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Dior Fashion Show Mumbai
Dior Fashion Show Mumbai: A Look at the Most Talked-About Event in the Indian Fashion Scene
Dior, the iconic French luxury brand, recently held its first-ever fashion show in Mumbai, India. The event was a celebration of the brand’s deep-rooted connection with India, a country that has always been a source of inspiration for its designs. The show was a grand success, attracting the crème de la crème of the Indian fashion industry, celebrities, and fashion enthusiasts from all over the country. In this article, we will take a closer look at the Dior fashion show Mumbai and explore the highlights of the event.


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Along with the rest of the social media sector, shares of Snap (SNAP) have been in a grueling downward slide. After hitting an all-time high of $83 in September, the stock price has since fallen to $35. Snap stock has not traded at this level since October 2020.
What now? Well, finding the bottom is pretty tough. The markets are extremely volatile and investors have gone cold on growth stocks.
Regardless, there are some interesting catalysts for Snap stock, especially with the Metaverse.
So, I’m bullish.
In the latest quarter, Snap reported a 57% jump in revenues to $1.067 billion. Yet the Wall Street consensus was calling for $32 million more.
The quarterly guidance was also under expectations. The company projected revenues of $1.17 billion to $1.21 billion. Analysts’ consensus was for a more robust $1.36 billion.
Yes, Snap reported another loss, which came to $72 million. Keep in mind though, that this was a 64% improvement from last year. In other words, the company is demonstrating leverage as revenues continue to grow quickly. Note that operating cash flow was $72 million, up from a loss of $55 million in the same period a year ago.
A nagging issue for Snap stock is the impact from Apple’s (AAPL) changes to its privacy policies. It requires an opt-in to include user information, which has made it more difficult for social media companies to capitalize on data. This has put pressure on the top line as advertisers have less effective ways to target their marketing campaigns.
In the meantime, there are concerns that Congress will get more aggressive with regulations for social media companies. There appears to be bipartisan support for this. Although, it is unclear what the overall impact would be.
Catalysts for Snap Stock
While Snap faces some tough challenges, there are definitely silver linings. First of all, the company is taking actions to use first-party tools to lessen the impact from Apple’s privacy policies.
Next, Snap continues to show impressive strength with user growth — which is essential for social media platforms. In the quarter, the daily active users increased by 23% to 306 million.
Something else: There are several important events that will help boost advertising revenues this year. They include the Winter Olympics in China, The FIFA Men’s World Cup, and the midterm elections in the U.S.
One of the most interesting catalysts for Snap stock is the emergence of the metaverse as a big growth opportunity. Of course, Facebook (FB) has suddenly made this mainstream with its ambitious plans for creating virtual worlds. The company even changed its name to Meta Platforms.
Interestingly enough, Snap already has made lots of progress with the metaverse. A big part of this has been the heavy investments in AR (Augmented Reality) and smart glasses, which are called Spectacles.
The technologies are not just experiments. They are getting traction with major customers. Just look at Snap’s TrueSize feature. This allows for immersive shopping experience – say with showing clothes on a person — and has gotten adoption from companies like Nike (NKE) and FarFetch (FTCH).
Snap also has a powerful set of tools that make it easy to create fun and engaging 3D animations. There is also a program to spend over $1 million each day for creators to develop content.
Wall Street’s Take
Turning to Wall Street, analysts are bullish on Snap stock, with a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 21 Buys and seven Holds. There are no Sell ratings on the stock.
The average Snap price target of $70..19 implies 100.6% upside potential.
The metaverse opportunity is in the early phases, and it is not clear how big it will be. However, it does seem like a good bet that the online world will become increasingly more realistic and immersive.
As for Snap, it is positioned nicely for this. It has the benefit of using AR at scale. There has also been success with monetization. The young demographic of the user base is another benefit. This group is certainly more willing to try new technologies.
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Microsoft unveiled the next generation of the Surface Pro. The new Surface Pro features 12.3-inch PixelSense touch display that supports the Surface Pen. The new Surface Pro is supposed to be 2.5 times faster than the predecessor. Microsoft says that the new Surface Pro offers 13.5 hours of battery life. Measuring just 8.5mm thin and weighing less than a kg, the new Surface Pro is powered by 7th generation Intel Core processor. The new Surface Pro will also be available with LTE support for people who would want to stay connected on the go.
The new Surface Pro will retail from USD 799 and will launch on June 15, 2017, in 25 markets including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Pre-order for the new Surface Pro and Surface Pro Signature Type Cover has already started in select markets at Microsoft Store, microsoft.com, BestBuy.com and JD.com where available. The new Surface Pen will be available in the coming weeks.


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the hurun research institute published today in the 2013 hurun report ya ju LeHaiNa clear water bay, list, according to the “real estate magnate Mr Wang to 135 billion wealth for the first time China’s richest man, ma huateng ranked third, robin li, ranked sixth.
in this year’s list, the IT industry is the biggest winner of this year, there are three of the top 10 is to do IT, IT amounts to more than rose 20% last year, the top 50 IT wealth also has grown by more than 40% for two consecutive years. Millet technology of lei jun is the biggest increase in wealth hurun report this year on entrepreneur, up 567% from last year’s 2.4 billion to 2.4 billion.
42, ma huateng ranked third in 62 billion. This is the first time ma in the top three, and in the top 10 most young entrepreneurs. Compared with last year, ma wealth growth of 51%, ranking rose to four. Tencent’s 2012 sales income 43.9 billion, net profit of 12.7 billion. Nearly 550 billion, tencent’s current market valuation is one of the largest company market value of all the listed companies. Ma holds a 10.25% stake in tencent.
45 li to fortune 50 billion dropped out of the top three, ranked sixth. Li wealth have fallen for two consecutive years, 2% less this year than last year, a 9% drop from the year before last year. Although baidu is listed on the nasdaq stock market value in China’s largest private enterprises, the market value of more than 280 billion, but baidu’s share price in line with the same period last year. Li currently owns a 16% stake in baidu.
50 pieces of the near east to wealth from last year, 21 39.5 billion leap into the top 10, ranked ninth. In February this year, “suning” renamed “Su Ningyun shang, from offline to online development, scope of business from to include retail electrical products development, in the process of to DianQiHua strive to grab a slice in electric business platform. In addition, su ning in the commercial real estate project in nanjing, jiangsu province, wuxi and other places are going eventful. This year, the near east zhang in suning appliance group’s stake from 28% to 39.75%.
it is important to note that the list of the most representative have millet technology lei jun, he is one of the largest entrepreneurial wealth growth rate this year, wealth, up from 2.4 billion last year to 16 billion this year, rising proportion of 567%, ranking 63th, his millet is one of the China’s best-selling domestic mobile phone, millet mobile phone sales reached 12.6 billion in 2012.
in addition, ding was ranked no. 25 (26 billion), the ma family was ranked no. 26 (25 billion), 32 (23 billion), shi yuzhu family tencent CTO Zhang Zhidong at 37 (21 billion)
the new on the list in 115, is engaged in the IT industry, the largest number, followed by manufacturing industry, the third is the real estate. Dip the fastest industries include: manufacturing, resources, the resources industry become number two years in a row down the fastest industry. The fastest rising number of industry is the IT industry.


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BREAKING NEWS! BLOCKBUSTER UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION OF HORRIFIC DAIRY CALF ABUSE CAUGHT ON TAPE
ARM FOUNDER AND LEADER SPEAKS TO JaneUnChained ABOUT THE HORRORS!
Below are screen grabs from the video that has shocked the nation!
Undercover investigators from Animal Recovery Mission documented systemic abuse at Fair Oaks Farm in Fair Oaks, Indiana, one of the largest dairies in the U.S. which produces dairy products for the Fairlife milk brand – which is produced, marketed and distributed by the Coca-Cola Corporation. Undercover investigators for Animal Recovery Mission reports the following abuses were witnessed on virtually a daily basis: Employees were observed slapping, kicking, punching, pushing, throwing and slamming calves; calves were stabbed and beaten with steel rebars, hit in the mouth and face with hard plastic milking bottles, kneed in the spine, burned in the face with hot branding irons, subjected to extreme temperatures, provided with improper nutrition, and denied medical attention. This resulted in extreme pain and suffering by the calves, and in some cases permanent injury and even death.
This story is getting tons of mainstream media including:
Animal Recovery Mission called on the Coca-Cola Corporation, which claims to have a progressive stance on animal welfare, to end their relationship with Fairlife Corporation and cut their ties with the veal industry. (update: In January 2020, Coca Cola ended up buying the Fairlife company) The company’s response is included in the above links to news reports and copied below. They are invited on any time to offer their response.
The Chicago Tribune reports: “Itasca-based Jewel-Osco, which has 187 stores and is the largest grocery chain in the Chicago area, said it is removing all Fairlife products as a result of the ‘inhumane treatment of animals’ shown in the video. ‘At Jewel-Osco we strive to maintain high animal welfare standards across all areas of our business, and work in partnership with our vendors to ensure those standards are upheld,’ the company’s statement said. ‘We apologize for any inconvenience.’ Chicago chain Tony’s Fresh Market also said it is pulling Fairlife out of its stores. Fairlife, based in Chicago, said in a statement that the dairy shown in the video, Fair Oaks’ Prairies Edge North Barn, represents less than 5% of its total milk supply. It said it would immediately suspend milk deliveries from that dairy and conduct independent third-party audits at its 30 other supplying dairies within the next month to verify animal husbandry practices.”
Fair Oaks Farms has issued this statement on their Facebook page:
“At Fair Oaks Farms it is our commitment to be honest and transparent with you, the public. Many of you have reached out to express your disappointment, heartbreak and anger regarding the videos released yesterday and we want you to know that we share those same feelings and take full responsibility. We are currently putting actions in place to ensure that this never happens again. We’ve tried diligently to respond to you, but were unable to get to every person’s comments. As a result, we will be posting a message from our founders as soon as possible. Please know that we hear you and appreciate the outreach. For any questions and concerns, please email email@example.com or call 219-394-2025”
Again, Fair Oaks, Coca-Cola, Fairlife and any other companies connected to this story are invited on JaneUnChained any time to offer additional responses and/or comments.


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After a more than 15-year relationship, Dassault Systemes, a 3-D design software business, has acquired Safe Technology Ltd., a developer of product durability analysis software with more than 500 customers including Harley Davidson Motor company, General Motors and Caterpillar Inc., in an all-cash deal.
Waltham, Mass.-based Dassault would not disclose financial details of the purchase, but said its acquisition of UK-based Safe expands its 3-D Experience platform and its realistic simulation application.
“Durability deeply affects the emotional attachment between brands and their users. This is why Safe Technology is such a good fit for Dassault Systèmes,” said Dassault President and CEO Bernard Charlès about Safe’s fatigue analysis software and solutions. The company said its software analyzes metals and composite materials, thermo-mechanical and creep-fatigue, and welded joints. In addition to the automotive industry, Safe said its fe-safe analysis software is used by leading companies in the truck, off-highway, marine, military, off-shore, power generation, wind energy, medical engineering industries.
According to Safe Technology Founder and CEO John Draper, the acquisition made sense after a long history of working with Dassault.
“Safe Technology has been working closely with Dassault Systèmes and its SIMULIA applications for more than 15 years and in that time has developed cutting edge technology that we deliver to a global customer base,” Draper said. “We enjoy significant synergy with Dassault Systèmes business strategy and ethos and as such, we are proud to be joining their operation.”
Dassault did not respond to request for comments regarding the deal.


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Rollins Out as Dell CEO; Michael Dell Assumes Role
The move goes into effect immediately, the Round Rock, Texas-based company said. Rollins is the second high-ranking Dell executive to quit in recent weeks, following the departure of former CFO James Schneider.
"Mr. Rollins has resigned, effective immediately, from his position as CEO and as a member of the board of directors," Dell said in a statement.
"Kevin has been a great business partner and friend," Michael Dell said in the company statement. "He has made significant contributions to our business over the past 10 years. I wish him much success in the future."
Rollins' exit comes four months after Michael Dell gave his then-CEO a public vote of confidence.
"I think Kevin Rollins is an outstanding executive," Dell said at a company presentation for media in September. "Characterizations of the company's challenges being only of Kevin's doing are inaccurate. Kevin and I run the business together. If you want to blame somebody, you can blame me, too."
In the company's statement on Wednesday, not only was the Dell board not blaming Michael Dell, but it also said it was turning to him to pull the company out of the mire of more than a year of one disappointment after another.
In the statement, Sam Nunn, the former U.S. senator from Georgia and current Dell director, said company is looking to its founder.
"The board believes that Michael's vision and leadership are critical to building Dell's leadership in the technology industry for the long term," Nunn said. "There is no better person in the world to run Dell at this time than the man who created the direct model and who has built this company over the last 23 years."


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Regional food producers have found a market in Philadelphia through food co-ops, farmers markets and restaurants devoted to providing local food on their menus. Supermarkets such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are also setting geographic limits on where they source their products.
But the amount of food sourced from within the region is still less than the amount shipped in from other parts of the country and from around the world, according to a study by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC).
The study goes on to state that the region is simply too big to feed itself. For those serious about a more sustainable a food system, this may seem like an inadmissible conclusion — which is exactly why the Philadelphia-based food distributor Common Market is working to connect regional food producers with anchor institutions such as hospitals, schools and universities. This has brought local food to a larger base of people through cafeterias, food courts and hospital food systems.
Bridging the Gap
Common Market was founded in 2008 with input from farmers looking to sell wholesale quantities of their products and large institutions interested in becoming more environmentally friendly by sourcing their food from within the region. It has since established itself as a bridge between the two.
“It is simply impractical for large food buyers to maintain relationships with dozens of local producers or for each of those farmers show up at over 100 loading docks every week. Common Market provides an efficient delivery system for these institutions to procure from sustainable farms throughout our region,” said Leah Pillsbury, director of communications for Common Market.
So far in 2013, Common Market purchased from 67 producers and sold to 201 customers, including 16 colleges and universities, 43 public, private and charter schools and nine hospitals. These clients comprise just under 40 percent of Common Market’s sales, according to Pillsbury.
Temple University Hospital, University of the Arts, Moore College of Art and the University of Pennsylvania are just a few of their Philadelphia-based clients.
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A Different Kind of Customer
While these institutions do tend to buy wholesale, bringing more local food into the city, they also have unique needs and concerns. Common Market’s Local Food Sales Manager Molly Johnston-Heck explained that the three biggest concerns for institutions are price, food safety and consistency.
“They need items that are going to be stable. They don’t need, necessarily, specialty vegetables,” Johnston-Heck said. “They need eggs and yogurt, potatoes and onions.”
Christopher Smith, campus executive chef at the University of Pennsylvania, said that working with small producers has not affected his ability to create a consistent menu. He added that buying local does tend to cost more, but that the difference is marginal. In one case, the University ended up spending less on yogurt – a very popular product on campus – once it was buying from producers on a consistent basis.
The University of Pennsylvania’s food service company, Bon Appetit, has been buying food staples from small producers through Common Market and through direct relationships with farmers for nearly five years.
As for food safety, Common Market works with farmers to get Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified. GAP certification is a federal standard for best practices concerning food handling, labor and environmental and animal welfare.
Despite Common Market’s work to reconcile these concerns, the incentive for sourcing local food was really the University’s own agenda to address climate change and become more sustainable.
“About the same time that we brought on Bon Appetit, we launched our climate action plan,” said Barbara Lea-Kruger, director of communications and external relations at the University. “We really wanted our contracted vendors to support that effort.”
(Photos c/o Common Market)-30-
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Young Involved Philadelphia says its time to ‘start local, get vocal’
Using tech to meet food pantry needs in Philly’s Northeast
Nonprofit AF: It’s time to expand our perspectives and conversations in fundraising
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How (and when) do I dissolve my nonprofit, or merge it with another?
The other side of the heroic nonprofit pivot to provide COVID-19 services? The toll on the mental health of staffers
Grassroots nonprofits and COVID-19 relief funding
Dual Enrollment at Congreso: Where does it go from here?
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposal that would limit the amount of forever chemicals allowed in the nation’s drinking water to the lowest levels that can be detected on tests. The move will address rising concerns about how widespread PFAS exposure contributes to health concerns like liver disease, birth defects, and cancer.
PFAS, which are per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, are commonly called ‘forever chemicals’ because they do not break down in nature or in the human body over time. The umbrella term describes a group of over 12,000 chemicals that are used in many everyday products, including food packaging and water- and stain-resistant coatings. Groundwater can be contaminated with PFAS from firefighting activities, factories, and landfills. Some states have placed limits on PFAS in drinking water, but there is currently no official federal limit.
“Communities across this country have suffered far too long from the ever-present threat of PFAS pollution. That’s why President Biden launched a whole-of-government approach to aggressively confront these harmful chemicals, and EPA is leading the way forward,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a press release. “EPA’s proposal to establish a national standard for PFAS in drinking water is informed by the best available science, and would help provide states with the guidance they need to make decisions that best protect their communities.”
The proposal would regulate PFOA and PFOS, which are two common forever chemical compounds, at 4 parts per trillion. This is the lowest level that can be reliably measured. The proposal also seeks to regulate four other types of PFAS chemicals. If the proposed regulation is finalized, public water systems will have to monitor for the chemicals. The regulation will also require systems to notify the public about the detected PFAS levels. According to the EPA, this regulation could prevent thousands of deaths and reduce instances of PFAS-attributed illness for potentially tens of thousands of people in the U.S.
PFAS exposure has become a growing concern for public health. The chemicals are ubiquitous in both industrial settings and homes; they can be found in waterproof cosmetics, non-stick cookware, and fracking sites. Researchers have linked exposure to these chemicals to cancer, infertility, and even liver illness. The chemicals can contaminate the air and soil and travel via water. A study released in October 2022 found that there are potentially more than 50,000 sites in the U.S. that could be contaminated with forever chemicals. Researchers behind the study said that this could be an undercount, due to how little federal data there is on PFAS.
Some large companies have begun removing PFAS chemicals from their items—late last year, manufacturing giant 3M said it would stop producing forever chemicals by 2026, and last month, outdoor retailer REI said it would ban all PFAS from its cookware and clothing by 2024.
But removing the chemicals from our water supplies may prove challenging. Methods like reverse osmosis, a water-treatment process that removes contaminants from water, can be used to remove PFAS from drinking water. Checking for PFAS and filtering water will require new equipment for some water utilities, which could be a financial burden for smaller towns that have fewer resources to make changes.


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JW Marriott Austin is welcoming Jay Spurr back to Austin as the market director of sales and marketing. Spurr, who has nearly 30 years of hospitality experience, will be primarily responsible for leading the JW Marriott Austin sales and marketing team with expanded responsibilities supporting the new Austin Marriott Downtown, set to begin construction this year. Spurr previously served as the director of sales and marketing for JW Marriott Austin from 2011–2015. He returns to Austin from San Francisco, where he served as the director of sales and marketing for the San Francisco Marriott Marquis.
Global DMC Partners announced that Riley Sharp, formerly director of sales, has been promoted to vice president of sales in the company’s U.S. sales and marketing divisions. Based in Chicago, Sharp will continue to spearhead sales efforts and provide service to meeting and incentive planners in the Southwest and Western regions of the U.S.
Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) has hired Mark Gorgon as vice president, U.K. and Europe. In this newly created position, he will be assisting event professionals throughout Europe who are interested in conducting their programs at any of ALHI’s member hotels or resorts. Prior to joining ALHI, Gorgon — who will be working out of ALHI’s London office — served for six years as director, global sales, meetings & incentives for Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI Hotels & Resorts), which is now part of AccorHotels.


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Shuly Galili had been working for a dozen years at the California-Israel Chamber of Commerce in Silicon Valley when she decided to take her passion for growing Israeli business in the US to a higher level.
Two years ago, she cofounded UpWest Labs, a high-tech accelerator based on the model of YCombinator and Techstars.
She and her partners take a handful of Israeli startups for four months at a time, and run them through basic training at a startup bootcamp in Silicon Valley, the place where every Israeli company aspires to be.
What happens inside UpWest Labs could make some great reality TV fodder. “We do have offers,” says Galili, “but it’s not in our plans. We are running an accelerator, not a TV show. But yes, it’s a very rich environment.”
Like a mama bear, Galili nurtures, supports and networks fresh companies through the course of their four-month journey and beyond.
Armed with several thousands of dollars in seed funding, some 33 companies to date have passed through the UpWest Lab. In total, some $20 million in follow-up seed and investment money has been raised by these companies.
They include the “Internet of things” firm Neura, which is connecting smart devices to a central brain; HoneyBook, a husband-and-wife team taking on the challenge of wedding planning; and Sentinel Labs, a security company looking to protect identities in social media.
About 70 mentors — in addition to Galili and co-founders Gil Ben Artzy, formerly in acquisitions at Yahoo, and Liron Petrushka, a startup investor and serial entrepreneur — provide Israeli startups with ideas and knowledge.
“Some are successful like Noam Bardin from Waze, who comes regularly, but it could be people from strategic roles at Facebook, Google or Dropbox, or people who are experts in domains in user interface or marketing or growth hacking,” Galili tells ISRAEL21c.
“These are people who really have seen, and who have worked with, products that scale. Scale is really important when you bring Israeli startups to Silicon Valley. The reason we started UpWest Labs is that we felt the single most important challenge for a lot of the entrepreneurs is not raising money or finding investors. They have phenomenal technology and knowhow, but are miles away from their customers and market.
“Because of that, they have a delay of being able to compete with similar technologies here, or to understand if what they’ve built is something the customers want,” says Galili. Being based in Silicon Valley gives the opportunity of running a pilot with some of the giants.
Exposed to more than a culture of silicon
“Israelis are building products for consumers who are mainly Americans, initially. It’s critical to live and breathe the consumer’s environment,” she says. “How do they view privacy, for instance? This is so different than in Israel.
“Or, how do you tell your story. The Israeli story is different than what people are used to hearing over here. Here it’s, ‘Oh I just graduated Stanford, spent five years at Google…’ So we help Israelis tell their unique stories, like the one who had only five customers but $200,000 in revenue from them.”
Israelis, no matter how “hot” their company was in Israel, can be humbled in the Valley, says Galili. “There is a learning curve in how you communicate and follow up on meetings. How do you translate the response you get from people? It sounds so confusing for them. People here are not direct. They don’t like to say ‘no.’ They sugarcoat, which is confusing for Israelis.”
Galili and Ben Artzy had known each other for years before partnering in UpWest.
“We worked hand in hand a lot and saw the same companies who came to Silicon Valley. A lot of the time, Gil and I were working in parallel. I was at the chamber and he was at Yahoo. We kept running in similar circles. Then our third partner joined,” says Galili.
What’s cooking in the lab now? Seven new companies arrived in January to start up at UpWest Labs, which runs on a for-profit model, acquiring a stake in the company for the opportunity of a lifetime to land in Silicon Valley. These newbies will join an extensive alum group of 150 entrepreneurs.
If Galili has her way, the next startup will launch direct flights from the Valley to Israel so that business between the two natural partners in technology can be made easier and smoother.
For more on UpWest Labs, see their website: http://www.upwestlabs.com


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Last 11th and 12th of November, from DUNA we accompanied the TRAM team enlivening its stand at the Expoelectric fair in Barcelona.
The Expoelectric is the meeting point for electric vehicles, a pioneering initiative that, in its seventh edition, aims to bring electric vehicles closer to the public through a series of recreational and informative activities. The purpose of Expoelectric is to promote energy saving and encourage efficient driving, to consolidate the electric vehicle as a transformation engine of the city and as an alternative for urban and inter-urban mobility that cancels or minimizes polluting emissions, and also to promote the meeting of companies and entrepreneurs in this sector with potential consumers and to facilitate the creation of synergies between professionals.
The initiative aims to show the whole family the benefits of using electric transport by means of several activities programmed throughout the day: recreational areas where they can learn about and put into practice the virtues of sustainable transport, talks to find out about the advantages of electric vehicles and self-consumption, and even a space where an interactive and 100% efficient housing is recreated.
TRAM is a 100% electric public transport system, so it takes part in the Expoelectric with a space to promote the tram as an efficient and sustainable transport system through different activities:
The event closes with great success: more than 16,000 citizens have visited the Expoelectric during the two days of the event; more than 100 electric vehicles and powered by other efficient technologies circulated through the streets of the city; in total, more than 650 car tests and 500 tests of motorcycles and electric bicycles were carried out.
For more information about the event, click here.


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KANSAS CITY — The dollar menu is not dead, but it may be on life support. Fast-food restaurants are redefining value with new propositions for the New Year.
At Burger King, the new 5 for $4 deal offers five items for $4, including a bacon cheeseburger, small fries, small drink, four-piece chicken nuggets and a chocolate chip cookie.
“When we continually deliver upon our business strategy of bringing people into our restaurants with great tasting food at an accessible price point we win with our guests and our franchisee partners,” said Alex Macedo, president, North America, for the Burger King brand. “Our new 5 for $4 deal continues to build upon that winning strategy.”
The promotion smacks of one-upmanship on the heels of rival Wendy’s latest meal deal: a 4 for $4 offer that includes a junior bacon cheeseburger, four-piece chicken nuggets, fries and a drink. The chain, which launched the promotion this past October, said early results of 4 for $4 have been promising.
“Our goal with this promotion is to complement our high-end messages with a program that will drive profitable customer count growth, and we are very encouraged by the customer count growth we are experiencing,” said Emil Brolick, president and chief executive officer, said during a Nov. 4 earnings call. “We expect that this will be the first of several value bundles that you will see us use in concert with high-end, core, and (limited-time offer) messages.”
And then there’s the new McPick 2 menu at McDonald’s, which for $2 includes two items from a selection of a chicken sandwich, a double cheeseburger, small fries and mozzarella sticks. As described by Mike Andres, president of McDonald’s USA, during the company’s recent investor meeting: “The new platform will not be tied to a singular price point, but it will enable our customers the opportunity to bundle their own meals to suit their desire, which they have indicated to us is very important to them. Our overall goal with our value strategy is to first and foremost offer items that our customers want, to allow them to choose while still contributing to restaurant guest traffic and profitability.”
Sonic’s new Two Can Eat for $9.99 deal features a choice of two foot-long hot dogs or cheeseburgers, two medium tater tots or fries and two medium drinks.
Even Pizza Hut has introduced its version of a value menu with the $5 Flavor Menu, a selection of items that includes a medium one-topping pizza, eight bone-out chicken wings, a Hershey’s chocolate chip cookie, a Hershey’s triple chocolate brownie, Tuscani pasta, a double order of breadsticks or flavor sticks and four 20-oz Pepsi beverages for $5 each when ordering two or more.
“Consumers consistently give us credit for having great-tasting, flavorful food and now we are able to offer it to them at a price that enables them to say ‘yes’ every day to Pizza Hut,” said Jeff Fox, chief brand and concept officer, Pizza Hut. “Value menus don’t really happen in the pizza category.”
Expect more restaurant companies to announce new value platforms this year, said Bonnie Riggs, restaurant industry analyst for The NPD Group, Chicago.“Much to the chagrin of many restaurant operators, value wars are back,” Ms. Riggs said. “Many others will likely have to follow suit to compete in the battle for market share among value seekers, of which there are many.”


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Many companies and businesses around the world are impacted in a bad way by the novel 'COVID-19' coronavirus pandemic. The same goes to those on the web.
Images speak more than words. For reasons, they can in certain times convey human expressions much better than when their are written.
The novel 'COVID-19' coronavirus has forced governments around the world to implement social distancing for its citizens.
With more people communicate digitally, there is no saying how many of the data is sensitive and can be leaked to third-parties.
It has been for a long time that online services, including social media, rely on the number of users and users' time spent on their services as the milestone of success.
Mobile app stores allow developers to create apps, monetize and change how the ecosystem works. But not all developers are good, as some have malicious intentions.
Smartphones are packed with a lot of sensors, and one of the most notable, is the GPS sensor.
The popular software hosting and collaboration platform GitHub has made some of its core premium features available for free for everyone.
The internet is never a safe place to be. This is why users need to implement security practices to prevent bad things from happening to them.
Instagram announced that it is rolling out its DM feature for users on desktop.


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South Africa hints at easing plastic carrier-bag ban
JOHANNESBURG - The South African government hinted yesterday it would ease a ban on environmentally unfriendly thin plastic bags, less than four months before it hosts the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
The government\'s possible relaxation on enforcing thicker, recyclabe plastic bags comes in the face of fierce resistance from the packaging and retail industries, which complained a ban would hurt profits and result in job losses.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Affairs said revised regulations would be issued soon, but would not give details of the new deal. \"We are promulgating new regulations very soon, and the regulations are very flexible and accommodating...it
was never our intention to make life difficult for business,\" spokeswoman Phindile Makwakwa told Reuters.
\"The purpose behind the ban of a thin plastic bag is to deal with the problem of litter... we found that thin plastic bags are of poor quality for reclycling,\" she added.
But retailers complained that the new technology needed to make thicker bags would require substantial financial outlays and result in job losses and higher prices for consumers.
But environmentalists are unhappy at the government\'s apparent change of heart.
\"Does this mean other legislation and regulation would be changed because of pressure from the industry,\" said Bobby Peek, a spokesman for the South African environmental organisation Groundwork. The Cabinet\'s ban in November last year prohibited the distribution of plastic grocery bags thinner than 80 micrometers, compared to the current 14 micrometers used by many retailers. The ban was due to be effective from January, 2003.
Leading food retailer Pick \'n Pay , which lobbied against the ban, said a ban would push up its packaging costs to 500 million rand a year, from a current 60 to 70 million rand.
\"We would certainly welcome any move by the government to consider the proposal we put to them. We believe that if government and commerce work hand in hand, a solution can be found,\" said Sean Summers, Pick \'n Pay\'s CEO.
\"If they had gone ahead with their original plans it would have had a serious effect.\"
South Africa is hosting the World Summit on Sustainable Development from August 26 to September 4 this year in a follow up meeting to the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
The summit aims to hammer out a concrete action plan to pull people out of poverty without inflicting permanent damage on the environment.
Story by Andile Ntingi
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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Following the success of Boosting Women in Agriculture Pitch Night in Lilongwe in May, selected Southern Region female-led agribusinesses will have a lifetime opportunity to present their business plans to a renowned all-female jury and a room full of industry expert, whose winner is set to obtain a loan of up to K100 million.
The objective of WomeninAg Pitch Night — to be held at Sunbird Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre — is to provide a platform to introduce the participants’ agribusiness to investors, potential clients, the media and fellow entrepreneurs while creating a safe and engaging space for female-led business.
It is being organised with funding from European Union (EU) in partnership with European Investment Bank (EIB), Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and the country’s two leading financial institutions, First Capital Bank and Ecobank.
At a press conference held at The Hub in Namiwawa on Tuesday, Filipe Marques said registration for the interested women contestants is open through link: https://forms.gle/
HEgBPhgBVK7qMyCDA — whose deadline is Thursday, November 24.
The agribusiness guests that are encouraged to attend and will also have a vote to identify a winner, are to apply through: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
Marques — in the company of EIB’s Dr. Marcus Schulte; First Capital Bank’s head of marketing, Twikale Chirwa and Ecobank’s head, commercial banking, Victoria Chanza, said “the women-led agriculture experts will pitch their business ideas and future plans on how to contribute to suitable agriculture sector development in Malawi as well as to employment generation in the sector”.
“The Pitch Night will be the culminating event following a series of business development and business management trainings that will take place ahead of event.
“Other contestants will will get the chance with a starting point to safely grow their business and contribute to explore their ideas for further strengthening value chain integration.”
Marques — who is team leader for EIB Agriculture Finance Facility Malawi — added that the WomeninAg Pitch Night is part of an euro 25 million agricultural financing facility being managed by First Capital Bank and Ecobank, backed by the EU and EIB, as part of the broader Team Europe support for sustainable commercialization of smallholder farmers across Malawi and southern Africa.
In her remarks, Chanza said this agricultural financing facility resonates well with Ecobank’s product of ‘Elevate’ made specifically for women-focused businesses that provide products, services and tools to help such female entrepreneurs to succeed.
She said Elevate targets individual women businesses or 50%-led female companies, products made by women and now focuses on agribusiness value added chain.
“This is the second time for us to involved in the WomeninAg Pitch Night and those who will not win but presented well articulated business plans, will be encouraged to open accounts with Ecobank for strong investment partnership just like we did with the Lilongwe event,” she said.
Twikale Chirwa said First Capital Bank is proud to be associated with WomeninAg, saying Malawi’s economy if agro-driven and they are duty bound to help the sector develop.
“We have Makwacha product at First Capital Bank, which augurs well with the Pitch Night concept and we are looking forward to witness how the contestants will showcase the business ideas they will present ready for our support.”
He added that the Makwacha product “also offers technical and business development support” adding that the the rural masses are set to be reach out through their branches across the country.
A press statement from the organisers says the Boosting WomeninAg Pitch Night aims to enable soft skillsets, business acumen and strengthen value chain integration, which includes smallholder participation.
And for further questions, the public is encouraged to visit: [email protected] or +265996138263.Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :


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Curaleaf launched medicinal cannabis tablets in Florida, Supreme published fourth-quarter results, MediPharm Labs signed a multi-year contract with the Cronos Group, and more!
There was big news from Cresco Labs Inc (CSE: CL) this week, after it announced a significant expansion of its presence in Nevada and Arizona through the signing of a purchase agreement to acquire certain assets from Tryke Companies, LLC, a vertically integrated seed-to-sale cannabis company, including six prime ReefDispensary locations in Nevada and Arizona, expanded licensed cultivation and process capacity in Las Vegas and Phoenix and entry into the Utah market.
The purchase consideration is approximately US$252.5 million for Tryke operating assets plus US$30 million for Tryke real estate assets.
The consideration will be comprised of a mix of Cresco Labs shares (approximately US$227.5 million), which will be subject to a 9- to-21 month lock-up agreement following closing, and cash (approximately US$55 million).
KushCo Holdings, Inc (OTCQX:KSHB), today announced that it is reconfirming its annual revenue guidance for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2019 of between $145 million and $150 million in sales.
During this period the KushCo also secured a $50 million asset-based revolving credit facility with Monroe Capital—a first for a cannabis-related company—as well as upgrading its listing status to the OTCQX (OTC Markets' highest tier) and applying to be listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (Nasdaq's highest tier).
The company also partnered with CA Fortune to launch retail services to CBD and Hemp brands.
"We have never been more excited about how our Company is positioned than right now. We believe we have the right people, customer base, and the strategy to build something truly special. We are executing and growing because we have built the proper foundation, with the optimal long-term strategy of putting an intense focus on creating value for our customers." KushCo Chairman and CEO, Nick Kovacevich
Curaleaf Holdings, Inc (CSE: CURA) announced that the company is the first in Florida to launch medical cannabis tablets, available in all 26 Curaleaf dispensaries across the state.
Curaleaf, operator of the largest cannabis retail footprint in the US, with 49 dispensaries across the country, also sells medical cannabis in tablet form in Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland and New York, with plans to launch in additional states.
The tablets, which are mint-flavored, are a refreshing form of the medication that offers patients convenience, portability and ease of use as the tablet disintegrates on the tongue and is slow acting.
The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc (TSX: FIRE), announced impressive financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, which saw revenue rise to $41.8 million.
Supreme Cannabis' core recreational flower brand, 7ACRES, accounted for the company's marked increase in revenue, growing 443% year-over-year from $3.5 million in Q4 2018 to $19 million in Q4 2019 and 90% quarter over quarter from $10 million in Q3 2019.
In the fourth quarter, 7ACRES continued to transition sales from it's legacy wholesale contracts to recreational sales channels, increasing revenue from recreational markets by 51% between Q3 2019 and Q4 2019. As the brand continues to build equity amongst consumers, it will bring new proprietary strains to market
"Our positive Adjusted EBITDA and significant revenue growth in the fourth quarter reflects the rapid scale of our 7ACRES business and continued strong sales pricing for our brands from the provinces as we transition our premium supply to recreational sales channels. With strong confidence in our core business, we began fiscal 2020 with two accretive acquisitions that expanded our addressable markets, provided valuable licensed operating assets and focused expertise." Navdeep Dhaliwal, CEO of Supreme Cannabis
Sunniva Inc (CSE:SNN) closed on the third tranche of the company's non-brokered private placement, previously announced on August 1, 2019 of CAD $325,000 for a total of 325,000 units.
In aggregate the total gross proceeds raised by the Offering was CAD $7.57 million and 7.57 million units issued. Each Unit consists of a principal amount of unsecured promissory notes of the company and common share purchase warrants of the Company.
As previously disclosed, proceeds of the offering will be used to provide short term working capital for operations in California, capital costs at the Sunniva California Campus and general corporate purposes.
iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. (CSE: IAN) announced that its U.S. subsidiary has entered into an agreement to acquire WSCC, Inc ("Sierra Well"), a leading Nevada-based vertically licensed cannabis company with two dispensary locations and over 20,000 square feet of cultivation/production facilities in Reno and Carson City.
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2020, subject to customary regulatory approvals including the approval of the license transfers by the Nevada Department of Taxation. Upon closing of the transaction, the Sierra Well dispensaries will be renamed under the company's Be. brand, which is being launched nationwide in October 2019
The total consideration, to be paid upon closing of the transaction, is approximately US$27.6 million, comprised of approximately US$5.1 million to be paid in cash and US$22.5 million to be paid in iAnthus shares priced at the 10-day volume-weighted average price prior to the closing of the transaction.
"Strengthening our foothold in one of the most successful adult-use cannabis markets is consistent with our strategy to deliver iAnthus' nationally recognized products in premier markets." iAnthus CEO, Hadley Ford
Valens GroWorks Corp (TSXV: VGW) announced that it has entered into an agreement to supply cannabis oil derivative products to Medical Cannabis by Shoppers, the online medical cannabis eCommerce site of one of Canada's most trusted pharmacy retailers.
Valens will utilize their five different types of extraction services including CO2, Ethanol, Hydrocarbon, Solvent-less, and Terpene extraction as well as its IP and formulation services to create a variety of innovative oil-based products for Shoppers' medical platform.
Under the agreement, Valens will immediately begin production of gel caps and tinctures with further expansion of product offerings to include vaporizer cartridges, topicals and other desired products as permitted for sale by Health Canada regulations.
MediPharm Labs Corp (TSX: LABS) announced that it has signed a multi-year contract manufacturing agreement for the filling and packaging of vaporizer devices, subject to approval by Health Canada, for Cronos Group Inc's adult-use brand, COVE™.
The initial term of the agreement is two years with an option for renewal. On the eve of legalization of concentrates products in Canada, we are delighted to add Cronos Group, to our expanding turnkey white-label platform.
This is the second collaboration between the two companies. In May 2019, MediPharm Labs signed a multi-year private label bulk resin supply agreement and a cannabis concentrate program agreement with Cronos Group.
"By leveraging our specialized expertise, technology and industrial-scale vape filling capabilities, we will assist Cronos Group in delivering high quality, purity assured and Health Canada approved, derivative products further advancing their industry-leading reputation and enhancing the supply chain in this important new category." CEO of MediPharm Labs, Pat McCutcheon
Next Green Wave Holdings Inc (CSE: NGW) announced that it has partnered with the iconic "No Jumper" brand and host "adam 22" to roll out its latest premium exotic flower strains.
The products will be featured on a monthly basis through No Jumper's Podcast with 45 million viewers per stream and Next Green Wave's brand house SDC. The flower will be available at leading Los Angeles and San Diego dispensaries, including March and Ash within two weeks.
This strategic partnership will enable Next Green Wave to gain access to major cultural events such as music festivals and leverage its many influencer and celebrity social channels that directly reach the Company's target consumer demographic.
Finally, VIVO Cannabis Inc (TSX-V: VIVO) announced it had partnered with Linneo Health S.L.—a subsidiary of Alcaliber S.A.—to be its European medical cannabis supply partner.
Linneo Health, a European leader in the pharmaceutical cannabis industry, recently received its EU-GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certification from the Spanish regulatory authorities.
The agreement is a multi-year commitment, with increasing supply volumes as VIVO expands in the European medical market.
"We are excited to have an EU-GMP certified source of medical cannabis located within Europe. Through this partnership, we expect to be able to supply the European high-growth market with premium medical cannabis products and services. Our European based supply will allow VIVO to contribute to addressing the unmet medical needs of patients in Germany, which is one of our key target markets for international expansion." VIVO CEO, Barry Fishman
Watch this space for future updates.
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Ride-hailing company’s losses grew at 46% to $600 million during full year 2016
San Francisco-based Lyft Inc., the second-largest ride-hailing startup in the US after Uber Technologies Inc., reported a loss of about $600 million in 2016, as reported by Bloomberg on January 13th, 2017. On the other hand, its revenue grew at a scorching pace of 250% to about $700 million during the year, far exceeding its 46% increase in losses. Lyft appears to have kept a promise it made to investors that it would cap monthly losses at below $50 million and is looking to turn profitable by 2018.
On the other hand, rival Uber is on track to exceed $5.5 billion in revenue in 2016. However, the company is expected to end FY16 with massive losses of about $3 billion, excluding interest, taxes or stock-based compensation. In the first nine months of 2016, Uber reported losses of over $2.2 billion, while it generated about $3.76 billion in net revenue. Even as Uber gears up for its IPO, the Company is stepping up operations in Asia, Europe, and Latin America to justify a valuation that’s already at $69 billion, the most for any venture-backed startup in the world.
Founded in 2012 and competing closely with rival Uber, Lyft spends heavily on discounts for riders and bonuses for drivers. These subsidies account for a large portion of the company’s losses. Lyft stated that it enabled 160 million rides in 2016, which implies a loss of $3.75 a ride. That is a significant improvement over 2015, when Lyft lost $7.77 a ride. Despite the heavy losses, Lyft has held its own and grown at a significant pace despite operating only in the US.
Lyft, which was last valued at $5.5 billion by investors, considered selling itself in 2016 and held preliminary discussions with General Motors Company (NYSE: GM), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), Uber, and others. Lyft President and Co-founder John Zimmer recently told The Wall Street Journal that the Company eventually plans to go public. Lyft has about $1.3 billion in cash on hand and unless it can cut spending, the company will need to raise more money in the next 20 months.
Despite its rapid growth rate, there have been many questions swirling around Lyft’s long-term financial health, particularly after it hired boutique investment bank Qatalyst Partners L.P., which is known for helping tech companies find a buyer.
Lyft ridership reaches 52.6 million in Q4 FY16
On January 04th, 2017, Bloomberg reported that Lyft logged 52.6 million rides in the US in Q4 FY16, up from 21.1 million a year earlier. In December 2016, Lyft recorded 18.7 million rides, more than double from the previous year and up about 13% from November 2016. On the other hand, rival Uber is guns ahead when it recently announced that it had roughly 78 million rides in December 2016 in the US, compared with 62 million in July 2016. For the full year 2016, Lyft said it more than tripled its total rides to 162.5 million.
Lyft tests self-driving vehicles with GM
Lyft plans later in 2017 to test autonomous vehicles that it is working on with General Motors, which injected $500 million into the Company in January 2016. GM and Lyft are working to develop a fleet of self-driving Bolt EVs that could be tested and used for ride-sharing purposes. That fleet is expected to be tested within a few years. Rival Uber, meanwhile, has been testing its own self-driving vehicles in Pittsburgh.
Lyft signs up for Express Drive program
On December 27th, 2016, Lyft announced that it has teamed up with General Motors’ Maven to sign up 350 drivers in metro Detroit for GM’s Express Drive program. The program allows Lyft drivers to rent used vehicles by the week rather than use their own vehicles on the job. Launched in Detroit in September 2016, Express Drive is available in 18 cities, including Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Drivers can choose how long they want to stay in the program and can return their Lyft vehicle any time after giving 24 hours of notice. Lyft drivers who complete at least 30 rides will only pay a weekly fee. However, drivers with less than 30 rides per week will be charged 25 cents per mile, plus the weekly fee.
An estimated 25% of Lyft rides in metro Detroit are provided by Express Drive vehicles. Coincidentally, Maven and Uber are offering a program similar to Express Drive only in San Francisco. Under the new Maven-Uber program in San Francisco, Uber drivers can rent the GM vehicles starting at $179 per week, plus taxes and fees. There are no extra fees for personal use of the vehicles. Express Drive will be in a dozen major metro markets by the end of 2016 with more to come in 2017.
General Motors has about 5,000 vehicles deployed in its rental Express Drive program for Lyft drivers and early next year plans to add a few hundred Chevrolet Bolt EVs in two California markets. GM’s 2017 Bolt EV, an all-electric crossover with 238 miles of range, recently began production at the Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township. Early in 2018, these EVs will be added to the Express Drive fleet for Lyft drivers initially in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Lyft forays into grocery delivery
Retailing behemoth Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is looking to close the last-mile delivery gap with rival Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) by partnering with Uber and Lyft to launch a pilot grocery-delivery service. Wal-Mart started testing its grocery delivery service through Uber in Phoenix and Lyft in Denver late July 2016.
Lyft, which is growing faster and cutting losses more quickly than Uber, announced on January 13th, 2017, that it plans to take its brand global through a reciprocal app-sharing change that is aimed at providing travellers with better services in their local markets. Formerly Lyft customers traveling in Southeast Asia, India, and China could hail rides with the Grab, Ola, or Didi ridesharing services, respectively, via the Lyft app. Reversely, Grab, Ola, or Didi customers could use their accustomed apps in the US to hail a Lyft cab. Lyft formed the reciprocal agreements with the international companies in 2015. Now in each case customers will need to access the app for the service that will be providing the ride.
As Lyft and Uber continue to battle for riders while offering similar hailing and trip experiences in many cities, Lyft is working to obtain legal clearance to enter new markets like upstate New York, Houston, Austin, St. Louis and Kansas City. Lyft also expects a corresponding increase in losses as it works to ramp up both its supply of drivers and attract riders in these new cities.
The annual revenue in the US taxi and limousine business is about $20 billion annually, according to research firm IBISWorld. In the global ride-hailing market estimated at around $100 billion, Lyft is looking to increase its market share and brand loyalty by offering riders and drivers discounts and incentives. It remains to be seen if Lyft can remain nimble enough to outpace the growth of its competitors in the next two years, while shoring up its losses.


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|Bid||0.0000 x 0|
|Ask||0.0000 x 0|
|Day's range||4.0100 - 4.0700|
|52-week range||3.3200 - 4.5100|
|Beta (5Y monthly)||0.48|
|PE ratio (TTM)||15.01|
|Forward dividend & yield||0.12 (2.68%)|
|Ex-dividend date||26 May 2021|
|1y target est||N/A|
(Bloomberg) -- German rapid delivery startup Flink SE has agreed on a deal to buy French competitor Cajoo, a move that would give it access to French grocery chain Carrefour SA and strengthen its position in the competitive market.Most Read from BloombergOne of the World’s Frothiest Housing Markets Turned Into a Seller’s Headache OvernightTarget and Walmart’s Deep Pain Could Be Your GainWalmart Flashes a Warning Sign to the Entire Consumer EconomyChina in Talks With Russia to Buy Oil for Strateg
PARIS (Reuters) -Shares in Carrefour fell nearly 4% on Thursday after Europe's largest food retailer reported first-quarter sales that showed a lacklustre performance in its core French market, overshadowing more robust growth in Brazil. Chairman and CEO Alexandre Bompard, who was reappointed in May 2021 for another three years, is working on a new strategic plan and an asset review.
PARIS (Reuters) -France's Carrefour said on Wednesday it looked to 2022 with confidence after its sales growth accelerated in the first quarter, driven mostly by Brazil, its second-largest market. In an inflationary environment made worse by the Ukraine crisis, Carrefour would protect the purchasing power of customers and at the same time reinforce its economic model, its finance chief Matthieu Malige told analysts. To do so, the French retailer said it would rely on its Carrefour branded products, promotional activities and loyalty programmes while also stepping up cost savings.


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PIA Press Release
Sunday, January 01, 2012
QC starts easy steps for business permits in 2012
QUEZON CITY, Jan 1 (PIA) -- It will be all systems go on Monday, January 2, for easier 2012 renewal of business permits at the Quezon City Hall.
The Quezon City government has put in place easy and new steps in the new application and renewal of business permits for 2012 to make the city more “business friendly.”
Starting January 2, taxpayers will have 11 easy steps to follow in securing business permit to enable their business to operate legally in QC.
Among the steps are the issuance of tax declaration, Bureau of Internal Revenue (Step 2), initial evaluation, cultural & tourism affairs office, issuance of tax bill for business tax, community tax certificate/cedula, final evaluation/SEC i-VIEW/rebill, signature of Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) Chief for final approval, signature by City Treasurer for payment, payment of taxes at payment lounge, and releasing of mayor’s permit.
However, city administrator Dr. Victor Endriga revealed that the city government also created a special lane called “Millionaire’s Club” for those business establishments which will pay P1 million and above tax for their businesses.
The Millionaire’s Club will have a separate area located at the second floor of the QC Hall highrise building in processing their new application or renewal of their mayor’s permit.
Members of the club will have a relaxing day even processing their business permit due to the convenience that awaits them at the Millionaire’s lounge, where ushers and usherettes will assist them and will do the step to step application/renewal of their business permit.
Refreshments such as cookies, breads, coffee, and sodas will also be available at the Millionaire’s Club lounge.
“Millionaire’s Club members will just go to the second floor and sit down. Our assigned ushers and usherettes will process their business permit in a day,” Endriga said.
QC government is targeting to break the record of last year’s first day total payment of business permits and will recognize the so-called early bird taxpayer. (RJB/AKG-PIA-NCR/QC-PIO)


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Sales fell to two homes sold over the last 30 days in the Mount Adams market. Sellers can expect less competition, however, due to a nine-week downward trend in homes coming into the market, now down to six for the same period. The median sales price tumbled to $258,000, down from last week's $557,000. Mount Adams is a strong buyer's market, thanks to a big 11 months of inventory to choose from and a pullback in sales.
Don't like waiting to use a bathroom in your own home? Check out these wonderful listings that offer the most bathrooms in Mount Adams:


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Earlier this year, NASACR announced that Chevrolet race teams would be switching from the current SS model to Camaro stock cars starting in 2018.
While most racing fans are familiar with the Chevy SS stock cars driven by the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, and Chase Elliott, the street car upon which those racing models are based upon is actually an uncommon sight to see on the road. That's because the Chevy SS sedan is essentially a homologation special for NASCAR, as GM's only sold 3,131 of these sedans this year in the United States, according to GM Authority.
If you unfamiliar with the term homologation--in regards to racing--it's a requirement that race cars have to be based on a current production model to a certain extent. This could mean that a race car used in professional competition needs to utilize the same engine block and cylinder heads as the production car, but allows for changes to parts like the manifolds, valves, and crankshafts. The purpose of homologation is to discourage manufactures from building purpose-built engines and other hardware, which is only used for competition purposes, according to ateupwithmotor.com.
The folks at Donut Media have taken the time to compile a list of their ten favorite homologated cars ever produced. The vehicles featured in the video (embedded below) include the Dodge Daytona, Ford GT40 MK1, and Ferrari 288 GTO, but you'll have to watch the video yourself to find out where these vehicles ranked and which other cars made the top-10 list.


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Until recently, the “American version” of Netflix has always had the most titles – but not anymore. New data indicates that the Japanese version of Netflix now has 6,340 titles in total while Netflix’s American catalog “only” contains 5,633. One key factor that could explain why Netflix is giving so much attention to Japan could be Japanese broadcasters’ reluctance to adopt streaming video technology. Another reason for Netflix’s growth in Japan could have something to do with their high-quality Japanese subtitles.
Visit Flixed to read this article.


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PCMEA Demands Comprehensive Policy For Int’l Exhibitions To Enhance Carpet Exports
LAHORE– Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA) Chairman Muhammad Aslam Tahir Sunday said there is dire need of more active participation of Pakistan in Domotex Exhibition 2020 being held in Germany and the government should chalk out a comprehensive policy for ensuring the participation of carpet exporters.
He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of PCMEA office bearers here today. Senior member Riaz Ahmed, Saeed Khan, Major (R) Akhter Nazir, Muhammad Akbar and others were also present on this occasion.
Aslam Tahir said Indian carpet exporters, their archrivals, set up about 300 stalls while Pakistani carpet exporters’ total stalls are much less in number as compared to these Indians and this happened due to the lack of financial assistance from our government.
He further said PCMEA delegation present in Domotex Exhibition 2020 will hold important business to business meetings with carpet manufacturers, investors and buyers who are participating in this exhibition and this would help the country for increasing its volume of exports.
He said such kinds of exhibitions are the best medium for Pakistani carpet exporters to display their products to attract foreign buyers and the government should also exploit these events through financial assistances to those exporters who want to participate in these exhibitions.
Aslam Tahir said PCMEA fully participated in the aforesaid exhibition despite this fact that they are facing multiple crises and they hoped that this would help carpet industry to boost its exports.
He said the government should give package of incentive to carpet exporters besides envisaging a comprehensive policy for international exhibitions.
He also demanded the government to ensure the settlement of refund as soon as possible to end dearth of capitals being faced by carpet manufacturers.— PRESS RELEASE


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Google Wallet is being distributed in an over-the-air update to Sprint Nexus S 4G owners. The mobile app allows users of phones with near-field communications (NFC) hardware to pay for items using one of two virtual payment cards: a Citi MasterCard or a Google Prepaid Card, a card funded from a person's other credit cards.
Eventually, customers will get more payment options. In May, when Google introduced Google Wallet, it announced partnerships with Citi, MasterCard, First Data, and Sprint. On Monday, Visa, Visa Europe, and Google said jointly that Google has licensed Visa's NFC payment technology payWave. The deal will allow Visa-issuing banks to provide customers with the ability to add their credit, debit, and prepaid accounts to Google Wallet.
Payment card companies Discover and American Express are also working with Google to provide Google Wallet support.
"Our goal is to make it possible for you to add all of your payment cards to Google Wallet, so you can say goodbye to even the biggest traditional wallets," said Google VP of payments Osama Bedier in a blog post.
[What's Google's master plan? See 9 Markets Google Wants To Rule.]
To achieve its goal, Google will have to convince merchants to participate. Google says that hundreds of thousands of stores utilize MasterCard PayPass wireless payment systems. But in a given area, these locations are likely to be few and far between. To help would-be Google Wallet aficionados use their mobile payment technology, Google offers an Android app to help locate merchants equipped with PayPass readers.
Google Wallet will be competing with whatever NFC solution Apple has devised, which may or may not debut with the iPhone 5 next month. Google also faces competition from a payment consortium called ISIS that includes AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. ISIS isn't expected to have its payment system ready until 2012.
Whether or not NFC really offers a better experience than carrying a physical credit card remains to be seen. There are bound to be customers who prefer to swipe real credit cards, instead of deepening their dependence on their phones.
But affinity for physical credit cards seems likely to dwindle over time, as today's early adopters become tomorrow's mainstream consumers.
Sophos senior technology consultant Graham Cluley argues that adopting Google Wallet may not be the most secure option, due to the human tendency to choose insecure PINs and passwords.
"It's hard to imagine that all users are going to choose a PIN code for their Google Wallet which is hard to crack, let alone different from the one which they should be using to protect all the rest of their smartphone," he said in a blog post.
He also suggests that avid phone users who run their batteries down may find themselves unable to access their Google Wallet at inopportune times.
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – October 8, 2012: Governor Beverly Perdue designated October 5 ThinkPad Day in North Carolina. This recognition commemorates the 20th anniversary of the iconic ThinkPad brand, the significant role Lenovo plays in supporting North Carolina’s economy, and all North Carolinians who contribute to the design and development of one of the world’s most recognized personal computers.
“North Carolina continues to lead the world as a hub for technology innovation and entrepreneurial activity,” said Dilip Bhatia, vice president and general manager, ThinkPad Business Unit. “It’s the right place for Lenovo to guide the innovation and development of ThinkPad products in the U.S. and we’re proud to contribute to the continued economic development of our state.”
More than 75 million ThinkPads have been sold over the past 20 years. Lenovo is the No. 1 commercial notebook vendor worldwide, and has helped transform business computing by improving the personal productivity and efficiency of business professionals through its innovative products.
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY), the world’s second-largest PC vendor, is a $US30 billion personal technology company serving customers in more than 160 countries. Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile Internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly-efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.
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car manufacturer, Daimler intends to build the vehicles of its Smart brand in China in future. The next Generation of the small car will be produced in a newly built factory and come 2022 on the market, said Daimler. The new models of the small car to drive purely electrically and Smart to the “leading brand for electric mobility”.
The information that the group wants to start up the end of the year a Joint Venture with its major Chinese shareholder Geely, the two companies each hold half of the shares. The decision should not be affected, according to Daimler initially, but the current production locations: Until the introduction of the new models will be produced in Hambach, France the Smart EQ, and in the Slovenian city of Novo Mesto, the Smart EQ forfour.
in Parallel, the factory in Hambach to apply, according to the company, an “additional new role in the production network of Mercedes-Benz Cars”. Instead of the Smart will be in the future an electric vehicle in the compact class produced. For this, the company is investing 500 million euros in the plant.
Smart-paragraph goes back to the
Daimler is currently in the process of the small car in the world entirely on electric drive. Last year, sales of the Smart decreased by 4.6 percent to around 130,000 vehicles. At the Start of the brand before 20 years, was once the target of 200,000 issued – so many cars a year could be in Hambach made.
The Chinese car maker Geely, Volvo, was the beginning of 2018 with 9.7 percent at Daimler entered. In October, both sides agreed on the cooperation with travel agencies in the luxury segment in China. Also, the two companies set up companies in a community.


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Mobile Gaming Downloads Surged in February
Mobile games downloads grew significantly during February, according to Sensor Tower. The downloads were up by almost 40 percent compared with 2019.
During February, over 4 billion mobile games were downloaded, which represents a 39.1 percent surge. In China, the number of downloaded games was 62.2 percent up. South Korea saw a 10.9 percent surge in mobile games downloads, totalling 56 million in February.
Worldwide, total app downloads hit 10.4 billion in February, up 21.9 per cent year-on-year. Gross revenue rose 14.2 per cent to $7.2 billion. Across all app categories, downloads in China soared by almost 48 percent, while the market generated 9.3 percent of global downloads. The increased downloads coincide with the spread of coronavirus, with a resulting rise in tracking service accesses.


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Mobile ad revenues soared to $12.5 billion in 2014, representing a 76 percent increase – up from $7.1 billion – since 2013, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) annual revenue report. This figure is just part of a burgeoning digital advertising industry, which grew by 16 percent to $49.5 billion in sales last year.
“High double-digit growth in mobile advertising is a reflection of the continued shift in consumer behavior away from desktop and towards mobile devices,” says David Silverman, partner at PwC US, which worked with the IAB to produce the report.
Social media advertising also saw flourishing returns, according to the research, totaling $7 billion in 2014, up by 57 percent over 2013’s total of $4.5 billion.
Other highlights from the report include:
- Display-related advertising revenues in 2014 totaled $13.5 billion, an uptick of 5 percent over $12.8 billion in 2013.
- Digital video, a component of display-related advertising, totaled $3.3 billion in full year 2014, a 17 percent increase over revenues of $2.8 billion in 2013.
- Search revenues totaled $19 billion in 2014, up 3 percent from 2013, when search totaled $18.4 billion.
Lastly, the research also revealed that retail advertisers continue to represent the largest category of Internet ad spending, responsible for 21 percent in 2014, followed by financial services at 13 percent, and automotive at 12 percent.
“Interactive marketing has generated remarkable revenue growth, a testament to its power to reach today’s consumers with innovative formats at critical junctures in the path to purchase,” says Sherrill Mane, senior vice president of research, analytics, and measurement at IAB.
On March 23, ClickZ Intelligence held the webinar ‘The State of Social 2017’ in association with Tracx. As part of the presentation, a huge number of stats and facts were shared about social media. Here are 13 of our favorites.
According to a survey conducted as part of OnBrand Magazine's State of Branding Report 2017, marketers are well aware of the new technologies that are expected to be important to their brands in coming years, but the majority aren't rushing to invest in them before they're fully-baked.
Facebook advertising has come a long way in the past few years, and it provides a highly profitable way for brands either to engage an existing audience or grow new ones.
The rise of YouTube and digital video generally has a lot to do with the rise of the internet and the abundance of digital video content. But YouTube's ascendency is also the result of Google's savvy use of algorithms.


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The new nutrition mantra: go nuts
Research over the past two decades has shown that a daily dose of a small handful of nuts brings health benefits, reports Sanchita Sharma.health and fitness Updated: Nov 18, 2007 01:50 IST
Fat is not bad. Now that potato, polished rice and pasta have fallen out of favour because of their high carb and high glycaemic content, nutritionally potent nuts are back on the platter of the health conscious. The new nutrition mantra celebrates the good mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, and insists that nuts — once shunned for being high in fat and calories — actually help people lose weight and keep it off.
Research over the past two decades has consistently shown that a daily dose of a small handful of nuts brings health benefits. Even though 30 gm (roughly 1/4 cup) of unroasted nuts provide 157 to 204 calories and 13 to 22 grams of fat, adding two servings (50 gm) of almonds a day to the diet has no effect on body weight, reported a study in the British Journal of Nutrition.
“Diets that exclude any food group, however bad, are not healthy. The big problem with low-fat advice is that people stop having good fats along with fats that are bad for health,” says Santosh Jain Passi, reader in nutrition, Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi.
Dieters also tend to substitute fats with simple carbohydrates. “The other problem is that people who switch to a low-fat diets replace fats with carbohydrates such as potatoes, white rice and refined flour, which are easily digested and leave them feeling hungry soon,” she adds.
A study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that people lost more weight on a moderate fat diet with high-fibre nuts added than on a low-fat diet with no nuts. Contrary to conventional wisdom that no more than 30 per cent of calories should come from fat, the Harvard study found that people who got 35 per cent of their calories from the more healthy fats — the kind found in fatty fish, almonds, walnuts and peanuts — were three times more likely to keep the weight off than those who ate a diet with just 20 per cent calories from fat.
Nutritionists say nuts help people stick to diets better because many of the commercially available fat-free foods have virtually no fibre. “The complex fibre found in nuts provides a feeling of satiety and fullness, which discourages people from snacking on junk,” says Passi.
The fibre also helps in regulating blood sugar. A study found that adding almond to a low-calorie diet was effective in improving glycaemic control and in controlling metabolic abnormalities in adults with type-2 diabetes, which accounts for about 98 per cent of all diabetes in India.
The American Heart Association has long said that certain nuts contain heart-healthy poly-unsaturated or mono-unsaturated fats and should be included in the diet. Large international studies — including the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study that surveyed 86,000 women, the Physicians’ Health Study of over 22,000 men, and the Adventist Health Study of over 40,000 people — have all established the link between eating nuts regularly and lowered risk of heart disease and stroke.
The heart-protective benefits are due to the lowering of total cholesterol, particularly artery-blocking bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL) levels. “The mono-unsaturated fat found in nuts, like the fat in olive oil, helps lower bad cholesterol without affecting the levels of heart-protecting good cholesterol (HDL). Nuts are high in disease-fighting antioxidants that have anti-ageing properties and are essential for healthy skin and hair,” says Rekha Sharma, former head of dietetics at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and current senior vice president (healthcare) at VLCC. Eating the recommended amount (a handful a day), results in a higher drop in blood cholesterol levels.
Recognising the benefits of nuts, the US Food and Drug Administration allows packaged nuts — such as almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts and peanuts — to carry the line: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.”
“The problem of course, is that nuts are calorie dense. But as long as you substitute a fatty snack like biscuits or namkeens for a small handful of mixed nuts — it should not exceed one-third of a cup for people watching their weight — you will benefit,” says Sharma. Provided, of course, that you do not deep fry the nuts or have them with lots of salt!
First Published: Nov 18, 2007 01:06 IST


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Outbrain | November 01, 2021
Mumbai/New Delhi, November 01 2021- Outbrain, a leading recommendation platform for the open web, is increasing its presence in the Indian market by partnering with Momentus Digital to help Outbrain with premium advertiser inventory, expand market reach and open new categories. With India evolving towards a digital first economy with programmatic technology at the forefront, Momentus Digital will open deliver greater customer value with genuine results.
“We are excited to announce Momentus Digital as one of our preferred reseller partners, As India’s digital ad expenditure is likely to grow 10 times over the next decade, this partnership will enable Outbrain’s next phase of growth in India,” said Allen Sharma, Director of Sales for India at Outbrain. “Momentus Digital’s market knowledge understanding, client engagement and acquisition ratio will enable Outbrain to carve out growth in the next phase in India.”
Building on the momentum of recent media owner wins for the region, including Network 18 and Hindustan Times, this distribution helps advertisers build audiences and reach new customers using advanced targeting options via the Outbrain network.
“The efficiency of programmatic combined with the non-intrusive, high engagement native formats, are powerful combinations for advertisers to leverage digital medium” said Arooshi Dharamdasani, CEO, Momentus Digital. “We are excited to announce our ongoing partnership. Outbrain’s unique platform provides advertisers direct access to the widest supply of native ad inventory on multiple exchanges. With Outbrain’s expertise in technology, precise advanced targeting options and audience management capabilities forms a very formidable offering to a market.”
“We are excited to announce Momentus Digital as one of our preferred reseller partners, As India’s digital ad expenditure is likely to grow 10 times over the next decade, this partnership will enable Outbrain’s next phase of growth in India,” said Allen Sharma, Director of Sales for India at Outbrain.
The partnership with Momentus Digital, along with other initiatives within Outbrain such as the hiring of Allen Sharma as the Director of Sales and Bhavin Shah as Marketing Head, continue to prove Outbrain’s commitment to expansion within the region. Outbrain offers a quality and safe platform for brands to advertise on the open web. Content-led communication, campaign dashboard and advanced targeting capabilities set the platform apart from other native platforms. The platform also offers brands access to leading publishers and multiple advertising formats, which can be selected based on the brand industry and campaign purpose. Outbrain started its India operations in 2014 and this partnership is another proofpoint of the recognition by the company of the potential within the market for its business operations.
Outbrain (Nasdaq: OB) is a leading recommendation platform for the open web. Our technology enables 10 billion daily recommendations to consumers across more than 7,000 online properties and connects advertisers to these audiences to grow their business. Founded in 2006, Outbrain is headquartered in New York with offices in 18 cities worldwide.
About Momentus Digital
Momentus Digital is a brand solution and performance marketing platform. We partner with brands to reach out to the mass audience, by representing their business in India. Our aim is to connect marketers to our partners, helping them reach marketing objectives.
IAB | December 17, 2021
IAB today announced that its board has approved Agency General Membership to all Advertising Agencies, with the same voting rights and privileges as every other industry participant.
IAB has long served as the industry's only "big tent" where stakeholders across the entire digital ecosystem gather. It's the only place where publishers, platforms, technology, and data companies, marketers and advertisers can address the challenges and opportunities in an industry being rapidly and continuously reinvented. It is also the only trade association that can both set an industry agenda and deliver on that agenda with meaningful industry standards.
This move effectively migrates agencies from associate members to full general members. Now, agencies will have equal access to join the inner workings of the IAB -- including voting board membership, Center of Excellence leadership, as well as legal and public policy resources.
The mission of IAB from the beginning has been to enable our members to thrive in a digital economy. The transformative changes happening now, demand that agencies have an equal seat at the table. They need equal access to IAB and IAB Tech Lab resources, the ability to join boards and make the critical decisions that drive the industry forward. The key to success in today's environment is collaboration. It's vital to have an organization that brings everyone together and IAB is serving that need."
David Cohen, CEO, IAB.
Agencies that have already applied for general membership include:
Helen & Gertrude
Omnicom Media Group
"We're proud to partner with the organization that has led the charge to advance the digital medium since literally Day One." Greg Johns, EVP & Chief Digital Officer, Canvas Worldwide
"Canvas believes in the power of partnership and openness for the good of our industry. The IAB's devotion to collaboration is one that fits beautifully with our agency ethos." Paul Woolmington, CEO, Canvas Worldwide
"Helen & Gertrude's partnership with the IAB provides our team with the ongoing professional development and support needed to understand and thrive in today's digital economy. We also value the knowledge shared by their many committees and councils, as they offer insights into a variety of niche industry segments." Laura DiCaprio, Director of Media & Insights, Helen & Gertrude
"IAB is really the only organization that brings all the stakeholders together. With new media and measurement standards being set, brands developing first party data strategies, and policy changes being drafted, this is not a time for partisan approaches to the challenges facing the industry and no agency should be less than a full General Member. We are all in the thick of it, and IAB is working to convene the important conversations." Kirk McDonald, CEO, GroupM, NA.
"Horizon Media is excited to be among the first agencies to join IAB membership and be involved in IAB's efforts to help sculpt the future of the digital marketplace." David Campanelli, EVP, Chief Investment Officer, Horizon Media
"IPG Mediabrands is thrilled to be joining as a General Member of IAB, which has long been a voice for our industry and an important source of new research and thought leadership, such as the recent report on AI and bias in marketing. We are all looking forward to supporting IAB's initiatives across promoting transparency, brand safety and DEI in our industry." Dani Benowitz, President, US at MAGNA
"The IAB has long been a leading voice in digital industry innovation, and we look forward to partnering with the IAB and member companies to continue to drive media creativity and industry evolution in 2022." Sean Corcoran, U.S. CEO, Mediahub.
"As an organization that shares IAB's commitment to assuring the safety, transparency and effectiveness of marketers' digital media investment, Omnicom Media Group is eager to expand our working relationship with IAB, and to collaborate on delivering solutions for the age of accelerated change." Megan Pagliuca, Chief Activation Officer, Omnicom Media Group
"Publicis Media has never been more optimistic about collaborative efforts to address consumer and advertiser standards. Through our continued vigilance with media partners and industry orgs, we are driving conversations forward to address the industry's most challenging topics, like hate speech, privacy, misinformation, mental health, and proposed worldwide government regulations that threaten the 'Brand Integrity' of our industry. Agency leadership and determination are imperative now more than ever, and that's why Publicis Media is joining the IAB." Helen Lin, Chief Digital Officer, Publicis Groupe
IAB membership benefits now available to agencies include:
Eligibility to join the IAB Board with full voting privileges and access to four meetings/year, including Washington, D.C. fly- ins
Participation in Agency Leadership Council
Membership to IAB Tech Lab
Access to IAB Public Policy and Legal Affairs Council, publications, convenings, and IAB staff
Access to all IAB Primary Research
Participation in all Center of Excellence Activities, including committees, working groups, and task forces.
Exclusive rights to leverage IAB Learning & Development
Program discounts, private research deep dives, and 1:1 access to IAB staff experts for both the agency and their brand clients, hosted in partnership with IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.
Perpetua | January 19, 2022
Perpetua, a global leader in eCommerce advertising and intelligence software today released their 2021 Q4 EU Amazon Benchmark Report showcasing the most important trends and metrics on Amazon, across five European regions, including UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. Perpetua’s Amazon Advertising Benchmark Report reveals that, as expected, Q4 2021 has been the strongest quarter to date with an increase across all key metrics, impressions seeing the highest percent increase (25%). The UK saw the highest increase in all key performance metrics on Sponsored Product, followed closely by Italy and Germany.
Perpetua's 2021 Q4 EU Benchmark Report is based on performance data from campaigns under Perpetua's management, and examines performance across 13 categories, including: Beauty, Books, Clothing & apparel, Electronics, Food, Health & Supplements, Home Improvement, Appliance & Supplies, Household CPG, Jewelry, Pets & Animals, Toys & Kids, and Sports & Outdoors.
Increasing competition and CPCs have been the story of Amazon advertising for 2021, and in Q4 Sponsored Brand CPCs increased on average 3% and Sponsored Display CPCs were up 5% quarter-over-quarter in Europe. The report also shows an overall increase in CPMs in Q4 due to the busy Black Friday Cyber Monday and Christmas shopping seasons where we typically see much higher engagement and conversions quarter-over-quarter, which led to more competitive CPMs in Amazon DSP and a decrease in ROAS.
“Q4 was undoubtedly the most competitive quarter ever on Amazon DSP,” says Mark James, Head of Perpetua EU. “It was perhaps the first quarter where we started to see a shift towards mass adoption of the DSP as a marketing channel with many advertisers hoping to realise the benefit of upper funnel marketing tactics to drive incremental sales at tentpole moments in their calendar such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.”
In Q4 2021, most advertisers began placing greater focus on top of funnel campaigns to reach new-to-brand shoppers to drive brand and product awareness ahead of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Holiday shopping. With that, new to brand purchases increased significantly (36%) and aided in growing the retargeting audience pools.
We expect to see significant growth in new markets in Q1. Benelux and Nordics remain an untapped opportunity, where advertisers can take advantage of high-in-supply and, right now, low-in-demand inventory. This presents a lucrative first. mover advantage that capitalise on market share.
Perpetua is building the growth infrastructure for eCommerce which includes optimization and reporting technology for the world's smartest eCommerce businesses. Through the platform, advertisers create goals based on strategy and leverage Perpetua's best in class experts and automation to execute tactically. Integrations with Amazon, Instacart and Google ensure brands achieve optimal reach and engagement across the full shopper journey, and provide unified performance intelligence for maximum visibility.
Colling Media | February 16, 2021
Phoenix-based advertising and marketing firm Colling Media uses Google's recently released Attribution Beta program to help clients assign credit for digital advertising conversions when consumers interact with multiple marketing tactics and channels.
Attribution is an attempt to assign credit for various advertising and marketing tactics. Solving this problem can be challenging. For example, a consumer sees an ad on a website, fills out a form on Facebook, hears a radio commercial, views a digital billboard, and then purchases a product or service. Which ad should receive the most credit for driving the consumer to action? There are several ways to assign and determine attribution, and Google's new Attribution Beta is another attempt to help decide which tactic or tactics are most responsible for consumer conversion.
"Every brand marketer wants to know which advertising tactics and channels are working best," says Brian Colling, CEO of Colling Media. "That's why attribution is so important. Understanding which ads are performing best and why helps fine-tune advertising campaigns and allocate resources effectively."
Daniel Chen, Colling Media's Marketing and Analytics Manager says, "Assessing and proving attribution can be messy and technical. A combination of ads on different platforms causes a consumer to act and tracking consumer behavior accurately through the buying journey is challenging. Google's Attribution Beta is a welcome addition to the tools and methods we use for optimal attribution, whether it's rule-based or data-driven. Even with Google's new Attribution tool, getting a complete picture of consumer behavior requires additional tactics, including the entire purchase path, and organic/paid impressions to online/offline sales."
Based in Phoenix, AZ, Colling Media is a full-service national digital advertising and marketing agency specializing in advertising branding and strategy, digital and traditional advertising, media buying, paid search, lead generation, content marketing, and SEO.