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BidaskClub Downgrades Express, Inc. (EXPR) to Strong Sell
Express, Inc. (NYSE:EXPR) was downgraded by BidaskClub from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report released on Thursday.
Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. SunTrust Banks, Inc. reissued a “hold” rating and set a $6.00 price target on shares of Express in a report on Monday, October 2nd. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Express from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 15th. FBR & Co reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $7.00 target price on shares of Express in a report on Friday, September 29th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $7.00 target price on shares of Express in a report on Wednesday, September 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Express from $7.50 to $10.50 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $8.25.
Express (NYSE EXPR) traded up 0.34% during trading on Thursday, hitting $5.90. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,888,878 shares. The company has a 50-day moving average of $6.57 and a 200 day moving average of $7.05. Express has a one year low of $5.28 and a one year high of $14.39. The firm has a market cap of $464.93 million, a PE ratio of 25.65 and a beta of 1.47.
Express (NYSE:EXPR) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 23rd. The company reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.01) by $0.02. Express had a net margin of 0.85% and a return on equity of 4.25%. The business had revenue of $478.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $474.11 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.13 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Express will post $0.43 earnings per share for the current year.
Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlueCrest Capital Management Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Express in the first quarter valued at approximately $131,000. Karp Capital Management Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Express in the first quarter valued at approximately $132,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its position in shares of Express by 77.6% in the second quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 15,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 6,711 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its position in shares of Express by 21.1% in the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 16,017 shares of the company’s stock valued at $146,000 after purchasing an additional 2,795 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Piedmont Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Express in the second quarter valued at approximately $114,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.23% of the company’s stock.
Express, Inc is a specialty apparel and accessories retailer offering both women’s and men’s merchandise. The Company targets women and men between 20 and 30 years old. It offers an assortment of fashionable apparel and accessories to address fashion needs across multiple aspects of lifestyles, including work, casual, jeanswear and going-out occasions.
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April 9: The entry of trucks and lorries carrying imported goods at the Birgunj Customs Point has reduced significantly due to the ongoing lockdown.
Previously, Birgunj Customs Point used to record entry of around 700 trucks and lorries each day on an average but the number of such vehicles entering the country has now reduced to 50 per day.
Lockdown both in Nepal and India has affected the flow of goods. Due to the growing fear of coronavirus infection, customs staff are not able to work freely in both the countries.
Ramesh Sukmani, senior officer of Birgunj Customs Office, informed New Business Age that the border point in Birgunj used to record entry of 700 trucks regularly in normal days but the number now has reduced to 50 trucks only.
The importers are not able to clear their goods arriving from the customs point. Customs officials informed that the agents of the importers refuse to come to the customs office to clear their goods due to the fear of coronavirus.
At present, more than 300 trucks with imported goods and 800 new vehicles have been stranded at Inaruwa and Integrated Check Post in Birgunj, Sukmani informed.
The import of medicines also has been reduced by 50 percent.
Importers are facing difficulties bringing in necessary items including medicines, foodstuff and petroleum despite the government’s commitment to ensure smooth supply of these items.
A total of 429,940 kgs of medicines and raw materials for making medicines have been imported through the Birgunj border point in the last 15 days of the lockdown. Out of them, 182,000 kgs are readymade medicines. The import is half the amount of medicines imported in normal days, Sukamani added.

domain: news


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Innovative and fast-growing online slots maker Wazdan has added a new client to its ever-growing network of operator partners.
The company announced Monday morning that it has teamed up with online gambling group Odin Services to launch its portfolio of games with its new partner’s three online casino brands.
The operator is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority and runs the Nordics-focused Loistokasino, Fun88eu, and StarSpinners operations.
Odin Services was formed in 2017 by a team of iGaming veterans with a shared belief that gaming should be, above all, about fun. The operator’s recently penned deal with Wazdan has provided its three online casinos with access to the slots creator’s entire Hold the Jackpot collection of games. The brands will also be able to add the studio’s future releases, including upcoming new title Power of Gods: Hades.
Wazdan has also supplied its new partner with its Unique Features, which are all designed to provide players with a unique level of customization and control over their gaming experience.
News about the supplier’s content delivery alliance with Odin Services emerge as it continues to expand in multiple regulated markets across Europe and the Americas.
Concerted Effort for Partnerships with Innovative Brands
Of their latest important partnership, Wazdan Head of Business Development for Europe and North America Bekki D’Agata said that there has been “a concerted effort” to team up with exciting and innovative iGaming operators and that they are very pleased to be partnering with Odin Services and see their top-performing titles go live across the other company’s three brands.
She went on to note that “with a great casino product offering and constantly looking for new innovations, Odin Services is an operator that matches our ambition” and that they look forward to working closely with the Nordics-focused operator.
Odin Services Head of Casino Daphne Xerri said that they are delighted to partner with a “leading supplier of exciting games and innovative mechanics” that has cemented its position in the online gaming space, and that Wazdan has so much to offer “from engaging classic slots to the cutting-edge Hold the Jackpot hits” and they are happy to put the studio’s products in front of their customers.
News about Wazdan’s partnership with Odin Services emerge days after the content maker and provider announced that it has received a license from the Hellenic Gaming Commission to offer its products in Greece’s recently reorganized market.
It was also not long ago when the studio announced that it has debuted a selection of its titles in Belarus’ regulated iGaming space.


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Ventech Solutions Founder & President Appears in Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal readers across the country had an opportunity to learn about the benefits of living and working in Ohio based on the experiences of Ventech Solutions’ Founder and President Ravi Kunduru and his family, who were featured in an ad sponsored by the State of Ohio.
“Hands down, Ohio offers the best balance of business climate and quality of life for an entrepreneur building a successful company,” Kunduru said. “I am personally committed to the goal of making central Ohio the ‘Silicon Valley’ of the Midwest.”
In being chosen for the ad campaign, Ventech Solutions joined the ranks of household names such as The Proctor & Gamble Company, Skybus, Grange Insurance, The Dispatch Printing Company and Huntington National Bank, whose executives appeared in previous ads. “It was truly an honor for Ventech Solutions to be singled out for this recognition,” Kunduru said. “We are extremely grateful to our family of employees, customers and colleagues for driving the success that made this honor possible.”


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Future group promoters and holding companies approach the SC against Amazon
Future group promoters, including Kishore Biyani and several group holding companies, have approached the Supreme Court against an order passed by the Delhi High Court directing to enforce the order of the Singapore-based Emergency Arbitrator.
Kishore Biyani, Rakesh Biyani and other family members of the Biyani family along with the holding companies Future Coupons, Future Corporate Resources, Akar Estate and Finance has filed SLP against Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings LLC before the Supreme Court, said a regulatory filing by a group firm Future Retail Ltd.
They have requested to set aside the orders passed by the Delhi High Court in execution proceedings for enforcing the order passed by the Emergency Arbitrator (EA) on October 25, 2020, it added.
Passing an interim order, the EA of Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) had on October 25 last year restrained the Future group from going ahead with its Rs 24,731 crore deal with Reliance Industries to sell its retail and wholesale business, and the logistics and warehousing business.
Amazon, which has 49 per cent stake in one of Future’s unlisted firms, Future Coupons Ltd had approached SIAC.
“We would like to inform that as per information received from promoters of the Company comprising of Future Coupons, Future Corporate Resources, Akar Estate and Finance, Kishore Biyani, Rakesh Biyani and other family members of the Biyani family… have lodged a Special Leave Petition against Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings LLC before Supreme Court of India to challenge and set aside the orders passed by the Delhi High Court in execution proceedings for enforcing the Interim Order dated October 25, 2020, of the Emergency Arbitrator,” the filing said.
These proceedings are likely to be listed and heard by the Supreme Court, it added.
“We shall keep you informed about the further update in the matter,” said Future Retail.
In August last year, Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) had said it would acquire the retail and wholesale business, and the logistics and warehousing business of Future Group for Rs 24,713 crore. The scheme of arrangement entails the consolidation of Future Group’s retail and wholesale assets into one entity Future Enterprises Ltd and then transferring it to Reliance Retail.
The deal has been contested by Amazon, an investor in Future Coupons that in turn is a shareholder in Future Retail Ltd.
The apex court had on August 6 upheld Amazon’s plea. It had ruled in favour of Amazon and held that an award of an EA of a foreign country is enforceable under the Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Melissa Walsh Innes, Deputy Director, Recycling Reinvented
Recycling Reinvented has recently completed a cost-benefit analysis study to provide stakeholders with a data-driven, fact-based appraisal of the potential benefits and costs of a uniquely American Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) recovery system for household packaging and printed paper (PPP).
This SWANA Webinar will present the results of this study, including:
How the model program was designed and reviewed
What best practices were included (and which ones were not)
What recycling results are possible
How much will it cost, and
What about stranded assets?
The main conclusion of the study is that the modeled EPR system in Minnesota could increase substantially the recycling of consumer packaging and paper at about the same cost to consumers that they are paying now.
This suggests that a market-based producer responsibility model could help raise our nation's recycling rates of consumer packaging by improving collection of household recyclables while also addressing the private sector's growing demand for post-consumer raw material for manufacturing.


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The Victorian Government announced a $6 million Streetlife program yesterday to give "targeted assistance to retailers", providing a stark contrast to the lack of funding offered by Federal Government and other states and territories for the struggling sector. This is surely a welcome relief to any Retailer finding the current economic climate a little challenging. Click here to read more.
Looking to fast track your growth with a smarter Retail POS System? Contact the Retail Express team today on 1300 732 618.


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Amazon’s plan to buy grocery chain Whole Foods for $13.7bn (£10.7bn) cleared an initial hurdle on Wednesday, as shareholders of the supermarket voted in favour of the deal.
Shareholder approval had been expected for the bid, which some have called a game-changer for the US grocery sector.
The merger would combine Whole Foods’ store network with Amazon’s delivery expertise.
The US Federal Trade Commission also cleared the deal on Wednesday.
The FTC said it had considered whether the takeover would substantially lessen competition and decided not to investigate further.
Whole Foods approached the e-commerce giant about a merger this spring, as it grappled with falling sales and pressure from investors such as Jana Partners to improve performance.
Amazon initially offered $41 per share, eventually settling on $42. The $13.7bn value includes Whole Foods’ debt.
The pressure from Jana led six other companies to express interest in a partnership.
But Whole Foods chief executive John Mackey, who plans to stay on, told employees in June that with Amazon – which has deep pockets and a history of putting long-term growth ahead of quarterly profits – it was “love at first sight”.
Whole Foods has said it expects the deal to close by the end of the year.
The deal allows Amazon to leap into the food industry, an area that it has been experimenting with for years.
It also gives the e-commerce firm an instant bricks-and-mortar network with Whole Foods’ 470 stores in the US, Canada and the UK.
That matters because customers still prefer to shop in person, said Miriam Burt, a retail analyst at Gartner.
“For almost all categories of products besides books, music and videos, our research is telling us that customers still prefer to go into the store and interact with the products,” she said.
Ms Burt predicted that most grocery stores would eventually develop a hybrid model of online ordering and in-store pick-up.
Walmart, one of the biggest food retailers in the US, said it was moving in that direction on Wednesday, as it said its products would be available via the voice-activated Google Assistant.
“Each of the major grocery retailers will get to a point where they suggest a use case where you’re driving home from work, you order your groceries online and then you pick it up from your local store. It’s about making the customers’ lives easier,” Ms Burt said.
Source: BBC News


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Britain’s Royal Mail is issuing a series of seven stamps depicting the covers of the best-selling “Harry Potter” books just before the final volume goes on sale.
Millions of the stamps will be issued on July 17 as part of the post office’s tradition of celebrating “social themes and important occasions central to our way of life,” said Julietta Edgar, who is in charge of special stamps at Royal Mail.
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” goes on sale July 21.
“There’s no doubt that J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels, published in dozens of languages worldwide, have made a phenomenal impact on our reading habits,” Edgar said.
Rowling’s fantasy series has sold more than 325 million copies worldwide. She has said two major characters will die in the final book, which is being released under tight security.
– Associated Press


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CATALYST’S Invent competition for aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators has opened for entries, with a top prize of £25,000 for the overall 2023 winner.
Hosted by the technology hub with headline partner Bank of Ireland, the annual competition provides the opportunity for early-stage start-ups and entrepreneurs to showcase their innovations and proof-of-concept ideas to a panel of expert judges.
Invent builds up to an awards event held in the ICC Belfast on September 21 which rewards the brightest ideas from across the region that the judges deem to have the greatest potential for impact.
The competition (for more information or to apply visit https://invent23.co/) has the following five categories which seek to address major global matters such as climate change:
• Greentech – Products, solutions and tech that enable a sustainable future.
• Health and wellbeing – Improving the quality of life through pushing the boundaries in life sciences, medtech and health promotion.
• Product – A physical product designed and fabricated to offer the consumer or business a novel innovative solution.
• Business software – Computer software products or solutions used to satisfy the needs of an organisation rather than individual users, including innovations in sectors such as fintech, insurtech and cyber security.
• Consumer software – Consumer software is a class of commercial software that is sold directly to end-users as opposed to businesses.
The awards have a total £50,000 prize fund available, with each category winner taking home £5,000 and the overall winner walking away with an additional £20,000, totalling a £25,000 top prize.
Recognising the increased importance placed on diversity and inclusion, Bank of Ireland is supporting a new award, Inclusive Innovation. Additional prizes for best elevator pitch and Student Invent will also be presented on the awards night.
The overall winner of Invent 2022 was Vikela Armour, set up by Belfast-based engineering graduate Peter Gilleece. The company is developing a new type of body armour that provides better protection and comfort than conventional flak jackets.
Elaine Smyth, director of innovation community at Catalyst, said: “Invent provides a unique opportunity for local entrepreneurs and start-ups to showcase their innovations and set the spotlight on their ideas. Over the decade, we’ve seen some incredible Inventions and we’re excited to see what this year’s entrants have to offer.
“There are talented individuals who are bursting with great ideas and the companies that go furthest in our competition are the ones who create new and innovative ways to address real world problems. Diversity and inclusivity are hot topics across the globe currently, so we are particularly interested in the products and solutions that entrepreneurs come up with to meet the brief.”
Niall Devlin, head of business banking NI at Bank of Ireland, headline partner for the awards, said: “We are delighted to continue its long-standing partnership with Catalyst and Invent. Our purpose is to enable our communities to thrive, and this is clearly demonstrated in our partnership with Catalyst, helping to develop innovation and entrepreneurship through the Invent programme.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with the inspirational innovators that will take part in the competition and to help support and develop their business financial wellbeing.
“During the many years we have supported Invent, the relevance of this innovation focused programme has continued to grow and provide an important platform on which to showcase the great innovation and entrepreneurship that exists locally.”


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Just after Google+ opened to those with an invitation last week, an information page revealed an official iPhone app for the service was “coming soon.” Though we hadn’t anticipated it would arrive this soon.
One Google employee, Erica Joy, posted a message on her Google+ profile that confirms the new app is currently awaiting Apple’s approval:
For my iPhone using friends: the Google+ iPhone app has been submitted to the App store (no not today, sometime prior to today) and is awaiting approval.
We can never be certain how long it will take Apple to approve an app; while some have flown through the approval process in days, others have taken months to appear in the App Store. While you await its release, however, I’d like to recommend the Google+ web app located at m.plus.google.com, which I think does the job very well.


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Raymer Oil is partnering with NCR Corp. to introduce NCR self-checkout technology powered by NCR FastLane software in all 46 Fast Phil’s stores across the U.S.
“We were looking for a strategic partner that could help to modernize and automate our stores in the highly competitive fuel and convenience market,” said Matthew Redmond, CEO of Raymer Oil, which is headquartered in Statesville, N.C. “In NCR we found a trusted partner who understands the unique challenges of our industry and has a solid vision for the future. With NCR we can modernize the customer experience, reap efficiencies and simplify operations to support our growth plans.”
NCR’s self-checkout solution for convenience stores is designed to give customers fast service, control and flexibility. Customers can grab what they need, scan, bag and pay, and get back out the door. This frees up the store attendant to focus on customers needing assisted service.
“Most shoppers today feel like they have less time on their hands, which has increased the importance of convenience stores into the typical shopper’s day,” said David Wilkinson, senior vice president and general manager of NCR Retail. “We’re excited that with our unique experience we can bring enterprise technology to all the moving parts of Raymer Oil’s business, with the support and insights they need to compete and thrive.”
NCR’s solutions help run the entire operations of fuel and convenience retailers, from the point-of-sale to the forecourt, foodservice, car wash, lottery and payments. With features like targeted marketing on display screens at the pump, NCR solutions help increase foot traffic into the store and keep customers coming back with tailored loyalty programs.


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January 31, 2012
Apple Overtakes HP As World’s Largest PC Vendor
Research firm Canalys said on Monday that Apple has taken over Hewlett-Packard (HP) as the world's largest vendor of personal computers.
The firm said that tablet demand in the fourth quarter helped drive the global PC market 16 percent higher than a year ago to 120 million computers.Canalys said desktop, netbook, notebook and tablet sales grew 16 percent from a year ago. However, if iPads are not included as PCs then the number dropped 0.4 percent.
Apple had a combined sales of 15.4 million iPads and 5.2 million Macs, accounting for 17 percent of the total 120 million PC shipments worldwide.
Tablets accounted for 22 percent of PC shipments during the fourth quarter of 2011, including Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble's Nook.
Apple was not the only computer-maker to gain some market share during the quarter. Lenovo saw its shipments jump two percentage points during the fourth quarter of 2011.
Apple and Lenovo were the only vendors in the top-five that saw their sales increase during the quarter.
Hewlett-Packard placed second for sales, followed by Lenovo in third, Dell in fourth and Acer in fifth place.
Canalys is one of the first research firms to include tablet sales as part of the PC forecasts.
"We're going through the biggest shift the PC industry has seen in 20 years. It's very difficult to grow in the classic PC market when all of the growth is coming from iPads," Steve Brazier, CEO of Canalys, told CNET.
Last week, Apple reported a record breaking fourth quarter, including a 73 percent jump in revenue and selling more than double the amount of iPads and iPhones compared to the year prior.
The company said it sold 37.04 million iPhones during the quarter, which represents 128 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter.
"We're thrilled with our outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs," said Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, in a statement announcing the record numbers. "Apple's momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline."
Rumors claim Apple will be launching an iPad 3 in February, and some speculate it will coincide with co-founder Steve Job's birthday on February 24. The iPad 2 was announced on March 2 and released on March 11.
On the Net:


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German e-commerce retailer Zalando has launched its online shopping club Zalando Privé in Spain, giving shoppers access to private sales that will offer up to 75% off on styles from over 2,500 selected brands.
Adidas has confirmed that it is looking into accusations against designer Gosha Rubchinskiy after screenshots of a conversation between the designer and an underage boy were alleged to show inappropriate conduct.
The chain has opened a 3,500-square-metre space at 54 Boulevard Haussmann, adjacent to Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. The space brings the brand’s new automated order collection point to France for the first time.
Sports Direct's biggest headache is integrating its House of Fraser buy, but its latest results show it forging ahead with developments at the rest of the business, although this is denting turnover at some chains.


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- All Tech
- Enterprise Software
- Hardware / Peripherals
- Online Gaming
- Public Sector/Government
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December 17, 2014 -- Burlington Junction Railway joins a growing list of forward thinking railroads that have implemented the ShipXpress RailSync® software solution and as a result, have found collaboration with...
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December 17, 2014 -- NextBus is a subsidiary of San Diego-based Cubic Transportation Systems. Its capabilities are a key component of Cubic’s NextCity strategy for delivering integration and application of payment,...
December 17, 2014 -- An industry leader in offering phone cases exclusively for iPhones has released an ultra-thin case just in time for the holidays.
December 17, 2014 -- Pay Per Click (PPC), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Facebook, Social Media, and Email Marketing Solutions based on cognitive science and experiment design not only enable online marketers to...
December 17, 2014 -- The WSTA will host a panel discussion for financial IT professionals on “Software-Defined Everything” on January 15, 2015 in New York City. Attendees will gain best practices and strategic insights...
December 17, 2014 -- Urbandale completes technology plan aimed at bridging technology gap, boosting economy, paving way for improved quality of life
December 17, 2014 -- New features in update version 1.3.8 is released for enhanced user experience.
December 17, 2014 -- Market research reports.biz has added a new market research report based on “Green IT And Virtualization Technology And Market Trends and Forecast 2018” to its comprehensive collection of research...
December 17, 2014 -- Women-owned Data Facts has been recognized as a Top Workplace of 2014 by The Commercial Appeal.
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December 17, 2014 -- Watershot Inc., maker of top underwater camera housings, announces new products for the iPhone®. The Watershot® SPLASH and PRO Photo Line offer expanded choices for water sports enthusiasts...
December 17, 2014 -- Researchmoz announces new market research report on "Global and China RF Coaxial Cable Industry Report, 2014-2017 " to its huge database. Browse more reports related to the cable market at:...
December 17, 2014 -- Market Research Reports.biz announces the addition of the “The US Parental App Market 2015” report to their offering.
December 17, 2014 -- New 4000mAh battery extends the life of Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini by 90%.
December 17, 2014 -- Best Selling Books Rights & Distribution (BSBRD) Opened by Kait Neese, CEO.
December 17, 2014 -- InventHelp, a Pittsburgh-based inventor service company, is submitting the Hearisrea to companies for their possible interest.
December 17, 2014 -- Mura CMS growing adoption reflected by new dedicated category on ThemeForest - world's leading marketplace for premier website themes.
December 17, 2014 -- USPLUS, a two-player photo-sharing game played in real-time, officially launches this week
December 17, 2014 -- AuriQ's Essentia Redshift module is poised to solve a major big data processing hurdle for users of Amazon Redshift.
December 17, 2014 -- Digipower's Re-Fuel is a professional collection of portable power sources and accessories for the GoPro Hero and action cameras. The entire Digipower Re-Fuel Line can be seen at the (CES)...
December 17, 2014 -- Monitor threat temperatures anywhere in the world: know when to walk or take a cab, or when to leave at dusk or linger for a glass of wine. Today’s travelers can be empowered with GeoSure.
December 17, 2014 -- Leader in HRV data and research grows its footprint among chipset and consumer electronics manufacturers.


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The keynote speaker for the Australian Craft Brewers Conference has been announced as renowned brewer and academic, Dr Charles Bamforth.
The Association has also released the first details for the 2017 program, which will run from 25-27 July and include a three-day trade expo, and the Craft Beer Awards evening at Adelaide Oval.
The trade expo is the Australian craft beer industry’s keystone event and the most comprehensive single platform for decision makers and influencers in the brewing sector.
This year’s Craft Beer Awards night is anticipated as the biggest yet and will again raise a glass to craft, creativity and class.
Dr Bamforth is a highly respected statesman of the international brewing industry and after a distinguished career as an academic, including a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Hull; he worked for Bass Brewers and Brewing Research International.
In 1999, he was appointed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at University of California, Davis campus. He is an Honorary Professor in the School of Biosciences at the University of Nottingham and formerly a Visiting Professor of Brewing at Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University.
In 2011 Dr Bamforth was honored with the Award of Distinction from the American Society of Brewing Chemists for “exceptional contributions and long diligent service to brewing science and the brewing industry”.
Also on the conference program is journalist Dr Ina Verstl, editor of the international Brauwelt Magazine and co-author of the recently published The Beer Monopoly: How brewers bought and built for world domination, which is as much about globalisation as beer.
The conference program has two streams: the business of beer, and brewery operations. The trade expo sits alongside the conference and is the only one of its kind dedicated to servicing the Australian beer industry.
South Australia is an appropriate venue for the conference and awards, given it prides itself as being the ‘flavour state’, and is the main supplier of barley. Importantly for the craft industry though it is a rich source of artisan produce.
All craft brewers are catered for, from those in the start-up stage to more established national set-ups. Different business models will be examined and there will be a big focus on ways to maintain quality through growth.
The trade expo continues to grow in reputation and this year will be the largest yet with more than 50 exhibitors representing the entire brewing supply chain.
The Craft Beer Awards is the only one of its kind to focus purely on the Australian Industry. Forty of Australia’s best judges will sample more than 600 of Australia finest brews.
The CBIA is pleased to be partnering this year with the Royal Adelaide Beer & Cider Awards and also to whet the appetite for the Adelaide Beer & BBQ festival.
- 25 July: Brewery tours (various locations)
- 25 – 27 July: Trade Expo (Adelaide Convention Centre)
- 26 – 27 July: Australian Craft Brewers Conference
- 27 July: Craft Beer Awards (Adelaide Oval)
- 28 July: The Royal Adelaide Beer & Cider Awards
- 28 – 30 July: Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival (Adelaide Showgrounds)


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National Grid could benefit from Trump win if new US president commits to spend big on infrastructure
National Grid said it could benefit from Donald Trump’s election win if the new US president delivers on his commitment to spend big on infrastructure and create jobs.
National Grid, which manages the UK’s gas and electricity distribution networks, has a significant business in the US in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York.
Benefits: National Grid has a significant business in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York
‘It’s early days, but the US business we have is a very important part of National Grid,’ said chief executive John Pettigrew.
The Grid revealed a 64 per cent fall in half-year profits to September 30 to £485m, largely from a one-off charge of £718m relating to the sale of a majority stake in its gas distribution arm. Revenue rose 5.8 per cent to £7.2bn.
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Microsoft 365 and Office 365: new pricing for business and Enterprise customers
Microsoft announced plans to change the pricing of the company's subscription-based services Microsoft 365 and Office 365 this week.
The pricing changes will go into effect on March 1, 2022 for business and Enterprise customers. Home and education product pricing won't change "at this time" according to Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft 365.
The pricing of the following products will change on March 1, 2022 (all plans per user)
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic (from $5 to $6)
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium (from $20 to $22)
- Office 365 E1 (from $8 to $10)
- Office 365 E3 (from $20 to $23)
- Office 365 E5 (from $35 to $38)
- Microsoft 365 E3 (from $32 to $36)
Pricing will be increased globally "with local market adjustments for certain regions", according to Sparato.
Microsoft notes that the pricing increase is the first since the introduction of Office 365, released in October 2010. Microsoft 365 launched on July 10, 2017 and most Office 365 products were rebranded at the time to take into account new non-Office products such as Microsoft Teams, Power Apps, OneDrive, Yammer or Whiteboard, that were added to select subscription plans.
The pricing increase "reflects the increased value" added to the subscription plans since the launch of Office 365 and Microsoft 365.
Sparato's post on Microsoft's Microsoft 365 website highlights some of the new features and additions before the new pricing is revealed.
Highlights mentioned include the following:
- Integration off Microsoft Teams as "the only integrated solution" to "meet, chat, call, collaborate, and automate business processes".
- New category of collaborative apps in Teams.
- Real-time and asynchronous collaboration in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint desktop apps.
- New attack surface reduction to better defend against ransomware and other threats.
- Data Loss Prevention for emails and documents.
- Built-in mobile device management.
- AI-powered features and tools across Microsoft 365.
- Audio conferencing capabilities improvements.
Pricing increases by up to 20%, depending on the subscription plan.
Will business and Enterprise customers accept the price increase, or go looking for other products? It seems likely that the majority will keep most if not all subscriptions in place.
Home users won't see announcements about price increases in the near future according to the announcement, but the "at this time" phrase suggests that a pricing increase will be announced for the Home products eventually as well.
Now You: are you subscribed to any of the mentioned products?Advertisement


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LOWER PROVIDENCE — When it opened in 1973, the brightly lit little “Cokes and smokes” shop with the curious name, stocked with Tastykakes, Tums antacids and steaming hot java quickly became more than just a pit stop on Egypt Road.
Though it wasn’t the first golden egg laid in Lower Providence by the goose that flies high as the company logo — that honor went to the Wawa on Ridge Pike in Trooper — the local regulars turned this newest outpost of the regional chain into a destination.
Back then, “Gottahava Wawa” translated to, “People on the go — go to Wawa Food Markets.”
Now 40 years later, Wawa’s 72nd store at 2809 Egypt Road, with its tight squeeze of a parking lot and cozy — some would say cramped — quarters, seems practically untouched by time — the anti-superstore.
“That is a pretty good neighborhood store, like a lot of these older stores,” said Vic Musso, Wawa’s regional director of store operations, who was in town for the original Audubon store’s 40th anniversary celebration, which featured an appearance by Wawa mascot Wally Goose.
“When the company first started back in the ’60s and early ’70s, we were purely interested in neighborhoods and looking to build stores where a lot of people lived, versus today, when it’s more about the commute. You have so many families that have both husband and wife working now, so everybody is traveling somewhere. Back in ’64, when Wawa opened its first store (in Folsom), my dad had one car and mom was stuck at home,” Musso remembered. “There was no running around the corner to the local store, so you walked. So that was Wawa’s strategy then and a lot of the early stores were located in neighborhoods, where today we’re looking at more heavily traveled roads and are less concerned with residential neighborhoods.”
Musso was hired by Wawa in 1970, when there were just 69 stores in existence.
Today there are 605 stores sprawling across five states.
“There were people at the anniversary celebration who were there the day that Wawa opened,” said Musso, who began his Wawa career as manager of the Aston, Delaware County, store. “I’ve been to a lot of these things, and they’re pretty consistent. There are the regulars that are in every single day and love the staff and enjoy chatting with the staff when they get their coffee or sandwich. The associates know the customers by name, exactly what they’re buying, how they want it prepared, what they do for a living, how many kids they have. They seem to make a real connection with the customers. So it’s pretty interesting being in my shoes and being there to see all this.”
Also celebrating a milestone this year, the Wawa at 207 N. Henderson Road in King of Prussia, turns 25.
“With this company, most of the people have been here a long time. In fact, we kid around with people and say if they’ve worked there less than 20 years they’re a rookie,” said Musso, who has regionally managed all 226 stores in the state at one time or another.
The old-time Audubon Wawa survived the rise of the mega gas-pumping Wawa a few miles away in Audubon on South Trooper Road a few years ago and will likely stay the course when another one is erected down the road in Oaks later this year.
“Trooper Road is more of a predominant location,” Musso said. “It certainly didn’t put the Audubon store out of business, but it did affect them. And I’m sure the Oaks store will have some impact on it too.”
They’re not building the little “legacy” Wawas anymore, but Musso believes that many of the features that distinguished those neighborhood icons live on in the larger stores too.
“Right now there are three or four size models for the gas Wawas and they’re built for today’s world where everybody is pressed for time,” he said. “We do like to build bigger stores to give the customer some room to move around so you don’t feel like you’re being bumped into all the time. But I think quality, cleanliness and friendliness are still factors, no matter what. People don’t mind waiting a few extra minutes for good food. If the food is not good, that’s not a good experience. But I know that I wouldn’t sacrifice the food quality and the friendly service over another 30 seconds or so of being in the store. That’s why we focus on making sure the customer can get the same thing wherever they go, in any Wawa, made the same way and of the same quality. And we try to continue to support the local neighborhoods everywhere we are.”
Follow Gary Puleo on Twitter @ Mustangman48.


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Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ:CREE) received a $19.00 price target from stock analysts at Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) in a report released on Wednesday, October 18th. The firm presently has a “sell” rating on the LED producer’s stock. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)’s price target indicates a potential downside of 47.59% from the stock’s current price.
Several other equities analysts have also commented on the company. Roth Capital restated a “buy” rating and set a $29.00 price target (up previously from $27.00) on shares of Cree in a research note on Tuesday, June 20th. J P Morgan Chase & Co lowered Cree from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $23.00 to $28.00 in a research note on Friday, October 6th. Williams Capital lowered Cree from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $27.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, October 19th. BidaskClub lowered Cree from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, July 28th. Finally, Bank of America Corporation boosted their price target on Cree from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 18th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Cree has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $27.50.
Cree (NASDAQ:CREE) traded up $2.17 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $36.25. The stock had a trading volume of 2,969,349 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,423,553. The company has a quick ratio of 3.61, a current ratio of 4.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. Cree has a fifty-two week low of $20.50 and a fifty-two week high of $37.43.
Cree (NASDAQ:CREE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 17th. The LED producer reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.04. The firm had revenue of $360.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $360.01 million. Cree had a negative return on equity of 0.44% and a negative net margin of 8.42%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.09 earnings per share. sell-side analysts anticipate that Cree will post -0.27 earnings per share for the current year.
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: This story was originally reported by BBNS and is owned by of BBNS. If you are accessing this story on another site, it was illegally stolen and republished in violation of U.S. & international copyright and trademark legislation. The original version of this story can be read at https://baseballnewssource.com/markets/cree-inc-cree-given-a-19-00-price-target-by-goldman-sachs-group-inc-the-analysts/1722953.html.
Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in Cree by 9.0% in the 1st quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 837,690 shares of the LED producer’s stock valued at $22,391,000 after buying an additional 68,829 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its holdings in Cree by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 25,400 shares of the LED producer’s stock valued at $626,000 after buying an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new stake in Cree in the 1st quarter valued at $346,000. Zacks Investment Management purchased a new stake in Cree in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,069,000. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its holdings in Cree by 108.4% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 155,105 shares of the LED producer’s stock valued at $3,823,000 after buying an additional 80,681 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.68% of the company’s stock.
Cree, Inc is a manufacturer of lighting-class light emitting diode (LED) products, lighting products and semiconductor products for power and radio-frequency (RF) applications. The Company’s products are focused for applications, such as indoor and outdoor lighting, video displays, transportation, electronic signs and signals, power supplies, inverters and wireless systems.
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Illegal downloads of copyrighted content such as films, music, or video games can entail substantial risks. This has just been shown by a recent study of the European Union’s Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), for which IT and criminal researchers examined malware and unwanted programs from thousands of frequently visited websites. The sites analyzed are all suspected of illegally offering copyrighted content. Most of them are hosted in the USA, with only a few of them using servers within the EU.
The websites in question offer illegal downloads and streaming services, which are often publicly accessible without registration and allegedly free of charge. However, harmful business models are frequently behind this: Such websites regularly spread malware and potentially unwanted programs (PUP) or get users to download and install such programs, for example by disguising them as games or streaming clients. Often, social engineering tricks are then used to persuade users to provide personal data.
Subsequently, attackers might gain access to the hardware or software configuration of the device used and, potentially, to sensitive information of the end users. This threat from malware is not limited to users of Windows PCs: MacOS devices and the smartphones running the operating system Android can be affected too, according to the study.
The potential consequences are serious: Users run the risk of having their bank account and credit card details stolen, which could result in financial losses. They could also have to face the theft of personal data and basically all information stored in the browser or entered via the keyboard.
The EUIPO study, titled Identification and Analysis of Malware on Suspected Copyright Infringing Websites, was carried out in cooperation with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI).


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Volkswagen's $800 million pledge to expand its Chattanooga production plant to assemble electric vehicles tops the region's biggest investments for 2019.
VW Chattanooga Chief Executive Officer Tom du Plessis said during a November groundbreaking that the move is "really bold" and "another leap forward" for electric mobility.
He noted the trust that the German automaker has in an electric vehicle future and in Chattanooga, adding that production is taking place in the Scenic City and not in California.
"It's a new exciting journey," du Plessis said.
Just a month earlier in Dayton, Tennessee, Nokian Tyres marked the opening of what its officials say is one of the most modern tire production plants in the world and the company's largest-ever individual investment.
The Finland-based company's $360 million factory is 830,000 square feet in size. It's expected to have as many as 150 employees early next year. Nokian plans to have 400 workers on board when the plant is at full production, making 4 million tires annually.
"It was built on time and on budget," said Nokian Tyres Chief Executive Hille Korhonen about the company's first plant in the United States.
Meanwhile, in Dalton, Georgia, a Korean manufacturer has added what its officials say is a factory making rooftop solar panels and other modules for utility-solar power generation in a $150 million investment.
Hanwha Q Cells USA celebrated the completion of the largest solar module manufacturing plant in North America, which will produce enough solar panels to generate as much peak power as the Hoover Dam every year.
"This is a fantastic technology in an emerging industry and it's great to see this type of manufacturing come to Georgia," said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp after touring the plant. "This is not only great for the people employed here but it will also helps our farmers who are putting up solar farms all over our state."
In Chattanooga's key logistics sector, Arrive Logistics announced it had raised another $25 million for future expansion with plans to add 500 jobs.
The freight brokerage company was founded in 2014 and has grown to more than 800 employees with offices in Chicago, Chattanooga, and Austin, Texas. In 2019, the company expected revenue of more than $600 million.
"We have doubled revenue for four consecutive years with our relentless focus on building the best team and technology in the domestic truckload market," said Matt Pyatt, CEO and co-founder of Arrive Logistics. "We have done this by utilizing data to hire the right people, investing heavily in their training and retention as well as focusing our technology investments on what makes our team the most efficient in the industry."
Pyatt said the additional $25 million will further accelerate the growth of Arrive, which was already planning a $3.6 million expansion in Chattanooga.
Charles Wood, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's vice president of economic development, said that when it comes to logistics, the business group is looking to continue to grow white-collar jobs.
"We're not necessarily looking for warehouse," he said, adding that the Chamber wants to build off of the sector's growing presence in the Chattanooga area. "It's one of the sectors in the marketplace where our existing business leaders are actively supporting our recruiting efforts."
Wood said that Arrive came to Chattanooga's attention when the CEOs of two other businesses in that segment made introductions.
"To actively have corporate leaders supporting those industries makes it much easier for us," he said.
Wood said that not all industry sectors are like that because they're worried about the availability of talent.
The latest capital infusion for Arrive Logistics is part of more than $300 million of equity capital raised in just the past year for the growth of trucking and logistics companies in Chattanooga's freight alley.
Business Editor Dave Flessner contributed to this story.
Contact Mike Pare at firstname.lastname@example.org or 423-757-6318. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.


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The Hungarian government has recently reached a decision about a total of 312.5 billion forints of subsidies, allocating 288 billion forints of EU funds to the Balaton region for the budgetary period 2014-2020. Two questions remain: what could these resources be sufficient for, and how can they be used to achieve noticeable, comprehensive progress? All parties have applauded the move, seeing it as a potential tool to break away from the summer-beach-lángos stereotype. We caught up with some catering business owners from the north shore to ask them what they would spend the money on.
The managing team of Csopak’s Márga Bistro, with Jani Deli at the helm, would first and foremost expand the summer season, which is no more than a short, two-month period at present. They say Balaton has the potential to be a four-season phenomenon, admitting, however, that the region would need top-quality catering establishments and hotels as well as the proper infrastructure to achieve this aim. Even though the center of the region is Balatonfüred, there are plenty of smaller townships within a few kilometer radius (like Csopak and Paloznak) that are far less crowded, but offer the same quality of entertainment and relaxation, as demonstrated by the gastro map they teamed up with a bunch of eateries from the area to create this fall (see below).
Transportation services need to be improved dramatically to help visitors get from one venue to the next – the single taxi available at present cannot meet the current needs of the area. The enhancement of public transport would be key as well: a lot more tourists would choose Balaton as a weekend getaway destination if they could stay in Csopak, for example, and tour the wineries, bistros and restaurants nearby without having to worry about finding their way back to their hotel.
Szabolcs Homola, the owner of Homola Winery and Sáfránkert Restaurant, and the organizer of the northwestern region’s renowned Jazz Picnic, would shine the spotlight on Paloznak, north of Balatonfüred. He thinks rural tourism could play an important part in boosting visitor numbers at Balaton – one could choose to spend a few relaxing days at any of the surrounding, quite villages when all the busy lakeside towns have filled up.
He sees local family-run pensions and guesthouses as the driving force of the rejuvenation process, as an intriguing event selection can only work in combination with excellent places for accommodation. Other elements he thinks are essential for improving Balaton tourism include good wines, a lot more high-quality restaurants, smaller concerts and personalized experiences. The Homola team is of the opinion that meaningful change can only be brought about if the business owners of the region join forces to make Balaton an attractive year round destination. That would require a clear, common marketing strategy, though.
Ákos Peleskey has been busy creating a new image for Balaton with Tihany PIAC Marketplace. He would cast his vote for a strict, carefully devised concept because he doesn’t believe in an effective way of integrating the various attempts of lakeside locations into a comprehensive regeneration scheme.
Ákos Peleskey is thinking large-scale. He says both the roads and the regional airport should be part of the enhancement project, but the minimum requirement for improvement would be a common aim for the townships and entrepreneurs involved: that is, the desire to create a new, modern Balaton region in line with traditional values.
Back in the 80s Badacsony was super popular for hanging out on warm summer evenings, but the town has since lost some of its charm despite local efforts to boost regional tourism. Owners of the legendary establishment KisHableány Zsófi and Bence Laposa opened the terrace of the restaurant earlier this year, but they are planning on eventually renovating the entire building, which could take a while due to the eatery’s considerable size. The restaurant would remain the site’s main feature during summertime, but if they could establish an events center, they would definitely have a reason for staying open all year long.
Bence Laposa, who also happens to be a local government representative in Badacsonytomaj, has several plans for Badacsony. The town leaders would renew the area below the main road, the entrance of the beach and another iconic location, the surroundings of Tátika Castle. Support is still strong for the much anticipated Badacsony-Fonyód ferry, a project for which the government allocated 2 billion forints in its recent decision.
“Tourists want unique experiences they can be an active part of,” Endre Szászi, the owner of Szászi Cellar in Hegymagas told us. He says he’d use the subsidy to promote wine tourism on the south side of Szent György Hill, adding that there’s a growing demand for great hotels and guesthouses – not only are people interested in the wines themselves, they also wish to take a peek behind the scenes of the organic vineyard, and get acquainted with the everyday operations of rural life, viticulture and winemaking on the Balaton Uplands. Local businesses would very much like to tap into this kind of enthusiasm.
Tamás Járosi, the owner of Fekete Bárány Organic Farm in Balatonhenye and Balatonfüred’s Malackrumpli bistro would also campaign for high-quality accommodation, as well as the development of water-related infrastructure. Most of the best beaches around the world have spas and pool complexes nearby, but Balatonfüred hasn’t had its own swimming pool until now. Tamás Járosi hopes the new generation of the catering industry will be able to shape gastro experiences in line with the most recent trends. He believes in new artisan products made from excellent ingredients at his manufactory.
Nevertheless, it’s hard to keep up the high standards when visitor numbers surge for a single month, and then plummet for the rest of the year. That’s why Balaton needs to become a four-month destination. Tamás Járosi says setting up a conference center that can accommodate thousands of people would be a step in the right direction, as it could alleviate the difficult situation catering businesses have to face in the fall-winter period.


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An investigation started by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg found that thousands of guns are being sold on websites to people with criminal records, reports the Wall Street Journal. One popular online marketplace for firearms, Armslist.com, has the potential to facilitate 25,000 sales to illegal buyers with criminal records annually, Bloomberg said, citing data culled from an examination of 600 people who posted classified ads seeking guns.
“In the digital age, convicted felons, domestic abusers and other dangerous people who are legally barred from buying guns can do so online, with little more than a phone number or email address,” Bloomberg said. “And, as our investigations shows, thousands of criminals are doing exactly that. In fact, not only are criminals buying guns online, they’re doing so brazenly by advertising their want to buy them.” After a investigation by the mayor two years ago finding that 62 percent of online gun sellers have never undergone a background check—Armslist.com’s owner, Jonathan Gibbon, said he was “taken aback by the assertion that [the site] is acting irresponsibly.” The site is committed to serving “law abiding citizens” and protecting Second Amendment freedoms, he said.


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According to a paper recently published by researchers at the University of Connecticut and Georgia State University, alcohol sales fell by 15% in states where medical marijuana is legal. This study provides further evidence that marijuana legalization helps reduce alcohol abuse. Cannabis legalization lowering alcohol sales is encouraging, since most experts agree that cannabis is much safer for human consumption than alcohol.
To determine what effect if any marijuana legalization had on alcohol sales, researchers for this study looked at Nielsen’s Retail Scanner Database which includes all product sales from 90 major retailers in the United States. They then compared alcohol sales in states that have legalized medical marijuana programs to those that have not. Next they looked at sales in each state before and after they had legalized marijuana. To make sure the study gathered accurate data, researchers corrected for variables that traditionally affect alcohol sales rates such as income, race and location.
The Effects Of Recreational Marijuana
The study concluded that “counties located in medical marijuana states reduced monthly alcohol sales by 15 percent,” and that “marijuana and alcohol are strong substitutes for each other,” which is one possible reason as to why marijuana and alcohol sales correlate so strongly.
How will recreational cannabis effect alcohol sales? The arduous process of meeting with a physician to gain access to medical marijuana makes the market for cannabis selective. In states like California, Colorado and the other 6 states who have passed recreational legalization bills, marijuana will be accessible by everyone over 21. This is sure to hurt alcohol sales even further.
This study is not the only one analyzing the complicated relationship between cannabis and alcohol. One review found that 16 of 39 studies agreed marijuana lowers alcohol use while 10 of those 39 studies said that cannabis legalization actually increased alcohol use. The remaining 13 studies found no correlation between the two.
A majority of studies do agree that the legalization of marijuana lowers alcohol sales. Even though the evidence is conflicting, the wave of recreational cannabis legalization sweeping across the United States will continue to negatively impact alcohol sales.


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Our Exciting Partnership with Hotel News Scotland
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
We're delighted to announce our partnership with Hotel News Scotland, which means you can access even more great content at the click of a button!
Stay up to date on the latest news about hotels in Scotland through our News & Advice section, or through this lovely looking link right here.
Hotel News Scotland was launched in December 2017 aiming to inform and inspire anyone working within the hospitality sector in the region. The news platform was developed by the industry for the industry, all hotels are welcome to share what they have been up to: from developments and events to new appointments and awards. Keep that little Hotel News Scotland tab bookmarked to stay up to date with the most important news.


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Pharrell Williams collaboration with Adidas is set to continue, with the release of a new Adidas Originals 'Hu' collection. The previous Adidas product he released was a collection of NMD "HUMAN RACE" sneakers; a range of bold and eye catching shoes with "HUMAN" and "RACE printed in large font on the right and left shoe.
Pharrell Williams press release explained the meaning behind the Hu collection: "Hu is short for human human being, human race, humankind. But Hu, itself is also a reference to color. As human beings, we all have a color. We all look different, we all speak different languages, but were all connected."
Customers will not have long to wait to purchase the Hu collection, it is scheduled to be released on the 29th of September, 2016.


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Perfect Pizza will shortly become the largest home delivery pizza chain in the UK when it rebrands its collection of 196 outlets – including branches called Gino’s Dial-A-Pizza, 241 Pizza and Pronta Pizza – under a newly designed facia and logo.
Perfect Pizza will take the lead in the 400m delivery market, overtaking Domino’s Pizza which has 156 branded outlets and Pizza Hut’s 103 home delivery outlets.
Perfect Pizza was sold by its Canadian owner, Laidlaw, to an outside management team backed by venture capital house Gresham Trust with a funding package worth 5.5m in July 1997.
According to Gresham Trust deputy managing director Paul Marson-Smith, the rebranding move will help to get Perfect Pizza in shape for a stock market flotation in 12 to 18 months with a potential market value of between 30 and 40m.
The new red, yellow and blue Perfect Pizza brand identity will be revealed to franchisees today (Wednesday) at a company conference in Daventry.
As part of the rebranding exercise the 136 existing Perfect Pizza facia will be changed. Customer areas for all 196 outlets will be revamped and all delivery bikes, uniforms and price menus will be brought under the new Perfect Pizza identity.
The 45 Gino’s outlets based in the Midlands and the North West, the seven Pronta shops in Newcastle and 241, which was a trial concept with eight units in Manchester, will all be brought under the Perfect Pizza banner.
Marketing director Peter Saunders says national advertising is one of the reasons behind the rebranding.
He adds: “National TV and radio advertising is under serious consideration for the future.
“But it will take 18 months to bring all the outlets under the single brand name.”
WPP-owned sales promotion agency Promotional Campaigns Group, which has worked on the brand repositioning, has also invented a series of cartoon characters called the “Perfect People” for advertising campaigns and POS material.
The three characters – a chef, a delivery boy and a member of the counter staff – represent the brand’s core values of food quality, speed of delivery and customer service.


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Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 0.9% in November, which represents a slowdown from the 1.0% rate in October.
Portugal’s consumer price index fell 0.4% in November, but was up 0.9% from November of 2017, representing a slowdown from the 1.0% rate in October, according to the flash estimate released by the National Statistics Office (INE) on Friday.
The estimated year-on-year rate for underlying inflation (the index excluding unprocessed and food products and energy) was 0.6% in November, up from 0.4% in October, INE said.
The year-on-year rate in the price index for energy products slowed to 4.9% in November from 7.3% in October.
In October the overall consumer price index was down 0.1% from September.
The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) – calculated for comparison with the figures from other European Union countries – is estimated in November to have been up 1.0% from a year earlier, marking an acceleration from October’s HIPC rate of 0.8%.
The definitive data for November is to be released on 12 December. As for Eurostat, it will release data on CPI in the member states on the 17th of December.


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The collapse of western pharmaceutical companies is inevitable
Ranbaxy, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Nicholas Piramal, Cipla, that there are only so many competitors that can be acquired, and
and Biocon – are these Indian pharmaceutical companies eventually these companies will not be able to sustain themselves
familiar to you? They may not be today, but in the coming without developing their own new products.
decades these are the brands that will likely be lining the shelves
of pharmacies across the western world. Between 2010 and 2013,
In contrast, the lesser-known Indian pharmaceutical companies
Eli Lilly will see four of its five patents on top-selling drugs expire. have spent the past 20 years building strong capabilities in the ear-
Other leading members of “Big Pharma”, such as Pfizer, Novartis, ly stages of the value chain: R&D, production, and distribution.
Merck and Sanofi-Aventis will each be facing a similar predica- Improvements were facilitated by India’s ability to conduct clinical
ment by 2016. These inevitable patent expirations will provide ge- trials faster and an abundance of inexpensive local talent. These
neric drug producers with a tremendous opportunity to capture a advantages, matched with the Indian companies’ focus on R&D,
large part of the pharmaceutical industry worldwide.
rather than marketing, allowed them to reap the benefits of their
The Death of the Blockbuster Drug
Western pharmaceutical companies, under the traditional
Big Pharma has long known that its blockbuster drug business blockbuster drug strategy, simply cannot compete on cost and do
model would come to an end. For years the major industry players not have the R&D pipeline to be sustainable on their own. In fact,
have struggled to develop new drugs that would be able to replace the only real advantages that these companies have over their In-
giants such as Lipitor, which generated close to $13 billion during dian counterparts is their brand equity and existing relationships
2008 alone. Furthermore, Big Pharma has very few opportunities with consumers. Though this is a crucial selling point, it is one that
to accelerate new drug development due to the laborious and time cannot be sustained without having new, unique and life-altering
consuming processes involved in developing a drug, undergoing drugs for an extended period of time. To mitigate this, Big Pharma
trials, and obtaining regulatory approval.
has begun to aggressively pursue both joint ventures and acquisi-
Industry Value Chain
tions with a number of different Indian pharmaceutical companies.
GlaxoSmithKline recently purchased a stake in Aspen (a South
African generics manufacturer) and entered into an agreement
Explosive growth in the sales of pharmaceutical industry gi- with India-based Dr. Reddy’s laboratory to sell generic products in
ants in the 1990s and 2000s was a direct, but not shocking result Asian emerging markets under the GlaxoSmithKline brand. Simi-
of the heavy investments Big Pharma made throughout the 1980s. larly, Pfizer created Greenstone, a spin-off company selling gener-
During this time, the major industry players also began to make a ics, and has entered an agreement with multiple Indian companies
series of vertical acquisitions designed to bring more operations in- to sell their products in the US and other markets. Though these
house in order to protect their intellectual property and bring their strategies will help the Western pharmaceutical giants to sustain
promising drugs to market faster. The success (and expense) of Big their profits in the short term, how much longer will it be until their
Pharma’s activities during this period prompted the industry’s Indian competitors no longer need them to succeed and grow?
biggest companies to shift their financial resources from R&D to
marketing in an attempt to fully capitalize on their high-potential The Black Clouds
portfolio and swelling asset base. However, the result of this strat-
egy was a weakening of these companies’ most essential capability:
Joint ventures between Western and Indian pharmaceuti-
cal companies allow Indian generic drug makers to leverage the
brand equity of their Western counterparts to sell “branded gener-
Due to the long-lead times associated with bringing a new drug ics”. The two-tiered selling scheme allows Big Pharma to continue
to market and the favourable patent terms available to Western selling its higher-priced branded drugs in Western markets while
pharmaceutical companies, the effects of this industry shift are only accessing developing markets by selling branded generics at sub-
being felt today. Since recognizing their lack of prospective drugs stantially discounted prices.
in the late stages of R&D and exhausting their efforts at acquiring
patent extensions, Big Pharma has commenced a series of acquisi-
However, the long term implications of this strategy have yet to
tions to build their patent portfolio, such as Pfizer’s US$60 billion be seen. Will consumers from developed countries sit back quietly
acquisition of Wyeth in early 2009, or have teamed up with generic as the exact same drugs they purchase, made by the same com-
drug makers to take advantage of their low-cost manufacturing panies, are sold for a fifth of the price abroad? Or will consumers
and widespread distribution capabilities. The problem, however, is speak up and demand lower prices or seek alternatives, as we have
seen in other industries? The “medical tourism” industry, which is social pyramid in rural areas of India that plans to reach 50 mil-
quickly growing internationally, is a prime example of the lengths lion consumers that, before now, were not able to afford or access
consumers may be willing to go to reduce their healthcare costs. almost all major drugs. Hence, the company’s strategy lies in dis-
North Americans are now frequently traveling to developing coun- tribution not marketing. An alternative sustainable strategy for Big
tries such as Argentina, Cuba, Columbia, India, Malaysia and Thai- Pharma lies in innovation. Instead of drug discovery, pharmaceuti-
land in order to obtain faster and cheaper medical treatment.
cal companies can focus on new technologies like gene therapy, or
In addition, there is reason for consumers to be concerned that
this strategy ignores the real problem: Western pharmaceutical
The key to being a sustainable global pharma company is to dis-
companies are not rebuilding their capabilities at the early stages aggregate the value chain and focus on core competencies based
of the value chain. A recent study conducted by two professors at on available resources. A company with a great R&D pipeline, and
York University indicates that drug companies in North America weak distribution should partner with a company that has strong
continue to spend three times more on advertising and promotions marketing capabilities and a widespread distribution infrastruc-
than on R&D. In an industry that places so much emphasis on the ture. It is these weaknesses in the value chain of the Big Pharma
size of its R&D investments, consumers should question the extent companes that will force them to outsource non-core processes.
to which they trust the big branded companies over their smaller
counterparts and other generics producers.
On the other hand, the Indian pharmaceutical companies have
engaged in numerous joint ventures with their Western counter-
One further aspect to be considered is the actual sustainability parts, and with any joint venture comes the transfer of knowledge.
of this plan when it comes to emerging markets. Economic growth Joint ventures and the establishment of reputable brands by the
will eventually bring these countries the levels of government and Indian companies will allow them to be able to gain the support of
insurance provided healthcare that we’ve come to expect in the de- insurance companies in both developed and developing markets.
veloped world. However, who is to say that the drug policies of With high regard from insurance companies, Indian pharmaceuti-
these emerging market countries will cover the purchase of identi- cals will finally be able to secure brand trust and ensure consumer
cal, higher-priced drugs instead of cheaper generic drugs that are confidence.
produced domestically. Instead, it is more likely that consumers
will be encouraged, if not forced, to purchase the cheapest generic
Finally, these Indian companies are ideally located in areas of
drugs (that still meet the necessary quality standards), in order to large populations. Many of these companies have distribution al-
obtain coverage by insurance companies. This trend will further ready set-up in India, and are very close to other large Asian coun-
diminish the market power of today’s big pharmaceutical compa- tries such as China. This will provide them with a huge, and in-
nies, and help give rise to India’s budding giants.
creasingly important population to target before moving to North
Winds of Change To The West
America and the rest of the developed world.
Indian pharma companies are already ahead of the race. Further
Many pharmaceutical companies, such as GlaxoSmithKline, acquisitions in this industry have allowed the Indian drug giants to
Pfizer, and Novartis, have realized their long term survival de- build their R&D pipeline. With strong capabilities in manufactur-
pends on their success in emerging markets. Western pharmaceuti- ing at a low cost and widespread distribution infrastructure, the
cal companies employing a vertically integrated strategy simply Indian pharma companies are outsourcing their only weak compo-
cannot sell their products at a lower price in emerging markets. To nent of their value chain: marketing.
be successful in emerging markets, the Western pharma companies
While the Western pharmaceutical companies build their strat-
egy on a disaggregated model, the Indian pharmaceutical compa-
For example, Western pharmaceutical companies could decide nies will gain marketing knowledge, build their brand equity and
to outsource distribution and on developing their R&D pipelines. eventually become vertically integrated. At this point, these com-
Another strategy that Big Pharma could employ would be to target panies will have strong capabilities in every component of their
a population in a lower economic strata and develop a new market value chain. Though it is impossible to know who will come out
rather than focus on more mature markets. Novartis has taken the on top, these changing industry dynamics suggest that “Indian
initiative to develop a pilot program targeting the bottom of the Pharma” is poised to lead the industry in the coming decades.
Selection of Most Valuable Drugs in the World
revenue at risk
Langtitel Verordnung der Bundesministerin für Gesundheit und Frauen über eine Liste betreffend Tierarzneimittelanwendung unter Einbindung des Tierhalters (Tierarzneimittel-Anwendungsverordnung 2004) StF: BGBl. II Nr. 149/2004 Änderung idF: BGBl. II Nr. 282/2004 Präambel/Promulgationsklausel Auf Grund des § 7 Abs. 1 des Tierarzneimittelkontrollgesetzes (TAKG), BGBl. I Nr. 28/
Salem Public Schools Student Data and Permission to Treat Form for School Nurse Student Last Name _____________________First ___________________School _______________________ Home Address ______________________________________ Date of Birth ___ / ___ / ___ Grade ________ Parent or Guardian ___________________________ Home Phone ( ) __________________________ Cell Phone ( ) ___


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With Microsoft now holding the keys to a treasure trove of gaming IPs following their monumental acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, it looks like we’re on the cusp of a gaming renaissance. Further fueling this argument is Activision CEO Bobby Kotick’s recent and unexpected surprise hint at the potential revival of the iconic Guitar Hero franchise.
Per Windows Central, current Activision CEO Bobby Kotick recently led a company hands-on that featured James Corden as the host. The meeting was aimed at discussing the company’s future, especially in the context of the next decade in the gaming industry. During this meeting, Kotick took a reflective look back at Activision’s extensive history and went on to talk about how the company will be able to leverage Microsoft’s “research” and machine learning technologies for its slate of IPs and games.
He expressed, “A big part of what I’ve seen in Microsoft is research. They do development in areas that are extraordinary. And so being able to tap into their AI and machine learning capability, the data analytics, new ways of thinking about graphics – I just see unlimited potential for what we do. We’re uniquely situated as a company because we have the very best franchises in all of video games.” Kotick continued to hint at the possibilities by saying, “The re-emergence of Guitar Hero and other things would not be possible without the different types of resources. And so, you know, just the endless possibilities for the future that are just incredibly exciting.”
Activision has a long-standing connection with the Guitar Hero franchise, particularly during its peak in the mid-2000s, when the company was churning out multiple entries annually. However, despite enjoying significant fanfare during its prime, the franchise gradually faded from relevance in recent years, with the last entry coming out in 2015 titled Guitar Hero Live. While Kotick’s recent statement doesn’t necessarily constitute an official confirmation of Guitar Hero‘s return or indicate that it’s currently in the works, it sure does give us fans a glimmer of hope that the iconic franchise could potentially make a comeback at some point down the road.
But, we won’t be too optimistic considering this isn’t the first time we’ve heard Kotick talking about a Guitar Hero revival. Back in June, Kotick told Variety that AI had the potential to resurrect the Guitar Hero series, despite the ongoing backlash from fans and creatives alike. He said, “We haven’t made a Guitar Hero in a long time, and I think with AI and some of the new technologies that we could employ, we could create a really compelling new Guitar Hero. But you know I can’t share with you the things we’re working on but we have a lot of new things in production and development that require better mastery of these new technologies.”
Another topic on the agenda during the recent internal meeting was the ever-evolving technology landscape and the potential game-changing impact of innovations like Elon Musk’s Neuralink and virtual reality (VR). Kotick shared his insights, stating, “I talked a little earlier about the physical experience of interacting with something on screen. I think you’ll see things like Neuralink — you’ll actually be able to interact with things on the screen, where there isn’t a controller.”
Featured Video from Man of Many
Featured Video from Man of Many


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Butter Getting Poured on Cars on Major New York State Road
What a weird situation that we heard happen this past weekend in New York State. There was liquid butter that was reportedly poured onto cars that were driving under overpasses on the 33 into downtown Buffalo.
A woman reported that there she was passing Grider Street on the 33 when all of the sudden something was dumped onto the windshield of her car. Of course, it is a scary situation when you can't see out of your windshield. The woman pulled over and everyone in the car quickly got out and assessed the car realizing that it was a liquid butter or margarine that was poured on the car. It happened on a Friday night, so they had to find a car wash that was opened where they could get the butter off. The car wash solved the problem, but what a scary situation.
It could have been way worse.
When we raised more questions about the incident on social media, more drivers in New York State said that they have had situations like this happen in the past. Not butter or margarine, but people reported the strangest items that were thrown at their cars. Some of the items included sandwiches that were thrown at the cars, a bowling ball, snowballs, rocks, one woman from Batavia, New York said that there were individual bologna pieces.
That may be why you see protective fencing on some of the overpasses to prevent situations like this.
What is the crime for throwing things at cars while they are driving in New York State?
Obviously, it is a crime to throw things at cars in New York State. You could be charged with Criminal mischief, a non-violent crime that involves intentionally or recklessly damaging property that belongs to another person", according to CriminalDefense.com.
NEXT: Look at this lazy river at this house for sale in Western New York. Pretty cool buy for someone.


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There were a couple of big stories competing for everyone's attention this week. At Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, Steve Jobs and company showed off their next generation of desktop, mobile, and cloud systems. But you know you're an Apple fanboy when that's bigger news to you than Congressman Anthony Weiner's tearful Twitter confession. What else happened? Sony got hacked again (yawn), Facebook found itself in another privacy kerfuffle, and yet another Middle Eastern dictatorship tried to block the Net. Got answers to our scintillating questions? Post the right ones and earn yourself 10 points. Now get out there and finish this thing before another politician totally embarrasses himself on the InterWebs.
1. Now that Apple's WWDC has been blogged to a pulp, we now know what's new in Apple world. Which of the following statements is not true?
a. The next-generation OS X, code-named Lion, will cost $30
b. iOS 5 has a new Notifications system
c. iCloud will sync music and video across all iDevices
d. iOS 5 has already been jailbroken
More InfoWorld quizzes
- The 2010 InfoWorld Geek IQ Test
- IT personality type quiz
- The InfoWorld mobile tech IQ test
- Programming IQ test: Round 2
- Apple IQ test
- Linux IQ test: Round 1
- Open source IQ test


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IBM to acquire SPSS for $1.2B
Armonk (New York): IBM Corp said Tuesday it agreed to acquire SPSS Inc., a Chicago-based company that specializes in software that help businesses spot future trends as well as shifts in consumer patterns and behavior, for USD1.2 billion.
Armonk, New York-based IBM said the acquisition of SPSS for
USD50 per share will boost its business-analytics technology,
which can also be used to help reduce credit risk, increase
customer loyalty and detect and prevent fraud across diverse
industries, it said.
The deal represents a 42 percent premium to SPSS closing
price Monday of USD35.09. In premarket trading Tuesday, SPSS
shares soared to USD49.15, up USD14.06, or 40 percent. IBM shares
shed 61 cents to USD117.02.
SPSS software predicts customer reactions, including to
sales pitches and marketing campaigns. Clients include
financial firms, telecommunications companies, government
agencies and educational institutions.
The deal is expected to close later in the second half,
subject to approval by SPSS shareholders and regulatory
Separately, IBM also said it has acquired Ounce Labs
Inc., a privately held software company in Waltham,
Massachusetts, for an undisclosed amount. IBM said the company
makes software that helps businesses reduce the risk and costs
associated with security and compliance concerns.
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SURAT: The manufacturers in the world’s largest diamond cutting and polishing centre Surat have cut down on production by up to 50% following sharp fall in prices of polished diamond and to avoid the inventory pile-up in a sluggish market.
Surat diamond industry, which accounts for about 85% of the world’s production of polished stones, is facing gloomy start in the new financial year with polished diamond prices on the Rapnet—world’s largest online business to business diamond trading platform—falling by 15% and that the prices of diamonds in small sizes falling up to 25% since January 2019.
Surat’s diamond industry cut and polish diamonds to the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore per annum. While 90% of the diamonds are cut and polished in Surat, centres like Amreli, Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad . account for the rest.
There are nearly 4,000 diamond polishing out of which about 500 have not reopened after summer vacation ended last week. These units employ over 4.5lakh workers. The production cut over since January is estimated to be worth Rs 30,000 crore.
Most of the diamond units, especially the small units operating less than 20 emery wheels have cut production by shutting down 80% of their machines.
Surat Diamond Association (SDA), president Babu Gujarati said, “Demand of polished diamonds in the global market is very poor due to trade war between China and US. Further, the rough diamond prices are at all time high, which has reduced the profit margin of the polishers.”
“Those operating 15 emery wheels have shut half of the wheels. However, the workers have not been affected as there is no information on them losing job. However, their wages have suffered a cut due to the ongoing crisis.”
Diamond industry analyst, Aniruddha Lidbide told TOI, “The crisis in the diamond industry is going to become worse in the coming months. The biggest challenge facing the industry is the popularity of lab-grown diamonds in the key markets like US.”
Jaysukh Gajera, president of Surat Ratnakalakar Sangh, an association of diamond polishers told TOI, “The issue of wages is going to be a big issue in the coming days as the diamond manufacturers have drastically reduced work. We have started getting complaints of the workers being paid less. But, we can’t do much as the crisis is omnipresent.”


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Pale lager or virus? The answer is seemingly self-explanatory, yet Google search trends would suggest otherwise. In an unfortunate case of word association, people are apparently confused by a presumed connection between the coronavirus and Corona beer.
Searches for “coronavirus symptoms” spiked more than 1,050 per cent last week, according to Google Trends .
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Meanwhile, as Boing Boing reported in a post titled “No, coronavirus has nothing to do with Corona beer,” search interest in “corona beer virus,” “beer virus” and “beer coronavirus” has increased since Jan. 18. In the case of “corona beer virus,” searches have since surged by 2,300 per cent; interest in “beer coronavirus” has increased by 3,233 per cent.
Corona Extra, the best-selling Mexican beer in the world, has nothing to do with the coronavirus, just to get that out of the way. The names of the two disparate entities merely share the same origin: the Latin word corōna, which means “garland, crown.”
The coronavirus is so-named because of its spiky, crown-like shape. Corona beer on the other hand bears a crown on its label, which is a nod to the concrete crown on top of the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Mexican town of Puerto Vallarta, according to Craft Beer and Brewing magazine.
People have been predominantly googling the connection between Corona beer and the virus — which has killed more than 130 people in China to date — in Canada and the U.S., Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand and Western Europe.


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Immigration News Blog
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Business down for those with Hispanic clienteleBusiness down for those with Hispanic clientele
Chris Campos sells machines that count dollar bills. Hispanic businesses that deal with cash customers are good prospects for Campos, but he's had to change his business model as a result of the state's crackdown on illegal immigration. "The market is in a state of flux," Campos said. "We focus on grocery stores. They wonder, 'Am I going to be in business next year, because all my customers are gone?' They don't want to invest in new technology."
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Ableworld says it has secured a series of excellent product offers to support a special ‘Birthday Sale’ marking 20 years in business.
The company plans to celebrate the anniversary of managing director Mike Williams (pictured) opening its first store two decades ago with a company-wide initiative designed to entice customers.
It will roll out special product discounts, alongside increased marketing efforts and in-store festivities.
Ableworld store managers were recently invited to its headquarters in Nantwich to launch the sale and the retailer is confident that the offers it has created will attract new customers to its outlets.
Sales at the firm are up 20% in the first nine months of its fiscal year ending August 2021, after falling 3% in the last full-year period due to the pandemic.
Last week Mr Williams said the company had responded well to the challenges thrown at it and felt vindicated by the strategic path it took during the crisis.
“Our strategy for continuing to open throughout the pandemic was certainly correct, not only from the moral point of view, supporting the vulnerable in our society but also from a financial point of view,” he said.
“Our staff have been fantastic and, in return, wherever possible, we have supported them. A lot of staff at the start of the pandemic were furloughed and those that weren’t we have looked after in many different ways including extra holidays and financially.”


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YouTube to offer third-party brand safety tools following boycott
YouTube says it’s working with third-party brand safety vendors to assure brands that their budgets won’t pay for ads alongside offensive content.
YouTube parent company Google says it will work with Media Ratings Council accredited companies such as DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science to provide better verification tools for brands advertising on the platform.
It has not provided an exact timeframe for when the tools will be available, AdAge reports.
Omnicom Media Group, representing companies in the YouTube spending freeze such as Pepsi, P&G and AT&T, has been one company to develop a program to review YouTube videos to be able to reassure its clients.
The media holding company says the program can review hundreds of thousands of videos daily and ensure that they are appropriate for brands to advertise near. People and machines will review YouTube content and score it for brand safety. Omnicom also says it would make more data available to brands regarding YouTube videos, reports Garett Sloane in AdAge.
“Scores will be determined by utilising AI and will be built upon public and non-public meta data that had previously been unavailable to advertisers,” Omnicom says in statement. This works in the opposite way that YouTube handles content – letting users post free inventory and then punishing bad content as it’s detected.
Omnicom rival WPP said it would work with video ad tech firm OpenSlate to run a similar filtering process to whitelist YouTube channels for its advertiser clients.
OpenSlate scores videos and helps brands decide which channels are worth their money. AdAge reports the company says it sorts through hundreds of millions of videos, and millions of channels, to come up with a select group of 850,000 channels that advertisers should even consider.
After promises from YouTube, as well as action from agencies guaranteeing brand safety for their clients, it’s still too early to tell just how long it will take brands to go back to advertising on Youtube.
The boycott of YouTube advertising by large worldwide brands such as Pepsi, Starbucks, Audi, Vodafone, and Australian brands like Telstra and Tourism Australia came largely as the result of brands’ ads appearing next to unsavoury, violent, and offensive content.
Agencies and media corporations such as News Corp have been quick to react, offering safer alternatives to brands who use their services and advertise on their platforms.