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In global commerce, the Chinese consumer market stands out as both a beacon of opportunity and a labyrinth of complexity. Home to over 1.4 billion individuals, China’s market is not just vast; it’s a kaleidoscope of diverse and rapidly changing consumer segments.
Recent data from the China National Bureau of Statistics highlights an intriguing trend: the Chinese economy is increasingly driven by consumer spending, which accounts for nearly 60% of GDP growth. This seismic shift from an investment-led to a consumer-driven economy is a clarion call to marketers worldwide.
Understanding this market is no longer a mere luxury but a strategic imperative.
The segmentation of the Chinese consumer base is not just diverse; it’s multidimensional, shaped by regional disparities, generational divides, and a unique digital landscape. With more than 75% of China’s urban consumers earning 60,000 to 229,000 RMB per year, the rise of China’s middle class signifies a transition from mass to mainstream.
The one-size-fits-all marketing approach in China is not just ineffective; it’s antiquated. Tailoring strategies to resonate with specific consumer segments is crucial. Take, for example, the burgeoning luxury market. Bain & Company’s analysis reveals that China is poised to become the world’s largest luxury goods market by 2025, accounting for nearly 50% of global luxury sales. This is a testament to the nuanced needs and aspirations of Chinese luxury consumers, who are not just buying products but seeking experiences and narratives that resonate with their identities.
Similarly, the digital prowess of the younger demographic cannot be overstated. China’s tech-savvy youth, as the China Internet Network Information Center reported, represent a formidable force. With over 1 billion internet users in China as of 2023, this segment’s preferences and behaviours are shaping the future of e-commerce and digital marketing.
However, it’s not just the affluent and the young who are remoulding the market landscape. China’s elderly population, set to reach 300 million by 2025, according to the United Nations, is creating burgeoning demand for health-related products and services, a segment traditionally overlooked but now impossible to ignore.
Equally compelling is the rise of the eco-conscious consumer. According to Statista, around 66 percent of Chinese adults are willing to pay more for sustainable products, highlighting the growing importance of environmental stewardship in consumer decision-making.
In this milieu, the role of market research is not just to map the terrain but to decode the cultural, social, and economic nuances that define these segments. As marketers and researchers, the challenge is not just to understand the Chinese consumer but to anticipate their evolving preferences, which requires both data acumen and cultural empathy.
Segment 1: China’s Emerging Middle Class
The metamorphosis of China’s economic landscape has given birth to a burgeoning demographic: the Emerging Middle Class. This segment, once peripheral, now forms the backbone of consumer spending and is shaping market trends with its unique preferences and growing financial clout.
Characterised by an ascendant spending power, the Chinese middle class encompasses over 550 million individuals, per a World Economic Forum report. This group is not just expanding in numbers; their income brackets are widening, and they are uniquely positioned to influence market dynamics significantly.
Central to this demographic’s consumption pattern is an unwavering focus on quality, health, and wellness. The China Health and Nutrition Survey reveals a pivotal shift towards healthier lifestyles, with a growing emphasis on nutritional food, fitness, and overall well-being. This is not merely a trend but a lifestyle change, influenced partly by the government’s health initiatives and partly by a collective awakening after the global health crises.
This segment’s spending isn’t just quantitative; it’s qualitative. They seek products and services that offer more than just functional value; they look for quality assurance, brand authenticity, and health benefits.
Marketers aiming to captivate this segment must pivot their strategies accordingly. Product quality should not just be a feature; it should be the narrative. Marketing campaigns must emphasise the product’s value and how it enhances lifestyle, imbues wellness, and aligns with the aspirations of a healthier, more prosperous life.
Additionally, this focus on wellness opens avenues for cross-sector collaborations. For example, technology and health could intersect to create smart health solutions. Brands integrating these elements into their offerings and messaging will resonate more deeply with this audience.
The digital savviness of this group also cannot be understated. With over 73 percent of China having access to the internet, digital platforms have become crucial for engagement. Online marketing strategies, therefore, must be nuanced and sophisticated, employing data analytics to personalise and enhance consumer experience.
In essence, tapping into China’s Emerging Middle Class is not just about selling a product; it’s about aligning with their aspirations and values. It’s about creating a narrative that resonates with their pursuit of a balanced, healthy, and upgraded lifestyle. In this narrative, quality, health, and wellness are not just keywords but the keystones of a new consumer ethos redefining China’s market landscape.
Segment 2: Luxury Consumers
In the heart of China’s evolving consumer landscape lies a segment that epitomises affluence and sophistication: the Luxury Consumers. This group, though smaller in numbers than the middle class, wields disproportionate influence in the market due to its high purchasing power and preference for premium brands.
Characterised by a high income, these consumers are drawn to products and the prestige and exclusivity they represent. Research indicates that China’s luxury market grew by 48% in 2020 despite global economic uncertainties, underscoring the resilience and potency of this segment. The Chinese luxury market is expected to reach US$ 391.5 Billion by 2028, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2% from 2023-2028.
The luxury consumer in China is not just buying a brand; they are investing in a narrative of exclusivity and status. A report from McKinsey & Company highlights that for these consumers, luxury is a symbol of social success and personal achievement. This is particularly evident in younger consumers, who redefine luxury consumption with a blend of traditional prestige and a new-age digital approach.
To effectively engage this segment, marketing strategies need to pivot from mere product promotion to crafting a narrative around brand prestige and exclusivity. Luxury brands must offer more than high-quality products; they must provide an experience that is unique, personalised, and, above all, exclusive.
Bespoke services are particularly appealing to this demographic. According to a study by Deloitte, personalised products and services are highly valued by Chinese luxury consumers, with many willing to pay a premium for customisation. This presents an opportunity for luxury brands to differentiate themselves through tailor-made experiences and products.
Another critical aspect is the digital engagement of luxury consumers. Contrary to the traditional discretion associated with luxury purchases, Chinese consumers embrace digital platforms. A report from Jing Daily and Secoo found that online luxury shopping in China surged by 70% in 2020. Luxury brands, therefore, need to enhance their digital presence, ensuring that it aligns with their brand ethos and provides an immersive, exclusive online experience.
Travel and exclusive experiences are also key components of luxury consumption. The Chinese luxury traveller is not just seeking destinations; they are seeking unique, culturally rich experiences. Data from the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute shows that luxury outbound travel from China is expected to grow, with consumers seeking personalised and exclusive travel experiences.
Engaging China’s Luxury Consumers demands a strategy that goes beyond the conventional. It requires an understanding of their aspirations for exclusivity, a commitment to bespoke services, and adeptness at blending the prestige of luxury with the dynamism of digital engagement. For this segment, luxury is not just a product; it’s an experience, a status symbol, and a lifestyle.
Segment 3: Tech-Savvy Youth
The digital era has given rise to a formidable consumer segment in China: the Tech-Savvy Youth. These digital natives, immersed in a world of connectivity and innovation, are reshaping the market with their preferences and spending habits. Primarily comprising millennials and Gen Z, this group’s influence extends across electronics, online gaming, and e-commerce.
The defining characteristic of these young consumers is their innate digital fluency. When it comes to electronics, this demographic is driving demand for the latest and most innovative products. A report from Statista shows that consumer electronics revenue in China is projected to reach US$156 billion by 2024. This segment is not just purchasing electronics; they seek cutting-edge technology that aligns with their digital-first lifestyle.
Tech-savvy youth in China are core contributors to online gaming growth. Newzoo’s Global Games Market Report indicates that China’s gaming market revenue surpassed $44.3 billion in 2023, just trailing the US market, which had an annual gaming revenue of $48.3 billion in the same year. This isn’t merely entertainment; it’s a culture, a mode of social interaction, and a significant aspect of their digital identity.
E-commerce is another domain where this group’s impact is significant. The E-commerce in China report by McKinsey highlights that China’s e-commerce market is not only the largest globally but is also growing at an unprecedented pace, with the youth leading this surge. They are not traditional shoppers but explorers, constantly seeking novelty, convenience, and personalisation in their online shopping experiences.
Marketers must leverage digital marketing strategies that resonate with a young, dynamic audience to engage this segment effectively. This involves more than just online presence; it’s about creating interactive, engaging content that speaks their language. Influencer partnerships are particularly effective, as influencers are not just promoters; they are trusted voices within these communities.
Incorporating the latest tech trends in marketing strategies is also crucial. For instance, integrating augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in marketing campaigns can significantly enhance engagement with this tech-savvy audience.
Tapping into the potential of China’s Tech-Savvy Youth requires a deep understanding of their digital ecosystem. Marketers must craft strategies that are not only digitally native but are also dynamic, interactive, and aligned with the latest technological trends. In this fast-evolving segment, staying ahead means staying connected, not just in technology but in mindset and approach.
Segment 4: Elderly Consumers
An often overlooked but increasingly significant segment in China’s diverse consumer market is Elderly Consumers. Characterised by their focus on health products, traditional goods, and services catering to older adults, this demographic is a testament to China’s rapidly ageing population and evolving consumer needs.
As of 2023, the United Nations estimates that over 13% of China’s population is aged 65 and over. This shift towards an older demographic is not just a demographic statistic; it represents a substantial market segment with specific needs and preferences, especially regarding health and wellness.
Elderly consumers in China are increasingly conscious of their health, driving demand for products that enhance well-being and longevity. According to a report by the China Health Promotion Foundation, the health product market for elderly consumers in China is expected to exceed $500 billion by 2025. This is not merely about medication; it’s about a holistic approach to health encompassing nutritional supplements, fitness equipment, and wellness services.
Traditional goods also hold a special place in the consumption patterns of this demographic. Products that resonate with cultural heritage and nostalgia have a unique appeal. A survey by the China Consumer Association shows that elderly consumers strongly prefer goods that reflect traditional values and craftsmanship, underscoring the importance of cultural resonance in marketing to this segment.
When it comes to services, there is a growing demand for those that cater specifically to the needs of older adults. This includes healthcare services, leisure activities, and assisted living facilities. The China National Committee on Aging projects that by 2030, the market for elderly care services will reach $1.54 trillion, highlighting the burgeoning need for services tailored to this age group.
To effectively market to elderly consumers, strategies must be tailored to their unique needs and preferences. Products should be health-oriented and easy to use, considering the physical limitations that may come with age. Marketing messages need to be respectful, relatable, and devoid of stereotypes often associated with ageing. They should reflect a deep understanding and respect for the experiences and values of this age group.
Digital marketing strategies, while important, should be balanced with more traditional forms of communication, as this demographic is not as digitally native as younger segments. Community-based marketing and word-of-mouth referrals also play a crucial role, as elderly consumers often rely on recommendations from peers and family members.
Engaging with China’s Elderly Consumers requires a nuanced approach that combines respect for tradition with an understanding of their health and lifestyle needs. In a market often swayed by the latest trends, the elderly segment reminds us of the enduring value of cultural resonance, health-focused products, and the importance of accessibility and ease of use in product design.
Segment 5: Eco-Conscious Consumers
Within China’s many consumer segments, Eco-Conscious Consumers represent a growing and influential group. Their defining characteristic is a strong preference for sustainable and environmentally friendly products, reflecting a broader global shift towards eco-awareness and responsibility.
This segment’s rise is intertwined with increasing environmental concerns among Chinese consumers. A China Environmental Awareness Program report indicates that over 70% of Chinese consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products. This sentiment is not just a passing trend but a deep-seated shift towards sustainability in consumer preferences.
Eco-conscious consumers are particularly drawn to products that minimise environmental impact. Whether through sustainable sourcing of materials, energy-efficient production processes, or minimal packaging, these consumers scrutinise products’ environmental footprint before purchasing. The China Chain Store & Franchise Association found that products with green certifications have seen a 30% increase in sales in the past year alone, highlighting the market potential of eco-friendly products.
This shift is also evident in their lifestyle choices. From renewable energy solutions to electric vehicles, eco-conscious consumers are leading the way in adopting sustainable practices. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reports that China’s electric vehicle sales have surged, accounting for about 50% of the global market, primarily driven by the eco-conscious segment.
To engage effectively with this segment, marketers must highlight eco-friendliness and sustainability practices in their products and operations. This goes beyond mere advertising; it requires a genuine commitment to environmental stewardship, as this consumer group is often well-informed and critical of superficial or misleading claims.
Corporate responsibility is another key aspect of marketing to eco-conscious consumers. Companies committed to sustainable practices and social responsibility resonate more with this segment. The China Corporate Sustainability Report by Deloitte revealed that companies with robust sustainability practices see a significant improvement in brand perception and customer loyalty among eco-conscious consumers.
Incorporating sustainability into the product life cycle, from sourcing to disposal, can also be a compelling marketing strategy. Providing transparency about the environmental impact of products and taking tangible steps to reduce it can significantly influence purchasing decisions.
China’s Eco-Conscious Consumers are not just a niche market; they represent a growing and influential segment shaping the future of consumption. Marketers aiming to appeal to this segment must embrace sustainability not just as a marketing strategy but as a core business philosophy. In doing so, they align with a consumer trend that is ethically commendable and commercially viable.
Illuminating Market Mastery: Brand Success Stories Across Diverse Chinese Consumer Segments
The following brand success stories exemplify strategic marketing mastery, each tailoring its approach to resonate deeply with its respective consumer segment.
Segment 1: Alibaba Group and China’s Emerging Middle Class
Alibaba Group, a titan in e-commerce, has expertly navigated the nuances of China’s emerging middle class. Recognising the segment’s growing spending power and hunger for quality, it has diversified its offerings to include premium brands and health-oriented products. Their annual “Singles’ Day” event, which generated a record-breaking $38 billion in sales in 2019, is a testament to their deep understanding and successful engagement of this segment.
Segment 2: Louis Vuitton’s Elegance for Luxury Consumers
Louis Vuitton, the epitome of luxury, has captivated China’s affluent consumers. Their strategy? A blend of brand prestige and cultural resonance. By hosting exclusive events in landmark Chinese locations and collaborating with local artists, Louis Vuitton has maintained its global luxury appeal and ingrained itself in the fabric of Chinese luxury culture, leading to a significant increase in market share within this segment.
Segment 3: Tencent and the Tech-Savvy Youth
Tencent has become a cultural force among China’s tech-savvy youth. Through platforms like WeChat and a plethora of popular online games, Tencent has tapped into the digital native’s ecosystem. Their financial success is reflected in their reported revenue of over $83 billion, much of which is attributed to their digital and gaming ventures that resonate so well with young, tech-enthused consumers.
Segment 4: BY-HEALTH’s Approach to Elderly Consumers
BY-HEALTH, a leading health supplement brand, has adeptly catered to China’s elderly consumers. BY-HEALTH has established a strong presence in this segment by focusing on health and wellness products that address age-specific concerns and using marketing messages that blend respect with relatability. Their strategy is supported by partnerships with respected medical experts, reinforcing their commitment to the health of older adults.
Segment 5: Tesla’s Drive Toward Eco-Conscious Consumers
Tesla’s foray into the Chinese market captures what eco-conscious consumers desire. Their electric vehicles, synonymous with innovation and sustainability, appeal directly to environmentally aware buyers. The opening of a Gigafactory in Shanghai, aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of vehicle production, further solidifies Tesla’s commitment to environmental sustainability, resonating powerfully with this segment.
Each of these brands demonstrates how a deep understanding of consumer segments and tailored marketing strategies can lead to remarkable success in the diverse and evolving Chinese market. These case studies offer valuable insights for marketers and market researchers looking to make their mark in this complex yet rewarding market landscape.
Harnessing the Power of Precision: Navigating China’s Consumer Diversity
The key takeaway from these diverse success stories is the undeniable power of targeted marketing in China’s multifaceted consumer landscape. Each segment, with its unique preferences and behaviours, requires a nuanced approach, a deep understanding, and an innovative strategy to engage effectively.
The success of Alibaba, Louis Vuitton, Tencent, BY-HEALTH, and Tesla in their respective segments illustrates the potential of the Chinese market and the necessity of precision in marketing tactics. These brands have set benchmarks in understanding and tapping into the specific needs and desires of different consumer groups, proving that a one-size-fits-all approach is obsolete in this dynamic marketplace.
For brands looking to navigate the complexities of Chinese consumerism, the importance of tailored market research and strategic planning cannot be overstated. Each consumer segment presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities, and understanding these is crucial for any brand aiming to make a significant impact.
If you are intrigued by the potential of the Chinese market and wish to explore these or other consumer segments further, or if you’re considering how to enter this vibrant market successfully, Kadence is here to guide you. Our expertise in global market research, combined with our deep understanding of the Chinese consumer landscape, positions us perfectly to help you tailor your strategies for maximum impact.
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World EV Day is finally here. Today is the international celebration of e-mobility. World EV Day is a global movement working towards accelerating the shift to sustainable transport worldwide, created by sustainability media agency Green.TV in partnership with pioneering technology leader, ABB.
The celebration is being launched with a network of industry leaders as partners. Founding partners comprise car manufacturers including Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover, Hyundai, Mahindera Electric and Polestar; energy companies including SSE Enterprise and ScottishPower; charging infrastructure companies including ubitricity, IONITY, Pivot Power and NewMotion; and many more.
Today drivers can take a pledge that their next car will be an electric vehicle, which encourages drivers to recognize the crucial role that EVs can play in advancing sustainable mobility.
The United Kingdom is currently leading the way with 29 percent of sign ups. This is closely followed by India (13 percent) and the USA at 11 percent. Moreover, drivers from more than 60 countries have made a firm commitment to transition to an electric vehicle.
Tarak Mehta, President of ABB Electrification is already satisfied by the impact of WorldEV day.
“Today marks an important milestone in the history of e-mobility with the world’s first EV Day,” he said. “As headline partner, ABB is delighted to see so many individuals from around the globe taking positive action by signing the pledge.”
The online event provides virtual seminars on the topics that matter including the Green Recovery and the marketing of electric vehicles. Through social media and Worldevday.org, the event provides a useful hub for e-mobility resources and insight on driving an electric future.
Ade Thomas, Founder of Green.TV knows the importance of having such an event as it will drive the all-electric revolution.
“The rapid transition to electrified, sustainable mobility has never been more urgent,” he said. “With World EV Day, we are hopeful that we have helped energize and highlight the need to decarbonise transport and encourage everyone to look to electric as a way to continue to build prosperity, enable access and deliver a sustainable way of life.”
Important announcements will be made during the celebration such as an investment of £12 million to propel ground-breaking electric vehicle research projects on the first World EV Day. Also, the future government plans such as green coloured parking spaces, charge points at popular destinations and dedicated EV sites for buying and selling cars. Lastly, Highways England will provide local authorities with £9.3million in funding to encourage businesses to switch to electric vans
The Department for Transport has also worked closely with Auto Trader, a popular site for buying and selling cars, to develop a dedicated EV section on its website to help potential EV purchasers with their decision, with more sites expected to follow, according to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
“Whether you’re taking a trip with the family or commuting to work, with the wide range of models at competitive prices, it is now more cost-effective and convenient than ever to drive and charge an electric vehicle,” he said. “This is why, on the world’s first ever day dedicated to celebrating electric vehicles, I’m delighted to announce our unwavering support for a cleaner, greener transport future.”
There is still time to take the pledge. Simply visit: www.worldevday.org/ev-pledge. The pledge campaign will be further amplified on World EV Day itself through the event’s global network of partners and supporters, with further updates on signups to come.

domain: news


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BCBC recaps the weekly business and economic news stories from the week ending September 25 relevant to British Columbia's economy.
1. Global brand takes a self-inflicted hit – and the consequences are felt far and wide
Business headlines this week were dominated by news that Volkswagen installed software into their clean diesel vehicles designed to generate false favorable results while the vehicles underwent emissions testing that were not emulated during regular driving. Some interesting takes on this story include:
- VW woes infect broader auto credit as BP serves as guide: Analysis - A brief comparison prepared by Bloomberg Business of the VW story with the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 and the impact on their bond ratings and the broader auto industry.
- VW probably won’t die – but if it does, Europe is in trouble – This article on Wired notes that Volkswagen has set aside $7.3B to deal with the fallout – as a starting point - which ultimately takes away from what the company could be putting into innovation that would help their vehicles move towards meeting the stringent emissions standards. More importantly, however, is the potential impact on the 600,000 worldwide employees and the fact that the German government is a shareholder; and given Germany’s role as a leader for the broader European economy, it is anticipated that German policy makers will be coming to the defense of the company with their international counterparts.
- Finally, we take a look at what this means for Canadian business with the Financial Post article The Volkswagen contagion: How the emissions-rigging scandal is spreading to Canadian firms. From auto-parts makers and suppliers to major dealerships – a number of Canadian firms are exposed as a result of the turmoil at Volkswagen.
2. The heads of both US and Canada’s central banks look on the bright side
In separate occasions, and with slightly different messages, both Stephen Poloz, the Governor of the Bank of Canada and Janet Yellen, the head of the US Federal Reserve, made comments this week intended to bolster the outlook for their respective national economies. While acknowledging weaker commodity prices and the tanking price of oil, Poloz claimed that Canada has “seen this movie before” and with the low Canadian dollar and the Bank’s commitment to keeping inflation in check, the country’s economy will adjust as it has when oil prices were higher.
Meanwhile, Janet Yellen shed some light on the Fed’s intention to hike interest rates before the end of the year – should the data show that the US economy continues to strengthen.
3. Canadian dollar hits 11-year-low
This week, the Canadian dollar hit an 11 year low – below 0.75 cents US – before making a slight rebound on Friday, fueling expectation that exports will begin to take over consumer spending as the driver of Canadian economic growth in the coming months.
4. Metro Vancouver to lead in economic growth
This week, the Conference Board of Canada released their report, Economic Insights into 13 Canadian Metropolitan Economies in which they note that Metro Vancouver will lead the pack with projected growth of 3.5% in 2015 as a result of strengthening manufacturing, construction and services sectors. This aligns with Business Council projections that see the province as a whole leading the country in economic growth for 2015. For more on the report, read Business in Vancouver’s article which also notes the importance to the local economy of Seaspan’s $8 billion contract with the federal government to build non-combat ships.
5. Premier Clark announces $90 million for small town infrastructure
A the annual Union of BC Municipalities convention this week, Premier Clark announced that the BC economy will see a boost with another round of infrastructure spending into 2016 through the New Building Canada – Small Communities Fund. The joint federal/provincial investment will total $90 million and support infrastructure projects such as green energy, highway and roads, innovation, transit, broadband expansion and improved drinking water. Read the government release HERE.


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Swedish music-streaming service provider Spotify is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire German rival SoundCloud, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. SoundCloud's founders and investors were exploring strategic options for the company, including a sale, that could value it at $1 billion, Bloomberg reported in July, citing people familiar with the matter.
Both SoundCloud and Spotify declined to comment.
Music-streaming companies have struggled to turn a profit amid competition from larger players such as Apple.
Amazon.com is also preparing to launch a standalone music-streaming subscription service.
Spotify arrives in Japan
In related news, Spotify announced today at a press event in Tokyo that the service has launched on an invite-only basis in Japan, on mobile, tablet, desktop and PlayStation consoles.
Spotify is the first music streaming service in Japan to offer both a free-to-the-user ad-supported music service and a fully featured ad-free subscription service. Users can listen for free, or alternatively upgrade to Spotify Premium for only 980 yen a month.
Beginning today, Spotify will initially be available in Japan on an invite-only basis before opening to all users.


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-- Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) announces that, as of April 2011, the company’s RF business unit has shipped commercial GaN-on-SiC RF power transistor and MMIC products with more than 10,000,000 watts of combined RF output power. This milestone demonstrates the consistency, reliability and proven performance of Cree’s GaN HEMT and GaN MMIC technology. The 10 million watt figure includes only commercial RF products and excludes an additional 1.5 million watts shipped for GaN MMIC foundry services.
Cree attained this milestone while maintaining a remarkable failure-in-time rate (FIT rate) of less than 10-per-billion device hours, which is up to 80% lower than the typical FIT rates for other RF power transistor technologies.
“We have achieved more than 1.4 billion total hours of field operation for our GaN-on-SiC devices, coupled with reliability that surpasses other high voltage silicon or GaAs technologies. This is the largest known body of fielded data accumulated by any domestic GaN supplier to date and includes not only discrete transistors but complex multi-stage GaN MMICs as well. The 10 million watt milestone is a testament to the rapid adoption of our GaN technology—not only for military applications, but for telecom base stations, wide band test equipment, civil radar and medical applications as well. If our expansion into these new market segments continues at the current rate, we have the potential to double the 10 million watt milestone by the end of calendar 2011,” explained Jim Milligan, Cree, director of RF.
As the largest U.S. producer of GaN-on-SiC RF wafer processing technology, Cree has developed a comprehensive range of GaN HEMTs and GaN MMICs designed to enable broadband, high efficiency and reliable performance across an increasing array of RF and microwave applications.
Cree has a 25-year history of bringing creative, ground-breaking innovations to the semiconductor industry and has always been at the forefront of technology – from the earliest days of blue LEDs, to the design of the world’s first SiC MOSFET and the creation of the world’s first GaN-on-SiC MMIC. About Cree
Cree is a market-leading innovator of semiconductor solutions for wireless and power applications, lighting-class LEDs, and LED lighting solutions.
Cree's product families include power-switching devices and radio-frequency/wireless devices, blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lighting-class power LEDs, and LED fixtures and bulbs. Cree solutions are driving improvements in applications such as variable-speed motors, wireless communications, general illumination, backlighting and electronic signs and signals.
For additional product and company information, please refer to www.cree.com
This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors, including the risk we may not obtain sufficient orders to achieve the potential shipment volumes; the rapid development of new technology and competing products that may impair demand or render Cree’s products obsolete; and other factors discussed in Cree’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 27, 2010, and subsequent filings.


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Pelee Island Winery offering 'pet pic' labels to support the humane society
Pelee Island Winery is offering customized 'pet pic' wine labels in support of the Windsor/Essex Humane Society. (source PeleeIsland.com)
WINDSOR, ONT. -- The Windsor/Essex County Humane Society wants you to raise a glass to your pets — from a bottle featuring your furry friend.
Pelee Island Winery is offering personalized “Pet Pic” wine labels to help benefit the humane society with a portion of all proceeds to be donated to the organization.
"During the last year, the Windsor/ Essex County Humane Society has continued to provide care, compassion, and support to every animal who comes through our doors. Because of COVID 19 – like so many charities, our team has had to pivot and reinvent our fundraising Strategies,” says humane society executive director Melanie Coulter. “Thanks to partners like Pelee Island Winery, we’re able to find uniquely local opportunities for our community to support the animals and families of Essex County."
The personalized labels will be available until May 14. Customers will upload their favourite pet photo along with their name, a message or a clever name for your wine such as “Caternet” or “Poocho Grigio.”
The Pelee Island Winery team will create the label and the wine will be delivered to your door, with free shipping included for those in Ontario.
The labels are available for Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Franc-Cabernet Sauvignon wines which are both Vinters Quality Assurance (VQA) and Vege-Vert vegan certified.
"From our own teams' experiences, we know how much added comfort and joy our pets have brought us in the last year," says Matt Gale, sales coordinator with Pelee Island Winery. "We wanted to create something that would raise awareness and funds for more animals to find their forever homes."
Pet Pic wines can be ordered on the Pelee Island Winery website.


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Selling RBS customers to Santander is daft
Selling RBS customers to Santander is daft and unfair on those moved on like cattle, says Money Mail editor Tony Hazell
Happy with your bank, are you? Well that's tough because we've sold you to one of our rivals.
That's what's happened to two million RBS and NatWest customers as part of the Government's strategy to break up the big banks and replace them with - errrr - another big bank.
Broadly speaking, those with an RBS branch in England, or a NatWest branch in Scotland, have been sold to Santander.
Customers fear it could mean new bank account numbers, different savings accounts and disruption to standing orders and direct debits. And if they want to stay with their current bank it's not that easy, because part of the deal states that RBS NatWest isn't allowed to poach its current customers.
Over recent years, we've seen a number of bank and building society takeovers and rescues, but this is different.
These customers are being moved for strategic reasons, not for some financial imperative.
If they were being moved to First Direct they might not have cause for concern. But Santander was voted one of the worst for customer service in a survey by Which? magazine.
It doesn't have a record of smooth integration. There were thousands of complaints from Alliance & Leicester customers who had problems after the Santander takeover of that bank.
Santander says it has addressed its customer service problems, which were first highlighted in Money Mail, by introducing strict new monitoring procedures.
But this won't address the anger of customers who simply want to stay with a bank that has served them well for years and feel they are being sold like cattle.
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Have you ever dreamed of wearing a Fairytale Princess gown on your wedding day? Allure Bridals is making that dream a reality with the new Disney Fairy Tale Weddings Collection. This beautiful collection will feature 16 gowns, each embodying the elegance and style of Disney Princess characters such as Snow White, Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Pocahontas, and Rapunzel. Want a sneak peek? Here’s a glance … Continue reading Disney Fairytale Wedding Dresses Coming in 2020
Disney Cruise Line has just embarked on an inaugural season sailing from New Orleans. This also marks the very first time that Disney Cruise Line has had a homeport in Louisiana. On the Disney Wonder’s first departure from the Crescent City on Feb. 7, 2020, the ship received a celebratory bon voyage from Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen and members of the traditional New Orleans Treme … Continue reading Disney Wonder’s Inaugural Voyage from New Orleans
By: Kai Ingram With “The Mandalorian” streaming on Disney+, “Rise of Skywalker” out in theaters, and all of the new Star Wars attractions at both Disneyland in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, the ultimate Star Wars fan is in for a treat. Reservations will open later this year for this Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, which will … Continue reading Reservations for Walt Disney World Resort’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Opening Later This Year
Just announced at Toy Fair New York! The Child Mini Backpack from LoungeFly. Arriving in June 2020, it is. 🐸 Continue reading MERCH: New The Child LoungeFly Mini Backpack announced
New Passholder Exclusive Magnets for Flower and Garden Festival 2020 designs have been released!! Donald Duck with Spike the Bee Magnet – available March 4 through April 19, 2020 or while supplies last Orange Bird Magnet – available April 20 through June 1, 2020 or while supplies last You can find them at Mouse Gear. Limit one Donald Duck magnet and one Orange Bird … Continue reading New Passholder Exclusive Magnets for Flower and Garden Festival 2020!


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Apple is well-known for its maniacal approach to security, but it turns out not even the Cupertino heavyweight is safe from breaches: Popular YouTuber EverythingApplePro has stumbled upon a miniature hacking device that can crack the passcode of any iPhone 7 handset.
The device has a fairly compact size, but what is even more impressive is that, thanks to its three USB ports, it has the capacity to brute-force passcodes on three devices at the same time.
To pull this off, EverythingApplePro says the creators of the tool exploited a loophole in the phone’s data recovery state that allows users to enter as many password attempts as they need. The vulnerability puts at risk all iPhone 7 and 7+ models running any version of iOS between 10.3.3 and 11 Beta, according to the YouTuber. In case your phone is running an older version of iOS, the attackers will have to import the iOS 10.3.3 firmware to your phone to brute-force it.
And here is the scary part: While you would usually need to enter your passcode to update, the gadget comes with a software that automatically bypasses this step. Even so, the device could still require up to a few days to crack your phone, depending on the complexity of your passcode.
You can watch the exploit in action in the video below:
EverythingApplePro has brought to light several other glitches in iOS and the iPhone in the past, but none as jarring as this one. His previous finds include this 3-second video that could brick any iPhone or iPad as well as this malicious text that could crash any device running iOS 10.
The good thing is that, following his videos, Apple has always been rather quick to eliminate the exposed issues. So chances are security engineers in Cupertino are already working on a fix.
Given how vehemently Apple refused to comply with the FBI’s requests to hand over the secret to unlocking an iPhone handset during the infamous San Bernardino case, it is truly wild to consider that someone is selling a $500 solution to a problem the FBI ended up wasting millions on. There is a reason iOS exploits are worth millions, after all.
Download SafeUM — communicate privately, without advertising and spam.


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|By Marketwired .||
|March 19, 2014 08:30 PM EDT||
SINGAPORE -- (Marketwired) -- 03/19/14 -- Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) companies may want to take heed of the famous quote by American actress Mae West -- "An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises" -- particularly as it relates to delivering on brand promises made to Asia's 4.3 billion consumers.
In a new study on the state of customer experience across APJ, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council reports that only 26 percent of marketers surveyed believe their back-office systems and operational structures enable their companies to live up to brand promises and marketing claims.
The CMO Council, in partnership with SAP, gathered insights from 245 senior marketers in 16 Asia-Pacific countries through an online audit during the third and fourth quarters of 2013. Findings from the audit show that only 10 percent of respondents felt there was strong alignment and synergy among functional heads when it comes to ensuring a seamless experience across all customer touch points and operational areas of the business.
With the voice and influence of Asia's mobile device-connected, socially active and brand-conscious consumers mounting, regional marketers feel they need to step up their game when it comes to ensuring that companies live up to marketing claims and brand promises on an operational, after-market support and back-office-systems level.
"There is no point in wasting marketing resources on seducing customers with offers, incentives and captivating branding if there is a big disconnect on the product, business policy or service experience side," noted Donovan Neale-May, Executive Director of the CMO Council. "You'll just see churn, disaffection and bad word-of-mouth, which can be quite damaging in a socially connected region like Asia."
The CMO Council notes that just 23 percent of marketers surveyed in APJ have calculated how the customer experience has directly impacted business performance through lost or gained revenue, retention, defection, detraction or advocacy.
APJ marketers believe customer-centric cultures require CEO mandates, management commitments and employee empowerment that is driven by real-time market insights, more personalized engagements and higher-value, actionable information and analytics delivered across the organization.
From a benchmarking standpoint, the CMO Council study, entitled "Maximize How You Individualize," reveals that the customer experience lacks measurement, accountability and dedicated resources throughout APJ-based companies and multi-nationals operating in the region. This is surprising considering that 45 percent of survey respondents represented companies with $1 billion or more in revenue, and 30 percent held positions at companies with annual sales between $100 million and $1 billion.
Ownership of the customer experience is seen by survey participants to be fragmented and distributed across multiple titles and areas of operational responsibility, including the CMO (31 percent), head of service and support (10 percent), vice president or director of customer sales and service (9 percent), chief operations officer (8 percent), chief sales officer (6 percent), and chief experience officer (6 percent). Only 39 percent of marketers feel these individuals have the authority and budget to really influence and impact CXM.
"It is easy for marketers to get caught in a conversation about who owns the customer experience. In reality, everyone across the enterprise bears a responsibility to deliver consistent, relevant and delightful customer experiences. However, marketers have the unique opportunity to become the true champion of customer centricity by adopting customer-listening strategies and data-driven approaches that aid customer experience transformation," noted Grace Ho, Managing Director of Marketing for SAP Asia-Pacific/Japan. "Today's marketer is in a position to empower the organization with deep knowledge of the customer's wants, needs and expectations. Social listening is an excellent way to glean customer sentiment about a product or service. Customer sentiment can be captured in real time and then shared across the organization to help adapt and shift customer experiences to maximize business outcomes. Insights from predictive analytics can foster understanding of the level of loyalty and attachment a customer has for your brand and help shape and unify the customer experience strategy for the entire organization."
Most notably, the CMO Council highlighted the following key data points resulting from the study:
- Just 25 percent of companies have conducted a customer experience management (CXM) audit across all touch points, life stages and operational areas.
- Only 36 percent of marketers report having a formal CXM strategy or program in their organization.
- Only 24 percent have a comprehensive view of engagements and interactions across all stages of the customer lifecycle.
- Only 8 percent say they have well developed and fully evolved systems for understanding and meeting the needs of customers.
- Just 11 percent are highly satisfied with their ability to listen and respond to the needs of the customer.
In addition to the online survey, the CMO Council and SAP engaged on a qualitative level with groups of senior marketers in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Mumbai, New Delhi, Seoul, Singapore and Sydney. Conversations with more than 160 marketers across APJ evidenced a strong desire for chief marketers to be the primary champion and ombudsman for the customer experience, tracking satisfaction, loyalty, reputation and word-of-mouth.
Topics covered in the CMO Council's audit of customer experience in APJ included:
- Essential requirements to be a customer-centric company
- Challenges to delivering a seamless customer experience
- Most prevalent gaps in delivering customer experience
- How to better align functional areas around CXM
- Preferred channels for customers to interact with companies in APJ
- Solutions being considered or deployed for better listening and feedback
- Issues around managing customer data and gaining a 360-degree view
The 82-page report contains detailed findings from a 32-question online survey of 245 senior marketing executives across 16 countries and multiple industry sectors in Asia-Pacific and Japan. The full report ($199) includes summaries of best-practice interviews with marketing executives from companies like Air Asia, ANZ, BMW, Cathay Pacific Airways, Coles, Fujitsu, Godrej, Lenovo, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Post, Standard Chartered Bank, Tata Capital, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone. The complete report and complimentary executive summary are also available by visiting www.cmocouncil.org/r/maximize-how-you-individualize.
An additional resource that compares regional findings to global findings, lists key challenges marketing faces in achieving customer centricity, illustrates the direct line from customer experience to revenue, and explains the roadmap to maximizing the experience can be downloaded by visiting www.cmocouncil.org/resources/cmoc-maximize-how-you-individualize-infographic.pdf.
About the CMO Council
The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council is the only global network of executives specifically dedicated to high-level knowledge exchange, thought leadership and personal relationship building among senior corporate marketing leaders and brand decision-makers across a wide range of global industries. The CMO Council's 7,000-plus members control more than $400 billion in aggregated annual marketing expenditures and run complex, distributed marketing and sales operations worldwide. In total, the CMO Council and its strategic interest communities include more than 35,000 global executives in more than 110 countries covering multiple industries, segments and markets. Regional chapters and advisory boards are active in the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, India and Africa. The council's strategic interest groups include the Coalition to Leverage and Optimize Sales Effectiveness (CLOSE), Mobile Relationship Marketing (MRM) Strategies Forum, LoyaltyLeaders.org, CMOCIOAlign.org, Marketing Supply Chain Institute, Customer Experience Board, Digital Marketing Performance Institute, GeoBranding Center and the Brand Inspiration Center. More information on the CMO Council is available at www.cmocouncil.org.
As a market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, and desktop to mobile device, SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insights more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP's applications and services enable more than 251,000 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.
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Have you ever noticed how some IT people seem to lead successful, rewarding, and satisfying lives and careers, while others struggle? IT author and speaker Don Crawley uncovered the five principles that successful IT people use to build satisfying lives and careers and he shares them in this fast-paced, thought-provoking webinar. You'll learn the importance of striking a balance with technical skills and people skills, challenge your pre-existing ideas about IT customer service, and gain new in...
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SYS-CON Events announced today that Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR), an industry leader in automated, scalable and secure networks, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Juniper Networks challenges the status quo with products, solutions and services that transform the economics of networking. The company co-innovates with customers and partners to deliver automated, scalable and secure network...
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Interoute has announced the integration of its Global Cloud Infrastructure platform with Rancher Labs’ container management platform, Rancher. This approach enables enterprises to accelerate their digital transformation and infrastructure investments. Matthew Finnie, Interoute CTO commented “Enterprises developing and building apps in the cloud and those on a path to Digital Transformation need Digital ICT Infrastructure that allows them to build, test and deploy faster than ever before. The int...
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In his session at @ThingsExpo, Eric Lachapelle, CEO of the Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB), will provide an overview of various initiatives to certifiy the security of connected devices and future trends in ensuring public trust of IoT. Eric Lachapelle is the Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB), an international certification body. His role is to help companies and individuals to achieve professional, accredited and worldw...
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Ever since Tesla sold its first Model S sedan there in 2013, China has been the electric carmaker’s fastest-growing overseas market and helped the company get through multiple external crises, including the coronavirus pandemic. But as Tesla continues to claim the lion’s share of China’s booming EV market, it’s also facing a crop of homegrown competitors growing just as fast—at least by the measure of market value.
Tesla’s most notable Chinese rival, Nio, for example, has seen an influx of investor interest lately, which pushed the unprofitable startup’s share price from a dangerous sub-$3 level at the end of 2019 to above $14 as of Wednesday, thanks to strong delivery numbers and a broad market excitement on EV companies triggered by Tesla’s wild stock jump this year so far.
SEE ALSO: Elon Musk Is Rethinking Tesla Cybertruck as Electric Pickup Race Accelerates
Nio went public on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2018. Its stock trajectory is not short of volatility and setbacks, but the recent rebound seems to have encouraged many of its Chinese peers to raise funds in the U.S.
Last week, Chinese EV startup Li Auto made its debut on NASDAQ. Its similarly aged Tesla challenger, Xpeng Motors, has also reportedly filed an IPO in the U.S., per CNBC. The company has decided on which exchange to list shares on.
Ahead of its market debut, CNBC reported that Xpeng has raised $400 million in fresh capital from a slew of powerful investors, including Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and the sovereign wealth funds of Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
These aggressive IPOs come at a highly unusual time of rising political and economic tensions between the U.S. and China. In fact, listing Chinese firms on American stock exchanges has been a concern for some investors ever since the 2018 trade war. Still, a record number of Chinese companies have chosen to file IPOs in the U.S. Last year, 28 Chinese companies, including three special-purpose acquisition companies, went public on NYSE or Nasdaq, according to Renaissance Capital, which sells IPO-focused exchange-traded funds. The previous year, 33 Chinese firms went public in the U.S., hitting the nine-year high since 2010.


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Energy firms ‘worst firms for bill errors'
Energy firms are the worst offenders when it comes to sending inaccurate bills, a customer poll revealed today.
Gas and electricity suppliers were named as most likely to charge the wrong amount. One third of the 2,000 survey respondents had been billed incorrectly by their energy firm in the past two years.
And 21% of customers described their gas and electricity bills as inaccurate or very inaccurate, according to price comparison firm uSwitch.com.
The Inland Revenue was named the second worst supplier of inaccurate bills, followed by council tax departments, telecoms and broadband providers, and water firms.
USwitch.com director of consumer policy Ann Robinson accused energy suppliers of having a 'hit and miss' approach to billing accuracy.
'This is not about individual suppliers letting the side down - this is a wake-up call for the entire energy industry which has been compared with others and found to be sorely lacking,' she said.
Four out of 10 respondents complained they had unexpectedly owed money to their energy supplier following an inaccurate estimate.
The uSwitch findings were based on an online poll of 2,177 adults carried out in August by market researchers YouGov.
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iPhones are fairly popular gifts during the holiday season, and nothing may express that better than the sheer amount of cash the iOS App Store pulls in at the end of the year. Apple today revealed how much money customers spent on the App Store during the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and the amount is staggering: $1.42 billion.
Apple says that’s a record amount, and that it also represents a 16% increase in spending year-over-year. Further, New Year’s Day 2020 was another big day for the App Store, with customers spending $386 million on that day alone. That’s a 20% increase year-over-year and a new single-day record for the App Store.
In all, Apple says that customers have spent $155 billion on the App Store since it launched in 2008, but even more impressive than that is the fact that a quarter of those earnings came in the last year alone. These figures were revealed in a year-end wrap up post published to the Apple Newsroom, which basically acts as a big advertisement for all of the services the company launched in 2019.
Because of that, there isn’t a whole lot of actual news in that post, but there are a few other morsels of information we can glean. For instance, Apple says that Apple News has 100 million monthly active users across the US, Canada, and the UK, but unfortunately it doesn’t tell us how many Apple News+ subscribers it has. It also boasts that Apple Music now has over 60 million songs on offer, but beyond those stats, there isn’t a whole lot we can sink our teeth into with this press release.
2019 was definitely the year of services for Apple, so it’ll be interesting to see how they grow throughout 2020. One thing is for sure – the App Store will definitely continue to be a big money maker for Apple in 2020, and depending on the phones it launches in September, revenues from the App Store could break records again at the end of this year.


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After teasing it for several times, Realme has finally announced that it will be launching Realme Q series smartphones in China on 5th September. It has been confirmed that the Realme Q series phones will feature quad-camera setup on the back.
While the company has not made it clear, it seems that the upcoming lineup will be a re-branded version of the Realme 5 series which was launched in India earlier this month. It’s noteworthy that the Realme 5 series is the company’s first to feature quad-camera setup.
Also, the Realme 5 Pro smartphone was recently certified by TENAA in China, which further points towards Realme Q being the rebranded Realme 5 series for the Chinese market. While this is most likely to be the case, the company has not yet confirmed this.
Meanwhile, the company is also gearing up to launch its Realme XT smartphone in the Indian market, which features a 64 MP quad-camera setup. Realme CEO Madhav Sheth has already confirmed that the phone will launch in India in September.
Currently, Realme is selling two smartphones in the Chinese market — Realme X and X Lite. While the Realme X was first launched in China, the X Lite is a re-branded version of the Realme 3 Pro. Thus, the Realme Q-series will be the second smartphone lineup from the Oppo-backed brand in China.


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By Allison Dean
There’s no question about it, e-readers and tablets are picking up in popularity. Sales of e-books in 2010 ($441.3M) saw a 164.4 percent increase over sales in 2009 ($166.9M). And with those sales also came an increase in e-book sales’ market presence; in 2010, e-book sales held 8.32 percent of the trade book market, a more than 5 percent from 2009 (EcoLibris.net). The site forecasts that by 2015 and 2020, e-books will represent 40 percent and 60 percent, respectively, of the trade book market.
With this growth in e-book usage, people have begun to wonder how such electronics will impact the environment in comparison to traditional books.
Many people claim that reading digital books over traditional ones will save trees and cut down on carbon emissions, the most prominent of emissions to contribute to the Greenhouse Effect. And, seemingly, they do. According to The New York Time’s Green blog, “A new study analyzing the Amazon Kindle electronic book reader’s impact on the environment suggests that, on average, the carbon emitted over the life of the device is offset after the first year of use.”
According to the Green Press Initiative, the carbon emissions for producing the following are:
• The average book: 8.85 lbs;
• The iPad 1: 287 lbs (32 traditional books);
• The iPad 2: 231 lbs (26 traditional books);
• The Kindle: 370 lbs (42 traditional books).
So effectively, after someone has read between 26 and 42 books depending on the e-reader he/she uses, they begin reduce the carbon emissions traditional books’ production release into the environment. This certainly seems to indicate that e-readers and tablets are the greener option.
However, a look at the long-term effects of e-readers demonstrates a serious contribution to an already growing environmental problem. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “While various reports estimate that electronic waste is less than 4% of the total solid waste stream in the United States (eCycling FAQs), electronic waste is growing 2-3 times faster than any other waste stream (i.e. paper, yard waste). In 1998, of the 20 million computers taken out of service, only 2.3 million (slightly more than 10%), were recycled or eCycled. And most of those were from large businesses and institutions.”
Eleven years later, the EPA no longer goes by how many “computers” were ready for recycling and instead goes by how many tons of electronics need recycled. In 2009, “438 million new consumer electronics were sold… 2.37 million tons of electronics were ready for end-of-life management; and 25% of these tons were collected for recycling” (EPA).
To put into perspective how big of a problem this is, understand this: When these e-readers and tablets become obsolete, which happens pretty quickly considering “new-and-improved” products seem to be released annually, they majority of them will be in our landfills. E-waste, what trashed e-readers and tablets will be, is responsible for four things.
First, they release toxic chemicals into our already sick environment. While e-waste represents less than 4 percent of total U.S. solid waste, it represents about 70 percent of all toxic waste in the U.S. E-readers and tablets typically contain toxic materials, like arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, halogenated flame retardants, lead, mercury (a component in LED screens). Some non-recycled e-waste lays in landfills where toxic materials lay out in the open, like the lithium used to produce rechargeable batteries; the rest of it is incinerated and its toxins are released into the environment through exhaust and smoke vents. Additionally, people seem to have forgotten that e-readers’ carbon footprint doesn’t end with their production; because they require a battery for use, fossil fuels like oil, natural gas and coal must be burned to create the energy to recharge e-readers’ and tablets’ batteries.
Second, e-waste is quickly filling up our landfills. According to the EPA in 2004, “Approximately 70 percent of the heavy metals in municipal solid waste landfills are estimated to come from electronics discards.” Because electronics occupy so much space in our landfills, some have literally run out of space; this creates the need for new ones to be built.
Third, non-renewable resources, such as columbite-tantalite (for capacitors), mercury (for LED screens), and lithium (for batteries), are used in e-readers and tablets and, as we know, the majority e-waste is not recycled; this means that vital resources that we are incapable of recreating are being mined and then later destroyed when they could be recovered.
So, to answer the initial question of whether or not e-readers and tablets are really greener than traditional books, the answer is no. Although they will save trees, a renewable resource, they won’t reduce carbon emissions. Additionally, their imminent improper disposal causes the release of toxic chemicals into our environment, the filling up of our landfills, and the wasting of non-renewable resources.
Allison Dean jumped at the chance to bring us a guest post explaining why e-readers and tablets are not really green. A blogger and writer who saw the need for an educational resource that laypersons could depend on when they had legal problems, Allison spends her professional life writing about medical malpractice lawyers.


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InStore Audio Network is now fully integrated with Stingray to create a digital audio OOH network more than 20,000 locations strong
Stingray Group Inc. , a leading music, media, and technology company, announced that InStore Audio Network has been fully integrated into its offering following the acquisition in January, and the combined entity of the US and Canadian operations is now named Stingray Advertising. This forms the largest in-store audio advertising network in North America, reaching 140 million shoppers each week in over 20,000 grocery retailers, superstores, discount stores and pharmacies.
Stingray Advertising delivers targeted audio messaging to shoppers in a captive media environment at the point-of-purchase. This cutting-edge integration focuses on leveraging new technology and giving retailers a way to monetize in-store audio while offering CPG and HBC brands a democratized marketing tool to reach shoppers with optimized OOH media.
Marketing Technology News: Docusign Bolsters Leadership Team in Push Toward Enabling the Anywhere Economy
The current network includes leading retailers like Ahold, Albertsons, Brookshires, CVS, Jean Coutu, Metro, Rite Aid, Safeway, Southeastern Grocers, Tops Markets, Walmart Canada and Weis Market with coverage across Canada and in every DMA in the US.
“With the recent addition of Walmart Canada into our retail media network plus our use of COMMB and Geopath for proven audience measurement and Hivestack for a versatile programmatic buying solution, we have proven our effectiveness and reliability to our current advertiser base,” said Ryan Fuss, Senior Vice President of Stingray Advertising. “Our retail footprint, along with both traditional media buying and programmatic options, positions Stingray Advertising as a top media solution for every brand sold in retail store – as well as non-endemic brands seeking to reach a captive audience of engaged consumers directly in the retail environment.”
Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Chris Knowlton, Chief Evangelist at Panopto
In addition to retail media, Stingray Advertising helps brands connect to passionate audiences across the Stingray multiplatform ecosystem through broadcast and streaming media which includes concerts, shows, music videos, TV audio channels, and radio stations as well as music and soundscapes across web, mobile and FAST channels.
Stingray also has an array of technology-driven solutions to share with retailers to elevate the in-store and customer experience including Stingray Business’ licensed background music and digital signage as well as Chatter by Stingray’s AI-driven customer insights tool that empowers brands to take action and improve their customer experience.
Effective immediately, all brand identity, logos, and corporate communication will reflect the Stingray Advertising brand.


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Once upon a time the automotive market was radically different. Just a few decades ago things were much simpler for consumers than they are today. Unless they’re shopping for a new Tesla, buyers face a borderline-absurd number of choices when they walk into a typical dealer showroom. This is why we’re here. Ask AutoGuide’s expertly trained, nationally certified Oracles are ready, willing and usually able to help new-car shoppers in distress. Think of them as caped crusaders fighting for what’s right… as long as they don’t have to get up from their desks or change out of their Velcro Hush Puppies.
AutoGuide News Blog
The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.
Every week Ask AutoGuide provides iron-clad vehicle-shopping advice to distressed, confused or otherwise bewildered consumers. Whether they’re in the market for a family-friendly crossover or something that’s good in winter weather, the Oracles of all things automotive have been there to lend some helping hands. But this week they’re taking a slightly different approach.
With whacky choices like the Holden Commodore Maloo available, it might take more than a powerful V8 to catch an Australian customer’s attention.
You wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes before you made sure they fit your feet, so why would you purchase a car without a test drive? According to a Maritz Research study, 11.4 percent of new car buyers did not take a test drive before purchasing their vehicle.
There’s always two sides to a story, and earlier we reported about how a Nissan dealership sold a $62,130 Murano Crosscabriolet to a man suffering from dementia. Now North Bay Nissan, the dealership in question, has agreed to take back the vehicle while explaining their side of the story.
Ed Dowdall suffers from Lewy Body Dementia and currently lives in a care facility in San Francisco, California. According to his doctor, Dowdall suffers from “markedly impaired judgment, lack of impulse control, aggressive and compulsive behavior, and an almost total lack of insight into his condition.”
Greg Dexter on the other hand, owner of North Bay Nissan, claims that Dowdall gave every indication of having a sound mind when he purchased the vehicle back in December. Of course we wouldn’t expect the owner of the dealership to say otherwise, but whether it’s an admission of guilt or just wanting all the negative press to go away, Dexter has agreed to take back the Murano, relinquishing the $923 a month car payment. Dexter however did not make a firm statement on whether or not the down payment would be fully refunded.
Dowdall’s attorney, Michael Baddeley has said that both parties reached a mutual agreement on the fiasco and confirmed that the sale has been rescinded. The dealership’s story however is that Dowdall was a returning customer, having purchased his Altima Hybrid there back in 2008. He originally visited the dealership in November inquiring about the Murano before purchasing it the following month.
Two phone messages were played that Dowdall had left the salesman after purchasing the car, sounding coherent and happy about the purchase. There were also notes during the sale that Dowdall was on the phone with family members during the sales process including Amy Dowdall – his separated wife – and her brother-in-law Mike Dowdall. Both Amy and Mike claim that they were at the Petaluma Police Department during the purchase to report that Ed attempted to kill Amy the night before.
“I knew the car should have gone back that day, but Mike talked me into keeping it until (my husband) went to the home because it would have been upsetting for him,” Amy Dowdall said.
Clearly this is a case of he-said, she-said, but we’re glad the matter has been resolved. We personally think Mr. Ed Dowdall really wanted the Murano CrossCabriolet and of course the dealership had no gripes selling it to him. But whether or not he was ethically taken advantage of, well that’s up to you.
[Source: Press Democrat]
Two knucklehead dealership technicians decided to borrow a BMW 1 Series M Coupe and put it through its paces. What makes the video even more painful to watch is that the technicians have no sympathy for the car’s delicate break in period.
Interstingly, members of the 1Addicts forum managed to narrow down the location of the joyride and trace it back to Pacific BMW in Southern California. Fortunetly the car had not been sold yet, and the dealership asking price was a whopping $20,000 over MSRP.
Once the driver knew the heat was on, he attempted to cover his tracks by removing the video from his account, but someone had already made a copy. The BMW abuser has apparently been fired by the dealer after forum members reached out in outrage. Furthermore, local city spokesman Tom Lorenz also indicated that local law enforcement is investigating the technician in regards to the obviously unsafe and illegal speeds obtained during the joyride in residential neighbourhoods.
Check out the video after the jump!
Xou Vang thought he scored a sweet deal on eBay: $55,100 for a 2009 Nissan GT-R with just 36,069 miles on the clock. But Honda of San Marcos, Texas, is refusing to honor the sale, pressuring Vang to pay the full $59,000 sticker—and violating eBay’s stringent rules in the process.
As of yesterday, the GT-R is still listed on the dealership’s inventory at $62,674. While a three grand reduction off the price is impressive enough, it still isn’t what Vang is legally bound to pay. He called the dealership repeatedly, arranging a deposit and a time to pick up the car, which the dealership refused. A sales manager told Vang.
“So he kept telling me he will not sell it as he has the rights to not sell this car,” said Vang, “as eBay is not a contract and eBay has fine small prints that says dealers are exempt and they do not have to sell the vehicle. I asked him where was this and he was unable to point me to the information where he is finding this small print.”
Vang wisely contacted as many offices as he could: eBay, the Better Business Bureau, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Texas Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Trade Commission. But he lives all the way in Anchorage, Alaska, and the idea of making the trek down south makes him feel “hopeless, since I have no one to turn to,” he said. For now, however, he’s got his comrades at My350Z Forums, and as we’ve learned time and time again from similar cases—don’t underestimate the power of the Internet.
A Honda dealer in Vancouver, Canada who wanted to show support for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks was forced to remove the team’s logo from their showroom.
Kingsway Honda manager Doug Lum told the CBC that the NHL informed Kingsway Honda that the use of logos constituted copyright infringement and had to be removed immediately. Lum cited Honda’s sponsorship as the NHL’s official car, and noted the irony of the legal reprimand.
Lum said that he didn’t plan to fight the NHL’s demands, but had the lettering altered to read ”Go ‘nucks GO.”
The California New Car Dealers Association is accusing Chrysler of operating a factory store illegally in the Los Angeles area. The showroom, dubbed Motor Village L.A., was designed to boost Chrysler’s profile and show off their revised product lineup, as well as the new Fiat brand.
The dealer group filed a petition with the California New Motor Vehicle Board, asking for an investigation and disciplinary action against Chrysler, including a possible revocation of their business license. The dealer group alleges that proprietor Howard Drake lacks any financial stake in the business, making it illegitimate. Motor Village also is within a 10 mile radius of other independently owned Chrysler stores, which violates California law.
In a statement, Chrysler spokesman Ralph Kisiel said “looks forward to discussing the matter with the Department of Motor Vehicles.”
[Source: Automotive News]
If you’ve ever driven on Interstate 95 north of Fort Lauderdale, you’ve doubtlessly seen Champion Motors in Pompano Beach, Florida, home of the world’s largest Porsche dealership. Unfortunately, the dealership also suffered a Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year, and its recovery story in Portfolio magazine gives the layman an interesting look into how dealerships operate.
Dealerships must keep an inventory of cars, and use whats called floor-plan financing for this. Essentially, it’s a fancy name for a loan provided by the bank to cover the cost of buying inventory from the manufacturer. At the time, Champion was getting credit from VW Credit, due to Champion’s Audi franchise sharing real estate with the Porsche showroom.
However, VW Credit cut back the repayment time from 10 days after a vehicle’s sale to 3 days, a move that caused major headaches for Champion, as the cutback came in the middle of 2009′s economic downturn. Undoubtedly, the large and expensive inventory Champion must carry exacerbated the problem.
The Portfolio article explores what happens during the bankruptcy, but also details the various maneuvers used by Champion to shed their dead weight (in this case, an Audi franchise) and re-emerge as a leaner, more profitable business. The article also details how dealership financing works, an interesting topic for those who have overlapping interests in business and cars.
Mazda Canada announced Friday that a dealer that sold a Mazda6 demonstrator to a woman for nearly $25,000 above retail value has had its franchise agreement terminated. Mazda of Orangeville, situated about 35 miles northwest of Toronto, will no longer be able to sell new vehicles or parts or make repairs.
Mazda of Orangeville attracted a flurry of negative press after it emerged that it sold a disabled woman a 2010 Mazda6 demonstrator for $66,000, when it should have sold for roughly $41,000
In an interview with the Toronto Star, Greg Young, Mazda’s director of corporate public relations explained the reasoning behind the termination. “We informed the dealer this morning that we were terminating the agreement because he had not adhered to the business standards, under the terms of the sales and service agreement.”
Young said that the overpriced car was one example found during an investigation into the dealership’s business practices. The dealership charged the buyer, Madeline Leonard, nearly three times the retail price for various accessories, and gave her an 8-year loan which added significant costs to the vehicle. Leonard is on a fixed income and should not have qualified for a standard loan.
[Source: Toronto Star]


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Morrisons ad banned after pester power complaints
By Matthew Chapman, campaignlive.co.uk, Wednesday, 26 October 2011 08:51AM
Morrisons has been slammed by the advertising watchdog for encouraging children to ask their parents to visit the supermarket in order to win tickets to Disneyland Paris.
The television campaign, created by DLKW Lowe, featured unhappy children cheering up at the prospect of visiting Morrisons, but drew complaints from three viewers who believed it was specifically targeted at children.
The creative showed a child's face being illuminated when opening a pack of Walt Disney cards, which was accompanied by a voiceover stating: "Find a gold card and you could even win one of a thousand stays at Disneyland Paris".
Morrisons defended itself by claiming the July ad campaign was not irresponsibly targeting children, because it appeared between programmes intended for adults.
However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) noted the ad appeared on several children's television channels.
In addition, the watchdog ruled the creative undeniably encouraged children to get their parents to take them to Morrisons, because the final scene featured a child waking an adult early in the morning to go to the supermarket chain.
Morrisons has been informed it can no longer run the campaign because it breached ASA regulations concerning responsible advertising and children.
Follow Matthew Chapman on Twitter @mattchapmanuk
This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk
- Deputy Creative Director - Integrated/shopper agency The Industry Club London Ltd £75,000, London (Greater)
- Campaign Manager Direct Recruitment £35,000 - £40,000 + bens, London (Central), London (Greater)
- Data Planning Manager (SAS) Direct Recruitment £45-55k, London (Central), London (Greater)
- Digital Analyst Direct Recruitment £40,000 - £45,000, London (Central), London (Greater)
- Campaign Manager Direct Recruitment £45,000 + Bens, London (Central), London (Greater)
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- Captain Morgan Facebook ad banned for suggesting alcohol conquers boredom
- Happy birthday Mr Ad Server: the future of RTB


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Senator Chuck Schumer dropped an interesting factoid this morning at a breakfast co-hosted by The Association for a Better New York and the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association. Mr. Schumer was there to discuss recently authorized recovery funding for Hurricane Sandy, but offered some remarks on the state of New York’s tech industry.
During the Q&A period, Dawn Barber, cofounder of the New York Tech Meetup, asked Mr. Schumer what he thought of the role of the technology community would play in the city’s future.
Gmail has improved its search capabilities, making it possible to now search for emails by size or specific date parameters. This should make finding all those embarrassing emails you sent to your ex even easier. [Gmail Blog]
NY Senator Charles Schumer proposed an initiative yesterday that would create two new high school diplomas that focus on promoting high-tech industries. Gotta start ‘em young? [Press Connects]
The Queen of England prefers the Galaxy Note over the iPad for some unknown reason. [CNET]
Here’s something to alarm you before 9 a.m.: Mat Honan, the Wired writer who was famously hacked, on why passwords are basically useless in protecting your personal information. [Wired]
Americans are too prudish to get into the spirit of fancy butt-washing Japanese toilets. :( [Priceonomics]
Did all the Facebook cofounders promise to make honest women and men out of their partners, just as soon as the company went public? Because guess who graced the New York Times‘ Vows section today: Facebook cofounder and now New Republic publisher and editor-in-chief Chris Hughes and his partner Sean Eldridge.
The Times tells us that the pair were wedded yesterday, Read More
Sassy hand-gesturer and potentially technophobic New York Senator Charles Schumer has some serious concerns about the privacy of New Yorkers’ backyards. In a letter to Google and Apple published yesterday on his website, the Senator concern-trolled the tech companies over their 3D map technology, which uses fly-over cameras to construct the images.
“Barbequing or sunbathing in your backyard shouldn’t be a public event,” said Senator Schumer in a statement while presumably wearing a “Kiss the cook!” apron and brandishing a six-pack of hot dogs. “People should be free from the worry of some high-tech peeping Tom technology violating one’s privacy when in your own home.”
Well-known foe of fun and fan of probes Senator Charles Schumer has asked the Federal Trade Commission (F.T.C.) to examine claims Apple and Android can spy on your application data. The Senator’s request was made public Sunday. In it he referenced recent reports that certain smart phone and tablet applications can look at user photos and upload contacts to Apple and Google servers.


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In Bean Town, you can be whatever you want to be: astronaut, fireman, princess, hairdresser, Spider-man. What you become doesn’t matter; if you are a child, and you take off your shoes and follow the rules, the adventures you can go on are limited only by your imagination.
The simple idea of having a virtually unlimited creative and educational play space for kids is what led Forsyth County local Kenneth Kelmer and his wife, Aleksandra, to open Bean Town, a 10,000-square-foot indoor interactive playground on Windermere Parkway in south Forsyth.
But aside from the idea itself, there is nothing simple about Bean Town. From the supersized inflatable “space bounce” to the life-size wooden fire truck with working lights and sirens, every inch of the business’s generous square footage is jam-packed with activities for kids.
"When the weather is hot or bad, this is the place that you'd like to be," Aleksandra Kelmer said.
Less than a month ago, the Kelmer’s opened Bean Town’s doors to the community, offering an affordable, safe play space for kid’s ages 6 months to 8 years old, seven days a week.
According to Kelmer, the idea for Bean Town was conceived after countless hours she spent at other play places with her son, Gabriel, while traveling around the country for her husband’s business.
"When we stopped traveling, there was no place like that in Forsyth County,” Aleksandra Kelmer said. “And I saw that there was a need for something like that, for parents who just want to get out, or moms who don't want to stay home to have meetup groups."
From visiting many other similar businesses during their travels, many of which she said were dirty, cramped or too expensive, Kelmer said that they knew they could do the business right and make it exactly what the local community needed.
"We thought it would be a great idea to open something like that," she said. "And we decided that this area would be great because there are a lot of families with little children."
After more than a year of looking for building, planning and construction, the Kelmer’s opened the doors of their business to the community, naming the space Bean Town for their son’s nicknames, Jelly Bean and The Bean.
Kelmer said there were a few things that were a top priority to them for the business. Beyond the security of children and the armada of top quality toys, she said that they wanted Bean Town to be a place that fits the lives of their clients.
With a low entry fee, a large snack area, no wait to enter, free Wi-Fi, a café with high-end Italian coffee and unlimited re-entry, she said that they packed the business with everything needed to keep both kids and parents happy.
"We wanted to make it safe and easily accessible to parents," she said. "We built it the way we would like to have it done for our son, but also for us."
Another thing that was important for them, according to Kenneth Kelmer, was that Bean Town would have toys and spaces for kids with autism and other special needs, and to allow them to come and play for free.
"They have so much other stuff to worry about, other things to do and other problems," Kelmer said. "This is a place that they can come and the kids can have fun and the parents can relax and let their kid be a kid no matter what their disability is.”
Even less than a month after their opening, he said that word has gotten out in the local community about Bean Town.
"We've been open 24 days and we've probably had 1,000 people through here already," he said. "All the parents put us on these Facebook pages ... and it's blown up."
On Wednesday, Kelmer said that one reason for that interest from local parents is probably because there is nothing like it in the community. He said that in a world where pure educational and creative spaces are shrinking, parents are likely snapping up any opportunity for their kid to just play and be a kid.
"Everything we have here is something to stimulate the growth of the children and keep them growing as they come," he said. “Everything here sparks the imagination."


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July 13 - Nairobi, Kenya was the location late last month of a gathering of independent freight forwarders from around the world as they participated in the second African Regional Freight Forwarders Conference.
Organised by the WCA Family of Logistic Networks, the event, held 26-28 June, represented the largest gathering of freight forwarders in Africa in 2011 says the organisers and provided a catalyst for numerous new partnerships and business deals running into millions of dollars.
WCA Family president, David Yokeum, hailed the conference as a great success, saying it reinforced the position of independent forwarders as key players in the continuing expansion of logistics within and to/from Africa.
He said: "Independents again have showcased their abilities to serve the African market from all corners of the globe. These companies hold the knowledge and expertise to rapidly build business both export and import, in one of the world's most exciting and challenging regions."
The conference welcomed a number of major global shippers, attending for the first time to seek agents to fulfil major logistics contracts in Africa and beyond. Among the shipper attendees was General Dynamics. A number of airlines with particular strength in Africa, such as Kenya Airways and Etihad, also sent strong representation to forge new opportunities with agents from around the world.


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The sixth of seven suspects was arrested Thursday in a case in which police say seven women went into hospitals, allegedly stole credit cards from offices and break rooms and then went on shopping sprees.
Donnika Jefferson was arrested at a house on Weller Avenue in Louisville, according to a statement from the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.
She will face charges of burglary, credit card fraud, engaging in organized crime and probation violations. ...