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Coming this fall, Costco will open its doors to its fourth greater Milwaukee area location in Menomonee Falls. The store will sit at N162 W9235 Persing Ave. It will be a part of the retail and mixed-use project called White Stone Station.
Costco Menomonee will be one of three new Costco Warehouses opening in Wisconsin this fall. The other two locations opening will be Grand Chute and New Berlin.
This building will be developed by the same general contractor, Novak Construction, who built the Pleasant Prairie Costco location this summer.
I was at the site a few weeks ago and while all of the land is flat and turned, there is still much work to be done. I like the area the store will be built. The White Stone Station will have a few restaurants as well as a 350+ luxury apartment complexes when the area is fully developed. This building is expected to open in late September/early October.
The Costco Menomonee Falls location is already accepting applications, the starting pay is $11.50 an hour. If you are interested in applying for a job at Costco New Berlin, you can find out all of that information by clicking here.


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Austin, TX, January 03, 2013 --(PR.com)-- TJA ended 2012 with a new holiday tradition, making a family Christmas wish list a reality. With the recent rise in generosity inspired by the original Secret Santa, an un-named woman in Michigan who paid off a family's lay away plan at Kmart, TJA wanted to find away to give back to their hometown. Last week a TJA pilot visited an Austin based Walmart and brought Christmas early to families.
TJA chose 82 families on Santa's list and paid off their lay away balances. The total pay off was just under $10,400. “Our company is based on helping others, and having as much impact as possible with each person we come in contact with. It only took a little to help out a large number of people in a big way,” said Farrell Foley, TJA's CEO. The company's founder, Grant Jacobson, was there to see the reaction of one of the family members. “It was a magical moment to see the face on the first person who came to make a lay away payment and realized that Santa had come early this year,” Mr. Jacobson said.
The year ahead will be a busy one for the Austin based aviation company. In addition to working with their current partners, TJA will be expanding their efforts and looking to partner with additional organizations that may need their services.
Texas Jacobson Aviation
Contact via Email
Click here to read the full story: TJA Helps Santa Claus with Some Early Christmas Wishes
Press Release Distributed by PR.com
© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

domain: news


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Amazon hearts movie streaming
This week has seen some big streaming news. I feel like we hit the tipping point were TV on the net was suddenly everywhere.
Netflix announced a Facebook integration for users in Canada and Latin America,
Wal-Mart launched a streaming service.
Fox said it was going to delay its content on Hulu and Thursday.
And finally Amazon announced it reached an agreement with NBC Universal to make over 9,000 movies and TV shows available for people who subscribe to Amazon’s Prime service. This comes just a week after Amazon announced a deal with CBS to stream over 2,000 of that network’s TV shows.
So will all these new streaming stories on Amazon Prime be enough to lure disgruntled Netflix subscribers? Sure you say you plan to quit when the rate hikes take effect this fall – but remember Kevin Spacey is coming to Netflix and as of this week you can stream Mad Men on Netflix too.
We’re here to help you navigate this changed world and economy.
Our mission at Marketplace is to raise the economic intelligence of the country. It’s a tough task, but it’s never been more important.
In the past year, we’ve seen record unemployment, stimulus bills, and reddit users influencing the stock market. Marketplace helps you understand it all, will fact-based, approachable, and unbiased reporting.
Generous support from listeners and readers is what powers our nonprofit news—and your donation today will help provide this essential service. For just $5/month, you can sustain independent journalism that keeps you and thousands of others informed.


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Alibaba Group’s B2C e-commerce platform Tmall on Wednesday announced it would continue its partnership with New York Fashion Week: The Shows.
To cultivate fashion talent in China, Tmall plans to bring both established brands and emerging designers to the annual event this fall, it said in a statement. Under the banner of “Tmall China Cool,” the Chinese brands and designers will showcase their collections at a dedicated space at Spring Studios, which hosts some of the creative industry’s most prestigious events, such as the Tribeca Film Festival and Independent Art Fair, in addition to NYFW: The Shows.
WATCH: Tmall China Cool teaser
Per Tmall, its China Cool initiative is aimed at enabling Chinese fashion designers to grow their brands and appeal to a global audience with fashion-forward designs. Tmall said it will center on the theme, “Forward,” throughout its events at NYFW: The Shows, from showcasing some of China’s most design-forward fashions to creative cross-over items at its pop-up show, running from Sept. 4-6.
The platform also teased its involvement in other upcoming fashion week events, including in Paris and Milan, and that it would reveal more details on those partnerships and activations over the next few months.
“In joint partnership with NYFW: The Shows, Tmall will continue to champion talented brands and young designers in one of the most important fashion centers of the world,” said Jessica Liu, general manager of Tmall Fashion and Luxury.
Liu said the platform sees “China Cool” as a growing trend in China, marked by designs that focus more on heritage and authenticity and driven by consumers who are “increasingly experimental and individualistic,” she added.
Jennifer Taylor, vice president of Global Consulting and Business Development at entertainment company IMG’s fashion business, which oversees the fashion week event, expects the partnership to bring a fresh line-up of new talent and experiences to New York’s fashion industry.
“We are always looking for opportunities to reach new audiences through NYFW: The Shows,” said Taylor. “Tmall’s position as the leading B2C e-commerce platform in the China market is unrivaled.”
WATCH: Which Designers is Tmall Bringing to NYFW
Their partnership started in 2017, and they have since rolled out a series of initiatives to showcase Chinese talent at New York Fashion Week, while helping U.S. designers break into the burgeoning fashion market in China.
In 2017, Tmall featured American brands GREY Jason Wu, Opening Ceremony and Robert Geller in its annual fashion extravaganza – a major “See Now, Buy Now” runway show held in the run-up to Alibaba’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival – giving their latest clothing lines first-time exposure to the hundreds of millions of Chinese customers who visit Alibaba’s platforms.
Also as part of the partnership, three Chinese designer labels – including sportswear brand Particle Fever, Hangzhou-based JNBY and indie designer Angel Chen – debuted their new collections at NYFW: The Shows last September. Tmall also offered them advanced technologies to engage retail buyers and consumers, such as an online showroom feature, 360-degree imaging technology and “See Now, Buy Now” capability, which allowed consumers in China to purchase select items straight from the runway at NYFW as they viewed the show.


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Can you imagine your life without your smart phone, laptop or tablet? Well, most people can’t. They have become accustomed to having such technologies at their convenience. Technological marvels such as those mentioned above are not only a great killer of boredom, but it has improved our quality of life and living standards dramatically. However, there is a darker side to this story.
Today, we live in times of uncertainly which is riddled with fraud, deception and lies. Everything you see and hear is the opposite of what is meant. Those foolish enough to believe someone word-for-word are not only naïve but also – to some degree – idiotic. Smart phones, wearable technology, social media, and other similar trends can sound too good to be true – and they certainly are. Think about what Google does – it collects your personal data – your Android phone uploads your photos directly to Google plus account. Next, Facebook users are naturally compelled to share their locations and their pictures and not to mention their status update. All such trends did not happen accidentally – they have been planned and deployed by the government in order to control people. Google and facebook may want you to believe that they are collecting your personal information for targeted ads. However, it’s all a cover up – the real reason for collecting personal information has to do with controlling your habits and your perceptions.
As of today, the central theme that surrounds the tech world has to do with cloud computing. It seems that all the big companies – and individuals alike – are rushing to shift their data to the cloud. Just recently, Google took a major step by lowering the prices of its cloud services – and sure enough other followed suit. However, according to cloud experts, lower prices may not be a key point in attracting customers. Customers are willing to spend more money if the cloud service is reliable (no down-time) and secure (encrypted connections).
Another concern consumer face has to do with trust. Most customers would rather keep data stationary than have it uploaded to the cloud. Be it Microsoft, Google, Box, DropBox or any other cloud service provider – people seems to have trust issues – plus there is the issue with security – as most providers do not provide encryption of data going through a sync cycle. Consequently, a new cloud solution is needed – as the current one is obviously not working. Luckily, that solution is already here – the product is known as Folder Lock 7 – which the developers’ term is the ultimate data security solution for the end user. Not only does folder lock encrypts and locks data, it also has a built in – right inside the interface – cloud backup. Users can create encrypted lockers in which their sensitive data is stored and uploaded to Folder Lock’s dedicated cloud server. In terms of privacy, since each individual creates a self-executable Locker with its own password, there is no chance that your data could be accessed by the Folks at New software’s (developers of Folder Lock).
Please visit for more information :


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It’s a classic question. This week we have four stocks that will deliver significant gains should you choose to sell:
1. Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo was in an unusually good spot recently with many investors taking advantage of the company’s improved balance sheet and good momentum. As of Nov. 24, its consensus price target was up to $92 a share in my opinion, but it still traded in the $59 to $61 range.
The stock will benefit from a favorable macroeconomic outlook and better sales trends. Analysts expect Wells Fargo to have record net income and earnings per share of $1.02 a share for its fiscal year ending June 2015.
Shares of the largest US retail chain are doing very well over the past several months, with Wal-Mart having made a lot of strides toward its “big box” strategy.
But the company will also benefit from some changes that will reduce inventory levels for the upcoming shopping season. In September, the company moved more than 200,000 employees from its fulfillment centers to more centrally located facilities. And last month, it announced that it will close its 1,100 warehouse stores around the country in November.
According to Morgan Stanley, Wal-Mart stock currently trades in the $60 to $72 range.
3. General Electric
Despite the company’s poor results last year as a result of its weak energy division, investors believe the company will emerge from the financial crisis stronger than ever.
While the company’s stock will see some positive movement from its recent gains through the holiday season, the company will also benefit from the continued strength of the US dollar. On Aug. 8, GE reported stronger-than-expected earnings per share of $1.10, compared to the analysts expectations of $2.10 per share.
That could make GE a decent addition to a portfolio should your investment needs to be somewhat more diversified. This week, it dropped from $51.20 to $50.94.
4. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)
Tesla Motors is the first big name in the electric car movement to come on the market. Not only is it the only car maker to come out of nowhere and become known for its success, it also sells its cars directly to consumers.
It’s not for a lack of trying on Tesla’s part. Since its initial public offering in 2004, the stock price in the stock has been in the $100
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It doesn't happen very often, but a whole new market is opening up if the Federal Communications Commission has its way. Air travelers may soon be able to make phone calls and use cellular data while flying on commercial airlines.
While some flight attendants and passengers may not like it, some companies will. Their investors might want to dial in too.
Wireless carriers such as AT&T (NYSE:T) and Verizon (NYSE:VZ) have had to be creative over the past several years in order to grow their businesses. The companies have been buying spectrum, buying each other, and offering new services.
Now, a new and potentially lucrative market, seven miles up, is opening thanks to the FCC. The boon to providers won't exactly be known. How many travelers will actually use devices up there? What will the infrastructure costs be?
Eventually, it is likely to be helpful to carriers. Air travel is expected to grow at an annual rate of 5% over the next two decades. Calls from 35,000 feet will probably be on the order of $3 to $4 per minute. A typical business call lasting one hour could cost around $200. Some of that money will eventually find its way to the carriers.
With the proliferation of smartphone and tablet use -- two brand new markets created in the recent past -- revenue at both AT&T and Verizon has been trending higher, although at a relatively slow pace.
The boost from wireless use in the air will complement what is happening on the ground. The big players have been jockeying for position. Verizon wanted all the profits for itself and bought the 45% portion of Verizon Wireless that was owned by Vodafone (NASDAQ:VOD). The $130 billion deal should close early in 2014 and provide a boost to Vodafone and investors.
Vodafone will use some of the proceeds to upgrade its European infrastructure so it can distance itself from competition. However, most of the funds will be returned to shareholders.
Shareholders could get another gift next year -- rumors abound that AT&T, in a bid to expand internationally, would like to buy the European operations of Vodafone in a mega deal worth around $175 billion, dwarfing the $130 billion Verizon-Vodafone transaction.
Verizon will have to deal with the enormous debt it took on after buying out Vodafone. The company issued $50 billion in new bonds to help pay for the majority of the cash portion of the deal. Whether the debt strangles Verizon growth going forward remains to be seen. So far, Wall Street seems alright with it. Verizon shares have risen about 8% since the buyout was announced.
It is likely that air passengers will soon be able to talk and text at 35,000 feet using their AT&T and Verizon plans. This will open up a new market for the big carriers to complement the growth achieved through mergers and acquisitions.
I'm looking for the next big market for wireless. Under the sea? In outer space?


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The arrival of coronavirus in the United States upended Americans’ grocery shopping habits, triggering more store visits and online purchases as consumers tried new ways of shopping and shifted to eating at home, according to the FMI-The Food Industry Association’s annual U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends study.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. grocery shopping kept to a familiar pattern, noted FMI’s report, prepared by The Hartman Group and released this week. Household food shopping frequency has remained high, at 2.7 trips weekly, and customers use several retail channels (4.1) and store banners (5.0) to meet their monthly grocery needs. But in the early weeks of the outbreak, weekly grocery trips by households jumped to 3.6, and 40% of shoppers said they were shopping fewer stores for groceries.
“Never before in the recent past of our nation have we been forced to confront the magnitude of abrupt changes that COVID-19 circumstances foisted upon us all,” David Fikes, executive director of the FMI Foundation, said in a webinar Wednesday on the U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends study. “So the food industry — an industry that over the past few decades has become quite accustomed to confronting and addressing disruptions — suddenly found itself facing an unprecedented disruption.”
In March, when President Trump declared coronavirus a national emergency, food retail revenue soared over 25% from February, “collapsing more than eight years of dollar growth into a few tumultuous weeks,” FMI said in the report. As of April, food retail revenue remained more than 10% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Shoppers exceeded their previous weekly household grocery budgets by an average of 33% to stock up for lockdowns, the study said. The weekly household grocery bill surged from around $120 to $161 between March 21 and April 2, before moderating to $130 through April 25.
The retail surge also reversed long-term food spending trends, in which food retail had gradually declined since the early 1990s as foodservice crept up. Food retail’s share of food spending rose from 50% in February to 63% in March and then 68% in April, returning to levels not seen since the early to mid-1990s, according to the study. Meanwhile, restaurants — forced to close or offer only takeout and/or delivery — saw their share of food retail spending drop from around 50% to roughly 35%.
‘Where, How and Who’ of grocery shopping changes
As a result of the coronavirus crisis, 78% of shoppers surveyed said they made a change in where they shop for food. Forty percent shopped at fewer stores, and 28% shop more online. Also, 15% said they avoid stores they typically shop, 11% changed the store they shop most often, 10% shop at different types of stores, and another 10% have stopped going to stores.
“At first, people were multisourcing as they stocked up and were trying new things. Now they’ve settled into more of a routine,” David Feit, vice president of strategic insights at The Hartman Group, said in the webinar. “Relatively few people say that they no longer shop in-store at all.”
Besides changing where they shop, Americans also have changed how they shop, Feit pointed out. Nearly nine in 10 respondents (89%) said they shop differently because of COVID-19. Changes include 44% spending more money on each visit, 32% speeding up shopping trips, 25% narrowing the range of items purchased, and 16% spending more money online.
“They’re making more efforts to minimize the number of trips,” Feit said. “It’s probably a mistake to consider these neatly as stock-up trips, because from the shopper’s perspective it’s a break from the rhythms of stock-up and fill-in, fill-in, fill-in. It’s more like going out of their way to avoid the fill-in trips and getting it all done at once. Overall, the picture we have is a very functional, planful, directed shopping — not at all the exploratory mode of browsing and deciding.”
And who makes the grocery shopping trip is different for many households as well. Of consumers polled, 36% have made a change in who shops for food because of COVID-19, the FMI study revealed. Among the changes, 24% said just one person now shops for groceries versus two or more people previously, while 11% report that someone outside the household, such as a relative or friend, makes the shopping trip. Three percent said a different person in their household now does the food shopping.
“There are now two people in the household who have opinions and shopping preferences, but there’s only one opportunity to go into the store,” Feit said. “This has likely led to list-building collaborations in households, where that hadn’t been quite as routine as before.”
‘Unmistakable’ upsurge in online grocery
Researchers said FMI already had been tracking an upward trend in online grocery purchases well before the pandemic. But the need for social distancing following the coronavirus outbreak has led grocery shoppers to avoid store trips and turn increasingly to digital channels to select and pay for their food.
“The magnitude of the change here is unmistakable,” the FMI study said. “While direct reporting of sales will eventually provide a more precise picture, the amount of grocery dollars going to online transactions likely doubled in April compared to what it would have been.”
In 2019, online grocery accounted for 10.5% of U.S. consumers’ total weekly grocery spending. But that climbed to 14.5% in February and then jumped to 27.9% for March and April.
Of those surveyed, 49% had shopped online in the past month, including 21% doing so for the first time and 8% returning to online shopping because of the COVID-19 crisis. Many reported using specific order methods for the first time, including curbside pickup, while others said they bought perishables online for the first time, which has previously been a key obstacle for a fuller online food shopping basket. Forty percent or more first-time online shoppers said they purchased milk (45%), dairy (43%), bakery (43%), deli (41%), frozen (41%) and fresh produce (40%). Also, 39% bought bread, and 38% purchased meat and/or seafood.
“The proportion of shoppers shopping for grocery-type items online in the past month has increased to almost one-half of Americans. This is more than twice the proportion of monthly online shoppers compared to what we have seen about one year ago,” FMI Director of Research Steve Markenson said in the webinar. “And not only are there more online shoppers, but these online shoppers are shopping more frequently and are spending more. Many shoppers are trying online shopping for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.”
In terms of fulfillment, 18% of online grocery shoppers (including 8% of first-timers) are opting for same- or next-day delivery, compared 16% (including 9% of first-timers) for curbside pickup and 14% (including 7% of first-timers) for in-store pickup. Seventeen percent (including 5% of first-timers) choose home delivery with standard shipping, and 8% (including 4% of first-timers) subscribe for ongoing deliveries.
“The first time online shoppers tend to show greater propensity for pickup options, including curbside or in-store pickup,” Markenson said.
Skyrocketing online grocery orders amid the pandemic have made it tougher for retailers and e-commerce providers to keep up, leading customers to try multiple fulfillment options or go to other retailers.
“For some, it may have to do with choosing the options that give them what they want, when they need it or, quite honestly, as soon as possible,” said Markenson. “Many companies are struggling to meet this high demand, whether it be for home delivery or click-and-collect.”
Eight-four percent of respondents reported problems with online grocery shopping, namely in terms of inventory and fulfillment. Out-of-stocks issues cited by customers include paper products (43%), preferred foods (43%), limited quantities (43%) and other items (42%). Also, 40% encountered delays after ordering or no acceptable times for home delivery (20%) or pickup (19%).
“Not everyone will continue to be ordering online at the current level,” Markenson added. “But many shoppers now have online in their grocery shopping portfolio and will likely be using it more than they did before this pandemic.”
Back to the home
Before the virus hit U.S. shores, 90% of grocery shoppers reported dining out sometimes. But FMI said that during March and April, just 45% said they used restaurant delivery, and 35% indicated cooking at home six to seven days a week.
According to the study, 87% of all families consider eating together as important, and the COVID-19 crisis has amplified that view. Of survey respondents, 41% report cooking more of their meals since the pandemic, and 42% are minimizing trips to the store.
In cooking more frequently at home, 27% of consumers are planning more meals in advance, and 20% are trying new dishes more often. or using perishables before they spoil. Similarly, 44% prioritize using perishable foods before they spoil, and 36% said they’ve adopted healthier eating habits.
“In a world where eating out is suddenly off the table, what are Americans doing and what are they thinking?” Feit said. “The habits disrupted here and the habits learned here may become the most important drivers of long term change in food spending once social distancing restrictions ease to a greater or lesser extent.”
Still, the severe economic impact that COVID-19 has wrought nationwide has many households worried about their ability to feed their families.
FMI’s study found that 20% of shoppers aren’t sure if they will have enough money to pay for food, and half are extremely concerned (25%) or somewhat concerned (25%) about having enough food for their household.
What’s more, consumers have worries about returning to their normal in-store shopping regimens. Of potential concerns, 70% of shoppers cited becoming ill, 57% named out-of-stock items and 38% said rising prices.
Respondents noted that they would be more likely to use a food retailer that sanitizes stores, carts and checkout (cited by 78%); limits the number of shoppers in stores (38%); offers special hours (33%); reduces employee handling of food (32%); and provides a steady supply of fresh produce and meat (30%).
So far, customers seem satisfied with grocery retailer’s COVID-19 safety and operational measures. Through late April, on a scale of 1 to 10, 73% of shoppers rated their primary store’s response to the pandemic an 8 to 10, while 24% rated it at 4 to 7.
“In looking toward the future, most consumers expect to return to their pre-pandemic levels of in-store grocery shopping and more than a fourth of consumers expect to be ordering more groceries online in the future,” FMI President and CEO Leslie Sarasin, said in a statement. “The food industry will continue to listen to consumers and let them guide us on how to best meet their changing household needs. Whatever comes next, we know the supply chain is tremendously resilient and that we can flex, pivot and accommodate the demands of the nation’s grocery shoppers.”
The COVID-19 impact research in the U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2020 report reflects surveys of more than 2,000 U.S. adults from Feb. 7 to 27 and four waves of tracker surveys of about 1,000 U.S. adults, covering March 21 to 26, March 28 to April 2, April 4 to 9 and April 15 to 25.
For our most up-to-date coverage, visit the coronavirus homepage.


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Fisker Karma, the world’s most expensive tinderbox:
This Fisker Karma may be the most aptly-named automobile ever. First, it became the only car ever to fail Consumer Reports‘ pre-test drive.
Now, like the Chevy Volt before it, it is apparently spontaneously combusting:
This thing does seem to have inherited something of the sins of its forebears.
Remember when the Chevy Volt was going to be an “electric” car, meaning one powered (confining one’s attention to the car itself) only by a battery? Remember how that worked out? Yep, a crappy, overpriced hybrid car with a gasoline-burning engine.
Remember, too, when Fisker Automotive was the cutting-edge “electric car” manufacturer that was going to put GM to shame with its sleek, truly high-tech products? Guess what’s happened to that publicly-subsidized promise? Yep, it, too, is vaporware. The next wave of Fisker products is going to have gasoline-burning engines.
Neither that fact, nor the laughable business performance of Fisker stops it from blowing massive smoke up the public’s backside. The model name for its (supposedly) forthcoming over-priced, gas-burning hybrid? The Fisker Nina. That’s right, Nina — as in the ship from the mini-armada that launched the Columbian Conquest/Columbian Exchange, a transition rightly described as the most significant event in human history since the rise of agriculture.
That’s about as subtle as a rock, and 100 percent pure baloney to boot.
LOS ANGELES — All Henrik Fisker wants is to build his plug-in hybrid cars and deliver them to customers — some of whom have been waiting three years since plunking down $5,000 deposits.
Instead, he has been fending off criticisms aimed at his green-car company as shipments of his $103,000 Karma plug-in hybrid sedan have been delayed by cash flow troubles, regulatory snarls and a recall.
But when a startup such as Fisker Automotive accepts a Department of Energy loan in a down economy, having the company tossed around like a political football comes with the territory. Fisker describes launching his first car in this environment as “running over fire while people are whipping you.”
It clearly hasn’t been easy. Supplier relations are frayed, and Fisker Automotive’s image has taken some hits in Congress and the news media. But the company is forging ahead toward big goals: delivering about 2,500 ordered Finnish-built Karma sedans by the end of the second quarter. [Automotive News]
Apparently, the Chevy Volt’s tendency to burst into flames isn’t just a GM problem. The same issue — failure of battery cooling systems — exists in the IQ-test-for-rich-people known as the Fisker Karma:
Dec. 23 (Bloomberg) — A123 Systems Inc., the maker of batteries for electric vehicles, said it found a “potential safety issue” in batteries it supplies to Fisker Automotive Inc.
A123, which also sells batteries to automakers such as General Motors Co. and Daimler AG, said hose clamps that are part of the internal cooling system of its batteries supplied to Fisker were “misaligned” and may cause coolant to leak. Such a leak could lead to an electrical short circuit, David Vieau, chief executive officer, wrote in a memo on Waltham, Massachusetts-based A123’s investor-relations website.
One wonders how the car’s means of preventing electrical fires is going to perform after collisions, given that misalignment in manufacturing is a problem. Maybe Fisker will have its own battery shut-down squads roving the nation and swooping in after every crash. Or maybe not.
That’s the problem with increased complexity: It tends to create more ways for things to fail.
Of course, so long as we let capitalists dictate how we conduct our lives, they are going to continue insisting that we butter our toast with these profit-maximizing chainsaws.
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The Jug Shop to change name upon move to Cranberry Highway
The Jug Shop, regarded as a downtown Wareham institution by many, will begin doing business under a new name — East Wareham Liquor — when it opens at its new location in the Stop and Shop Plaza on Cranberry Highway.
The Select Board unanimously approved the name change during its July 13 meeting.
On March 3, the Select Board approved a request from the Jug Shop’s owners to relocate their liquor license to 2991 Cranberry Highway.
At the time, store owner Dipenkumar Patel said that he wanted to move, in part, to be able to expand the size of his store and offer a greater variety of products to his customers.
At the July 13 meeting, Patel did not say when East Wareham Liquor is expected to open for business at the new location.


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Cision buys Falcon.io to improve Comms Cloud
Chicago-based public relations and earned media media company Cision announced this week its acquisition of Falcon.io, a global social media company with offices in New York, Copenhagen, Sofia, Berlin, Melbourne and Budapest. Falcon.io specializes in social media marketing insights for worldwide brands, managing “comprehensive social media marketing programs through publishing, engagement, listening, advertising and measurement”.
Falcon.io’s current client roster includes global brands such as Carlsberg, Toyota, William Grant & Sons, Momondo, Panasonic and Coca-Cola. Going forward from the acquisition, Falcon.io’s platform will continue to be offered as a standalone service, providing a platform for “marketers, advertisers, and customer experience professionals.”
Cision will also integrate the platform into its Cision Communications Cloud, which will expand the suite’s social media capabilities to “enable marketing and communications professionals to fully integrate their campaigns across owned, earned and paid media.”
Kevin Akeroyd, Cision CEO praised the acquisition and the service Falcon.io provides in a press release: "Falcon.io is an industry leader in Europe and fast-emerging in the U.S. for social media marketing. By adding their social marketing solutions to the Cision portfolio, we are finally allowing industry professionals to execute sophisticated social media campaigns across paid, owned, and earned media that spans the entire customer journey.
Falcon.io will round out our vision for holistic earned media management that includes not only engagement on broadcast, print, and open web/mobile media channels, but social media as well."
"Social media is core to today's customer experience, with nearly 2.5 billion users. At Falcon.io, we take pride in providing world-class brands with our leading social media marketing solution," Ulrik Bo Larsen, Falcon.io founder and CEO said of Cision.
"Cision's earned media management vision and leading comms technology is very synergistic to the Falcon vision of offering best in class technology to streamline an array of related social media and customer experience use cases on one strong technology platform. Together, we will provide our customers with an unparalleled, complete communications solution."
Intelliwave SiteSense boosts APTIM material tracking
“We’ve been engaged with the APTIM team since early 2019 providing SiteSense, our mobile construction SaaS solution, for their maintenance and construction projects, allowing them to track materials and equipment, and manage inventory.
We have been working with the APTIM team to standardize material tracking processes and procedures, ultimately with the goal of reducing the amount of time spent looking for materials. Industry studies show that better management of materials can lead to a 16% increase in craft labour productivity.
Everyone knows construction is one of the oldest industries but it’s one of the least tech driven comparatively. About 95% of Engineering and Construction data captured goes unused, 13% of working hours are spent looking for data and around 30% of companies have applications that don’t integrate.
With APTIM, we’re looking at early risk detection, through predictive analysis and forecasting of material constraints, integrating with the ecosystem of software platforms and reporting on real-time data with a ‘field-first’ focus – through initiatives like the Digital Foreman. The APTIM team has seen great wins in the field, utilising bar-code technology, to check in thousands of material items quickly compared to manual methods.
There are three key areas when it comes to successful Materials Management in the software sector – culture, technology, and vendor engagement.
Given the state of world affairs, access to data needs to be off site via the cloud to support remote working conditions, providing a ‘single source of truth’ accessed by many parties; the tech sector is always growing, so companies need faster and more reliable access to this cloud data; digital supply chain initiatives engage vendors a lot earlier in the process to drive collaboration and to engage with their clients, which gives more assurance as there is more emphasis on automating data capture.
It’s been a challenging period with the pandemic, particularly for the supply chain. Look what happened in the Suez Canal – things can suddenly impact material costs and availability, and you really have to be more efficient to survive and succeed. Virtual system access can solve some issues and you need to look at data access in a wider net.
Solving problems comes down to better visibility, and proactively solving issues with vendors and enabling construction teams to execute their work. The biggest cause of delays is not being able to provide teams with what they need.
On average 2% of materials are lost or re-ordered, which only factors in the material cost, what is not captured is the duplicated effort of procurement, vendor and shipping costs, all of which have an environmental impact.
As things start to stabilise, APTIM continues to utilize SiteSense to boost efficiencies and solve productivity issues proactively. Integrating with 3D/4D modelling is just the precipice of what we can do. Access to data can help you firm up bids to win work, to make better cost estimates, and AI and ML are the next phase, providing an eco-system of tools.
A key focus for Intelliwave and APTIM is to increase the availability of data, whether it’s creating a data warehouse for visualisations or increasing integrations to provide additional value. We want to move to a more of an enterprise usage phase – up to now it’s been project based – so more people can access data in real time.


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The Deputy Managing Director of Massilia Motors, sole distributor of Mitsubishi vehicles in Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Jaiyesimi, has told the stakeholders in the auto industry to expect more innovation from the firm.
Massilia Motors won the Most Innovative Automotive Brand in 2018 and the Most Outstanding SUV Design for the recently launched Eclipse Cross model. The Mitsubishi L200 was also amongst the nominees for the Best Pick-Up of the Year.
This did not come as a surprise to many industry watchers as Massilia Motors has in recent times, been very innovative in its marketing push and has given a new look to its car showrooms . The company has also invested in its aftersales facility in Ijora and ensuring continuous quality improvement.
With the introduction of models such as the Pajero Sport and the Eclipse Cross, Massilia Motors offers customers sophisticated vehicles that are good value for money.
The brands new approach was seen during the unconventional launch of the Eclipse Cross at the Heineken Lagos Fashion Week where a virtual reality booth was set up for visitor to tour the vehicle through VR glasses. The company also collaborated with fashion designer Sisiano to create the ‘’Eclipse collection’’ inspired by the compact SUV.
Earlier this year, Massilia Motors celebrated the centenary anniversary of Mitsubishi Motors as part of its repositioning strategies. The event tagged: Heritage Week was an opportunity to showcase achievements of the Japanese car manufacturer.
After receiving the awards, Jaiyesimi said: ‘’We are delighted with the recognition. We will continue striving to find new ways to add value to our customers.’’
Aside the Pajero Sport and Eclipse Cross, other models distributed by Massilia Motors include the ASX, Outlander, Pajero SUV and the L200 robust Pickup.


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(Originally posted on the Inside BlackBerry Developer Blog) With things winding down here at BlackBerry® Jam Americas… / Read More
During the keynote, Thorsten Heins discussed how BlackBerry ® is a leader in mobile social media communications.… / Read More
We got to see some of what we can expect for social apps on BlackBerry ® 10… / Read More
BlackBerry ® Jam Americas attendees were treated to a live demo of some of the exciting games… / Read More
Recapping the keynote of BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012, including many demonstrations of BlackBerry 10.
BlackBerry ® 10: “It’s all about the Flow” is a phrase we’re hearing a lot at BlackBerry… / Read More
Showcasing the upcoming BlackBerry 10 browser in a video from BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012.
A video demo of the new BlackBerry App World storefront that will be available through BlackBerry 10.
Check out our video demo from BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012 of the BlackBerry 10 experience, including BlackBerry Hub and how it all comes together with Flow.
We’re off to BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012 in California next week – keep it locked here for exclusive interviews and videos!
This week in App World Wednesday, we take a look at some great reading/e-book apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.
Taking a look at some interesting statistics for tablet usage in the U.S.
Learn 5 tips for using the Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones app, including how to get the most out of photo sharing, shortcuts, notifications and more.
BlackBerry Messenger has officially entered modern day vocab with the announcement that “BBM” will be included in the latest edition of the Collins English Dictionary!
A new upgrade for the Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones app is now available to download.
HID Global unveils a new offering that allows centralized management of physical access credentials, and the use of NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones in lieu of physical access badges.
This week’s App World Wednesday features five great apps for BlackBerry smartphone-toting fashionistas!
These three BlackBerry apps for fitness will help your running skills get on track.
We’re doing Five Answer Friday this week and answering five of the most commonly-asked BlackBerry PlayBook tablet questions.
Are you a BBM enthusiast or an old-school texter? Take our poll and let us know!


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Sri Lanka records marginal increase in inflation: report
The Department of Census and Statistics of Sri Lanka has reported a slight uptick in headline inflation – as determined by the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) – from five percent in September to 5.6 percent in October.
The report indicates an increase in the NCPI for all items, from 130.6 in September to 131.9 in October, and attributes the higher index value to an increase in expenditure on food items (0.99%) and a decrease in non-food items (0.01%).
It reveals that year on year inflation for the food group had increased to 7.3 percent while that of the non-food group decreased to 4.3 percent in the period from September to October.
The report findings indicate that food commodities contributed 3.2 percent to inflation in October; meanwhile, the contribution of non-food items was 2.4 percent.
Moreover, it points to a moving average inflation rate of 2.8 percent for October compared to 2.3 percent in the previous month.


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An Overland Park company ended 2017 by closing on its third acquisition of the year.
Prineta LLC, a private, nonbank ATM deployer and operator, added a portfolio of ATMs along the South Texas Coast. The expansion covers 17,000 square miles from Galveston to Corpus Christi to South Padre. The move expands the company’s footprint in Texas; its service area already covered San Antonio, Houston and Dallas.
Prineta was named in December as a 2018 25 Under 25 honoree.
According to a news release, Prineta will continue to seek growth through acquisition. Despite growth in electronic payments, the company still sees a desire by consumers to use cash.
“Cash is not dead – and neither is the ATM machine,” said Tanner Morton, managing partner at Prineta. “Surprisingly, we have seen average ATM transaction volume actually increase the last two quarters compared to the same quarters in years prior.”


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The Chaser team is to make a one-off return to ABC television, providing “an alternative live commentary” on the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on ABC2.
Seven has delivered one of Australian television’s most dominant programming weeks of recent years, with 11 of the 12 most watched shows in Australia appearing on the network.
The performance during week 16 of the ratings year was driven by a strong finish for My Kitchen Rules, with Wednesday’s final broken into two shows which took the top two slots, while the third and fourth show of the week were also MKR, according to metro ratings from OzTam.
The only program to save Nine from a whitewash in the top ten was the Sunday edition of Nine News. A new edition of The Big Bang Theory was Nine’s only entertainment show to rank above 1m.
Ten’s best show was NCIS with 1.174m viewers.
Award-winning Sydney ad agency Happy Soldiers is to close its doors because its three managing partners could not agree on its future direction.
Kellie Hush has made her first hire since taking over as editor of Grazia in February, appointing Thelma McQuillan as fashion director.
McQuillan replaces Mark Vassallo, who has been with the magazine since it was launched in Australia by ACP in 2008. Vassallo is to go freelance.
“With a new editor comes a new fashion team,” Hush told Mumbrella. “Mark knew I wanted to build a new team, and had resigned before I joined.”
The Sydney Morning Herald has appointed Tim Dick as media and marketing editor. He replaces Julian Lee, who moved to Fairfax Media’s online comment site The National Times.
Dick will continue to write his weekly media column in the Saturday Sydney Morning Herald’s News Review section.
After three years off air, Jim Beam is set return to TV on Sunday with ‘The Dilemma’, a continuation of the concept seen in ‘The Bourbon’ ad series in 2008.
In the spot, viewers are invited to choose between two women – one of them Australian cricket team captain Michael Clarke’s girlfriend Kyly Boldly – based on which best matches the likes and dislikes of stereotypical young men.
In what might be seen as a dig at ACP’s documentary Park Street, which flopped when it aired in February, Pacific Magazines’ editor/publisher, Jackie Frank said the show, called ‘Marie Claire, Under the Cover’, “offers more than just a cursory look” at what makes Marie Claire tick.
Ikea is to launch a radio ad tomorrow in which a child uses expletives to describe his school holidays thanks to a bad experience his parents have had when fitting a kitchen. “Get a kitchen installed without teaching your kids new words,” reads the narrator in the ad.
News programs aside, not a single Thursday night show exceeded the million mark, according to preliminary overnight metro ratings from OzTam.
The Biggest Loser, which trounced the first airing of Heston’s Mission Impossible, saw a big drop on last week, falling from 1.233m to 0.967m viewers. Heston’s Mission Impossible was down slightly on its debut, slipping from 0.776m to 0.730m.
Salon-only hair colour brand Goldwell has launched its first TV ad campaign to distinguish the quality of its products from those available in supermarkets. The ad, created by Bashful, features Australia’s Next Top Model contestants Amanda Warne and Alice Burdeau.
Mumbrellacast: Un-Australian ads; Controversial Queensland; Top Gear dementia; Fuckwits and recovering arseholes; World’s toughest backyard
- Un-Australian ads and controversial Queensland advertising (10:35)
- Top Gear falls victim to dementia as the first ratings period of 2011 ends (17:18)
- Fuckwits and recovering arseholes in the case of James Warburton (22:06)
- Australia, New Zealand – the world’s toughest backyard (27:48) – watch the ad below.
Featuring Mumbrella editor Tim Burrowes, outgoing Sydney Morning Herald marketing editor Julian Lee and Mumbrella deputy editor Robin Hicks.
(31m06s) Read more »
The Nine Network has announced that it is finally to air Zapruder’s Other Films’ long-awaited documentary series on the Australian Federal Police later this month.
AFP, which has been more than two years in the making, will go to air on Tuesday April 26, the last evening of the Easter long weekend. Read more »
Seven Media Group and Pacific Magazines’ custom publishing arm Pacific+ have launched a paperback brand extension of the TV series My Kitchen Rules. The 132-page My Kitchen Rules: The Cookbook goes on sale today for $12.95 – less than half the price of MasterChef: The Cookbook.
WPP is back in court for another battle with former staff after launching a case against former Hill & Knowlton executives Michelle Hutton and Anna MacIntosh, reports today’s Sydney Morning Herald.
Hutton departed the WPP-owned PR agency in March last year to run rival agency Edelman.
MacIntosh followed Hutton across, moving from director of consumer practice at Hill & Knowlton to director of consumer marketing at Edelman. Read more »
One of Nine’s most senior heads of programming is to leave to look for “new challenges”, the network has announced.
Nick Evans, director of production and programming at Nine’s Melbourne operation, will leave next month. The network said he had decided to resign. Read more »
The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia has launched an outdoor campaign designed to give the public a better idea of the role pathologists play in medicine.
The ad was created by The Hallway, and is the agency’s first campaign for its newest client.
The finalists for the latest round of Mumbrella’s TV ad of the month can now be revealed.
The shortlist for March’s ads is based on self nominations, Mumbrella’s own selections and reader submissions. The winners are decided by Mumbrella readers who vote by taking part in the survey at the bottom of this item. The deadline for voting is Wednesday April 20.
(TVCs are eligible whichever screen format they first ran on including TV, cinema and the web.)
The shortlist for March’s ad of the month: Read more »
A competition organised by Carlton Dry where the winner’s short story is made into a mini-film starring Steven Seagal has led to the production of Sheep Impact, in which the martial arts legend and friend attempt to kill a sheep, evade a policeman and pursue an attractive young woman.
The launch of the trailer and ‘mini-blockbuster’ is the final instalment of the six month ‘Legends of the Dry’ campaign devised by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne.


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BOSTON (AP) -- Natural gas utility NStar says its customers can expect to pay an average of $4 less per month if a proposed rate cut is approved.
NStar has proposed cutting its supply price by nearly 27%, or about $0.39 per therm, down from the current price of nearly $0.53. If approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, the price cut will save the average gas customer $4 a month beginning Sept. 1.
The proposed decrease reflects a drop in prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
NStar has about 300,000 natural gas customers in Massachusetts.
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HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Authorities are looking for a lady who hid inside a retailer till shut and stole a number of gadgets.
It occurred round eleven:forty five p.m. Sunday on the Kohl’s division retailer situated at 12288 South Road in Holland Township.
Ottawa County sheriff’s deputies stated the lady hid within the retailer till it closed. When all the workers had left round eleven:forty five p.m., she was seen on surveillance cameras placing gadgets in a bag earlier than forcing open a door. She was capable of get away with a number of gadgets.
The suspect is round forty to 50 years previous with blonde hair and enormous body glasses, deputies stated.
Anybody with info is requested to name the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Workplace at 616.738.4000 or Silent Observer at 877.887.4536.


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San Francisco: Tech giant Samsung’s upcoming next-generation flagship smartphone series, the Galaxy S23, will reportedly feature 8K 30fps video recording.
This is reported by a reliable source regarding Samsung-related matters, GSMArena reports.
It was previously rumored that the Galaxy S23 series will likely feature Chipmaker Qualcomm’s third-generation ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.
It’s still unclear whether it will have the same 3D Sonic Max sensor that Qualcomm debuted earlier this year or a completely different fingerprint scanner.
Last month, Qualcomm had confirmed that the upcoming S23 series will be globally powered by a Snapdragon processor.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s executive revealed that the S23 series will be launched at the Unpacked event scheduled for the first week of February next year.
While the executive did not specify the city or exact launch date, the event is expected to take place in San Francisco.
This is the first Unpacked event to be held in person since the pandemic.


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Singapore Airlines Ltd’s website was temporarily down over the weekend and travel agencies are seeing a surge in demand for flights after the city’s government announced a plan to start quarantine-free travel with more countries as early as next week.
LONDON (Reuters) -Major cryptocurrency exchange Binance sees Ireland as part of its plans to establish a number of headquarters across the world, its CEO told Reuters on Thursday.
MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish ride-hailing app Cabify will allow users to order groceries direct to their homes in nine cities including Barcelona and Madrid via a partnership with online supermarket delivery firm Lola Market, the companies said on Wednesday.
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia on Wednesday threatened to block YouTube and the Kremlin called for "zero tolerance" towards the video hosting giant after it removed Russian state-backed broadcaster RT's German-language channels from its site.
The evolution of central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs, is set to get supercharged in ways that will have profound implications both for economic policy making and for the societies around us, according to a leading expert.
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria said on Wednesday it expects to end its ban on Twitter in a "few more days", raising hopes among users eager to return to the social media platform three months after the suspension took effect.
(Reuters) - Apple Inc on Tuesday launched a new series of iPhones and iPads, featuring a faster processor and better cameras.
China’s Personal Information Protection Law establishes mutually incompatible data governance standards that could put multinational companies at risk. With stricter standards and penalties than the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, China may be looking to set international standards.
Trucking goods over land is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than air transport, according to a report.
SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - Central American countries are eagerly waiting to see if El Salvador's adoption of bitcoin as parallel legal tender cuts the cost of remittances, an important source of income for millions of people, the region's development bank said.


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Everyone has a dual camera smartphone these days. Even Apple has one, too! And although the Galaxy S8 doesn’t, Samsung is rumored to be eying that change later this year or with the Galaxy S9 at the latest. Given the trend, it isn’t surprising to hear that OnePlus is planning to make that change as well. According to the usual people who are ever familiar with inside matters, the OnePlus 5 will be the startup’s first dual camera model. And it will be interesting to see how OnePlus will try to sell this feature.
OnePlus rose to fame from its bold claims and its “Never Settle” slogan, which, for the most part, it was able to deliver on to some level of satisfaction. It has always aimed to offer a solid smartphone with just the right mix of specs and features at a reasonably accessible price. The Xiaomi formula, if you may.,
One area it has never really been known for was the camera. Not that it’s terrible, but those looking for a better photography experience might be willing to pay a lot more for a better device. That could very well change with the upcoming OnePlus 5, though, given what else is changing, it will definitely come at a cost.
There is no information yet on what kind of dual camera setup OnePlus is planning for. Will it use an RGB plus monochrome tandem ala Huawei or a normal and wide-angle pair ala LG? Either way, from the looks of it this feature will be the OnePlus’ headliner because most of its other parts might not be that notable.
The smartphone is expected to run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, as can be expected of any flagship for the second half of 2017. 6 GB of RAM will be par for the course since the OnePlus 3T already has that much. One key change that may or may not happen is the long overdue switch from 1080p to 1440p screen resolutions. If these do happen, however, expect the OnePlus 5 to cost a lot higher than what its fans might be comfortable with.
VIA: India Today


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Isobionics, an industrial biotech firm that BASF acquired last year, will build a facility in Geleen, the Netherlands, to distill flavor and fragrance ingredients made via fermentation. BASF acquired Isobionics as part of a push into renewable flavor and fragrance ingredients. Isobionics says it will use the facility to scale up six new aroma ingredients in addition to valencene, an orange-smelling compound that was one of its first products.
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Today I want to explain you everything you need to know about the Blockchain Regulation in Europe.
Recently, in fact, the executive arm of the European Union government revealed that is working on the blockchain to “support” distributed ledger-based projects.
According to this new official press release published on February 7th, the Commission is looking for growing its efforts on supporting more projects related to the distributed ledger technology (DLT).
The European Commission is “actively monitoring Blockchain and DLT developments” and is working on exploring “DLT benefits and challenges as well as fields for application in financial services”.
Also, the official press release explained that the Commission wants to “pilot projects to foster decentralised innovation ecosystems and help reshape interactions between consumers, producers, creators and among citizens, businesses and administrations to the end benefit of society”.
Last year, the European Parliament also created a new task force led by the Commission, to study the blockchain.
This task force has not only the goal of studying the blockchain but also to support projects related to the ledger and studying a way for a blockchain regulation.
“The Commission is already supporting distributed ledger tech-enabled projects (DECODE, D-Cent, MyHealth MyData). Support activities are going to increase in the coming months (e.g. Decentralised Data Management). A study will be launched to investigate how DLT can help in reshaping public services and preparing for EU specific DLT actions to address relevant EU challenges.”
Ansip also said that the Commission will collaborate with the Parliament to organize blockchain events and workshops.
“The Commission will organise a kick-off conference with the European Parliament on Demystifying Blockchain and a series of workshops to look at Blockchain developments and use case applications”.
Open your free digital wallet here to store your cryptocurrencies in a safe place.


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There’s no denying it—we live in a connected world, one that provides increasing opportunities for consumers to engage with companies, and through that engagement, influence its products and services. At the same time, the energy landscape itself is evolving with concerns over climate change, volatile energy prices, and security of supply taking center stage.
Although it may not be initially obvious, the two are connected. An April report from Accenture explores the relationship between energy providers and the ‘new energy consumer’ as it relates to fostering engagement. Given the rapidly evolving marketplace energy providers face, the need to ‘connect’ with the consumer becomes essential, which may require moving beyond the energy-as-a-commodity mindset.
The Accenture report surveyed over 10,000 residential utility consumers in 19 countries to determine values and perceptions related to their electricity providers. Overall, the study found that consumers want products and services that align with their values, including options that encourage energy efficiency and prefer ‘low-touch’ channels for transactional interactions (e.g., online bill pay or signing up for new services), as well as the option to engage through social media.
The study found that more than one-third of the survey respondents “interact or plan to interact with their electricity provider” using social media, while 47 percent would join an online community if it offered energy-related product information or tips on how to reduce energy bills. While these figures may not be overwhelmingly high, they do suggest that interest in social media is growing and that utilities are positioned well to benefit from the interaction. While the onus seems to lie with utilities, the report ultimately concludes that the “energy landscape is increasingly defined by the values and preferences of the new energy consumer.”
This type of consumer engagement amounts to exciting times, as it fosters innovation and moves us further along the energy efficiency continuum. It also positions utilities as a key communication channel regarding energy management. A utility’s ability to use new communication avenues such as social media will be important to furthering the energy dialogue and driving additional savings.
Ecova’s Home Energy Plan initiative is an example of a true partnership between energy consumer and utility, and how an active dialogue between the two encourages the adoption of energy efficiency measures that result in widespread benefits. Still, the Accenture report is a good reminder of the need to maintain an active dialogue and that our options to ‘connect’ are only just beginning.


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Here's why companies should look to their CFOs as "chief financial innovators."
Starbucks, International Paper, Enphase Energy, Royal Gold, Herc Holdings, Powell Industries, Shiloh Industries, Enviva Partners, Quantum
Kayvon Beykpour will oversee product as Twitter switches to "a pure end-to-end functional organization."
The coffee chain's shares dip more than 3% on news that Scott Maw is leaving after just four years as finance chief.
Brian Gladden says leaving the candy maker was a "tough decision" but Luca Zaramella is "an ideal choice to be the company’s next CFO."
Howard Averill's departure after four years as CFO is part of AT&T's effort to put its own management structure on its new acquisition.
Suryadevara's appointment to replace Chuck Stevens puts GM in an elite group of companies that have a woman in both the CEO and CFO roles.
Even in the nonprofit world, finance chiefs often view things differently than their C-suite colleagues do.
The biotech firm's stock falls 23% but its CEO says, "It is important that investors understand that our business performance remains strong."
A possible buyer is hedge fund Elliott Management, which made a hostile takeover offer last month for the healthcare technology company.


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Tubos Reunidos SA, a Spanish maker of seamless steel pipes for customers including Exxon Mobil Corp. and BASF SE, has received offers for the distribution unit it put up for sale in February, Chairman Pedro Abasolo said.
Tubos Reunidos “has already received industrial and financial offers” for the division, which sells products including industrial valves and heating and air-conditioning units, Abasolo said in a phone interview. “We expect to close the transaction in 2012.” He declined to provide a valuation of the unit.
The shares climbed as much as 1.1 percent and traded at 2.32 euros, a 0.9 percent gain, as of 11:53 a.m. in Madrid, after falling 0.7 percent earlier today. Spain’s benchmark IBEX 35 Index dropped 1.8 percent.
The company is sharpening its focus on seamless steel tubes, as they deliver higher margins, while it divests assets it doesn’t consider strategic. Rising oil prices in the past year drove higher demand for tubes from energy companies, while the distribution unit, with its domestic focus, isn’t likely to see significant growth soon, Tubos said in February.
Tubos Reunidos, based in the Basque town of Amurrio, had a surge in foreign orders in the year’s first four months, paced by demand from Europe, the U.S., South Korea and India, the 66-year-old executive said.
“We’ve received more orders from clients and prices are even higher,” Abasolo said. “We cautiously believe that profit growth will continue for the rest of the year.”
Spain is relying on exports to drive the recovery from its worst recession in six decades as austerity measures undermine domestic demand. Exports soared 27 percent from a year earlier in the first two months of the year, according to the Industry Ministry.
Tubos Reunidos’s first-quarter net income climbed to 7.2 million euros ($10.4 million) from about 100,000 euros a year earlier. The company may post full-year net income of 26 million euros, according to the average of three analyst estimates in a Bloomberg survey. That compares with a 14.2 million-euro loss last year, when it set aside a provision of 25.8 million euros in connection with the planned sale of the distribution business. Manuel Dias Coelho, an analyst at Banco BPI SA in Porto, Portugal, said he estimates the division’s enterprise value at about 13 million euros.
The company aims for revenue from seamless steel pipes to climb more than 70 percent through 2014, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization will be higher than 20 percent of sales by then, Tubos said May 5.
“We see fundamental catalysts and internal improvements in the medium and long term” at Tubos, Robert Jackson, an analyst at Banesto Bolsa in Madrid, wrote in a May 5 report. “The recovery has just started.”
The company, whose competitors include Vallourec SA, based near Paris, and Luxembourg-based Tenaris SA, will resume dividend payments this year, with a payout ratio of 30 percent of profit, after halting them in 2009, the executive said.
“We’re considering making two payments instead of the traditional four we used to do,” Abasolo said. “We may make the first one at the end of this year and the second one early next year.
The shares have gained 27 percent this year, valuing the company at 405.3 million euros, while the IBEX 35 Index climbed 5.7 percent. Tubos Reunidos shares fell 14 percent last year.


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Clean Diesel: Powering U.S. Manufacturing
Diesel Equipment Manufacturing Supports 1.3 Million American Jobs in 14 States, Generates $158 Billion in Economic Value, $455 Billion in U.S. Economic Activity, and $23.8 Billion in U.S. Exports
According to new analysis by the Diesel Technology Forum, manufacturing of clean diesel technology for the heavy-duty equipment market plays a vital role in the U.S. economy, especially for the local economies of 14 key states.
“As we recognize Manufacturing Day on October 6, there is no better example of industry leadership in manufacturing than the new generation of clean diesel technology,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. “In 2016, American manufacturing facilities produced more than 740,000 heavy-duty diesel engines that can be found in everything from commercial trucks and buses, construction machines and agricultural equipment, to the largest application like locomotives, marine workboats and industrial engines.”
Clean diesel technology supports one out of every two sectors of the American economy. Agriculture, forestry, mining, construction, logistics, warehousing and other goods movement industries supporting retail and the larger manufacturing sector depend on diesel-powered vehicles and equipment.
“Today’s diesel engines, both large and small, are more energy-efficient, powerful, reliable and cleaner than ever before,” continued Schaeffer. “Thanks to decades of continuous improvement and innovation by diesel engine and equipment makers and suppliers, diesel power continues to be the technology of choice for 15 sectors of the global economy.”
North Carolina is home to the largest diesel engine production in the United States, with nearly 300,000 engines produced in the state – nearly 40 percent of all U.S. diesel engine manufacturing. Other key states for diesel engine manufacturing include Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and New York.
“Clean diesel technology is critical to the growth of the American economy,” said Schaeffer. “Manufacturing clean diesel technology generates more than $455 billion in U.S. economic activity. Diesel technology also plays a vital role in the U.S. export business, contributing more than $23.8 billion in U.S. exports. In 2009, $6.9 billion in diesel engines, $9.1 billion in diesel trucks, and $7.8 billion in diesel construction equipment were exported from U.S. facilities.”
According to economic estimates compiled by the Diesel Technology Forum, manufacture of clean diesel engines, along with the vehicles and equipment they power, the maintenance of technology and the production of fuel, support 1.25 million jobs across the United States. On average, these jobs pay 60 percent more than the average national salary. Recently, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers concluded that the production of diesel-powered equipment will support 1.3 million jobs and generate $158 billion in economic value. Overall, the average wage in the diesel manufacturing industry exceeds the national average, paying workers about $78,000 per year.
“On top of the economic benefits derived from the manufacture and use of diesel-powered equipment, clean diesel technology offers significant emission reductions and fuel savings,” said Schaeffer. “Diesel-powered trucks, trains, ships and intermodal systems move more than 80 percent of all cargo in the U.S. and more than 90 percent throughout the world. With the introduction of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, selective catalyst reduction and diesel exhaust fluid, diesel has become one of the cleanest, most energy-efficient and lowest cost options for heavy-duty use.”


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As part of the policy of optimizing the use of wood IKEA has acquired Romanian forests total area of 34 thousand. ha. This will be the first experience of the Swedish retailer in the timber. This information has informed "Interfax", referring to the publication of Wall Street Journal.
For the fiscal year 2014 company was used 15 million cubic meters of wood, except for the cardboard packaging and paper. According to representatives of IKEA, the business in the area production Wood will enable the company to have guaranteed access to this resource is quite adequate for the price, with a focus on long-term prospects.
Part of the wood Romania It will be used for furniture production in Bucharest, where IKEA plans to open a second store in a row.
The policy involves optimizing the use of wood that revenue will double to IKEA 2020 year, and consumption of wood increased by only 50%. One, but not the only way Optimization is active processing defective wood products and their use again. And in August on the shelves will go IKEA line of products under the name Skogsta, Which will be used acacia trees. Acacia is known for being at the center of its wood is lighter, and at the edge of the barrel - is darker, and now the company has decided to use the one and the other part of the tree, not just dark, like it was before.


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As a cofounder of Warby Parker and, more recently, cofounder and co-CEO of Harry’s, Jeff Raider has starred in his own TV commercials, delivered keynote speeches at tech conferences, and persuaded investors to hand his companies hundreds of millions of dollars. Depending on the audience, he can wax lyrical, inspirational, hypothetical. But only recently did the 38-year-old face his R&D team, press a sticky strip of paper to his arm, and wax literal. “Harry’s products aren’t tested on animals,” he says, “only founders.”
This month, Harry’s is introducing a line of hair-removing wax strips, along with razors, gels, and lotions—all for women. Sold under the new Flamingo brand, the line features minimalist, sophisticated design and packaging (first rule: no pink) and talks in a cheerful, no-nonsense way. “[We want to] be honest about hair removal,” says Allie Melnick, Harry’s longtime head of brand strategy and now general manager of Flamingo, who oversaw its creation with research and development and design head Brittania Boey.
Flamingo is the first bet to come out of Harry’s Labs, an audacious initiative that the company announced in February with the news of its latest, $112 million investment round. The plan is to cultivate a portfolio of brands, both internally and in partnership with outside entrepreneurs, using the direct-to-consumer playbook that Harry’s helped pioneer: sell products exclusively on branded websites; drive demand through clever PR and direct advertising; and then expand to third-party websites and retailers such as Target and Walmart, where Harry’s razors are currently sold. “If we can build a bunch of new brands, then we can create a next-generation CPG company,” says Raider. “That company can touch millions more households.”
Harry’s needs this strategy to work. In the five years since launching their razor company, Raider and his cofounder and co-CEO, Andy Katz-Mayfield, have taken on $375 million in venture capital and convinced investors to value Harry’s at more than $1 billion. But the company today doesn’t quite resemble a unicorn. Harry’s ranks a distant third in online “manual shave” sales, with 13% of the market (Dollar Shave Club and Gillette own 50% and 21% of online sales, respectively, according to market-research provider Rakuten Intelligence). In traditional retail sales, Harry’s razors and shaving accessories rank fourth, with just a 5% market share, according to IRI. Walmart’s embrace of the brand—Harry’s landed on shelves in 2,200 stores in May—should move that needle. Already Harry’s is seeing results from its tighter relationships with retailers: The company’s share of the offline retail market for razor handles (excluding replacement cartridges) surged to 16% over this past summer, according to Nielsen.
Raider says that Harry’s U.S. business, which includes the brand’s bar soap and body wash, is expected to grow more than 50% this year and next, and reach more than $250 million this year. He expects the entire company, including Flamingo, to be profitable by the end of the year. Even so, if the founders plan to convince public markets (or a potential acquirer) that the company is worth more than $1 billion—the sum Unilever paid for Dollar Shave Club in 2016—they’ll have to show that Harry’s is destined for more than a life as a runner-up.
Flamingo is a natural first step for the company’s expansion into new territory. Harry’s already owns a German razor factory: Why not offer its blades to the other half of the population? While the women’s hair-removal market is only about two-thirds the size of men’s, Harry’s has been fielding inquiries about branching into women’s products for years. “We’ve never spoken at a conference and not had someone raise their hand and say, ‘When is Harry’s for women coming? What about us?’ ” says Raider. More than a million women have already purchased Harry’s blades, according to the company.
Melnick and Boey assembled a small team and began actively working on a spin-off late last year. After reviewing existing products and interviewing women, Boey says they concluded that “hair removal [is] a traumatic event for your skin”—a reality that most brands ignore. In particular, they felt that Venus, the leading women’s blade offered by Gillette, approached women all wrong: “[To tell the consumer] that you’re a goddess with silky, flowing hair, and you’re coming out of a flower, it felt artificial.” The team also found that although 78% of women use multiple hair-removal products, including razors, waxing kits, and epilators, no razor brand offered more than one type of product.
To make Flamingo something women would actually crave, the team took inspiration from interior design. “Our starting brief was: Can we make something top-shelf worthy, something you want to [proudly] put in your bathroom?” says Melnick. Boey’s team gave the razor handles heft, chose colors that complement the fixtures in high-end bathrooms, and added metal accents. Melnick says Flamingo also differentiates itself from competitors in how it talks to women. The waxing kits, which include a 24-pack of body-size strips and a smaller box with strips for faces, come with instructions that are lighthearted and frank as they help users violently rip hair from their skin. (“Bask in your bravery!” they cheer.)
Harry’s Labs is already exploring other categories. Raider won’t go into specifics, but he has his eye on everything from cosmetics to cleaning supplies to pet care—anywhere, he says, there is an unmet consumer need. An early test case: Harry’s recent investment in Hims, which sells hair loss and erectile dysfunction treatments to men. “There are a bunch of [consumer product] categories that feel a lot like shaving did before we launched Harry’s,” he says, “that are highly consolidated, where one or two brands dominate. They’re not bad brands—they’re just not modern ones.”
Raider argues that now is a perfect time for a company like Harry’s to invigorate these categories. Purchasing habits are changing. Young buyers want to look beyond their parents’ brands. His competitive edge over stalwarts like Procter & Gamble is a direct-to-consumer model that employs highly targeted advertising—a relatively efficient way to introduce consumers to new brands—and a sleek online shopping process. Harry’s also oversees its own customer service operation, which keeps it closely attuned to its customers.
There’s a clear opportunity for a Harry’s-like insurgent, says Don Stuart, managing partner of Cadent Consulting Group. Larger CPG companies, he says, tend to protect their existing businesses at the expense of agility and “are still very vulnerable to a flanking maneuver.”
At the same time, the challenges to direct-to-consumer brands are multiplying. These glossy-looking startups don’t always succeed in the markets they promise to disrupt. Marketing costs turn out to be much higher than expected. Profits are elusive. Customers get bored and move on. “Consumers are uniquely willing to try new things to a degree that they never have before,” says Ken Cassar, vice president of strategy and insights at Rakuten Intelligence. “But they are also quick to quit things they tried that didn’t work out for them.”
After spending billions in venture capital, many investors and entrepreneurs no longer crow that their direct-to-consumer business will render traditional retailers obsolete. Instead, they call the model a handy, if not always profitable, way to introduce new brands to consumers before bringing products to big-box store shelves—or selling to a larger company.
Raider claims his own goal is not to sell out—just to sell new things. “My ambition is to build businesses as big or bigger than Harry’s [is today],” he says. If Flamingo takes off, it will lift Harry’s prospects of becoming the consumer products company of the future. If it doesn’t, it may end up a pretty ornament on Harry’s billion-dollar lawn.
How Flamingo updated the look—and feel—of women’s razors
The blade: Flamingo’s blade is made at Harry’s factory in Eisfeld, Germany, which the company purchased for $100 million four years ago.
The style: Rather than mimic the eye-catching look and colors of other women’s razors, which are designed to stand out on store shelves, the Flamingo comes in mint green, gray, and coral, with metal accents that are meant to blend into a modern-looking bathroom.
The handle: The Flamingo needs to navigate a number of hard-to-reach body parts from awkward angles. To help, the designers reshaped the handle and weighted it for an easier hold.


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Kongsberg Maritime Shuts Down KM Contros
Kongsberg Maritime (KM), a Norwegian technology enterprise within the Kongsberg Gruppen, informed that it has suspended the sale of the previously announced German KM Contros GmbH to AML Oceanographic Ltd. (AML).
Following a strategic evaluation and prioritization of the KM business in 2019, the company decided to divest Contros, and a Letter of Intent was signed with a future buyer of the business.
However, the companies have now agreed not to pursue the previously announced letter of intent, and the sale of Contros will therefore not proceed. Consequently, Kongsberg Maritime has decided to cease the Contros operations, a press release said.
Contros is a subdivision of the Sensors & Robotics division in KM, it’s located in Kiel/Hamburg, Germany. Contros has two primary lines of business: sensors that measure dissolved gases in water, and platforms and deployment systems for in-situ oceanographic measurement.
KM said that it will conduct a staged closure of the operations of Contros during the first half of 2020 while still stand by its commitments to customers, employees and other stakeholders.


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Satisfaction wanes with long checkout lanes
Time is of the essence when your shoppers are at checkout. In fact, new research shows that satisfaction drops with every minute a customer has to wait. But exactly how long a wait is acceptable? A Sarasota, Fla.-based National In-Store and M/A/R/C Research study found that more than 90 percent of shoppers are extremely or very satisfied with a checkout time of one to three minutes; when the process takes four or five minutes, satisfaction levels fall below 80 percent. And satisfaction drops sharply when a customer waits more than five minutes.
One in 10 shoppers who left a store without making a purchase cited checkout wait as a factor, according to the study, which also found that men are more likely than women to forgo a purchase because of a long checkout line. Adults in the 35-54 age group were also less inclined to wait.
Help with homeopathy
Homeopathy doesn't have to be a mystery to your employees and customers anymore, thanks to a new series of free online training programs from Lyon, France-based homeopathic company Boiron. With initial offerings titled Homeopathic Medicines: The Basics, Homeopathic Medicines for Women's Conditions and Homeopathic Medicines for Allergy Symptoms, the programs use audio and video to provide information to retailers. Each program, available at www.boironusa.com, takes about 20 minutes to complete, includes quizzes to challenge newly acquired knowledge, and provides a personalized certificate to participants satisfying program requirements.
Corn-based fuel could increase meat prices
With a predicted jump in corn-based ethanol production in the next few years, corn prices are expected to rise along with the consumer price index. The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts a 3 percent to 4 percent CPI increase for 2007, slightly above the previous four-year average, due to a number of factors including increased ethanol production using corn.
Corn-based ethanol significantly drives up the cost of animal feed, contributing to slower growth in meat production, according to USDA Chief Economist Keith Collins. Collins said ethanol has only modestly affected retail food prices so far. Late freezes and droughts also contribute to higher food prices. But, Collins said, "If corn prices continue to strengthen over the next couple of years, as USDA expects, retail meat prices are likely to increase more as growth in meat production remains slow."
Natural Foods Merchandiser volume XXVIII/number 7/p.16


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Survey: Developer Interest in Android and WP7 Drops, iOS Holds Strong
- By ADTMag.com Editors
- April 26, 2011
Has some of the bloom come off the Android rose? That's what a new survey of developers may be showing.
The survey, from Appcelerator and IDC, polled developer attitudes on building software for mobile platform. The biggest takeaway is that interest in developing for iOS (iPhone and iPad) remains strong, while interest in Android, although it remains high, has cooled a bit in recent months.
The report speculates that some recent problems Android has faced are having an impact on the developer community:
"Interest in Android has recently plateaued as concerns around fragmentation and disappointing results from early tablet sales have caused developers to pull back from their previous steadily increasing enthusiasm for Google’s mobile operating system."
iOS development retains its lead in developer work, with 91 percent saying they're "very interested" in iPhone development and 86 percent in iPad development. Interest in the Android phone, meanwhile, dipped slightly to 85 percent -- two points off the previous high. Of more concern to Google, most likely, is that interest in Android tablets dropped three points, to 71 percent.
The declines, according to the report, "are consistent with an increase in developer frustration with Android." The chief source of that frustration is device fragmentation, cited by almost two-thirds of developers.
The news is even worse for Microsoft and Research in Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry platforms. Although Microsoft moved into third place in developer interest, vaulting over RIM, overall developer interest in Windows Phone still dropped 7 percent, to 29 percent. BlackBerry plunged even further, taking an 11-point dive from 38 percent to 27 percent.
The chances of either platform threatening the two leaders are slim, according to the survey. Sixty-two percent of developers doubt that any other entrants in the mobile development race can catch Android and iOS. In Microsoft's case, at least, time also appears to be a factor. Nearly half (46 percent) of respondents said their lack of development interest stemmed not so much from the potential of the platform, but simply not having enough development time left over after working on iOS and Android.
This article was written by the editorial staff of ADTmag.com.


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HP Pins Big Hopes on Today’s Launch of Project Moonshot
When the definitive story looking back on the effort to turn around the flailing technology giant Hewlett-Packard is written, today may be seen as a turning point, perhaps for the good, perhaps not so good.
Today is the day HP will formally unveil a product upon which a lot of its hopes for transformation and a return to health have been placed. It’s called Project Moonshot, and HP has been talking about it for about 18 months.
Basically, it’s a server, a very small server that consumes very little energy. During a conversation earlier this year, Dave Donatelli, HP’s executive VP and head of its enterprise, showed me one. Smaller than a typical hardcover book, it consumes 89 percent less energy to operate, and takes up 94 percent less space than a typical server. And, when packed into a large rack with many more servers like it, the amount of computing power that can be harnessed in one relatively small place is pretty impressive.
It’s also highly customizable, in a nearly endless series of mix-and-match combinations: It supports Intel’s Atom line of small and light microprocessors, as well as new up-and-coming server chips based on designs from the British firm ARM. It can also support graphics processing units from companies like Nvidia, as well as standard hard drives or flash-memory based solid-state storage.
HP’s argument to the marketplace is that Moonshot is unique. In a world where companies maintain data centers either for their own operations or as a means of reselling cloud computing capacity, HP’s hope is that the appeal of lower operating costs over time — energy consumption is a big one — will appeal to customers looking to swap out older machines.
And by at least one simple metric, it is. HP’s rivals, including Dell, IBM and Oracle, have nothing quite like it. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t. It is increasingly popular — companies like Google and Facebook do a lot of this — for a company to assemble their own servers from off-the-shelf components. Indeed, chipmaker Intel will be discussing new reference designs — essentially a basic blueprint — for what it calls “micro servers,” based on new versions of its Atom processors, later this week.
The message of Moonshot is also larger. It’s a signal from CEO Meg Whitman that HP can still launch important, innovative products that are different from anything else on the market. That’s a key message, given the tremendous difficulty the company has found itself in over the last few years. Indeed, just last week, Chairman Ray Lane stepped down from that role, and two other directors resigned in response to a proxy campaign by shareholders unhappy with the botched 2011 acquisition of the British software firm Autonomy.
A successful product launch will help shift the HP narrative away from recurring boardroom and executive office dramas, toward the day-to-day business of being the world’s largest technology company. And that’s just as important as the product itself. The sight of HP experiencing a win in a key market segment will go a long way toward making it look as though the longed-for turnaround — one that seemed unthinkable only months ago — is really getting under way.


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Consumers buying online from a business in the EU have strong consumer rights under a range of EU consumer protection legislation. Consumers encountering difficulties have recourse to the European Consumer Centre (ECC) network and the Consumer Protection Co-operation (CPC) network, which provides a basis for national enforcement authorities to co-operate and share information in relation to cross border breaches of consumer law. Once the UK leaves the EU, consumers will no longer automatically have these rights in relation to purchases made from UK traders and the UK will no longer be able to participate in the ECC and CPC networks. Consumers can, however, seek to resolve difficulties directly with UK traders and can also initiate civil legal action through the Courts.
The Government’s Brexit Contingency Action Plan, published on the 9th July 2019, contains information for consumers in relation to online retail after Brexit. The Action Plan highlights the fact that consumers may not be protected by the Consumer Rights Directive and other EU consumer protection legislation if they purchase products online from UK retailers. In addition, it advises consumers that such transactions may be affected post Brexit due to additional import charges, duty and VAT, along with the costs in relation to returns for retailers.
For more detailed information, the Brexit Contingency Action Plan directs consumers to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) website where they can gather further information in relation to Brexit, including the changes to consumer rights for those purchasing from the UK including a Q&A regarding the impact Brexit could have on rights when shopping online. In relation to online shopping, the CCPC highlights the importance of consumers knowing where a trader is located and advises consumers to pay particular attention to the terms and conditions on websites based outside the EU, including provisions in relation to return of purchases and order cancellation. The CCPC’s website also has information on any additional taxes and charges consumers may need to pay when ordering online from a country outside the EU. For example, Value Added Tax (VAT) is payable if the value of the items plus shipping is €22 or more and import charges such as customs or excise duties are payable on items valued at €150 or more that are purchased from outside the EU.
The CCPC also launched a public information campaign in March, in the run up to the original Article 50 deadline of March 31st. As part of the Government's Brexit communications strategy, the CCPC is currently planning consumer market research with a view to informing a further awareness campaign this Autumn on the potential changes to consumer rights as a result of Brexit. The CCPC continues to closely monitor the developing Brexit situation and will update the information it provides to consumers, as required.


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Oreo’s Superbowl Tweet
The Oreo tweet that sweeped the nation.
No question. Oreo nailed it.
First and foremost, they nailed the timing. This day in age, with how fast news becomes news – timing is everything. In the middle of the Super Bowl, the worlds’ most watched television event, as thousands of fans inside New Orleans Mercedes Benz Superdome, and the millions watching on TV wailed as half of the lights in the stadium went out, Oreo designed, developed and tweeted an ad that won the attention and hearts of millions. While the rest of the world was still trying to figure out what was going on – creating fake twitter accounts, and trying to come up a witty 40 character response to one of the most embarrassing moments in professional sports history – Oreo was designing and creating this masterpiece of design, branding and utter simplicity:
Obviously, every marketing company is discussing how epic this tweet was last night, and we completely agree. 14,413 retweets pretty much speaks for itself. Considering a 30 second advertisement during the Super Bowl costs an average of $3.7 million dollars makes this social media cookie success all the sweeter. There’s no greater feet when it comes to branding than receiving national recognition in a moment like we experienced last night during the Super Bowl. It’s unprecedented.
They nailed the timing. They nailed the design, with the perfect balance of negative space, lighting gradient, reverse type treatments, and a stellar icon. Most of all, Oreo nailed their branding. This tweet will no doubt land itself into advertising and marketing textbooks and be visible for years to come. Not to mention the attention they received last night and will continue to receive all through the week.
Here’s a snippet from Adage’s write up on the event:
“The Oreo graphic was “designed, captioned and approved within minutes,” according to Sarah Hofstetter, president of the cookie brand’s digital agency of record, Dentsu-owned 360i. All the decisions were made in real time quickly because marketers and agency members were sitting together at a “mission control” center, or a social-media war room of sorts, at the agency’s headquarters in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Manhattan. Among those who were there were two brand team members from Oreo, and nearly a dozen creatives, strategists, community managers and social-media listeners.
The agency acknowledged that it was able to make decisions so quickly because the Mondelez-owned cookie brand was a broadcaster advertiser in the Super Bowl, and so was closely monitoring chatter and interaction with consumers on all social media channels. It’s arguable though, that 360i’s simple little execution overshadowed Oreo’s far more expensive TV ad, filled with stunts, that ran in the game before the blackout. That ad was done by independent shop Wieden & Kennedy.”
All it took was a few minutes. Branding and design teamed with stellar marketing make for one powerful combination. Miles Design tips our hats to you Oreo. Well done.