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Tim McCready spoke to Stephen Phillips, Director General at InvestHK about Hong Kong’s role in attracting foreign direct investment into Asia.
When asked what makes Hong Kong the best place in the world to invest, Director General at Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) Stephen Phillips points to its geographic positioning in the heart of Asia, the fusion of Eastern and Western culture, the melting pot of highly educated talent, and its proximity and connection to Mainland China.
The investment promotion agency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has been headed by Phillips for the past nine months — one of the highest positions in the Hong Kong Government that is open to expatriates.
Phillips has worked in Hong Kong on and off since 1989 — initially with Barclays Merchant Bank (now Barclays Investment Bank) in aircraft financing and structured project financing. Since then, he has had stints at Deutsche Bank, co-founded a tech startup in Hong Kong, worked for the UK government and the China-Britain Business Council. He’s also an avid fan of scuba diving in the tropics (he says his reluctance to cold water rules New Zealand out).
Phillips says the most notable change he has witnessed in Asia over past decades is the rise of China and the growth in other countries. But he says China is still not well understood by the rest of the world.
“The level of sophistication many of the businesses in China have is much higher than international counterparts recognise. It continues to transform at a very fast pace,” he says.
“There are also other economies in the region that have grown strongly. The Philippines is one example that has had robust growth for quite a period of time. There are lots of bright patches across the region.”
Hong Kong — which is part of China under the “one country, two systems” principle — has distinct advantages for attracting investment, including operating with a very strong rule of law based on English common law, independence of the judiciary, a simple tax system, and world-class intellectual property protection.
“This can’t necessarily be said of the other cities in the region,” says Phillips. “It’s the certainty that Hong Kong offers business that I think sets it apart from other cities across Asia — not just China.”
That said, Hong Kong is navigating its own challenges. Recent data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development shows the flow of foreign investment into Hong Kong has fallen over the past few years — from US$174b in 2015 to US$108b in 2016, which analysts attribute to the obstacles presented by crippling property prices, a constrained domestic market, and a lack of competition in some sectors.
But Phillips points out that the number of international and Mainland companies investing in Hong Kong continues to track upwards, and that capital flows can be misleading.
“At a fundamental level, from what we see, investment going into Hong Kong — where people are doing business and generating jobs — continues to track upwards. Tracking capital figures on a year-on-year basis can look a bit bumpy,” he says.
The transformation and growth in cities across China is remarkable on a global scale, and in recent years Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu have taken much of the limelight away from Hong Kong. But Phillips says the big difference between the fast-growing cities on the Mainland and Hong Kong, is that cities in China are still very focused on the domestic market and the surrounding hinterland, whereas Hong Kong remains one of the most international-focused cities in Asia.
“If companies are looking at a particular geographic market within China, then establishing a base in one of those cities might make sense,” says Phillips.
“But if they’re looking at a much bigger picture — at the whole Asian landscape — then Hong Kong is a great entry point to not only China but also the countries in Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, and beyond.”
Hong Kong’s historic role as an intermediary for inbound investment into China from around the world continues to be important. In addition to this, the growth in the Mainland’s economy has seen Hong Kong’s role as an outward stepping stone for Chinese companies to access a global market become increasingly important for InvestHK.
China’s answer to Silicon Valley
The ambitious Greater Bay Area initiative has been put in place by the Chinese Government, aiming to link Hong Kong, Macau, and nine cities in Guangdong Province in an integrated economic and business cluster.
The 11 cities in the region have a combined population of close to 68 million people — greater than the world’s largest city cluster of 44 million in Tokyo — and a GDP of around US$1.4 trillion.
All cities in the Greater Bay will be within one hour’s travel of each other, with transport infrastructure under way including a 55km Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau bridge-tunnel system opening this year that will cut drive times from up to three hours to just 30 minutes, and a Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong express rail link.
“The Greater Bay offers a very dense patch of the world with some of the highest GDP per capita in China — it is very attractive commercially, and this connectivity will help ease the way to do business,” says Phillips.
“The Greater Bay will allow companies to tap into the depth of financial and professional services, the innovation taking place, and the intellectual property environment in Hong Kong — and combine that with the scale of manufacturing and innovation within Guangdong.
“You can do R&D in Hong Kong, prototype in Shenzhen, and then take things to market very quickly as well. We will see this part of the world develop into a major financial and innovation centre.”
However, there is still a lot to work to do. Wang Rong — a top Guangdong official — was this month unusually critical of his exchanges with Hong Kong counterparts about the Greater Bay Area plan. He says the initiative involved more talk than action and noted that greater co-ordination across the region, policy reform, social support, as well as improvement in transport networks and public services is needed.
“Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau come under one country, two systems, and three custom zones,” he says.
“There [are] often many meetings, dialogues, and complicated etiquettes, but little strength in pushing things forward pragmatically, or systems in consolidation.”
Another grand project from the Chinese Government is the “One Belt, One Road” initiative (OBOR), linking China to the economies along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road — and cementing China’s position into the future as an economic powerhouse.
Hong Kong’s key role in OBOR will be the connectivity it provides.
It has the ability to bring together Chinese and international investors under joint ventures, for projects that will take place in other countries.
“These joint ventures will be tapping into the debt and equity capital markets in Hong Kong, the structuring expertise and so forth, and take advantage of Hong Kong being an acceptable jurisdiction both to Chinese and international players,” says Phillips.
The near-term opportunities will continue to be around infrastructure. According to the Asian Development Bank, developing the “belt” and “road” along the maritime and land routes will require US$1.7 trillion per year until 2030, including investment in power, telecommunications, and water.
Longer-term, Phillips suggests OBOR will rapidly provide more and more opportunities.
As the economic levels of countries along the belt and road increase, there will be demands for world-class healthcare, education, and other social services.
“A lot of the focus at the moment is on airports, rail, bridges … but companies need really to be thinking about what will be on that mid-term horizon — maybe three or five years hence,” says Phillips.
“You need to position yourself now for the future, because if you’re not in at the ground level yet, the chances are that you won’t ever get the business. I encourage companies to watch very carefully what is happening already.”
A FOCUS ON INNOVATION
Hong Kong’s support for incubators, accelerators and funding initiatives over the past few years has seen the startup ecosystem skyrocket. Between 2015 and 2016 the number of startups grew 24 per cent, and the number of staff working in startups ballooned 41 per cent.
InvestHK’s latest survey shows that 35 per cent of founders have come from overseas or Mainland China, and recent policy changes from the Government demonstrate Hong Kong’s commitment to continue to attract the best global talent, businesses, and academics in key sectors.
In particular, areas of high priority for Hong Kong include:
AI and robotics: building a centre of excellence by attracting leading universities and academics to do fundamental R&D that could then have commercial applications.
Fintech: attracting the very best wealth management, insuretech, payments, and blockchain companies to use Hong Kong to advance their globalisation journey. Hong Kong is assisting by providing an environment where fintech firms can experiment and prove their business model in collaboration with regulators, rather than being tied up in knots by regulations.
Smart cities: Hong Kong’s population density makes it an attractive location from a commercial point of view. This makes smart technologies in areas such as transportation, green buildings and smart buildings economically cost effective.
Healthy ageing: Hong Kong’s rapidly ageing demographic is providing an impetus to seek companies and technologies that can take pressure off the hospital system and shift care into the community and the home environment. As demographics in Hong Kong are similar to the Mainland, it is expected there will be transferrable innovation developed that will be well suited for scale-up.
While InvestHK continues to service Hong Kong’s historic investment links with the US, Canada, the UK and Europe, Phillips stresses that its focus isn’t on where companies come from, but rather on attracting the best from around the world.
“It isn’t about geography, but about the nature of the business. We want the best companies to be investing in Hong Kong either because they have good product or because they’re bringing new innovation and skills into the economy,” he says.
“When we look at New Zealand, we think of some of the fast-growing tech companies here, and the world-class food and drink companies.”
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Tencent is probably most well-known around the world for WeChat — which has transitioned from being an instant messaging system to more of an ecosystem and way of life in China. WeChat is used for everything from chat and games to paying bills, ordering a taxi, booking doctor’s appointments, and filing police reports.
Government policy dictates WeChat users register with their real names, and a pilot programme by WeChat has seen virtual ID cards launched through the platform, which serve the same purpose as traditional state-issued ID cards.
The platform has more than one billion monthly active users; 400 million use its payment system Tenpay (which includes WeChat Pay). Alibaba’s Alipay, run by Ant Financial, has 520 million users.
The transaction figures are astounding. Between those two major players, they control nine out of every 10 renminbi of the US$5.5 trillion (NZ$7.6t) spent by Chinese consumers on mobile payment platforms — and both have lofty ambitions to move beyond China.
China’s payment companies have begun expanding into global markets. Alipay and TenPay chose to first introduce their payment facilities in popular destinations for China’s increasingly affluent and digital-savvy travellers — South Korea, Japan, and Thailand.
The World Tourism Organisation estimates Chinese tourists spent US$261b abroad in 2016. Retailers and service providers taking up the payment systems are hoping to entice Chinese shoppers to spend their renminbi with them.
Finland is an increasingly popular destination for Chinese tourists, and became the first country to offer Chinese tourists an entirely cashless experience when they visit.
Partnering with Finnish payment platform ePassi and tourism group Visit Finland, Alipay introduced the “Smart Travel” initiative to connect local businesses with Chinese travellers at every point during their visit. Shopping, services, activities and experiences can be paid for using Alipay — even receiving duty-free refunds at the airport.
Last year Christchurch Airport signed a memorandum of understanding with Alibaba, agreeing to promote Alipay in the South Island, and in the past month Smartpay announced a partnership with Alipay that will see Alipay capabilities rolled out to Eftpos and credit card terminals for up to 25,000 merchants.
Alipay Australia New Zealand’s managing director George Lawson says Alibaba now partners with approximately 2000 merchants here and expects this to grow dramatically.
“The recent Smartpay announcement will drive a lot of this growth as it gives Alipay access to tens of thousands of merchants with one software update. This is very exciting as it makes it much easier to accept Alipay with existing terminals.”
Increased use of Alipay in New Zealand means Chinese visitors can more easily find, rate, and pay for goods and services using their mobile phone app, providing a platform for Kiwi businesses to promote themselves and form a relationship with tourists before, during, and after they visit.
More than 400,000 Chinese visit New Zealand each year, and spend around $1.7b per year. MBIE estimates this figure will grow to $4.3b by 2023, and as independent travel grows in popularity the scale of the opportunity for business is clear.
Christchurch Airport’s Chief Aeronautical and Commercial Offer Justin Watson believes making the payment process easy and familiar will benefit businesses that take up the technology.
“The Chinese use Alipay more than credit cards,” he says. “They trust it and know how it works; our Chinese guests are more likely to spend with a business that offers Alipay than one that doesn’t.”
Lawson agrees: “The Alipay brand is a beacon for Chinese tourists as they are familiar with it, receive the best exchange rates and it reduces anxiety associated with dealing with another currency. It also breaks down language barriers.”
Though these payment services are initially targeting Chinese tourists, they are hoping to rub off on China’s growing diaspora — and ultimately more widely — encouraging locals to make use of mobile payments.
To support this ambitious growth strategy, Alibaba and Tencent are quickly expanding their presence outside China through partnerships and investments in global brands and foreign payment networks.
Tencent has acquired a stake in over 15 foreign companies at a cost of US$4.3b, including 10 per cent in Snap (the parent company of social media craze Snapchat) and 5 per cent in Telsa.
Tencent’s music unit recently exchanged equity stakes of just under 10 percent with Spotify.
Alibaba has also been investing globally over the past few years, including Southeast Asian e-commerce company Lazada, India’s largest online food and grocery store BigBasket, and Indian payment app Paytm.
Analysts say these investments are made for a variety of reasons: to help Alibaba and Tencent capture data and gain intel from market leaders, to export what they have learned from their operations in China to other countries, and in some cases to encourage customers in global markets to use their online payment system, cloud services, and other infrastructure.
Cracking the global payment system will lay the foundation to provide other services, including insurance, loans, and investment offerings.
Despite this growth in acquisitions, the US is starting to hit back at China’s expansion.
Ant Financial made a US$1.2b move to acquire MoneyGram — an American money transfer company with around 350,000 remittance locations in over 200 countries.
This takeover was under a year-long regulatory review as questions were raised over customer data and privacy.
In January, the US Committee on Foreign Investment — a multi-agency government panel — scuppered the deal over national security concerns.
This has been the most high-profile Chinese deal to be axed by the Trump administration to date — occurring despite Alibaba’s founder and executive chairman Jack Ma wooing then-US President-elect Donald Trump prior to his inauguration with a promise to bring a million jobs to the US.
Piyush Gupta, chief executive of Singapore’s DBS bank, also recognises Alibaba and Tencent as among the bank’s biggest competitors and considers their rapid rise in China a salient reminder of the disruption that can occur if banks don’t react swiftly to innovation.
Gupta told McKinsey that it is not enough to apply digital “lipstick”.
“In 2013, the DBS board therefore took the view that the future for us and for our industry would have to be digital. We felt that if we didn’t lead the charge, frankly, we might die,” he says.
DBS recently launched its mobile-only bank to take on China’s e-banking giants. The bank is using the service as a strategic tool to strengthen its presence in emerging Asean markets — where the World Bank estimates 264 million people do not have access to banking facilities, and just 30 per cent of adults have debit cards.
The opportunity is significant, and the race to cash in is well and truly under way.
Tim McCready visited Alibaba’s supermarket chain Hema, to understand what the future of retail has in store.
Alibaba’s ambition is to blur the boundary between shopping online and offline — so much so that last year’s Double 11 shopping festival was themed around it.
Nothing showcases this “new retail” convergence of bricks and mortar retailers with online shopping better than Alibaba’s new Hema supermarkets. They offer a fascinating insight into where the company is heading, and, for those of us living outside China, a peek into what the future of retail shopping might look like.
The first thing you notice when stepping into a Hema supermarket is how remarkably tidy it is. The store is reminiscent of walking into a high-end department store instead of a supermarket.
Alongside with cleanliness, Hema is rigorous about the freshness of its products. In order to keep stock moving quickly off the shelf, items are packaged in very small qualities — enough for a single meal or for a family (bearing in mind Chinese families tend to be small).
My visit to the Hema supermarket was on a Saturday, and all bags of salad were branded ‘SATURDAY’ — indicating they had arrived in-store that day. Fish, crabs and shellfish are kept alive in large tanks. Cartons of eggs are labelled to show they were laid less than 48 hours ago. Butchers prepare cuts of meat for display, fill packs with ready-to-cook family-sized portions, and perform cooking demonstrations.
Hema’s app can be used by customers, allowing them to scan QR codes that accompany every product with their phone and receive details about the product, including its provenance, how to prepare it, and recipe ideas.
Prices are reasonable by New Zealand standards. A small pack of bok choy is 12.80RMB (NZ$2.81), a tray of Tim Tam’s 19RMB ($4.16), and a pack of six Zespri golden kiwifruit sets you back 29.91RMB ($6.55).
The Hema stores include a dining area that encourages customers to “eat as you shop”.
Along with regular food-court cuisine, an in-store chef cooks up seafood that customers have hand-selected.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the Hema supermarket are the chains whirring high up in the ceiling, carrying green canvas bags across the supermarket like something out of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
This is all part of the secret behind Hema’s ability to get products out the door quickly.
Hema’s mobile app allows customers to browse the aisles of the supermarket from home and add items to a virtual shopping basket. If you live with a 3km radius of the store, they aim to have products delivered within 30 minutes of ordering — if you realise you’re missing an ingredient for a recipe, it can be delivered before you finish cooking.
There are 25 Hema stores spread across seven Chinese cities: 14 in Shanghai, five in Beijing, two in Ningpo, and one each in Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou and Guiyang.
Hema’s rapid growth continues, with Alibaba expecting to open 30 new stores in Beijing by the end of the year, and expand into Fuzhou, Chengdu and Guangzhou — opening up rapid delivery of fresh produce to millions more customers.
Alibaba’s use of smart logistics technology ensures the inventory inside your local store matches exactly with what is shown online — meaning all products are immediately available and ensure Hema’s supply-chain management system runs efficiently.
The supermarket doubles as a warehouse, and dozens of packers (Alibaba calls them “order-fulfilment specialists”) rush around each department armed with reusable shopping bags and scanners. When an order for home delivery is placed, they receive a list of those items that fall within their area of responsibility, scan the items, fill the basket, and place it on a hook attached to the conveyer belt system.
Items from various departments are collated in an area at the back of the supermarket and packaged — ready to go on the back of a motorbike and to the customer’s door — or perhaps to their car in the nearby carpark, timed to coincide with when the customer’s movie wraps up.
Alibaba says the first two years of Hema’s operations have yielded promising results.
Online purchases account for more than 50 per cent of total orders. For mature stores this number can be as high as 70 per cent.
By linking to a customer’s Alibaba account, the Hema supermarket allows Alibaba to learn more about its shoppers. Collecting data on every move a customer makes means Alibaba can leverage shopping habits and product inquiries to hyper-optimise its offering.
The supermarkets run almost exclusively on cashless payment. Alibaba’s Alipay technology uses facial recognition at self-service checkouts to identify the customer and charge their account.
Payment is made in seconds, and means the customer walks out with their goods without ever reaching for their wallet or a phone — let alone speaking to a real person.
I asked a shop assistant what happens if an elderly customer doesn’t have a mobile phone or an Alipay account, or — as in my case — if a foreign tourist wanted to buy a bottle of water to rehydrate.
She was surprised by my question — mobile phones and AliPay have become so ubiquitous in China. But after checking with store management she was able to confirm there was a counter in the corner of the store that could accept cash.
In China, innovation and competition follows fast. Already this year, JD.com — one of the other major ecommerce players in China — has followed Alibaba’s lead and opened its first bricks and mortar supermarket in Beijing.
Like Hema, JD’s 7Fresh supermarket offers a mobile app, digital payments, and 30-minute delivery. It also offers smart shopping carts, which follow a shopper around while avoiding obstacles (and other customers). JD says it plans to open 1000 supermarkets in China over the next three to five years.
American ecommerce giant Amazon has recently opened Amazon Go — a supermarket with no checkouts — in Seattle earlier this year.
Instead, cameras and sensors identify customers and keep track of the items they select.
Amazon calls this “grab-and-go” shopping, where customers can walk out of the store without any human interaction. They are emailed an electronic receipt as they leave.
If this convergence of innovation tells us anything, it’s that those pesky “unexpected item in the bagging area” self-service machines — and the queues we all dread — could soon be a thing of the past.
Fonterra partners for milk supply
Fonterra announced earlier this year that it has partnered with Alibaba’s Hema, to supply a new Daily Fresh milk range to the supermarkets. The fresh milk comes in 750ml bottles, sourced directly from Fonterra’s farm hub in China’s Hebei province.
The New Zealand dairy giant says initial volumes of its fresh milk are around three metric tonnes a day, with plans to scale up over time and expand with Alibaba as it progresses its rapid expansion of stores across China.
In addition to fresh milk, Fonterra also offers Anchor UHT milk products and its range of butter, cream, and cheese products in Hema. The in-store bakery uses Fonterra’s Anchor Food Professionals products in its items.
Hema Fresh’s CEO and Founder Hou Yi says he is excited by the strategic co-operation between the two companies.
“This co-operation between two powerful companies is set to redefine the concept of fresh milk in the new retail era. As a global leader in the dairy industry, Fonterra is well-known for quality milk pools, world-class breeding techniques and advanced experience in food safety and quality, which matches well with what we advocate.”
President of Fonterra Greater China Christina Zhu says the new product highlights how Fonterra’s business in China is leveraging the strength of its local milk pool, spread across three farming hubs.
“No other multinational dairy company in China has a local milk pool to draw from, so we are in an advantageous position.
“This milestone with Hema is a sign of things to come and indicates that our push to shift more of our local milk into higher-yielding consumer and foodservice products is well-and-truly under way.”
Disclosure: Tim McCready was a guest of Alibaba in China.
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Last year Alibaba announced its “New Five” strategy, which comprises New Retail, New Finance, New Manufacturing, New Technology, and New Energy.
At the time, Alibaba founder Jack Ma told shareholders the Chinese Government’s push for the One Belt One Road initiative presented Alibaba with a unique opportunity to grow its business globally:
“New Retail will bring about a restructuring of the global supply chain and change the complexion of globalisation from the domain of big companies to small businesses.”
Alibaba’s vision is to use its ecosystem — which now includes commerce, logistics, entertainment, cloud, and physical stores — to support its new strategy and provide a platform for individuals, SMEs and large corporates to do business globally.
This strategy has seen Alibaba experiment with new technologies over the past year, culminating in a showcase of technologies during last year’s 11.11 shopping festival that demonstrated the increased blurring between online and offline shopping.
Customers can apply makeup using augmented reality “magic mirrors”. This means they can apply as many different colours and styles as they like, and then — through the use of the mirror — immediately buy the makeup and have it home delivered.
Providing customers with the means to test different shades in a short amount of time adds an extra layer of confidence and assurance they are buying makeup that will suit them. In addition to being placed instore and in mall kiosks, the mirrors are also undergoing trials in public restrooms.
Clothing stores have begun introducing similar technology. Alibaba’s virtual dressing rooms allow customers to quickly try on a wide variety of clothes — without removing any. A shopper can find a pair of jeans they like instore, try them on virtually, then receive suggestions using artificial intelligence and their previous shopping history on alternative styles and colours that might be of interest.
“In 2016 we had a small trial of augmented reality, and we are now starting to use it on a much larger scale — this is the future,” says Maggie Zhou, Managing Director of Alibaba Group Australia & New Zealand.
Alibaba has also started rolling out its technology to transform traditional retailers throughout China, providing them with data-backed point-of-sale systems.
This will allow stores, even some in rural areas which may not have previously used any technology whatsoever, to obtain access to Alibaba’s marketing, delivery, inventory management and payment capabilities.
One example is a point-of-sale kiosk that can use facial recognition cameras to track what shoppers do, identify who they are or estimate their age, and make insights into shopping preferences — effectively bringing what already happens online into physical stores.
Alibaba’s chief marketing officer Chris Tung says the enormous pool of data and analytics expertise will help change the offline shopping experience and bring retailing back into the real world.
“We know a lot. We can model the lifestyle of 500 million people,” he says. “Bricks and mortar retailers are suffering today, but there is a way to make them just as successful as online.”
Zhou adds: “As we continue to adapt operations to better suit the digital world, traditional retailers must look at ways to restructure and enhance the customer experience and the physical retail space. New Retail is the way forward.
“By leveraging the Alibaba ecosystem and technology such as big data and smart logistics, merchants can offer consumers a more efficient and flexible shopping experience, while also improving their bottom line.”
Zhou says the success of Alibaba has been possible thanks to the internet, and believes big data will become increasingly important to business in the future.
“The next 30 years will see the era of the internet flourish. We have the opportunity to change the world and to change people’s lives,” she says.
Will we see magic mirrors, virtual dressing rooms, and Alibaba’s point-of-sale kiosks in New Zealand?
Ultimately, that is part of Alibaba’s globalisation strategy. But for now, Zhou says China’s scale makes it an ideal market to test new e-commerce innovation before taking it global.
“China is a very large market, with millions of digitally savvy consumers. This makes it a great environment to trial new technologies, fine tune them, and see what works.”
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Leading nutrition companies spoke to Tim McCready about expanding into China. Among topics discussed with Sanitarium’s China Country Manager Tanne Andrews, Blackmores’ Asia Managing Director Peter Osborne, and Fonterra’s Greater China President Christina Zhu were challenges they face in the market and the impact of e-commerce.
Herald: Could you describe your presence in China?
Christina Zhu: We refreshed our China strategy five years ago and we’ve gone from strength to strength in that time. China is our largest and most important strategic market accounting for a volume of 5.5 billion liquid milk equivalents (LMEs) which is equivalent to over 1000 glasses of milk sold every second. Today, we have a fully integrated model that enables us to capture value for our farmer shareholders — from the farm gate through to the end consumer.
Our business model is unique in China. No other multinational or local dairy company has the same mix of businesses and reach across sectors that we have. We have a strong in-market presence and operate a range of business units — including consumer brands, foodservice, ingredients and farms, as well as a number of strategic partnerships. In the past 12 months we have made great progress integrating these businesses more closely to capture the opportunities being created by rapid changes in China’s food industry, such as growing household affluence, demographic changes in the population and the rapid growth of technology and e-commerce.
We are the market leader in food service, Anchor is the number one imported milk brand both online and offline, we have around 35,000 cows producing a significant amount of milk each year and we are a leading supplier of dairy ingredients to major international and local food companies in China.
At the same time we are Fonterra’s biggest employer off-shore with close to 1700 people in the greater China region (mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan).
Tanne Andrew: We’ve been an export business into China for about five years, and have had a functional office in China for about the past 18 months.
Chinese consumers increasingly want to try things from the West and there is massive growth in breakfast cereal in China. We are building trust in Sanitarium’s brand, which we want to expand on. Light ‘n’ Tasty will likely be the next product we bring to the China market.
Peter Osborne: We’ve been here since 2012. We have a wholly-owned foreign enterprise in Beijing, our head office is in Shanghai, and a team of 50 in China — spread across Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. We have an A$250m business in China, with over 3000 points of retail presence across China and an extensive presence on e-commerce — both domestic and cross-border.
What are the challenges you have noticed specific to China compared to New Zealand or other parts of the world?
Zhu: The Chinese consumer is unique and like all markets we operate in, it’s essential to appeal to local tastes and trends. Chinese consumers are very discerning and companies work tirelessly to meet their ever-increasing expectations.
This is both a challenge and opportunity — to capture the opportunity we need to have innovation at the heart of everything that we do. That can mean new packaging, taste profiles, or the way you engage with consumers. The market is evolving so quickly, businesses need to run fast just to stay where they are. Only by running faster though will they ever move ahead.
One area where we have really captured the essence of innovation is through our foodservice business — Anchor Food Professionals. The dairy beverage category is rapidly expanding and we’ve been able to capitalise on this trend by working with our customers to create innovative taste sensations, such as the tea macchiato. This is made using a blend of flavoured Chinese tea with a creamy cap of whipped cream and cream cheese.
Thanks to innovations like this, we are now selling around 80 million drinks per year and this is growing rapidly.
Andrews: While the opportunities in China are big, the challenges are also big. China is not the easiest place in the world to do business — complicated sales channels, language barriers, different consumer laws, professional shoppers — these are just a few of the challenges you face that you don’t have to worry about in your own domestic market.
China is very different to Australia and New Zealand — it’s the antithesis really, when you look at lifestyle. And it is extremely fast-paced. Everything changes so quickly, it’s like a different planet and you have to keep up.
As an ex-pat, if you can’t speak Chinese, you don’t have an interpreter, you don’t have a driver — you will find it very difficult. I found it surprising how little English is spoken.
We used to put a lot of emphasis on using Chinese agencies that could speak English. But now we have a local team in China we’re using some very good local agencies. That might mean they don’t necessarily speak English, but we’re finding we get a far better result.
Osborne: As a health product company, we’re used to highly regulated environments, so that’s not the biggest challenge. Keeping up with the speed of consumer evolution is.
This includes changes in the regulatory environment, how to engage with consumers online, and customer preferences and demand.
In a category like ours, preferences can shift rapidly based on key opinion leaders and influencers. Our category has a long supply chain which means it can take months to get a product to market. That’s a big challenge for any foreign brand in food or fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG).
How are you currently using e-commerce in China?
Zhu: E-commerce in China is such an important platform and it’s moving at a rapid pace.
We’re really capturing this opportunity — over half of our consumer business is online and Anchor is the number one imported dairy brand both on and offline in China.
Our strategic partnership with Alibaba is helping us deliver significant growth. Alibaba has created a huge digital ecosystem in China encompassing all online channels and we’re working in partnership with them to get more and more of our products to consumers across China. For example, Tmall.com, Alibaba’s online retail market place, is an extremely important channel for us, and enables retailers to sell Anchor, Anlene and Anmum to consumers.
A key development in the China e-commerce landscape has been the growing integration of online and offline channels — or what people are calling ‘new retail’. This year we launched a partnership with Hema — Alibaba’s supermarket chain — where we will sell our current product range, launch new products and offer cooking classes to engage our consumers. The signature product is daily fresh milk, an unprecedented development in China. This milk comes from our farms in China, which shows how our integrated business model is coming to life. We have also signed a memorandum of understanding with Alibaba on blockchain.
Andrews: This is what is difficult for people to get their head round in Australia or New Zealand. The majority of our target buy their groceries on line, over 80 per cent of our purchases are made on a mobile device. For the consumer it’s convenient and delivery is both quick and inexpensive.
If you work in FMCG in New Zealand, the majority of your goods are sold through large supermarket chains. Think how much your strategy would have to change if suddenly your goods were now sold predominantly online.
Osborne: We’ve had a long relationship with Alibaba and entered China in 2012 with a flagship store on Tmall — we were the first brand in our category to have a Tmall store.
We sell on various Alibaba platforms — Tmall, Tmall Choice, AliHealth, Taobao — and we also work with them on big strategic projects including a blockchain project for food safety and a Global Healthcare Initiative with Tmall. We have a deep relationship with them, which has really helped drive our business in China.
Online and cross-border e-commerce is a big part of our business, and Double 11 Day is a big feature of the yearly calendar. We work up to it with a range of activations — it is about consumer engagement and brand awareness as much as it is about sales. For a long-term business in China this is important, because it allows you to keep engaging with your consumers.
We did a three-hour livestream prior to Double 11 Day. We used Chinese celebrities and Chinese pop-stars as part of a broader programme produced by Hunan Television [a satellite TV station]. At its peak we had 480,000 people online viewing our livestream and we added 13,000 fans to our flagship store.
Can you give an example of an online success you had in China?
Zhu: One example of our online performance is Double 11 Day — a very important festival that has expanded to become weeks of promotion. During Double 11 Day last year, our overall online business achieved RMB100 million (NZ$22m) in sales volume, 67 per cent higher than the previous year.
This year we ranked in the top 10 of all food and beverage companies on JD.com, another e-commerce giant and also a significant partner. That puts sales of Anchor milk up there with brands like Coca-Cola and the local giants Yili and Mengniu. This is a massive achievement and reinforces that Anchor is standing strong among the biggest food and beverage brands in China.
Andrews: Our Chinese distributor got Weet-Bix onto Ode to Joy [a Chinese television series]. It appeared for over one minute on screen with actress Liu Tao — one of China’s most famous actresses — and was seen by over 350 million people. Daigou in Australia and New Zealand rushed out to buy Weet-Bix to send to China. That was when Sanitarium realised the potential China offers.
Since then, due to a trademark battle, we have had to rebrand in China to Nutri-Brex.
But Nutri-Brex retains the Weet-Bix colours and branding. It is selling very well, and the bonus for us is that Daigou don’t have access to Nutri-Brex as it is exclusive to China.
This gives Sanitarium more control over the Chinese market and eliminates problems associated with parallel imports.
Osborne: We learnt a very good lesson in China from our vitamin E cream — a product we have been selling for 30 years.
There was some social media chatter two years ago that Fan Bingbing — a very famous Chinese actress — was using our vitamin E product. Our sales went from 3000 tubes a month to one million tubes a month.
This really had very little to do with us — but we had to crank up production rapidly to meet this demand we hadn’t anticipated, all because of social media which is so dynamic in China.
Although things have calmed down now from that peak, we are still selling considerably more vitamin E cream than we used to — up into the hundreds of thousands of tubes a month.
https://www.timmccready.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/TimMcCreadynutritionChina.jpg771520tim.mccreadyhttps://www.timmccready.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/TimMcCready_banner.pngtim.mccready2018-03-29 06:00:542018-03-29 20:42:07China Business: Tapping into the food chain (NZ Herald)
Alibaba’s 2017 11.11 Global Shopping Festival attracted a high demand for New Zealand brands.
The festival comes from Single’s Day in China (the date is 11.11 — four singles) and is also known as Double 11 Day.
Over the 24-hour sale period, Alibaba Group reported RMB168.2 billion (NZ$36.81b) of transactions through Alibaba’s retail marketplaces. As evidence for China’s phenomenal uptake of mobile devices, mobile sales accounted for 90 per cent of the total sales figure.
Alibaba now offers more than 400 New Zealand brands through its B2C platforms Tmall.com and Tmall Global.
Maggie Zhou, Alibaba’s Managing Director of Alibaba Group Australia & New Zealand, says there is a rapidly increasing demand from Chinese consumers to source the highest quality products from all over the world. Brands from Australia and New Zealand have seen excellent sales figures during the shopping festival.
“Australia and New Zealand products are perceived as high quality and continue to outperform in China.
“We are working closely with New Zealand merchants and partners to further encourage this growth.
“When we launched Alibaba Group’s Australia and New Zealand office earlier this year, one of our key goals was to show the outstanding performance of New Zealand brands in previous 11.11 Global Shopping Festivals,” she says.
“We are thrilled New Zealand brands have continued to see success on the world stage, adding further proof of the growing appetite for high-quality New Zealand goods among Chinese consumers.”
Zhou says Alibaba’s Chinese shoppers are drawn to products from Downunder, particularly skincare, health supplements, and high-quality organic goods such as fruit and wine. Rapid improvements in logistics mean that fresh items such as beef, seafood and dairy are also becoming more sought after.
Some of the highest performing brands on the Chinese e-commerce giant during the shopping festival were ecostore and Antipodes.
“The opportunity for ecostore to expand its consumer base is significantly increased through sale days such as 11.11,” says Pablo Kraus, managing director of ecostore.
“Chinese consumers are very sophisticated and their demand for an eco-friendly lifestyle continues to grow, so ecostore is honoured to be a brand that consumers choose for its reliability, authenticity, and being safe for all the family.”
CEO and founder of skincare company Antipodes, Elizabeth Barbalich, says: “11.11 presents and amazing opportunity for us to raise awareness of Antipodes in the China market.
“The Chinese market is key for us, with traditional plant remedies long considered an essential part of Chinese medicinal and beauty practices.”
Offshore companies that participate in the 11.11 Shopping Festival are required to store their products in Alibaba’s warehouses ahead of time, so customers receive their products as soon as possible after purchasing.
After midnight marked the start of Double 11 Day, the first package was in the hands of the buyer 12 minutes later. “This delivery speed makes for a far better shopping experience,” says Zhou.
https://www.timmccready.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/TimMcCreadyNZproductsChina.jpg193519tim.mccreadyhttps://www.timmccready.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/TimMcCready_banner.pngtim.mccready2018-03-29 06:00:512018-03-30 10:50:06China Business: New Zealand products selling well on 11:11 (NZ Herald)


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Brody Longo works out on his Peloton exercise bike on April 16, 2021 in Brick, New Jersey.
Michael Loccisano | Getty Images
Peloton on Thursday reported widening losses and slumping sales for its fiscal fourth quarter as the connected fitness equipment maker attempts to win back investors with cost cuts and strategic shifts.
The company’s shares declined more than 20% – a day after the stock surged more than 20% on news of its partnership with Amazon.
It marks Peloton’s sixth consecutive quarter of reported losses. The company said it aims to reach break-even cash flow on a quarterly basis in the second half of its fiscal year 2023.
Still, Peloton CEO Barry McCarthy said he expects the…

domain: news


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As India prepares to host the international Commonwealth Games this fall, the country is ramping up its food safety standards. A program called the “Safe Food Destination” has begun educating local restaurants and vendors about modern food safety standards and techniques.
Restaurants can register with the organization and have their employees taught about safe food preparation techniques, how to purchase safe food, and other ways to minimize the risk of illness for their customers. The Safe Food Destination program will require each establishment to score a minimum of 40 percent on an evaluation in order to receive a certificate stating its status as a “Safe Food Destination.” They will be subject to subsequent tests with the idea being that their scores will improve with every evaluation.
A score of 75 percent will reward the restaurant with a silver certificate, while an 85 percent garners a golden one. Establishments scoring 95 percent or higher will receive a platinum certificate. The organization will investigate illnesses associated with member restaurants. If an establishment is found guilty of sickening a client, its registration and certificate will be revoked.
NLB Pantulu, the vice president of operations at TQS Global Management System, spoke about the new program: “For the first time in India, we have brought consumer insurance as in terms of limited claims towards any mishap or illness arising out of food safety issues in TQS registered SFD outlets,” he said. “The consumer is at peace of mind as he is insured against any health injury arising out of food borne disease. At the same time the restaurant stakeholder is also confident as his liabilities are limited,” he told DNA India, a local newspaper.
Street vendors are a very popular lunch and dinner venue in New Delhi, and the Safe Food Destination program has adapted a special section of the initiative designed for these vendors.
“We have a modern vending cart for street vendors that is much safer to use. We are working on further guidelines in this matter,” says Pantulu.
The Commonwealth Games are the third largest athletic sporting event, after the Olympics and the Asian Games. The pre-game tradition even includes the “Queen’s Baton Relay,” an international relay strikingly similar to that of the Olympic torch.
Teams from 54 nations participate in the games, all but two of which were once colonies or commonwealths of the British Empire. These nations include twenty African countries, seven nations from the Americas, fourteen from Asia, fifteen from the Carribean, ten from Europe, and thirteen Oceanic nations.
India is playing host to the games this fall, and expects millions of visitors to the capital city, New Dheli. As with the world cup, the influx of visitors raise questions about the safety of the local food they will consume.
“There has been a lot of noise over food safety during [the Commonwealth Games]. We aim to do something concrete so that foreign tourists get international standards in food safety and hygiene during the games,” said Pantulu.
Sporting festivals give special incentive to host nations to improve food safety, in part by the fact that suddenly every aspect of the country is set on an international stage. Earlier this summer in South Africa at the FIFA World Cup, ninety volunteers were sickened with food poisoning.
Earlier this summer, Food Safety News reported on a separate food safety accreditation system in India. That program was handed down by the Indian Food Safety and Standard Authority and received very little interest.
The newer program–Safe Food Destination–is run independent of the Indian Food Safety and Standards Authority, by the TQS Global Management System, an independent consulting firm. The Food Safety And Standards Authority appears to be delighted with the new program, especially since India is playing host to the Commonwealth Games this October. DNA India reports that hundreds of establishments have already signed up.
A unique part of the Safe Food Destination program is the plan to name one restaurant Food Ambassador of India before the games begin. TQS Global Management System will subject the top ten establishments to an evaluation by an independent body, the restaurant scoring highest will be granted the prestigious honor and recognition that comes with holding this title.


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SHANGHAI, Oct 10 (Reuters) – China stocks tumbled to half-year lows on Monday, dragged by semiconductor giants and consumer firms, as trade resumed after a week-long holiday with the market being dominated by concerns over the latest US crackdown on the chip-making industry, weak economic data and fresh COVID-19 cases.
** The blue-chip CSI 300 Index slumped 2.2% to the lowest level since April 3, and the Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.7% to trade below the key 3,000 points psychological line.
** The Hang Seng Index declined 3%, while the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index plunged 3.2%.
** Global stocks skidded lower after a surprise drop in US unemployment quashed any thought of a pivot on policy tightening ahead of an inflation reading, which is expected to see core prices move higher again.
** China’s domestic COVID-19 situation worsened over the National Day Golden Week, during which holiday tourist trips also went down 18.2% from last year as strict anti-virus rules discouraged movement.
** Consumer staples and tourism companies tumbled 2.8% each, while media shares shed 2.1%, as box office sales plunged over the holiday.
** Furthermore, a private-sector business survey showed on Saturday that China’s services activity in September contracted for the first time in four months.
** An index measuring China’s semiconductor firms tumbled 7.1%, and Shanghai’s tech-focused board STAR Market declined 4.5%.
** The Joe Biden administration published a sweeping set of export controls on Friday, including a measure to cut China off from certain semiconductor chips made anywhere in the world with US equipment, to slow Beijing’s technological and military advances.
** However, Chinese real estate developers rose 1% following the country’s latest measures to prop up the distressed property sector.
** Beijing is ramping up efforts to boost home sales by easing mortgage rate floors, cutting interest rate on provident fund loans and offering individual income tax rebates for home buyers.
** Premier Li Keqiang said China will strive to consolidate its economic recovery as the country’s development faces difficulties and challenges.
** Energy suppliers also jumped 1.9%, as Chinese industry players catched up with global peers’ gains made over the holiday.
** Tech firms listed in Hong Kong tumbled 4%, with food-delivery giant Meituan down 6.7%.
** “Overall valuation in China’s stock market is attractive from a long-term perspective,” said analysts at China Asset Management Co. “Key indexes are bottoming, while a turning point will depend on domestic and overseas policies.”
** They added that once the US inflation data peaked, the Wall Street will likely see a rebound, which can help improve global risk appetite.
(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)


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The clock has almost run out for companies interested in leasing retail or office space at McHenry Row in Baltimore.
The $130 million Locust Point project, which includes 130,500 square feet of retail and 85,000 feet of office space, is down to its final openings, developer Mark Sapperstein said.
Bikram Yoga and Vein Clinics of America last week became the latest tenants, bringing McHenry Row to the threshold of full retail occupancy.
Less than 10,000 square feet is available for retail or office tenants.
“We only have a couple spaces left for retail space. We have one small office space left,” Sapperstein said. “We’re really more focused in on leasing the apartments, which is going well, but won’t be finished until October at the pace I’m going now.”
McHenry Row includes 250 apartments and two parking garages.
“I’ve been pretty lucky,” Sapperstein said. “It’s going on schedule, which means if it continues as scheduled, we will be done [leasing] in October.”


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- people on the move
Meijer plans to hire 4,800 employees
Meijer is planning to hire thousands of new team members across Michigan.
With the upcoming fall and winter holiday seasons and a growing number of stores, Grand Rapids-based Meijer said last week that it plans to hire about 4,800 employees in its home state.
In West Michigan, Meijer plans to fill more than 1,100 jobs, or an average of about 45 team members per store, said Joe Hirschmugl, a Meijer spokesperson.
“While most of these opportunities are part time and seasonal, these jobs can provide a gateway to a full-time career at Meijer,” said Michael Rotelle, SVP of human resources, Meijer. “These positions provide an opportunity for people to begin a retail career within a growing company.”
The jobs range from cashier and stocker positions to more specialized jobs like meat cutters and cake decorators.
“Meijer is always looking for good people,” said Janet Emerson, EVP of operations, Meijer. “Our continued growth provides a great opportunity to find new team members.”
Throughout its markets, Meijer said it plans to hire about 10,000 employees, including Michigan: 1,800 in Indiana, 1,700 in Ohio, 1,500 in Illinois and 1,000 in Kentucky.
People interested in the jobs can apply online.


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Printing press image via Shutterstock
Will blockchain technology disrupt venture capital?
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An investment memorandum published yesterday provides new details about an effort from venture capital firm Blockchain Capital to use digital tokens as a funding vehicle.
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Updated 23rd May, 2017: This article has been updated with additional details from Civic.
The CEO of blockchain identity platform Civic is expected to announce a forthcoming token sale this Thursda... Read More
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Another Police Official Arrested In Alleged Bitcoin Extortion Plot
Yet another high-ranking police official in the Indian state of Gujurat has been taken into custody in connection with a $1 million bitcoin extortion scheme.
According to the Hindustan Times, Amrel
Bitcoin Price Climbs to 40-Day High Above $9,200
Bitcoin's price climbed above $9,200 on Tuesday to hit a 40-day high, according to data from CoinDesk's Bitcoin Price Index (BPI).
Following a steady increase over the past week, the price of world
Cboe Exchange Wants to Lower Its Bitcoin Futures Prices
The Cboe wants to change the way it prices bitcoin futures contracts, a move that comes just months after the exchange operator first debuted its inaugural cryptocurrency product.
In a newly publis
California Bill Would Legally Recognize Blockchain Stocks
California could become the next U.S. state that allows companies to store data - including information about stockholders - on a blockchain.
Bill 838 was first introduced by Senator Robert Hertzbe


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The Viet Nam Shipbuilding Industry Group
(Vinashin) signed a contract to supply eight car carriers
to Norway’s Hoegh Auto liners, according to a report on http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn.
Each carrier will have a total loading capacity of 6,900 cars.
"This is a landmark moment for Vinashin. It not only represents the capability of Vinashin to build large vessels, but also represents the rapid expansion of Vinashin in the international market," said Vinashin’s CEO Pham Thanh Binh
The carriers, reportedly designed by DeltaMarin of Finland, will measure 200 x 32.2 m with a cruising speed of 20.5 mph.
The first carrier will be delivered in December 2009, with the remainder being delivered six months after that. Vinashin earlier said it finished negotiating shipbuilding contracts with foreign buyers that would generate an estimated $1.5 billion in revenue through 2009. (Source: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn)


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With the increased use of wireless technology in many households the next wave of home technology appears to be smart home appliances which promise better energy consumption, wireless access controls, and unified connectivity using your home wireless network.
Last month, Samsung Electronics announced that it will unveil a brand new line of smart home appliances which are WiFi-enabled and offer more convenience and capacity while reducing energy consumption. The new 2012 smart home appliances by Samsung are designed to redefine the way you organize and run your kitchen as well as other areas of your household including the laundry room.
Samsung announced that it will release a WiFi-enabled LCD refrigerator equipped with apps that help you to better organize your kitchen and a washer/dryer unit which can be operated by using your cell phone. The new appliances are part of Samsung’s new line for 2012. Here is a look at the different functions of Samsung’s new WiFi-enabled smart home appliances:
In terms of connectivity the new LCD refrigerator is equipped with apps such as the Grocery Manager app which helps you to keep track of food expiration dates for the contents in the refrigerator. The app is designed to automatically track all of the food in the refrigerator to control food waste and help prevent food spoilage.
The new 32 cubic foot LCD refrigerator offers enough capacity to store more than 30 bags of groceries which helps you save time making multiple trips to the supermarket.
The washer and dryer set is also WiFi-enabled which makes the experience of doing laundry a lot less time consuming. Instead of making multiple trips to the laundry room to check the status of the load, you can use the wireless connection to control both machines using an app on your smartphone. The normal cycle time is also reduced without compromising efficiency through the use of Samsung’s patented SpeedSpray technology which jet sprays dissolved detergent and water right onto the clothes to expedite the cleaning process.
In terms of capacity the top load washer unit is capable of handling more than two loads of laundry simultaneously which is the equivalent of more than 30 large-sized bath towels while consuming less water than conventional washing machines.
The new WiFi capabilities and smartphone controls offer more unification and convenience which assist with helping the work and family balance. Additionally, Samsung has introduced a new online resource for social media known as Make Your House Work which is available in conjunction with the Samsung Home Appliance Facebook page. Make Your House Work supports owners of Samsung’s new WiFi-enabled smart home appliances.
The concept of smart home has been discussed at the Consumer Electronics Shows for the last few years. The introduction of Samsung WiFi-enabled smart home appliance represents a significant step toward broadband and wireless technologies in categories other than home entertainment systems.
A demonstration at CES 2011 showed how it will be possible in the future for smart home appliances which are connected to the Internet to be controlled remotely to help homeowners manage home energy use in addition to streamlining processes and achieving a better work/life/family balance. The demonstration also showed how household appliances are able to pick up on user habits in order to operate more efficiently and save on energy costs.
Other major household appliance companies such as Panasonic and LG have also been working to link large ticket household appliances which connect to the Internet to address a wide variety of different uses. This goes one step further than simply bringing WiFi Internet to the touchscreen on household appliances. The goal is to make every appliance in your household to connect to one another in order to maximize performance and save time as well as energy.


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Dalton—As the popularity of LVT continues to grow, Engineered Floors has made the decision to initiate domestic LVT production in the Seretean facility, located here, utilizing the latest and most innovative manufacturing equipment available, the company said.
A complete revitalization of the 1.2 million-square-foot facility will not only drastically reduce lead times, the company said, but also allow for the necessary flexibility to expand in the future. “Our carpet manufacturing model is to have a large operation that allows for efficient product flow and minimize work in process inventory in the facility,” said Robert E. Shaw, chairman & CEO. “The Seretean facility will certainly permit that model to be executed with our LVT production.”
The domestic production of LVT in north Georgia will provide unique opportunities for research and development, design and quality assurance bringing a new level of excellence to the hard surface arena, the company said. With this investment in American-made LVT, Engineered Floors said it continues to broaden its product assortment in order to meet the needs of its valued customers.


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The deal, which values AwesomenessTV at some US$325 million, marks a significant return on investment for Dreamworks, which bought the MCN for an upfront payment of US$33 million last May, with additional payments totalling a maximum payable sum of US$117 million.
Hearst said it will now partner with DreamWorks to grow AwesomenessTV, creating new content channels for the network and broadening its audience and geographic reach.
Through the deal, AwesomenessTV will also get access to Hearst’s subscription video on demand technology, which the Hearst and Dreamworks said will “accelerate AwesomenessTV’s ability to offer content directly to consumers across all types of formats.”
“Few companies have built the global audience of millennial females as quickly as AwesomenessTV. For us, it’s very important to make a bet on the future of how content is created. Together, in partnership with DreamWorks, we see great opportunity in supporting the consumer media franchise that AwesomenessTV continues to build,” said Steven Swartz, president and CEO of Hearst Corporation.
DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg described the deal as “exciting partnership” for AwesomenessTV and said that Dreamworks will “continue to implement our long-term strategy to maximise the value of our content and properties through multiple distribution platforms.”
Awesomeness TV, which was founded by Brian Robbins (pictured), is targeted at a global teen audience and claims an average of nearly 800 million monthly views and a subscriber base of more than 114 million. Its YouTube channels and stars include Cimorelli, Miss Glamorazzi, Tyler Oakley, Cameron Dallas and Nash Grier.
News of the deal came as Moody’s said it was putting Dreamworks on review ahead of a possible downgrade, due to “weaker than expected operating trends” at the company’s feature film segment, which accounts for more than 70% of total revenues, resulting in a “deterioration in its liquidity position.”
“The review for downgrade also reflects Moody’s concerns over DreamWorks’ ability to enhance EBITDA and free cash flows over the intermediate term such that credit metrics are on a trajectory to improve to levels commensurate with its current credit ratings,” said Moody’s.
Dreamworks was recently linked to toy giant Hasbro, however US reports from last month claimed that no merger agreement had been reached.


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From Resident Evil’s Albert Wesker and Child’s Play’s Chucky to Alien’s Xenomorph and Nicholas Cage (just… Nicholas Cage), Dead by Daylight has become the go-to hub for horror icons, with developer Behaviour Interactive maintaining an impressive cadence of updates and additions for the multiplayer horror title. Interestingly enough, the next character that the game will add is also seemingly being teased.
Taking to Twitter via the official Dead by Daylight account, Behaviour Interactive tweeted out a simple yet effective gif showing a plain old flashlight shining a beam of light into the surrounding darkness. Fans were quick to connect the dots, and widespread speculation right now suggests that the developer is teasing something related to Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake. Interestingly, Alan Wake 2 game director Kyle Rowley has also liked a tweet that suggests the same.
Of course, if the titular tortured writer does indeed come to Dead by Daylight, it’ll be interesting to see whether that’s as a Killer or a Survivor- because as those who’ve played Alan Wake 2 will know, he can potentially play either of those roles.
Either way, Behaviour Interactive says more details will be revealed on January 9, which happens to be today, so we’ll know more soon enough. Stay tuned for further updates.
Dead by Daylight is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, and Android. Behaviour Interactive announced in November that it had surpassed 60 million players.
— Dead by Daylight (@DeadbyDaylight) January 8, 2024


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YouTube is getting a big redesign and new changes will be visible on desktop, Android and iOS apps. With the new update, YouTube will start to look minimalist by declaring the homepage. Now, the YouTube homepage will have larger thumbnails and longer video titles. YouTube's updated design appears to everyone starting today.
If you've got the new design on YouTube, you'll notice a special change in appearance with larger thumbnails. Basically, two rows of videos have now been turned into one. Video titles have also become longer now with more homepage space. YouTube also adds channel icons along with the video title, giving users direct access to them.
With more room for larger video thumbnails, YouTube removed content shelves from the homepage. Some of the genres of video that will remain on the YouTube homepage will be news, music mixes and more. YouTube also adds an "add to queue" shortcut to this redesign. Users can now add videos to stream directly from the desktop thumbnail. As before, videos saved in a queue will not be saved after the browser is closed.
YouTube add a shortcut to the row that comes to your desktop.
The YouTube desktop gets another feature that is first delivered in its mobile applications. YouTube's "Do Not Recommend Channel" feature is now available on your desktop. This feature is available on suggested videos and users can access it by selecting the three-dot menu. YouTube has also announced that it will soon introduce a selection of desktop and tablet themes.
The redesign of YouTube gives creators a greater emphasis on video visibility. But at the same time, it also loses access to videos on the homepage. In fact, YouTube users who see the change are already unhappy about it.


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Morrisons merger ‘could lead to higher fuel prices’
American private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice made a winning £7.1bn auction bid for the British supermarket chain last year, following Morrisons’ initial agreement for a £6.3bn takeover by rival US firm, Fortress Investment Group.
But in January this year, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), opened an investigation into CD&R’s buyout of Britain’s fourth largest supermarket.
The US firm is the owner of the Motor Fuel Group (MFG) which is the largest independent operator of petrol stations in the UK.
In total, it runs 921 petrol stations across England, Scotland and Wales under brands including Esso, BP, Shell, Texaco, Jet and Murco.
Morrisons supermarket also operates 339 petrol stations across the UK and as part of the first phase of the CMA’s investigation, it said the deal “raises competition concerns in relation to the supply of petrol and diesel in 121 local areas across England, Scotland and Wales”.
These 121 areas have been highlighted as both MFG and Morrisons run fuel forecourts so would face “limited competition” after the merger, “meaning the deal could lead to an increase in prices”.
Colin Raftery, senior director of mergers at the CMA, said: “Prices for petrol and diesel have recently hit record highs, which makes it even more important that we don’t allow a lack of competition at the pump to make the situation worse.
“We’re concerned that this deal could lead to higher prices for motorists in some parts of the country. But if CD&R and Morrisons are able to address these concerns, then we won’t need to move on to an in-depth investigation of the merger.”
The CMA said CD&R has five working days to offer proposals to address these concerns after which the CMA would have five working days to consider whether to accept them or refer the deal for an in-depth phase two investigation.


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Saudi Vision 2030 is an ambitious plan to diversify the economy and get the Kingdom ‘future ready’. And what better way to spur on the success of Vision 2030 than with the recent announcement of the merge between Dell Technologies and EMC.
IT transfromation is a key enabler for Saudi Arabia to achieve its Vision 2030 plan, with the digitalization of government processes and procedures being not only a priority but also a major accelerator. And finding the perfect partner for this landmark project was essential. Dell EMC is one of the few companies that can offer end-to-end services.
“We are at the dawn of the next industrial revolution. Our world is becoming more intelligent and more connected by the minute, and ultimately will become intertwined with a vast Internet of Things, paving the way for customers to do incredible things.” This is what Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies had to say about the merge between Dell and EMC, which occurred in September this year.
Talal AlBakr, Public and Oil Gas Sector Director at Dell EMC, is another one of the many people who are enthusiastic about the future of Saudi’s Vision 2030 and the role that DellEMC can play in it, especially since the government plans to optimize its spending and improve the citizens’ experience when dealing with public services. “Public Sector in Saudi Arabia will transform to stand at the leading edge of technological adoption to offer the public community access to faster, more enhanced services that will improve on their quality of life .”
In order to achieve these KPI’s, the newly-combined Dell EMC company will help Saudi thrive in the digital age by resolving some of the most important issues, including improved IT services, cloud computing, converged infrastructure, financial services, education, security, and SME sectors. And together, the Saudi Vision 2030 and Dell EMC, will be able to set a new precedent and bring about new successes in the world of digital transformation.
According to Bader AlMadi, Service Providers Manager at Dell EMC, telecommunications companies will also have a vital role in the success of Vision 2030 by evolving to become Information and Communication technology (ICT) Providers. This will allow them to introduce reliable services to support both government and the private sector. Dell EMC can assist ICT provider by developing different Cloud flavours that can help deliver speed and agility for accelerated growth, to improve cost-efficiency and to tackle technological demands such as Big Data, IOT and new generation Applications.
Additionally Dell EMC is a core member of the Saudi society, and the leader in digital transformation, therefore we have a core responsibility as trusted advisors in achieving Vision 2030. Our proven track record of working with 98% of the world’s Fortune 500 companies, enables us to put our customers first and the freedom to invest in R&D for the future.
As the Kingdom prepares to diversify its economy, customers in the region will need to be a part of the digital economy to increase efficiency and productivity.
Dell EMC’s philosophy aligns perfectly with this, as key stake holders emphasized how the new company is built specifically to help customers thrive in the digital era.
Saudi Arabia’s preparation and readiness plan for 2030 is well underway and Dell EMC is committed to the journey with them. By investing in human capital and reources in KSA, Dell EMC can take advantage of the extensive Saudi national talent pool and expose them to a professional work environment that is revolutionizing their country and the IT landscape. Ultimately the partnership between these two organizations is one that is future-ready and motivated to make a difference by deploying digital transformation.
To discover more about Dell EMC, click here.


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Apple’s long-awaited AirPower ^(https://www.appmarsh.com/guide/airpower/) wireless charging mat and a new version of AirPods with wireless charging support and upgraded Bluetooth connectivity will start shipping in the first half of 2019, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo ^(https://www.appmarsh.com/roundup/ming-chi-kuo/).
Kuo also expects a new iPod touch ^(https://www.appmarsh.com/roundup/ipod-touch/) with a faster processor to launch in 2019.
While there’s been a flurry of recent rumors about the AirPower and 2nd generation AirPods, there have also been conflicting reports on the possible launch dates for the two products. One recent report ^(https://www.appmarsh.com/2019/02/12/airpods-charging-case-soon-2-fall/) specifically placed the launch of the new AirPods in the fall of 2019. We were skeptical about that report at the time, and now Kuo gives another reason to believe that the new AirPods and AirPower will be shipping in the first half of this year.
Related Roundups: iPod touch ^(https://www.appmarsh.com/roundup/ipod-touch/), AirPods 2 ^(https://www.appmarsh.com/roundup/airpods/)
Tags: Ming-Chi Kuo ^(https://www.appmarsh.com/roundup/ming-chi-kuo/), AirPower ^(https://www.appmarsh.com/roundup/airpower/)
This article, “AirPower and New AirPods Said to Ship in First Half of 2019, New iPod Touch With Faster Processor Also Expected ^(https://www.appmarsh.com/2019/02/17/airpower-new-airpods-ship-first-half-2019-kuo/)” first appeared on appmarsh.com ^(https://www.appmarsh.com/)
Discuss this article ^(https://forums.appmarsh.com/threads/airpower-new-airpods-ship-first-half-2019-kuo.2170253/) in our forums


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It’s no secret that the online gambling business is booming. But in 2018, gamblers who are looking to place a bet and get a tidy pay out are moving away from the traditional modes of gambling. As the UK sees betting shops shutting up all around the country, and less people frequenting the brick and mortar casinos, they’re moving towards online gaming.
The great majority of online casinos now use online video slot machine games as their flagship game. Whilst back in the 90’s when the games were first introduced not all too many people trusted the websites the games were hosted on, now, with the help of regulatory bodies such as the Gambling Commission, strict regulations are in place to ensure players receive a safe and fair gaming experience. Yet, that’s just one of the four key reasons why online gaming’s popularity trend isn’t ready to peak just yet.
The Rise of the UK Gaming Industry
The surge in popularity primarily falls down to the quality of the talent behind games developers, better availability of funding, wide consumer trends and the popularity of app-based gaming. In 2016 the value of the UK gaming market hit £4.33bn and raked in an additional £100.5 million through sectors such as merchandising and films. Yet, the financial growth spurt isn’t likely to peak at any time soon. The PwC suggested that by 2021 the gaming industry will be the fifth largest market in the world. The net total is predicted of the gaming industry’s worth is £5.2bn. With a larger appetite for online gaming in the UK, whether that be on a smartphone, console or their PC, it makes sense that the relationship between gambling and gaming would only strengthen.
With the increased demand of new and exciting game play experiences, this has driven the growth of institutions who are training and preparing new developers to upskill and grow the game developer talent of tomorrow. Now, the UK is rated as the top location for training and retaining skilled workers in the digital industry. However, with the ever looming threat of Brexit, much of the success of the UK’s gaming industry is hanging in the balance – as with every other UK market. Dr Wilson commented in the Telegraph that “much of the future success of the UK’s gaming industry will depend upon government policy decisions. He recommends the creation of formal gaming investment funds, an increased rate of tax relief for developers, and continued access to the EU’s skilled workers in the gaming industry.”
The Rise of the UK Gambling Industry
If you thought the figures behind the UK gaming industry were high, wait until you hear the annual profits of the UK gambling industry.
Since the gambling laws were liberalised just over a decade ago, the annual sum gambling firms make in profits from their customers has sky rocketed by 65% to reach a staggering £14bn. Let it never be said that Tony Blair never did anything for the economy. He may be a war criminal, yet he was all too happy to take the stigma away from the gambling industry. Back in 2015 the gambling act allowed to casinos to advertise online, on the radio and on TV, after the industry was made more visible to the UK population, more and more people started to log into online casinos from the comfort of their own home. Online casinos now make up a third of the profits in the industry, and that’s even including the national lottery.
Whilst it’s never nice to see a decline on the high street, every store which has been forced to close that someone, somewhere else is thriving. More often than not, the competition has come from an online source. There is no anticipation for the success of online gaming any time soon. The online gaming business is booming, mainly the popularity all falls down to online slots, instead of table and casino games like roulette, blackjack and there are plenty of reasons for their popularity over more traditional games. If the incentive of the possibility to win up to tens of millions of pounds with a relatively small stake isn’t enough, there are plenty of other unique selling points to the game.
5 Reasons Behind the Popularity of Online Slots
With online slot games, you get to choose how you play and what stakes you want to make. Whilst some gamblers will opt or a simpler gameplay experience, others will want to enjoy the more complex and immersive. With some games offering over 200 ways to win, wildcards, bonus rounds and plenty of other fun features. With most websites offering hundreds of different themed games, players will be able to personalise their experience. Players can choose between sports themed slots, fantasy themed slots, beauty themed slots, or cute and cuddly slots.
- Simple Gameplay Experience
Unlike with many of the other online casino games such as the card games, with the simpler slot machines they’re easy to play. You have no complicated rules to learn and memorise in the hope of getting the higher pay out. Instead, online slot games are all about having a little bit of fun.
More and more online casinos are creating games optimised for both PC and smartphone. You can log into most online casino apps, wherever you are, all you need is connection to the internet!
You couldn’t expect much in return for placing a 2p bet in a bookies, yet, with online slot machines, there’s hours of entertainment even for the smallest of budgets. All games allow players to set the coin size before the game. Regardless of the small stakes, there is still the potential for the player to win big due to the bonus rounds and collective jackpots in progressive online slot games.
- Psychological Benefits
Gambling has never had the best reputation when it comes to mental health and addiction professionals. However, users of online slot machines can actually experience a reduction in the cortisol stress levels in the body. The immersive gameplay experiences allow the players a reprieve and escape from their everyday lives.


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CONSUMERS NAME BEYOND MEAT ONE OF 2023’S MOST INNOVATIVE BRANDS
June 7, 2023
Beyond Meat was named one of 2023’s most innovative brands in the 20th annual consumer survey conducted by Brand Keys, Inc. The survey measured brand loyalty and engagement assessed through brand innovation from a consumer perspective.
Beyond Meat was in the top five brands selected in the food & beverage category, and the only plant-based meat company to make the list. Other innovative companies that rose to the top of consumers’ consciousness included Amazon, Nike, Netflix, Spotify, Apple, TikTok and Tesla.
“While consumers can’t always articulate what form they want innovation to take, a brand that accurately measures what consumers emotionally expect, then addresses those expectations via innovation, will have an enormous advantage over the competition,” said Robert Passikoff, Brand Keys founder and president.
This recognition is especially meaningful as it reflects Beyond Meat’s rapid and relentless approach to innovation that’s focused on creating the world’s best tasting plant-based meat products that will excite and delight consumers, while being better for human health and the environment. For the full list of 2023 winners, see HERE.
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Surprisingly, very few people know/knew that November is Native American Heritage Month. This is understandable because everything is focused on Christmas, and what’s that other holiday that comes after Halloween?….Oh yea, Thanksgiving. There are a lot of distractions drawing away from the celebration of the Native American contributions to this country. Just keep that in mind when out shopping and cooking that turkey or venison.
Posted in General and tagged culture, history by DJ Odawa with no comments yet.
Mother Nature Network - Latest News
- Drone flies after being installed with honeybee brain
- 'Mechanical' invisibility cloak inspired by the honeycomb
- Do Unto Animals: The new book from Tracey Stewart that aims to help us help animals
- 17 recipes that put your cast-iron skillet to good use
- Anti-testing movement catches on in schools nationwide
- Stunned by Yosemite: A trip that will make you feel alive
- Matt Damon's thriller 'The Martian' to be science-heavy
- Scientists find extremely rare pocket shark


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Those dastardly pedophiles will do anything to score fresh photos of naked minors. Why, they'll even offer video game points! Yes, it's true. Local media wouldn't lie or be otherwise confused on the concept of points.
"Kids are playing games, and they are being asked to take photos of themselves naked in order to get game points," state attorney Cybercrime Detective Lt. David Maurer said. "There is not only the chatting version of the games but also a webcam involved."
"My theory on it is that predators are going to go where kids are, and kids are playing video games so it's a perfect place for them to be," Maurer said. At any time, there can be up to 300,000 people online playing the most popular Internet-connected games, Local 6's Donald Forbes reported.
"You think they're just watching a game, and I didn't really know they could actually get through the games and play a lot of people," parent Alida Magana said. The most popular games are Halo 3, Call To Duty [sic], Final Fantasy and Grand Theft Auto.
I didn't know that "Send Nude Photo To Creepy Guy" was one of the Achievements in Halo 3. Do you think Sony will try to keep parity with their new Trophy system? And how many points is a nude photo worth in today's modern online economy? Someone should ask Lt. Mauer for more information. After all, he has a theory.


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Tesla and Consumer Reports continue feud following Model 3 review
Tesla doesn't think its brakes are getting a fair test.
Didi Chuxing receives permit to test self-driving cars in California
Just don't expect the Chinese ridesharing giant to offer service.
BMW's wireless car charging pad arrives this summer
You'll need the right car, though.
Subaru's first PHEV is the 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid
It combines a boxer engine with Toyota hybrid tech.
Ohio approves self-driving car tests on public roads
There are a few strings attached.
Waymo shows how its self-driving cars navigate snow
They cut through the winter confusion to see what's actually present.
FedEx adds a hydrogen fuel cell van to its fleet
It'll run routes in Upstate New York.
Ford will stop selling Taurus, Focus and Fiesta in North America first
They'll be phased out in the region by mid-2019.
Ford will stop selling most of its cars in North America
It's an acknowledgment of changes in both taste and technology.


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Oerlikon Systems has signed an order for the delivery of several of its Clusterline 300II tools to the world’s largest semiconductor foundry, TSMC. The deal, the value of which was undisclosed, overrides orders for the same tool received from key semiconductor manufacturers in South Korea and Taiwan. The Clusterline 300II is a cluster tool specifically designed for advanced packaging and backside metallization for wafer sizes up to 300mm.
“The ever increasing interest in our Clusterline products has been expected but the large multiple orders have exceeded our expectations,” said Andreas Dill, Head of Oerlikon Systems. “Our efforts focus on optimizing innovative solutions for under bump metallization (UBM), redistribution layers, backside metallization and ultra thin wafer processing.”
The success and popularity of the tool is, according to the company, due in large part to the involvement of marketing, sales and service company DKSH Taiwan. Oerlikon Systems brought the company on board in May 2009; since then, the DKSH Taiwan team has been working closely with the Oerlikon product managers and development teams to aid in succeeding in the Taiwan market.


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Halloween 2020 Carnival Based
Carnival Cruise Line is canceling most U.S. sailings through the end of this year, the latest sign that the cruise industry’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic could still be many months . During this stressful time, parents are searching for ways to have a bit of light-hearted fun with their children. . From ziplining ghost baskets to drive-thru booths, pandemic Halloween is bringing out innovation. That means plenty of options for how to celebrate Halloween in 2020. .
WEHO Halloween Carnival 2020 to Be Defunded and CANCELED Along
- HALLOWEEN 2020 on the BRAND NEW Carnival MARDI GRAS Tickets, Sat .
- Halloween Carnival | City of Torrance.
- What to Expect During a Halloween Cruise with Carnival | Carnival.
While some European based cruises have resumed, the majority of Carnival Corp’s fleet is still unable to welcome guests any time soon. Seventeen of the eighteen ships have been identified. . It’s not even October and Halloween 2020 is already getting is part of the park’s Corona Horror Fest 2020, which was created with the Tokyo based horror entertainment company Kowagarasetai. .
Halloween BOO! Cruise 2020 | Western caribbean cruise, Cruise
It’s Sunday nearing sunset and the daily carnival that And so far it appears 2020 will be the year we go wild on holiday decorations, starting with Halloween. More bikes with sound systems This year’s fireworks climax of Derry’s annual Hallowe’en carnival is to be replaced by a Hay Bale Sculpture Trail and a Halloween-themed Inside Out Animation Programme. .
Halloween Cruise Carnival Halloween Cruises 2020
- Halloween Highlight Reel, Part I Haunts | Creepy carnival, Scary .
- Fright Nights 2020 Halloween bash canceled South Florida Sun .
- Little Shell Celebration 2020 Halloween Carnival Prize Bingo — MHA .
Haunted House Carnival Ticket Booth Halloween Decoration Prop
Dracula: The Atlantic City Ballet will present “Dracula”, based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 music lovers to enjoy virtually as part of the 2020 Cape May Music Festival Series. . Halloween 2020 Carnival Based Ghosts and goblins may not be the most popular costumes of 2020, but it appears Americans love classic Halloween costumes. According to Frightgeist, Google’s database of most-searched costumes, the .


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China retail sales growth ‘brisk’ in April
China retail sales posted solid growth in April, despite concerns over a slowing economy and the Sino-US trade war.
Total April retail sales rose by 7.2 per cent, slower than the previous month. However, as Mitusko Miyasako, an equity analyst at Jefferies commented, April this year had two fewer public holidays than April last year.
“Consequently, like comparison with the prior year shows 8.7 per cent growth, the same as in March.”
By category, apparel, footwear, headwear, knitwear, automobiles, and construction/decorative materials posted negative growth. “However, the degree of negative growth was small for all of these categories, so we believe consumption remains brisk,” said Miyasako.
Sales growth for cosmetics (up 6.7 per cent) and daily necessities (up 12.6 per cent) was slower than in March, “but cosmetics and daily necessities are goods that are impacted by the number of holidays”.
“Consequently, we see no major trend change and believe sales remain upbeat,” concluded Miyasako.


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Sears, Roebuck & Co. and several other leading retail chains reported yesterday increased sales in October over the year‐ago month.
Sears said that its sales in the four weeks ended Oct. 30 rose 9.4 per cent to $856,548,206 from $783,186,123. Sales in 39 weeks were up 7.2 per cent to $7,706,904,970 from $7,189,421,747. A company spokesman said that volume at Sears, the country's largest merchandiser, rose sharply in the last few days of the month.
The Grand Union Company's sales in the four weeks ended Oct. 23 rose 7.8 per cent to $98,426,832 from $91,276,872. In the 34 weeks to Oct. 23, sales increased to 9.4 per cent to $835,670,780 from $764,018,716.
The City Products Corporation, a unit of the Household Finance Company, had a 7.7 percent rise in its sales in October to $111,764,000 from $103,733,000. Ten‐month sales rose 10.2 per cent to $1,025,318,000 from $930,643,000.Continue reading the main story


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As the new year begins, the United States Postal Service is telling customers about changes in 2019 that could impact their mail.
Starting Jan. 27, Forever stamp prices will increase from 50 cents each to 55 cents each. The 10 percent increase is the biggest in USPS history.
The price hike is to offset losses from 2018. The post office had its worst year yet, resulting in about $4 billion in operating losses. USPS said in November that sales from shipping and packages had soared 10 percent but rising pay and benefits and higher transportation costs led to the overall decline in revenue, Reuters reported.
Postal employees said it is important to keep the stamp price increase in mind if you plan to print shipping labels at home.
"If you come to the post office, we'll weigh it and put the correct postage on," said Eva Jackson, spokesperson for the USPS San Diego District. "If you're at home, that could create a problem if you don't have enough postage on there."
Locals say they will be supporting USPS in a personal effort to keep the federal agency afloat.
"Keep using the post office, that's my tip," said Kristen Winter as she was mailing letters at the Carmel Mountain Postal Store on Rancho Carmel Drive.
USPS said that it had expected 16 billion letters, gifts and packages to be sent out between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve. The estimate for 2017 was 15 billion.
The service has been taking steps to compete with major online retailers like Amazon. During the busy winter months, some local post offices set up a drive through the holidays so that customers did not have to leave their cars to mail letters and packages.
The Forever stamp price increase was approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission.


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CHICAGO — If you haven’t yet heard of 4C Insights, the data science company that just acquired Teletrax, the scale of insights it is processing suggests you soon will.
The Chicago-based company is helping advertisers better understand how to target users of social networks by comprehending their response to brands, interests and media behaviour.
“We look at over 1.5 billion user profiles, 250,000 interests, 50,000 brands and 6,000 TV programs on a regular basis, and we map the connections between all of those entities, which is literally trillions of nodes’ worth of data,” CEO Lance Neuhauser tells Beet.TV in this video interview.
He says brands don’t want to target consumers based on reach and demographic any more, because the media landscape has become so fragmented and unpredictable.
“We also start to ingest set-top box data in which we’re looking at millions of households’ second-by-second data, every single button that’s pressed on the remote control,” he adds.
“We overlay over 29 different categories of information so we can see who’s tuned in to what program, whether they’re fast-forwarding through commercials and those that are viewing commercials, what their persona is.
“We also ad occurrence information that spans over 60 countries, over 2,000 channels, 600,000 commercials a day.”


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There was a time when Dunkin’ Donuts was known for their donuts. But the times, they are a’changin’, and coffee culture is where the money is in the 21st century. The company is considering a pivot that will cement their focus on coffee as opposed to their donuts. Several locations, beginning with Pasadena, will rebrand as just “Dunkin'” in a test run of the new, shorter name.
The company does not consider this a departure from current branding.
“We have been referring to ourselves simply as Dunkin’ in our advertising for more than a decade, ever since we introduced our ‘America Runs on Dunkin’ campaign,” said the spokesperson.
The trial run on the rebranded name may become part of a larger redesign that is set to roll out during mid-late 2018, and Dunkin’ Brands plans to determine “Dunkin’s” permanence at that time.
Mashable has some other, funnier suggestions for a new name. I’m okay with any change as long as we can still buy donuts.