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The Minnesota Vikings Launched a Connected-TV App. Here’s What They Learned
The team worked with tech vendor dotstudioPRO on app development
Not to be lost in the shuffle of a tremendous season last year, the Minnesota Vikings launched its own connected-TV app, Vikings Now. Although OTT apps are commonplace for sports networks and leagues to distribute content (both live and on-demand), not too many individual professional-sports franchises have leaped onto this distribution method to further grow exposure to its in-house–produced video content.
The Vikings Entertainment Network launched the app on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV to offer fans another avenue for viewing video content, particularly some of the longer-form shows that they produce for local television partners and their own website. With one season in the books, the team sounds very happy with the type of viewership and fan engagement delivered by Vikings Now.
The Vikings likely won’t be the last team to try this. In fact, don’t be surprised if a few more teams follow in their footsteps in 2018. (It is a copycat league, after all!)
So, as one of the trailblazers, what did the Vikings learn for their connected-TV experience?
Engagement is Longer … A LOT Longer
Going into the project, Scott Kegley, executive director, digital media and innovation, for the Vikings, figured that viewership minutes would be higher and users would watch videos longer than they do, say, on the Vikings website or on mobile devices. The connected-TV app puts content on the big screen, where users are accustomed to a more lean-back experience. He wasn’t wrong.
“We were curious to see how people would consume content on the device,” he explains. “We cut up a lot of our more longer-form content and our television shows into [shorter] segments for Vikings.com and for our mobile app. But we really wanted to see whether people would consume these longer-form shows in totality, and that’s actually almost exactly what we found.
“We had about a 50% increase in terms of time onsite compared to our mobile app,” he continues, adding, “Our mobile app’s time onsite is very good as well. But people consuming longer-form content was kind of [what we thought] would happen, and that’s what we ended up seeing. We upped the data after the 2017 season to build out our 2018 plan, which we’re in the process of doing right now.”
If You Are Going To Go OTT, Make Sure You Have the Content To Back It Up
This may sound enticing to a sports team, but Kegley warns that it’s not simply throwing social and digital video into a package for TV. The Vikings Entertainment Network is a content machine that churns out numerous long-form programs, including three original shows designed specifically for TV: Vikings Connected, Beyond the Gridiron, and Vikings Gameplan.
Kegley advises other professional sports teams looking to go down this route in the connected-TV space to make sure they have the content infrastructure in place to keep it properly programmed.
“If you have great content, people are going to want to consume it,” he says. “Do you have the content that’s going to be specifically compelling for OTT, as compared to website or mobile-app content? We already had four longer television shows, so, for us, it was pretty natural to jump right in. But now we want to look for content that might be specific to OTT or some different streaming options now that we have that available. It’s really important to figure out how this fits in your content window and how you cater content to that.”
It’s a Great Postgame Destination for NFL Fans
The NFL provides a game-day viewing experience that’s quite different from other professional sports leagues in the U.S.: all games are aired by a national broadcaster, and all postgame and highlight shows are delivered from a national perspective. The Vikings found that, as interest in the team grew and the wins mounted throughout the year, fans were hungry for more and more content, specifically right after the game concluded.
“I thought [Vikings Now] was fantastic as a postgame viewing experience,” says Kegley. “I normally travel to most of the away games, but I didn’t for one week, working at home. I watched the game on TV, and then, to see a lot of the postgame content that our guys were posting on the road, I immediately switched over to Vikings Now. I think that OTT is just a fantastic companion for where people traditionally view football games, which is still primarily on the television. For people to consume our postgame content on their flat-screen TVs at home and be able to jump right over to [the app], I think, is fantastic. Vikings coverage stops on Fox, and, if you still want content, that’s the place to go.”
To build out its connected-TV app, the Vikings enlisted the help of dotstudioPRO, a technology vendor that specializes in getting media clients up and running quickly in an AVOD and/or VOD/SVOD environment to drive viewership and monetize content.
Like the Vikings, dotstudioPRO found that game days were a popular time for the app to be accessed.
“I think fans are wanting to be invested in content outside of just the actual games that they watch on broadcast,” says dotstudioPRO CEO Joe Pascual. “The numbers really reflected that. The largest spikes that we got on the connected devices was right after a game. [Users] would watch the game, and then they would want to watch the highlights and stick around to watch all the original programming. It’s really a holistic thing. You have to analyze how as a franchise and how as a brand you’re communicating to their audience.”
The Platforms Are Eager To Work With Sports Partners
As one of the first sports teams to the connected-TV party, Kegley was pleasantly surprised to find that many platforms were more than happy to work with him. From Apple to Amazon to Roku, the platforms were extra accommodating, because the type of content that the Vikings produce — timely high-end sports content — is extremely interesting to them as an addition to their portfolio.
“I remember we were having a conversation with some of the marketing folks at Roku and they were telling us all the different things that we could do to publicize the channel,” says Kegley. “At the end, I was thinking, ‘Okay, how much is this going to cost me?’ Really. at the end of the day, they want to get good content in front of their users and get them to continue using the app. It’s not like there were ridiculous fees or any fees associated with a lot of the things that we needed to do on their platform.”
In that regard, Kegley also stresses how valuable it was to work with a company like dotstudioPRO, which, frankly, had more experience in the business and operations side of the OTT space than he did.
“There’s tons I personally learned from the folks at dotstudioPRO just about the business and the infrastructure and the things you need to set up,” he says. “Some of the content feeds were pretty easy to set up, but we learned a lot on the displays and different formats and ultimately what gets passed on to the consumer by a Fire or Roku or Apple TV.”
dotstudioPRO will be showcasing the Vikings Now app at its booth at NAB Show (SU14307).
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that the Minnesota Vikings were the first NFL team to launch a Connected TV app. The Dallas Cowboys actually launched an Apple TV app in July.


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Kodak’s Fight for Survival
It’s perhaps not unexpected, given that every day brings word of flashy, newfangled photography products to blow your mind–a ball camera to take spherical panoramas, waterproof cameras for extreme athletes, cameras that do party tricks, cameras that let you refocus after the fact. With the onslaught of eye-catching novelty cameras–some surely fleeting and faddish, but some here to stay–how can a more old-fashioned photographic company compete?
It’s not clear that it can. Eastman Kodak warned investors last week that it would need to raise further debt or complete a multibillion-dollar patent sale if it wants to stay afloat for the next year. The announcement fretted investors, and shares plummeted. This, too, after shares already “fell off a cliff,” in MarketBeat’s words, in late September; at one point Kodak became a penny stock, bottoming out at 78 cents a share, the lowest since 1938. Ten years ago, share prices stood around $30.
“The Company’s ability to continue its operations … is dependent upon the ability to monetize its digital imaging patent portfolio through a sale or licensing of the relevant patents and/or the successful execution of the alternative actions, which could include the issuance of additional debt,” Kodak said in a filing with the SEC, Reuters reported.
Gary Rosenbaum, a lawyer with expertise in debt workouts and restructurings, told CNBC this week that Kodak would have to perform a delicate dance, selling only non-strategic patents. “They have to monetize those patents, which can mean licensing or selling. But yes, you have to be careful,” he said. “If you dispose of an asset, what do you have left for investors to focus on?” (On Monday, Kodak did manage to sell off its image sensor business, nudging itself along towards its cash goal for the year.)
The technology business delights in toppling giants who fail to innovate, in clearing out undergrowth, in weeding–and the technology press often stokes the flames of this phoenix-like cycle of burning and regeneration.
And yet, in the case of Eastman Kodak, there is something immeasurably melancholy about the prospect of its passing. The Wall Street Journal even caught a debt-rating firm (not typically known for “philosophical musings,” the Journal noted) getting decidedly poetical about Kodak’s decline. Wrote the firm: “Unless Kodak finds some more liquid fuel in the form of cash proceeds from a patent sale or a favorable court ruling, the light that once illuminated America’s iconic maker of memories will fade from the picture.”
The first Kodak camera appeared in 1888; an 1889 advertisement announced, “You press the button, we do the rest.” Kodak eventually grew to such stature that it became one of those brands whose very name holds a power just shy of that of Kleenex or Xerox, a name practically synonymous with the product of which it is just one of many manufacturers. If you weren’t born before the digital photography revolution, the word “Kodak” evokes those prints that went in your family albums from the ’80s, or the film that you used in a photography course in the ’90s. Nor did Kodak bury its head in the sand during that digital revolution; indeed, the long-term strategy for Kodak would necessarily focus on its digital cameras and printing products. That is, if there is to be a long term.
Doesn’t Kodak just seem too big–culturally–to fail?
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America's Most Powerful CEOs Under-40
The Forbes magazine list is topped by Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page...
For the third consecutive year, Page has topped the list. In the past year, the search giant's record-high stock prices nudged Page's personal net worth above to $30 billion.
The youngest CEO on the list is Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, 29, remains in the second place.
For the second consecutive year, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, 38, holds third place and remains the only woman on this list.
Jeremy Stoppelman, 36, CEO of review site Yelp, stays on the list this year and rises three spots to number seven.
Website hosting company Endurance International Group CEO and founder Hari K Ravichandran (38) has been ranked 19th, while asset management firm Altisource Asset Management (AAMC) CEO Ashish Pandey (38) is ranked 20th.


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Zoe's Kitchen aims to raise $80.5 million in IPO
(Reuters) - Mediterranean style restaurant chain Zoe's Kitchen filed with U.S. regulators to raise up to $80.5 million in an initial public offering.
The Birmingham, Alabama-based company is backed by private equity firm Brentwood Associates.
Founded in 1995, Zoe's focuses on serving healthy options such as Greek salad and pita pizza.
The company owns 111 restaurants in 15 states and plans to add another 28 to 30 restaurants in 2014.
Zoe's is hoping to ride a strong wave of IPOs from restaurant chains, including Potbelly Corp (PBPB.O), Noodle's & Co (NDLS.O), Chuy's Holdings Inc (CHUY.O) and Del Frisco's Restaurant Group Inc (DFRG.O).
The company's revenue rose 46 percent to about $116.4 million in 2013, but reported a wider loss of $3.7 million. (r.reuters.com/juf57v)
Jefferies LLC, Piper Jaffray & Co and Robert W. Baird & Co Inc are among the lead underwriters.
The restaurant chain plans to list its stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ZOES."
The amount of money a company says it plans to raise in its first IPO filings is used to calculate registration fees. The final size of the IPO could be different.
(Reporting by Anil D'Silva in Bangalore)
TOKYO - Asian stocks edged up on Wednesday as risk aversion triggered by recent geopolitical tensions continued to ebb, while the Australian dollar spiked on stronger-than-expected inflation data.
BEIJING/HONG KONG - China reiterated its opposition on Thursday to a European Union plan to limit airline carbon dioxide emissions and called for talks to resolve the issue a day after its major airlines refused to pay any carbon costs under the new law.


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AUrate Raises $2.6 Million
Jewelry startup AUrate announced the completion of $2.6 million in financing. Arab Angel and Victress Capital participated in the round.
Founded in November, 2014, by Princeton alumni and long time friends Bouchra Ezzahraoui and Sophie Kahn, AUrate is a New York-based fine jewelry company focused on delivering high quality, ethically sourced products at affordable prices. With core tenets of transparency, sustainability, and social impact, AUrate seeks to transform the way people experience fine jewelry.
AUrate revealed that the capital will enable the company to invest in hiring talent necessary to scale and grow the business, as well as to expand its offerings.


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Burn Boot Camp St. Johns is coming to Shoppes of Aberdeen.
The fast-growing, Charlotte, NC-based gym chain will join Ash Properties’ 47,000-square-foot office and retail center, located at Longleaf Pine Parkway and Shetland Drive. It will be the fourth Burn Boot Camp gym in the Jacksonville area, joining locations in Fleming Island, Nocatee, and Mandarin.
The new St. Johns location will be owned and operated by Chandler, Ernie, and Denise Hunt, a family that recently relocated to St. Johns from Charlotte. It will be the second confirmed tenant at Shoppes of Aberdeen, joining an urgent care facility. The center is just down the street from the Publix-anchored Shoppes at RiverTown.
Founded in 2012 by husband-and-wife team Devan and Morgan Kline, Burn Boot Camp is a women-centric gym that seeks to “build confidence, happiness, and disciplines that transcend fitness into communities of mentally, emotionally, and physically strong women.” The couple began franchising the concept in 2015, and it has since expanded to 38 states with over 400 locations.
The Hunt family’s St. Johns gym will host several pop-up camps in the weeks leading up to its expected launch in December 2021, where attendees will be able to meet the owner and head trainer while learning about what kind of workouts are offered at the gym. For updates on the new location, visit https://burnbootcamp.com/locations/st-johns-fl/.


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DSG Global and Imperium Motor Company announce addition of INDI EV Crossover Sedan at LA Auto Show
DSG Global, Inc. announced that its electric vehicle division, Imperium Motor Company, will be showcasing the new INDI EV fully electric Crossover Sedan.
“We are pleased to announce the inclusion of the new INDI Crossover Sedan to our lineup at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. This will be the first major auto show event for this highly anticipated fully electric vehicle. This extremely well equipped all-new vehicle fits nicely into our Imperium Product lineup along with the Imperium SEV, TradePro Vans and other EV models,” said Rick Curtis, CEO, Imperium Motor Corp. “INDI is based in Los Angeles and their new model will be produced in North America with anticipated delivery beginning in Q4 of 2022.”
Last weekend the Imperium SEV vehicle was showcased at the Quebec Electric Vehicle show, three weeks following an appearance at the Montreal Electric Vehicle Show. Imperium Motor secured over 327 refundable deposits for the SEV at these two events.
“Our vehicle lineup continues to grow, and the addition of this well-designed car strengthens our company’s position in the Electric Vehicle field,” said Bob Silzer, CEO, DSG Global. “With recent announcements by Federal and State Governments of transitioning to non-internal combustion powered vehicles, Imperium is in a great position of future growth potential.”


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The 22 Best Stocks to Buy for 2022
The lesson of the past two years: Be ready for anything. Our 22 best stocks to buy for 2022 reflect several possible outcomes for what is turning out to be another volatile year.
As experts considered the best stocks to buy for 2022, they surely were looking over their shoulders. Unforeseeable events have recently made a mockery of strategists' carefully considered forecasts. COVID in 2020 and supply-chain chaos in 2021 are but two of the latest reminders of that fact of investing life.
On the one hand, the consensus view entering 2022 was for the global economic recovery to accelerate through this year. That naturally prompted plenty of strategists to pluck their top stock picks from cyclical sectors and recovery-sensitive industries.
On the other hand, economic forecasts are hardly gospel – and the first five months of 2022 put truth behind that saying.
After making new record highs in early January, the S&P 500 went on to suffer one of the worst starts to a year in history in 2022. Speculation that Russia was preparing to invade Ukraine turned into a full-scale attack by late February, sending broader markets tumbling and commodity stocks soaring – all while lighting a fire under already sizzling levels of inflation. To slow the rate of price increases, the Federal Reserve has launched an aggressive tightening campaign.
Further stoking the volatility are China's efforts to combat surging COVID-19 cases through widespread lockdowns, raising fears of slower crude demand and creating more uncertainty around already tight supply chains.
While many economists lowered their gross domestic product (GDP) outlooks in reaction to these macro factors, there are glimmers of hope. Kiplinger economists believe inflation likely peaked in March and will begin to ease soon, though still ending the year at a lofty 6.3%. Plus, many pandemic-weary Americans appear ready to open their wallets and hit the road this summer – good news for both travel shares and hotel stocks.
When it came to picking the best stocks to buy for 2022, the experts were bullish ... but also realistic. After all, stocks – even the best of them – never go up in a straight line.
"Historically, a difficult start hasn't necessarily foretold an ugly outcome to the year," says Tony DeSpirito, CIO of BlackRock's U.S. Fundamental Active Equities. "We see both a short- and longer-term opportunity taking shape." And the elevated uncertainty and volatility facing markets "highlights the importance of building resilience into portfolios. We believe this is best achieved through diversification and a focus on quality – particularly stocks of companies with strong balance sheets and healthy free cash flow characteristics."
We at Kiplinger believe the most prudent approach is to plan for a range of outcomes. So, with that in mind, here are the 22 best stocks to buy for 2022. Several of these top stocks are set to outperform amid a continued or accelerating economic recovery both at home and abroad. Others are more defensively positioned – built to grow should we enjoy smoother waters going forward in 2022, but also able to withstand additional macro-related disruptions. Other picks are contrarian plays; that is, names that were pummeled in either in 2021 or at the start of 2022 but could see a big return to favor in the months.
Data is as of May 18. Stocks listed in reverse order of yield. Dividend yields are calculated by annualizing the most recent payout and dividing by the share price.
- Industry: Entertainment
- Market value: $190.0 billion
- Dividend yield: N/A
If there were ever a company that has proven its ability to adapt in a hurry, it would be Walt Disney (DIS, $104.30). The pandemic easily could have been Disney's undoing. Its theme parks were closed or had limited capacity for months. Its movie business was dead on arrival. And even its ESPN sports programming business was upended by the canceling or curtailment of most professional sports for months.
And yet, "the old saying that 'luck favors the prepared' can be applied to Disney's November 2019 launch of the Disney+ video service," says Argus Research analyst Joseph Bonner, who rates DIS shares at Buy. Suddenly, tens of millions of bored, homebound people had the itch (and the time) to stream hours of Disney, Marvel and Star Wars content.
Disney+ was an instant hit and absolutely crushed expectations, sending Disney's shares sharply higher in 2020. However, DIS shares came back down to earth in 2022 and are off about 44% from their 52-week highs.
But here's the thing: Nothing has changed. Disney+ is still emerging as the strongest competitor to Netflix (NFLX) and boasts a truly unrivaled catalog of content it's assembled over the decades. Disney's movie business is back, as evidenced by the flurry of Marvel superhero movies planned. And the theme parks … did you really think they'd stay down long?
At today's prices, the communication stock trades at a discount to where it did immediately before the pandemic struck. But Disney's empire has only grown since then. That, and a share-price lull in recent months, has DIS poised to be one of the best stocks to buy for 2022.
- Industry: Application software
- Market value: $46.1 billion
- Dividend yield: N/A
The Uber Technologies (UBER, $22.46) ride-sharing platform operates in 63 countries and 750 markets, connecting riders with drivers. Uber Eats triangulates customers, restaurants and drivers. The company also has an emerging freight business.
Uber reached an important milestone in the third quarter of 2021, turning a profit (before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization expenses) for the first time.
The company that pioneered "mobility as a service" is a top internet stock pick at BofA Global Research, especially as urban centers reopen post-pandemic.
Even though earnings per share remain likely to be negative in 2022, BofA analysts, citing the company's improved financial position, an increasing supply of drivers and market share gains, put a Buy rating on the stock. They also say the stock could trade at $53 over the next 12 months – more than double its current price. That very likely would be enough to put it among 2022's best stocks.
- Industry: Medical care facilities
- Market value: $5.1 billion
- Dividend yield: N/A
A few months ago, Kiplinger's Personal Finance columnist James A. Glassman recommended AB Small Cap Growth (QUASX): a fund that has notched a sensational 29.8% annualized return over the past five years.
Now, he's tapping QUASX for one of his best stocks to buy for 2022.
AB Small Cap Growth has been adding to holdings of Louisiana-based LHC Group (LHCG, $165.79), a provider of post-acute care, including home health and hospice services, in more than 700 locations.
As the population ages, healthcare is a growth industry. And the stock started the year well priced after setbacks from hurricanes and because healthcare workers were forced to quarantine due to COVID-19.
Ultimately, LHC Group was a solid bet ... albeit one that investors likely can't squeeze for any more gains now. That's because UnitedHealth Group (UNH) announced in late March that it would buy the company for $5.4 billion in a deal expected to close later this year. As a result, LHCG stock should effectively be locked into a 20%-plus 2022 return until its shares are taken off the market.
- Industry: Internet content and information
- Market value: $7.1 billion
- Dividend yield: N/A
IAC/InterActiveCorp's (IAC, $79.28) business is acquiring other businesses, improving their online operations, then spinning them off. Dating website Match.com and the video-sharing platform Vimeo are two recent rehab projects. The strategy generates huge amounts of cash intermittently, which the company pours into new ventures, but earnings can be lumpy.
IAC's late-October agreement to buy Meredith, the publishing company, might provide steadier recurring revenues as soon as 2022. "That's a cash cow," says David Marcus of Evermore Global Advisors.
InterActiveCorp's shares are down about 37% over the past six months. But Marcus still sees value because he says the sum of the parts is worth more than the current price of IAC stock.
- Industry: Information technology services
- Market value: $7.1 billion
- Dividend yield: N/A
Dan Abramowitz, of Hillson Financial Management in Rockville, Maryland, is Glassman's go-to expert in smaller companies.
His choice for 2021 was IEC Electronics, which was purchased by Creation Technologies in October for 53% more than the stock's price when Glassman put it on the list, noting, "IEC is also a potential takeover target."
For the best stocks to buy for 2022, Dan recommends DXC Technology (DXC, $29.14): a midsize information technology company based in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.
It is in the midst of a turnaround, Dan writes, "yet we are still in the early innings here."
- Industry: Internet retail
- Market value: $234.7 billion
- Dividend yield: N/A
A Chinese crackdown on big tech companies has weighed on shares of this e-commerce giant. China slapped a record $2.75 billion fine on Alibaba Group (BABA, $87.31) after an anti-monopoly probe last spring. All told, shares lost more than 60% between their October 2020 peak and the end of 2021.
Some analysts, even bullish ones, have trimmed sales and earnings expectations given sluggish economic and e-commerce conditions in China.
That said, GoodHaven Capital Management portfolio manager Larry Pitkowsky, who likes a bargain with good growth prospects, bought shares in 2021 with expectations that BABA might be among the best stocks to buy for 2022.
Alibaba is the leading e-commerce company in China. Growth going forward might be less robust, but shares are cheap and trade at 11.2 times earnings estimates for 2022 – a steep discount to its five-term average forward price-earnings ratio of 25.1.
- Industry: Electronic components
- Market value: $6.5 billion
- Dividend yield: 0.8%
The more technology pervades our life, the more Littelfuse (LFUS, $262.68) stands to gain. The firm designs and makes fuses and circuits – small but necessary components – for consumer electronics, cars and industrial equipment.
Cars these days come with heated seats, power steering, lane change assistance and a heated steering wheel, among an increasing list of other things. Each feature requires its own fuse and circuit. Plus, Littelfuse dominates both the electronics and auto markets.
The stock is off 16% in 2022, but Robert W. Baird Equity Research analyst Luke Junk still sees upside for shares, especially when auto production returns to normal and supply-chain bottlenecks clear.
"We see outperformance based on a mix of cyclical, secular, and companyspecific positives, with the Electronics business well positioned on a secular basis, likely acceleration with supply chain easing in Transportation (plus EV tailwinds), longer-term opportunities in Industrial, and tailwinds from already-completed M&A," he says.
- Industry: Capital markets
- Market value: $120.0 billion
- Dividend yield: 1.3%
There's little in financial services that Charles Schwab (SCHW, $63.27) doesn't do. It's a brokerage firm, a money manager, corporate retirement plan administrator and a bank. And it has been gobbling up assets under management (AUM) with new accounts and acquisitions. Its TD Ameritrade acquisition pushed total AUM to $7.4 trillion.
Rising interest rates should be icing on the cake in 2022. Every 0.25-percentage-point improvement in rates means another $750 million to $950 million in earnings, or about 30 to 38 cents per share, says portfolio manager Andy Adams at Mairs & Power Growth Fund (MPGFX).
Wall Street analysts project that annual earnings will climb 19% in 2022, and even more next year.
- Industry: Medical distribution
- Market value: $31.7 billion
- Dividend yield: 1.2%
AmerisourceBergen (ABC, $151.11) distributes pharmaceutical products in the U.S. and internationally. Customers include retail and mail-order pharmacies, hospital networks, outpatient facilities, long-term care facilities and veterinarian practices.
Six of the 14 firms who cover the stock recommend it, with Argus Research being particularly bullish. Analyst David Toung says its recent acquisition of the Alliance Health distribution business in Europe and North Africa adds another growth driver.
"We note that ABC is a key distributor of COVID-19 therapeutics in the U.S., and is also distributing COVID vaccines in Canada," the analyst adds.
Although ABC shares trade above the average multiple for Argus's coverage universe of pharma distribution stocks, Toung believes "the premium is warranted based on the company’s strong growth opportunities and superior business execution."
Potential risks include drug-price regulation and opioid litigation.
- Industry: Copper mining
- Market value: $51.2 billion
- Dividend yield: 1.7%
Fidelity Advisor Growth Opportunities Fund (FAGAX) is red-hot, ranking in the top 3% of funds in its category for five-year returns as of the end of 2021. The problem is that it carries a whopping 1.82% expense ratio and is sold mostly through advisers.
Still, you can scan its portfolio for ideas.
Most of the fund's holdings are tech stocks, but the only new purchase for 2021 among its top 25 holdings was Freeport-McMoRan (FCX, $35.34), the minerals (copper, gold, silver) and oil and gas producer.
The stock climbed 61% in 2021, but is off by 11% in 2022. Helpfully, its P/E ratio, based on analysts' consensus projections for this year, is cheap, at less than 10.0. That, combined with an influx of Washington spending via the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, could put FCX among the best stocks for 2022.
American Water Works
- Industry: Water utilities
- Market value: $26.2 billion
- Dividend yield: 1.8%
Founded in 1886, American Water Works (AWK, $144.28) is a water utility that sells water and wastewater services to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers.
Argus Research analyst John Staszak says he expects results to benefit from rate increases and from efforts to lower operating and maintenance costs as a percentage of revenues. Moreover, the company has significant opportunities to acquire smaller, less efficient utilities.
The utility stock is not cheap, selling at 32 times the Street's forward EPS estimate. However, "we think that a higher multiple is warranted given the company's skill as an acquirer, strong regulated businesses, and history of dividend increases," Staszak says.
This is a much more defensive pick than many of the other top stocks for 2022. However, the highest price target among covering analysts is $186, implying a potential 12-month total return of about 30%. That would be an outstanding year for any stock.
- Industry: Farm and heavy construction machinery
- Market value: $5.9 billion
- Dividend yield: 1.6%
There's infinite numbers of things we don't know yet about 2022. That's part of the appeal of a new year: that blank slate and thrill of the unknown.
But we do know this: Our government just passed into law one of the largest infrastructure bills of the past several decades. So, whatever happens in 2022, we can expect to see a lot of money flowing into infrastructure-related spending.
This should be a boon to Oshkosh (OSK, $90.20). Oshkosh builds specialty trucks like cement mixers, truck mounted cranes, "cherry pickers" and other hydraulic lifting systems. Any major expansion in infrastructure spending will mean demand for Oshkosh's products.
But apart from immediate infrastructure spending, Oshkosh is interesting for another significant reason. It's a leader in heavy-duty electric vehicles.
President Biden was forced to scale back some of his green ambitions in the infrastructure bill and the companion social spending bill. But renewable energy is still a major policy priority, and the Biden administration awarded a contract to Oshkosh to update the mail truck fleet in part with electric trucks.
If you believe in a greener future, Oshkosh is a good way to indirectly play it long term. And thanks to some froth coming off in the back half of 2021, OSK could be one of the best stocks to buy for 2022.
- Industry: Industrial real estate
- Market value: $88.5 billion
- Dividend yield: 2.6%
There are certain trends that were in place long before anyone had ever heard of COVID-19 and will be around long after the current omicron variant is a distant memory. The rise of e-commerce is one of them. Amazon.com (AMZN) and its brethren are taking over the world.
But knowing this, why shouldn't we profit from it as Amazon's landlord?
Lucky for us, we can. Prologis (PLD, $119.53), a real estate investment trust (REIT), is the industry leader in logistical real estate. It also happens to be a major landlord to Amazon and other e-tailers.
Internet shopping is sleek. It feels clean and modern. But none of those mouse clicks amount to anything without the underlying infrastructure to actually fulfill the orders. That's where Prologis steps in.
To put some real numbers to it, a shocking 2.5% of the world's GDP – or more than $2.2 trillion – already flows through Prologis properties. And as e-commerce continues to grow as a percentage of the total, it's a good bet that Prologis will grow right along with it. The company already owns nearly a billion square feet of space in properties spread across 19 countries with an occupancy rate of 96.6%.
Prologis is not just one of the best stocks to buy for 2022. It's one of the best stocks to buy and hold for the next 20 years. Shares yield 2.6%, which is much higher than the S&P 500. And PLD has more than doubled its payout since 2013.
- Industry: Industrial real estate
- Market value: $53.9 billion
- Dividend yield: 2.6%
The fund's third-largest holding is Public Storage (PSA, $306.90), owner of 2,500 facilities in 38 states, and Glassman likes it as one of his best stocks to buy in 2022.
"Is there a better business? Every year, I get an e-mail notice telling me my storage-unit rental has risen in price, and what am I going to do about it? Moving my stuff out is a horrifying thought," Glassman says. "I have always wanted to own this stock. It is expensive, but waiting might make it more so."
Bank of America
- Industry: Diversified banks
- Market value: $281.0 billion
- Dividend yield: 2.4%
The assets of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), Warren Buffett's holding company, have become more and more diversified over the years. At last report, the company owned 47 publicly traded stocks.
Glassman says he is a longtime fan and shareholder of BofA as well. Financial stocks in general could be among the best stocks to buy for 2022 given rising interest rates. BAC, which trades at just 8.8 times next year's earnings, looks especially good.
- Industry: Pharmacy and healthcare plans
- Market value: $123.3 billion
- Dividend yield: 2.3%
Most Americans live within three miles of a CVS pharmacy. But CVS Health (CVS, $94.02) is more than a drugstore; it's an integral player in each link of the entire health chain.
"You get your jab at the pharmacy and while you're there, you might pop in the Minute Clinic for a minor ailment and buy Tootsie Rolls on your way out," says John Buckingham, editor of The Prudent Speculator.
Its Caremark division is a major drug distributor, and its healthcare benefits subsidiary Aetna serves 39 million people. Plus, this top stock for 2022 trades at less than 11 times expected earnings for the year ahead – a discount to its 10-year average forward P/E of 14.
- Industry: Restaurants
- Market value: $81.8 billion
- Dividend yield: 2.8%
Glassman’s contrarian bias paid off in 2021 when he shook off his disastrous 2019 choice of Diamond Offshore Drilling (it went bankrupt) and scored a double with Oneok (OKE).
Searching for value again, he has arrived at Starbucks (SBUX, $71.28), which took a big (and to his mind, unwarranted) hit over the summer when the company warned of a slower recovery in China.
Glassman is "taking advantage of skittish investors" and recommending Starbucks, one of the world's best-run companies, growing steadily with 33,000 outlets worldwide.
Crown Castle International
- Industry: Specialty real estate
- Market value: $76.0 billion
- Dividend yield: 3.4%
Let's ask a rhetorical question here: Do you see yourself using more mobile data, or less, in the years ahead?
You really don't need to answer that. We all know the answer. Unless you decide to go live off the grid, you're going to use more data.
That brings us to Crown Castle International (CCI, $175.46), a real estate investment trust specializing in cell towers. The REIT owns a network of more than 40,000 cell towers, more than 80,000 small cells (such as those used for 5G) and approximately 80,000 route miles of fiber cable. Crown Castle has a presence in every major U.S. market and has been in this basic line of work for more than 25 years.
2022 should see the continued growth in "smart everything": the smart home, the internet of things, autonomous driving and even the smart city. All of this requires data and the communications infrastructure to collect it and process it. And Crown Castle will be smack-dab in the middle of this trend.
At current prices, CCI yields 3.4%. And importantly, the REIT is a serial dividend raiser, having boosted its payout at a 9% compound annual rate since establishing it in 2014.
CCI could be among the best stocks for 2022 ... and much farther down the road. Barring the introduction of some new revolutionary technology that suddenly makes towers obsolete, it's hard to imagine any scenario in which Crown Castle doesn't enjoy a solid decade ahead.
T. Rowe Price
- Industry: Asset management
- Market value: $27.6 billion
- Dividend yield: 4.0%
The Value Line Investment Survey is a font of succinct research that has a strong forecasting record as well. One of Glassman's strategies is to pick from stocks that Value Line rates tops ("1") for both timeliness and safety. At the end of 2021, that list was short: nine companies, including obvious ones such as Apple (AAPL) and Visa (V).
The outlier is T. Rowe Price (TROW, $121.31), the Baltimore-based asset manager, whose earnings have risen each year since 2009 despite the growing popularity of low-cost index funds.
Value Line notes that "shares have staged a dramatic advance over the past year. However, our projections suggest … worthwhile appreciation potential for the next three to five years."
- Industry: Integrated oil and gas
- Market value: $330.2 billion
- Dividend yield: 3.4%
We might hope for a greener future. But good old-fashioned oil and gas is still what keeps the global economy moving.
Many of the growth and tech names that lead the bull market of the past decade look stretched. So investors scouting out the top stocks to buy for 2022 might look to more traditional value plays.
Energy supermajor Chevron (CVX, $168.06) fits the bill.
CVX trades for 10.1 times expected 2022 earnings and sports a dividend yield of 3.4%. That's remarkably cheap in a market that, by several measures, is the most expensive it has been since the bubble years of the late 1990s ... and for a stock that has ramped up by 44% in 2022 alone.
Energy stocks were unloved and under-owned. As recently as 10 years ago, the energy sector made up 13% of the S&P 500. Today, they make up about 2%. Some of this is due to green mandates to diversify away from oil and gas, though most is simply due to the fact that energy stocks have endured a truly miserable oversupplied market since late 2014.
All that reversed in the early stages of 2022, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine helped prices for global benchmark Brent crude oil to top $140 a barrel at one point in Q1. And who wouldn't want to own a shares of a true survivor trading at a discount amid elevated energy prices?
- Industry: Retail real estate
- Market value: $40.6 billion
- Dividend yield: 4.4%
After the breakneck tech- and growth-focused bull market of the past several years, we might be looking at a different kind of market in 2022.
Tiring of the volatility, investors may prefer the tortoise over the hare.
And that's where triple-net retail REIT Realty Income (O, $67.56) really stands to shine. Realty Income is a landlord specializing in high-traffic retail properties that are generally immune to competition from e-commerce. Its largest tenants are convenience stores, pharmacies and dollar stores, but it also has a healthy allocation to restaurants (approximately 8% of the portfolio), movie theaters (approximately 5%) and to health and fitness properties including gyms (approximately 6%).
Realty Income's stock price got beaten up during the pandemic, and the shares have yet to fully recover. But it's important to point out that the REIT's diversification and conservative business model allowed it to get through the pandemic without any real risk to its business. Realty Income actually managed to raise its dividend every single quarter of 2020 and 2021.
It's difficult to see anything but a worst-case scenario with omicron or another COVID variant having much of an impact here.
Realty Income has paid 622 consecutive monthly dividends and has raised its payout for 98 consecutive quarters as of this writing, and those numbers seem likely to only grow in the months ahead. On top of that, Realty Income yields more than 4% at current prices.
Come what may in 2022, Realty Income seems like a solid bet.
- Industry: Retail real estate
- Market value: $3.8 billion
- Dividend yield: 6.5%
The last of our 22 best stocks to buy for 2022 is the one with the highest dividend yield: EPR Properties (EPR, $550.94).
This REIT owns a diverse portfolio of properties centered around entertainment and experiences. Theme parks. Ski resorts. Even Topgolf driving ranges. And all of these businesses were booming before the pandemic knocked them of course.
But perhaps none of EPR's holdings took more abuse during the pandemic than its movie theaters, which currently make up about 44% of revenues. Theaters were closed for much of the pandemic, and to the extent they were open, there was nothing to watch. We only started seeing major releases in theaters again in recent months. And in fact, EPR has plans to reduce its exposure to this business in the years ahead.
In 2021, Americans relished doing all of the things they couldn't do in 2020. We're going to see a continuation of that theme in 2022, and EPR is very well placed to benefit. The shares still trade well before their pre-COVID levels and yield a fat 6%-plus.
If you see life getting increasingly back to normal in 2022, it makes sense to own EPR.
Charles Sizemore was long CCI, O and PLD as of this writing.


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Soaring cargo demand helped Japan’s All Nippon Airways earn net profit of $162.96 million in the first half of fiscal 2010, the six months to Sept. 30, compared with a year-earlier loss of $312.35 million.
Revenue from overall operations rose 11.8 percent in the April-September period from the same six-month period of last year to $8.45 billion. ANA posted a group operating profit of $701.23 million, compared with a loss of $348.15 million a year earlier.
With a healthy boost to market share from former customers of rival Japan Airlines, which is ending all-cargo operations this month, ANA's group revenue from its international cargo operations soared 78.9 percent in the April-September period from a year earlier to $504.94 million.
By The Numbers: Asia-Pacific Airlines' Freight Traffic.
The ANA group carried 272,000 tons of freight on its international routes, up 45.6 percent. International freight volume totaled 998 million ton kilometers, up 21.8 percent.
"International cargo saw strong demand on routes to China and other Asian destinations, driven by brisk movement of plasma display and semiconductor materials, and international cargo volumes increased over those of the previous year," ANA said.
Revenue from domestic cargo operations fell 1.2 percent to $192.59 million as ANA carried 219,000 tons of freight, down 4.4 percent, and domestic freight transportation volume amounted to 218 million ton kilometers, down 3.7 percent.
-- Contact Hisane Masaki at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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NEW YORK — Chico’s FAS continued its trend-bucking ways in the second quarter, as it posted double-digit profits, as well as overall and comparable-store sales increases, benefiting from summer transitional merchandise and higher...
NEW YORK — Chico’s FAS continued its trend-bucking ways in the second quarter, as it posted double-digit profits, as well as overall and comparable-store sales increases, benefiting from summer transitional merchandise and higher markups.
The Fort Myers, Fla.-based firm logged a 49.3 percent gain in income for the three months ended Aug. 2 to $24.5 million, or 28 cents a diluted share, 2 cents ahead of the most recent consensus estimates. That compares with year-ago income of $16.4 million, or 19 cents. Sales for the quarter jumped 38.7 percent to $173.4 million from $125.1 million. Sales leapt 14.6 percent on a comp basis.
“We focused on our summer transitional line this year and it paid off in a stronger initial markup and a lower year-over-year markdown rate as reflected in our 62 percent gross margin in the quarter,” Scott Edmonds, president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. “We believe that these results underscore the ongoing appeal of our concept, our fresh merchandise strategy and our excellent marketing strategies.”
As for fall, Patricia Murphy, chief merchandising officer, said on a conference call she is comfortable about third-quarter sales. To date, comps in August are running in the mid-double digits, despite this month’s blackout, which shuttered about 20 percent of its stores for a day or so.
Murphy achieved her goal of developing a separate color palette for the summer months and wear-now clothing after falling short last year by going too dark. “The colors were upbeat and clothes were lightweight,” she said, noting short- sleeve tops and skirts sold well.
The company said it is continuing to make progress in its intimates line, noting it expects to begin test marketing the collection in the second half. It also is expected to close on its recent acquisition of The White House.
For the first half, profits rose 32.3 percent to $47.8 million, or 55 cents a diluted share, compared with income of $36.2 million, or 42 cents. Salesclimbed 34 percent to $342.4 million from $255.5 million. Comps rose 11.2 percent.
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews
“Stranger Things” is getting a new cast member for season 2. Meet @sadiesink_, the 15-year-old who will be joining the Netflix series for its new season. You may recognize her from “The Glass Castle” with Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson, but the Texas native’s next role goes in an entirely different direction. She describes her character, Max, as “a rough and tumble skater girl [who] becomes friends with the boys at school.” The second season debuts on October 27. (📷: @jgreenery) #wwdeye
Amid the Harvey Weinstein controversy, there’s another sector that’s being put under the spotlight for sexual abuse: the modeling industry. While rumors about abuse and sexual harassment of female and male models — and the photographers, agents and others who perpetrated it — have circulated within the fashion world for years, model @cameronrussell started posting stories from models on Instagram last week about abusive situations they’ve encountered — from sexual harassment and molestation to attempted rape. Over 75 have weighed in so far. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdnews
To celebrate its 16th anniversary, @dylanscandybar tapped designers and celebrities to create mosaics out of candy. The mosaics will be auctioned off to support the philanthropic cause of each participant’s choice. Pictured here is the mural created by @aliceandolivia's Stacey Bendet. For a first look at some of the other artwork being unveiled tonight, go to WWD.com. #wwdeye
The annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Pacific Palisades this weekend drew Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Dern and more. See pictures of the star-studded event on WWD.com. (📷: @chelsealaurenla) #wwdeye
In his new book “Hollywood Royale,” Andy Warhol’s Protégé Matthew Rolston celebrates the Eighties revival of Hollywood glamour. Featuring more than 100 portraits taken by Rolston from 1977 to 1993, the book contains photos of icons like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and @drewbarrymore, pictured here in 1991. “Hollywood Royale,” out today, will be accompanied by an exhibition opening at Los Angeles’ Fahey/Klein Gallery on March 1. #wwdeye
"Nowadays when life is not so happy with everything going on in the world, I think people come to me for a little bit of whimsy and color and fun." - Designer Rebecca De Ravenel on her cult-favorite jewelry line. (📸 : @vsteves) #wwd40
“Everyone is talking about how the retail industry is struggling, but I think it’s an incredible time because brands who are doing something different and innovative are setting themselves up for the future,” said @adamgoldston, who founded the luxury athletic brand @apl with his brother @ryangoldsten. The Goldston’s are part of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables. See the rest of the list on WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
@eyeswoon blogger Athena Calderone debuted her first-ever cookbook, “Cook Beautiful,” which is heavily centered on the presentation and visual expression of food. Pictured here are her miso glazed carrots from the book. Get the recipe on WWD.com. (📷: @johnny_miller_) #wwdeye


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The Dairy Deli Bakery Council (DDBC) of Southern California held a dinner meeting at the Holiday Inn in La Mirada, Calif., on Tuesday.
Bill MacAloney, founder and CEO of Jax Markets, received the DDBC Lifetime Achievement Award for his 50-plus years of service to the grocery industry. MacAloney has served as president of WAFC, co-chair of FMI, chairman of Certified Grocers (now Unified), chairman of CGA and president of the City of Hopes Food Industry Circle.
Jim Veregge of Unified Grocers guided the audience through MacAloney’s life with a presentation styled after the old TV show “This is Your Life.”
MacAloney acknowledged and credited his mentors, Ben Schwartz and Jack Brown, among others, for his success.
In the featured photo at top: Bill MacAloney with his two daughters Debbie Martin and Tammy Wilson, Jax Markets. (Find more photos from the event here.)


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ORLANDO, Fla. — ActivEngage, a provider of live chat for dealer websites, released ActivConnect, a new dealership Website tool that keeps consumers on a dealership’s Website while allowing them to interact with the dealer via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, DealerRater and live chat.
While connecting shoppers with dealers through social media links is an important step forward, having consumers leave the dealership Website decreases the chance that they will return to that Website. Now with ActivConnect, dealers can leverage the power of social media and other interactive communication channels, while keeping consumers on the dealership Website.
The new tool bar sits at the bottom of the dealership's Website and contains links for chat and all major social media sites. When consumers click on the links, the information appears directly on the dealership Website, rather than taking shoppers away from the dealer's site. Further, the tool bar remains in place on all Website pages.
"We are excited about the new ActivConnect tool bar's ability to help us engage our live traffic," said Alex Snyder, Checkered Flag Motor Car Corp.'s director of eCommerce. "Not only will it help us increase a consumer's time spent on our Website, which in turn establishes trust for better lead conversion, but it also creates a 'be back factor.' As ActivConnect does not move the customer away to a social media site, it makes it easier for them to join one of our social media efforts, and that helps us get an online 'be back.'
“Through chat solicitations, in the tool bar itself, we'll also be able to get very targeted ad messages to our current browsers and that is where the rubber really meets the road. ActivConnect is pure conversion,"Snyder added.
Existing ActivEngage customers will receive the new tool bar free of charge.
"ActivConnect makes it easier for consumers to connect with the dealership via all major social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more, all without leaving the dealer's website," said Todd Smith, ActivEngage president. "We knew there had to be a better way to connect consumers with dealerships' social media, without pushing them away from the dealership Website. ActivConnect also creates a 'wow factor' that makes the dealership look more professional and can really set you apart from the competition."
For a live demo of ActivConnect, visit http://www.activengage.com/demo1/.


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The Peach Cobbler factory is taking its talents to Murfreesboro. The Peach Cobbler Factory is set to open a second location in Rutherford County. Owner Juan Edgerton announced on Facebook Sunday. This time around they will offer more than cobbler on the menu. The Pepper+Peach Hot Chicken restaurant is set to open in October at 1824 Old Fort Parkway.
It will take over what was Uncle Bud's Catfish, that closed in June.
Read more here.


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(Reuters) – Dollar General Corp (DG.N) beat quarterly same-store sales estimates on Thursday, as more Americans bought low-price groceries and household items from the discount retailer during the coroanvirus-induced economic downturn.
The company said it had restarted its share buyback plan and would repurchase an additional $2 billion worth of stock.
Persistent unemployment has led to higher demand for more affordable cereals, vegetables and discretionary items such as clothing. Sales at dollar stores remained strong even after the initial panic-buying surge at the start of lockdowns died down.
The company said same-store sales rose 18.8% in the second quarter ended July 31, above analysts’ average estimate of a 15.1% increase, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
Net sales rose 24.4% to $8.68 billion, beating average estimate of $8.35 billion.
Net income rose to $787.6 million, or $3.12 per share, from $426.6 million, or $1.65 per share, a year earlier.


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BigCommerce has introduced a new storefront technology that aims to simplify the process of building online stores using a composable architecture.
The new Catalyst is designed for mid-market and enterprise B2C and B2B brands and retailers, and combines popular headless technologies and best practices, the Open Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) eCommerce platform said in a Thursday (Feb. 8) press release.
“Catalyst introduces BigCommerce’s reference composable architecture, equipping developers with the most preferred, highest performing technology, and brand users with the world’s best no/low-code Next.js visual editor,” Brent Bellm, CEO at BigCommerce, said in the release.
One of the key features of Catalyst is Makeswift, a composable page builder that BigCommerce acquired in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to the release. Makeswift allows marketing teams to easily manage storefronts and content pages without the need for developer support. It can function as a standalone no-code website builder for lightweight sites or as part of a composable tech stack for more complex websites.
With Catalyst, BigCommerce aims to empower developers to quickly create storefronts, with reference architecture that prioritizes flexibility, performance and faster time to market, the release said.
To enhance the developer experience, Catalyst provides fully customizable storefront components and a streamlined GraphQL API client optimized for Next.js and React Server Components, per the release. This enables developers to accelerate development without compromising quality.
While developing Catalyst, BigCommerce collaborated with agency partners who specialize in composable commerce, including Orium, according to the release.
Everett Zufelt, vice president of product and partnerships at Orium, said in the release that Catalyst gives brands and retailers the choice and flexibility they need to adopt new innovations and meet evolving customer expectations.
The headless commerce space has become increasingly competitive as more businesses see the benefits of this approach. By allowing customers to decouple their front-end and back-end functionalities, headless commerce makes it easier for eCommerce sites to adapt to trends and deliver tailored shopping experiences.
Once a headless commerce architecture is implemented, companies can benefit from greater flexibility, speed and scale. For example, they can update a website design without having to make changes to the eCommerce platform’s functionality.
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MediAvataar's News Desk
Turning “dumb” devices smart to linking offline and online ecosystems together, Katharine Hansford, Digital Transformation Director at Zenith, looks ahead to the future of mobility.
It has become a common joke among digital marketers to talk about the elusive “year of mobile”. Experts have been proclaiming the tipping point of mobile as a marketing platform since as early as 2009, and a small number believe it hasn’t even arrived yet. As IAB UK’s CMO James Chandler discussed at Engage last week, the year of mobile has well and truly been (he puts it at 2018 – the year mobile ad spend outstripped desktop) and the future is all about unleashing potential of mobility.
In my view, the reality is that there has been no single “year of mobile” but rather a decade of mobile. The smartphone first launched just over 10 years ago and since then has changed our lives significantly. It’s easy to forget that the first iPhone was basic: it couldn’t run third party apps, it could only connect to the internet via WiFi and it didn’t even have GPS.
These days we can hardly imagine functioning without our all-powerful portable companions. We rely on them to support almost every aspect of our lives; from work, to family, to food, to dating, and everything in between. This makes them a gold-mine for data-hungry marketers looking to better understand their audiences.
We saw a number of rapid developments in the early years; the App Store in 2008, the front facing camera in 2010, contactless smartphone payments in 2011, among various others that have made us into the mobile-dependent society we are today.
But drastic upgrades to smartphone hardware have slowed down. Even though the decade of mobile is now over, smartphones will still develop – and certainly still be crucial to our lives. However, the focus is no longer about the device itself, instead, developers are building technology to answer our unknown needs in ever easier and more compelling ways.
So what will the next 10 years of mobile bring?
Welcome to the decade of mobility
Mobility is “the ability to move or be moved freely and easily” (Oxford Dictionaries). The smartphone was the first device that allowed us to be mobile, with instant access to the internet at our fingertips wherever we are, but we are moving to a world where we increasingly demand mobility across all our devices, and require services to adapt effortlessly to us.
We see this happening already with apps like Kindle and Netflix that allow you to pick up where you left off across any device. This is only the beginning; over the next 10 years we expect this fluidity beyond individual apps, across all devices and services to save us time and energy that we didn’t know we were wasting.
In the same way 10 years ago we couldn’t have imagined the deep impact smartphones now have on our lives, we can’t predict the next 10. However, there are certain technologies that are laying the groundwork for the decade of mobility:
1. Machine learning to increase effective personalisation
Machine learning is already invisibly impacting daily tasks, whether it’s an online chatbot that saves time waiting for a human, or Gmail’s predictive e-mail feature offering one-click responses. It will continue to automate the tiny pain points and niggles in our lives, making everyday life smoother and more straightforward.
For advertisers, machine learning will use data to automatically provide a better understanding of audiences and enable greater personalisation so that advertising feels less like advertising and more like a tailored service.
2. 5G to enable rich interactivity
3G and 4G enabled the mobile internet but 5G will enable mobility, which rests on having the bandwidth and lightning-fast speeds to carry rich experiences. It will provide the crucial infrastructure that will turbo-charge the next decade and make technology solutions more tangible and user-friendly.
5G will not only help to deliver rich mobility experiences, but to turn “dumb” devices smart and link ecosystems together.
On a fundamental level, ads will load faster and we’ll see less drop off between the ad and the destination as users won’t have to wait for it to load. More excitingly, it will enable a greater variety of engaging ad formats (VR, video, interactivity) and across multiple screens (connected home devices, connected cars, connected OOH).
3. Augmented Reality to transform physical experiences
While machine learning and 5G will be the underlying enabling technologies in the next decade, AR will be the front-end user experience, merging the offline and online to enhance the real world around us.
Retail will be transformed as we will virtually try out items to find the right fit and look without having to manually test many products. Tourism will benefit, saving travellers from poring over a guidebook by overlaying directions and recommendations on the real world. Even everyday tasks are being made easier now with functional tools like Apple’s Measure app, letting users measure any object via their smartphone.
Advertisers will become more adaptable in the physical world, updating products and services depending on the real-time need, and will get a much deeper understanding of user interactions in offline environments.
In a decade of firsts, technology will mobilise the world in unseen ways.
Many of these technologies feel futuristic and distant, and have done for some time, making it hard to imagine a world where we are mobility-dependent. But we are already seeing the incremental changes that will set the stage for the years to come and marketers must plan early to make sure they keep up with consumer behavioural changes, rather than waiting for a single, sudden shift.
Soon we will stop joking about the “year of mobile” and recognise the decade not as the end destination of peak mobile engagement, but as the very beginning of a technology-mobilised world.
Originally published by IAB UK
Source: Zenith Media
Ebro India, the Indian arm of the Spanish food major, has appointed Publicis India as its creative agency.
The account was won after a multi-agency pitch and will be managed by the New Delhi office of Publicis India.
The agency has been mandated to create and execute forward-thinking communication for the food major in India. To begin with, it would work towards evolving a robust communication strategy for its leading pasta brand, Panzani. The brand would be launching several products under the Panzani umbrella in India.
Ebro Foods is the world's largest trader/miller of rice and the second biggest producer of pasta. Headquartered in Spain, it has commercial and industrial presence in more than 80 countries in Europe, America, Asia and Africa through its network of subsidiaries and brands.
Commenting on the appointment, JP Laborde, MD, Ebro India said: “Panzani is the world’s second largest brand of Pasta having its presence in more than 50 countries. It is getting inside Indian market with a whole range of pasta products with distinct product features, which will cut across all SECs. We are excited to put out our inaugural communication and create a high recall for the brand in India.”
Puneet Kapoor, Marketing Head, Ebro India added: “We were looking for a creative strategic partner on board who could help us strategize the brand communication and for that a multi-agency pitch was called wherein five agencies were invited and two agencies were shortlisted for the second round. Publicis came with an in-depth understanding of the brand’s strategic requirements and a contemporary and creatively cultivated approach to deliver the same.”
On winning the mandate, Sridharan Iyer, EVP & Head of Office, Publicis India said: “As more and more Indians recreate the experience of western cuisine at home today, we are extremely thrilled to partner Ebro Foods - one of the world’s largest pasta company, in the quest to make Panzani the most favoured pasta brand in India.”
With a view to leverage the fan frenzy that surrounds the return of a dance franchise as iconic as Dance India Dance and to create an exciting touch-point for viewers to feel actively included in the mass anticipation and countdown towards the launch of its seventh season, the marketing machinery of Zee TV has innovated yet again by partnering with the short video platform Tik-Tok.
With the latest season introducing an all-new format of weekly knock-outs much like a sports league where 16 dance champions representing the 4 zones of India will be pitted against each other in the #DanceKaJungistaan, the Tik Tok #DanceKaJungistan challenge invites fans to replicate the unique hook-steps choreographed by the coaches of the 4 zonal teams - North Ke Nawabs, East Ke Tigers, West Ke Singhams and South Ke Thalaivas as a sign of their support to their favourite zones on the show. In its first two hours of announcement, the dance challenge was viewed by over 25 million users across the globe and a week down, it has crossed a staggering 2 Billion Views and continues to receive entries from various age groups as the challenge has gone viral on the Tik-Tok app.
Prathyusha Agarwal, Chief Marketing Officer, ZEE commented, “The impact Dance India Dance, as a franchise, has had on the lives of countless aspiring dancers from every corner of the country stands testimony to its hallowed position as the singular game-changer for dance on Indian television. With the new season of Dance India Dance presenting audiences with a hyper-competitive format between the four zones of the country, we were keen to ride on a platform that lets fans take over the signature moves of each zone and make them their own and demonstrate their fandom for DID. With Tik Tok fast becoming the platform for mass creative expression and entertainment in India, it was the right avenue for democratizing the power of the DID stage and making it even more accessible. We are overwhelmed by the kind of response to our dance challenge and it only encourages us to further innovate and provide interactive experiences for our viewers.”
Sachin Sharma, Director, Sales and Partnerships, TikTok India said, “TikTok provides an opportunity to brands to connect with its target audience in the most entertaining and engaging way. Through 15-second short videos, everyone engaging on TikTok is making every second count." He further added, "We have seen a lot of dancers and choreographers making interesting content and sharing it with the community at large. The enormous success of ZEE TV’s #DanceKaJungistaan Dance Challenge is another example of how TikTok inspires users to share their passion and creative expression through their videos. We look forward to finding more synergies with the team at Zee to promote their content on TikTok."
The exciting season kicked off with the judges trio - superstar Kareena Kapoor Khan, the King of Hooksteps and the Boss of Dance - Bosco Martis and the ultimate swag star – the reigning rapper with killer moves – Raftaar dancing up a storm in the grand premiere episode and the journey of Jungistan has barely begun. Stay tuned to the show on Zee TV at 8 PM every Sat-Sun for all this action and more!
Havas Group India has strengthened its leadership in India with the appointment of Ravinder Siwach as National Creative Director for Havas Creative, effective immediately.
In his new role, Siwach will lead the creative team and drive the next phase of growth for multiple brands under Havas Creative with a focus on further cementing the creative value proposition across all Havas Group India disciplines - creative, media, health, digital and design. He will report to Bobby Pawar, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Havas Group India.
Siwach joins Havas Group India from McCann Delhi, where he was the Executive Creative Director. He has over two decades of experience across agencies such as McCann, DDB Mudra, Contract and brands like Coke, Nestle, Nokia, Reebok to name just a few. Siwach is credited with several award-winning campaigns across national and international awards shows like Cannes, One Show, WARC, Adfest, Spikes Asia, Effies, Abbys and IAA Olive Crown. He has also served as a juror at Adfest and Goafest and is a guest lecturer at various management institutes.
Commenting on the appointment, Bobby Pawar, Group Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India said “Ravinder has been in this industry for almost two decades and he comes with a rich creative background and experience working on a cross-section of brands and categories. I had the opportunity to work with him in the past and I am confident that his strategic thinking and understanding of the evolving media landscape will take our creative capabilities and output to the next level.”
“I have always admired Bobby as a creative leader and as a human being and excited at the opportunity of working with him at Havas Group India. Havas Group is headed exactly in the direction the future of communication lies. Vivendi companies like Gameloft and Universal Music add depth to the Havas offering and vice-versa which is a huge differentiator in the industry. We have a vision in place at Havas and we are just going to go after it, ‘no holds barred, ” added Siwach.
The Times Group has been focussed on building a strong domain in Scripted Content. While the success of Junglee Pictures has already made a significant impact in Feature Film Entertainment, Times Studios Originals had also been set up with a clear intent to develop Digital Video Content of relevance to all streaming platforms.
The Times Group has now announced the consolidation of these two businesses under unified leadership. They have appointed Amrita Pandey as CEO of both Junglee Pictures & Times Studios Originals.
Amrita is an experienced movie industry professional and M&E leader, with a career spanning over 16 years at UTV and The Walt Disney Company. Across her career, she has managed the Studio P&L of the then largest Indian Studio (UTV, then Disney) and has been an integral part of creative and greenlighting decisions. She has set up and run the content distribution business for the company, managed theatrical marketing & distribution and built strong relationships within the creative community.
She has worked on over 200 movies across languages, including iconic films like Rang De Basanti, Jodhaa Akbar, Barfi, Life in a Metro, Rowdy Rathore, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, No One Killed Jessica, Kai Po Che, Chennai Express, Kaminey, PK, Haider, ABCD, Dangal and many more. Her team set box office benchmarks not just in India but also in markets like China, North America and Korea.
Alongside her Studio role, Amrita also led the Content & Channels Distribution role for the South East Asia and India regions for Disney. She was responsible for driving digital and streaming service partnerships, including Disney’s first content deals in the region with Netflix, Amazon, Jio and Hotstar.


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Well this is kind of awkward. Despite leaving Miami in the dust this past offseason, it looks like there will be a "South Beach" colorway of the Nike LeBron 12.
Yes, the "South Beach" colorways of LeBron's signature sneakers have been highly successful, so we see why the Swoosh would want to make another one. However, judging by the general consensus in Heat land right now, a Miami-inspired LeBron shoe just seems a bit odd. Here's to hoping that LeBron laces them up for the Cavs Christmas Day matchup against the Heat in Miami.
Check out early images of the Nike LeBron 12 "South Beach " below and keep it with Sneaker Report as more details emerge regarding the shoe, including a release date.


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Vivo X Fold S foldable Smartphone Tipped: A vivo foldable could be introduced the following month, according to a tip from Digital Chat Station. The X Fold S, a new Vivo foldable, is one of several phones that the OEM plans to release soon. The next foldable is anticipated to compete with the Mix Fold 2, Mate Xs 2, and Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Since the introduction of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, there has been a lot of activity in the foldable smartphone market. The design and usability of these foldable display smartphones have significantly improved as a result of the emergence of numerous companies. Foldable phone hinges are now more robust, and there are fewer wrinkles to be seen. Consequently, when it debuts in September, the Vivo X Fold S will be a part of a growing field.
iQOO, a Vivo subsidiary brand, is also anticipated to debut certain models shortly. Among other things, the iQOO-Z6 will enable 80W fast charging and 5G network connectivity. The MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ SoC will power the iQOO Neo7, although details on the two phones’ complete specifications and availability have not yet been made public. The two iQOO smartphones are anticipated to be released by the end of 2022.
Other Vivo products, including the X90 series, are scheduled to go on sale in 2022. The tipper also said that some upcoming Vivo items would be related to Qualcomm’s next-generation chipset announcement in November.


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Millions of people use Apple’s iTunes service to sync their music to their iPod or iPhone. Now online music service Spotify has launched a service to take on iTunes, as an alternative to the Apple run offering.
BBC News are reporting the new service begins today, and some of the premium services that Spotify offer will be made available to non paying members. The company is also trying to convince its customers to port their music playlists into Spotify instead of iTunes.
It remains to be seen how successful the service will be considering the size of iTunes, and its integration with devices made by Apple. The free service is ad-supported and also allows users to sync music tracks with Android handsets.
Spotify are trying to make its service the only one used by its ten million users. Previously users who paid the monthly fee of £5 to £9.99 were allowed to import music from their iTunes account into Spotify. This service is believed an attempt to please users who were annoyed by the recent restrictions imposed on the music store.
Users can also create their own edited playlists thanks to recent agreements with record labels. Spotify will now offer new bundles of tracks at discounted prices. These start at £7.99 for ten tracks and go up to £50 for one hundred tracks.
Will use the new service from Spotify?


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The progress of the global parenteral nutrition market is based on the high prevalence of chronic conditions across the globe. The rise in cancer, AIDS, diabetes, Crohn’s disease, gastro-intestinal disorders, and short bowel syndrome cases has also led a growth in the consumption of parenteral nutrition in the recent years. The World Health Organization (WHO) affirmed this fact with statistics indicating that there will be a 70% rise in the number of new cancer cases between 2025 and 2035. The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America also provided grim figures indicating that there will be 70,000 new cases of Crohn’s disease each year. Thus, the rising health complications will propel the demand for parenteral nutrition across health facilities.
These supportive factors are expected to create an opportunity for this market, which will be worth US$6,874.1 million by 2023 as compared to US$5,023.2 million in 2017. Between the years 2017 and 2023, this market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.4%.
North America Accounted for Over 40% of the Parenteral Nutrition Market in 2014
North America was the leading geographical segment in the global parenteral nutrition market as of 2017, accounting for nearly 40.3% of the total demand share. The high rate of approvals from the U.S. FDA and supportive insurance policies that cover expenditure on parenteral nutrition are expected to keep this region in the leading position during the forecast period. The North America parenteral nutrition market that comprises the U.S. and Canada will also be driven by rising number diabetes and cancer cases. Furthermore, companies are also trying to expand their operations in Canada to gain a stronger foothold by meeting the unmet needs of the patients.
Meanwhile, the parenteral nutrition market in Asia Pacific is expected to surge at the highest pace of 7.0% CAGR between 2017 and 2023. The emerging economies and developing pharmaceutical markets of countries such as China, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand amongst others are expected to encourage the growth of this market within Asia Pacific. The rising cases of preterm birth, which leads to malnutrition is the prime reason for rising consumption of parenteral nutrition in Asia Pacific.
Single Dose Amino Acid Solutions Nutrients is Most Attractive Product Segment
Out of all the products available in the global parenteral nutrition market, the single dose amino acid solutions nutrient segment captured a significant share of 34.3% in 2017. Research indicates that this segment will be the leading nutrient segment as several leading players are introducing unique amino acid-based PN products. The abundant availability of these products is expected to be the main reason for their soaring success in the forecast period. Reports also suggest that the parenteral lipid emulsion nutrient segment will grow at the highest CAGR of 5.9% amongst all other nutrient segments between 2017 and 2023.
The leading players shaping the vendor landscape of the global parenteral nutrition market are Sichuan Kelun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Allergan plc (Actavis plc), Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, Grifols S.A., Baxter International, Inc., Claris Lifesciences Limited, and B. Braun Melsungen AG, Pfizer, Inc. (Hospira, Inc.) amongst others. Companies are trying to seek approvals for their new parenteral nutrition formulations from concerned authorities such as the U.S. FDA to launch new products in the market. This effort is focused at both grabbing new market shares and providing for the deficit of parental nutrition in developing regions.
Global Parental Nutrition Market: Overview
Malnutrition poses a great risk to human life. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that malnutrition forms the reason for 11 percent of the diseases prevailing across the world. Moreover, the rising occurrence of malnutrition can lead to the emergence of problems such as food insecurity and political unrest. Therefore, the increasing incidence coupled with the rising concerns is promoting the uptake of parental nutritional.
This report serves with a 360-degree view of the global parental nutrition market by providing insights into all important aspects, including trends and opportunities, nutrient type and regional segmentation, and vendor landscape.
Global Parental Nutrition Market: Drivers and Restraints
The growing incidence of chronic diseases such as ischemic bowel disease, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, Crohn’s disease, and cancer is one of the primary growth stimulants of the global market. In addition, the burgeoning count of malnourished children, especially in developing and less developed countries, is escalating the development of the parental nutrition market. Furthermore, the widening base of geriatrics across the globe is also stoking the growth of the market, since aged people are more likely to suffer from the deficiency of several essential nutrients.
On the flip side, the upward rise of the market is marred by the rising health risks incurred due to improper monitoring. Various cases of unexplained gaining of weight, allergic reactions, muscle pain, and shortness of breath have been reported after the uptake of parental nutrition. Furthermore, a study by The American Society for Nutrition states that consistent utilization of parenteral nutrition therapy may lead to metabolic complications and liver diseases.
Global Parental Nutrition Market: Geographical Segmentation
From the geographical standpoint, the report classifies the global parenteral nutrition market into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. North America will continue to be the frontrunner in the global arena until 2023. The growth of the region can be attributed to the favorable reimbursement scenario. The U.S. and Canada will be key revenue contributors to the region. The expanding pool of patients suffering from cancer and diabetes and growing geriatric population are triggering the adoption of parental nutrition in these countries. Furthermore, the increasing efforts by regional players to expand their operations within Canada is working in favor of the North America parenteral nutrition market.
On the other hand, Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the most promising region, progressing at a noteworthy 7.0% CAGR during the review period. The flourishing growth of the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in countries such as Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, China, and India, is augmenting the growth of the region. Besides this, the mounting cases of preterm birth, resulting in increased cases of malnutrition is also contributing to the growth of the region.
Global Parental Nutrition Market: Competitive Landscape
The majority of players in the global parental nutrition market are aiming at enhancing their line of products and expanding manufacturing facilities to ensure utmost safety and quality of their offerings. Market participants are also focusing towards entering into strategic joint ventures in order to consolidate their position in the market. Some of the key companies operating in the global parental nutrition market are Baxter International Inc., Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, Sichuan Kelun Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Allergan plc. (Actavis plc.), Grifols S.A., and Pfizer Inc.
Key Segments of the Global Parenteral Nutrition Market
- Global Parenteral Nutrition Market, By Type of Nutrient
- Parenteral Lipid Emulsion
- Single Dose Amino Acid Solutions
- Trace Elements
- Vitamins and Minerals
- Global Parenteral Nutrition Market, by Geography
- North America
- Rest of Europe
- Asia Pacific
- South Korea
- Rest of APAC
- Latin America (LATAM)
- Rest of LATAM
- Middle East and Africa (MEA)
- Rest of MEA
- North America


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HARD Day of the Dead Announces 2015 Lineup Feat. Skrillex, Deadmau5, Gesaffelstein and More
Fresh off the conclusion of another successful edition of HARD Summer, the Gary Richards (aka Destructo) led HARD Presents has unveiled the lineup for the 2015 installment of Day of the Dead. As the festival has done with each passing year, they are providing a wide array of the industry's biggest names, as well as the most promising up and coming acts to perform at the two-day event, which will be taking place on Saturday, October 31and Sunday, November 1 at Southern California's Fairplex. Check out the full performing lineup above, and purchase your tickets for HARD Day of the Dead at Ticketmaster.


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Children are curious, they want to know what is going on in everything they see. Unfortunately, they are not aware of the danger that comes along with their curiosity and it’s the parents responsibility to make sure that they are safe while being curious.
Statistics from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that in every 2 weeks 1 child dies because of fallen electrical appliances and furnitures. The video below might actually save a child’s life though as simple as it may look, lots of parents still don’t know the danger that comes with these electrical appliances and furnitures.
more info: cpsc


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September 14th, 2015
Nashville-based multi-media company Ramsey Solutions, led by nationally syndicated Talk radio host, bestselling author and entrepreneur Dave Ramsey, is marking several major milestones this year, including passing $100 million in annual revenues for the first time ever.
Additionally, Ramsey’s book, The Total Money Makeover, recently passed 5 million copies sold, while the Ramsey Solutions online budgeting tool and app EveryDollar has already logged over 500,000 users in just five months since its launch.
More than 500 team members already make up the Ramsey Solutions family (voted one of the Nashville Business Journal’s ‘Best Places to Work’ eight times), with Dave announcing today he plans toadd some 180 new staffers over the next 12 months. Meanwhile, Ramsey (left) has also unveiled plans to close on 47 acres in Williamson County, TN., where he’ll develop a campus that will feature three 200,000 square foot office buildings and a 50,000 square foot conference center when completed.
“God has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams,” said Ramsey, CEO of Ramsey Solutions. “When I started the company 23 years ago I was selling a self-published book out of the trunk of my car, trying to get a radio show off the ground and teaching our financial classes at night using an overhead projector.
I never imagined five New York Times best-sellers, 500 team members and a collection of digital products. It is truly an honor to work with a world-class team and do work that matters every day.” Ramsey fans will not be surprised to learn that ever since he founded the company back in 1992, it has been completely “debt free” every single year.


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New guidelines are on the way for school meals, and AISD has already been cooking up changes.
"We're well positioned and ready for next school year," Brent Hoover, AISD Food Service Director said.
Changing USDA regulations have meant continued adjustments to school meals for districts around the country.
Under the newest guidelines, local kids will be required to take one fruit or vegetable at any meal they eat at school.
All bread products will go from 50 to 100 percent whole grain.
Additionally, some of the ala cart items will get slashed from the lunch line.
"There will be some things we can't offer, but we're looking for alternative products that the kids like through surverys and stuff like that," Hoover said.
But Hoover says, AISD, they knew changes were coming and tried to plan ahead.
"Since we've been ahead of that curve especially here at AISD, is that we don't, we're not going to see a big change as far as our core menu because we've been anticipating these changes for many years," Hoover said.
North Korea claims it fired a new type of ballistic missile Monday,…
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Honoring our hometown heroes and remembering their sacrifice is the…


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Baltimore is joining the ranks of world-class cities in at least one regard: astronomical rent increases for housing.
In July, the average monthly rent bill cost $1,684 in Greater Baltimore, an 11.9 percent spike from July 2011, according to market research firm Zillow Inc. Only Chicago (12.6 percent) and Providence, R.I., (12.1 percent) had higher year-over-year increases.
Nationally, rent increased 5.4 percent over the previous year to an average of $1,278.
Zillow attributed the higher rent prices to “continued high foreclosure levels in these markets, which increases rental demand, as well as consumer reluctance to buy when home values continue to fall.”
Baltimore slid 1.3 percent on Zillow’s Home Value Index, which indicates the average Greater Baltimore home is worth $217,300.
The average rent payment is greater than $2,000 in at least four metropolitan areas: San Francisco ($2,475), Los Angeles ($2,289), San Diego ($2,092) and Washington, D.C. ($2,076). The Zillow report did not include rent data from New York City.


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B&N’s woes could open up prime real estate
If the final chapter of the Barnes & Noble story is written, the retailer’s demise could empty out about 500,000 square feet of prime real estate in 18 Massachusetts communities.
CEO William Lynch recently resigned in the wake of a staggering $475 million loss that the New York-based company reported for the past year on its Nook eReader business.
Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) said last month that it would exit its Nook color tablet business to reduce the risks associated with it. However, the company will continue to oversee the creation of its black-and-white eReaders and to sell Nook-branded color tablets in its stores, as well as eReader content. The bookseller had banked on the success of its Nook digital business, but the losses last year easily wiped out the profits that were generated at its bookstores.
“I don’t think there’s a future for the Barnes & Noble bookstore,” said Leon Nicholas, an analyst at Kantar Retail in Boston. “I just don’t think anybody needs a book, today, right now — and therefore, I don’t need to go to a store, I can get it online and often for less. It’s not like you have a headache and need an aspirin now.”
Nicholas said Barnes & Noble is hurting its business by trying to maintain a brick-and-mortar business model with 675 stores nationwide, even though the company has confirmed plans to close as many as 20 stores a year over the next decade. “If they’re using the money for operating expenses in its stores, they can’t invest that cash in online which is what Amazon is doing,” Nicholas said. “Part of the problem for Barnes is they’re still trying to maintain two different business models, stores and online, and it’s not working.”
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It’s not a good day over at the Lee Carter Company of San Francisco.
It was reported earlier that one of their products, a baby rattle, was facing a recall. But apparently that’s not the end of their troubles.
The company has also just recalled a product called Super Luchamania Action Figures. The reason? Levels of lead paint were excessive, as reported by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
About 7,000 packs of the figures were affected by the recall. The figures came in packs of 12 and were sold between $12 and $14 at various craft stores across the country between June 2000 and October 2011. They were originally manufacture in Mexico.
The figures are multi-colored plastic wrestlers with plastic capes. They’re about four inches tall. The words “Super Luchamania” are printed at the top of the package.
No injuries have been reported, but nevertheless, parents should take the toys away and send them back to the Lee Carter Company for a refund.
As a Ventura personal injury lawyer, it’s sad to see a recall on a product that has been widely available for ten years. Still, better late than never. Parents need to always be aware of how safe the products they give their children are. You never know when a toy as seemingly innocuous as an action figure will slip through the cracks and pose a danger. I’m a personal injury lawyer in Ventura, and I can attest that sometimes even little things can pose a big hazard.


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Costa Rica seeks accords with Korea and Colombia
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Costa Rica plans to start negotiating free trade agreements with South Korea and Colombia this year and complete an accord with members of the European Free Trade Area by October, the country’s trade minister, Anabel Gonzalez, said.
Central America’s second-biggest economy has completed two rounds of negotiations with the European Free Trade Area, comprising Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Lichtenstein, said Gonzalez.
Foreign direct investment in Costa Rica rose 52 percent to a record $1.56 billion in the first nine months of 2011 on increased spending by technology and telecommunications companies.


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Albany, NY...Today the Governor signed into law nation-leading legislation introduced by the two Agriculture Chairs in the State Legislature, Senator Jen Metzger and Assemblymember Donna Lupardo, regulating the production and marketing of hemp extract in New York State. The 2018 Farm Bill removed cannabidiol, known as CBD, from the Controlled Substances Act, creating new opportunities for New York farmers and businesses. The state law establishes the necessary regulatory framework for hemp extract production, processing, and commerce in the state, updating the hemp permitting process and regulating the extract industry through production standards, testing, and labeling, creating needed industry certainty while also protecting consumers.
Metzger’s bill and the Assembly’s companion legislation, carried by Assemblymember Donna Lupardo, were both passed in the legislature on the final day of the 2019 session.
“Today, New York has taken a nation-leading step forward to create the framework for growing, processing, and selling hemp extract and related products in our state, providing a tremendous opportunity for our farmers and businesses up the value chain while ensuring that we have the standards needed to protect consumer safety and well-being,” said Senator Metzger (SD-42). “As the Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I am thrilled to partner on this legislation with my counterpart in the Assembly, Donna Lupardo, and thank the Governor for his support of this important legislation.”
“I want to thank Senator Metzger for soliciting and considering all our input in crafting this bill. The Governor’s approach, with the Senator’s help, will make NY hemp the best quality and the most sought after product in the country,” said Warwick Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton.
Gail Hepworth, CEO of Hempire State Growers, a farmer-focused cooperative consisting of over 30 multi-generational farmers from the Mid-Hudson Valley said, “The hemp bill aligns well with our mission to build replicable, ethical, and sustainable practices in agriculture that significantly support the local economy and ecosystem of the Hudson Valley. Senator Metzger and Assemblywoman Lupardo have been instrumental in ensuring that the interests of New York farmers are represented in their bill, which will provide a framework to allow farmers to actively contribute to and benefit from the development and expansion of the hemp industry and help establish the Hudson Valley as a world-class CBD region. Considering the uncertain Federal regulatory environment, it’s critical that New York takes leadership on this issue.”
“The new hemp bill will give New York farmers a competitive edge in the hemp industry. It will allow for regulated and quality products to be produced, focusing on New York-grown hemp. This will set New York apart from other states in the country. I thank Senator Metzger and others for their hard work putting this legislation in place,” said Mark Rogowski, who owns and operates S&SO Produce Farms in Goshen.
“We applaud the NY state hemp legislation sponsored by Senator Metzger and Assemblywoman Lupardo. This bill will establish New York State as a role model for the rest of the Hemp/CBD industry in this country and establish guidelines necessary to insure the safe use of hemp derived CBD. It is a great day for the hemp industry,” said Tricia Horst and Rick Weissman, Co-founders of High Falls Hemp NY.
The main markets for industrial hemp are in the food and supplement market, the clothing industry, as building materials, and for bio-plastics and paper products. Hemp is protein-rich, high in Omega fatty acids and fiber. Regulation of hemp supplement and food products is important for making sure that consumers know what they are ingesting.