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VeeR Spotlight: VeeR CEO Presented at 2018 Busan International Film Festival Forum
The 23rd Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), one of the most significant film festivals in Asia, is taking place in Busan, South Korea from Oct. 4th to Oct. 13th. From 2017, BIFF starts to integrate VR section into the program, and this year, it is hosting 3 VR sections to demonstrate this new media, including VR Theater with over 40 global VR films, VR Conference and International VR Forum.
As part of the VR filming section, its VR International Forum engaged global VR pioneers and thought leaders to discuss and share opinion on the 4th industrial revolution and the evolution of cinema. Ayden Ye, CEO and co-founder of VeeR, was honored to be present at the Forum, sharing the global landscape of VR content creation and the future of immersive media.
VR Industry Is Rising steadily
VR industry promises quite some innovations in industrial transformation and improvements in the way people experience the world. In 2015 and 2016, VR was on the cusp of the new trend, but the industry turned into a very low point last year, a lot of companies went bankrupt or shut down, while some survived and became today’s industrial pioneers. Although the VR industry is still in the valley currently, it is rising steadily. As the technology develops, devices such as VR headsets and VR cameras are getting more affordable and providing better experience, data transmission become faster, the barrier to produce and enjoy VR content is lower than what it was before, which allow more people get access to enjoy VR content. After they get to know VR, the demand for more quality VR content would grow, which stimulus the expansion of VR market.
VR Content Is Becoming More Immersive
VR content creation and tradition films share some similarities, such as add the fascinating spatial sounds and visual effects to reinforce the immersive experience, but VR content offers the sense of “presence” – the feeling of actually being part of an artificially created place. Such an idea is contradictory to the conventional perception of cinema. The audiences are absent from the conventional films. They are all-perceiving, staring at the characters and comprehending the plots as spectators. Nevertheless, in VR videos/films, the audiences could be part of the story. Comparative to being a sole spectator, they could move things around in the virtual scene, get distracted by exploring around, or even decide how the story could go. In VR videos/films, the audiences become the characters and have the power to control the VR stories through interactive components.
Future of VR content
The future of VR content is to be more interactive and engaging. The earlier virtual reality was almost exclusively gaming trend, but VR game and videos have implicit boundary. The main theme is to engage the audience. Unlike the traditional film viewers who passively accept the information that the filmmakers want to convey, the audience who wears VR headsets can interact with the story to decide the direction of the story. In other words, the ending depending on how the audiences choose in the interactive components. Therefore, the audiences become the characters and have power to control the VR stories.
VeeR’s Role in VR Industry
VR content can design more interactive components and more dynamic storylines to provide immersive experiences, and this is a trend for the future cinematic experience. However, only foreseeing the future VR content trend couldn’t help the creators. The VR content creators need a easy-to-handle way to design the story and operate the complicated interactive components. To equip the creators with the tool to create the immersive and interactive experience, VeeR Experience enables VR content creators to easily edit their VR footage with interactive components to create an engaging VR experience. Another big problem VR content creators often face is lack of distribution channel. VR content distribution was complicated compared to the traditional, creators have to deal with tremendous technical issues of every single platform to have the content available on different platforms. To empower and support the VR content creators, VeeR has been developed as a platform dedicated for VR content creators to distribute their works to all channels with one single click, including website, mobile, as well as all major VR platforms such as Oculus, HTC Vive, Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR, etc.
What you don’t want to miss on BIFF
‘VR Theater’ will display about 40 films, from narrative fictions, documentaries, animations, to interactive titles, for all the audience. Theaters exclusive for VR Cinema, located in BIFF Hill ground floor, will show VR titles of various genres like 360 videos, interactive, and experiential VR, etc. All the contents exhibited at the VR Theater is open to the public (Free of charge). For more information, please check the screening schedule.
VeeR VR is a leading VR content platform with the mission of empowering everyone to create and share virtual reality content. Within a year of its establishment, it’s become a phenomenon sweeping through the 360 community, and has been featured on Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR and HTC Vive. While we believe that VR is the future of storytelling, we want to encourage all VR lovers to create beyond boundaries.


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It sounds like Elon Musk might have swallowed "the red pill."
Part Bond villain, part Tony Stark, Elon Musk seems to be hellbent on pushing our world forward, technologically. Pretty bizarre, then, that he thinks there is a real possibility the world is just a simulation.
Musk – who founded SpaceX, Tesla Motors, OpenAI, and Paypal – took to the stage at Recode's 2016 Code Conference and got philosophical about computer simulations and the nature of reality. On answering a question from journalist Joshua Topolsky, he began to explain how it’s very likely we’re living in the computer games of a more advanced society.
He said it’s fair to assume we’ll soon be able to create games that are indistinguishable from reality, considering the rate of technological advancement in computer technology has allowed us to go from the game “Pong” to photorealistic virtual reality in just over 40 years,
He concluded, “Those games could be played on any set-top box or on a PC or whatever, and there would probably be billions of such computers or set-top boxes, it would seem to follow that the odds that we're in base reality is one in billions.”
But if the thought of being a mere “Sim” in an inauthentic reality makes you feel blue, Musk says it’s actually a positive thing. In fact, he believes we should hope this is the case. Check out the full excerpt of the conference below:

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A couple weeks ago, we brought you news of a Ducati Diavel that’s been spruced up by the leather experts at Vilner. Between the cornucopia of cowhides and the reshaped bodywork, it makes for an altogether more exclusive and ornate means of getting around on two wheels. Of course, the fact that Vilner draped a hot female model over it in a couple of pictures probably didn’t hurt.
However, never a company to rest on its laurels, Vilner has applied its handiwork to a Ducati Diavel AMG. Yes, it’s the same AMG that serves as Mercedes-Benz’s in-house tuner, so it should come as no surprise that Ducati discontinued the model not long after the company was bought by Audi. But while the Ducati-AMG marriage was short-lived, Diavel’s take on that union’s only child has style to last for a long, long time.


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Today Telstra (ASX: TLS) announced its intention to transition the Telstra branded retail store network to a full corporate ownership model. Following this announcement, Vita Group (ASX: VTG) confirmed that this will mean the conclusion of its current dealer agreement with Telstra on 30 June 2025.
Tough day at the office for Vita Group. The risk of this happening has always been the knock on Vita Group and it was inevitable that one day it would happen. Of course it would of been nice had it happened the day before I added it to my SM scorecard and not the day after...


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The latest stoppages will bring lost output to 9,000 vehicles, the automaker said, and affect production of Lexus models and the Land Cruiser.
The planned four-day halt to production at a Tsutsumi factory line, which makes Camry and Corolla models, will cut vehicle output by as many as 1,500 vehicles.
The stoppages affect output of Lexus models and the Toyota Land Cruiser as the automaker runs short of components from plants in Southeast Asia where production has been disrupted.
Plants that build the Civic, CR-V, Honda e, Jazz/Fit and HR-V will be affected by output cuts.
Mazda will suspend production at its two domestic factories for two days in April as factors including a rise in COVID-19 cases in China cause supply disruptions.
Toyota said there was "a possibility" that it could lower its full-year production plan of 9.7 million vehicles as it faces a continuing shortage of parts due to the COVID-19 lockdowns in China.
The industry is settling into the new year acknowledging that it's not out of the woods yet on chip shortage disruptions.


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- On May 22, 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz made history by purchasing two pizzas from a Florida restaurant using 10,000 BTC, which was valued at $41 back then.
- In line with tradition, crypto enthusiasts worldwide, including those in Indonesia, participated in the celebration by enjoying pizza.
The crypto community marked the anniversary of Bitcoin Pizza Day, a significant event in which Bitcoin (BTC) was exchanged for physical goods. On May 22, 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz made history by purchasing two pizzas from a Florida restaurant using 10,000 BTC, which was valued at $41 back then.
This transaction became a symbolic moment for the crypto industry, and every year since, the community celebrates the progress made since that time. In line with tradition, crypto enthusiasts worldwide, including those in Indonesia, participated in the celebration by enjoying pizza. A group of Bitcoiners in Bali even shared a photo of themselves relishing pizza on the anniversary of Bitcoin Pizza Day.
At the same time, cryptocurrency exchanges enthusiastically participated in the pizza-eating festivities. Binance, a prominent crypto exchange, offered pizza in Naples, Italy, while OKX, a trading platform, posted a picture of its employees’ lunch preparations as they got ready for the occasion.
Who was on the other end of the transaction?
While many others were busy eating pizza, some took the time to appreciate Jeremy Sturdivant, the person on the other end of the now-famous transaction. One Bitcoiner described Sturdivant as the “true hero” of the story. Though some speculated that Sturdivant sold the coins after the price increased by five or 10 times, while others thought he might have lost the keys.
More details on Bitcoin Pizza Day
Although the Bitcoin pizza transaction is commonly acknowledged as the initial instance of using BTC for a physical goods exchange, there are speculations suggesting the existence of a prior sale. The online cryptocurrency community was abuzz on May 14 when discussions arose regarding the potential sale of an image in exchange for 500 BTC that took place months before the famous pizza purchase. It is worth noting that the transaction involving Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, was also connected to this sale.
A lifelong learner with a thirst for knowledge, I am constantly seeking to understand the intricacies of the crypto world. Through my writing, I aim to share my insights and perspectives on the latest developments in the industry. I believe that crypto has the potential to create a more inclusive and equitable financial system, and I am committed to using my writing to promote its positive impact on the world.


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€1.5bn worth of investment transactions completed in commercial real estate market in H1 2017
…first six months of the year – the deal involved the sale of three Fashion House centres located in w Piaseczno, Sosnowiec and Gdansk. Polonia Property Fund II (managed by Peakside Polonia Management) sold the facilities to RREEF Spezial Invest (a Deutsche Bank group-held fund).
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Opel's global export push could mean production of its cars in PSA's plants in China, Russia and Iran, and even sales in the U.S., the home market of its former owner General Motors.
As part of its new turnaround plan, Opel is exploring potential new markets for cars and light trucks outside of its European heartland.
GM prevented the German division from having a big presence in key growth countries such as China because of fears it would compete with Chevrolet and Buick models -- some of which were based on Opel engineering.
With Opel's entire lineup moving to PSA platforms, Opel has much more freedom to pursue sales in non-European markets. "Opel will go global, finally," CEO Michael Lohscheller said here on Thursday while presenting the so-called PACE restructuring plan.
Lohscheller said Opel will enter more than 20 new markets by 2022, with Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan among countries identified as potential export markets. Opel also is exploring whether to sell cars in China and Brazil, he said.
Opel executives did not mention whether the automaker will seek to sell cars in the U.S. But "nothing more stands in the way" of a possible U.S. market entry once Opel has shifted its product lineup to PSA platforms from GM architectures, said Opel’s labor leader Wolfgang Schaefer-Klug, Opel’s labor leader, who is an Opel board member.


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All that Glistens is gold
CHOCOLATE group Glisten is looking forward to a bumper Christmas after unveiling consistently high sales and securing the rights to distribute Sun-Maid chocolate covered raisins in the UK.
Blackburn-based Glisten said sales in the past four months continued to be 8% ahead of 2001's levels and the order book was full for the Christmas period.
Last month the company reported a good start to the year with sales 8% ahead of 2001's levels, and said reactions to its novelty Christmas products, including chocolate reindeer noses, snowball-themed sweets and a range of covered nuts, had been 'extremely encouraging'.
Glisten also reported early demand for Easter confectionery and said it is now looking forward to the remainder of the current year with confidence.
The group joined AIM, the exchange for smaller companies, in June. In October it reported that turnover for the year to the end of June rose from £13m to £14.2m on a comparable basis.
But pre-tax profits fell from £31.6m to £152,000, due to costs associated with taking the business to market.
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For almost two years, investors feared that the wave of stock buybacks that helped drive the market to record highs was finally coming to a close. Those quarterly buybacks peaked during the first quarter of 2016, plunged by the third quarter of that year, then simply leveled off at sub-par levels through the third quarter of 2017. That wave of easy upside looked like it was winding down.
However, with major tax breaks serving as a tailwind, U.S. corporations are looking to make such use of their cash again … in spades. Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 20, constituents of the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index announced buyback programs totaling $173 billion. That’s the largest buyback tally ever taken at this early point of the year, and bodes well for 2018’s per-share profits.
Here’s a rundown of this year’s biggest buyback announcements thus far. These share-repurchase programs don’t necessarily make these names worth owning, but they certainly bolster an already-bullish case for each company.
Data is as of March 2, 2018. Click on ticker-symbol links in each slide for current share prices and more.
- Buyback commitment: $6 billion
While the Gold Rush of 1849 panned out to be a windfall for a few lucky prospectors, most of the miners who headed west seeking their fortune found nothing but disappointment. The only reliable way of making any money during the mania was supplying pickaxes and shovels to the people who didn’t bring one.
That’s how Applied Materials (AMAT, $58.03) makes its money, in a sense. Rather than competing directly in a crowded semiconductor arena, it supplies equipment and materials used in the creation and manufacture of computer chips and cutting-edge display screens. That has enable AMAT to ride the evolution of computer technology.
The proof is in last quarter’s results. Sales grew 28% year-over-year, prodding a 58% improvement in per-share profits. CEO Gary Dickerson believes his company will experience more of the same. Also, not only did Applied Materials double its quarterly dividend, but the board of directors approved $6 billion worth of stock repurchases. For perspective, Applied Materials only sports a market cap of $61 billion.
The growth trajectory and buyback were enough for Credit Suisse, which already rates AMAT at “Outperform,” (equivalent of “Buy”) to raise its target price on the stock from $72 to $74. Credit Suisse analyst Farhan Ahmad wasn’t surprised to hear the buyback news, but did write that it materialized sooner than expected.
- Buyback commitment: $6 billion
The funny-named company isn’t as unfamiliar as you think. Mondelez International (MDLZ, $44.42) is the name behind Cadbury candies, Chips Ahoy and Oreo cookies, Ritz crackers, Trident chewing gum and more. Prior to 2012, you knew it better as Kraft Foods. Part of the old Kraft eventually went on to become Kraft-Heinz (KHC), but most of it became the Mondelez we know and love today.
Those who know the company – and the food business – know that profit margins are thin. The solutions are greater scale and more operational efficiency, and Mondelez is making headway on the latter. The company grew per-share profits 14% year-over-year to $2.14 in 2017, and analysts expect even more robust earnings expansion this year. Societe Generale analyst Warren Ackerman recently wrote, “North America issues in biscuits continue but categories and execution are improving, and innovation for FY18 is in place,” adding that the company is doing particularly well in emerging markets.
The projected profit growth is expected to be strong enough to fund an extra $6 billion worth of stock buybacks, per a late-January announcement. That’s in addition to the $13.7 billion stock-buyback plan that was already in place.
- Buyback commitment: $6 billion
- Ebay (EBAY, $42.95) and PayPal (PYPL) essentially grew up together, but they aren’t the partners they used to be. In late January, the online auctioneer announced it would begin the development of an in-house payment solution for users of its e-commerce platform.
The move certainly doesn’t boot PayPal as a payment option, but it does set the stage for lowered operational expenses and gives eBay more control over the purchasing process. Mizuho analyst Thomas McCrohan opined that the company “ultimately viewed PayPal as limiting their ability to create ‘more seamless experiences.’”
While Baird analyst Colin Sebastian doesn’t think PayPal’s soon-to-be-weakened relationship with the e-commerce venue will make eBay leaps and bounds more profitable anytime soon, every little bit helps. And, that little profit boost will certainly help supply the additional $6 billion its board of directors recently authorized for share repurchases. Paired with the buyback program already in place, the company aims to repurchase $3.5 billion worth of EBAY shares this year, then do the same in 2019.
- Buyback commitment: $7.5 billion
Credit card middleman Visa (V, $120.77) might get a bullish nudge thanks to a big buyback plan. Along with a solid earnings beat last quarter, the company unveiled a healthy $7.5 billion buyback plan.
While the previous quarter’s numbers were compelling, the outlook wasn’t. CFO Vasant Prabhu cautioned investors that the current quarter’s revenue growth rate would be below the full-year average, by a couple of percentage points, no less. Given that last quarter’s bottom line was only about $2.5 billion, that kind of spending plan doesn’t leave the company much wiggle room, particularly knowing the holiday quarter is one of the best of the year. Consumers are spending in droves.
Not to worry. Visa has a little more than $9 billion worth of liquid funds in the bank, and it otherwise hasn’t found anything better to do with it.
- Buyback commitment: $8.6 billion
- Alphabet (GOOGL, $1,084.14) – the company formerly known as Google – isn’t buying back exactly $8.6 billion worth of its stock. Its board of directors officially announced in early February that it has authorized the repurchase of $8,589,869,056 worth of outstanding shares.
While the dollar figure seems random, it’s not. It’s what mathematicians call a “perfect number,” which is simply a positive integer exactly equal to the sum of all of its potential divisors. (If that means nothing to you non-mathematicians, here’s a slightly more helpful explanation.)
In short, Alphabet is being cute with its buyback plan, and this isn’t the first time. The company’s 2015 share repurchase program was worth $5,099,019,513.59. That’s the square root of 26 – the number of letters in the Alphabet – multiplied by $1 billion. Some of its stock sales were also based on mathematical oddities.
Whatever the case, taking $8.6 billion worth of shares out of the float will only help the already-bullish case for owning Alphabet.
- Buyback commitment: $10 billion
Leerink analyst Geoffrey Porges didn’t pull any punches in his response to biopharma company Amgen’s (AMGN, $185.08) most recent quarterly results and the corresponding discussion from executives. He wrote, “Amgen’s growth outlook is not exciting, and the pressure on its legacy products is only going to increase.”
RBC Capital Markets analyst Kennen MacKay was just as tough on the company, noting the numbers were “financial engineering at its finest: buybacks and tax surprise offset quarter miss.”
However, Porges goes on to concede, “but with its disciplined margin performance and continued cash flow, its business development preparedness is striking.”
That might be the long way of saying that as much as the analysts may not want to, they can’t not like Amgen’s prospects. Even if much of its progress stems from financial engineering.
Whatever the case, look for more of the same financial engineering for the foreseeable future. The company’s cash situation supports an additional $10 billion in stock buybacks that Amgen’s board approved during the previous quarter.
- Buyback commitment: $10 billion
Amgen isn’t the only drugmaker sweetening the pot for shareholders. Abbvie (ABBV, $115.04) is playing the same card, allocating $10 billion of its own to shrink the number of shares in its float. There is one difference: While Amgen’s $10 billion commitment is in addition to its existing repurchase program, AbbVie’s new buybacks plan replaces the previous one.
That’s not the only way AbbVie is rewarding shareholders, however. The company also increased its quarterly dividend by 35% to 96 cents per share.
Some investors may think AbbVie is cutting it a little close. After all, the company is projected to earn $7.48 per share this year, and has only about $10 billion worth of cash and equivalents in the bank. Still, ABBV knows exactly what it has in its portfolio and pipeline. Humira still is a workhorse, boasting sales growth of 14% year-over-eyar, while Imbruvica logged a 39% increase in sales last quarter. Throw in the potential of Elagolix and Upadacitinib if and when they reach their full sales potential, and Abbvie shouldn’t have any trouble funding its generosity.
- Buyback commitment: $15 billion
If you were impressed by AbbVie’s $10 billion buyback, beverage and snack giant PepsiCo (PEP, $109.04) has one-upped the pharmaceutical company. In mid-February, PepsiCo earmarked $15 billion to repurchase shares, replacing a $12 billion buyback program that was set to expire in mid-2018.
Relative to its market cap of $157 billion, those stock buybacks will make a sizeable dent.
The PepsiCo story hasn’t been a great one of late. Although it’s still a cash cow, consumers are steering away from sugary drinks and unhealthy snacks, hitting the company right where it hurts. The deterioration has been slow and slight, though, spaced out across about five years. Pepsi still is raking in gobs of cash, however, earning nearly $5 billion last year alone to bring its cash hoard to almost $20 billion.
With no other opportunities on the table, the buyback and the 15% increase in its dividend is arguably the best use of that money.
- Buyback commitment: $22.6 billion
- Wells Fargo (WFC, $57.41) is fighting an uphill battle, and most people would agree that the bank’s wounds are self-inflicted. The unauthorized opening of 3.5 million accounts has not only cost the company money and its reputation, but it also has prompted action from the Federal Reserve.
The Fed recently ruled that the bank cannot grow its asset base beyond its size as of the end of 2017 until the Fed decides Wells Fargo can be trusted again. That ultimately will crimp earnings growth, even if the organization continues to cull costs.
As Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Brian Kleinhanzl put it, “The bottom line is that the C&D order will mean Wells will have a harder time maintaining market share and will have to compete more on price or credit terms versus peers, in our view.”
Investors clearly are less than enthused.
One thing the Federal Reserve’s restriction doesn’t do, however, is prevent the company from improving per-share profits by reducing the number of outstanding shares. So, it’s thinking big, setting aside a whopping $22.6 billion for 350 million shares’ worth of stock buybacks. That’s about 7% of Wells’ total float.
- Buyback commitment: $25 billion
Finally, networking giant Cisco (CSCO, $44.06) gave its shareholders a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift, packaged with its fiscal second-quarter report on Feb. 14. The company added another $25 billion worth of funding to the already-generous stock buyback plan in place.
Yes, Cisco can afford it.
This may be one of the most overlooked details about Cisco, but it quietly has built a financial war chest for years. As of the latest tally, the company was sitting on $67 billion worth of cash and liquid assets, much of it stashed overseas.
CEO Chuck Robbins has been wary of bringing it back into the United States, knowing it would incur a hefty tax bill when the company did so. But, with President Donald Trump’s recently enacted tax overhaul easing the sting – and at the same time making it moot by imposing a tax liability on that money anyway – Cisco is using the opportunity to share some of that locked-up wealth.
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A federal jury has convicted a former owner of Super Liquor stores on the Strip in a scheme to hide nearly $4 million in cash receipts from the Internal Revenue Service.
Following a weeklong trial, Jeffrey Nowak was found guilty of tax evasion, conspiring to defraud the United States and assisting in filing false corporate tax returns, the Justice Department said Friday.
He is to be sentenced Nov. 17.
His former partner, Ramzi Suliman, pleaded guilty to the felony conspiracy charge in July 2014 and is waiting to be sentenced.
Nowak and Suliman were charged in a 12-count federal indictment in Las Vegas in April 2013.
The indictment alleged the two defendants skimmed the $4 million during the tax years 2006 through 2009 at their flagship Super Liquor South Strip near Mandalay Bay. The owners had two other stores, including one at 2301 Las Vegas Blvd. South.
Nowak and Suliman maintained three separate sets of books: one with their true gross sales, one with the skimmed version of those sales that went to their accountant and one that compared the true and skimmed versions, the indictment alleged.
In all, the IRS lost nearly $1 million in taxes from the scheme, according to prosecutors.
“When business owners willfully skim cash and cause their true income to be underreported to the IRS, they are stealing from the U.S. Treasury,” Nevada U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said in a statement Friday. “The IRS and our office take these cases seriously, and we will continue to seek judgments, injunctions, and criminal convictions that often carry substantial prison sentences, restitution and financial penalties.”
Caroline Ciraolo, a top assistant attorney general in Washington, added, “Cash sales are not an opportunity for business owners to shortchange the government or produce multiple sets of books.”
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation in Las Vegas.
Contact Jeff German at email@example.com or 702-380-8135. Find @JGermanRJ on Twitter.


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When it comes to directing people’s attention, there has never been anything as powerful as today’s vast online search engines, and when it comes to search engines, nobody can touch Google, whose sites handle an estimated 88 billion queries a month, roughly two-thirds the world total.
Users don’t have any idea how Google decides the order in which it presents search results, which is too bad, since that ranking is the most consequential thing Google does.
That’s because search engines may look far and wide, but their users do not. If your company doesn’t show up at or near the top of Google’s results, it’s invisible.
A survey last May by the online advertising network Chitika found that the No. 1 search result drew over one-third of all traffic the results generated—twice as much as No. 2, three times the traffic of No. 3. Being on the first page of rankings was critical. Even No. 10, at the bottom of page 1, drew nearly two and a half times the traffic of No. 11, at the top of the second page.
So any retailer that wants to reach customers online cares intensely about its rankings, and is eager for ploys to ensure prominence. Hence the business of SEO—search engine optimization.
SEO is focused on figuring out Google’s rankings and giving Google what it’s looking for. Which is what? Only Google knows, and its search methodology is about as widely shared as the formula for Coke.
What is known is that Google puts great weight not just on traffic flows, but on how well regarded a particular site is, and tries to measure that regard by calculating the number, and to some extent, the quality of other sites that link to it. Google likes to think it is reflecting some prevailing judgment of a site’s value.
But that judgment can be counterfeited. One extraordinary instance, uncovered recently by The New York Times, involved JC Penney, the venerable Main Street retailer. Apparently, for months Penney was the top-ranked site if you searched for terms as disparate as “skinny jeans,” “home décor,” “area rugs,” “dresses,” and “table cloths.” Penney even pulled more traffic for “Samsonite carry on luggage” than Samsonite’s own site.
How come? Penney’s success was traced to an SEO consultant who had, essentially, contracted with more than 2,000 web pages that had no discernible purpose apart from linking to sites like Penney’s—for pay. Penney’s fortunes rose thanks to this virtual ballot-stuffing.
In a second case, The Wall Street Journal reported that retailer Overstock.com had been caught offering discounts to college students and faculty for linking to Overstock from various search terms, among them “gift baskets” and “bunk beds.”
Overstock’s rankings soared because the links came from sites with the “.edu” suffix reserved for schools. Google apparently assigns great weight to .edu sites, since they rarely link to commercial entities and their endorsements are thought to be especially credible.
Google’s response in both instances was terrible and swift. It took undisclosed measures that, in Penney’s case, led to its average position for 59 search terms plummeting from 1.3 to 52 within two weeks. Overstock had been at or near the top for dozens of keywords, but within days had plummeted to the fifth or six page of results, the functional equivalent of vanishing.
The tales are disturbing on several counts. First, the vulnerability of the rankings to manipulation. With 300 million domain names to police, Google is preposterously outgunned.
Second, the quiet, unchallengeable ferocity of the response. You don’t have to support fraud to agree with the Times reader who posted: “Was anyone else spooked by Google virtually eliminating a company from existence by removing it entirely from search results?”
Third, the non-transparency of the whole search business. What could be more opaque? The retailers’ actions certainly seem wrong, but says who? If the principles guiding search shape public awareness in sweeping ways, shouldn’t we know what they are?
Besides, Google itself routinely features its own spinoffs—Google Product Search, Google News and YouTube—high up on its results. Is that OK? Why do I get three “Google Maps” links on page 1 when I type in “driving directions?”
Now Google is incorporating recommendations from your social media “friends” to personalize the search results you get. Who authorized Google to help itself to that information? And precisely how will your so-called friends’ opinions alter the rankings you see?
Google is an extraordinary company, and its credo of “don’t be evil” is impressive. But it’s difficult to think of another private, profit-seeking entity that has ever exercised such vast power over what the world thinks about and pays attention to.
That’s a profoundly public function, and with it comes an obligation of accountability that Google has yet to shoulder.


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Auto expo hits the road in Changsha
The 12th China (Changsha) International Automobile Expo is underway in Changsha, showcasing the latest automobiles from the world's most famous carmakers, from Dec 12 to 18.
The opening ceremony of the 12th China (Changsha) International Automobile Expo is held at Changsha International Convention and Exhibition Center on Dec 12. [Photo/rednet.cn]
More than 1,000 cars from 82 auto brands are spread out across the 143,000-square-meter exhibition floor, including Bentley, George Patton, Lincoln, and Mazda.
A George Patton vehicle on display at the 12th China (Changsha) International Automobile Expo. [Photo/rednet.cn]
A total of 32 cars made their debut at the show, 20 Hunan-made cars demonstrating the province's rise to prominence in the auto industry.
Green motoring was represented well at the show with 26 new-energy vehicles and 17 fully-electric vehicles on display.
Zhang Jianfei, vice governor of Hunan province, spoke highly of the progress that Hunan's automobile manufacturers have made when he led a delegation visiting the expo on Dec 14.
Zhang Jianfei(R2), vice governor of Hunan province, leads a delegation at the Changsha Automobile Expo on Dec 14. [Photo/rednet.cn]
Zhang said that Hunan manufacturers must not be complacent. "Manufacturers still have a long way to go to keep innovating and produce more advanced cars in accordance with the demands of the market," said Zhang.
Held for the past 11 years, the influence of the Changsha automobile expo has spread internationally.
The automobile industry in Hunan has grown in recent years. In the first three quarters of the year, Hunan's auto industry grew 39.7 percent year-on-year, accounting for 19.1 percent in the province's GDP. Output from all 12 major automakers added up to 672,721, with 659,254 of the vehicles having already been sold.


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Friday, May 18, 2007
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that in moving its account to Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Miller Brewing is going to go back into the product comparison business, quoting a spokesperson as saying that, "We are determined to go back to product intrinsic ads." (Crispin, Porter and Bogusky resigned the account, having produced the not-at-all product-oriented Man Laws campaign.) Even if the positioning will be different, you can expect BBH to also indulge in the same testosterone-fueled hijinks as Crispin. It is the agency, after all, that brought the world The Bom Chicka Wah Wahs for Axe. Can the Swedish bikini team be far, um, behind?
From a marketing standpoint, the most interesting thing about American Idol is watching it gain credibility among acts like Gwen Stefani, Fergie and Maroon 5, all of whom would definitely have shunned it a few years ago. But there’s no denying the power of being able to put your new single in front of one of the largest audiences in television—especially as media fragmentation obscures a lot of singles that not so long ago would have been ubiquitous. In that context, I’m curious to see how the marketing for the new Paul McCartney album, "Memory Almost Full," will play out. True, Sir Paul, probably will never sell again the way he did with that band-before-Wings in the 1960s, but on the other hand, this time around he’s leveraging the ubiquity of Starbucks to, well, make his voice heard. McCartney who is releasing the album under Starbucks’ Hear Music label will be launching it through 10,000 Starbucks outlets in 29 countries around the world, which will play it in those locations on June 5 as part of a global promotional event. No one’s talking American Idol-size numbers here—according to this story, it will reach six million people a day—but it seems a far better idea than simply relying on old channels to sell music.
Haven't been all that impressed with the ways that YouTube is integrating advertising into the site, but this straightforward channel for Shrek 3, which also promotes Hewlett-Packard personal computers is simple, straightforward and amusing, as the visual above demonstrates. This commercial appearing on "Ye Tube", which shows what Fiona has in her computer, is a whimsical way to incorporate the movie into HP's "The Computer Is Personal Again." The other celebrities featured in that campaign, such as Jay-Z, actually exist in the real world. Here's to Ye Tube. Assume this is the work of Goodby, Silverstein and Partners.
Just found another Mac vs. PC online-only ad. In this one, PC, while trying to break out of the online ad unit that he and Mac are in, exclaims, "My printer, my scanner, I've got to search for them." It's funny stuff. I hope you can find it somewhere.
As I was saying yesterday, we should still expect the most valuable ad technology companies to land with the the major online media properties. In case you haven't heard yet, Microsoft announced early this morning that it is buying aQuantive for $6 billion, paying an 85 percent premium for the privilege, and paying twice as much for the company as Google paid for DoubleClick. Though I'm not sure I ever saw it printed, rumors have been circulating for about a month that Microsoft would buy aQuantive, the best way, other than whining about the Google/DoubleClick deal, for Microsoft to fight back against its archrival. It probably also got the better company. What has always been impressive about aQuantive is how it managed its way deftly through the dot-com bust, always steadfastly believing that in the end, strong analytics capabilities and a focus on ROI would win over clients. As for the price, $6 billion is a lot of money, but Microsoft can afford it, especially when one considers what is at stake: Microsoft has had its problems in competing against Google and Yahoo in online advertising, and there just aren't many ad technology companies still on the market that can hold up to aQuantive. It was time for Microsoft to do something dramatic. But let's take a look back at WPP's agreement yesterday to buy 24/7 Real Media for a paltry $649 million—WPP's valuation is just under $19 billion; Microsoft's is almost $300 billion. So, though I'm sure that WPP, and its rivals, may have been eyeing aQuantive (which also, of course, owns the digital agency Avenue A/Razorfish), the value of the company's ad technology simply put it out of their league. One last thought: isn't it somehow a sign of the times, that this flurry of ad technology acquisitions occurred during the same week that the TV networks held their upfront presentations?
Thursday, May 17, 2007
In some ways, it’s hardly surprising that WPP Group has succeeded in buying 24/7 Real Media. Talks between the two companies had been rumored for weeks. On the other hand, it still seems a bit odd. Though old business models are being done away with all over the place, the acquisition marks the first time that one of the big ad holding companies has gotten into the business of selling ads—24/7 handles inventory for a number of sites. And while WPP said when it announced the deal this morning that it was buying the company for the technology, it’s worth asking whether WPP was also buying what it could. Consider that 24/7 competitor DoubleClick was bought by Google for $3.1 billion, and the decidedly second-tier, 24/7 is being bought by WPP for about $650 million. Microsoft also allegedly kicked 24/7’s tires, with at least one report putting the amount Microsoft was willing to offer at $1 billion. If this had come to a serious bidding war between any agency holding company and Microsoft, the holding companies surely would have lost., despite what Motley Fool says. As the consolidation of ad technology companies continues, we should still expect the most valuable to land with the the major online media properties, not with WPP and its competitors.
So the new Saturn campaign from Deutsch, L.A.—its first since taking the account from Goodby, Silverstein and Partners earlier this year—uses the tagline "Rethink American" and asks us to rethink other things as well. It's not the worst tagline in the universe (get it? Saturn? universe? oy!), but it's not the best either. Every American car brand, from Ford to Chrysler to Chevrolet would like us to rethink American cars, so if the goal is to distinguish Saturn from other automakers, this tag fails. You can see the spot here. The most interesting point the commercial makes is that Saturn produces the most affordable hybrids in America, but since the spot is meant as an umbrella that incorporates all Saturn brands, they probably couldn't focus too much on that. Keep working on it, guys.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
This is kind of odd. Reddy Kilowatt, the mascot that was created to promote electricity in the 1920s, has a blog. It's run by a guy named Bill, who last updated the site three days ago, with a link to an entire alphabet that uses Reddy Kilowatt in every letter. However, he has yet to run a post about how Phil Lesh (of the Grateful Dead, young 'uns), uses Mr. Kilowatt as his own personal mascot, or that if you go here, you'll find some animations created by Lesh featuring Reddy. There's a fan or two for everything, I guess.
Saw an ad last night on American Idol (yeah, I watch it, and you should too) for Diet Coke Plus, a new version of Diet Coke that includes vitamins and minerals such as B3, B6, B12, zinc and magnesium. For those of you not immersed in Diet Coke culture, this may seem kind of weird, or just worthy of making the obvious assumption that with products such as Glaceau's Vitamin Water out there, it was time to put something with redeeming qualities into Diet Coke. (Historically, its one redeeming quality being, of course, what it doesn't have, which is calories.) Still, I've realized in the last few years, that I've come, strangely enough, to the conclusion that I view Diet Coke as an occasional treat—I feel somehow better knowing I'm drinking Vitamin Water, or just plain water, or even a latte because it has milk. So, while I admit it's a little odd for someone to decide to drink Diet Coke just for a few lousy vitamins—especially someone like me, who is religious about taking her vitamins—I could see myself choosing it not because I need more zinc, but because it makes me feel a little less guilty for not getting anything redeeming out of my quaff.
By now, everyone has seen streams of the Mac vs. PC campaign online, but last night on Underwire, I saw the streaming banner ad above, shot specifically to appear on the Web. There's nothing remarkable about the ad, in a sense, but it's the first time I've ever seen a popular campaign repurposed and reshot for a streaming banner ad. When PC starts knocking his head against the border of the banner (taking out his frustrations for upgrading to Vista), he says, "These banners are hard."
Here's a rather interesting idea from Verizon: offer a movie-rendering tool to show off Verizon's Broadband capabilities. It's called "Action Hero" and allows people to make movies that turn them into the heroes they've always wanted to be. (I admit that on my Verizon DSL this morning, it was moving a bit slow.) Created by R/GA.
Maybe it will increase the ad industry's self-esteem to know that ABC is giving its sitcom based on the Geico cavemen a good time slot—8 p.m. on Tuesday night. Though the series features different actors, and seems to have only one creative person from the commercials involved—the Martin Agency's Joe Lawson—who will be executive producer—somehow the attention this thing is getting makes it some kind of litmus test of whether the ad industry is relevant anymore. If the thing fails, expect headlines about how it wasn't an idea that could support endless iterations; and if it's a huge success, expect headlines and pats on the back about how good content is good content, no matter whether it starts as advertising or something else. At the end of the day, though, I don't think the caveman phenomenon should be taken quite as seriously as it seems to be. Every now and then, people in every industry actually succeed in catching lightning in a bottle, and this stuff is watchable over and over, but it's also nothing more than one of those instances.
Ad Age reports today that McDonald's has come out with a new commercial talking about the corporate advancement that is possible when someone takes a McJob, highlighting Karen King, who is now responsible for 5000 restaurants which represent a total of 36 percent of McDonald's domestic revenue. (I've yet to find it online.) Of course, this isn't the first time that McDonald's has tried to reinvent the perception of the McJob—a few months ago, it challenged the mighty Oxford English Dictionary over its characterization of a McJob as any sort of work that is demeaning, and the company has been going on about it on its corporate responsibility blog, recently posting the video above. And, anyone remember the 2005 effort that featured celebrities who'd actually had McJobs such as Olympian Carl Lewis?
So here's one of the Ray Ban shorts that's becoming the viral sensation that's taking the nation. I can be a curmudgeon about these things, but this one is actually strangely alluring, even though we all know that there's some editing slight of hand that makes it appear as though the protagonist can really catch Ray Bans perfectly on his face, while in a moving vehicle, standing under a bridge, etc. The agency is Cutwater. It has generated the inevitable spoofs, such as this, and at least one video purporting to show the technique involved. Of course, this is all well and fine, in that, as the agency says, it wanted Ray Bans to become part of the conversation again. Now let's see if the company can actually sell some sunglasses.
Monday, May 14, 2007
It makes sense that Unilever appears to be on the bubble (per Jack Neff at Ad Age) about whether or not to participate in the network upfront, and not just because, as Neff says, it's predominantly female target doesn't require it to lock in certain programs in order to get the reach it needs. Unilever is that still rare client that has also had several breakout successes in the last year or so in terms of using the digital media to move hearts and minds, and some product, as well. First, there was the integrated Dove "Campaign for Real Beauty," which used voting techniques that heavily relied on digital media to get consumers to vote on what they perceived to be a beautiful woman, and then there was the knockout success of the Dove "Evolution" viral (above), which has had about 3.5 million views on YouTube alone. The company has seen that this newfangled digital stuff can work, and do it—compared to spending millions of dollars on airtime—on the cheap.
For the (brief) amount of time that I've been paying bills online, I've been surprised that the credit card companies don't use their home pages as more of an ad venue. Until today, when, for what it's worth, I found that American Express had extended its Shaun White campaign to americanexpress.com. True, if you're going to these sites, it's likely you're already a customer, but a little branding reinforcement never hurt.
This can't really qualify as consumer-generated media since it's asking creatives to submit ads (creative-generated media?), but it's damn close. I speak of the contest being put on by The Wall Street Journal asking people to enter ads to wsjcreativeleaders.com, as part of its relaunch of its creative leaders ad campaign. (You know—the print campaign, styled as a completely objective Q&A where creative leaders are treated like business royalty—the main goal being that their clients buy lots of space in the Journal?) The first ad features Alex Bogusky—and is featured on the back of today's Ad Age (but not Adweek). I checked out the site, where it says that the work will be judged "by a panel of former Creative [sic] leaders." In industry parlance, aren't those known as hacks? Let the sucking up begin.


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By Retail Week online team2004-05-07T12:09:59+01:00
In Retail Week April 23, page 34, we referred to Agora's shopping centre in Bolton as the Market Gates Shopping Centre. It is in fact the Market Place Centre.
2019-04-18T05:00:00ZPaid for post by Valitor
It is pretty clear that UK high streets in their current traditional form are dying.
The ongoing Extinction Rebellion climate change protests in London have cost the city’s retailers £12m over the last two days, according to the New West End Group.
JD Sports has posted a stellar set of full-year results as EBITDA rocketed more than £100m and sales sprinted ahead.
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Discover the timings and rules that govern your experience at McDonald’s, from order wait times to food freshness standards.
How long to wait before McDonald’s is free?
If the food isn’t ready in one minute or less, the customer will receive a lunch item for free on a future McDonald’s visit.
What is the 7 minute rule at McDonald’s?
According to their website: “Once our fries are cooked, we hold them for a maximum of seven minutes in our warming cabinets to keep them hot and fresh for you to enjoy. Since quality is at the heart of everything we do at McDonald’s, we don’t serve any fries that have been held longer than seven minutes. “
Why does McDonald’s have a time limit?
Such time limits have ruffled feathers in the past, but one McDonald’s manager in Wisconsin said in 2016 they’re necessary to keep panhandlers from loitering and prevent people from sleeping inside the restaurant.
How long does the average McDonald’s order take?
In 2019 the average McDonald’s drive-thru took six minutes and 18 seconds, but recently the company trimmed that to five minutes and 49 seconds in 2020, according to an annual report from market researcher SeeLevel HX.


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China's enormous market abounds with opportunities, and everyone wants a piece of it. As the world's No. 2 destination for foreign investment, China offers foreign investors — including those in plastics — a vast horizon for development.
But in the plastics machinery market, both Chinese and foreign-invested plants in China are more interested in opportunities outside China.
It seems to matter little whether they are spinoffs from former state-owned research agencies and factories, or private companies founded by key engineers trained in joint ventures, or family enterprises that started with very low-end products. The reality is they are emerging in the global market, as noted at recent international plastics trade shows.
During my recent trip to the Applas show in Beijing, I heard this same theme over and over: Selling at home is not as sweet as exporting, not just yet.
Two recycling equipment makers based in Zhangjiagang said they export solely to Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Cheng Haibin, general manager of Zhangjiagang Zhongsu Machinery Co. Ltd., said, “We don't want to sell in China. Recycling equipment is easy to copy. Then there will be an endless price drop. It's just a vicious circle.”
The PET bottle recycling lines and polyethylene/polypropylene film recycling lines Zhongsu makes can be found in catalogs of many firms that primarily make extruders and auxiliary equipment. But Zhangjiagang Yongshun Degradable Plastics and Rubber Machinery Co. Ltd. remains confident.
“Many come to ask for a price quote. They all want to get a bucket of gold from recycling, before the regulations become stricter,” sales manager Zhu Jun said.
Heated competition at the low end of the market is pushing the entire plastics industry in China, from materials to machinery to processors. All types of firms are struggling to make a profit.
The city of Ningbo houses more than 100 injection press makers, which make nearly 40,000 machines a year. While China still imports more than 12,000 presses annually, the low-end market suffers from overcapacity.
To move the machines out of warehouse, machine loans have become common. Once one supplier offers long-term payment options, processors all demand it.
“We used to like mainland customers the best, because they always brought cash to buy machines,” said Lin Fuquan, manager of Victor Taichung Machinery Works Co. Ltd. “Now it's all changed, sometimes even to zero down payment.”
Despite low-priced machines, some processors cannot compete. “Many small factories go bankrupt,” Lin said.
Zhu's firm, with annual sales of 2 million yuan ($253,000), does not have a global sales force. The four-person “overseas sales” staff relies on trading agencies for exports. “We are happy with this way. At least we always get the money, and the margin is not bad,” he said.
Even the Taiwanese, regarded as suppliers of midprice and high-end machines and claiming to do well without offering financing, are making efforts to expand exports, especially when the Chinese market shrank in late 2004 and the first half of 2005. “We have had to work hard on exports since 2004,” said Li Zhiquan of Union Plastic Machinery Co. Ltd. “We don't want to leave all eggs in one basket.”
For some, it is an issue of survival. For others, it is diversifying and risk management. Still others see it as simply a fatter margin.
As the leader, with more than half of the midprice and high-end market for compounding extruders, Coperion Keya (Nanjing) Machinery Co. Ltd. does not like the return in China. “Developing export is our focus,” Beijing manager Liu Hongtao said. “Why? Profit of an exported line is 10 times of that of a locally sold one. Why not? We can work less and make more money.”
The company plans to double export sales to 120 million yuan ($15 million) this year and grow to 220 million yuan ($28 million) in 2007. This year, exports will exceed 50 percent of total sales for the first time, and hit 70 percent next year.
“Certainly, the Chinese market has lots of potential,” Liu said.
What he means is, I think, that Chinese companies will seek higher profit elsewhere, while grabbing or retaining market share in China and waiting for that potential to be released.
Isn't that the strategy of many Westerners?
Great minds think alike.
Sun is an Akron-based staff reporter and Asia specialist for Plastics News.


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By the end of 2017, 2 years after starting, Bumble got accumulated significantly more than 22 million consumers. Accommodate Group come calling.
As indicated by a study from Forbes’ Clare O’Connor, fit Group granted $US450 million towards startup at some point around June 2017, but Bumble rejected the deal.
The talks reportedly carried on then: in December of this 12 months, both Forbes and TechCrunch reported that accommodate class was still trying to get Bumble at a $US1 billion price.
Yet the spurned acquire give was the beginning of a soured partnership between fit collection and Tinder. In 2018, the businesses sued one another, starting a heated authorized conflict that went on for upwards of a couple of years.
In March 2018, fit collection submitted a register infringement lawsuit against Bumble, accusing the startup of copying Tinder’s tech, specifically its concept together with the procedure for coordinating individuals. The match also declared that Gulzcynski and Mick took private info from Tinder.
2-3 weeks later on, Bumble submitted a $US400 million suit of its very own, accusing Tinder of replicating its fundamental feature that expected females to make the initial move, which complement party President Mandy Ginsberg had formerly claimed Tinder is about to propose.
Bumble claimed with the fit that complement collection used the purchase foretells poorly obtain proprietary information about they and utilized the claim in making Bumble check a great deal less popular with more potential customers.
The two companies reportedly tried using, unsuccessfully, to settle. In Sep of these season, Bumble launched it absolutely was having Match party to court and even get yourself ready for an initial public offering.
In Summer 2020, complement Crowd and Bumble launched people had decided all court between the two. Details of the arrangement weren’t revealed, but both enterprises said these were “pleased with all the friendly determination.”


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Car manufacturer says its wireless charging technology is close to completion and will be tested on five of its electric cars
The Kia Soul electric vehicle (EV) has been selected to trial an innovative wireless charging system in the US, the car manufacturer announced earlier this week. The South Korean auto giant says its...
Renewables developer to raise funds in support of waste to energy and marine energy expansion plans
Whitbread announces plans to add solar arrays to a further 70 hotels, as developer Anesco hails rooftop projects as 'still a viable option for businesses'
Manager of the seabed publishes new paper on how the next wave of offshore wind farm zones could be leased to developers
Take a leaf from Kipling's book and remember to ask the right questions about new plastic-free products, argues Bunzl's Joanna Gilroy


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Ecom Express raises Rs. 75.5 crore from PE firmTuesday, September 09, 2014 l Source: Livemint
Ecom Express Pvt. Ltd, an e-commerce logistics firm started by former executives of courier company Blue Dart, has raised Rs.75.5 crore from private equity firm Peepul Capital after more than six months of negotiations with various investors. Peepul Capital now owns a majority stake in Ecom Express and a deal is likely to be announced this week, two people familiar with the matter said.
Ecom Express may receive the money in tranches, the people said on condition of anonymity. Documents filed with the registrar of companies by Ecom Express confirmed that Chennai-based Peepul Capital invested Rs.75.5 crore. Ecom Express declined to comment. Chennai-based Peepul, which has investments in companies including Univercell, MedPlus and Komli, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Started in January 2013, Ecom Express delivers products to customers in more than 90 towns. It has over 150 distribution centres across the country and employs roughly 3,000 employees. The company is led by T.A. Krishnan, who helped start the e-commerce business at Blue Dart, one of India’s largest logistics firms.
Ecom Express and rival e-commerce logistics firm Delhivery help sites such as Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon deliver products to customers, particularly in far-flung towns that are too expensive for e-commerce firms to reach. Though some sites such as Flipkart have their own logistics arms, most e-commerce firms use logistics companies to get products to customers as deliveries require huge capital investments.
Even Flipkart works with logistics companies to deliver products to some customers. The new round of funds received by Ecom Express follows that of Delhivery, which said on Monday that it raised $35 million (around Rs.210 crore) from investors led by private equity firm Multiples Alternate Asset Management. Delhivery’s older investors Nexus Venture Partners and Times Internet Ltd also put money in the firm in the round. Specialty e-commerce logistics companies are starting to face competition from traditional logistics firms such as Deutsche Post DHL (DHL) and DTDC.
DHL, owner of Blue Dart, said on 26 August that it was investing €100 million over two years in building infrastructure and warehouses, as well as options for delivery and payment, to cater to e-commerce companies. Logistics suppliers are expected to benefit significantly from the rising popularity of e-commerce sites, which are eagerly trying to tap shoppers in smaller towns and cities to increase their user base.
Online retail is valued at $3.1 billion and estimated to grow to $22 billion in five years, according to a November report by brokerage CLSA. “Delivery is one of the most important components of e-commerce and if the logistics firms do a good job of maintaining good quality customer experience, they will benefit greatly in the coming years,” said Gaurav Gupta, senior director, retail, at Deloitte, a consultancy. “As e-commerce firms expand, both in cities and towns, they will need logistics firms to support them.”


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Sainsbury’s marketing is failing to connect with consumers if the latest brand tracking data is anything to go by.
Growing brand capability in and knowledge of digital marketing, as well as an increasingly technology-driven market, is putting digital agencies under increasing scrutiny, according to a new report.
Lidl is calling on consumers to abandon popular FMCG brands, such as Cathedral City, Ocean Spray and Monster Munch, for its ‘better quality’ own-label goods as marketing director Arnd Pickhardt calls out rivals’ marketing for a lack of differentiation.
Those questioning the updates to Heinz’s slogan and the British Rail logo miss the salience the brands will gain – but there are rules for playing with brand codes effectively.
The advertising watchdog is taking a stronger position against brands that make misleading claims about their environmental impact and has promised to “go further” to tackle the issue.
Feeling nervous is a good thing as it means marketers are striving to do their best work, while still having the confidence of their convictions, says Marks & Spencer Food marketing director Sharry Cramond.
From signing record deals to heading up marketing at global brands like Coke, Nike and Patagonia, Joy Howard has traded in the corporate world for her own company and the life of a CEO.


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Standard Life has been fined £30.8m by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) over failures in selling non-advised annuities.
The UK's financial watchdog said that Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group Holdings Plc, offered employees "large financial incentives to sell annuities, which encouraged them to place their own financial interests ahead of their customers." The company failed to monitor the quality of calls between sales people and clients to correct abuses.
During the period of misconduct, between July 2008 and May 2016, nearly 22% of call handlers received more than 100% of their basic salary in bonus payments.
Standard Life Assurance controls needed to place fairness to customers at their heart"
The regulator said SLA failed to provide some customers with appropriate information about enhanced annuities, including the option to shop around for a better deal.
"Standard Life Assurance controls needed to place fairness to customers at their heart," Mark Steward, the FCA's executive director of enforcement and market oversight, said Tuesday in a statement. "The financial incentives available to staff for selling non-advised annuities by telephone created conflicts which led to unfair outcomes for some customers."
SLA was formerly part of the Standard Life Aberdeen group of companies but was sold to Phoenix Group in August 2018. The past business review is ongoing under the ownership of the Phoenix Group and the firm expects to complete the review by the end of 2019.
In 2017, SLA voluntarily agreed to conduct a past business review to identify and pay redress to those customers who were likely to have suffered, or did suffer, loss as a result of its failures. As of the 31st of May 2019, SLA had paid approximately £25.3m to 15,302 customers.
An annuity is a retirement income product that can be bought with some, or all of a customer's pension pot. It pays a regular income either for life or for a set period.


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New world record for Italian GH players
A brand new world record linked to Guitar Hero 5 has been set in Italy after hundreds of players joined a mammoth 24 hour session.
The record was part of a jump in, jump out challenge, where 594 people turned up to take part in the attempt.
A range of age groups took part in said challenge, with no pauses to switch difficulty at any time during the epic play through on GH5's Party Play mode.
"I'm thrilled to see this many fans come together en masse to rock out to Guitar Hero 5." beamed Michael Sportouch Guitar Hero Europe senior director.
"Achieving this new world record is the perfect celebration for the release of the new installment of Guitar Hero, which promises consumers the ultimate interactive gaming experience."
More record breaking as we get it.
- FIFA 16 will throw women's teams into the mix
- New The Elder Scrolls Online trailer shows off the expansive world of Tamriel
- Batman: Arkham Knight gets a new 7-minute gameplay trailer
- Wildstar to go free-to-play later this year
- AMD highlights the benefits DirectX 12 will offer their users
- It could be 2 years before CD Projekt RED talks about Cyberpunk 2077 again
- PS4 remaster of Darksiders II appears on Amazon
- Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes comes to PS Plus next month
- Wii U version of Project CARS may not be released


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Data released by Companies House shows there were fewer new businesses started in 2017 than the previous year. However, research shows that this hasn’t affected technology firms – in fact the number of new tech start-ups increased by 60% last year. To put it another way, a staggering 10,016 programming and software development businesses were launched in the UK in 2017.
Of course, an organisation is only as good as its people so when it comes to digital recruitment, which roles should these businesses be aiming to fulfil? Within the tech sphere certain job roles are seeing a huge increase in popularity, including that of the relatively new Chief Revenue Officer. The CRO’s main function is to combine marketing and sales; no longer is marketing purely about brand awareness, it’s now also about driving profit.
Balancing Marketing and Revenue
A CRO may come from a sales background but they will also be expected to excel in areas such as scaling and developing the business, engaging customers, account management, and marketing. However, finding a talented Chief Revenue Officer can be tricky and if you’re thinking of hiring one you need to ensure you recruit someone who understands the very core of your organisation, particularly in relation to growth.
Today another important role within many businesses is that of Front End Developer. This is due to factors such as the need to become digitalised and combat the growing threat of cyber attacks. As more companies automate and staff use multiple digital devices to conduct their work, businesses are increasingly vulnerable to risks. Risks such as data theft, phishing and viruses. Risks that can have a severe impact on operations and reputation.
But what effect does digital transformation have on more established businesses? Are these organisations seeing an increase in new roles? It’s likely, as digital transformation and cloud migration are both areas in which older companies are beginning to adapt, realising that the cloud offers more security and convenience and digital transformation is a must in order to remain relevant in this rapidly shifting environment.
To back up this theory, The European Commission recently published a study showing that digital skills are a necessity in all workplaces, even those not traditionally seen as ‘technological’. These days, whether your industry is construction, healthcare, manufacture or farming, technology will play a part in your operations. Indeed basic tech skills are normally a requirement for businesses of all sizes and across all sectors. According to the report, 38% of workplaces stated a lack of digital skills had a negative impact on performance with a loss of productivity and customers being two of the main issues.
So how should you ensure your business is future proof? By implementing a digital recruitment plan and recruiting skilled individuals. But thanks to the skills gap and high demand for developers and CROs you first need to demonstrate that you’re a truly great company to work for. Industry experts also advise collaborating with a recruitment consultant to ensure that the person you hire is adaptable enough to change with the constantly shifting dynamic of today’s technologically advanced workplace.


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Top Utah-based search engine optimization firm will optimize website, increase online visibility for innovative global software testing company.
(PRUnderground) November 15th, 2020
SEO National works with top companies to improve their online presence. In contrast to industry trends, the firm prides itself on building long-term relationships and generating lasting results for each customer. In keeping with this philosophy, they are looking forward to a successful, ongoing relationship with their newest client: Functionize.
San Francisco-based company, Functionize, is an up-and-coming startup with global reach. They specialize in testing computer software in new and improved ways. Harnessing machine learning and AI technology, they can reduce the cost and time required to find and fix the bugs in the code. By expediting this process, companies can get their product to market sooner and with fewer problems.
Deciding to take on a new client is not a decision that SEO National President Damon Burton takes lightly. “We recognize the time and commitment Functionize has put into growing their company,” said Burton. “We are honored by the trust that they are putting in us to help them further their expansion.”
SEO National works with clients to increase sales by driving organic search traffic to their sites through major search engines such as Bing, Yahoo, and Google. Increasing the number of unique and relevant visitors eliminates the need for advertising. Over the past 13 years, they have proven their business methods successful time after time, starting with their own company. SEO National has never had to advertise their services and doesn’t plan to in the future. Search engine optimization, done right, is the key to their success.
“Navigating the internet and having your website discovered by the major search engines is a challenging hurdle for many startup companies. Functionize has a lot to offer to the world in their unique niche, and we are excited to use our expertise in search engine optimization to help Functionize get found online,” said Burton.
SEO National believes that there are better ways to grow an online business than paying for expensive advertising that brings fleeting results. In his recent book, “Outrank: Your Guide to Making More Online by Showing up Higher on Search Engines and Outranking your Competition,” he provides a step by step guide to acquiring unique customers through search engine optimization. Burton and his methods have been featured in BuzzFeed, USA Weekly, and Entrepreneur.
To find out more about SEO National and how the firm works with companies like Functionize to expand their online customer base without advertising, call 1-855-SEO-NATL (1-855-736-6285) or go to www.SEOnational.com.
About SEO National
SEO National is a search engine optimization company north of Salt Lake City, Utah. This SEO company offers affordable, effective search engine optimization with a refreshingly personal approach to communicating with their online marketing customers.
The post SEO National to Accelerate Search Engine Rankings for Software Testing Company, Functionize first appeared on PRUnderground.Press Contact
Original Press Release.


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InterContinental Hanoi Westlake.
Four-star hotels experienced a similar trend, seeing their rates climb 1% to US$75.2 last year. The revenue per available room continued to go up in both star categories, with a 7.6% rise at four-star hotels and a 10.2% rise in five-star hotels. The revenue per available room growth last year is lower than that of 2016 at four-star hotels, while much higher in the five-star category.
The survey also found that holidaymakers and visitors travelling in a group accounted for 60% of guests at luxury hotels. Those on business trips slight rose by 0.5%. Travel agencies and tour operators remained the largest booking channel for four-star and five-star hotels, making up 33% of the booking market share.
The hotel industry, following the increase in number of guest, is receiving massive amount of investments.
In 2017, there were 79 new upscale (three-five star) hotels brought into operation, 10 of which are five-star, with a total of 101,400 rooms, an increase of 10% over the previous year, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
AirBnB, an emerging player in the hospitality scene, is also growing in number of listing, with over 16,000 listing in and around two key cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam is rapidly growing as a top tourism destination among SEA countries. The country is the 6th fastest growing country in the world as a tourist destination, and the fastest in Asia, according to a report by the World Tourism Organization.
The number of foreign tourists to Vietnam in the first six months of 2018 surged 27.2% year-on-year to 7.89 million, according to the General Statistics Office.
Arrivals by air, road, and sea in the reviewed period recorded annual increases of 22.2%, 63.7% and 1.7%, respectively while growth was also seen in the numbers of visitors from all five continents.
The results were attributed to efforts taken by the tourism sector, especially efforts to promote Vietnam’s tourism abroad. Most recently, a tourism promotion program was organized in the four European countries of Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic from June 19 to 28.


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Following its successful disruption of the mobile market in India with low-cost devices, Reliance Retail is set to make its next big move. The Mukesh Ambani-led retail behemoth is launching a $200 laptop known as JioBook. This move aims to once again shake the tech industry as the company broadens its reach into the electronics sector.
The JioBook, a 4G-enabled laptop, is priced at a reasonable 16,499 rupees, approximately $200.63. The laptop will be up for grabs from August 5, via the company’s physical retail outlets as well as their online platform, Reliance Digital.
Operating on JioOS, an operating system derived from Google’s Android OS, the JioBook offers a friendly user experience. Adding to its allure, the laptop comes with pre-installed JioTV and JioCloudGames apps, further enhancing its appeal to entertainment and gaming enthusiasts, as revealed in a recent company statement.
The news of JioBook’s local production was first reported by Reuters last October, identifying Flex as the contract manufacturer. This localization aspect bolsters the company’s commitment to domestic innovation and market disruption.
Reliance Retail, under Ambani’s guidance, has earned a reputation for turning industries on their heads with competitive price offerings. The company’s wireless venture, Jio Infocomm, previously disrupted the Indian mobile market by launching affordable internet plans in 2016. As they pivot to the laptop market with the JioBook, the tech industry is eagerly watching for the ripple effects this launch could cause.
This story is based on an article from thestar.com.my.


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There is no doubt about the advances that have been made in recent times in mobile photography, achieving better and better results, and that those interested can also apply to their video call sessions thanks to solutions such as Camo.
In this sense, Camo appeared last year on iOS so that users can take advantage of their mobile devices as a high quality webcam in their desktop video call sessions, taking advantage of the fact that mobility restrictions due to the pandemic have encouraged the use of video calls in corporate environments, but also in more personal settings.
Now, Camo is also coming to the Android platform, although it is currently available in beta phase, offering all its functions, including Pro functions, free of charge to all users who install the application on their mobile devices.
In this way, users who do not yet have a decent webcam, or none at all, now have another alternative for making video calls with the best possible quality.
Camo takes advantage of the use of the main rear camera of mobile phones as a very high quality webcam for video call sessions, and is compatible with the main existing business collaboration platforms.smartphones
And although users will not be able to see the content of their mobile screen, having to find a way to fix their mobiles in a specific position, they will be able to make the necessary adjustments through the complementary desktop application that Camo has for Windows and macOS platforms.
In this sense, Camo comes with functions such as crop, focus, zoom or panorama, although it also comes with brightness, resolution and saturation adjustments, as well as allowing the use of custom watermarks.
By the way, to use Camo you need an Android device with at least version 7.0 or higher.
It will be a matter of users evaluating the possibility of using their mobiles as a webcam or opting to buy specific webcams, although as we know, in the last year, the different manufacturers of reflex cameras have also been launching kits to convert them into webcams, as we saw in the case of Canon.
There are solutions for all tastes and needs, and smartphones have become such a basic part of our lives that they can be the most useful solution at any given moment.


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Ford's Mulally on a roll
- Patti Payne
With Ford Motor Co.’s recently announced third-quarter results — $1.7 billion in net income, which translates to the automotive giant’s sixth straight profitable quarter — you may have noticed an increase in the number of Ford’s signature blue oval nameplates on the road.
“Ford sales are tremendous,” says Eric Cin, Ford regional manager. In the greater Seattle area, from Auburn to the Eastside to Lynnwood, total car and truck sales are up 7 percent up over last year at this time, according to Cin . He credits the growth to sales of the Ford Fusion, F-series pickup trucks and the launch of the Ford Fiesta, calling them “key movers.”
The numbers are even bigger in Cin’s five-state area of responsibility, which includes Washington, Alaska, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. In that Northwest region, sales are up 15 percent for cars, and 9 percent for trucks, from September 2009 to September 2010.
“In business, we measure by tenths of a percent, let alone a full percentage point,” says Cin. “ That’s why these numbers are significant for us.”
These upbeat figures make the Northwest one of the five regions where Ford has seen the most improvement in market share in the country. The other four areas experiencing top market share growth are Denver, Memphis, Cincinnati and Chicago.
Overall, Ford sales are up 17 percent for the nation, compared to the entire automotive industry, which is up about 2.4 percent, Cin says.
In the Northwest, the entire industry is down about 1.4 percent .
“We are significantly outperforming the market,” Cin says.
And what’s the No. 1 selling vehicle in the Northwest industrywide? “It is the Ford F-150 pickup truck,” he says, “based on August’s Polk registrations.” (Polk is a company that tracks all the sales and registration data for automotive industry.)
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Alcohol ban remains in place for the foreseeable future. South Africans who fear job losses already become frustrated, as do restaurant owners and home consumers. With a relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions in some areas, people hoped for good news about alcohol. But, it never came. Even a suggestion that the government relaxes the sales for wine and beer got rejected. For Minister Dlamini-Zuma, it seems there’s no differences between drinking beer and wine, or spirits.
Alcohol ban – alcohol is alcohol Dlamini-Zuma
Businesstech reported that Minister Dhlamini-Zuma rejects the idea of allowing the sale of wine and spirits. The news came via her response to the court regarding the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai). The outlet cited De Burger. They noted that she indicated, “alcohol is defined in the Liquor Act as wine, beer, and any other alcoholic product.” Plus, they can’t confirm that wine or lesser alcoholic spirits cause fewer “trauma” cases in hospitals.
At the same time, she indicated the alcohol ban gets reversed sometime in the future. The minister said, “There is no desire on the part of the government to leave this prohibition in place for longer than it is regarded necessary,” She claims the government’s well aware of the hardships that the ban brings to the employment sector. But, said that’s the reason why wine producers may still “transport” for “export” purposes.
Are spirits more likely to make people drunk?
Actually, people may wonder why the alcohol ban remains for wines and beer, as they come with lower alcohol content. But, it depends on how people consume it. Most people dilute spirits with a mixer. That brings it down to about the same alcohol content as a standard serving of wine or beer. The problem with spirits comes when people drink it undiluted or mixed with other alcoholic drinks.
As The Conversation points out, “Spirits have a higher concentration of alcohol (40%) than beer (5%) or wine (12%) and are often downed quickly, either in shots or with a sweet mixer. This rapidly increases blood alcohol concentration, and therefore alcohol’s effects, including changes in mood.” So, it’s not clear how the Minster reached her conclusion that all alcohol is much the same.
Suffice to say that for now, all the appeals seem to come to nothing. People can only wring their hands and cry out in frustration, seemingly until the NCC decides to let people drink again…sometime.
Remember to check back with SANs Newsfeed often for more news about Africa.


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Asian Debt Piles Up, and Up
WSJ's Ken Brown discusses how Asia's rising debt levels may affect its economic growth. Photo: Bloomberg
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... today's global debt stands at almost two hundred trillion dollar ... that's forty percent more than when the financial crisis began in two thousand and seven ... there's a lot to worry out there right now ... about how debt can affect economic growth ... some of the growth seen in the past two years is fueled by debt ... but people companies and governments can't keep barring forever ... that is good when it use to sell investments like building a subway in a traffic choked city like Jakarta ... but it becomes a problem when it's used to investing and productive projects like factories or infrastructure like roads and buildings that are not needed ... to Hobart all this money ... the biggest bar are by far with China ... instead quadrupled since the start of the financial crisis ... he noted it in China ... has grown from seven point four trillion dollars in two thousandseven two over twenty eight trillion dollars in twenty fourteen ... of course the economy grew a lot too but dad grew far faster ... everyday grew just a bit rising by thirteen percentage points ... Chinese household took on eighteen percentage points more debt ... and to the financial crisis financial institutions barring jumped forty one percentage points ... but corporate barring more than double up fifty three percentage points ... Chinese state-owned companies Bart billions to help stimulate the economy ... much of the money went into unproductive investments property companies also barred to ride the real estate ... and the Fed's current shadow banking system funded business is that the banks when land to ... almost fifty percent of global barring since two thousand and seven has gone into emerging markets ... in Asia that means countries like Thailand Malaysia and China ... but developed economies of our two ... we see this in Australia Japan and South Korea ... where has all the money come from ... emerging markets it's increasingly foreign investors making loans in search of Betty all ... the way things get dicey ... there the first ones to police and that can de stabilize economies ... a lot of the borrowing was done by companies and individuals rather than governments ... most governments are in solid financial shape so they can help prevent the financial crisis ... but the bad news is household debt levels are high especially in countries like Malaysia ... Thailand and Australia where people have been borrowing to finance homes and consumer goods ... one factor is rising house prices which are closely correlated to household debt levels and trends in the global economy aren't helping ... the surging dollar and a fall in the price of commodities like oil and coal ... has dealt a double blow to Asia's commodity producing countries ... cracks are showing economies like Malaysia ... Asia's only oil exporter ... where household that is the hundred forty six percent of personal income ... there's an increased risk borrowers will be able to pay back their loans ... and falling energy prices could hurt grow ... more than half of the dollar denominated borrowing ... over the past decade has been high commodity companies ... many of which had been betting that Chinese demand would remain high ... so with these heavy debt loads could we be on the verge of another financial crisis ... probably not but expect to see some bankruptcies ... the main risk is growth there's a lot evidence the country's growing more slowly after injected each ... that can lead to more defaults rising unemployment and falling property prices ...


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CNET reports from the Detroit Auto Show 2014.
If we gave 'most improved' awards at these car shows, I'd be slapping one on this Chrysler's hood right now.
Pricing not available
Space Monkey's alternative cloud service is cheaper and offers more than its competitors, but you need to invest time and effort to set it up.
General Motors' Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant has received an Energy Star certification for energy efficiency.
Tesla and Panasonic may hook up on a US battery plant with a total investment close to $1 billion, according to a Japan-based report.
General Motors announced it will invest $61 million and create 685 jobs for flexible operation at the Spring Hill assembly plant.
Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant will produce the new Ford Focus, and, later this year, the Focus Electric.
The first test aircraft of Airbus' answer to the Boeing 787 began construction in France.
A new 802.11ac Wi-Fi router comes in a wooden box and includes a screwdriver and antistatic gloves to help customers put it together -- and perhaps to feel more attached to the product.
The aviation giant offers updates about the progress of its highly anticipated and oft-delayed long-haul airliner, during a media briefing in Everett, Wash. Members of the media also got to visit the production line for the new plane.
The newest member of the Dreamliner family will be longer than its predecessor and is expected to be delivered in early 2014.


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Dairy operator's boss milks the patriotism card for all it's worth
Dairy farmers co-operative Murray Goulburn has wrapped an eleventh-hour takeover offer for Warrnambool Cheese & Butter in the Australian flag, in an attempt to sidestep potential competition issues and win the hearts, minds and wallets of shareholders.
It has made a significant counter-offer in cash of $7.50 a share to Warrnambool shareholders to satisfy the commercial hardheads. It has also pulled out the public/national interest card to win over the farmers and rural community as well as avoid a rejection from the competition regulator, something it tried in 2010 but withdrew before a likely knock back from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and a hostile board.
This time around, it has decided to exploit legislative changes made in 2007, which created a merger carve-out in the ACCC for mergers that might otherwise be prohibited under Part IV of the act. A company can now take the "authorisation route", which enables it to go straight to the Australian Competition Tribunal, which allows the parties to argue that the merger has substantial public benefits even if it lessens competition.
The takeover offer will make an interesting test case as it is the first time the tribunal has been called on to authorise a merger on public interest grounds. Using this option leaves the ACCC on the sidelines, playing a minor role in the decision-making. Instead it will provide a report to the tribunal, giving its views on the merger proposal and where it sees the benefits. But at the end of the day, it will be up to the tribunal, not the ACCC, to decide.
Until 2007, applications for authorisation were made directly to the ACCC. Its last case was in 2005, when two hospitals in Launceston applied to merge. The regulator approved the merger on public interest grounds.
It explains why jingoism will be an important weapon in the $420 million cash takeover bid for a company that was on the verge of falling to Canada's Saputo at $7 a share, after the Warrnambool board rejected a cash and scrip offer from Bega Cheese earlier this week.
Murray Goulburn boss Gary Helou didn't hold back at a media briefing after lobbing a bid: "Our sector is overcrowded, sub-standard and largely foreign owned and [they] ... are not doing the job for Australia. Unless we arrest this, we will become a net importer in 15 years."
Strong words that will resonate with dairy farmers in Australia who have been doing it tough in the past few years and have been frustrated by how well their New Zealand cousins have been faring, and the relatively untapped opportunities in Asia.
What Helou will be arguing is that if Murray Goulburn is successful, it will be the farmers taking back the power. As a co-operative, if they successfully merge with the cheese and butter group, the profits will be used to pay higher farm gate prices for milk. This will help the farmers reduce debts and reinvest in the community. If it goes to the Canadians or Bega, it will result in lower milk prices and the profits will be distributed to shareholders who don't necessarily have a direct connection to the rural sector or the farms.
It is a powerful public interest argument that will be used to convince the tribunal to give the merger the all-clear.
Whatever the case, the move by Murray Goulburn to enter the fray with a $7.50 a share cash offer (higher than the figure Warrnambool's independent experts valued the company at) puts its shareholders in a win-win position because it holds a little more than 17 per cent of Warrnambool. If its offer is approved, the merged entity will become a top-20 dairy company globally, and if it is rejected but triggers a counter-offer, it will gain a windfall on what was looking like a done deal for Saputo as late as Thursday.
But there is a bigger picture at play than just money, and that is what Murray Goulburn will be drawing on. Put simply, the Warrnambool share registry is held by up to 40 per cent of dairy farmers and another block of shares is held by former suppliers who still live in rural areas and have a strong aversion to foreign companies buying up Australian land, or food and agricultural companies.
The nationalism card has already been raised in the foreign takeover bid for grain handling operator GrainCorp, with the Nationals and farmers vehemently opposing the offer. It is now in the hands of the Foreign Investment Review Board.
With so much land and Australian agricultural businesses being sold to foreigners, including Australian wheat board AWB, Dairy Farmers, National Foods and others, there is a growing concern the nation could have done more with the mining boom and now it is throwing the soft commodities boom away by selling to foreigners.
Southern Highland News recently reported Indonesia planned to buy 1 million hectares of Australian farmland to raise cattle for its market, to address record high beef prices. It went on to say "more than 11 per cent of the sheep, beef, cattle and grain farming industries reported some level of foreign ownership - totalling about 44 million hectares". Austrade figures support this data, showing the Northern Territory has the highest level of foreign land ownership at 23.8 per cent.
Indeed, Nationals senator John Williams said on Friday if an Australian company such as Murray Goulburn wanted to buy Warrnambool and was offering more than a foreign company, there should be no issues. A generous offer price and nationalistic arguments make powerful bedfellows.