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Avoid multiplex stocks & BPCL; accumulate HDFC Life on dips: Gurmeet Chadha
‘I am long-term positive on RIL but won’t buy at these levels’
Karan Johar to create digital content exclusively for Netflix
Netflix has entered into a long-term deal with Johar’s digital content studio D...
Netflix’s budget Indian rival eyes original shows for profits
ALT Digital aims to produce about 60 new web shows through a JV to break even a...
ZEE would prefer a global company as strategic investor: Punit Goenka
Punit Goenka said that talks were initiated when one international player showed interest in ZEE5, the OTT business of ZEE.
Zee’s regional connect still strong; cost control helps
In the quarter under review, the company’s advertising revenues grew year-on-year by 24 per cent to Rs 1,050 crore.
This BCG report shows why Subhash Chandra is selling ZEE stake
Chandra's game plan might just be to turn his broadcasting giant into a media tech company with a heavy emphasis on OTT.
Partnership is name of the game in burgeoning video streaming segment
Several business models being built and tested in growing India market.
Analyst Calls: HDFC Life, ZEEL, Just Dial, Kajaria, Torrent Pharma
Edelweiss has downgraded Just Dial to hold and revised target price to Rs 740 from Rs 680.
Reliance Broadcast ropes in Abraham Thomas as CEO
The position has been vacant since Tarun Katial moved to ZEE5, the video-on-demand service of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, as CEO.
Accumulate Zee Entertainment Enterprises, target Rs 640: Emkay Global Financial Services
Accumulate Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. at a price target of Rs 640.0 .
Brokerages upbeat on ZEE after strong Q3 show
Macquarie and Credit Suisse have ‘outperform’ rating on the stock with a target price of Rs 564 and Rs 560 respectively.
ZEE launches knowledge acceleration program ‘Mind Wars’
Mind Wars will be a quiz contest providing a comprehensive knowledge acceleration program for students from grade 6th to 10th.
Zee Entertainment Q3 profit jumps 50% YoY to Rs 562 crore, beats Street estimates
Consolidated total income of the company jumped 19.44 per cent to Rs 2,252.75 crore.
Jio seems to be going slow on content plans
Management approval for many proposals is pending till funds are infused into the main business, according to over a dozen people within and outside the company who are familiar with the matter.
Amazon opposes voluntary censorship code move mooted by industry
Amazon will not walk out of the discussions, though, and will continue to engage with its peers, the people said.


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Welcome to the Stagwell Marketing Cloud x Harris Brand Platform monthly brand report.
Every month, we take brand data from Harris Brand Platform, a brand health tracking tool, and highlight the brands you should have on your radar.
Let’s dive in:
Fast fashion brand PrettyLittleThing (PLT), known for launching collections with influencers, celebrities, and favorite past Love Island contestants like Gemma Owen and Molly-Mae Hague, has had its fair share of bad press over the last few years…even over the last few days.
“Is PrettyLittleThing ethical?”
“PrettyLittleThing slammed for selling inappropriate Eid outfits—including mini dresses”
“Doja Cat’s sizzling PrettyLittleThing advert is BANNED by ASA for ‘overly sexualized’ content”
“An advert by PrettyLittleThing has been banned for ‘sexualizing’ 16-year-old Alabama Barker”
…and that only begins to skim the surface.
Despite tapping some of the world’s most ambitious celebrity partners (there are reports the brand is currently working to sign a deal with Madonna), PLT has experienced at least two major run-ins with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over the last couple of years, both of which have resulted in banned ad campaigns for their collections with singer Doja Cat and Travis Barker’s teen daughter, Alabama.
Obviously, this kind of coverage can negatively impact a brand’s reputation and standing with its customers, but it’s not so clear if that is the case with the UK brand. When it comes to PLT, P.T. Barnum may have been right when he said: “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.”
Let’s see what the data says. Harris Brand Platform VP of Data Products Zeke Hughes dug into the numbers to see how Doja Cat and Alabama Barker’s banned ad campaigns specifically impacted PLT’s brand equity.
Here’s what he found:
“PLT actually experienced brand equity gains (+13.6) after the polarizing [Doja Cat] campaign, according to Harris Brand Platform data. The hotly discussed ad helped the UK brand generate a significant amount of familiarity (+21.7) among young women.
In addition to brand familiarity, PLT saw significant gains across all components of brand equity (the value consumers see in a brand at a moment in time) – perceived quality (+5.6), purchase consideration (+13.8), and perceived momentum (+13.5).
Like their 2021 ads with Doja Cat, PLT’s 2022 ad controversy does not appear to have hurt the brand’s health. In fact, purchase consideration among Millennial women familiar with the PLT brand rose after the launch of Barker’s ad campaign.
While some adults consider the ads in poor taste, the brand’s target consumer may view them more favorably. When we look at the top adjectives Millennial women use to describe the PrettyLittleThing brand, “stylish” (32.5%), “young” (30.3%), and “fun” (28.2%) reign.”
Audience is everything: If your audience has your back, it’s less important what the Advertising Standards Authority thinks.
While the ad campaigns PLT produced for Doja Cat and Barker violated ASA standards, they didn’t violate the standards of their young, fashion-focused audience. In fact, they were right in line with what consumers view to be on-brand, aspirational content.
By aligning their brand so closely with influencers and celebrities that have huge followings, they take on the brands and the audiences of the creators themselves. While this can definitely be a challenge if your partners find themselves in hot water, it can also be a huge advantage when you need a fanbase to rally for you—not against you.
Across the United States, adults still on their parents’ phone plan are all receiving the same alarmed text from their mom: “Do you think Netflix is really going to crack down on password sharing? How would you access our account? XOXO, Mom 😍”
While the hammer has yet to fall in the United States, early signs in Spain show subscriber loss from updated policies around sharing a Netflix account across households will almost certainly be a reality. In the first three months of 2023, Netflix has reportedly lost more than one million users from updated policies in Spain.
In an effort to increase revenue, Netflix has made a series of changes, from the aforementioned crackdown on password sharing to tiered subscriptions that give users the option to watch Netflix with ads for about half the average monthly subscription cost.
So how have these changes impacted Netflix’s brand equity? With a 37% plummet in stock price last spring after a reported loss of 200,000 subscribers, how are new changes to the organization’s business model and internal structure (not to mention a growing list of competitors) impacting its clout in the space?
Hughes digs into the numbers below:
“The graph above uses Harris Brand Platform data to track Netflix’s momentum from January 2021 through mid-May 2022.
Momentum measures a brand’s ability to maintain market position and beat out competitors. In Spring 2022, Netfix’s momentum dropped steeply to its lowest-ever level (highlighted in orange).
This period of decline coincided with a slew of negative press, including Netflix’s drop in subscribers, a poor earnings report, and layoff announcements.
“After a challenging first half, we believe we’re on a path to reaccelerate growth,” – Netflix Q3 letter to shareholders.
The graph below shows Netflix’s momentum from January 2021 – March 2023. Around June 2022, Netflix’s momentum begins trending in a more positive direction, and leads into a sudden momentum spike in the fall.
In the third quarter, Netflix gained 2.4 million new subscribers, and they predicted adding an additional 4.5 million subscribers in the final quarter. Netflix’s Q3 earnings report was significantly better than expected. Together, these positive announcements drove Netflix’s share price up 13%.”
While the impact of new policies that monitor password sharing is yet to be known, data from the last couple of years shows Netflix hit rock bottom—but not for long.
The streaming giant is one of the first players in the space, and if data from the last couple of years shows anything, it’s that Netflix will probably rebound.
Despite a tough year in 2022 that included subscriber dips, layoffs, and stock fluctuations, Netflix managed to push the line on its momentum graph up and to the right, even amidst talk of eliminating the possibility for families and friends to share passwords across households in the future.
While their brand momentum has taken an undeniable hit during a tough time for the business, my bet is they continue to stay relevant and top of mind for consumers. While subscriber loss will be inevitable with changes to the subscription sharing model, the potential increase in revenue this will create shows a promising Q3 of this year for Netflix from a fiscal perspective—and I don’t think consumers will be unhappy for long.
When you think of big pharma, what comes to mind?
I personally think about artist Nan Goldin’s 2019 protest at the Guggenheim museum.
Or maybe you think about the rising costs and growing scarcity of weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro as they become popularized as a way for those with the means to reach new levels of thin. Or maybe you even know a relative who is spending half of their income on medications they quite literally cannot live without.
Needless to say, big pharma has a bit of a PR problem.
But recent news from Eli Lilly is changing the tune for the sector, as they announced that they cut insulin prices by 70% and are capping out-of-pocket costs at $35 per month for customers.
“While the current healthcare system provides access to insulin for most people with diabetes, it still does not provide affordable insulin for everyone and that needs to change,” David A. Ricks, Lilly’s Chair and CEO said in a statement. “The aggressive price cuts we're announcing today should make a real difference for Americans with diabetes. Because these price cuts will take time for the insurance and pharmacy system to implement, we are taking the additional step to immediately cap out-of-pocket costs for patients who use Lilly insulin and are not covered by the recent Medicare Part D cap.”
So, did consumers respond to this change? Let’s see what Harris Brand Poll found:
“After Eli Lilly’s announced price drop, purchase consideration significantly increased among diabetics and adults with a diabetic family member. This reflects consumers’ appreciation of the pharmaceutical manufacturers’ decision, and an increased desire to support Eli Lilly after this change.
From February to March 2023, Eli Lilly experienced growth across all phases of their sales conversion funnel among diabetics and adults with a diabetic family member (Figure 2). The greatest gains were seen in the recommend (+5.2) phase showing that consumers were more likely to recommend Eli Lilly products to others after they lowered insulin costs. US adults familiar with Eli Lilly were also significantly more likely to describe the brand as customer-centric (+8.5) and trustworthy (+7.2) in March than they had been in February.”
What’s good for the customer can also be good for business. Eli Lilly lowered the price on an expensive, yet essential, medication and increased consumer support for their brand.
There’s still a lot of progress to be made in this sector, though, and there is speculation that this change won’t actually impact the people who need it the most.
Regardless, this move has had a positive impact on their brand equity and will hopefully lead to continued progress for big pharma.

domain: news


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Warsaw (Reuters) – Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is expected to announce more additions to the country’s anti-inflationary package on Tuesday, government spokesperson Piotr Muller said on Saturday.
The measures in the whole package could be extended if inflation continues to surge, Muller told private radio RMF FM.
On Friday Morawiecki highlighted a previously announced VAT tax cut on petrol.
The tax cuts are aimed at countering the impact of surging inflation in Poland, which has reached a more than two-decade high.
Poland’s central bank hiked its main interest rate by 50 basis points to 2.25% on Tuesday and signalled there was more tightening to come. Data on Friday showed the consumer price index hit 8.6% in December.


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The day Elon Musk landed his Twitter coup worth $44 billionthe Tesla boss flew to Boca Chica, Texas, not to relax on the sandy beach, but to attend his regular 10 p.m. meeting at SpaceX, the rocket company where he is also CEO.
The billionaire, who also runs tunneling company Boring and brain-chip venture Neuralink, will put his multitasking skills to the test as Twitter becomes the latest spinning record in an already precarious collection.
The question for Tesla shareholders, still the only direct public avenue for investors looking to engage with Musk, is how much his recent curiosity will distract him.
“I’ve learned that it’s wrong to underestimate its extraordinary energy and breadth,” said James Anderson, portfolio manager at Baillie Gifford, one of the automaker’s earliest investors and a top 10 shareholder. “What we are hearing suggests that [Tesla] going so well that Musk isn’t, or doesn’t need to be, involved on a day-to-day basis.”
Once a struggling start-up that failed to mass produce its cars, the company has matured almost beyond recognition.
In the last two years alone, Tesla has opened its Shanghai factory, a record-time facility in Berlin, and its new factory in Texas, where the ribbon was cut at a rodeo-themed party hosted by Musk this month.
The brand posted a profit of $5 billion in the first quarter and is on track to sell 2 million vehicles this year. It has an ambitious goal of growing sales to 20 million a year by 2030, which would make it bigger than Toyota and Volkswagen combined.
“Does he have to be that involved? Probably not as much as a year ago and absolutely not as much as two to three years ago,” said Gary Black, a managing partner at The Future Fund and one of the many investors using Twitter as a platform to showcase the Tesla bull Case. “If there was a time for him to do Twitter, it’s now.”
According to several people who have worked for him, Musk manages his time with a forensic level of detail. His schedule used to include Monday and Tuesday at SpaceX, Wednesday and Thursday at Tesla, and Friday was spent doing product reviews at both companies, hopping between locations on his private jet and juggling emails.
“He’s been very disciplined about that rhythm — that’s impressive,” said a former Tesla executive who reports directly to Musk, adding that on days when he wasn’t traveling internationally, his schedule is “in stone.” chiseled”.
At one point, he would break up his workday into five-minute slots to maximize his output, regularly slotting in days that can last up to 20 hours.
“I’m no more concerned about Twitter distracting from Tesla than I’m worried about Tesla distracting from SpaceX,” said one top 20 shareholder.
But Musk will inevitably have to rely on a multitude of proxies in his operations. At SpaceX, he has Gwynne Shotwell, the longtime chief operating officer, while at Tesla, Drew Baglino is the most senior executive behind Musk and CFO Zach Kirkhorn. It’s not yet clear how much Musk wants to be involved in the day-to-day management of Twitter.
A second former Tesla executive who reported to Musk said the CEO typically spreads responsibility among the automaker’s executives, rather than relying on a single traditional operations manager, as he did at SpaceX. “It’s just his way of working,” added the ex-director.
A potential issue may be the timing implications of an additional location. “He now has so many more points on the map to go to,” said the first former Tesla exec.
Twitter is based in San Francisco, while SpaceX has an office outside of Los Angeles and a launch base on the Texas coast. Tesla, once limited to its Fremont plant and a battery factory in Nevada, is now also demanding its attention from plants in Texas, Germany and China.
“He loves to travel [from] go from place to place on every factory floor and attend technical meetings,” said Walter Isaacson, who is writing a biography of the entrepreneur. “But he does some meetings virtually these days.”
Musk will need to keep an eye on Tesla’s stock price. His shares in the automaker are part of the complex, hastily arranged financing for the Twitter deal.
Musk has pledged $12.5 billion from a loan backed by his Tesla shares as part of a package that also includes $13 billion in bank debt and $21 billion in cash.
The day after the Twitter deal was announced, Tesla shares fell 12 percent, erasing the automaker’s value by more than $125 billion.
Further declines would increase the number of shares he needs to hedge as collateral for the deal.
“It’s dawning on people that if he needs to pull up a little more leverage to buy Twitter, what if Tesla stock has to keep falling?” said Jim Chanos, the hedge fund billionaire and renowned short seller who is a longtime bet against the automaker.
“There is no room for error in Tesla’s assessment, he must move on. It has to grow by 40 to 50 percent every year with a gross margin of 30 percent.”
Black said Musk’s “incentive now is to keep Tesla’s share price as high as possible.” He expects the company to announce a stock split to prop up the price and push for an upgraded credit rating to reduce interest payments.
While there’s little business overlap — Tesla eschews traditional advertising — analysts and investors warn that Musk’s Twitter ownership still has the potential to hurt the automaker.
“If something goes wrong, there is a great reputational risk . . . when Musk gets a negative image and that spills over to Tesla for a while,” said Philippe Houchois, an auto industry analyst at Jefferies, who believes it’s inevitable that Musk “will piss people off.”
In the days since the deal, Musk has fired off several humorous letters, including one in which he said his next move would be to “buy Coca-Cola to refill the cocaine.”
But he has also targeted individuals, with posts including a meme featuring Twitter’s legal boss Vijaya Gadde and promising to anger one in five users at the far ends of the political spectrum in the name of balance.
One suggestion that has surfaced since the deal is that China, which has banned the social media platform, may be able to lean on Tesla, which makes about half of its cars in the country, to sway rules at Twitter. China’s foreign ministry has rejected the idea.
Ultimately, even the company’s harshest critics admit that the impact on Tesla stock, which has risen far higher than the company’s improving fortunes, may have been muted.
“Tesla shareholders are very forgiving,” Chanos said. “Maybe they just shrug their shoulders and say, ‘If anyone can do it, Elon Musk can,’ and continue to back him up when the doubt is right.”
What does Elon Musk’s Twitter deal mean for Tesla? Source link What does Elon Musk’s Twitter deal mean for Tesla?


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TAMPA, Fla. - Verizon and Joey Galloway are teaming up to remind Tampa Bay area consumers that if they want to have the most advanced cable sports offerings in the area, they need to "pass" their TV service to Verizon.
"We are very excited to welcome Joey Galloway to the Verizon FiOS family," said Suri Surinder, Verizon's senior vice president and general manager for operations in the Southeast. "While Joey is known for his speed on the field, this is not a fast-talking exercise. Our rapidly growing TV customer base in the area knows that the pitch he will deliver is right on point - FiOS TV provides consumers with the most versatile sports channels via ultra-clear fiber-based transmissions, including a high-definition picture that is unparalleled."
Tampa Bay area radio stations will begin broadcasting ads today that feature Galloway, the star NFL wide receiver, and highlight the sports offerings on FiOS TV, including NFL Network. Print ads will also be featured over the next couple of months, and Galloway's likeness will be featured on various digital billboards. The sentiment of the ad campaign is best represented by a Galloway quote that will appear in the print ads: "I switched to Verizon FiOS from Bright House to get NFL Network. You should too!"
Verizon offers 11 sports channels on its FiOS TV Premier offering, including ESPNU, ESPN Classic, Versus and NFL Network, as part of the $42.99 monthly stand-alone price. Customers with a high-definition set-top box can also view NFL Network HD plus four other high-definition sports channels as a part of the 31 HD channels FiOS TV offers overall. By year-end, Verizon will increase the number of HD channels to 150.
In addition to the standard sports package provided by FiOS TV, customers can also add a 14-channel premium sports package for $7.99 per month, offering three Fox college sports channels, the Tennis Channel, the Golf Channel and Fox Sports Espanol, among others. To view the full lineup, customers can visit www.verizon.com/fiostv.
Verizon, providing FiOS services on the nation's most advanced digital all-fiber-optic network, now offers FiOS TV in each of the six counties it serves in west central Florida.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 63.7 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon has a diverse workforce of nearly 238,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $88 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.


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• Stakeholders seek resolution to barred cargoes from Lagos port
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) yesterday attributed its decision to temporarily suspend all export receipts at the Lagos Ports Complex and the Tin Can Island Port till April 5, 2021, to the need to clear the congestion resulting from over 800 export cargoes lying at the port corridors.
According to the NPA, it has become expedient to address the backlog before adding new trucks to end congestion on port access roads and improve service delivery through its electronic call-up system.
It noted that as of yesterday, NPA could not add more cargoes while the ones that had already been ticketed were yet to access the ports, thus undermining the call-up system.
With the decision impacting export business and potential revenue to the country, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) urged stakeholders to explore solutions that would reduce the challenges faced by exporters in moving their goods/cargoes from the hinterland to ports.
The Director/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Olusegun Awolowo, at a stakeholders’ interactive session to fast-track export cargo containers access into Lagos ports held yesterday, expressed concerns about the gridlock at the ports due to cargo congestion, describing it as a recurring challenge.
“On the heels of this, are constant complaints from exporters on losses incurred due to over-delay of consignments, which at times rendered the products concerned as unwholesome and subsequently leading to product rejects. This has made export from Nigeria uncompetitive in comparison to exports from other countries”, he said.
He added that the NEPC is collaborating with other stakeholders on the concept of domestic export warehouse and export aggregation centres to serve as a one-stop facility/terminal for receipt of products, packaging/labelling, pre-shipment inspection, and fumigation of goods ultimate transportation of consignments to the ports.
According to him, the Federal Government has been making frantic efforts on approaches to ensure that export business is seamless and devoid of encumbrances that can make export business in Nigeria a nightmare.
Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman urged operators to utilise other ports for exports, adding that cargoes should be linked to ports of a destination rather than congesting a particular port.
“There has been a challenge and congestion at the port area. We are trying to categorise cargoes. As of Sunday, we had 823 trucks of export cargoes that have been ticketed, have their e-call up, and waiting to enter the ports. Some of them were already at Lilypond and a significant portion on the road. We advise that cargoes should be kept at the premises of their owners and should be well preserved. Even if we allow you with tickets, you will be on the roads and not allowed access to the ports. Would you rather be on the road without control of your cargoes?
“We need to be pragmatic in our decisions. That was what informed our decision to suspend export receipts at both ports and all satellite truck parks, since Monday. The data around e-call up has helped to demystify the process. The processes for certification are also cumbersome and create bottlenecks for exports. This is why the exporter needs to know the processes.
“NIWA is also exploring ways to ensure that some cargoes are moved via barges on inland waters. Inland waters should be explored and made commercially viable for everyone to use. We need to discourage the use of roads as the only option for the movement of goods into the ports”, she added.


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Kanye West launched his new video last night in east London but decided against turning up himself:
He projected the clip for N***** In Paris, from his joint album with Jay-Z, on to the side of a train station.
People trudged down there in the cold after word spread on Twitter that he’d be playing a gig – or at least giving one of his ridiculous, rambling speeches.
But they were disappointed when the rap Zoolander, who moved to London at the beginning of the year to work on his fashion range, didn’t make an appearance.
He was probably busy working on his latest Derelicte clothing collection. Where are you Yeezy!?!


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Cooper announces Q2 results
Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.'s net income for the second quarter totaled $13 million, a $26 million drop from the company's all-time record net income for the same period last year.
However, Cooper's Q2 2003 net sales rose to $840 million, a $4 million increase over Q2 2002.
The Findlay, Ohio-based tiremaker's second quarter operating profit totaled $38 million.
Cooper's Tire Group reported net sales of $432 million during Q2 2003, a 4% increase over the same period last year. However, its second quarter operating profit was $14 million vs. $37 million for Q2 2002.
"The decline was the result of significantly higher raw material costs, lower volumes in North America, and the cost of temporary production curtailments and plant inefficiencies," say Cooper officials.
Sales of Cooper's high performance tire lines, including its new Zeon 2XS, "showed strong growth and added to the improved product mix, as did P-metric SUV tires."
Cooper's ultra-high performance sales grew by a whopping 85% during Q2 2003 while its SUV tire sales increased 24%.
"Overall, unit sales of Cooper brand tires increased by more than 8%."
Looking ahead, Cooper Chairman, President and CEO Tom Dattilo believes that "market conditions are improving. We remain confident that we are well-positioned and have the right plans in place to maximize opportunities and earnings."


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Marks & Spencer shakes up top team as non-food sales fall
Tuesday 10 July 2012
Marks & Spencer's worst trading performance for three years triggered a boardroom casualty today after its womenswear range failed to strike a chord with shoppers.
The UK's biggest fashion retailer said sales of women's clothes had been hit by the wet weather and a shortage of some of its most popular lines, while it admitted to analysts it was losing market share.
That drove a 6.8% fall in non-food like-for-like sales in the 13 weeks to June 30 - its worst performance since December 2008.
Kate Bostock, who is head of general merchandise, will leave the group in October, while former Debenhams and Jaeger boss Belinda Earl has been tasked with revitalising the offer in the newly created role of style director.
While Marks avoided a shareholder rebellion at its annual meeting, some retail watchers said Ms Bostock had been made a scapegoat in order to take the heat off chief executive Marc Bolland.
Pressure has been mounting on the Dutchman to justify a pay packet that is potentially worth up to £6 million after he recently oversaw the retailer's first fall in profits for three years.
To make matters worse, M&S stock market value has at times recently slipped below rival Next, while online fashion store ASOS added to the strain by reporting a better-than-expected 8% rise in UK sales today.
Independent retail analyst Nick Bubb said: "M&S's problems in womenswear go far beyond the weather, as they are clearly losing market share.
"M&S desperately needs some stability in top management, but Marc Bolland is fighting for his own job so he has, somewhat predictably, made poor Kate Bostock, the head of M&S clothing, the scapegoat for the poor first quarter trading."
Ms Earl, who will work for the chain for two to three days a week, left Jaeger earlier this year after a period of sick leave.
The former Debenhams chief executive will work closely with John Dixon, who is currently in charge of food but will take over as head of general merchandise. He has been with the company for 26 years and is seen as a potential successor to Mr Bolland.
But Ms Earl may have a tough job ahead of her, as M&S's clothes have been criticised as frumpy and struggling to appeal to a younger audience, despite high profile adverts featuring the likes of Gary Barlow and Myleene Klass.
And today's figures will fuel fears that Marks, which has 700 stores in the UK, is losing its grip on the key womenswear market.
Seymour Pierce analyst Freddie George said: "Womenswear has been off trend and a rebranding exercise has not yet gained any traction.
"But I think they are generally doing the right things but it takes a while to get the message across to consumers."
Mr Bolland said the stock issues were a continuation of the problems it reported in April, when it did not buy enough of some of its best-selling lines and it could have sold more than double the number of pump shoes.
Marks said it is confident that it is taking the necessary steps to address the poor performance of its non-food business.
As well as the shake-up in the management team, it has improved buying and merchandising and believes its stock will be back on target in time for the autumn-winter season, which will be launched in stores later this month.
Sales of coats, jackets and hosiery have done well amid the grim early summer weather but the fall in sales of casualwear hurt it because it traditionally makes up a large proportion of its sales at this time of year.
The appointments were welcomed in the City, with shares up 2.5% despite the disappointing sales figures.
Meanwhile, food sales, which were boosted by the celebrations surrounding the Diamond Jubilee, rose 0.6%.
Overall like-for-like sales were 2.8% lower but this was the company's worst performance since the quarter to March 2009.
The group also said the roll-out of its new design of stores was on track, after it previously admitted its outlets were difficult to shop in.
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On Episode 512 of the Waves of Tech, we are diving into a bit of a Thanksgiving special this week. With the holidays around the corner, we share what technologies we are truly thankful and appreciative of this year. Google has teamed up with a non-profit organization to build an application to assist blind and visually-impaired runners with technology to safely traverse a course. Lime, an e-scooter company, made headlines when they announced being profitable for the first time in company history and showing perhaps a bright future. Black Friday is just around the corner and we offer up some predictions on what items may be the high sellers this season.
Being Thankful for Tech
With Thanksgiving happening in the States this week, it’s a good opportunity to highlight a few technologies that we can be thankful for. Technology can bring families together, bridge the divide between friendship, and connect millions with the flip of a switch (or app). There is so much technology to point to that we can be appreciative and thankful for.
- Video connectivity via Zoom, Skype, Alexa, WhatsApp, or Messenger
- Social media apps to feel connected with friends and family around the world
- GPS for making movement, connection, and traveling a bit easier
- Various communicative systems to allow military families to stay in touch
Google’s Project Guideline
Along with Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a non-for profit organization that provides guide dogs to people with vision loss, has partnered with Google to bring Project Guideline – a system built and based on AI that can help visually-impaired and blind persons run races without any support. Early testing is in full swing with development making solid progress.
- A Google designed waist harness and Android phone app are the two main items
- Features include auditory signals via ear and bone vibrations to alert danger
- The app does not need a functioning internet connection to properly work
- The phone camera and AI will guide the runner around the course and terrain
Lime Turns Profit, Milestone in E-Scooter Business
Year after year, the micro-mobility industry and urban mobility companies have come under considerable critique. Many have been banned from cities due to the lack of storage and major safety issues. However, Lime has turned a corner and finally announced their first profitable quarter. This is a big step in the right direction for investors and micro-unit users.
- Lime scaled back operations in their corporate offices and exited poor markets
- Continued success is being seen by the company in many European markets
- Their new generation of e-scooter is set for release in Paris exclusively
- Lime may have cracked the code on design, maintenance, and markets
Black Friday Predictions
Without going into the mind numbing laundry list of Black Friday deals, we offer up some predictions on what items may be the big sellers for the annual retail extravaganza. Each year, there are some big surprises on what consumers are looking to grab off the physical or digital shelves. Here are some thoughts from the both of us.
- Smart Speakers – music, video calls, in-home assistance, entertainment, ease
- Wireless Earphones – more options in the market, lower costs, growth in demand
- WiFi Home Items – coffee pots, lighting systems, thermostats, cooking tools
- Gaming – new entertainment consoles, digital downloads
Resources & Links


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A staggering quantity of the meme currency DOGE was transmitted on the blockchain a little more than two hours ago, according to Whale Alert, after Tuesday’s announcement that Elon Musk’s (TSLA) proposed acquisition of Twitter was once again on the way to resume on October 4th.
The amount that was transmitted on the chain was over 500 million meme coins. Together, these transactions total about one billion DOGE in just two days. In addition, Whale Alert discovered a total of 386 million Dogecoins exchanged between two anonymous wallets. The estimated value of this number of meme coins is $25,187,368.
🚨 386,082,773 #DOGE (25,187,368 USD) transferred from unknown wallet to unknown wallethttps://t.co/klCuL5pkCu— Whale Alert (@whale_alert) October 6, 2022
Related Reading | MiCA Bill Approves, EU Setting The Stage For Crypto Regulation
Moreover, 836 million Dogecoins were transferred on October 5th, totaling 449,999,998 DOGE. It is the second large-scale transaction in the last two days that the cryptocurrency tracking service has spotted (Whale Alert).
However, DOGE, the tenth largest cryptocurrency, is currently trading at $0.064322, up 1.5% over the previous day. According to statistics from CoinGecko, it also indicates an increase of 5.8% over the preceding seven days.
DOGE Price Rises Vs Twitter Acquisition Deal Resumes
DOGE, the tenth largest cryptocurrency, is currently trading at $0.064322, up 1.5% over the previous day. According to statistics from CoinGecko, it also indicates an increase of 5.8% over the preceding seven days.
According to a letter from Musk’s lawyers to Twitter’s lawyers that was also filed with the SEC, Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has recommended moving through with his on-again/off-again agreement to purchase Twitter (TWTR) at the initial agreed-upon price of $44 billion, or $54.20 per share.
Furthermore, the letter also demanded that the case Twitter had filed against Musk, which was scheduled for trial in only two weeks, be promptly stayed in order to persuade him to proceed with the sale.
The board of the social media company approved the Tesla CEO’s initial bid to purchase Twitter in April for around $44 billion in cash. As a result of Twitter’s alleged fraudulent and deceptive assertions regarding the volume of spam or fake accounts on the network, Musk withdrew his offer in July.


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Looking for something to do this weekend? Amazon has a suggestion. On Saturday, January 24th, all ten episodes of the award-winning dramedy Transparent will be available for free on Amazon Instant Video.
Normally, viewers who wish to watch Amazon’s catalog of original programs must own an Amazon Prime account, which costs $99 per year. For one day only, Amazon will waive not apply that requirement to its most acclaimed series, which received widespread critical praise when it debuted in September 24th.
The impetus for this promotion is Transparent‘s recent success at the Golden Globe Awards. It won a trophy for Best TV Series – Comedy or Musical, and star Jeffrey Tambor also earned a win in the Best Actor – Comedy or Musical category. Those two victories were Amazon Video’s first ever award triumphs. Since the Globes, interest in Transparent has soared, and its viewership has increased several times over.
“We’re incredibly proud of everyone involved in the making of Transparent–the team took a risk and it paid off,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, in a release. “Big kudos and congrats to Jill, Jeffrey, and all the cast and crew.”
From the looks of it, Amazon hopes its Transparent promotion will convince consumers to pick up their own Amazon Prime subscriptions. To that end, Amazon is discounting Prime membership; for a limited time, the service will only cost $72 per year.
Transparent stars Tambor as a patriarch who is transitioning to life as a woman. At the same time, the series follows his three vain, spoiled children, who are all battling their own issues. The first season spans ten half-hour episodes. If you lack an Amazon Prime account and feel like having a lazy Saturday, Transparent is a fine viewing choice.


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- The board said the offer from Xerox undervalues HP and is not in the best interest of shareholders.
- Xerox had offered HP $22 per share in its takeover bid for the company. The bid consists of 77% cash and 23% stock, or $17 in cash and 0.137 Xerox share for each HP share.
- HP announced in October that it will cut between 7,000 and 9,000 jobs by the end of fiscal 2022 as part of a broader restructuring plan that it estimates will save $1 billion a year.
HP's board of directors said Sunday that they unanimously rejected a proposal from Xerox to acquire the company, because the offer is not in the best interest of shareholders and would undervalue HP.
"In reaching this determination, the Board also considered the highly conditional and uncertain nature of the proposal, including the potential impact of outsized debt levels on the combined company's stock," the board wrote in a letter to John Visentin, Xerox's CEO.
HP announced in October that it will cut between 7,000 and 9,000 jobs by the end of fiscal 2022 as part of a broader restructuring plan that it estimates will save $1 billion a year. The cuts would amount to nearly 16% of its 55,000 employees across the world, according to data from FactSet.
The software company is worth $29 billion and is over three times the size of Xerox, which makes printers and copiers, in terms of market cap.
"We note the decline of Xerox's revenue from $10.2 billion to $9.2 billion (on a trailing 12-month basis) since June 2018, which raises significant questions for us regarding the trajectory of your business and future prospects," the board wrote.
"In addition, we believe it is critical to engage in a rigorous analysis of the achievable synergies from a potential combination," the board wrote. "With substantive engagement from Xerox management and access to diligence information on Xerox, we believe that we can quickly evaluate the merits of a potential transaction."
HP was created after Hewlett-Packard separated its enterprise business — Hewlett Packard Enterprise — which sells data storage equipment and servers, among other things.
Activist investor Carl Icahn, who owns a 10.6% stake in Xerox, recently bought a $1.2 billion stake in HP. He was pushing for the merger of the two companies, as he believed that a combined company would be in the best interests of both sets of shareholders given the potential for cost savings and a balanced portfolio of printer options.


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TiVo and Comcast’s long-term relationship has been somewhat consummated with the news that Comcast is letting subscribers in its San Francisco system access its Xfinity on-demand content through TiVo Premiere boxes.
Starting yesterday and continuing over the next few weeks, TiVo said existing Premiere users and Comcast subscribers in the Bay Area would automatically receive an update to their DVRs that would allow them access to Comcast’s video-on-demand (VOD) library. TiVo also indicated that the service would be available in additional Comcast markets over the coming months.
The service, which was first announced last year, launched yesterday in the Bay Area, according to a blog on TiVo’s website. Last year’s deal covered TiVo users who had self-installed their own boxes, but Comcast also agreed to install TiVo’s Premiere set-top boxes with its cable service at no additional charge.
A spokeswoman for Comcast said this morning that new TiVo customers have the option to either receive a self-install kit or have the TiVo Premiere set up by a certified Comcast technician.
Comcast and TiVo’s relationship has taken a long time to reach fruition. After announcing a partnership in 2005, TiVo and Comcast first paired up on a trial in Comcast’s New England market in 2007. The trial used Comcast’s TV Navigator, which was developed by TVWorks, to download TiVo’s software into the Motorola boxes, but the trial was never expanded to other markets or to Cisco boxes.
In December, Charter announced that it was launching TiVo Premiere in Texas, with a wider rollout set for the first half of this year, but in a February earnings call, Charter said it was pushing back the wider rollout due to its VOD systems being different than the ones TiVo had previously integrated with.
Cox Communications is also offering its VOD content over TiVo Premiere boxes, while Suddenlink has Premiere rolled out across 70 percent of its footprint.
On the other end of the TiVo spectrum, the company filed a lawsuit against Motorola and Time Warner Cable and recently cut the cost of its monthly service fee, as well as the price for its retail TiVo Premiere DVRs.


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The centuries-old language watchdog the Académie Française has warned that growing use of English by public and private bodies risks poor communication and could even undermine social cohesion.
A report by six members, published online this week, warns that “today’s communication is characterised by a degradation that must not be seen as inevitable”.
Over 30 pages, it picks through dozens of messages from public bodies, such as ministries or local authorities, as well as private firms, highlighting examples of bilingual wordplay.
The flagged terms include train operator SNCF’s low-cost Ouigo (pronounced “we go”) services, or imports from English such as “big data” or “drive-in”.
“Many anglicisms are used in place of existing French words or expressions, inevitably leading to the gradual erasure of the French equivalents,” said the body, which was founded in 1635 under King Louis XIII to guard “pure” French.
“Aside from fashion and sport, the internet and digital field is unsurprisingly the most strongly and visibly ‘anglicised’,” the academy said, dubbing tech terms “Californisms”.
In one example, it notes that there are at least five possible French translations for the social networking term “follower”, a word commonly peppered into everyday French speech.
The Covid-19 pandemic has also resulted in a number of hasty bolt-ons from English like “cluster” and “testing”.
English words themselves are “often distorted” to fit French pronunciation or syntax, the academy notes, resulting in “the creation of hybrid forms that are neither English nor French”.
Sometimes this can make even fluent speakers stumble – as with carmaker Peugeot’s slogan “Unboring the Future” or the concept of a “drive piéton” (a “pedestrian drive-through”, or pickup point for products ordered online).
Overuse of English “has the contradictory consequence of risking an impoverishment of French vocabulary and growing discrimination among sections of the public”, the academy said.
“By widely using an English vocabulary not understood by much of the public, online services contribute to stoking the defiance that has visibly developed in recent years towards all kinds of authorities.”
The Académie Française has become more assertive under permanent secretary, Hélène Carrère d’Encausse, about its mission to protect French.
In January, it threatened legal action against the government for including English translations of information fields on national identity cards.


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Standard Chartered has expressed disappointment with what it calls the "slow" pace of technology change among banks.
The financial services firm today reported an 11 percent rise in annual profits to $6.8 billion (£4.3 billion), mainly due to the performance of its extensive business in fast-growing Asian markets.
It told investors it planned to increase its efforts with IT, in order to adapt to changing markets.
"Like any digitisable business, banking can be transformed through technological innovation," it said in a statement.
Standard Chartered said it had "stepped up the pace of technology led innovation" across its business – including launching "the world's first trade finance apps for iPad, rolling out lifestyle-linked personal finance apps for the iPhone [and] piloting radically different operational models".
"We have even got our own internal app store," it said. "We believe technology will transform the industry. And we want to make it happen, rather than have it happen to us."
Standard Chartered said that any slow pace in technology change among banks was partly owing to financial rules, and also the result of the poor record of banks during the crisis.
"Indeed, compared to many such industries, we have arguably been slow [in terms of technology change]," it said, "partly because regulation creates barriers to such changes, partly because financial innovation became seen as a bad thing in the wake of the crisis."


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Most things don’t last very long in the ever-changing city-state of Singapore, but the Sungei Road Thieves’ Market has a history that can be traced back to the 1930s. It’s survived the Japanese Occupation, the decline of the British colonial era, and waves of development following Singapore’s independence. Yet Singapore’s love for urban renewal has finally caught up with one of the island’s last free-wheeling grassroots enterprises.
Now government banners on the market’s fence warn: “Sungei Road Hawking Zone will be closed with effect from 11 July 2017.” The market is expected to make way for a new metro station, scheduled to open this year, and possible future residential development.
While it’s hard to argue with the need to provide transport and housing for Singapore’s growing population, presently around 5.6 million people, the closure marks the latest example of a Singaporean landmark—following old public housing estates and cemeteries—falling victim to the country’s relentless redevelopment. Oddly, it also comes as nostalgia for the past has become increasingly popular.
Restaurants and food courts promise consumers “simple nostalgic food”, or “a unique, nostalgic dining experience.” The state-sponsored Singapore Heritage Fest, begun in 2004, has grown into a carefully curated event to broaden “public access to heritage” by organizing guided heritage trails and recreating aspects of old Singaporean life. In these contexts, though, heritage is about décor, design and reproduction, rather than community.
“People think heritage is about the past, about history, about black and white photos… stuff that’s gone,” said Chua Ai Lin, president of the Singapore Heritage Society. “That kind of hinders them from thinking about what is living heritage and what is at the core of living heritage—it’s the people.”
The vendors at the Sungei Road Thieves Market have been in it together for a long time. When 76-year-old Koh Ah Koon, a pillar of this community, leaves his stall to get a drink at a nearby coffee shop, he goes with the full confidence that his neighbour—a man he has known for decades—will watch over his products, and make sales on his behalf.
“This market is very meaningful for Singapore. It doesn’t discriminate based on race or religion, and there’s a lot of cross-cultural interaction,” says Koh, who has hawked secondhand goods here for three decades. “We should be proud Singapore has such a space… If removed, it can’t be reproduced.”
The market is one of the most prominent examples of an informal economy in Singapore, says Chua, because there are no rental costs and vendors aren’t required to have have permits. ”In Singapore, where it’s so structured and everything has to be institutionalised, this is something special,” says Chua.
Led by Koh, some of the market’s 160 vendors have formed the Association for the Recycling of Secondhand Goods to advocate for relocation together. “They don’t want to block progress in Singapore and are willing to move,” he says. “But don’t disband the market.”
At the market, tables display everything from shoes and clothing to used plugs and antique curiosities. One man sells old coins and notes from a variety of countries. Another bellows old Chinese pop songs as he presides over his spread of old mobile phones and cables. A varied crowd of patrons, from Singaporean bargain-hunters to tourists and migrant workers, mill around the short narrow streets.
Lived experiences like these aren’t often included in discussions of conservation, where the focus is often the architectural or historical value of a space or building. But it’s precisely these interpersonal relationships, forged over a long period of time, that imbue a place with collective memory and significance.
Koh did his homework and proposed four alternative sites to the government for relocating the market but was rejected. Those spaces have already been identified for other purposes under the government’s master plan for the city.
“While the [flea market] has had a long history, and holds special memories for many Singaporeans, over time, the nature of the site has changed, as reflected in both the profile of vendors and buyers, and type of goods sold,” said the government. “The Government has assessed that such street trades should only be allowed to continue in designated venues… rather than on a permanent basis.”
Singapore’s National Heritage Board has said it will document vendors’ memories and recreate the Thieves’ Market online in the form of a virtual tour.
At the market, tarps and tables are mostly watched over by gray, wrinkled faces. For some of them, it’s the only source of income they have in their old age.
One elderly man hunches on a stool over his little mat, displaying rows of tarnished, gaudy rings. Identifying himself as Mr. Khoo, he says he used to own an antique shop, but moved to Sungei Road five years ago after rental costs became unbearable for a small business owner like him. “I’d like to retire, but I need to eat,” said the 80-year-old.
Hawking at the market can be a crapshoot: there are days where Khoo earns hundreds of dollars, and other times when he only makes about $10. “But if the government doesn’t chase us away, it’s okay,” he says.
Valuing the commodification of nostalgia over the preservation of living heritage can have deeply unequal results. Heritage experiences are sold at high prices while people like the flea market traders whose very lives have informed this aesthetic now worry about how to make ends meet. “For some people these opportunities are especially important,” said Chua, of the Heritage Society.
People like Khoo belong to a generation that has usually been willing to go along with Singapore’s many changes. He’s part of the “Pioneer Generation,” or Singaporeans born before 1950.
“That was a time when a lot of things changed. But people felt that they were doing it for the greater good of the nation. If you talk to the old people in Chinatown, they really appreciated the changes that took place,” said Chua. “Now you’re doing all this, but who is benefitting and who is being excluded?”
This month, a small group of artists and architects began a campaign in support of the market, mostly organised via Facebook, which involves weekly tours to increase awareness of its value. “Because many street hawkers have been moved, that’s why we have to keep the last few,” said one message on the group’s page.
Some of the vendors, though, have made their peace with the closure. Ah Fen, who is in her 80s, has been a fixture at the market for decades but says she plans to retire once the market is shut down.
“The government wants to develop the country and for things to advance,” she said. “They don’t need these old things.”


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Move Over Margaritaville… BA Spotlights SoFlaOctober 9, 2013 | Category: Uncategorized
Funky Buddha Brewery and other area breweries and restaurants score a huge article and feature in this month’s BeerAdvocate magazine. The article has some big mentions to Riverside Market in Fort Lauderdale, MC Kitchen in Miami, Wynwood Brewing, Due South Brewing, Monk in the Trunk, Miami Brewing, MIA Brewing, Gravity BrewLab and Miami Homebrewery Johnathan Wakefield.
It’s exciting to see that others are taking note of what’s happening in the Sunshine State.
For full article visit this link.


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Tesla plans to have “hundreds of Humanoid Robots in its factories,” in response to a brand new job itemizing for the Tesla Bot program.
Since science fiction has promised us flying vehicles and robotic servants for many years, individuals aren’t taking tech firms asserting humanoid robots significantly.
When Elon Musk introduced a dancer in a robotic costume on stage to announce the Tesla Bot program at Tesla AI Day final 12 months, it did not assist individuals take it significantly; many noticed this as a joke and didn’t consider that Tesla was severe about creating a humanoid robotic.
Nevertheless, Musk made it clear that the humanoid robotic program has develop into a precedence for Tesla.
In an early 2022 product roadmap replace, Musk mentioned Tesla was prioritizing product improvement of its Optimus humanoid robotic in 2022 over new product launches, all of which had been delayed till 2023.
On a number of events since then, Musk has mentioned that folks do not admire the worth the Tesla Bot might deliver to the world. He even mentioned that it might fully change the economics of the world.
However Tesla would not even want prospects for the Optimus robotic to show its price; the automotive producer plans to be its personal finest buyer by letting the robots work in its factories.
In a job itemizing for “Movement Planning & Navigation, Tesla Bot,” Tesla writes that it plans to make use of “hundreds of Humanoid Robots in its factories”:
Tesla is on its option to constructing humanoid bipedal robots at scale to automate repetitive and tedious duties. On the core of the Tesla Bot, the movement planning stack affords a novel alternative to work on state-of-the-art movement planning and navigation algorithms culminating of their deployment in real-world manufacturing functions. Our movement planning software program engineers develop and personal this stack from begin to deployment. Most necessary of all, you will notice your work repeatedly despatched to and utilized by hundreds of Humanoid Robots inside our factories.
The corporate mentioned the primary model of the Tesla Bot will deal with finishing easy repetitive duties, which can make the robotic helpful in a manufacturing facility.
Tesla will unveil the primary working prototype of its humanoid robotic at AI Day on September 30.
If Tesla can create a humanoid robotic that’s helpful, the advantages are apparent, particularly amid the present labor scarcity.
However that is the query: how superior will the robotic be?
We all know that Tesla has invested rather a lot in synthetic intelligence and it has made nice advances in pc imaginative and prescient, which can profit the robotic as properly.
Nevertheless, developments in robotics are additionally wanted to make the robotic actually helpful. Has Tesla achieved that? We do not know but, however we’ll quickly.
When do you suppose we’ll see Tesla Bots working inside Tesla factories? Tell us within the remark field beneath.
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Bitcoin price tanked below $10,000 amid fears of a cryptocurrency crackdown at the hands of the SEC and the CFTC, it has emerged.
Speaking on CNBC News, Bob Pisani explained how the news of a new ruling from New York could change the future of the crypto world.
He said: “Cryptocurrencies have seen more fallouts today for fears of regulations.
“Bitcoin has now fallen 80 percent over the last two day as watchdogs waive in the digital currency space.
Bitcoin price: Bitcoin dropped following calls from SEC to introduce regulations
“Yesterday, it was the SEC issuing a warning that consumers should be careful about trusting the changes that they say are protected by federal law, but they’re not. Most of them are unregulated.
“The SEC seems to be setting up for a crackdown. They want exchanges to register with the SEC.
“They have previously said initial coin offerings (ICOs) are securities and anyone selling ICOs to the general public should register with the SEC.
Bitcoin has now fallen 80 percent over the last two day as watchdogs waive in the digital currency space
“But this goes further, the SEC thinks even the exchanges listing ICOs should themselves register.
“It’s another move towards further regulation.
“Also yesterday New York ruled that cryptocurrencies can be regulated by the CFT as a commodity.
“Now, the CFTC already had the power to regulate trading in bitcoin futures and other derivatives, but this ruling implies the CFTC has jurisdiction in the case of fraudulent activity involving any kind of cryptocurrency transaction, including the cash markets.”
General laws regarding fraud can now be used by the CFTC in dealing with cryptocurrencies in any form, whether it’s cash or derivatives.
The news also caused Ripple price to fall to a value of $0.76 this week having previously reached highs of over a dollar.
According to Coindesk at 11:23am on March 9, bitcoin price is $8,762.


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Peter Piper Pizza, a wholly owned subsidiary of Irving-based CEC Entertainment, has named seasoned restaurant industry executive Genaro Perez as the brand’s chief marketing officer, effective immediately.
Perez most recently served as senior vice president of marketing at P.F Chang’s, where he oversaw all facets of marketing, including advertising, research and development, online/interactive/digital, public relations and promotions. Prior to that, he was vice president of marketing for Peter Piper Pizza.
In his new CMO role, Perez is charged with all marketing strategy, planning and execution for Peter Piper Pizza, Peter Piper Express and Peter Piper Pizzeria, developing marketing campaigns and content strategies across all channels, including online, digital and social, as well as public relations. Perez will work alongside senior leadership to further develop Peter Piper Pizza’s overall brand presence within the marketplace and support the brand’s continued expansion.
“Genaro’s return to Peter Piper as CMO comes at an ideal time as we continue building upon the momentum he helped start as our VP of marketing,” said CEC Entertainment CEO David McKillips. “With Genaro’s leadership and deep understanding of the brand and our guests, we expect continued growth and success among all portfolio brands and franchise partners.”
In addition to Peter Piper Pizza and P.F. Chang’s, Perez has held key positions with several major brands, including Brinker International and Nokia. He has more than 25 years of restaurant and hospitality branding and marketing experience.
“It’s an exciting time to return to the beloved Peter Piper Pizza brand as we celebrate 50 years of food, family and fun in 2023,” said Perez. “The first Peter Piper Pizza opened in 1973, and since then, we have grown to more than 100 locations in the U.S. and Mexico, with three distinct concepts that will propel the company forward over its next 50 years.”
Perez, a native of Mexico City, holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business.


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Trading Hours and Emergency Contacts during the 2017 Christmas Period
Cyber security is the most prominent risk issue facing company Boards of Directors and executives worldwide. We are inundated almost daily with accounts of major corporate data breaches and compromised networks. Recent high-profile attacks such as the targeting of point-of-sale terminals at Target, Home Depot and Staples, server software at JP Morgan, and employee databases at Sony, demonstrate how vulnerable even the largest and most sophisticated companies can be. In this highly challenging environment, board members and executives are, not surprisingly, unsure of how best to protect themselves.


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Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now Sessions at Lending and Marketing Conference
Where will credit union professionals find "Best Practices" for lending and marketing topics, insights on "New Consumer Marketing: From Shiny Plastic to Locally Grown," tips on Targeting America’s Biggest Market: Millennials, Lending and Financial Security" and a look at "The Psychology of Marketing"?
These are but a few of the sessions taking place at the March 22–23, Lending and Marketing Conference, being held at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids.
With more than 160 registrants already signed-up, seats have been filling fast for the popular networking and training event, featuring eighteen expert speakers from across the country. Is there still time to attend? Absolutely. Registration options include one- and two- participation choices. The event includes a vendor showcase with representatives attending from 20 companies.Go to main navigation


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This article has been republished, with permission, from GarciaMedia.com. To see more articles like this, check out their blog.
A recent visit to the Quartz newsroom in New York City proves the point: here is a shop where a story first philosophy pays great dividends—and for advertising, too.
First, a disclaimer: We are true fans of everything that Quartz, Atlantic Media’s business news site, does.
This has been enhanced by a recent visit that I paid to the Quartz newsroom in New York City, and the grand personal tour that our art director Reed Reibstein and I got from Kevin Delaney, editor in chief & president of Quartz.
The moment we emerged from that visit and barely out on Park Avenue, Reed told me something that I had noticed myself: This newsroom is such a textbook example of how a modern news operation should run that we can imagine many of the publishers, editors and designers we work with, coming for a one-week internship. Read more


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Advertise with us
[March 08, 2014]
Toyota rides on popular models [Daily Tribune (Bahrain)]
(Daily Tribune (Bahrain) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) After capping a highly successful year in terms of both revenue and sales in the Kingdom, Toyota is looking forward to keeping its momentum through its popular models – Yaris, Corolla, Prado and Land Cruiser. "Toyota posted a record 15 per cent sales growth last year in Bahrain," Toyota and Lexus Marketing Manager Ayman Shehadeh told DT News. "The region also witnessed strong growth of the Japanese company thanks to the depreciation of yen," he said. "With the depreciation, the prices of our products didn't go up.
In most cases, they even went down. So, around the region, we were able to execute many promotion campaigns," he added. E.K. Kanoo, the Toyota distributors in Bahrain, launched five models — Rav4, Avalon, Prado, Yaris and Corolla — last year. "These models carried new design direction which is more dynamic, sporty and youthful. We received a positive response, which was translated to bigger sales. This year, we are aiming for a 10-15pc sales growth," Mr. Shehadeh said.
After-sales services A strong after-sales service system has also placed Toyota ahead of its competitors. "We undoubtedly have the widest network in Bahrain for after-sales service. We are almost everywhere — 15 minutes away from any customer." The flagship Toyota Plaza in Tubli, which accommodates 7,000 cars monthly, is one of the largest such centres globally. Service station in Arad, which is currently under renovation, can attend to 4000 cars. Other service centres in Riffa and Manama along with several body shops and nine parts centres complete their wide network. "We have plans to expand our after-sales network in 2 years. We target populated areas and would be similar to the Toyota Plaza on a smaller scale," he said.
By Roberto Carrillo firstname.lastname@example.org copyright (c) 2014 Daily Tribune. All Rights Reserved Provided by Syndigate.info, an Albawaba.com company
Back To NFVZone's Homepage


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THE NEW SKODA OCTAVIA RS is the third-generation model to be sold in Australia, and the fastest production Octavia of all time.
More aggressive styling, fresh interior trims, retuned suspension and a new emergency stop signal feature are the headline changes for the refreshed Mitsubishi Outlander SUV.
Proton is making a concerted effort to become a major player in the Australian market. They’re not there yet, but February sales give them reason for optimism.
Hardy souls once loved the basic-but-fun Mini Moke and these days good ones are fetching big dollars, but now there’s a new Moke which aims to provide as much fun as the original.
Mercedes-Benz has made significant inroads into markets it was once never interested in. The new CLA 250 Sport4Matic is scheduled to arrive in July.
Paul Murrell says a report from RACQ Insurance shows motorists are becoming increasingly frustrated by draconian speed limit enforcement and penalties, and asks why should it be illegal for motorists to warn each other of speed traps.
Car News: Skoda Australia has followed other European manufacturers by introducing capped price servicing across its entire range. We list all the prices.
New Mazda3 achieves five-star ANCAP safety rating, but doesn’t get unqualified endorsement, and we wonder why UK Mazda3 models get standard AEB and Aussie models don’t?
The Nissan X-Trail is one of Nissan’s best-selling models in Australia and the upgraded model launches here in March, from $27,990(+ORC).
Having to fill the SR up with fuel more than once a week is getting a bit wearing, says Tony Bosworth, who also returns to the issue of the weak headlights.


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Seattle's first legal pot shop runs out of marijuana
By Bryan Cohen
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Seattle's first and only recreational marijuana store had to close on Friday after running out of stock in just three days since Washington became the second U.S. state to allow pot sales to adults.
Cannabis City opened in Seattle on Tuesday with at least 10 pounds (4.5 kgs) of marijuana for sale, and by close of business Thursday it was all gone. A message on the store's phone line said it would re-open on July 21.
There were widespread concerns that shortages of pot would afflict retailers this week after the state issued its first 25 licenses to outlets, under a heavily regulated and taxed system approved by voters in November 2012.
Some business owners planned to limit the amount of marijuana early customers could buy to try to make stocks last.
Amber McGowan, manager at Cannabis City, told Reuters on Thursday the store would likely not have enough inventory to stay open for all of its regularly scheduled business hours until a delivery that was due next week.
She said the shop was only able to stay open as long as it had by limiting customers to 0.2 ounces (six grams) per purchase, rather than the legal limit of 1.0 ounce (28 grams).
The roll-out of recreational sales in Colorado and then Washington comes as a broader trend of liberalization and pro-pot activism takes hold in the United States.
Progress in Washington has been slow, however, with state regulators still processing more than 300 license applications, and approved growers producing only limited harvests so far. Continued...


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SpeedNewsBetaReal-time updates via mobile by TOI reporters across India
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KONKAConsumer electronics and mobile phone company KONKA has announced its entry into the Indian market. Riding on a USD 30 million investment roll out, Konka has unveiled a range of Android based Smartphones along with Mak Mobility.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Consumer-electronics-and-mobile-phone-company-KONKA-hasannounced-its-entry-into-the-Indian-market-Riding-on-a-USD-30-million-investment-roll-out-Konka-hasunveiled-a-range-of-Android-based-Smartphones-along-with-Mak-Mobility-/speednewsshow/18639080.cmsConsumer electronics and mobile phone company KONKA has announced its entry into the India- Speed News - Times of India


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Not sure that's going to catch on! TOWIE's Gemma Collins previews new design as she prepares to launch her clothing range
21:36 GMT, 4 April 2012
With a new plus size range soon to hit the shops, Gemma Collins will be hoping her designs will be a big hit.
However, we hope that the reality TV star wasn't wearing one of her own creations, earlier today, when she was out in London.
The 31-year-old made a guest appearance on the This Morning show and chose to wear a loud top for her slot.
Back to the drawing board: TOWIE's Gemma Collins wore a loud top, today, for her appearance on This Morning
The TOWIE star was dressed in a long, three-quarter-length top that matched her loud personality, but fell short in the fashion stakes.
The curvy blonde certainly grabbed attention in the 70s style outfit which featured blue and green plants and yellow, pink, and red patterns.
Gemma was on the show to discuss gossip from the world of showbusiness and she made a good impression on regular guest Paul Ross.
Fashion fail: Gemma left the ITV studios after her guest appearance on This Morning, where discussed gossip
He tweeted: 'On This Morning with Gemma Collins from TOWIE – saw her without make-up – v pretty kid and v funny. P'.
Collins, who is currently a size 18, is designing a collection which will be launched next month and she is currently on the hunt for 'girl next door plus size' women to model the range.
The former car-sales woman was famously unlucky in love but now seems to have found happiness in the shape of new boyfriend Charlie King.
Sweet love: Gemma and boyfriend Charlie King were acting like teenagers, earlier this week, when they picked up smoothies
The couple were seen behaving like flirtatious teenagers in the playground as they linked arms and slurped from their smoothies, earlier this week.
The voluptuous blonde ventured from the depths of Essex into London to go to Crussh Juice Bar and get her photograph taken with King.
Charlie is smitten with Gemma and he tweeted after their trip: ''What a busy day…. Cannot wait to hit the sack!!!! @missgemcollins u impress me more each day !! Sweet dreams world. X'
The pair have been going from strength to strength and have even booked a holiday together.
We found love: The reality TV star has booked a holiday with her new man and he is smitten with her


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USA: Tyson reaches settlement with SEC
US meat processor Tyson Foods has said the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has given final approval to a settlement resolving the SEC's investigation into the disclosure of certain executive perquisites by Tyson Foods.
"Our company has cooperated fully with the SEC in an effort to resolve this matter and are pleased to be moving forward," said John Tyson, chairman and CEO. "We've also put additional controls and procedures in place to help ensure executive perquisites are being properly tracked and disclosed in the future."
The SEC's order resolves allegations that the company's proxy statements for fiscal years 1997 through 2003 failed to comply with SEC regulations on the disclosure and description of perquisites totalling approximately $1.7m provided to former senior chairman Don Tyson. The order also resolves allegations that the company had not maintained an adequate system of internal controls over the personal use of company assets and the disclosure of perquisites and personal benefits.
Both the company and Don Tyson consented to the entry of the order without admitting or denying wrongdoing.
As previously reported, Tyson Foods had offered to pay the SEC a civil penalty of $1.5m while Don Tyson had proposed to pay a civil penalty of $200,000. The SEC has accepted the company's offer and, after further negotiations, has agreed to accept a penalty of $700,000 from Don Tyson.
Companies: Tyson Foods
Recent weeks have seen further arguments between the US and Canada over beef, and between the US and Japan over beef. Disputes in which one side insists it's operating on food health grounds while the...
Operations at four chicken- processing plants in Mississippi belonging to Tyson Foods Inc have been halted because of power cuts caused by hurricane Katrina, according to the Dow Jones news agency....
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which recently backed a ruling the cleared Tyson Fresh Meats in a cattle price-fixing case, has also ruled that the plaintiffs must pay Tyson's court expenses, the c...
A US appeals court has unanimously upheld a ruling that clears Tyson Fresh Meats, a subsidiary of meat processor Tyson Foods, of any wrongdoing in a long-running cattle pricing lawsuit, the company ha...
US meat processor Tyson Foods has said it is implementing changes in its management structure designed to enhance leadership development and succession planning....
Meat company Tyson Foods has confirmed that it is to be added to the S&P 500 upon completion of the Unocal acquisition by Chevron....
Meat company Tyson Foods Inc has reported reduced profits for the third quarter ended 2 July 2005, cut by legal costs and the cost of a plant closure as well as slow pork sales....
Meat company Tyson Foods has said it is "grateful" to a court judgement that permits the re-opening of the US border to Canadian cattle imports....
- Interview: Sir Kensington's on sale to Unilever
- Interview: "Disruptive" snack brand Hippeas
- Column: Why snacking is the new meal
- Danone's Q1: four things to learn
- Nestle Q1 update: four things to learn
- Tyson shops Sara Lee bakery, Kettle and Van's
- Nestle to cut UK confectionery jobs
- Icelandic to sell Saucy Fish Co. owner Seachill
- Tyson to buy burger-to-entree firm AdvancePierre
- Mondelez takes thinner Oreos to Germany


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Feeling abandoned, seniors are taking health matters into their own hands.
As the country seeks to reopen, seniors are feeling increasingly left behind as the threat of COVID-19 remains high for this vulnerable at-risk segment of the population. In fact, 80% of Coronavirus-related deaths in the United States have been 65 and older (source: CDC). That’s nearly 140,000 seniors that have been lost to this terrible pandemic so far.
With direct access to more than 32 million seniors, including 15 million online, TrueVoice has been tracking the real-time narratives of this audience since the pandemic began. What we uncovered is that the continued Coronavirus risk, coupled with growing feelings of abandonment, is significantly impacting seniors’ behavior, especially as it relates to health (and healthcare decisions).
Here are three of the most prominent behavioral shifts of seniors that Medicare marketers need to know and plan for during AEP and beyond:
- Slow Return To The Way Things Were: While the rest of the country speeds toward a return to normalcy, many seniors lack enthusiasm. Recognizing their high-risk status, seniors are in no rush to return to old habits. As a result, channels available to Medicare marketers have noticeably narrowed, with in-person interactions being avoided and mail remaining untouched for fear of virus transmission. While the transition to phone and digital venues is well underway, competitive clutter promises to challenge those seeking to breakthrough and engage seniors during open enrollment.
- Taking Health Matters Into Their Own Hands: Feeling abandoned and that they are viewed by many as “acceptable losses,” seniors are adopting a more proactive role in their healthcare decisions in an attempt to remain healthy, happy and cared for… now and in the future. This new dynamic will influence the way health and Medicare decisions are being researched, considered, and influenced both online and offline.
- Waning Confidence in Federal Programs: Continued threats to social health program funding and the federal government’s unpopular pandemic management, especially as it relates to seniors, has thrown the long-term stability and dependability of Medicare into question. In fact, nearly one-third of seniors engaging in Medicare topics online are expressing concern about the federal program and its future. This is creating a unique and timely opportunity for Medicare Advantage providers as seniors consider alternatives to Medicare…many for the first time.
These unique behavioral dynamics are creating new challenges – and opportunities – for Medicare marketers as open enrollment nears. However, one thing is certain, last year’s marketing playbook won’t work this year.
Gaining competitive advantage in this quickly-evolving consumer landscape means enabling more responsive and adaptable marketing while strengthening (not abandoning) the link between strategy, activation and performance. Marketing success involves models that can turn data rapidly into precise, actionable insight. It involves defining new types of messaging and content that is relevant, timely and wanted. And, it involves a commitment to continuous optimization and innovation. Taking these important steps will empower marketers to better understand and engage senior audiences:
- Focus on behavior, not age. Don’t assume all seniors are similar because they’re part of the same demographic. The over 65 crowd is far from homogenous. Mindset and behaviors vary due to an exponential set of factors. Prioritize understanding what they care about to create custom and segmented messaging and content that responds to their unique needs.
- Personalize messages. The most effective messaging and marketing aligns with an audience’s values, motivations and priorities. Adopt more responsive and adaptable marketing models that can rapidly turn behavioral data into precision messaging and guide new types of content that is relevant, timely, and in demand by seniors.
- Speak in their language. To effectively personalize marketing messaging, it is imperative to speak the language of seniors. Tap into the unsolicited online narratives of this audience to identify the vernacular of the customers and increase the resonance of marketing messaging, content, and communications.
- Be where they are. Seniors, similar to other consumers, use different channels in different situations and for different purposes. While traditional marketing (print ads, direct mail, TV, radio, etc.) can still be effective in certain situations, seniors are increasingly adopting and adapting to digital and social media. Do not limit marketing to any one platform. Leverage the behavior of seniors to understand and align the right channels for the right messages to the right audiences.
- Empower through education. As seniors become more proactive about their health, they are also becoming more proactive about researching and educating themselves on the issues they face (and the solutions available to them). As online researching by this audience becomes more prevalent – a trend that promises only to grow – the most powerful healthcare marketing will be educational. By creating resources and content designed to educate, marketers can deliver meaningful value and engage seniors earlier in the process authentically and in a credible manner.
Advancements in technology and data-driven behavioral marketing approaches, like those pioneered by TrueVoice, provide new opportunities to integrate strategy-driven segmentation with live data management to precisely target the right consumers at scale. For TrueVoice’s clients, the performance and efficiency gains have been game changing.


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The owner of an upscale eatery in Los Angeles says he is a vegetarian.
And he doesn’t mind if some of his customers don’t follow suit.
The chef, who declined to be identified because he said it was too dangerous to reveal the restaurant’s private life, said he started a vegan restaurant in the United States in 2006.
But he says the menu changed to include meat only for special occasions, and he started receiving complaints.
In September, the restaurant was sued by the owner of the eatery, who said the restaurant violated the California Fair Food Practice Act.
The suit seeks unspecified damages.
The owner of The Veggie Kitchen, who didn’t want to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said the chef’s decision to serve meat-free meals had a profound effect on the business.
“He said that he didn’t care if people ate meat or not,” said the restaurateur.
“He said he was going to have to do that because people weren’t going to be able to afford meat anymore.”
The restaurant owner says he has been selling the food he makes with raw vegetables since 2006.
He says his business has not been affected.
“We are definitely going to stay vegan,” said his partner, a vegan.
“It’s not a question of whether we can do it.
We are a restaurant that serves quality food, but also we want to give people the option to eat the food that they want to eat,” he said.


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Call 0845 485 1219
We love digital - Call and say hello - Mon - Fri, 9am - 5.30pm
by Samantha Noble on 17th January 2011
In the new year businesses might be considering expanding and attempting to reach international audiences.
But an advice piece from Search Engine Watch suggests carrying out plenty of research before making this move.
SEO services may be a benefit, as the article says it is important to undertake professional keyword research.
This allows companies to learn a lot about their audience and the news source claims "you'd be crazy to risk your cash" without taking this step first.
It is also important to have a strategy allowing communication with target customers, which may be different in the early stages and adapt over time.
Localising the website tends to be a wise move, as this can boost the amount each customer spends and increases conversion rates, the news source adds.
An alternative way to improve these figures was recently suggested by Google's Conversion Room blog, which said analytics can make the most of an online budget.


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Capcom announces a Street Fighter 6 open beta for May 19–21
by Danny Craig ·
Capcom has confirmed that an open beta for Street Fighter 6 will be available for all players between May 19 and 21, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S.
- The official Street Fighter Twitter account has announced that a beta period will be available to anyone who has registered a Capcom ID and linked their respective platform just a few weeks before the game's June release. The beta will be available for pre-download on May 16, three days before it goes live.
- The beta will include all of the content from the closed beta in December, including eight characters, including series icon Ryu and protagonist Luke, six stages, and a variety of multiplayer modes including ranked, unranked, and training. It's also worth noting that cross-play will be enabled, allowing all platforms to play against each other for the duration of the weekend. A complete list of the beta's content can be found on the game's official website here.
- Due to the beta's proximity to the game's full release, Capcom stated that the full game will be "further adjusted and will feature updated character balance," so players should expect issues like unbalanced characters to be addressed by the time June 2 rolls around. The publisher has also stated that "emergency maintenance" may be required during the beta as it expects a "great number of players to register.”
More upcoming games:
- The publisher of the upcoming remake of System Shock, Prime Matter, has upset fans of the franchise by posting AI-generated art on the game's official Twitter account, prompting some to cancel their existing pre-orders. The publisher responded by stating that the "entire point" of starting the "conversation" was to use AI and that it will continue to use AI in various ways in the future.
- Final Fantasy XVI has been banned in Saudi Arabia after developer and publisher Square Enix refused to make "necessary modifications" to the game. According to reports, the game contains some same-sex romance scenes, which causes issues in a country where homosexuality is illegal.


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“Hey, Alexa, where can I get a good cheeseburger around here?”
There’s no picking up the phone or running down to the front desk. Today, vacationers can just call out to their smart speakers to ask the simple questions they once inundated the concierge with.
It’s not new technology. Big hotel groups like Marriott understood this early on, introducing Alexa into select hotels as early as 2016. And it’s no surprise, because today, one in five Americans has access to a smart speaker, making them more comfortable with and reliant on technology than ever before. In fact, travelers expect more from their hospitality experience today than ever -- a recent IBM survey revealed that 76% of consumers ‘expect businesses to understand their individual needs.’
Travelers are happy that their ‘Hey Alexa,’ inquiries won’t fall on deaf ears while on vacation, and the technology provides these guests with “quick answers to many of their questions -- such as the hotel's Wi-Fi password and restaurant hours -- without having to pick up the phone, dial and wait for a response,” says Andrew Arthurs, senior vice president and chief information officer for Two Roads Hospitality. “In the meantime, our staff spends less time on the phone and more time with our guests.”
But while Alexa can be useful, she isn’t the immediate savior that hospitality operators are looking for. To start, there’s the issue of trust. Many consumers don't trust new technologies like virtual assistants, and are worried that devices like Alexa are recording and storing their conversations. Both Alexa and Google Home have been accused of these types of infractions in the past, and have admitted that devices can be triggered by a misinterpreted wake word and subsequently record conversations.
Privacy aside, the bigger obstacle at play is the growing operational pressure on property managers. In a recent survey, proper managers claimed to spend 53% of their time on maintenance and turnovers. Companies that can leverage intelligent property care programs – which go well beyond Amazon’s Alexa – will automate turnover operations and position themselves to capitalize on the continued growth of the vacation rental industry.


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Other available languages: none
Karel De Gucht
European Commissioner for Trade
EU-Korea FTA: A Solid Foundation for Growth and Jobs
EU-Korea Business Round Table/Brussels
27 June 2012
Ladies and gentlemen,
This is a crucial time for trade policy.
As the leaders of the G20 acknowledged last week, protectionism is on the rise while we need new trade liberalisation to boost our flagging economies.
We are here today to discuss the impact of the EU-Korea free trade agreement one year after its signature.
But I think we all realise that what we say about it in public has a greater resonance.
Because this agreement is the most advanced and ambitious free trade agreement that Europe has yet achieved, in terms of content and in terms of economic value.
As a result, many eyes will be watching closely to see the results. And those results will be held up as evidence of the usefulness of our trade policy as a whole.
So it is important that when we come to assess this agreement we do so carefully and methodically – making sure that we do not leap to unwarranted conclusions for good or for ill.
We need to accept, from the outset, that we are still early in this agreement's life. A great deal of the planned opening will only come into effect gradually. Much of the ground-breaking regulatory provisions at the core of the agreement, for example, have yet to be implemented. Furthermore, we do not have all the information yet. Right now, we have only nine months of figures on goods trade and no statistics at all on services.
To make things more difficult, trade figures around the world have fluctuated wildly in recent years as a result of the crisis, dropping severely in 2009 before significantly rebounding in 2010 and 2011.
Nevertheless, I do believe it is possible to get a first sense of how this agreement is functioning so far. That is of interest to all of us as we continue to shape trade policy.
To do this, my services have first measured our trade with Korea over nine months from July 2011 until March of this year. They have then compared this with an average of the figures from the same months over the previous four years. For both imports and exports, the first data has to be set against a reasonable benchmark. This allows us to minimise the effects of the crisis and therefore have a clear idea about what is happening on the ground.
The news is good. Trade is up, and up significantly. Overall, Europe's exports to Korea – and I speak of course from a European perspective - have already increased by 35%.
And where liberalisation has actually happened the increase is even more impressive. Duties were dropped on about a third of our exports to Korea when the agreement entered into force last July and sales of those goods have increased by 46%. For many other products – just under half our exports - tariffs were only partially reduced. But even for those products our exports are up by 36%. Overall those increases translate into almost two billion euro in new trade and 350 million euro saved in duties.
If we look at some specific products the growth is more dramatic again:
Allow me to linger on that last one for a moment.
I believe that a competitive automotive industry is very important for the European economy. I also know that the sector is facing a difficult environment right now. The European market is only slowly recovering from the crisis and was already challenging before it –heavily saturated and with limited growth prospects and much over-investment.
However, I do not believe that trade, even with such an efficient partner as Korea, presents a serious problem for the sector.
Yes, our imports from Korea have risen.
By 17% in the nine months to March.
But we should remember that well over 9 million cars were sold on the European market over the same period. A 17% increase in imports from Korea only represents around less than fifty thousand cars. That is a drop in the ocean – less than half of one per cent. In any case, our imports of cars from Korea are still only roughly half of what they were before the crisis.
What is more, Europe's car tariffs have so far only barely changed. They dropped by 3 percentage points for larger cars and 1.7 percentage points for small ones in July. That factor alone is unlikely to change consumers' choices.
It is also important to distinguish between cars imported from Korea and Korean cars on the European market. For the main brands, between 60 and 90 per cent of the cars sold in Europe are either produced within the EU or come from third countries other than Korea.
But let me be clear about one thing.
We do trade deals because we want trade to increase.
In both directions.
The reason trade is so beneficial for our economies is because it operates the levers of both supply and demand at the same time. The demand side is addressed through access to new markets. And the supply side is addressed through new imports.
Reduced input costs make companies more competitive.
Reduced prices mean consumers can buy more with their income.
We have evidence from European countries over the long term which indicates that a 1% increase in trade openness results in an gain of 0.6% in labour productivity.
That is why, even in these tough times, we see this agreement with Korea as the first in a series.
My own schedule this week will give you a flavour of our ambitions. Yesterday we signed a free trade agreement with Columbia and Peru, and also launched FTA negotiations with Vietnam together with Minister Hoang. Today I am here with you and tomorrow I leave for Honduras where I will meet my counterparts to sign the agreement with Central America.
We expect to finalise negotiations with Singapore and Canada in the near future. Others, like India, Malaysia, Mercosur and the various neighbourhood negotiations, will take a little longer but will, I am confident, be successful.
But perhaps most interestingly, we are moving towards a step change in our relations with two of our largest trading partners. In July the Commission will decide on whether to request permission from Member States to open negotiations with Japan. At the end of the year we will have to decide whether to launch negotiations for a comprehensive agreement with the United States. Both of these processes are in their infancy but given the scale of the economic relationship we have with both of them they have the potential to have an enormous economic impact.
Ladies and gentlemen,
There will be some among you who doubt our capacities to deliver on these plans, particularly given the challenging context we are facing.
But if you do have doubts let us bear the Korea example in mind.
Ambassador Kim will agree that both sides had to work hard to reach agreement on difficult issues. And we certainly had to work hard to have the agreement ratified by our parliaments.
But we pushed ahead and in the end we delivered.
And now we are starting to reap the rewards.
That, I believe, is a very solid foundation for the future.
Thank you very much for your attention.


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Hitachi Home and Life Solutions Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi Appliance Inc. Japan, signed today a strategic partnership with a leading manufacturer and supplier of air conditioning system in Egypt and MENA Tiba Manzalawi Group.
As pursuant to the agreement, Hitachi will expand production of air conditioners and refrigerators in the Egyptian market throughout the coming five years, with investments at value of $30 million.
From his side, Eng. Shady El Manzalawi – Managing Director at Tiba Group – stated that according to the partnership, the targeted volume of direct investments shall reach up to $30 million in 5 years in Egypt. Hitachi will inject direct investments amounting to $10 million in the Egyptian market within 2014/2015, he noted.
The manufacturing process will be performed at Tiba Group’s factories located in the 10th of Ramadan city, El Manzalawi added, asserting that the partnership will provide 1.000 direct job opportunities in addition to 2.000 indirect ones.
This is the first partnership of its kind to Hitachi established in Egypt, the Middle East and North Africa regions, with the aim for spreading the latest Japanese technology to Egypt.