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With his bespoke pinstripe suits made of English wool, Old Bond Street shoes, Italian tie, flower power bracelets and sideburns, Stephan Winkelmann seems to have arrived straight from a baccarat table in a Bond flick. But, the German-born, Italy-raised paratrooper-turned-automobile poster boy embodies Lamborghini’s raging bull image. He has never been a conformist, having done things often not in tune with traditional Italian taste. For one, he has added German precision to the Italian marquee brand’s panache, speed and power. On his second visit to India, he wants to shake things up among the super-luxe sports car lovers.
Who said the urge to make a statement would succumb to the slowdown? But, to be realistic, even a Rs 2-5 crore Lamborghini is not recession-proof. Punitive taxation and zero infrastructure make it even tougher to broad-base the market. But “lights are always brighter than shadows”, quipped the 48-year-old president and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini as he settled in for an exclusive chat. “Our strategy is not linked to a year or a region but to a process, partners and a plan. We don’t want to rush.”
That’s quite evident as after six years of finding a toehold in India with a single dealer in Delhi, Lamborghini has finally reached the Maximum City. But the “I” in its BRICS roll-out is very strategic. Along with the second dealership, the company — a subsidiary of Audi — is setting up a national sales team with a dedicated head of India operations, Pavan Shetty, for a 360-degree organisational approach. That means it will no longer be relying on importers, probably the first among the global super car brands to do so.
MORE ON PAGE 2>>


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Hard Brexit Is The Best Way To Fight Global Protectionism
International commerce is stalling. The growth in exports of goods and services is this year set to fall below the overall expansion of global GDP for the first time in 15 years. Myopic politicians, ignoring the lessons of history, are succumbing to the siren calls of protectionism. The world economy is becoming more insular.
The World Trade Organization, the most important trade body on earth, just slashed its 2016 forecast for the increase in total international commerce from 2.8pc to 1.7pc – well short of its 2.2pc estimate for the growth of the world economy as a whole.
This will mark the first time the share of trade in global economic activity has fallen since 2001 – when terrorist atrocities in New York led to a lock-down on inter-continental travel and financial flows, bringing cross-border commerce to a shuddering halt. Actual trade volumes are set to fall this year to their lowest level since 2009, the epicentre of the global financial crisis.
This worrying trade slowdown is partly because, across the world, investment is sluggish and corporate debt is high and rising. Despite years of low interest rates and central bank money-printing – or perhaps because of them – countless businesses, large and small, are delaying international ambitions, as financial markets remain on edge.
Less remarked upon is the rise in the imposition of myopic, politically-driven barriers to imports. The number of discriminatory trade measures introduced worldwide in 2015 was 50pc up on the year before according to the Global Trade Alert database – an astonishing rise. The proposed Trans Pacific Partnership between 12 countries around the Pacific Rim – the engine-room of global growth – now looks doomed. Parallel EU-US negotiations, meanwhile, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, have been declared “dead” by both sides.
As anti-globalization sentiment rises, political leaders are reaching for easy, yet ultimately deeply counter-productive, solutions. Both candidates in next month’s US presidential election are now actively campaigning against free trade – a first in post-War American history. Now the WTO itself is ringing the alarm bells, warning that protectionism is growing at “at an accelerating rate”. This is the backdrop against which the UK is navigating its exit from the European Union.
There is widespread carping that the government “lacks a plan for Brexit”. Yet given that we’re embroiled in an extremely complex and ever-changing situation, involving 27 countries, each with their own commercial lobbies and electorates, any detailed Brexit roadmap would be obsolete before it was written. This was always, and by necessity, going to be an iterative process.
And anyway, even as the government engages in the initial post-referendum skirmishes, and processes the information they yield, it makes no sense for ministers to broadcast their endgame from the rooftops. To think otherwise is naïve in the extreme. To publicly argue otherwise is to display a woeful lack of business and strategic acumen.
While the government should mostly keep schtum, then, and its political opponents should understand why (some hope), the role of commentators is to both speculate and suggest with regards to what will actually happen. So let me put my neck on the line and state that, based on the political and diplomatic exchanges we’ve seen since the June referendum, and numerous conversations I’ve had with those involved in the UK and abroad, I think the least worst option – economically and politically, for the UK and the world in fact – is a “hard Brexit”.
There are three basic “Brexit” outcomes. The first is a relatively easy, off-the-shelf solution under which Britain joins the European Economic Area – the so-called “Norwegian model”. The trouble is being in the EEA involves continuing our large, multi-billion pound annual payment to Brussels. It also entails being forced to accept numerous EU rules and regulations – including “freedom of movement”.
While many wise people advocate the EEA option as a “staging post”, my concern is that, if we go down that route, we’ll get stuck. That would amount to a betrayal of British voters. A sizeable slice of the 17.5m who voted Leave did so in part because they wanted their elected representatives to control our laws and borders. On that score, EEA doesn’t deliver.
The second option is to invoke Article 50, then use the subsequent 2-year window to negotiate a bespoke UK deal. This has benefits. As the world’s fifth-largest economy, with a £60bn trade deficit with the EU, we can surely get a better deal than Norway – with due respect to my Norwegian readers and friends.
The “Bespoke UK” option, though, would involve a long, drawn-out negotiation – which could last well beyond 2 years, given that we may not pull the Article 50 trigger until after French and German elections in 2017. That would maximize business uncertainty and hinder investment – risking Brexit doing economic damage before it starts doing economic good.
In the current protectionist environment, with some European electorates in particular growing more restive, not last given the high unemployment stemming from euro membership a multi-year UK-EU negotiation will end up not only becoming extremely bad-tempered, but could result in prolonged gridlock. That wouldn’t only make uncertainty semi-permanent, doing serious damage to both the UK and the EU as a place to do business. It would also see voters on both sides of the Channel holding their heads in despair at the rank incompetence of their leaders.
So I favour the third option – a short Parliamentary bill absolving the UK of its EU obligations while carrying over EU statute applying to Britain into domestic law. We then send our Article 50 letter and leave.
Under such a “Hard Brexit” the UK would trade with the EU under WTO rules. EU countries wouldn’t dare to break those – as we’d take them to WTO arbitration and win. WTO rules aren’t a disaster for Britain – far from it. They currently govern our trade with countries including the US and China that make up the 85pc of the world economy outside the EU. The non-EU accounts for almost 60pc of UK trade and rising, of course. While we have a huge EU deficit, with the non-EU we run a £30bn surplus – all under WTO rules.
Hard Brexit means leaving the single market – a deeply imperfect set of rules that discriminates against the services in which the UK excels. The EU tariffs we’d face are in the low single digits. On manufactured goods that average 2.4% – far less than the recent fall in sterling. And that’s a worse case scenario. The importance of the UK to German carmakers, French food producers and the rest of them means we should be able to negotiate tariffs down further.
Hard Brexit is relatively quick – taking months, not years. That minimizes business uncertainty. Our EU contribution would immediately stop. The wholesale “on-shoring” of EU laws and regulations means the Parliamentary opponents of Brexit can’t object as, in the short term, nothing will have changed. It would then be our MPs, our ministers, our trade unions and civil society can then, over a period of time, decide what EU-sourced legislation we keep and what goes overboard. That is how is should be.
And, thankfully, under “Hard Brexit”, no-one could argue for a sneaky, “second referendum on the deal”, with status quo EU membership back on the ballot. That because “the deal” – Britain’s future – would be determined, in our own time, in our own way, in our own Parliament. That is democracy. That is the UK’s defiant, trail-blazing answer to rising global protectionism. That is Brexit.

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|On the scene: keeping afloat in a sea of mobile trends||| Print ||
|On the Scene|
|Tuesday, December 06, 2011|
By Emma Hall
As smartphones have become more affordable, mobile advertising has hit an all-time high. The possibilities for mobile marketing have a broad reach for many countries, where for some people a smartphone is their first access to the Internet. In the U.S., apps have become a part of daily life to many people. The average person uses 15 apps each month, yet the average lifespan of an app is only one month—barring the big kahunas like Facebook or weather apps. As of January/February 2011, smartphone users spent an average of 40 hours each month using apps.
This ballooning market means that changes are happening so quickly, it is hard for even the experts to keep up. Currently, an estimated $3 billion is being spent on mobile advertising annually, a number that is projected to reach $21 billion in the next few years. It is a lucrative market where currently one of two users takes some sort of action after viewing a mobile ad.
These issues were addressed at a recent Innovation in Motion, a monthly gathering in downtown Portland to discuss interactive marketing and online innovation. Held on the first Thursday of each month at Haypenny Marketing, December’s meeting was “Mobile on the Move: 2012 Trends and Beyond.” Moderated by Haypenny Marketing’s Kevin Long, the panel was comprised of three heavyweights in the Portland mobile marketing world: Ben Leftwich, account executive at Anvil Media, Dave Shanley, founder and CTO at CrowdCompass, and Scott Townsend, marketing manager at Urban Airship.
As mobile marketing becomes more widespread and users are increasingly inundated with mobile ads, this number is bound to go down, Leftwich says. With so many potential consumers to be reached, there is a huge fight brewing between apps (Apple) and the mobile web (Google). Mobile search has increased more than 30 times since the release of the first iPhone. The top sites visited on the mobile web are currently:
1. Search engine sites
2. Social media (mostly Facebook)
3. Retail sites (mostly Amazon and eBay)
So what’s next for mobile innovation? The panelists agreed that local search is becoming more and more important. They advised attendees to claim their Google Places page and Bing Local listing. “That’s the No. 1 thing you can do as a small business owner,” says Leftwich.
As smartphone users become more savvy, they don’t want an app from every business that just promotes one company. In order to stay relevant, apps are going to have to become more useful, such as the Nike+ app that maps your runs, or Weber’s On the Grill app that provides recipes and techniques for barbequing. “Not everyone needs a native app,” says Townsend.
Emma Hall is the web editor for Oregon Business.
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Oregon Business magazine's 5th annual
100 Best Green Companies to Work For in Oregon
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
From Oregon Translational Research and Development Institute: OTRADI today announced its plans to open and operate a 13,000 square-foot multi-tenant bioscience complex in the Willamette Wharf building at 4640 SW Macadam Avenue. Slated to be complete in spring 2013, the OTRADI Bioscience Incubator (OBI) will house up to six companies.
MEDIAmerica, publisher of Oregon Business and Oregon Home magazines, announces a new retail website: HalfOffOregon.com. The website offers lodging, dining, recreation and many other items at half off their regular cost.
As you probably know by now, The Vernon Company is a national leader in the promotional products industry with annual sales of over $60 million. We are a family owned business, led by the fourth generation of the Vernon family.


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Kuli Kuli is the leading moringa brand in the US. Moringa is a naturally energizing leafy green packed with protein, antioxidants and vitamins. Kuli Kuli sources only the highest quality, most nutritious moringa through direct relationships with family farmers and women’s cooperatives around the world. Kuli Kuli’s moringa powders, bars and wellness shots are sold in 11,000 stores nationwide.
Superfood Smoothie MixRequest Access to Edit
Over the past decade, consumer interest in immunity boosting products and ingredients has been steadily on the rise. But the outbreak of the coronavirus has pushed that into overdrive: Between January and April, social posts mentioning “immunity” increased 134%, according to flavor provider FONA International.
The Checkout: Albertsons Moves Plated to Private Label, Honest Tea Co-Founder to Focus on Beyond Meat
Albertsons moves Plated to private label, Honest Tea co-founder to focus on Beyond Meat, Mondelez studies snacking and more in this week’s Checkout.
When moringa-based food and beverage brand Kuli Kuli launched onto the market in 2014, its founder and CEO Lisa Curtis claims “virtually no one” had heard of the superfood plant. Today, Kuli Kuli launched in 2,500 Walmart locations, a significant gain in its ongoing efforts to make this lesser known ingredient appeal to the mainstream consumer.
Moringa-based food and beverage brand Kuli Kuli announced yesterday it has raised $5 million in a Series B round co-led by product development company Griffith Foods and previous investor eighteen94 capital, the venture capital arm of the Kellogg Company.
No retailers or e-commerce options have been specified for this brand


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CNET's Luke Westaway tries the new House of Marley Liberate headphones
NASA says the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite aboard Curiosity, which explores molecular and elemental chemistry relevant to life, has made a big discovery.
This handy and free iOS app lists the 12 fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues.
A new report says the two gadget companies are evaluating solar tech, something Samsung's already done in a handful of gadgets.
Harvest Power raises $51.7 million to build plants that turn food scraps and yard waste into renewable energy or compost.
Kill em all with CleanWell, says the organic hand sanitizing company.
The Kodak OLED Wireless Frame brings the picture quality of organic LEDs to your snapshots, along with the wonder of wireless taking you online
Organic plastic? Fantastic, say investors in Minneapolis-based Segeits.
Sony is demoing a 27-inch OLED TV at CES, but it's not releasing any firm details on exactly when we'll be able to get our grubby little mitts on one


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New App ‘means to deliver profitable advice to lower value clients’
Distribution Technology is in the final stages of testing Dynamic Planner AccessAdviceTM, a new application aimed at helping advisers profitably deliver an automated digital advised service to lower value clients.
Speaking at the company’s annual conference chief executive Ben Goss said the application is also a means for advisers to rise to the challenges being created by digital and online services by capitalising on their trusted brand.
While the industry had been dealing with a raft of changes over the past few years, Goss said, there were “more and bigger changes coming” which adviser firms could not ignore. The primary wave of change was the rapidly growing use of digital services by consumers.
He cited the exponential growth in the use of smartphones and more importantly, the increasing willingness and comfort of consumers to research and make purchases on their phones, as perhaps the most significant trend facing traditional financial services.
“Increasingly people are using their phones to transact. On average smartphone users use their phones twice as much as people use their PCs or laptops and a third of people use their smartphones to bank online”.
Digital change had wreaked havoc in other industries – including healthcare, legal services and the travel industry, he said. “Do we think our industry will be immune to this change that is sweeping across the globe?”
Advisers responding to change
Advisers were beginning to respond to the change, Goss said, with a recent Distribution Technology survey among its adviser clients showing that 88% would like to complete at least part of the advice service through a digital process, while 38% saying they would consider adopting automated, self-serve tools over the next 12-18 months.
While most adviser firms had been actively repositioning their business models to serve the higher value client and in consequence, were actively turning down and offloading less profitable or loss making clients, and there had been a growth in DIY investing, Goss said, the evidence was that the largest consumer market consisted of people who do not want to go the DIY route and wanted someone to help them research and make decisions but were unable to afford the time or cost of a full advice service.
He cited ONS and FCA figures showing that there were around 15 million households with between £1,000 and £100,000 to invest.
“We see this as the way the industry is moving and we need to give you the tools to respond to it,” he told the audience.
What the application offers
Goss said the new software, Dynamic Planner AccessAdviceTM, is a research and recommendation tool that will enable consumers to access advice in a fully regulated environment. It gives advisers the ability to configure their own rules and offer their own recommended portfolios using Dynamic Planner’s asset and risk model to ensure ongoing suitability and WealthConnect to enable advisers to check and submit transactions and for platform integration.
He added that the automated advice will be require a fraction of the input from the adviser needed in a full advice process and can be charged at a price that provides value for the client and profitable business for the adviser firm. It can be done in the adviser firm’s brand, to their service levels, using their products and platforms.
With a typical full advice process taking four to five hours to complete and costing over £350 “it means for small case sizes profits are marginal or loss making,” Goss said. “AccessAdvice takes the four to five hour process and sucks the time and cost out of it, and makes it more profitable for advisers to serve lower value clients.”
In the prototype demonstrated at the conference, Goss showed how the consumer is taken through a series of screens starting with the firm’s T&Cs and then given tools to assess their attitude to risk and capacity for loss. Information can be flowed into the advisers back office, and it is intended that portfolio tracking will be available though the company’s MyPlanning software.
Initially the service will support ISA advice but the expectation is that it will be extended to cover more complex needs in the future, Goss said.
Distribution Technology has been testing the prototype with 50 firms and is opening an early adopter programme. Goss said the company would be assessing the implications of the FCA’s FAMR report in respect of the application and would roll out the programme later in the year. Any Distribution Technology clients who wanted to be involved in the programme should get in touch, he added.
“We think AccessAdvice can make a big difference to adviser firms and to the finances of the country,” Goss said.
Advisers ABR spoke to at the conference said they could see the service as a useful means to offer advice to their less profitable clients currently on their client banks.
They were unsure at that time how they might extend the service to the mass market, in particular where people in that market were largely unengaged with their finances.
One adviser who worked for a firm with both an advisory and an accountancy arm, said he could see it as a useful tool to efficiently and cost effectively service the clients they were obliged to take on as referrals from the accountancy arm, which they would not otherwise accept as advised clients because of their low value.
Visit the Dynamic Planner website


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France to End Disposal of $900M in Unsold Goods Each Year
Believe it or not, landfills around the world are being filled with unused goods that could otherwise be recycled. An article from June 2019 in the New York Times revealed that France has intentions to ban the destruction of unsold consumer products. This practice currently results in the disposal of new product that’s worth over $900 Million USD in the country each year. Manufacturers and retails will be required to reuse, recycle, or donate their goods by 2023 instead of disposing the items.
The main reason behind luxury brands such as Burberry burning thousands of dollars worth of their unsold goods is to maintain and preserve brand value. Burberry is not the only brand to destroy product rather than resell them for lower cost to another market.
This new bill that was debated by the government earlier in July could make destroying unsold goods a criminal offense that would result in financial penalties or prison time.
We applaud France’s effort to curb the disposal of unused goods. They’ve recently advocated for other environmental issues as well such as pledging to end the sale of vehicles that run on fossil fuels by 2040, and stopping the construction of a major commercial airport which would greatly impact the environment. The second hand retail industry is quickly growing – this could be a good fit for selling the slightly damaged or returned goods.
You can read the full article on the New York Times website by clicking here.


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Hackers apparently part of LulzSec Reborn and AntiSec have taken credit for breaching world renowned electronics manufacturer Philips. Same as the last time, the information published online is actually the one leaked in February 2012.
Philips representatives have confirmed for Softpedia that the files published by the hackers – containing 200,000 email addresses and other thousands of user details – are in fact the ones stolen earlier this year.
This isn’t the first time this month when hackers publish the old data, claiming that it’s part of a more recent breach. R00tBeer hackers did the same thing
“We immediately investigated and, at this time, all indications are that the information posted today is identical to the information accessed earlier this year when data was stolen from Philips websites,” Philips told us at the time.


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Travel technology specialist opens Hong Kong office and introduces new award-winning dynamic packaging and cruise solutions to the region.
Traveltek Group Ltd has made its debut in North Asia, introducing its dynamic packaging and cruise booking technology to a booming leisure travel market with strong growth potential.
The travel technology specialist has opened a regional office in Hong Kong,
headed up by experienced industry professional Simon Leung, who previously held senior roles with GDS providers Amadeus and Travelport in Asia and most recently ran his own travel technology consultancy in China.
Leung joins Traveltek as Business Development Manager North Asia. In this role, he is responsible for raising awareness of the benefits the company’s advanced technology can bring to travel agents, cruise specialists and tour operators in Hong Kong, Macau, China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.
Traveltek’s debut in North Asia is part of an ambitious global expansion plan and comes just weeks after the company opened a Middle East regional office in Dubai.
The company is growing its international footprint after securing an investment of £5.3 million from private equity fund manager YFM at the end of last year. Further expansion in key growth markets worldwide will soon be announced.
Traveltek’s dynamic packaging solutions promise the Asian travel industry a more efficient way of selling leisure travel, enabling travel professionals to hand-pick every component of a complex itinerary and sell it as one package, including flights, hotels, cruise, tours, transfers, car rental, attractions tickets and more.
The company’s cruise solutions are also new to the market, empowering cruise agents to package together pre- and post-cruise itineraries using a unified, web-based platform.
Traveltek partners can also take advantage of a single API connection to more than 300 global industry suppliers including consolidated cruise content from 190 of the world’s leading lines.
“Traveltek has the potential to revolutionise the way in which travel companies in North Asia sell travel,” said Leung.
“It is not only the first provider in the region to offer travel agencies the ability to dynamically package cruise with flights, accommodation and other ancillaries, but its API connection is new to the market too, giving travel companies access to multiple global suppliers on a single platform, providing huge cost savings.”
Traveltek also offers multi-channel distribution options – B2B, B2C, call centre, mobile, etc – and can display packages in multiple currencies and languages.
A back-office system that produces bookings reports and client documentation; a CRM that manages clients and enquiries; and a tour operating platform that controls pricing and distributes contracts are also part of the firm’s unrivalled portfolio.
Traveltek’s foray in Asia, the world’s fastest growing travel market, is well timed. World Travel Monitor data reveals outbound travel from the region increased 11% year on year during the first eight months of 2016, compared to a global average of 3.9%. Growth was led by China (+18%) followed by the Republic of Korea (+11%) – two of the key markets the company is targeting.
Holiday travel dominated in Asia, accounting for 81% of all trips, with bookings for sun-and-beach travel growing 20% between January and August 2016. Demand for countryside and city trips, as well as touring holidays, also picked up, with year-on-year increases of 15%, 8% and 2% respectively, demonstrating the need for the travel industry to create compelling packages and itineraries.
Asia’s cruise industry is growing rapidly, with passenger numbers from the region rocketing 40% from 774,536 in 2012 to 2.08 million in 2015, according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) figures. China was the biggest source market by far, accounting for 47.4% of total passenger volume.
In 2016, Chinese cruise passengers exceeded two million for the first time, according to the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association. This figure is expected to rise to 2.6 million in 2017, it added.
“There is still work to be done to educate the Asian travel industry about the potential of the cruise market, but as companies start to realise its revenue- and commission-earning benefits, Traveltek has a key role to play in providing the technology to help them maximise sales,” said Leung.
“Not only do we offer the Cruise Super Itineraries (CSI) solution, which enables agents to use select components of a custom cruise itinerary and sell them as one package, but our cruise content is second to none, providing in-depth detail on product, from cabin grades to their location on the deck – a great selling tool.”
The company is kicking off its launch in North Asia with a Traveltek Business Breakfast, which is scheduled for October. Local travel agents and key industry stakeholders will be invited to the event, which will include presentations from Traveltek, Scottish Development International’s Hong Kong office and a cruise industry professional.
Traveltek is also taking part in a number of high-profile events this month to raise awareness of its new North Asia operation and its industry expertise.
The company’s President and CEO, Kenny Picken, will be speaking at the Travolution Forum Asia in Macau on September 13th and Simon Leung will be speaking at the Smart Tourism Conference in Chengdu on September 14th.
Traveltek’s senior executive team is available for interviews.


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The goal, is to develop integrative marketing software and data solutions that allow car dealers to be successful.
Singapore, Singapore (PRWEB) February 01, 2013
The Singapore-based company announced today that sgCarMart.com, one of Singapore’s most profitable online companies as well as Singapore’s largest online car portal, has acquired a minority stake in Conversion Hub Marketing for an undisclosed sum. It’s the first outside investment ever for SGCM Pte Ltd, the 7-year-old company behind sgCarMart.com which currently attracts over 26 million visitors and generates over 430 million page views annually.
Conversion Hub Marketing's Managing Director, Joel Fu said the deal also calls for collaborating with sgCarMart.com, including tapping into the company’s customer base, data and exclusive access to their online distribution channels. That is expected to help Conversion Hub Marketing successfully expand beyond pure digital marketing solutions like SEO services and Facebook marketing, into software and data solutions catered specifically for the automotive industry.
sgCarMart.com enjoys 96% market share of the online car listing market in Singapore and generate more page views than the entire automotive industry combined.
Moving forward, Conversion Hub Marketing plans to work closely with sgCarMart.com early in the car purchase life cycle process to maximize sales potential for car dealers. The goal, said Joel, is to “develop integrative marketing software and data solutions that allow dealers to be successful.”
Data is crucial component of marketing decision. The vision is to provide a suite of online tools that provides evolutionary market analysis allowing car dealers to price, appraise and stock vehicles using the competitive market, quickly and accurately, arming car dealers with all the relevant information at their fingertips to keep a step ahead of their competition and on equal footing with their customers.
For example, knowing that 86% of every visitor who enquired on a Toyota Vios vehicle also enquired on a Nissan Latio can provide marketing insights into media placement decisions.
sgCarMart.com and Conversion Hub have had a long standing business relationship. Conversion Hub has been sgCarMart’s SEO partner in Singapore since their founding.
Conversion Hub Marketing holds a unique niche in the Singapore industry as not only one of the leading digital marketing agency, but also one with a vertically integrated model.
Unlike most other Singapore digital marketing agencies, Conversion Hub Marketing owns both a marketing agency and online media platforms. The vertically-integrated model, though rare in Singapore, is common in U.S.
About Conversion Hub Marketing
Conversion Hub Marketing is an approved S6 Government vendor for projects up to $3 million and serves as Digital Advisor to the Direct Marketing Association of Singapore (DMAS).
Conversion Hub delivers world-class online PR, social media marketing and seo solutions based on the premise of performance excellence and long-lasting results. Leveraging on their exclusive network of over 30 million social profiles and 25 thousand media points, Conversion Hub is the only agency to offer performance guarantees across all our marketing channels.
Headquartered in Singapore and with offices in Jakarta and Manila, Conversion Hub combines a decade of digital experience in online sustainability and marketing expertise, serving brands and government institutions such as Philips, Bayer, Microsoft, SingTel, National Heritage Board, Prime Minister Office, Public Service Commission, National University of Singapore and many others.
For more information, visit http://blog.conversion-hub.com/


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Deere & Co. raised its sales growth forecast for this year as the world's largest farm-equipment manufacturer reported stabilizing demand after years of tumbling sales.
The company topped sales and profit expectations in its fiscal first quarter with help from the sale of a portion of its distribution business for landscaping supplies.
The Moline, Ill.-based company offered a surprisingly upbeat outlook for equipment sales growth, even with continued weakness expected in the U.S. market that Deere dominates. The company predicted that sales of its farm and construction machinery will rise about 4% this year to about $24.3 billion, an improvement from the 1% expansion forecast in November. The company also bumped up its net income forecast to about $1.5 billion from $1.4 billion, implying earnings per share about $4.54. Analysts were expecting about $4.53.
Deere's revised outlook was driven by what it described as signs of stability in key markets for farm equipment, especially in Latin America, where demand has been surging lately. The company said it now expects sales of its farm equipment to increase by about 3% this year after earlier predicting a 1% increase.
For the quarter ended Jan. 29, sales of Deere's farm machinery were flat from a year earlier at $3.59 billion, while operating income rose 48% to $213 million with proceeds from the sale of a portion of the SiteOne distribution unit.
Deere predicted industrywide sales of farm machinery in the U.S. and Canada will fall by 5% to 10% this year. Lower prices for farm commodities have squeezed farmers' incomes, making them reluctant to purchase new tractors and harvesting combines. Demand has been falling since 2014.
Sales of Deere construction and forestry equipment dropped 6% during the quarter to $1.1 billion as operating income plunged 51% to $34 million. Despite the dismal start to the year, Deere forecast construction machinery sales will increase 7% this year, compared with a 1% increase seen previously. The company expects the improvement to be driven by moderate economic growth.
Over all for the first quarter, Deere reported a profit of $193.8 million, or 61 cents a share, down from $254.4 million, or 80 cents, a year earlier. The most recent quarter included a $94 million pretax charge related to employee separation programs.
Net sales fell 1.5% to $4.69 billion. Total equipment sales for the quarter rose 2% $5.62 billion. Analysts had forecast earnings of 55 cents with $4.68 billion of equipment sales.
Deere stock was recently up 1.7% at $111.14.
Imani Moise contributed to this article
Write to Bob Tita at firstname.lastname@example.org


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The animated preschool series is set to premiere in China on VOD platforms this spring.
ASIA–Entertainment One has partnered with VOD platforms Tencent, iQiYi and Youku to debut its popular animated series “PJ Masks” in China this spring.
Under the terms of the agreement, each VOD service will have access to screen the brand’s first season. Additionally, eOne is crafting a consumer products program for the brand, which will expand its global reach. “PJ Masks” currently boasts 600 licensees in multiple territories around the world.
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Digiday Research: Third-party data is a big problem in digital ad campaigns
At the Digiday Hot Topic UK: Data-Driven Publishing event last November in London, we sat down with over 20 advertising executives from major companies to better understand major challenges with using data in digital advertising. Check out our earlier research on brands’ plans to move marketing efforts in-house in 2018 here. Learn more about our upcoming events here.
- Thirty percent of respondents said unreliable third-party data was the biggest challenge when using data in digital campaigns.
- Eighty-two percent believe that third-party data is unreliable.
Unilever CMO Keith Weed urged the advertising world to address the murkiness and inefficiencies of the digital supply chain in his keynote address on Feb. 12 at the IAB Annual Leadership Meeting. In a conversation with Digiday, he emphasized what he calls the “three V’s“: viewability, third-party verification and value. While Weed raises important issues facing the industry, he neglects long-standing issues contributing to the “swamp” in which marketers often find themselves. According to a Digiday survey on the challenges with using data in digital campaigns, respondents said they have the most trouble with creating reliable audience segments and securing dependable third-party data.
Issues with third-party data and segmenting audience information have plagued digital advertising since its inception. Earlier Digiday research found that 8 in 10 advertisers don’t believe third-party data is reliable, and for good reason.
Major data management platform Lotame recently purged over 400 million profiles from its data pools after realizing they were bots and not real humans. At a more basic level, even binary gender data could be wrong. For example, a study by ChoiceStream found that about a third of the time, two third-party data providers disagreed about a user’s gender.
Marketers consistently view location data, an often employed type of third-party data, with skepticism. Long promised as a meaningful way to better target consumers, 94 percent of marketers in a Verve study reported struggling with location data, including its accuracy.
Publishers inadvertently contribute to the problem of unreliable third-party data. Much of a publisher’s audience data is leaked via programmatic exchanges to media buyers, who then merge it with their own third-party data to create cheaper lookalike audiences. This data, while less costly, is less precise than a publisher’s first-party data, further diluting the data available to advertisers.
Don’t expect third-party data to be cleaned up anytime soon. Because DMPs and their clients are incentivized to chase scale, they are often willing to accept a degree of data inaccuracy in exchange for being able to reach a larger audience. Now that Facebook is reducing the reach of brands and publishers on its platform, advertisers desperate for the scale and sophistication Facebook provided could turn to third-party data. Without Facebook’s organic reach, advertisers willing to increase their paid ad campaigns might tolerate the inadequacies of third-party data to maintain a presence with consumers.
Foot Locker is showcasing staffers, popular musicians through social media and digital out-of-home to appeal to Gen Z
The shoe store chain is doing so in order to strengthen the relationship between the company, its employees and its consumers, all while celebrating and driving sneaker culture globally.
Member ExclusiveDigiday+ Research check-in: Brands know recession is ahead, but are hopeful it will be shallow
Brands are showing a mix of pessimism and optimism when it comes to a recession -- most believe a recession is coming, but they also think it will be shallow, according to a Digiday+ Research survey.
Why the World Cup adds to, rather than eases, all that ails Twitter
User conversations might be on the up, but the platform is still an advertising ghost town, despite the fact that the biggest sporting event in the world is happening now.
SponsoredWhy cookie deprecation is deflating performance and inflating costs for advertisers
With the full deprecation of third-party cookies on the horizon, advertisers and publishers are navigating a challenging and quickly evolving landscape. The sunset of the third-party cookie continues as usage and lifetimes fall. Their deprecation is preventing brands from effectively measuring the effectiveness of media campaigns in real-time at highly granular levels. As the industry […]
Arm & Hammer enlists TikTok influencers to help millennials, Gen Z with holiday laundry
Arm & Hammer is looking to stand out on TikTok during the holidays by creating content in collaboration with actor, cook and dad David Burtka and other influencers.
Why Shutterstock is betting on generative AI for the future of stock images
Shutterstock has begun experimenting with using generative AI, an emerging innovation that lets people enter text-based “prompts” to generate unique computer-made digital images.


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In Spielberg the Formula One Management organised their first summit meeting about the new engines, which will come into use in a couple of years time. Also present were Volkswagen and Porsche, to possibly link new engine suppliers to F1. In Monza this weekend another important meeting will take place, with probably also a number of decisions.
Motorsport.com reports that Audi and Porsche, on behalf of Volkswagen Group, are present at the meeting at the Italian circuit. They were also present in Austria. Toto Wolff has confirmed to the same medium that the MGU-H is likely to disappear as an engine component. “It’s a compromise, although I can’t speak for the rest, but we as Mercedes want to participate in that to allow a participation of Volkswagen Group,” the Mercedes team boss acknowledged.
He does indicate that much remains to be done. “The MGU-H will be taken away, if we can find a solution to many other points and if no compromise can be found, then we will probably return to the lead and then we will have 2026 regulations which is going to be determined by the FIA and the FOM.”
The initial plan was for the new engine regulations to take effect in 2025, but so that has already been postponed for a year to 2026. So this weekend the first decisions will be made and over the next few months the new regulations are likely to take more and more shape, with the hope that new engine suppliers will link up with F1.


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Stolichnaya releases their twelfth flavor in the brand's vodka portfolio.
This October Absolut will keep their holiday tradition alive with the release of their new limited edition bottle 'Absolut Glimmer'.
READ MORE: Absolut
Is Corona Light the most liked beer? Well they want to be on Facebook.
Bacardi launches a campaign to support the US troops and all you have to do is click a link to help out.
READ MORE: Bacardi
Vextini launches "Best of Shoes in the City" contest giving away a $2,500 Nine West gift card prize.


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First air corridor between India and Afghanistan inaugurated
President Ashraf Ghani said the aim of the route is to create more trade opportunities and make Afghanistan an exporting nation
Latest News »
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- Hedge funds can’t compete with stocks in tough Indian market, says Andrew Holland
Kabul: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has inaugurated the first Afghanistan-India air corridor during a ceremony at the Kabul International Airport—a direct route that bypasses Pakistan and is meant to improve commerce.
Ghani said the aim of the route is to create more opportunities and make Afghanistan an exporting nation. His adviser Sediqullah Mujadedi said Afghan agricultural products will for the first time head to India on cargo planes.
Mujadedi said the first India-bound flight on Monday included 60 tonnes of natural plants; a second flight will follow, with 40 tonnes of dry fruits to be sent from Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province.
Mountain-riddled Afghanistan is a landlocked country and all imports and exports depend on neighbouring countries. Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have become strained over accusations of harbouring militants.


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Top 10 selling PVs in Feb: Creta, Kwid record their highest ever sales
Not a single Honda car feature in the list of top 10 selling passenger vehicles for the month of February 2016. However, this is not the first time that such a thing has happened.
NEW DELHI: South Korean automaker Hyundai’s first compact SUV in India – Creta reported it’s highest ever sales last month of 8,196 units, according to data released by industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). Its year-to-date (June 2015 – February 2016) sales stood at 55,673 units.
"Hyundai domestic sales grew by 9.1 percent in February on the strength of strong performance of the three brands Creta, Elite i20 and Grand i10," informed Rakesh Srivastava, Sr. Vice President Sales and Marketing, Hyundai Motor India in a statement.
The company said this is despite the logistical issues that the company faced in North India due to the Jat agitation in the state of Haryana. It said that many dealership business days were lost in the state.
Renault Kwid also reported it’s highest ever sales in February 2016 at 7,544 units and stood at eighth spot. Its year-to-date sales (September 2015-February 2016) stood at 31,462 units.
Not a single Honda car feature in the list of top 10 selling passenger vehicles for the month of February 2016. However, this is not the first time that such a thing has happened. Last it was in December 2015 when the top 10 selling passenger vehicle list did not witness a Honda.
Last month, the Japanese car manufacturer reported 23 percent decline in its year-on-year sales and its highest selling City sold 4,880 units.
Things are not going in favour of India’s largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki. In February, year-on-year sales of the company’s best selling cars faced decline. Alto sold 21,286 units last month, and witnessed de-growth of 17 percent.
In the list, the vehicle which reported the maximum decline in sales is Maruti Swift. Its sales dwindled 21 percent, and stood at 15,475 units. WagonR jumped one position up to third spot and sold 106 units last month when compared with February 2015. Dzire, ranked fourth in the list, sold 13,888 units and recorded 4 percent decrease in sales.
During the month, the reservation agitation had disrupted component supplies, causing a temporary suspension of production by the Company.
Total production loss due to this was over 10,000 units. Despite that, the Company was able to achieve marginal growth in domestic sales, Maruti Suzuki informed in a statement.
However, Maruti Suzuki’s van Omni entered after four months at tenth position and experienced growth of 8 percent in year-on-year sales. In February 2016, it sold 7,151 units.
The next in line is Hyundai Elite i20, positioned at fifth slot. Its sales were marginally down and stood at 10,202 units. Sales of Grand i10 grew at 2 percent. It sold 8,898 units last month as against 8,687 units during February 2015.
Mahindra & Mahindra’s Bolero re-entered the list, talked about here, after a gap of 1 month. Placed at ninth position, its sales experienced an increase of 2 percent, and stood at 7,446 units.
10 highest selling PVs in Jan: Four cars of Maruti post decline in sales


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Check out some information on a new and upcoming game that should have the attention of those who love Metroidvania games.
Click on thru to check out the two new trailers highlighting the newly announced fighters for Samurai Shodown.
Get ready Division fans, as the first ever raid in the history of the game franchise is hitting VERY soon.
For those gamers out there that are still playing this MMORPG like game, a new update has been released.
Fighting game fans can rejoice, as we are one step closer to Samurai Shodown being released. Check out the latest trailer inside, as well as some pre-order information.
Fans of two-wheeled off-road racing have something to cheer about, as the fine folks at Milestone announce a new motocross racing game.
Fans of Bethesda made shooters have reason to celebrate today, and RAGE 2 has hit store shelves and digital stores today.
See News Archives


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When it comes to your mobile device displays, you haven't seen anything yet.
Imagine a thin, flexible display screen with individual pixel sizes measured in nanometres that could simply fold into your pocket or stick on your wall. A new display technology discovery promises to revolutionize how and where we use our mobile devices.
A new research study published in this week's journal of Nature has shown the proof of concept for using what are known as 'phase change materials' – materials that can rapidly switch between amorphous and crystalline states when heat or electrical charge is applied – as building blocks for a whole new generation of ultra-high resolution displays.
As more and more of us are filling our lives with mobile devices, there is a growing trend for higher-resolution screens with faster response times in a smaller package.
Manufacturers are already jumping on this trend, creating wearable devices like Samsung's smartwatch and Google's smart glasses, and soon Apple's mythical iWatch.
Now an Oxford University-led team of scientists is taking this trend to go ultra-small by developing an optoelectronic device that could be used to make ultrathin displays of ultra-high resolution. The trick is to sandwich the phase change material between two transparent layers of electrodes so that electrically they can 'change' the colour that the films reflect or transmit.
Amazingly, these individual sandwich pixel-like devices measure only 300 to 400 nanometres across – no wider than some of the smallest bacteria known.
"The main advantage of these displays is not only that they have ultra-high resolution, but also are solid state that can be put on highly flexible films," said team leader Harish Bhaskaran, a materials scientists at Oxford University in an interview with Yahoo Canada News.
"Also, power consumption is low and in many respects it can retain the image until you go and change it, so no power is required when the image is static, unlike conventional screens that require refreshing," added Bhaskaran.
Next step for the team is to build a small working prototype mobile device. And because this technology exists only in the lab, Bhaskaran warns that "there are many technical challenges that remain to be solved before this can become a viable technology."
But he optimistically predicts these devices could hit the streets in as little as five years. The team believes in their discovery enough that they have already filed for a patent.
This technology may also hold the key in developing a single device that could toggle between back-lit and power-saving mode, something users can't currently do on tablets.
And because these displays have much higher resolution than anything we have on the market now, entire high-resolution screens the size of a postage stamp or smaller are possible.
"One can use them in projection systems where a micro display is projected out using optics to magnify the image so human eyes can perceive them. Examples of these include smart glasses," explained Bhaskaran.
Bhaskaran sees a day when they will be able to make these displays go even thinner and simply peeled off like a sticker and slapped onto any surface where we want to have a screen. Bedroom wall, coffee table, counter top or even a car window – the possibilities seem endless. How cool is that?
"Thinner is better," he said. "I personally like [the idea of] having paper-thin stickers which are active displays that you can 'stick' anywhere, and use it as a display."
Geek out with the latest in science and weather.
Follow @YGeekquinox on Twitter!


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If Hearst Magazines had a theme song, it might be the 1966 Motown classic "It Takes Two." Because if there's anything that can be credited for the 129-year-old publisher's enduring success in the often-perilous magazine business, it's Hearst's appreciation for the power of partnerships—whether with competitors, advertisers or even the partnership of its two to
When it comes time to woo potential advertisers, TV networks have their upfronts, digital publishers have their NewFronts and, for the past several years, Hearst Magazines has hosted an annual MagFront.
After visiting 123 countries, it is safe to say that Michael Clinton, marketing president and publishing director of Hearst Magazines, is at home pretty much anywhere on the planet—and, it seems, he's brought much of the world back home with him.
New York women will be getting a pleasant surprise on their way to work this morning. Starting today, Hearst will begin handing out copies of its newest print product, a free weekly magazine called TrendingNY, at commuter hubs throughout the city.
In its second major digital hire of late, Hearst Magazines has hired Todd Haskell from The New York Times as svp and chief digital revenue officer.
Five months into her tenure as head of the MPA, the Association of Magazine Media, Mary Berner is trying to get its notoriously competitive members to play ball together.
After a strong showing in September, Hearst Magazines is looking to clean up again with its March issues on the strength of fashion, retail, luxury and beauty ads.
Hearst Magazines, with HGTV, announced Monday that the first of two test issues of HGTV Magazine would hit shelves Oct. 4.
MPA—the Association of Magazine Media—has named Michael Clinton as its new chairman, plugging a vacancy created when Jack Griffin was forced to give up that post in February after he was fired as CEO of Time Inc. The MPA board elected Clinton at its quarterly meeting, which is taking place in Washington, D.C.


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Jottings of note:
Second season of Nice Try, the podcast about humanity’s quest for perfection from Curbed and New York Magazine, drops October 14. It’s hosted by Avery Trufelman. The trailer is out — listen HERE.
“Sonic seasoning,” you ask? Even if you didn’t ask, Steve Keller at Pandora has an answer. It’s a scientific study of experiential audio brand activations. He calls it a “definitive guide,” and it’s published HERE.
Borrell Associates has completed its Local Advertising Forecast for 2022, predicting “an uneven recovery for local markets.” The projections include digital audio and podcast advertising. Results will be presented in a 35-minute webinar next week, Tuesday October 12. It’s free; register HERE.


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Smartphone users in India may have to wait till the end of this month for the launch of the new BlackBerry, but it has already managed to create a lot of pre-launch buzz in the country.
This was largely because BlackBerry, formerly known as Research In Motion Ltd., reached out to a large number of software applications developers in India last year to create a basket of applications tailored to global and local needs.
Starting mid-last year, the company held a series of workshops across the country to help developers understand the new device and operating system, Annie Mathew, BlackBerry’s director for developer alliances and business development in India, told India Real Time.
Over the last two-and-a-half years, the number of BlackBerry app developers in India has jumped ten-fold to 40,000, Ms. Mathew says. By 2015, a third of the world’s BlackBerry app developer community will be based out of India, she adds, up from about 25% now.
India is the eighteenth largest market for BlackBerry in July-September, behind mature markets like the U.K., the U.S. and Canada, data from Canalys showed.
The Waterloo, Ontario-based company last month unveiled two new phones–a touch-screen device called the Z10 and a device with a physical keyboard called the Q10–in the U.S. BlackBerry will launch the Z10 smartphone in India by the end of this month, a person familiar with the matter told India Real Time.
India is among the key markets for BlackBerry in Asia. With rising Internet and mobile penetration, the sales of smartphones that can be used to browse the Internet, access emails and play videos is set to grow exponentially over several years, say analysts.
BlackBerry has made some strides here expanding its market from business types that have been the core of BlackBerry users to college-age young people.
But it remains a small part of the market. According to mobile research firm Canalys Google’s Android operating system commanded 80% of all smartphone shipments to India by software platform between July and September, the latest available data.
BlackBerry accounted for just 2% of the shipment by software platform during this period.
It is also in the interests of BlackBerry to foster a local apps-developer community.
“We see a lot of encouragement from handset makers in apps development,” says G. Rajeev, an industry analyst. “The more the apps are closer to consumers, the chances of handsets getting picked up are higher.”
Among the apps developed locally is one that contains information on 128 tourist destinations across India – an effort to turning the BlackBerry into a tourist guide. Another app helps start a car’s ignition, turns an air conditioner on and off, and lights up a car’s headlights from within a prescribed radius.
Another app called Storyboard helps a BlackBerry user create a slideshow presentation on the move and share it on BlackBerry’s messaging service. It also helps create travelogues that can be updated on any social media platform.
A lot of technical talent in India is oriented towards developing applications that are simple, consumer-friendly, and straightforward to create if you have a coding background. It is this talent that the Canadian smartphone maker sought to leverage in India ahead of the BB10 launch, says Ms. Mathew.
She says the company’s focus on a younger generation of developers and those from smaller cities and towns has helped widen the reach on potential apps for the new device.
Last year, the company set up its first technology innovation center in Asia to make BlackBerry technology available to the developer community at the “Startup Village” in Kochi, in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
The innovation center offered infrastructure for a number of student developers to experiment with BlackBerry technology.
“The BlackBerry ecosystem is in a nascent stage,” says Nithin George, one of the founders of Hangout India, a non-profit student applications developer community at the Startup Village that helped rope in a number of apps developers for BlackBerry.
So far, from the Startup Village, 54 student developers have created 164 software applications for BB10, of which nearly 40 have already been approved and uploaded to the BB10 platform, Mr. George says.
BlackBerry has exploited its “aspirational” brand image in India to help excite developers and consumers about its BB10 products, says Tim Shepherd, senior analyst with Canalys. The growth in BlackBerry’s developer base in India is linked to its investment in the market, he adds.
Follow India Real Time on Twitter @indiarealtime.


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Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Ashley Michelle Williams
Marvel Comics is debuting its latest series.
This week, those from Marvel Comics announced that their new series
would be "Iron Man: Fatal Frontier."
But donÆt look for Tony StarkÆs newest adventure in your
local comics shop.
ThatÆs because itÆs the latest title in MarvelÆs Infinite
Comics, a digital-fire time optimized for mobile devices.
Rachel Edidin, who is a contributor for Wired.com and also
works for the comic book industry, joined MarylandÆs News Now Tuesday to talk
with the showÆs co-host Mary Beth Marsden about the new wave in digital comics.
She said comic fans will find that the basic
structure of the digital comics are the same as regular comics.
In her opinion, the major difference between regular comics and digital comics is readability. Digital comics have been formatted to be optimized for mobile


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Entrepreneurs catalyzing Crystal Coast's growth and generating community support
As local businesses in Carteret County create more local job opportunities, grow their companies, and generate national acclaim, they choose to pour their success back into the community.Posted — Updated
As technology advances, so does the ability to do business from just about anywhere. Thanks to remote work capabilities and video conferences, major companies don't have to get their start in a major city like Raleigh or Charlotte to find success.
In fact, for the local businesses of Carteret County, the smaller size of the community hasn't adversely affected their success — instead, the support and connection has helped bolster their growth. And that goes for locally owned lifestyle businesses and enterprising technology start-ups.
Mindy and Matt Fitzpatrick's general contracting business was hit hard by the Great Recession. The Carteret County locals took an inventory of what other options they had and decided to fill an area of need in the community, using vacant property left to Mindy by her parents to run a makeshift farmer's market — the likes of which Morehead City hadn't previously had.
Mindy, previously a professional basketball player and surfer, put her skill sets to use.
"I jokingly tell people that Matt was trying to figure out a way to get me to work. I was never trained to bake or to cook, but I came from a family of really excellent eaters, including myself," Fitzpatrick said. "I was recruited as one of the Saturday vendors to prepare and sell baked goods. I was required to be there on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but I was hopeful that produce sales and a nursery with plants and flowers could eventually grow into seven days a week."
That's how the Fitzpatricks started out in 2008, and since those early days, the parking lot farmer's market has grown to become the multi-faceted Friendly Market it is today, featuring freshly baked meals and treats, local goods and produce, and an on-site nursery.
Now, the Fitzpatricks have a team with more than 40 members, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and a massive following on Facebook that brings in permanent residents, second home owners and a surge of tourists throughout the year.
For Mindy, standing out from the crowd was a key to success, and the Friendly Market's famous tomato pie, a recipe passed down from Fitzpatrick's mother, is the perfect example of how her business sets itself apart from others. While their creativity helped get them to where they are now, Mindy believes none of it would have been possible without the support she and Matt found in the Carteret County community.
"We try to make sure that when we do something, it's really from our hearts, and we're so appreciative of this community. It has literally built us, from staff to customers, and it'll blow your mind to see how far we've come. Everything we've done we've been fortunate enough to do through word-of-mouth, which is so powerful — I cannot begin to explain and emphasize how important this community has been," Mindy said. "The number-one thing that we've done to grow the Friendly Market is that through our business plan we have really been able to listen to our customers and let them dictate our growth. I don't think a lot of businesses have the luxury of that — it's just amazing. If a customer says we need to try to do more of something or try something new, we listen and make the adjustment."
One addition that was overwhelmingly requested by customers? Wine.
After receiving multiple requests, Fitzpatrick added it to the inventory and it soon became one of the most popular offerings at the market.
The Friendly Market isn't the only Carteret County business that's generated widespread buzz. Tech also thrives at the Crystal Coast.
At Transportation Impact — an Emerald Isle-based company that identifies supply chain savings through small package rate negotiation, parcel invoice audit, and freight services — there is a lot going on. The company has been named one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces, is a winner of the Business North Carolina Small Business of the Year award, and has been included in the Inc. 5000 — a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the country, multiple times.
Since starting in 2008, Transportation Impact has expanded their office space multiple times, bringing job opportunities and an economic boost to the county. Its Emerald Isle headquarters building also includes the award-winning Caribsea Restaurant and a rooftop bar with views of the ocean and Bogue Sound.
"From an economic standpoint, we now have 89 employees, and 79 percent of those reside locally. We're so excited to have found such great talent here in Carteret County, and we've also hired folks from outside Carteret County who have moved here with their families. Our employees love living here. The quality of life is just so amazing — getting to go to the beach after work or drop a fishing line in the sound," said Jamie Vogel, the company's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "We've grown so quickly that we're needing to recruit from outside the local labor market to fill positions requiring very specific skill sets."
Similar to the Fitzpatricks at the Friendly Market, the team at Transportation Impact credits much of their success to the support of the Carteret County community — even though many of their clients aren't based in the area. Still, the company is dedicated to showing their gratitude and returning some of their success to the community through their IMPACT1 initiative, or Improvements Made by People Acting as 1.
Through the initiative, the company gives 1 percent of its profits back to the community through goodwill services and volunteer employee time. Started in 2016, the initiative provided more than $150,000 in community support in its first year alone.
"Many people in our community don't fully understand what Transportation Impact actually does as far as our businesses are concerned —they know us more for our giving back and our IMPACT1 initiative. Travis Burt (co-founder of Transportation Impact) said it best in one interview," said Jillian Farrington, senior marketing coordinator at Transportation Impact. "He said, 'All day long, if that's what Transportation Impact is known for in the community, I'll take that any day. It makes me proud that the first thing people think about is how much benefit we provide to the community.'"
While the Friendly Market's services and offerings are more directly involved with the community, the support and feedback they've received have been similar to that of Transportation Impact.
"We really have a good line of communication with our customers — we like that feedback, we welcome it, and it has changed us drastically," Mindy said. "People trust us, and we don't want to sacrifice that ever. We want to make sure that anything we do, we have personally tried and we like. Our palette is very different and it may not work anywhere else in the world, but it seems to do pretty well on this little corner of Friendly Road in Morehead City."
With such a strong reputation for workplace culture and rapid growth over the past few years, both the Friendly Market and Transportation Impact are proving you don't have to be in a big city to be successful — entrepreneurs can and do excel in Carteret County.
"We have experienced nothing short of positivity and community support since we started IMPACT1, but in addition to that, we've also been able to hire folks from the local community," said Transportation Impact's Vogel. "We have lots of big goals. We're striving to double what we are today, so we'll definitely be adding more jobs. Even during this challenging time, we've hired 21 people so far this year, so with that quick growth we'll need talent to support it, and we look forward to having that talent right here in Carteret County."
Copyright 2023 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The Internet gets a little angry when it’s hungry, so Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and Mars Chocolate Australia have teamed up to create the SNICKERS Hungerithm – a hunger algorithm that monitors the mood of the Internet, and then lowers SNICKERS prices accordingly.
The angrier people get, the cheaper Snickers get, with prices updating over 140 times a day and dropping to as low as 82 per cent off the normal shelf price. For example, if Donald Trump receives Republican Party endorsement, the price of a Snickers could plummet to 50 cents.
Built on a 3,000-word lexicon, the Hungerithm determines online mood by analysing around 14,000 social posts a day. It even understands slang, sarcasm and variations in context.
To claim their Snickers, users simply visit Snickers.com.au and click “Get A Snickers” to generate a unique barcode and head to any one of 7-Eleven’s 630 stores around the country. No downloading apps or printing vouchers is required.
Snickers marketing manager Renee Lewington said the Hungerithm is perfect for contentious times – such as the upcoming Federal election.
“We’re hoping this shows consumers that Snickers is on their side during trying times, and we plan to satisfy even more hungry consumers by rolling the Hungerithm out globally in 2017,” Lewington said.
“Considering how quickly the Internet can swing from a place of sharing and enlightenment to one of incredible vitriol, we felt this was the perfect way to bring the, ‘You’re Not You When You’re Hungry’ platform to life,” said Clemenger BBDO Melbourne executive creative director Ant Keogh.
“A data-led idea that changes the price of a global FMCG brand is an amazing opportunity. To launch it at scale through 7-Eleven is something else again.”
The Hungerithm is designed to bring Snickers world-famous “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign into the digital age by tying it to real-time reactions to real world events. The campaign has previously featured high profile celebrities such as Betty White, Robin Williams, Joe Pesci and Willem Dafoe (as Marilyn Monroe).
The nationwide campaign runs until June 27 and includes video, digital, outdoor, PR and social elements that generate and respond to conversation around real world events.
The rapid growth in ecommerce during the pandemic has heightened the need for real-time insights to accommodate fast-changing customer behaviour. Accordingly, CMOs’ responsibilities are shifting, and around three quarters are now responsible for contributing to business growth (76 per cent) and data and technology (74 per cent). This is according to the latest Capgemini Research […]
TikTok says that it has officially reached more than one billion global users. In a blog post on its Australian newsroom, the video app said, “our global community is remarkable in its ability to reach millions of people, across generations. From music, food, beauty and fashion to art, causes, and everything in between, culture truly […]
Six screenwriting creatives from across Australia have been selected as the inaugural participants in the Emerging Writers’ Incubator. The Incubator is an initiative from SBS in partnership with Screen Australia, state and territory agencies Film Victoria, Screen Canberra, Screen NSW, Screen Queensland, Screenwest and the South Australian Film Corporation, and with the assistance of the […]
Australian start-up Loyalty Republic is introducing Australia’s first bank and card agnostic direct earn rewards program to democratise loyalty and make rewards accessible and fair for anyone using a debit card. The Loyalty Republic mobile app will place consumers in control of their rewards earning potential and redemption options, with a simplified model offering 1 point per $1 spent on debit card […]


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Miracle Whip Jumps On Lady Gaga Bandwagon
RENEE MONTAGNE, host:
And out last word in business today is miracle marketing, and another brand that's jumped on to the Lady Gaga bandwagon - sandwich spread Miracle Whip. This classic spread mayonnaise alternative is trying to cultivate a snappier new image to appeal to young adults who might remember the brand from their childhood. So the company came up with new packaging and it debuted in Lady Gaga's new music video.
Miracle Whip wasnt among the products lucky enough to appear in the video for free. It's not clear how much the company had to pay, but Miracle Whip has been going all out to boost its brand. Ad Age magazine notes that its advertising budget jumped last year from $47,000 to more than 15 million.
And that's the business news on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


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News sources have reported that a recall was issued of an unfortunate number of 85,000 butter cookie canisters from a major National drug store chain. Sources claim that the alleged reason behind the recall is that they might be contaminated with the bacillus cereus virus.
The intake of products contaminated with this microorganisms cause vomiting, diarrhea and nausea. Many cases have shown that there might be more serious health problems related to this virus but sources have failed in naming all of which have been verified by health reports.
The Food and Drug Administration officers claim that after an alleged uncharacteristic odor, the investigations were initiated to determine the causes behind the problem. The recall was issued as soon as officials determined the type of microorganisms found in the product cans.
As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer I urge all readers to be aware that similar situations occur to many products sold throughout the Nation. If your health or the health of a loved one has ever been injured or damaged by a product that might have been contaminated in any way, do not hesitate to contact a product liability lawyer.


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ACT: April Used Class 8 Volumes Down 8% M/M and 5% Y/Y, Up 10% YTD
MAY 14, 2020 - 6:35 am
Preliminary used Class 8 volumes contracted 8% month-over-month in 2020’s fourth month, according to the latest preliminary release of the State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks published by ACT Research. Longer-term, volumes fell 5% compared to April 2019, but remained 10% above the first four months of last year.
“Our first reaction to the unit sales data was one of surprise that the market held up as well as it did in April,” said Steve Tam, vice president at ACT Research. “With the month’s sales being the first to be meaningfully impacted by COVID-19, many expected significant weakness. One possible explanation is that buyers in search of inexpensive trucks helped support sales in the otherwise soft market.”
Other data released in ACT’s preliminary report included month-over-month comparisons for April 2020, which showed that average prices were down 8%, while average miles were flat and average age increased 2% compared to March. Year-to-date, average price, miles, and age were all lower, down 20%, 2%, and 5%, respectively, compared to the first four months of 2019.
ACT’s Classes 3-8 Used Truck Report provides data on the average selling price, miles, and age based on a sample of industry data. In addition, the report provides the average selling price for top-selling Class 8 models for each of the major truck OEMs – Freightliner (Daimler); Kenworth and Peterbilt (Paccar); International (Navistar); and Volvo and Mack (Volvo). This report is utilized by those throughout the industry, including commercial vehicle dealers to gain a better understanding of the used truck market, especially as it relates to changes in near-term performance.
Additionally, ACT Research has created an easily accessible COVID-19 MARKET WATCH webpage to track noteworthy high frequency macroeconomic and transportation-specific market indicators.
How has the technology that equipment finance companies use evolved over the last one to five years? Jeffrey Bilbrey: To manage growth in terms of volume, sophistication, or both has always required ever-evolving technology. Five years ago, equipment finance companies... read more
AI (Artificial Intelligence): The theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making and translation between languages. Data-driven AI will accelerate the speed of online lending. Lenders... read more


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There’s no need for further speculation: Today at the Web 2.0 Expo Google CEO Eric Schmidt confirmed (here also) that Google will soon launch a PowerPoint clone, completing their basic office suite (they already have Word and Excel covered). Expect these services to be combines with Gmail, Google Calendar, GTalk and other services under a single brand for small businesses.
Schmidt also said that they’re office suite isn’t a threat to Microsoft. That, of course, is complete spin.
What Schmidt didn’t say is whether Google will build or buy this. They acquired Writely, and (mostly) built their spreadsheet application. The smart money is saying this is a build, not a buy.
Update: Google has also announced the acquisition of Tonic Systems to power the presentations product. So much for the smart money being on a build, not a buy, and so much for concerns about yet one more disparate platform to integrate into Docs & Spreadsheets. Launch is planned for this summer.
Update: More information from a reader:
In November 2006, I saw this product being used in meetings at Google…It’s been in development for quite some time now, although it was still very bare-bones then. It sounds like their recent acquisition of Tonic was made for some essential technology component (probably “Download as PowerPoint” or something) — Tonic won’t be in charge of building the core product- that one should mainly be ready and in testing now.


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Former owners of a factory raided last year by immigration agents will pay $850,000 to settle a lawsuit by workers who claimed the company violated wage laws.
Solutia Inc. nylon manufacturing plant in Greenwood, S.C., is laying off 300 workers because of the poor economy.
Manager says executive at SKD Automotive Group confirmed that the company will not close a parts plant, despite SKD's decision to cut over 300 jobs at the factory.
Employees for Eclipse Aviation have returned to work and are getting their paychecks, after being told last week that the company could not make payroll.
Akebono Brake Corp., a maker of brakes for automobiles, has asked employees to take voluntary retirements and is not filling vacancies in an effort to reduce costs.
United Launch Alliance, blaming the worsening economy which has slowed the demand for rockets, will lay off 350 workers early next year at facilities in four states.
Schaeffler Group officials say the automotive parts maker is shipping nearly 120 jobs from its INA ball bearings plant in Spartanburg to Mexico over the next six months.
Contract talks appeared to stall Thursday, and the union council called for members to vote on whether to authorize the leadership to call a strike.
Memory chip maker is ordering workers at facilities around the world to take up to 12 days off to help the company save money.
Employees in Albuquerque, N.M., arrived at work early Thursday to learn that they won't be receiving paychecks for the last two weeks of labor.
Teamsters union members have overwhelmingly approved modifications to their contract with Interstate Bakeries Corp., clearing the way for the company to exit bankruptcy protection.
Arkansas furniture company will lay off 250 workers at its plants in Fort Smith and elsewhere, as the economic slowdown has stalled consumer spending.
United States Steel Corp. says it is laying off 677 workers in the United States and Canada because of weakening customer demand.
Leyland Trucks said Thursday it would cut about 250 jobs, or a fifth of its work force, blaming a dramatic drop in demand.
British construction equipment maker to cut nearly 400 jobs, just a month after 2,500 of its workers agreed to reduced pay and hours in a bid to save their positions.
Manufacturer of commercial air conditioning systems says it will cut 270 jobs in the next three years and transfer the workload to its plant in Monterrey, Mexico.
Building products manufacturer said it is taking restructuring measures such as cuts to capital spending and jobs in response to sagging construction market and falling economy.
Companies in the chemical and fertilizer industry said Thursday they will lay off some 800 workers as their businesses feel the effects of the global economic crisis.
Head of the engineers union representing about 21,000 white-collar workers of airplane maker Boeing Co. said a tentative labor pact could be reached Thursday.
Labor Department reported jobless claims last week increased by 32,000 to a seasonally adjusted 516,000, the highest total since just after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Aircraft company announced Wednesday it is cutting 665 jobs in Kansas and Oregon because of the global economic downturn.
U.S. Department of Labor will award a $527,000 emergency grant to help workers laid off from Katahdin Paper Co.
Paper company UPM-Kymmene Corp. to close several of its self-adhesive label production lines in Finland and elsewhere in Europe and ax some 340 jobs by end-2009.
Germany's leading industrial union IG Metall says it has agreed to accept a 4.2 pay rise over the next 18 months and will not go on strike.


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Police warn of cell phone scam
ELLWOOD CITY -- A scam in which targeted residents are told they have won a prize from Publishers Clearing House is active in the Ellwood City area, according to police.
The scam is characterized by people calling from either a blocked or unknown number, or a number originating in Jamaica (876 area code). When the target answers, the scammer says that the target has won either cash or a vehicle and can claim the prize by buying a rechargeable debit card at a store such as Wal-Mart or Rite Aid and send them the card information.
The callers also request that the targets send them their addresses. Ellwood City police advise that residents not respond to these calls, provide any personal information, or even answer calls from "unknown," "blocked" or 876 numbers, because answering the calls could trigger return calls.
Ellwood City Mayor Anthony Court said one resident received more than 100 calls in a single day after answering an initial call.
According to the Publishers Clearing House web site, it is cooperating with multiple investigations into the scam. Publishers Clearing House never requests money in order to claim a prize, and most larger prizes - in excess of $10,000 - are distributed in person by the organization's Prize Patrol, or by certified letter, never by telephone.


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Forager Project, a family-owned and operated plant-based food company, announced the launch of a new line of organic, dairy-free ice cream that's free of lactose, dairy, soy and gluten and is certified organic and vegan. Made from organic cashew milk, Forager Project's ice cream offers consumers a dairy-like ice cream experience without compromising taste and environmental impact. Forager Project's Dairy-Free Ice Cream is available in five flavors, including: Vanilla Bean, Bittersweet Chocolate, Cookies & Cream, Salted Caramel and Mint Chip.
"With our hero ingredient, organic cashews, we've created our ice creams to give consumers a delicious dairy-free treat that's full of flavor and taste and free of pesticides, chemicals and GMOs," says Forager Project co-founder and CEO Stephen Williamson.
Visit www.foragerproject.com for more information.


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Chinese lithium battery recycler GEM has teamed up with domestic state-owned carmaker BAIC to establish a used batteries collection and recycling operation.
The move is the latest response to Chinese government guidelines to ensure the prompt recycling of batteries from the country’s fast-developing new energy vehicle (NEV) market.
GEM and BAIC’s trading subsidiary, Rocar, have signed a framework agreement under which they will recover cobalt and other materials from the batteries for recycling.
In addition, the companies will build a demonstration base for “cascade use” of used NEV batteries in an economic zone in Beijing. However, the details of the project have not been released.
The companies’ recycling ‘network’ will also be opened up to BAIC-related automotive and battery firms.
BBB reported in March that German auto giant Daimler was investing in a second battery and car production plant in Beijing with BAIC, which also has battery businesses with Pride and Funeng Technology (Ganzhou).
Two months ago, GEM signed a three-year cobalt materials supply deal with Swiss mining company Glencore to help secure its EV battery supply business in China.


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How Robinhood Makes Money
Robinhood has made investing accessible for even the most inexperienced first-time investors. But while it has attracted millions of users with its no-fee, gamified approach, critics argue that the company's business model is not without risk.
Retail AI Trends To Watch In 2021
As retailers grapple with pandemic-induced changes to consumer behaviors, supply chains, and store operations, we look at the top AI trends that are poised to have the most immediate impact on the industry.


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There was a lot of speculation regarding Activision’s new title in the Call of Duty franchise. As fans remained on tenterhooks, Activision broke their silence by revealing their new ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’.
The game releases on November 13 this year, but is presently available for pre-order. There are three editions of the game with slight variation in prices, but all of them have a series of perks not available otherwise. However, all three editions include a beta version which will be applicable for those who pre-order the game.
There is more exciting news. Now, players have a chance to win a key to the beta version of the game for free this weekend.
The COD League Championship will be held this weekend. But the winners of the tournament won’t be the only ones taking away prizes. The League is giving the players a chance to win an early access key of the beta version for free.
Fans need to tune in to watch the ‘Grand Final’ on the League’s official website. Further, they have to sign up or log in to their Activision account and link it with the official COD League website.
After completing this step, they will get the option of selecting the platform on which they want to test the Beta. The platforms include PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The stream, which goes live on Saturday, offers viewers a chance to win the CDL Champs 2020 Pack. This pack includes Call of Duty League designs for several in-game items, such as graffiti sprays and custom weapon skins.
There is not much that needs to be done. Players just need to stream the video for 30 minutes at any point during the two-day bash. Fulfilling this step gives them a chance at winning a code for a virtual knife with the Call of Duty League logo printed on the blade. This code can be used in ‘Modern Warfare’ and ‘Warzone’.
The entire world got a glimpse of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on the 26th of this month. The next date that needs to be marked on calendars is September 9, when Activision will roll out a full multiplayer reveal.


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Swedish Santa to welcome international visitors at Stockholm Arlanda
2014-12-05, kl. 11:40
Santa Claus, a Christmas tree and classic Christmas food – Stockholm Arlanda Airport is offering international visitors an authentic Swedish Christmas with everything this entails. Visitors will get a crash course in Swedish Christmas celebrations, and Santa will be on hand to talk about Swedish Christmas traditions.
People will also have an opportunity to taste Christmas food from a lovely little Christmas smörgåsbord.
Christmas celebrations will start up this week at the airport and will be aimed primarily at international visitors. They will be able to learn about how we Swedes celebrate Christmas. In Sweden, we have children who dress up as gingerbread figures, and the Swedish Santa comes by with Christmas gifts on December 24 rather than December 25. But he cannot come too early – almost all Swedes watch Donald Duck on TV at 3 p.m. It is only after the show that Santa comes knocking on the door and hands out all the presents. And Swedes also sing – “Björnen sover” or “The bear is sleeping” is one of the popular songs at Christmas.
“Christmas celebrations at our airport are a good way to present Sweden and Swedish culture. We know that many foreign travellers appreciate what is Swedish, and what could be a better example of this than a classic Swedish Christmas? We hope our Christmas celebrations will be appreciated and part of their overall travel experience,” says Kjell Åke Westin, Airport Director Stockholm Arlanda Airport.
The Christmas celebrations will take place in Terminal 5. Santa will arrive in Stockholm from his home far up in northern Sweden, where he also has his workshop. Foreign visitors will have the opportunity to taste traditional Christmas food and get a leaflet in which they can read about why and how we celebrate Christmas in Sweden. There are five subjects in this crash course.
1. Start well in advance. Christmas decorations are already available starting in October, but everything takes place in December. On December 13, we celebrate St Lucia’s Day, and children dress up in white gowns or as gingerbread figures
2. Donald Duck. We learn here why Disney is such an intrinsic part of Christmas celebrations in Sweden. Santa will just have to wait for Donald Duck to make his appearance.
3. Unusual songs. Swedish adults clap their hands and sing songs such as “Björnen sover” (“The bear is sleeping”) or “Räven raskar över isen” (“The fox rushes over the ice”).
4. Food and drink. Swedes invented the smörgåsbord, and at Christmas we find dishes such as Janssons frestelse (“Johnson’s temptation”, a classic potato casserole), rice pudding, herring, meatballs and Christmas ham. And of course Swedish snaps (acquavit).
5. Plundering the Christmas tree. It’s all over on January 13. We finish up the leftovers and throw out the Christmas tree, traditionally through the window.


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Mobile agency Mnet is rebranding to become Ansible as the agency repositions its capabilities in the rapidly evolving mobile technology and communications space.
The rebrand to Ansible, effective today, brings the business in line with IPG Mediabrands’ global roll out of the Ansible brand.
“We are repositioning the business with the recognition that mobility is integral to people’s lives, how brands should be connecting with consumers and how organisations should be embracing technology,” said Scott Player (pictured above), CEO of the newly named Ansible. “Mobility is no longer a channel. It is a lifestyle and business imperative that accelerates all aspects of people’s personal lives as well as the businesses and brands with which they associate. Ansible is now newly structured and focused on this reality.”
The new Ansible in Australia is positioned across three business pillars: Strategy and Consulting, which helps clients navigate the complex world of mobile communications and mobility-related technology; Enterprise Mobility, which develops bespoke mobile technology solutions to help solve enterprise challenges; and Mobile Marketing Solutions that build on the agency’s track record of effective mobile marketing solutions as evidenced by the breadth of industry recognition for its work.
Mnet was acquired by IPG Mediabrands in February 2013. In June last year, Scott Player was promoted to CEO as incumbent Travis Johnson was promoted to global head of mobile for IPG Mediabrands based in New York. Johnson is now leading the global roll out of Ansible and the Australian business now becomes part of a global network of over 300 mobile specialists across 18 offices in 11 countries
Danny Bass, CEO of IPG Mediabrands Australia said, “Scott and the now Ansible team consistently set world standards in mobile communications and in doing so are a highly successful and effective business. The latest evolution to Ansible and its new model brings greater future-facing opportunities for clients as mobility, in business terms, is simply a way of life.”
Ansible Australia has more than 60 people and offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.
Grill’d has launched a new tactical campaign ahead of the upcoming US elections, with the aim of comparing big American fast food giants with Grill’d’s home-grown, healthier approach to burgers. The tongue-in-cheek campaign depicts Donald Trump’s addiction to fast food options, such as McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King and Dominos, with the words ‘You are what […]
In this guest post, Dr Phillip Lawrence of Edith Cowan University debunks the myths of the environmental impact of printing… The environmental credentials of printing have been in the spotlight for a while with brands and marketers as well as large corporates regularly proposing they would reduce or eliminate paper and printing from their business as […]
The WPP-owned agency Mindshare has revealed it has won the media business for both Kayo and Binge. Both Kayo and Binge form part of Foxtel’s Steamotion’s streaming services and have seen significant boosts to the subscription numbers in recent times, primarily during lockdown. Commenting on the win, Mindshare CEO Katie Rigg-Smith said the win would […]
Realworld, an Australian location-based technology company, today launched adfindr.co, a leads platform for media owners. Adfindr finds the contact details of hundreds of local businesses around any location. Adfindr offers all media owners a database of local advertising leads. Simply type in a location and extract advertising leads in that area. David Sanderson, Director at […]
The new Online Will from State Trustees has launched with an unexpected campaign via newly appointed creative agency Hardhat, one that aims to turn in between moments into opportunities for action. Having a baby, moving house or exploring some thrilling new hobbies – this colourful, tongue-in-cheek campaign leverages the types of life stages that trigger […]
Worksafe and FCB New Zealand have launched a wild new campaign, challenging New Zealanders to take a fresh look at workplace safety. The launch TVC, hitting screens big and small this week, asks workers to be more vigilant and proactive, by listening to their inner-meerkats. In the last five years, WorkSafe has recorded 363 workplace […]
Immersive media company Imagine Room has signed an exclusive agreement with Microsoft to build and operate Australia’s first Mixed Reality Capture Studio to drive the next generation of content production. The state-of-the-art studio uses 106 cameras to create holographic and 3D-video performance assets and create immersive and interactive experiences for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality […]