign of the Times singer, known for his extravagant clothing style, I thought this globally exclusive experience was too good a chance to pass up. Fuelled by curiosity, soon I was crossing the street.
The doors to the store had not opened yet, except if one were to flash an American Express card. An Indian press card did not help, so it was more prudent to simply wait it out.
Staff members were handing out a pen and sheet to everyone in the queue, listing the items on sale with pictures and prices. At the head of the queue was a bubbly threesome — Mika, Hana and Rim — all 11th graders from the local Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Gymnasium. They had reached the spot more than three-and-half hours ago and were counting the minutes. “We are ready to wait forever,” gushed Mika. “Like a week may be. We are camping here,” Hana added pragmatically, pointing to the folded blanket she was carrying in one hand. “We have waited three years already,” Rim stated, commenting on the gap after which a Harry Styles album was coming out. The last one, titled Fine Line, had released in 2019.
This truly belied serious commitment, given that the sky was overcast, an icy wind had picked up and in no time a sharp shower descended, making the Motel One lobby a far more desirable address for me than the pavement of Harry’s House.
But Harry’s legions of fans would not be displaced. Out came the umbrellas for some and for the rest, the hoods of their jackets were shelter enough as they kept their vigil.
At 11am, the doors opened to the first batch. One could make that out from afar from the chorus of squeals.
Alexandra Quade, who walked out triumphantly around 11.15am, felt the 15 minutes she had got to spend inside were worth dragging her mother and friend Sarah Gehrardt over despite the weather forecast. “The keychains are already sold out but I got this,” the 15-year-old announced, holding a Harry Styles poster in one hand and the CD in the other.
Patricia Nottorf, a college student from Hanover, had taken the early morning train to Berlin just to lay her hands on the orange vinyl that was a store exclusive. It didn’t matter that the vinyl would set her back by € 35, which was more than double the cost of the CD (€ 17). “It’s a collectible,” she shrugged.
The vinyl was the item of choice for Clara Bettoni too. “I have Harry’s two earlier albums as well in vinyl,” she explained. She was part of a group of five friends from Switzerland who were touring Europe. “Two days ago, we heard the pop-up store would be happening at Berlin during our stay. So we had to come,” she said.
Among her friends, Manon Deboro picked up As It Was, a single that was being sold separately. Styles had released the track about broken love last month to give a foretaste of his upcoming long player.
Coralie Charvoz said she listened to music on Spotify so had no use for an album. “I got a hoodie and a cap.” It puzzled me that there was no picture of Styles or his name on either. “Umm, there’s the flower from the album cover,” Coralie explained to me.
The odd pair out in this queue of excited teenagers and college-goers were Klaus Bock, 84, and his wife Gitta, 75. “Our granddaughter, who stays in south Germany, has expressly told us to pick up the album for her. She wanted us to go early as there would be a big crowd. I had told her she was overacting. But this is crazy,” exclaimed Gitta, trying to count the number of people still ahead of them in the queue.
Harry’s House was spread over the ground floor of the building. The most arresting sight was the words in multicolour letters ‘Treat People with Kindness’, his 2019 hit, on the wall facing the road. But the maximum selfies and photos were happening in front of a wall-to-wall black-and-white blow-up of the singer himself. Music was being played from the new album. A framed selected tracklist of the album stood on a stand. Items available at the counter included a special album box set, a limited-edition album zine, T-shirts, hoodies, towels and hats.
The album cover itself was also on the wall. The image had the pop star standing upside down on the ceiling of a sparsely furnished living room. There was a vase of pink tulips on the floor next to the sofa. A wooden framed painting with white flowers hung on the wall near the arched doorway.
Some websites, I had heard, were offering bookings of the furniture on the album cover and tempting fans with offers to furnish their own houses based on the Harry Styles theme, but there were no furniture pieces being sold here.
In the run-up to the launch, a curious website, YouAreHome.co, had appeared. It had featured just the arched door that opened to different images every day when one rolled one’s mouse over the graphic. In a nod to this mysterious doorway from the album artwork, two false horseshoe-shaped doors on the wall of the hall opened into mirrors on which fans could see themselves reflected, as if visiting Harry’s house. Fans of Harry would feel at home here, hence possibly the words Du bist zuhause (“You’re home” in German) were printed on the mirrors as also on the doormat in front of each.
The officials were tight-lipped about figures of how many albums had got sold from the pop-up store but when I looked in the afternoon, the queue was still there, though much shorter than in the morning. That augurs well for Styles’s upcoming world tour, in course of which he is also supposed to visit Germany for several shows in June and July. When I last checked, the Berlin concert, scheduled for July 20, at the 60,000-plus capacity Mercedez Benz Arena, was “selling fast”, according to a website vending the tickets.


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The Chinese smartphone manufacturers have been evolved all over and they have seen an incredible market especially in India where they have targeted the large consumer base in the country. Companies like Xiaomi, OPPO, Realme, Vivo, and also including the sub-brands like Redmi (sub-brand of Xiaomi), POCO (also owned by Xiaomi) had seen a significant growth in the country, which have deployed their smartphones that range from budget to mid-range and higher mid-range segments. Well, few of them have also ventured into premium segments lately, but, the market for mid-range smartphones is still significant in the country.
As aforementioned, sub-brands of the existing Chinese OEM makers has been a new norm in India, while the OEMs tend to release their conventional mid-range to higher mid-range smartphones, sub-brands often did a job to focus on the other segments like budget or gaming-centric or performance-oriented smartphones. For instance, Xiaomi had initially introduced Redmi and POCO both of which are consumer-focused targetting budget and performance-based smartphones with phones like Redmi 5 and POCO F1 respectively. On the other hand, iQOO, which launched as a sub-brand of Vivo as a gaming-centric smartphone maker, had later become independent and had debuted its first 5G smartphone — the iQOO 3 in India, this year.
Another interesting smartphone brand, Realme is now setting its feet in the sub-brand category of smartphones with its ‘Narzo’ series, according to the company and the CEO, Madhav Sheth. This is undoubtedly interesting because Realme itself had been introduced in India as a sub-brand to OPPO with its first Realme smartphone launch back in 2018. However, the company had later become independent the same year and stayed the same up until now.
— realme (@realmemobiles) March 18, 2020
Realme has teased on its social media suggesting new ‘Narzo’ series, and a rap video of the same series confirms further details of what to expect from the upcoming series or could possibly be a sub-brand similar to Xiaomi’s POCO series.
According to 91Mobiles report, which cites a promotional teaser image, includes terms such as ‘Gen Z’, ‘Bold’ and also goes by the tag line ‘feel the power’. These suggest that Realme could be targeting the younger audience in the country who habitually tend to get attracted for a powerful device rather than a budget device. The anticipation is that this new Narzo series could possibly launch a new smartphone with a unique design but with some powerful specifications, under the hood, at least that’s what the teasers and promotional videos suggest. However, it is still unclear on whether this Narzo series or sub-brand is limited to only smartphones or they could be wearables such as smartwatches in the pipeline, which the company had teased earlier.
Realme’s CEO Madhav Sheth had also started to reveal further about the new Narzo series asking fans to guess the name of the first smartphone to release some time. Nonetheless, more details are still awaited including the launch date too.
Presenting the new revolution. Our new smartphone series #realmeNarzo.
— Madhav 5G (@MadhavSheth1) March 19, 2020


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The Communist Party of China has called for NFTs regulation to protect investors and China Citizens. The China Communist Party made this revelation in a statement in the Economy Daily.
The party strongly recommends that the government should desist from approaching the NFTs sphere as a creative market. Instead, the government should impose stern laws with regular approach toward digital assets and currency.
Additionally, against general opinion in China, the Communist Party believes that NFTs are not cultural aesthetics. The party further emphasizes that the increasing speculations and risks attached to NFTs are worrisome. Therefore, the government must do well to curb the dangers it poses through well-structured regulation.
Also, the statement criticized exchange outlets that engage in the retail of NFTs. The Communist Party of China further warns buyers that retailers may halt trading activities without prior notice. Thus, making away with their money and digital assets.
However, the call for NFTs regulation by China Communist Party seems hypocritical in nature. Recently, state-own media organizations launched their respective NFTs trading outlets. Organizations like People’s Daily, the authorized publication of the China Communist Party, and Shandong TV have their trading outlets.
Nevertheless, Prominent Technological Firm, Alibaba has device a self-regulatory mechanism to curb the retail of NFTs. Alibaba enforced a mandatory six months wait for investors before they can sell-off their NFTs.
The Situation of Crypto and NFTs in China
The situation of Crypto is under the dark cloud in China, with the Chinese government imposing strict regulations on it. Nonetheless, the government permits Chinese Citizens to own NFTs as long as it doesn’t aid or involve crypto transactions.
In China, NFTs have enjoyed a warm reception from the government and big firms. Nevertheless, there are concerns about the retail of NFTs as a speculative mechanism. The recent statement by the Communist Party of China further confirms these worries.
Meanwhile, Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba and Tencent have overtly emphasized their commitment to protecting the industry.
Recently, the Chinese base Social media platform, WeChat banned numerous accounts due to their refusal to comply with the Chinese Government. The Chinese government made it mandatory that NFTs trading outlets must register before commencing operations.
Lastly, the effort emphasize the commitment of the government toward ensuring the growth of the industry and also to protect Chinese citizens.


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The area wise study of the global market place states that, china denoted the biggest customer of instant noodles and responsible for almost more than 40% of . Instant noodles market information- by product type, source, packaging type and region, june, 2017 | region: global | 129 pages | cooked research reports table 64 china instant noodles market, by broth (2017- 2023). A new report by michael gibson-light, a doctoral candidate in the at the prison from the study, ramen cost 59 cents at the commissary but. Chinese tourists unhappy with tasmanian experience, study finds was instant noodles during a short stay, the report by the china outbound. According to euromonitor international, a uk research outfit, china's instant noodle market peaked in 2013 at 933 billion yuan and has since.
World instant noodles association (wina) was established in march 1997 as irma (international ramen manufacturers association) with the purpose of improving the industry and in order to ensure “food safety, we are actively conducting research and sharing the related data and information also japanese chinese. This report analyzes the worldwide markets for instant noodles in million packs market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research china: following years of strong growth, sales of instant noodles on a decline. For millions of chinese workers, instant noodles were the convenient meal according to one recent chinese consumer survey, half of china's. Instant noodles are an essential part of life for many people in china and cent, according to a report by global market research firm nielsen.
Instant noodles are sold in a precooked and dried noodle block, with flavoring powder and/or china consumes 42 billion packages of instant noodles per year – 44% of world consumption – indonesia, 14 they are sold in packets, sealed paper cups, or sealed foam food containers food research international. The report firstly introduced instant noodles basic information included instant noodles definition classification application industry chain. Noodles - china - consumer market research report - company profiles how can instant noodle brands respond to consumers' higher eating standards. 01 nissin foods holdings annual report 2015 from instant noodles to chilled and frozen noodles, confectionery asia, including china, which accounts for 806% of “the wave”, the group's new research and. Instant noodles market research report china represented the largest consumer of instant noodles accounting for more than 40% of the global consumption.
Inside stomach: ramen noodle digestion goes viral a large multivitamin, has given researchers an unprecedented 32 hours of video from the. Food composition databases or from store survey data in 10 countries including results: 765 instant noodles products were collected from 10 countries china world instant noodles association global report, may 2016 accessed online. Marketing research theory gives a synthesized description of our chinese urban instant noodle market, so as to learn some lessons from company's annual report, chinese food industry, and data from the marketing. The study elucidates the situation of china and predicts the growth of its instant noodles market report talks about growth, market trends, progress, challenges, . The ministry of public health proposed a feasibility study of fortification of instant noodle seasoning powder this project was chinese five-spice powder report on the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia in thailand in 1995, 1996.
Professor, institute of nutrition and food safety, chinese center for disease this report summarizes the results of those research studies, and discusses the nutrient content of wheat flour, instant noodles from unfortified flour, and instant. China's demand for instant noodles declined 17 per cent to 385 232 per cent from 2015, according to china e-commerce research centre,. Figure 31 commodity chain of instant noodle in indonesia figure 32 decades, and in china the noodle was first invented, noodles have never been a part this research paper aims to gain a better understanding of the political.
July 17, 2017 10:47 et | source: research and markets this report analyzes the worldwide markets for instant noodles in million packs china: following years of strong growth, sales of instant noodles on a decline. According to this mayor, there is a link between instant noodles and a report by pew research centre three years ago showed that more. China's instant noodle is facing it's greatest crisis ever – the fact that it is no for three consecutive years, reports chinese news outlet the paper to zhu danpeng, a researcher from the china brand research centre. Instant noodles carry a broke college student aura in america, but they feet but still defiant over a report that links instant noodles to health hazards the food is often a low-end option for chinese people short of money,.
On 4 july 2016, the web site nextshark published an article reporting that a harvard study had found that the consumption of instant ramen causes extensive . Oliver hm yau, the chinese university of hong kong this paper discusses these two groups of institutions and their consumer research a study of the buying behaviour of instant-noodle consumers in hong kong, mba thesis, the .
Japanese style (eg, udon) and chinese-type noodles (eg, ramen) as well 2005 national health and nutrition examination survey report. Often regarded as the emperor of modern cuisine in japan, ramen (a savoury noodle study at cambridge about the university research at cambridge between china and japan have shaped modern japanese cuisine imperial diaries, travelogues, government archives, military reports, science.


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Global Debut at ISE
9 April 2020
With the number of cases of Covid-19 around the globe now increasing at a severe rate, all sectors and businesses are looking at how they can...


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Imposter phone calls and utility scams
May 1, 2017
Imposter scams are on the rise – in fact, in 2016, according to the Consumer Sentinal Network, it ranked number two with 472 reported complaints by Alaska consumers, directly behind lottery/sweepstakes scams. Much of the time, these schemes are by phone. Scammers call consumers pretending to be from their utility company or cable company, from the IRS, law enforcement, internet or computer company (tech support scam) or from the court system. The caller claims you are behind in your utility payments, you missed jury duty and need to pay a fine, or your taxes were audited and you owe money.
Often, these tricksters will even spoof caller ID to appear legitimate. In virtually all cases, these scammers are trying to get your money or your credit card number and other personal information.
One scam to pop up multiple times locally in the past year is the utility scam. The swindlers claim they are from one of the local utility companies, that you are behind in payments and your utility will be shut off within a certain time frame. One person told me she received a call from a scammer who claimed to be from her “utility” company but wouldn’t say which one. The scammer became nasty when questioned. They will typically ask for immediate payment by credit card — thus stealing your information — or by wiring cash or buying a pre-paid card like an iTunes card, and then calling them back with the activation number.
Local utility companies will not call consumers and demand money. They will give written notices for past due accounts.
If you receive a phone call, it’s best to not to give any information at all. Just hang up the phone. Then call your utility company with the number listed on your bill to confirm if any monies are due. Never wire payments or purchase a pre-paid card. It’s the same as cash and the money cannot be retrieved once sent.
If you have computer access, BBB has a great resource with its Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.Scam TrackerScam Tracker at https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/us. Check out scams happening across the country or here in Alaska. And if you are targeted by scammers, it’s easy to report a scam on the site.
Michelle Tabler is the Alaska Regional Manager for Better Business Bureau Northwest Serving Alaska.


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The 62nd annual Houston International Boat, Sport & Travel Show will be held Jan. 6-15 at the NRG Center.
Organizers said the show will fill more than 700,000 square feet of the arena. Boat show visitors will see thousands of new powerboats, pontoon boats, luxury cruisers, fishing boats and personal watercraft, as well as a large selection of campers and travel trailers.
Organizers said the show also will feature boating, fishing and camping equipment and accessories, patio furniture, clothing, art and vacations and will have dozens of seminars, including expert fishing demonstrations in the 5,000-gallon Bass Tub aquarium.
The XPogo Stunt Team will perform its high-flying act, with athletes soaring more than 10 feet in the air while doing flips and tricks on “extreme pogo sticks,” organizers said.
The boat show’s young visitors will be able to experience Fish-O-Rama, a longtime show tradition. This year, kids also will be able to bungee-jump at Radical Indoor Bungee, slide down a 24-foot inflatable slide and jump aboard bumper boats.
On Saturdays and Sundays during the show (Jan. 7-8 and Jan. 14-15), children are invited to help Build-A-Boat, an 8-foot wooden dinghy-style boat, or they can learn to build a boat motor or even paint a boat.


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To celebrate its first National UberPOOL (car sharing) day for Thanksgiving 2015, Uber is having its People’s Uber Plan (requiring 2 or more guests to share an Uber taxi). The promotion will cost customers only 1.7 RMB per trip for the first two trips they make this Thursday (from 7am to 11pm), 26th of November inShanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chengdu.
Though Thanksgiving is not one China’s main festivals, Uber has tried to utilise the celebration to bring about brand loyalty for the company, in a country with 1.5 billion potential customers. It proves again that Uber is very bold in its marketing activities and will take on headline-making promotional activities in order to increase sales, as well as gaining new and maintaining existing customers.
Let’s move up and speak loud today: Sharing is Caring!
More info at:https://www.marketingtochina.com/


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ITS Logistics adds Northern Nevada warehouse space
ITS Logistics is adding 280,000-square-feet of AIB-certified, food-grade warehouse space to its network in January, bringing its total footprint in Northern Nevada to 980,000 square feet.
The new space is part of a facility ITS Logistics operates for Starbucks Coffee Co.
“We have a proven history in the food and beverage industry, and this additional space allows us to build on our relationships with our customers while also giving us one of the largest 3PL footprints in Northern Nevada,” said Greg Sanders, chief executive officer of ITS Logistics.
ITS Logistics’ warehouse space has received a “Recognition of High Achievement” from the AIB, which guarantees ITS handles food at the highest standards in the industry.
“We can create multi-pronged solutions to help businesses fulfill their supply chain needs or address specific gaps in service no matter what products they produce or move,” Ryan Martin, president of Warehouse & Distribution said. “Our goal is to help customers meet their short- and long-term logistics and transportation goals so they can focus on their core competencies and product offerings.”
Northern Nevada’s proximity to 12 Western states makes it easy to reach locations throughout the West. The Reno–Sparks area is close to California, and it is possible to reach major ports within three hours.
Jacob Warwick, CEO of Discover Podium, says the company that launched only a year ago in Reno recently surpassed $1 million in revenue and has big plans for growth in the coming months.


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A fall hazard has prompted Pier 1 Imports to voluntarily recall several thousand chairs.
Nissan is recalling more than 54,000 cars because of curtain and seat-mounted air bags that may unexpectedly deploy when the door is slammed…
A children’s toy is being recalled due to a choking hazard, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
To Bob Mullins of Citrus Park, it’s like deja vu. A neighbor who bought a house across the street from him is accumulating piles of junk.
Thelisa Rome wants the $3,025 owed to her. She took a mechanic to court over a car she paid for in 2012 and never received.
State inspectors temporarily closed two Tampa Bay area eateries from February 27 to March 3, 2017. We’ve listed details about the restaurant…
What would you do if you saw two stout, 60-pound dogs racing toward you? It’s happening in one Bay Area city. Dangerous dogs are on a missio…
Gerber Product Foods is issuing a voluntary recall of Cheese Ravioli Gerber Pasta Pick-Ups because the packages could be mislabeled.
Senator Tom Lee (R) – Hillsborough County wants more protection for retirees.
Days after our 8 On Your Side investigation into who dropped the ball, leaving a Tampa man stuck in a disaster home, things are changing.
If you receive a phone call from the following area codes, don’t answer or return the call because it may be a scam.
The lights are flickering and the power is fading on and off in some Pinellas County mobile home parks.
Neighbors say enough is enough – the home they describe as “a house of horrors” has got to go.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office is looking into 34 complaints from consumers, following a six-month 8 On Your Side investigation into …
An Illinois pet food company is expanding its recall of dog food due to possible contamination with a euthanasia drug.


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Empowering millennials to take charge of their money
Basiq is excited to announce that we have partnered with Fu, a platform that empowers millennials to live large and take charge of their financial well-being. Fu provides a set of simple tools that allow users to manage, spend and invest – all in one place.
Basiq partners with FuPay
Basiq is excited to announce that we have partnered with Fu to empower millennials to live large and take charge of their financial well-being.
Fu is a one-of-a-kind platform that provides users with a set of simple tools to manage, spend and invest – all in one place. Lorraine Longhurst, Head of Partnerships at Basiq says, “We’re excited to be working with fintechs like Fu to help solve these issues and empower young Australians to make the best spending and saving decisions.”
Fintech continues to innovate the financial landscape in Australia
As fintech innovation in Australia continues to redefine financial services; there has been significant growth in the adoption of buy now pay later services and millennials today are abandoning traditional credit products in favour of spending their own money. Considering an increasing number of Australians are living payday to payday, this growth raises questions about about responsible spending standards and affordability for young consumers.
The good news is that, with open banking being rolled out in Australia and financial data back in the hands of consumers, fintechs are in an ideal position to help solve these issues. Basiq enables these fintechs to realise innovative solutions by providing effortless access to financial data. Fu is one such fintech partnering with Basiq to build better and more customer-centric products.
How Fupay utilises Basiq’s Open Banking platform
With bank transaction data from Basiq, Fu can leverage data from over 60 financial institutions to generate actionable insights based on a complete picture of their customer’s financial position.
According to Fu’s founder Michael Fredericks:
“Fu is a better way to manage, spend and invest your money, all in one place. We are redefining managing money for young people by adapting the concepts of buy now pay later or millennial credit and combining that with smart spending insights in order to empower the world’s most relevant customer with transparency and choice. Young people need a single platform to get a forward looking picture of cash-flow needs and obtain a little bit of credit when required without escalating debt.”
Fu does this via a range of user-friendly tools as well as a dashboard that displays income, spending, bills and any deferred payments or “Spots” with Fu in one place.
The “Spot” service is what makes Fu special. Spot is designed as an alternative to traditional credit options. It lend users money in situations where they may come across unexpected costs or struggle to make ends meet before their next pay check.
The difference with “Spot” from other credit options is the focus on responsible lending. Through Basiq, Fu is able to use real-time banking data to build a multi-tiered risk assessment platform that ensures users are able to repay spots without financial hardship.
With the average student HECS debt increasing to over $20,000 in recent years, millennials are increasingly reluctant to open up credit accounts. Fu highlights one solution that can be realised with increased access to financial data. To learn more about the platform and to get started with the app head over to the Fu website.


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How emerging technologies will affect your business in 2018
Remember just a decade ago when buzzwords like “mobile,” “social” and “the cloud” were still fairly new and exciting?
These innovations forced businesses to re-evaluate their priorities and rethink how to use technology to engage their audiences. Now, technology develops faster than business can implement it.
This rapid pace of innovation begs the question: What’s next?
In 2018, a few major trends are expected to reach their peak. Voice search is changing the way people find information online, with Siri and Alexa now able to understand conversational search patterns.


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Detroit The strike at the largest US carmaker General Motors (GM) comes to an end after 40 days. Employees have agreed to a new collective agreement, as the auto union UAW announced on Friday in Detroit. Therefore, the longest standout in the US auto industry for nearly 50 years now ended. GM had already reached a preliminary agreement with the UAW on Wednesday last week, but employees still had to ratify it.
Many employees of the US auto giant had resigned on 16 September after failed negotiations, the work. The UAW called for fair pay and affordable health insurance. In addition, she wanted to win participation in profits and job security. Among other things, the compromise that has now been achieved provides significantly more salary and substantial bonuses. In addition, GM secured, to receive thousands of jobs with billions in investment in US production.
It was the first time in twelve years that GM was on strike. The strike is likely to have caused the group according to analysts costs of about two billion dollars (about 1.8 billion euros).
The agreement between the UAW and GM also points the way to the collective bargaining that is now following with the other two major US auto companies ford and Fiat Chrysler, Investors took the news of the strike earlier this weekend that GM's shares did not show much reaction in after-hours trading.
More: The market share of US car makers in China is falling. By contrast, German manufacturers are increasing.
General Motors (t) strike (t) UAW (t) Detroit (t) tariff policy (t) job losses (t) labor market (t) rationalization and rehabilitation (t) collective bargaining transport and traffic (t) ford (t ) Fiat Chrysler (t) automotive industry


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Dollar Tree Increases Prices to Maintain Competitiveness and Profitability
In a surprising turn of events, Dollar Tree has announced an increase in the maximum price at their stores. This decision comes as the company aims to improve its profitability and remain competitive in an ever-evolving commercial environment.
According to a fourth-quarter earnings call, Dollar Tree will be raising prices on food, pet products, and personal care items due to higher costs. CEO Rick Dreiling emphasized that this strategy is necessary to sustain Dollar Tree’s profitability in a highly competitive market.
The company plans to expand its assortment of multiple-priced items in over 3,000 stores, offering products ranging from $1.50 to $7. While most products will remain at a fixed price, the introduction of multiple-priced items aims to provide customers with a wider range of options and align with market trends.
Despite the price increase, Dollar Tree reassures customers that its commitment to affordability remains intact. The company will continue to offer a variety of products that cater to all demographic segments while ensuring competitive pricing.
Dreiling also highlighted the strategic placement of products within the store to enhance the shopping experience for customers. This gradual transition is part of Dollar Tree’s strategy to adapt to market trends and meet consumer demands.
Moreover, Dollar Tree’s flexible approach demonstrates its ability to meet the diverse needs of its customer base. With a growing demographic of higher-income customers, the company’s expansion of product offerings aims to capture a wider market share and maintain brand identity.
Overall, the pricing adjustments reflect Dollar Tree’s strategic response to market conditions, allowing the company to offer a broader range of products at affordable prices. This shift represents a significant change in the company’s pricing structure and underscores its commitment to meeting evolving consumer needs.


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Automotive News first reported that Toyota was investing $150 million in the plant in Tijuana, Mexico. Toyota confirms that the investment is to increase output.
Part of the reason that compact crossovers now outsell every car class is that they are significantly easier to live with.
Anyone who has driven a modern hybrid vehicle knows that at times the vehicle is powered only by electricity.
The auto industry recently met with regulators and safety groups and collectively decided to add forward collision prevention and emergency auto braking to all vehicles by 2022.
As a person with a back problem, I know there are two things one should never do – bend and twist. However, one has to in order to install a fixed car seat.
In August of 2013 gasoline was $3.54 on average in the U.S. according to AAA. The fun times of gas near $2.00 hadn’t yet started, and Toyota’s Prius was setting sales records.
The Scion tC will be discontinued and not brought over to the Toyota Family like the FR-S (Toyota 86), iM and IA, all three of which will be sold as Toyota models for 2017.
The Scion demise has now been completed and the cars have been sorted out for transition to Toyota as models under that brand.
Hybrids earned a bad reputation as slow and underpowered versions of mainstream cars when they first debuted.
Toyota announced pricing on the 2017 Toyota 86 sports coupe and it’s about what you would expect for the refreshed rear-drive sports car.
Flood owners have enough to worry about without having to stress about making payments on a car that may have been destroyed by flooding.


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FedEx and UPS confirm that they have each secured a license from China's State Postal Bureau to operate domestic express services between various cities within the country.
FedEx and UPS now have licenses for domestic express delivery between Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Tianjin. In addition to the four cities, UPS' license also covers Xi'an, while FedEx can operate domestic services to Hangzhou, Dalian, Zhengzhou and Chengdu.
UPS says that the approval is significant because it is the first time the carrier can operate express services within China's domestic market. Although its focus has been more on international shipments out of China, the Atlanta-based shipping company has an existing network of more than 330 cities in China.
"We believe over time that the Chinese domestic market is going to be very big and very important," says UPS.
FedEx, on the other hand, says it is conducting "business as usual" in China and that the license gives it "custodial control" over Chinese shipments. The carrier says it has been operating a domestic delivery business in the country since May 2007, servicing more than 400 cities by air and ground. FedEx currently contracts Chinese airline Yangtze River Express for air service operations within China and the new approval applies to express delivery services in this agreement.
FedEx currently operates international air services to and from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu.


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COVID-19 has brought operations in many industries to a standstill as various countries continue to ban non-essential businesses from operating during this pandemic.
A large number of industries have witnessed the demand for their goods and services plummet as we head towards a global recession. Several manufacturing industries are suffering, and border closures in many countries have led to the largest drop in tourism ever witnessed in the modern era.
COVID-19’s impact on marketing
It is believed that COVID-19 could cost the global economy $2.7 trillion. The drop in retail sales and increase in unemployment will likely lead to the marketing industry being impacted too.
Marketers need to focus on businesses in industries that are seeing upticks in demand during this period, and tone down their marketing activities for businesses in industries that are suffering.
Marketing for businesses that are booming
Some industries have seen an uptick in demand following the onset of the pandemic. Web searches for “non-perishable food” have skyrocketed over the past few weeks, and e-commerce sites that sell essential goods are surging in sales.
Manufacturers of exercise equipment are also seeing a rise in sales as people spend more time exercising at home during the pandemic. Marketers should focus on effective marketing tactics for businesses in these surging industries.
Paid ads have become more affordable since the onset of coronavirus. This fall in price is due to the lack of ad demand from small businesses who have scaled back on their marketing activities.
It’s been found that the return on investment (ROI) for paid ads has jumped significantly since COVID-19 became a pandemic, so marketers should seize this opportunity and focus their efforts on paid marketing.
Marketing for businesses with lower demand
Buyers have less income to spend during this time due to pay-cuts and layoffs, so B2B services that sell primarily non-essential goods are likely to suffer as consumers shift their lower-income spending habits towards essential goods.
It may be tempting for these companies to continue advertising and marketing their non-essential products in an attempt to woo consumers back into purchasing them. However, a more sound strategy for these B2B sellers would be to cut back on marketing temporarily and divert their resources towards keeping their businesses afloat during this troubling time.
Changes in marketing strategies
It could also be beneficial for marketers to utilize different marketing methods during this time to better target consumers. Consumers are spending more time browsing the web and using streaming services than ever before, so marketers should focus on marketing through these mediums, given their recent rise in popularity.
Remote working softwares have also seen a sharp rise in popularity as employees are increasingly asked to work from home. Marketers who promote these softwares could also promote other softwares that could be of use to people working from home.
Many B2B sectors have seen a decline in B2B keyword searches over the past month, so marketers may have to scale back on promotional ads, and instead focus on publishing educational content such as guides and webinars.
This could also serve as an opportunity for marketers to revise their current marketing plans.
Marketing strategies for the Coronavirus era.
Many marketing plans that were created during the early onset of COVID-19 used language that treated the pandemic as a short term inconvenience that would blow over in a few weeks. Many of these companies have since revised their messages and are being more cautious with their statements.
New marketing plans should be adapted to the current situation and provide customers with the answers they are seeking. Many customers are unaware of which online businesses are still selling goods during this time, so it may be helpful for businesses to clearly state if they are still operating.
Consumers may also be hesitant to order products without knowing when they’ll be delivered. So businesses should also communicate any changes in their delivery times or schedules. Businesses that used to offer same day delivery may have to inform customers of their slower delivery times.
Consumers are more likely to understand and be more forgiving towards these changes given the extreme circumstances surrounding COVID-19.
E-commerce sites should make sure these changes are easy to see and read for site visitors. A vague delivery schedule is likely to turn off customers and cause them to shop elsewhere.
Marketers should also make sure to adopt a tone that fits with the rest of the brand when addressing COVID-19 in front of customers. Their message should focus on the consumer and their well-being during this troubling time.
The future of marketing
Nobody knows when this COVID-19 pandemic will be resolved, however, marketers should be prepared to deal with a future where e-commerce retail giants enjoy even greater market dominance than before.
These marketers should focus on competing using better quality content that features SEO optimized titles and informative bullet points.
As industry trends continue to shift, marketers need to keep an eye out for businesses that are seeing unexpected booms. They should also observe changes in consumer behavior so they can better predict which industries are likely to surge next.
It’s always difficult to assess a situation while it is still on-going, but we should have a better understanding of the pandemic the longer it persists. Marketers will eventually adapt and be able to target consumers better under these new conditions.
It’s evident that businesses are going to continue to struggle for a while. These businesses will likely have to spend time recouping their losses after COVID-19 passes, especially if they’re providing their employees with paid leave during this time.