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Although LG just recently released the G6 to retailers, there are already talks about its V series sibling, that is slated to be released later this year.
According to the folks at The Investor, LG Display is preparing to supply Xiaomi and LG with OLED displays, which are expected to start shipping in the next few months. What makes the news interesting is that the displays will be curved, similar to what Samsung has shown off with its recently announced Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. The source also states that the displays will most likely make their way onto a larger handset, which for LG means it could arrive on its upcoming successor to the V20.
While the G series has been LG's flagship device to show off its technical prowess, the V series was introduced initially as more of an experimental idea offering bold styling, new technologies, and possessing attributes making it more rugged. Naturally, we will have to wait and see what LG releases towards the end of the year, but if the G6 is any indication, the 'V30' could become a serious contender later this year.
Source: The Investor via Android Authority
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The COVID Effect on CMOs.
The pandemic's effect on supply chains impacted industries across the globe, but how did contract manufacturing innovators respond to ensure this doesn’t happen again? Click here to read more.
With opportunity rife all over the world, I wanted to share some of the most exciting growth happening within contract manufacturing for medical devices. Here’s five companies that everyone should be getting excited about.

domain: news


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The Federal government has granted $18 million to South Carolina to create capital access program for small businesses that are credit worthy. The ‘National State Small Business Credit Initiative funding’ can generate 10 times as much in private lending.
South Carolina had to show a reasonable expectation that from every $1 in federal funding there can be reasonable return of $10 in new private lending. There is hope that capital access program in South Carolina would generate $180 million in small business lending. Importantly, this access to funds shall empower small businesses to open, expand, and do everything for their own success.
Businesses that are eligible for the program are expected to have 500 employees and borrow up-to $5 million. Even hospitals falling in the category ‘not for profit organizations’ are found eligible to borrow under this new program. Small businesses are being focused by state leaders to control South Carolina’s 10.2% jobless rate. 65 percent of jobs in South Carolina reside in small businesses.
‘National State Small Business Credit Initiative funding’ had been extended to 13 more states before reaching out to South Carolina. The program got created by Small Business Jobs Act passed by Congress and signed by President Obama on Sept 27th.
South Carolina Bankers Association lobbied for the legislature and introduced it to its members consequently. The economic development authority will participate with Business Development Corp. of South Carolina to administer and put the program into effect.
This article was submitted by Raj Tulshan, Director of Business Development of Biz2Credit. Biz2Credit is a small business marketplace that connects entrepreneurs with financing options and advice to grow their business. Send all questions to


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Some Local Supermarkets To Charge Extra for Paper Bags
Some local Supermarkets are going to start charging for paper bags.
Initially I read about Price Chopper initiating the charge this Spring on News 10 abc, but it turns out it's not just them. So starting this March, according to News 10 abc, Price Chopper is going to be charging an extra 5 cents per paper bag.
It also looks like Hannaford is going to be joining in, the Times Union reported. So March 1st, when the ban on plastic bags takes effect, Price Chopper, Market 32, and Hannaford will all charge extra for paper bags also.
There is more of a reason behind this than just directly making extra money from what I read at the Times Union. Though is still obviously involves money. Plastic bags are cheaper, and in a statement Hannaford stated that their experience with plastic bag bans is that it pushes people to use paper which actually use more energy between manufacturing and transport. So they're hoping by charging for paper too, it will encourage people to use reusable bags.
Either way, if you don't have the reusable ones, get ready to start paying an extra 5 cents per bag if you go to any of these stores after March 1st. Also, is it me or does it seem like everything nowadays is becoming like a cell phone plan- just hidden fees and charges everywhere.


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While these markets provide an additional revenue stream to local farmers, University of Rhode Island nutrition education outreach staff wanted to know whether the markets encourage healthier eating habits.
“We speculate that people who attend these markets eat more fruits and vegetables than those who don’t attend, but there is no hard evidence to prove it,” said Heidi Hetzler, a community nutrition educator working with the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program at the URI Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences.
So Hetzler and URI nutrition students Jennifer Blake and Sarah Flinn visited 12 farmers’ markets last fall to survey those in attendance about their eating habits and the reasons for visiting the markets.
They found that 36 percent of those who volunteered to complete the survey reported that their attendance at the markets played a role in increasing their consumption of fruits and vegetables, and 78 percent noted that they had recently consumed all 12 of the nutrient-dense vegetables listed on the survey.
The top reasons the respondents listed for attending the markets were fun, quality and selection.
While many farmers’ market attendees are decidedly upscale, the URI researchers were pleased to note that 12 percent of respondents had paid for their produce purchases using food stamps or farmers market checks, the latter of which are available to low-income residents through community senior centers or the federal Women, Infants and Children program.
The survey was part of a larger URI project at farmers’ markets designed to encourage healthy eating patterns among low-income Rhode Islanders. Hetzler, Blake and Flinn conducted cooking demonstrations, offered samples of produce, gave out low-cost recipes that highlight fresh vegetables, and provided nutrition information to those in attendance.
“Most cooking demonstrations are done by chefs from upscale restaurants and the recipes they use are too complicated and expensive for most people,” Hetzler said. “Our demos were simple and practical, and the feedback we got suggested that the lower-income families were going to try them.”
Perhaps one of the most notable results of the URI outreach efforts at farmers’ markets was Hetzler’s observation that children appeared to particularly enjoy their experience at the markets.
“The kids seemed to be having a phenomenal time,” she said. “If these markets get them to enjoy the experience of eating fruits and vegetables, then farmer’s markets can be considered a great success.”
Additional research and outreach to encourage healthy eating habits will be conducted during the 2007 farmers’ market season. The project is one of many supported by the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program. The URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences has also provided support for this and many other related outreach programs.


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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday that the supply chain issues wracking the U.S. economy are likely to “continue into next year.”
Mr. Buttigieg, who has been on paternity leave since early August, told CNN’s “State of the Union” the current situation is unlikely to be lessened anytime soon.
“A lot of the challenges that we’ve been experiencing this year will continue into next year, but there are both short-term and long-term steps that we can take to do something about,” he said.
The reality that there may not be any immediate fix to the problem of empty store shelves across much of the country poses a major political problem for President Biden. It also comes at a time when much of the White House’s domestic agenda has stalled in Congress and inflation has dragged down hopes for a post-COVID-19 recovery.
Mr. Buttieg on Sunday attempted to spin the consumer shortages caused by faltering supply chains as a benefit. He told CNN the sight of empty store shelves is, in part, the result of an economy booming with excess demand.
“Look, part of what’s happening isn’t just the supply side, it’s the demand side,” Mr. Buttigieg said. “Demand is off the charts, retail sales are through the roof … Demand is up because income is up, because the president has successfully guided this economy out of the terrifying recession.”
Last week, images of more than 60 cargo container ships crammed with goods and supplies, waiting outside two California ports, received wide attention. The ships are expected to be stuck for months at the ports before they can be unloaded.
The backlog has many fearing that widespread shortages in consumer goods will impact the holiday shopping season. Mr. Buttigeg refused to address such concerns, arguing simply that the upcoming holidays would be better than last year because of the receding threat of COVID-19.
“Every family makes its own preparations for Christmas,” he said. “What I know is that the holidays are going to be a lot better this year than they were last year because a year ago millions of Americans were sliding into poverty … a year ago a lot of us were gathering with loved ones over a screen.”
While short on immediate solutions to the supply chain crunch, Mr. Buttigeg added the situation only strengthens the need for Congress to pass the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package.
“There is $17 billion in the president’s infrastructure plan for ports, alone, and we need to deal with the long-term issues that have made us vulnerable to these kinds of bottlenecks when there are demand fluctuations and disruptions,” he said.
At the moment, the infrastructure bill is being held hostage by far-left House Democrats who demand its passage only after the Senate approves President Biden’s $3.5 trillion social spending bill.


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Rapid cooling doubles eggs’ shelf lifeJune 12th, 2012 - 3:45 pm ICT by IANS
Washington, June 12 (IANS) Taking just a few seconds to cool, freshly-laid eggs would add weeks to their shelf life and also stave off salmonella illnesses, according to a new study.
The rapid-cooling process, developed by Kevin Keener, professor of food science at Purdue University, uses liquid carbon dioxide to stabilize the proteins in egg whites so much that they could be rated AA, the highest grade for eggs, for 12 weeks.
Previous research showed that the same cooling technology could significantly reduce occurrences of salmonella illnesses.
Its symptoms are diarrhoea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. Eggs cooled under current methods lose the AA grade in about six weeks, Keener said, the journal Poultry Science reports.
Such outbreaks are commonly linked with eggs, meat and poultry, but these bacteria can also contaminate other foods such as fruits and vegetables. The infection usually occurs when a person eats food contaminated with the faeces of animals or humans carrying the bacteria, according to a Purdue statement.
“There is no statistical difference in quality between eggs as measured by Haugh units just after laying and rapidly cooled eggs at 12 weeks,” Keener said. “This rapid-cooling process can provide a significant extension in the shelf life of eggs compared to traditional processing.” Haugh units measure an egg white’s protein quality.
Keener’s results also show that membranes surrounding the eggs’ yolks were maintained for 12 weeks when eggs were rapidly cooled. That membrane is a barrier that keeps harmful bacteria from reaching the yolk, a nutrient-rich reservoir that bacteria could use as a food source.
- Scientists develop new salmonella test that makes food safer - Nov 23, 2010
- Symptoms Of Salmonella Being Scrupulously Studied By Anxious Citizens Of America - Aug 19, 2010
- Salmonella bugs could prevent food poisoning - Apr 13, 2012
- Intestinal cells activate defence against salmonella bug - May 29, 2011
- Plasma zaps can decontaminate chicken meat - Feb 05, 2012
- New antibiotic to treat adulterated food - Aug 07, 2011
- How salmonella bacteria spread in humans - Oct 01, 2010
- Deadly bugs lurk in raw vegetables - Aug 16, 2011
- Salmonella biggest food-borne threat to US - Jun 08, 2011
- Nitric oxide can ward off deadly infections - Jul 24, 2011
- Deadly tool in Salmonella's bag of tricks identified - Feb 04, 2011
- E.coli, salmonella target ripening fruits - Mar 26, 2012
- Del Monte announce a cantaloupe recall - Mar 25, 2011
- Eggs Recalled Owing To Salmonella Infection In Ohio Farm - Nov 09, 2010
- Dry Pet Food May Cause Salmonella Outbreak, Study Finds Out - Aug 10, 2010
Tags: abdominal cramps, cooling technology, diarrhoea, egg white, egg whites, faeces, food science, food source, fruits and vegetables, harmful bacteria, liquid carbon dioxide, meat and poultry, poultry science, previous research, protein quality, purdue university, rich reservoir, shelf life of eggs, statistical difference, yolk


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TikTok has been storming social media networks since 2019. That’s why the app has been mimicked by other platforms. Instagram launched Reels, while YouTube launched Shorts. Instagram has gone all the way to boost the usage of Reels, and so is YouTube. Today, YouTube is testing a “Shorts” shortcut button in India.
Shorts are 15 to 60 seconds vertical videos on YouTube. They can be a short music clip or multiple video clips mixed together. Shorts come with various creative features like music, speed control, and a timer. Users can choose from a selection of songs that are free to use. They can speed up or slow down the video recording. They can also record hands-free with a countdown for the recording to stop automatically.
YouTube is now testing a new way for users to watch Shorts. The platform is now testing a Shorts icon at the top of the bottom row of YouTube mobile apps in India. It may be found on the Explore tab on the top row. Or it may replace the Cast icon on the bottom row.
YouTube is testing a “Shorts” shortcut button in India as of 22 December 2020.
Implications for Marketers:
YouTube Shorts has been in beta experimentation in India since 14 September 2020. This was right after the TikTok app was banned in the said country. Adding a Shorts icon on the YouTube home screen can boost its usage among Indian users. For marketers, this is something to watch out for. Once YouTube launches Shorts globally, it may be a great option to create ads and campaigns.


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The Tweets, Google Plus messages, Facebook Status’ and even Instagr.am photos are echoing the same theme; at South By Southwest smartphone and tablet batteries aren’t keeping up. We’ve seen pictures of people bringing multiple power strips to the Austin Convention Center. Samsung has stationed several of their “airport” charging stations all over the convention center
South By Southwest
As the interactive portion of South By Southwest came to an end last night there were parties galore. The official wrap up party had a performance by the Foo Fighter’s, there was the Rack Space Rock party, and many others. After settling in at the Geeky Beach Party thrown by our friends at Server Beach,
Glu Mobile and Thedroidguy are teaming up to let you have a chance to win a brand new Sony Xperia Play before you can buy it at South By Southwest. It’s easy and the details are at the below. Glu Mobile publishes some of the hottest games on the Android and iPhone platform. Some of
We had lunch today with the folks from Bizzy. Bizzy is a new location based app, but better than that they are looking to change the paradigm from the traditional check in apps. Sure everyone “changes the paradigm” we must have seen 1390493 game changers since we got into Austin for South By South West.


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The Coronavirus has hit many industries hard. Several motorcycle manufacturers have shut down facilities in Europe, but now the outbreak will impact several manufacturers in India. Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, and Royal Enfield will all be temporarily suspending production, according to RideApart.
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India announced it would shut down four plants until Marich 31. Suzuki Motorcycle India suspended activities until further notice. Yamaha will shut down its facilities until March 31. Royal Enfield and TVS Motor, as well as some other companies, have decided to shut down until March 31, too.
Royal Enfield said the following in a statement reported on by the Deccan Herald. “This has been done keeping in mind the safety and wellbeing of all employees and casual and temporary workers. During this time, the company employees will continue to work-from-home and there will be no salary deduction for any permanent or temporary employees or workforce, and no reduction of workforce.”
In the Deccan Herald report, it said automotive manufacturers will be shutting down operations as well, the report pointed to Hyundai, but I would suspect other manufacturers will be doing the same. Hopefully, India can handle its outbreak well and these shutdowns won’t need to be extended.


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Five Companies That Dropped The Ball This Week
Oracle's Ellison Keeps Sniping At HP
The HP-Oracle war of words is fast becoming the tech industry equivalent of the Itchy & Scratchy show: They're friends, but they also enjoy beating the heck out of each other.
The fisticuffs continued this week when CEO Larry Ellison threatened to drag new HP CEO Leo Apotheker into court to testify in Oracle's industrial espionage case against SAP.
Ellison says Oracle has evidence that Apotheker, during his time as SAP's CEO, was involved in the theft of stolen Oracle material. Oracle plans to share that information in court next week, and Ellison said Apotheker will be called to testify when he shows up for his first day as HP CEO.
Although undeniably entertaining theater, this little battle of the egos is a distraction to channel partners. "From a partner's perspective it is too much rhetoric," Bob Venero, president and CEO of Future Tech Enterprise, a Holbrook, N.Y., VAR 500 company, told CRN this week.
HP Keeps Sniping Right Back At Oracle
HP this week characterized Oracle CEO Larry Ellison's vow to haul incoming CEO Leo Apotheker into court as "an effort to harass him and interfere with his duties and responsibilities as HP's CEO." Apotheker, who starts his new job at HP on Monday, may instead find himself heading to court to testify in Oracle's industrial espionage case against SAP.
HP's view is that Oracle had ample opportunity to question Apotheker during his sworn deposition in October 2008 but instead waited until he was named CEO of HP to call him as a trial witness. "Given Leo’s limited knowledge of and role in the matter, Oracle’s last-minute effort to require him to appear live at trial is no more than an effort to harass him and interfere with his duties and responsibilities as HP’s CEO."
Again, highly entertaining stuff, but definitely not what channel partners want to hear as they try to go about the course of their day-to-day business.
Google Cops To Street View Data Hoovering
Well, well, well, looks like Google's Street View cars did actually swipe sensitive user data such as passwords, and even entire e-mails, during its accidental collection of data from unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
Google publicly acknowledged in May that its Street View cars inadvertently gathered some personal user data, but this week the search firm admitted that this gathering had gone much further than it initially reported.
"We work hard at Google to earn your trust, and we're acutely aware that we failed badly here," Alan Eustace, Google senior vice president of engineering, said in a blog post. "We want to delete this data as soon as possible, and I would like to apologize again for the fact that we collected it in the first place."
Google has pledged to introduce sweeping changes to its security and privacy mechanisms, and this was apparently enough to ward off a fine from the FTC. However, regaining users' trust may prove a more difficult challenge.
Mozilla Firefox 4 Slips Until 2011
Mozilla's not a company, so it's not losing money from the delay, but its announcement that Firefox 4 has been delayed until next year due to persistent bugs is a blow. Mozilla is going up against well-heeled competitors like Microsoft and Google in the Web browser market and can ill afford delays, although in this case the organization appears to have no choice but to pump the brakes on the Firefox 4 release.
"Completing this work is taking longer than initial estimates indicated as we track down regressions and sources of instability," Mozilla said in a statement. "As part of our commitment to beta users, we will not ship software before it is ready."
Verizon To Pay For Phantom Data Charge Spree
The Federal Communications Commission this week meted out some expensive justice to Verizon Wireless, which will reportedly have to pay nearly $78 million for sneaking unwarranted data charges onto 15 million of customers' bills.
Verizon Wireless will have to refund around $53 million to customers that received the bloated bills, and the carrier will also have to pay $25 million in fines to the U.S. Treasury. The settlement ends a nearly year-long FCC investigation
"Today's consent decree sends a clear message to American consumers: The FCC has got your back," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski bellowed in a statement. "People shouldn't find mystery fees when they open their phone bills -- and they certainly shouldn't have to pay for services they didn't want and didn't use. In these rough economic times, every $1.99 counts."


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by Chi Ibe
244 leisure centres in Lagos have failed to comply with the Licensing Law thereby receiving a blacklist from the government.
They include hotels, event centres and restaurants that did not seek necessary registration from the authority and to comply with annual payments.
The Lagos State Government of Nigeria has also concluded plans to sue the defaulting facilities while ordering government ministries, departments and agencies not to do any form of business with the 244 hotels, event centres and restaurants henceforth.
Section 4, sub-section 1, 2 and 4 of the Hotel Licensing Law, Cap H6, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003 amended in 2010 says: “No person shall carry or keep a hotel in any premises in Lagos State without a license granted by the authority in respect of that premises under this law.”
Adesegun Ogunlewe, Head of Service, said: “It was observed with utmost dismay that a number of such establishments in the state have refused to comply with the provisions of the law, thereby depriving the state government of its revenue that could have been used in providing essential amenities to her teeming population.”
“In order to ensure enforcement and compliance with the Hotels Licensing Law, the state government has concluded all arrangements to charge defaulting hospitality establishments to court.”
Secretary, Lagos State Hotel Licensing Authority, Aduke Gomez, said in line with government’s resolve to sanitise the tourism industry, government will prosecute the defaulting facilities.
According to her, suits have been filed against identified non-compliant hospitality and tourism establishments in courts within the various magisterial divisions across the state. She added that legal proceedings against the proprietors of such establishments will soon commence.
Gomez also disclosed that legal proceedings against such defaulting establishments was ongoing, stressing that a second list of names will soon be submitted to the courts.
“The registration of hotels and tourism -related outfits is an internationally accepted control mechanism evolved by the World Tourism Organisation. “Therefore, it is mandatory that all hospitality and tourism establishments operating within Lagos State be registered. The registration of all hospitality and tourism establishments will provide a database for planning, marketing and research,” she stated. Gomez, who spoke in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria urged those that were yet to fully comply with the state government’s registration requirements to do so immediately. “Hotel registration will provide accurate information to protect hotel clientele and will also provide information to users on the quality of facilities available in the establishments while the publication of such data has the potential to increase customer traffic to accredited hotels and tourism establishments,” she said.
A document from the office of the Lagos Head of Service identified the defaulting facilities as A.Y. Hotel, Country Guest House, D Rock Hotel, De Boss Garden Hotels and Suites, Embassy Court Hotel, De Next Hotel, Edge Water Hotel and Resorts, Fantasy Land, Garden View, Georges Chinese Cuisine, Lekki, and Grand Roses Continental Hotel.
Others include Hotel Tropicana, La Scala Restaurant, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Lekki Suites, Nicon Hotels Limited, Peninsular Hotel and Towers, Prime Chinese Restaurant, Regency Hall, Rochester Gardens, Precious Garden Hotel, Rex Hotel, Omission Crown Prince Hotel and Sabitex Hotel Limited.


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Remember a report from earlier this month where a news came that a huge 51,000 tonne vessel called Hoegh Osaka was listed severely to save it from sinking? Well, the vessel was carrying some 1,400 cars on board, including brands like Land Rover, Jaguar and Mini, which were stranded on the ship for almost a month. And now a latest video footage has revealed that the cars are driven out from the cargo ship with some major damages.
The vessel was carrying a load of 1400 cars including 1200 Jaguars and Land Rovers, 65 Mini Coopers and a Rolls Royce Wraith, through the English Channel in between England and Isle of Wight. According to reports, the vehicle suffered a failure some 45 minutes after leaving Southhampton and started listing heavily on one side, before the crew decided to beach it before capsizing altogether.
It has since limped its way back to port in Southampton, where damage assessments are being conducted on both the ship and its $53-million in cargo. According to Car and Driver, many of the damaged vehicles will almost certainly be scrapped. Still, some of the cars in the video are seen undamaged like the one at 0:50 seconds (a Defender).
The vessel was heading to Bremerhaven port, Germany and had some construction equipment on board it too. No injuries were reported then and the conditions of vehicles are slowly coming forward. It will take only a few days to remove all the cars from the cargo and assess the number of vehicles damaged.
You can check the embedded video above!


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Led by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board and funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Motif completes largest food-technology Series B raise to bring transformative plant-based food technologies to market
BOSTON, June 16 — Motif FoodWorks, the food technology company on a mission to make plant-based food better tasting and more nutritious, today announced it has raised $226 million in Series B funding.
The round was jointly led by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, through its Teachers’ Innovation Platform (TIP), and funds and accounts managed by BlackRock. TIP focuses on late-stage venture and growth equity investments in companies developing innovative technologies. AiiM Partners, Wittington Ventures, Rethink Food, Rage Capital and Rellevant Partners also participated alongside existing investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, CPT Capital, General Atlantic, Louis Dreyfus Company, and Viking Global Investors.
This second-round of funding will help Motif accelerate its advancement of the plant-based category. The company plans to increase research and development capabilities; scale and commercialize its food technologies; and expand its people and facilities footprint. Continued growth in these areas is crucial to Motif’s work to solve key sensory and nutritional challenges with existing plant-based foods, including meat and dairy alternatives.
“Making plant-based foods taste great will increase the global appetite for this sector – and shape a better future for our planet in the process,” said Olivia Steedman, senior managing director, TIP. “As people increasingly look to meat and dairy alternatives, Motif offers breakthrough solutions powered by leading technology, deep scientific expertise and a visionary management team.”
Motif’s new food science and design approach—along with food-technologies developed through precision fermentation and material science breakthroughs—comes as consumers are increasingly seeking alternatives to animal-based protein. The plant-based food market grew 27 percent to $7B in 2020, nearly double the growth rate of overall U.S. retail food sales during the same period. But even with that growth, existing plant-based alternatives have critical experience gaps, especially in taste and texture. In fact, two out of three Americans (67 percent) say they would be willing to eat more plant-based foods instead of meat if plant-based foods tasted better than they do today.
“Plant-based foods have the potential to unlock enormous benefits for people and the planet, but that will only happen if they live up to, or even exceed, what consumers expect from animal-based counterparts,” said Jonathan McIntyre, CEO of Motif FoodWorks. “With support from our investors, we’re advancing the understanding of food science and design to make plant-based foods better tasting, more nutritious and so desirable that people actually crave them.”
Originally spun out of Ginkgo Bioworks in 2019, Motif has raised a total of $345 million to date. The company recently opened a new state-of-the-art 10,600 sq. ft. office and lab space in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood. Additionally, it has secured licensing partnerships with the University of Guelph and Coasun Inc. for technologies that create melting and stretching characteristics in plant-based cheeses, and healthier fat alternatives that marbleize plant-based meats.
About Motif FoodWorks
Motif FoodWorks is a food technology company working to make plant-based foods better tasting, more nutritious and so desirable that people actually crave them. The company’s mission is to unleash the promise of plant-based foods by taking a new, holistic approach to food technology and ingredient development that combines science and technology — merged with sensory fundamentals — to reveal totally new answers. By changing our understanding of plant-based food, Motif will enable crave-worthy products that exceed taste and experience expectations, unlocking benefits for people and our planet. For more information, visit www.motif-wp.mocla.us.
About Ontario Teachers’
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers’) is the administrator of Canada’s largest single-profession pension plan, with C$221.2 billion in net assets (all figures at December 31, 2020). It holds a diverse global portfolio of assets, approximately 80% of which is managed in-house, and has earned an annual total-fund net return of 9.6% since the plan’s founding in 1990. Ontario Teachers’ is an independent organization headquartered in Toronto. Its Asia-Pacific region offices are located in Hong Kong and Singapore, and its Europe, Middle East & Africa region office is in London. The defined-benefit plan, which is fully funded, invests and administers the pensions of the province of Ontario’s 331,000 active and retired teachers. For more information, visit otpp.com and follow us on Twitter @OtppInfo.


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HDFC Bank Infinia Customers, who were able to get a free upgrade to Vistara Gold, and Regalia customers to Vistara Silver, don’t have much longer to enjoy this opportunity. The tie-up is being withdrawn as of March 30, 2019.
Accor Hotels is launching a new loyalty programme, which will focus on experiences for members, taking inspiration from (erstwhile) Starwood Preferred Guest.
A new Jet Airways sale has been announced today, which is valid for 5 days, and where Jet Airways is offering 50% off. I just flew them a couple of times last week, and things look back to normal concerning operations. Jet Airways Sale Under this sale, Jet Airways is offering up to to 50% discount on base fare in Première and Economy domestically, as well as for travel from India to destinations across their international network on flights for one-way and return journeys. Tickets must be purchased by February 25, 2019. Up to 50% discount is applicable on base fare in Première and Economy on select flights within India and on flights from India across the international network operated by Jet Airways…
After I shared my experience of using Citi Prestige India credit card last year, and a number of readers asked how the hotel benefit works. Here is a step-by-step guideline on how to use the 4th night free benefit.
Ever since we’ve published the Reader Success Story of Lov earlier this week, where he headed to the USD 2000 a night St. Regis Vomulli in the Maldives on points, I’ve been inundated with questions about how can other people find their way to this beautiful resort as well? The common theme, of course, has been that they don’t travel much so they don’t collect as many points as they’d like to. The response I’ve given to a lot of these questions have been the same, get a credit card which gets you the points. In India, there is only one card issuer which partners with Marriott Bonvoy, and there are some great opportunities going on at the moment to…
British Airways is celebrating 100 years of operation this year. As a part of the celebrations, British Airways has repainted a Boeing 747 with a BOAC retro livery.
Here is how to get yourself started on your American Express journey by getting yourself the first Amex India card free for yourself.
Qatar Airways is planning to launch Staggered Seating in Economy Class on their brand new A321 jets which will start to join their fleet this year onwards. This could firmly put the question of who gets the Armrest to Rest!
Jet Airways has been in a liquidity crunch for a while now. However, it seems there will be measures this week to bail out the airline .
IndiGo is cancelling some flights through the rest of the Winter Schedule, due to a lack of captains at the airline. However, the situation had started to go out of hand in November 2018, and what we witnessed was the climax of this situation.
Wondering how to earn those miles or use those miles? Here is how you can quickly get up to speed with the big bad world of miles and points in India. The Mileage Mentor MasterClass returns to Delhi NCR on March 16, 2019, and here is your special discount code inside!


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The company teased us by putting the month of March on its website, until that month ran out, and it was changed to April.
But we all know how cruel April can be. First there were reports the results were due out on April 9, then it was April 20.
"We've never confirmed any of these dates," the company's spinner stonewalls. No, but you've never told us when the company would finally cough up the numbers, either.
With the month rapidly running out the latest date to come to my attention is this Monday.
"Er, I'm not entirely sure," the spinner stalls. "I'll get back to you."
The phone call duly comes and so does the answer. "Wednesday."
Five minutes later it rings again.
Which just happens to be the last day in April.
Fingers crossed then.
This is the economy and it's not funny
Now wipe that smile off your face, things are worse than you thought.
Following yesterday's economic figures this note arrives from the normally immaculate Howard Archer, chief economist of Global Insight. "There are hints in the latest data and survey evidence that the rate of decline in GDP may now be starting to ease.
"Nevertheless, comic activity is clearly still declining appreciably and any recovery still looks some distance away."
You wouldn't put it past the fun loving Gordon Brown to introduce a tax on jokes.
An invite to the party that goes with a bling
Here's an idea – a kind of Ann Summers party in reverse, ie there's no sex toys and you get to sell things instead of buy them. A company called Ounces2pounds has set up what it's calling "pure gold parties".
The idea is fairly simple, you take your old gold jewellery and such to the events and swap them for cash.
While I can't imagine these events, let's call them pawn parties (and yes, I was very careful how I wrote that) are the most cheerful events, but they have apparently been doing solid business.
Since they started last month, the gold parties have been pulling £50,000 per week, from events held largely in North London.
I'll be watching that figure. It seems to me it's likely to be a better economic indicator than much of the information we get from the Government.
Rentokil – the firm that takes the biscuit
Have the rat-catchers at Rentokil been nibbling away at the company's corporate hospitality budget?
News reaches Diary that the company has decided to cut back on biscuits in the meeting rooms.
Now this is important stuff as the quality and quantity of meeting room biscuits are key indicators of business confidence. Honest.
Has the financial crisis struck home at Rentokil?
"Biscuits remain available but we would much prefer people to eat fruit as part of our commitment to a healthy workplace," a spinner for the company tells me.
It seems they've got it all – wealth and health at Rentokil.


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Killzone: Shadow Fall High Bitrate Footage Is Stunning
In an effort to combat one of the biggest problems in showcasing next-gen games, Sony and Guerrilla Games have released a minimally compressed clip of Killzone: Shadow Fall in action. The video is large and requires a video player with hardware acceleration, so get ready for a beefy download.
The 570 MB download represents just over a minute of footage. You’ll need Windows Media Player for PC or Quicktime for Mac in order to get the full impact.
The video was captured during a multiplayer match in “The Park” map. Killzone: Shadow Fall will be running at native 1080p at an unlocked frame rate (with 60fps as the target). You can read a bit more and download the video here. Killzone: Shadow Fall will be released alongside the PlayStation 4 on November 15. You can see more Killzone in our interview with the team from Gamescom 2013.
[Source: PlayStation Blog]
This video was released yesterday, but given the demand on Sony’s servers, it took me a while to actually see it for myself. There’s no doubt that Killzone: Shadow Fall looks stunning. I just hope that yesterday’s server congestion isn’t foreshadowing for the November 15 release.


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Sky has concluded the 2022 Sky Truck Tour with measurement partner Meshh, where the location-based intelligence and interaction specialist provided its analytics services from 1st August – 6th November 2022 to aid in evaluating the success of the campaign.
Jamie Baskerville, Retail Trading Lead, Sky, explains, “It is important for us to be able to see how our marketing campaigns influence consumer behaviour across the company, not just in direct relation to the campaign. The reports from Meshh will be used to measure the tour’s success and how these campaigns may drive awareness and foot traffic to our stores, particularly newer branches.”
During the four-month campaign, two Sky Tour Trucks, installed with a Meshh sensor, travelled across the UK and stopped at twenty locations where they promoted several offerings to the public, including Sky Glass and the recently launched, Sky Stream service.
Jessica Pomfret, account director, Meshh, said, “The nature of our partnership with Sky allowed us to expand on the data we provided for this tour. Not only have we been able to provide key measurement metrics & ROI, but we have also been able to prove the effectiveness of their marketing strategy by running bespoke reports – measuring the number of people exposed and engaged with the tour at any location and were subsequently seen in any of Sky’s shops.”


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The ACCC has instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Murray Goulburn, alleging it engaged in unconscionable conduct and made false or misleading representations in contravention of the Australian Consumer Law.
The Senate Standing Committee on Economics Inquiry – initiated by independent Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie – has finished its public consultation and is set to report on February 24.
Meanwhile, the ACCC began its national tour of public hearing last week, starting in Queensland.
A third inquiry into the actions of Murray Goulburn and Fonterra during last year’s farmgate milk price cuts is also be undertaken and, according to ACCC chairman Rod Sims, is at its “advanced stages”.
Groups across the dairy supply chain are keen to make sure their voice is heard, including industry bodies, processors and individuals who either made a submission or are attending hearings.
On the contracts front, increased access to fixed pricing, for the southern markets most exposed to global volatility, was flagged by Dairy Farmers Milk Cooperative (DFMC) as a way to reduce farmer risk.
In its submission to the ACCC the co-op, owned by 345 dairy farmers across Australia, said farmers should be able to fix the price for up to 50% of their milk for three years, or all of their milk for one year.
“Fairness across the dairy value chain, together with more transparent and competitive milk pricing and contracting, are needed to make dairy farming profitable,” chairman Duncan McInnes said.
A submission by Lion Dairy & Drinks showed fixed price options had already enjoyed strong take-up since being offered in 2013, with about 92% of eligible farmers in the southern milk region electing to have this option to at least part of their volumes in 2015/16.
“Fixed pricing gives a greater measure of certainty to farmers who are wholly exposed to market pricing, as is the case in the Southern Region,” the Lion submission said.
The issue of $1/litre milk was also a feature of submissions, with various views on its impacts on the market.
Dairy’s peak farmer lobby group, Australian Dairy Farmers, maintained that $1L milk had taken millions of dollars out of the value chain, and, contrary to promises made by retailers at the time, had failed to increase milk consumption.
“It is time for Coles to raise the price of $1/litre milk to a sustainable level,” it urged.
Meanwhile, processors were keen to highlight the challenges they faced in sourcing and managing perishable product across large distances, the current price squeeze at both the local and global levels, as well as their efforts to maintain good relations with suppliers and keep them informed of market conditions.
They attempted to address any concerns about contract transparency by pointing to the terms of the standard milk supply agreements readily available on their website and to suppliers.
“MG does not consider these terms to be ambiguous,” the Murray Goulburn submission said.
In regards to the current milk pricing system, Bega Cheese again took a swipe at the actions of Murray Goulburn for cutting the price late in the 2015/16 season.
“While it may seem a simplistic response, Bega Cheese believes the actions were wrong and did not reflect the traditional way price has been managed or the trust relationship that is so important between suppliers and processors.”
It said the current pricing system works well for both dairy farmers and milk processors “so long as the pricing methodology involving opening prices and pricing updates is diligently managed and clearly communicated to dairy farmers”.
Several submissions, including ADF, highlighted the need for an industry rather than government-led solution to current issues.
“Farmers need processors and processors need big business – so the solutions require all of us to come together to ensure a positive future,” interim chief executive John McQueen said.
Despite the optimistic mood for change, ADF stated that, while it continued to fight for farmers, not all issues were within its control.
“Even though we won’t be able to solve all of the issues farmers are facing, we are working to relieve some of the pressures to create change to ensure that an unfair share of the risk in the value chain is not taken by the farmer and the recent events in the industry don’t happen again,” the submission said.
With more than 100 farmers attending the first ACCC hearing in Toowoomba last week, Queensland Dairyfarmers vice-president Ross McInnes said farmers welcomed the opportunity to contribute.
“It was a good, constructive meeting,” Mr McInnes said.
“Farmers have an expectation that some tangible recommendations will come out of it. And then it’s up to government to accept it and pass it.”


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If you’ve watched the news in the last few weeks you have heard reports about the listeria bacteria outbreak found in California Cantaloupe. Most recently, River Ranch Foods LLC has recalled 2154 cases of bagged salad that tested positive for listeria, although no illnesses have been linked to the product. With 23 deaths, the listeria outbreak is the deadliest known outbreak of foodborne illness in the U.S. in more than 25 years.
To combat future listeria outbreak researchers are developing packaging to combat listeria and e-coli growth. Researchers Hany Anany and Mansel Griffiths (University of Guelph) are using harmless viruses called phage to kill targeted harmful substances that could be present on the surface of foods. A phage, in simple terms, is a harmless virus that can kill bacteria. Phage has been approved by the FDA as a safe food additive in certain food products.


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News // petrochemistry
Gazpromneft-Lubricants to triple the supply of marine lubricants to Rosmorport
16 May 2017 , 12:11Neftegaz.RU253
Gazpromneft-Lubricants, the Gazprom Neft oil business operator, reported on May 15, 2017, that they signed a new 3-year agreement with Rosmorport to supply marine lubricants to support the fleet.
It is planned that the volume of supplied products by the end of 2019 will be more than 1,500 tons of marine lubricants, that is 3 times higher than the scope of supply under the previous agreement.
The product range of supplied lubricants includes industrial and motor oils for marine engines, transmissions, reducers, compressors and other equipment.
The sales geography of Gazpromneft-Lubricants’ marine products under the present agreements will include the North-West, Far Eastern, Southern and North-Caucasian Federal Districts of the Russian Federation.
10:12 26.05.2017Moscow and Tehran signed oil-for-goods trade agreement
10:10 18.05.2017Italy and Russia energy companies firm up partnerships
12:14 17.05.2017Saudi Aramco and Norinco launch $10 bln major China project
12:11 02.05.2017Russia hits 100% compliance with OPEC cut
18:00 25.04.2017SIBUR to set up an R&D centre in Skolkovo


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By now it is no secret that online shopping exploded during the pandemic. Now called “couch commerce,” consumers stuck at home turned to the Internet to fill pantries, set up home offices (and schools), get fit, and stay entertained.
There’s no indication this trend will abate before the 2020 holiday season. Experts are saying that consumers will congregate around promotions and by Cyber Monday 50% of online holiday shopping will already be completed.
This is the Year of Click-And-Collect
If you aren’t Amazon or Walmart, what are the things you can do to compete? The volume of purchases will put a strain on already busy shipping and fulfillment departments and vendors. Click-and-Collect is going to be a significant opportunity for local brick-and-mortar businesses. Letting customers know that they can avoid shipping delays by buying locally and picking up curbside will become a key holiday message.
Digital advertising is working right now — consumers are online at home on their laptops (vs mobile) in large numbers — direct email advertising to your customer list and retargeting website visitors are expected to deliver the top results.
What products will work with Click-and-Collect? Half of all consumer electronic purchases are now made online, so if you have any nexus products that support digital lives those should be promoted. Apparel (especially those cute outfits for all the summer events we did not attend) will continue to be depressed unless it is leisure and exercise wear. However, pundits have suggested promoting classic comfort and buying before next year’s rush.
Specialty food and alcohol are expected to loom large over house-bound holiday events. As will gift certificates for aspirational gifts.
The early appearance of Prime Day while not necessarily a bump for small businesses is expected to drive product interest across the board and should give you an opportunity to start building holiday purchase retargeting audiences from all those lookie-lous.
Ecommerce has grown 44% year-over-year for the second quarter of 2020. According to the US Department of Commerce, we have seen as much online buying in the past eight weeks as we have in the past 10 years.
Some products won the spending lottery right out of the gate, and hand-sanitizer, toilet paper, and antibacterial wipes really cleaned up <pun intended>. Home baking and gardening products surged, along with sewing machines, bicycles, and home office supplies. High demand brought shortages and long waits for delivery.
It created opportunities for some businesses that had both the right product and the ability to pivot.
At Buzzgen Media our clients continue to be in multiple stages of marketing response — endeavoring to plan for ongoing non-opens without hurting the next full launch. We have some rock stars in the pivot and adapt categories and we’d like to share some of their stories.
Dulles Glass & Mirror in Manassas, VA is one of the largest e-tailers of custom glass online. This is a bit unusual as the construction industry as a whole, and glass manufacturers and sellers, in particular, can still be strongly pen-and-paper based. We all have the image of a contractor who pencils out measurements on graph paper and scratches details in the margin for estimates of our home improvement projects.
Bahram Nasehi took over the business 12 years ago and deeply invested in automation – including maintaining his own technology department. He became the first custom glass retailer online and has recently “changed the world of shower doors” with an app that allows easy measurement and purchase of custom shower doors that are shipped across the US.
Once the pandemic hit, the technology team was tasked with finding products to monetize and bring in revenue. COVID-19 has changed the world of shopping, and as luck would have it, not a lot of glass retailers were online and Nasehi was fully prepared to pivot and cope.
One new product that was launched was the now ubiquitous glass guards that we see in retail and service workplaces. Dulles Glass was designing and building items that were helping to turn essential workplaces into safe environments for customers and employees. Nasehi says that local government programs were key in helping the business launch this product.
“Needless to say, you need a little bit of luck. We were given lemons during the pandemic, but our lemons were fresh and could be squeezed,” Nasehi said. He also noted that other businesses, including some he is involved with, are stalled and won’t be back until after COVID-19.
Dulles Glass has continued its pre-pandemic marketing activities. “Marketing strategy is the window to opportunity in any business. You have to be nimble; you have to be able to shift. You have to go after your opportunities and market them.”
As for the budget, Nasehi said that budget should be based on return. “If I am getting a 6 or 7x return, why would I spend only $100? You leave your budget open until it can’t bring in anymore (revenue),” he said. Staying in the market has had other advantages, with less competition digital campaigns have seen large CPC and cost per lead drops.
During the pandemic, Dulles has experienced a surge in new business leads and a reduction in advertising costs, by as much as 40%. We attribute this to the fact that many competitors pulled out of the market, thus lowering the media costs and reducing the competition.
Currently, Dulles Glass is re-tooling the glass guard campaigns as restrictions on COVID-19 and pandemic wording is changing (yet again). For a while, publishers were not allowing ads to use words that called out the virus making it particularly difficult for products that were safety-related.
Check out Dulles Glass & Mirror products and offerings, besides showers and custom glass, they offer gym mirrors, shelves, and tabletops, with free shipping nationwide.
Lions Clubs International Foundations (LCIF) needed to launch a Facebook page in order to be able to receive donations via Facebook’s non-profit donation tools. But, starting a new page in 2019 – as organic growth on Facebook across the board dwindled to a trickle – was a huge challenge.
Who is LCIF:
LCIF – Lions Clubs International Foundation – is the charitable giving arm of Lions Clubs International (LCI), a global 1.4-million-member service organization that has been around for 100+ years. Lions Clubs International is focused on its members and service clubs, while the Foundation receives charitable donations and delivers those donations in the forms of grants to support local and global humanitarian efforts.
Low organic growth: The median organic growth for a Facebook page is between 25 and 88 followers per month (0.64% to 2.22% per week). Non-profits typically fall on the lower end of that scale.
Missing a key donation channel: Since 2018, Facebook has been emerging as a transformative online giving channel. Some non-profits have seen more donations via Facebook than all of their other digital channels combined (that’s email, web giving, digital ads, search, and monthly donors).
In for the win:
In order to create a donation platform of some significance a large and varied audience would be needed.
Buzzgen Media paired up organic strategies:
- Targeted editorial calendar
- Active social listening to boost engagement
- Adjusted post frequency
- Strategized best practices editorial – copy, images, and video
With a combination of boosted posts and a clever mix of advertising campaigns (reach, like, and conversion objectives) that were highly optimized to supercharge the follower growth.
Buzzgen Media was able to grow LCIF’s Facebook page to 100,000 followers in six months. Those followers went on to create more than 1,000 Facebook Fundraisers in the first few months, resulting in a new donation stream for LCIF that was expected to reach 6 figures in under 18-months.
In 2012, Stanford Graduate School of Business was looking to increase applications to their Executive Education, MBA, and PhD programs using digital channels. At the time Buzzgen began working with them they were not using any paid search or paid social marketing, but were relying on email marketing, direct mailers, and alumni channels to fill their GSB classes.
Who is Stanford GSB:
Since 1925, Stanford GSB has been home to bold thinking, rigorous teaching, and breakthrough research. The University is closely aligned with Silicon Valley, both in who they are and how they think – entrepreneurial, open-minded, and eager to tackle problems – in business and beyond.* They offer non-degree, certificate and full-time degree programs for post-graduate students.
High-end product: This product is highly targeted to a niche market and tuition’s can range from $20,000 to $100,000 for programs that last from three months to more than a year to complete.
No tracking, no digital history: Prior to 2012, Stanford was not collecting any digital data on its programs, online landing pages, or organic social impact on applications.
In for the win:
In four years of working with Stanford GSB, Buzzgen was able to help them go from:
- 6 programs offered online to 14
- No tracking to being able to show ROAS by publisher and channel
- Spending $0 on SEM to having SEM become the #1 source of applications
- Reducing agency fees to 13% of their budget
- 48 applications a year to 231 applications a year
The thing we love about social media is that it shows the vast range of things everyone is doing – traveling, cooking, showing off art (whether that’s photography, nail, hair, makeup, music, flowers, etc.), communicating about issues, work environments, and kids and family.
Businesses have been heavily leveraging this effective medium for at least a decade now – if not longer, and in an unprecedented situation, we now are asked to curtail our social activities. It’s #Stay<bleep>TheHome.
What does that mean for industries that are focused on travel, cooking, and art?
The first thing you need to do is think through a yes-no scenario.
Yes, things are going to get better. No, things are getting worse. Though it sounds terrible (and no one likes a Debbie Downer), this allows you to pick and choose content according to what’s happening in an ever-changing landscape. And you don’t get boxed into a one-direction strategy.
We are now almost all on lock-down. The next bad case scenario is that 1) we stay on lockdown much longer than expected 2) People begin behaving badly and martial law gets enacted.
Best possible case scenarios are 1) WFH provides levity and personal opportunity, 2) things resolve quickly, and the economy rebounds.
So, based on that thinking how does your social look?
First, you are posting WAY less. One or two posts a week are going to be sufficient. This is practical since you won’t have new imagery, your staff isn’t readily available, AND brand traffic on social has crashed. No one is really paying a lot of attention to the things they can’t do (like travel).
Examples of best-case scenario posts are:
- Quick updates on the business – even calling out what some of your employees might be doing remotely.
- Asking questions – How are you spending your time? What are you working on?
- Offering a bit of Zen – Are you meditating today? Here’s an image/thought/etc. to add to your positive health. Helping your audience set intentions and push away the anxiety.
- Letting your customers know you are thinking of them.
- If you have the opportunity, do something fun like lead guided meditations.
- Or take a teachable moment – how to do nail art, best massage techniques, cooking from the pantry. YouTube channels are not that hard to set up if you don’t already have one.
- Bring back the ThrowBack Thursday UGC, and other (more generic) images that are still relevant. Mother Earth is flourishing in our neighborhood.
You should also be doing your social media manually. IF worst-case scenario happens – looting, for example – you don’t want your social to appear frivolously against news of civil unrest.
Sorry to throw that dark cloud out there, but it’s best to think about it in order to be prepared.


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Bright Bingo is the newest UK Bingo site from the team who brought us the unique BingoCams bingo site. Bingo players can expect an entertaining time at the new Bright Bingo site which will shortly open its cyber bingo hall doors for the first time.
The team at Eyesdown Bingo had a sneak peek at Bright Bingo and what features it will offer players. To start things off, new players at Bright Bingo get a 400% First Deposit Bonus.
That is a big bingo bonus even for online bingo, they have also reduced the smallest deposit amount at the bingo site to £5. For those who do not want to deposit the traditional £10, take note.
Bright Bingo will offer 75 ball and 90 ball bingo games as well as occasional pattern bingo games and there is a progressive bingo jackpot called the Big Bang Jackpot. Ticket prices will start at 5 pence.
There are a ton of bingo offers already in the pipeline and over 200 games including some of the best slot games available to play.We particularly like that the wagering on bingo bonuses is set to 2x and that it is on their proprietary bingo software.
Players at Bright Bingo will be well rewarded at the loyalty program which allows players to win gold coins and then exchanges the coins for cash to play games.
Bright Bingo also plans to offer Free Bingo games in a variety of forms to players. Expect the bigger Free Bingo jackpots to be reserved for funded players only though.
Bright Bingo offers players a brand new bingo environment from an experienced bingo team that care about players and will shortly feature on our top bingo sites table. Make sure you get a piece of the bright action starting now.


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Avaya Reports A Profit, Thanks To Renewed IT Spending
Companies are spending more on telecom equipment, including voice-over-IP hardware, execs say.
Communications-equipment maker Avaya Inc. broke into the black during its first quarter, thanks to what it sees as a rebound in corporate IT spending.
For the quarter ended Dec. 31, Avaya posted a profit of $10 million, or 2 cents per share, up from a loss of $121 million, or 33 cents per share, a year ago. When costs from discontinued operations are factored out, the company had income of $30 million, up from a loss of $125 million. Revenue was up 3%, to $971 million, from $946 million a year ago.
Avaya said the positive earnings are due in part to companies spending more on telecom equipment, including voice-over-IP hardware, as the economic picture improves. "The economy appears to be maintaining," said CEO Don Peterson, on a conference call. "And business optimism, while fragile, is stable."
5 Top Federal Initiatives For 2015As InformationWeek Government readers were busy firming up their fiscal year 2015 budgets, we asked them to rate more than 30 IT initiatives in terms of importance and current leadership focus. No surprise, among more than 30 options, security is No. 1. After that, things get less predictable.


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Palletways has added evening deliveries to its service offering, meaning that as a network member Beaches Logistics Group now delivers to customers between 5pm and 9pm.
As a result, customers can now choose from a morning, afternoon or evening delivery window, in addition to the ETA – a confirmed two-hour delivery slot – which Palletways launched last year.
Jack Sims, Director of Beaches Logistics Group said: “For the expanding home delivery market, people can now arrange for their deliveries to arrive after work, rather than having to take time off.
“The choice of a morning delivery between 9am and 12pm, afternoon delivery between 12pm and 5pm, and now an evening delivery between 5pm and 9pm, offers our customers that extra flexibility and convenience which is so important to them.”
For more information please contact the team on 0330 111 88 33 or email email@example.com


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Greatest Penny Stocks to Buy Now Could Pop about 175 % After This
Penny stocks are actually off to an excellent start in 2021. And they’re just starting out.
We saw some tremendous gains in January, which typically bodes well for the remainder of the year.
The penny stock we recommended a few days before has already gained twenty six %, well in advance of pace to realize the projected 197 % while in a several months.
Likewise, today’s greatest penny stocks have the potential to double the money of yours. Specifically, our top penny stock can see a hundred one % pop in the future.
Millions of new traders as well as speculators entered the penny stock market previous year. They have included enormous amounts of liquidity to this particular equity sector.
The resulting purchasing pressure led to fast gains in stock prices that gave traders substantial gains. For instance, readers made a nearly 1,000 % gain on Workhorse stock when we suggested it in January.
One road to penny stock profits in 2021 will be uncovering possible triple-digit winners when the crowd finds them. The buying of theirs is going to give us enormous profits.
We’ll get started with a penny stock that is set to pop 101 % and is rolling in cash
Top Penny Stock Dominates Digital Auto Market
TrueCar Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE) is a digital car industry which enables buyers to connect with a network of dealers according to fintechzoom.com
Purchasers are able to shop for automobiles, compare costs, and look for local sellers that could take the car they select. The stock fell out of favor throughout 2019, in the event it lost the army purchasing program of its, which had been an invaluable sales source. Shares have dropped from aproximatelly fifteen dolars down to below $5.
True Car has rolled out a unique military purchasing program that is now being very well received by customers and retailers alike. Traffic on the site is developing once more, and revenue is beginning to recover as well.
True Car furthermore only sold its ALG residual value forecasting operations to J.D. power and Associates for $135 huge number of. True Car is going to add the cash to the balance sheet, taking total cash balances to $270 zillion.
The cash will be employed to support a seventy five dolars million stock buyback program which could help push the stock price a whole lot higher in 2021.
Analysts have continued to underestimate True Car. The business has blown away the consensus estimate within the last four quarters. Within the last three quarters, the good earnings surprise was in the triple digits.
As a result, analysts have been increasing the estimates for 2020 and 2021 earnings. More optimistic surprises could possibly be the spark that starts an enormous action in shares of True Car. As it will continue to rebuild its brand, there is no reason at all the company can’t find out its stock return to 2019 highs.
Genuine trades for $4.95 right this moment. Analysts say it could hit $10 within the next 12 months. That is a possible gain of 101 %.
Naturally, that is not quite our 175 % gainer, that we will demonstrate after this
This Penny Stock Puts Food on the Table
Shares of BRF S.A. (NYSE: BRFS) are actually trading near the lowest level of theirs during the last ten years. Concerns about coronavirus and also the weak local economy have pressed this Brazilian pork and chicken processor down just for the earlier year.
It is not frequently we get to purchase a fallen international, nearly blue-chip stock at such low costs. BRF has nearly $7 billion in sales and is an industry leader in Brazil.
It has been a general year for the company. Just like every other meat processor and packer in the world, some of its operations have been turned off for several period of time due to COVID 19. You can find supply chain issues for pretty much every organization in the planet, but especially so for those business enterprises providing the things we need each day.
WARNING: it is probably the most traded stocks on the market every day? make certain It’s nowhere near the portfolio of yours.
You know, including pork and chicken goods to feed our families.
The company also has international operations and is aiming to make smart acquisitions to boost its presence in markets that are some other, including the United States. The recently released 10 year plan also calls for the company to upgrade the use of its of technology to serve clients more effectively and cut costs.
As we start to see vaccinations move out globally and the supply chains function properly again, this particular small business should see business pick up all over again.
When various other penny stock purchasers stumble on this world-class company with great fundamentals & prospects, the buying power of theirs could quickly drive the stock returned above the 2019 highs.
These days, here’s a stock which can almost triple? a 175 % return? this kind of year.


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Download When Does Pubg Mobile Update Come Out
When does pubg mobile update come out download. Read our guide to find out more about how PUBG update schedule works, and when the PUBG updates come out for each platform, including the PC, Xbox One, Android and iOS.
PUBG Mobile update overview Release date: March 3, It’s been well over a month since the last PUBG Mobile update, but as March. The PUBG Mobile update hit the servers at around AM (IST) on July 7. However, the timing of the update may differ from device to device and will vary according to the region.
PUBG Mobile's Season 12 is coming to a close, and Season 13's release is coming up. With update here and plenty of changes taking effect, there is a. Getting a Sense of PUBG Pt. 5. Creating the most authentic game environment possible means engaging with a player’s senses in powerful, distinct ways. What makes PUBG special is how real it is—the discrete components of the.
PATCH NOTES Regarding Unauthorized Purchase Services. Purchasing through unauthorized service is in direct violation of the PUBG MOBILE user agreement, and may result in loss of all illegal purchases and/or account ban, depending on severity. 9 hours ago While PUBG Mobile is loved by a vast majority of users, most of them have a love hate relationship with its anti-cheating system.
From being killed by hackers during a Conqueror push to reporting the hacker, many of us have done it all. In one of its recent updates, PUBG Mobile had come out. For vehicles, there is the BRDM-2 new tank. A Halloween-theme element is also on the cards with the Update Finally, with servers being down yesterday, for maintenance, the update should now be live widely across the globe.
Do check, if you play PUBG Mobile. For PUBG PC players, there is the Update that offers lots to cheer about. However, PUBG Mobile continues to be in the news as the launch of the game gets delayed to February According to a report by the Indian Express, PUBG Mobile’s global version apparently leaked a welcome gift on Youtube and that has caught the attention of. The question that is in the minds of all the gamers in India is whether PUBG Mobile India will be launched and if yes, then when?
Last week, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in its response said that the Indian government does not grant permission for the launch of apps and websites. Now reports suggest that PUBG's India version will not be released in Google. Now, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has officially clarified that the Centre has not granted permission to relaunch PUBG Mobile in India.
Also read: PUBG Mobile India latest update: Game is not coming back by New Year. Responding to a RTI Query, MeitY said that it "has not given any permission for launch of PUBG. PUBG has added several maps over the years it’s been out, but nothing has quite sounded as cool as this does. Paramo will have an active. The PUBG Mobile update patch version was announced this week and will release very soon. The Reddit thread with the patch notes shows that the update version will come out on Tuesday, July 7 on both Android and iOS devices, so players can start downloading it then.
The exact timing of the update is currently unknown. PUBG Mobile Season 15 promises to reinvigorate the popular battle royale game with a number of major updates and tier rewards for players to work through. It must be pointed out that nCore Games has still not come out with an official statement regarding the launch of the game. FAU-G is already at a big advantage with PUBG Mobile India’s launch been delayed big time due to the government not responding to a request for a meeting with PUBG Corporation and also because the blanket ban on the PUBG Mobile is scheduled to receive its version update on October The update will bring along new features to the ever-popular shooting game including an.
The dream of PUBG Mobile India is soon becoming a reality. Coming to the aid of the PUBG addicted Indian gaming community, a customized version of PUBG Mobile will be available by the end of The devs have confirmed that the PUBG Mobile India Update version will differ from the original global version of the game. PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS is a last-man-standing shooter being developed with community feedback. Players must fight to locate weapons and supplies in a massive 8x8 km island to be the lone survivor.
This is Battle Royale. With the update being rolled out by Tencent today, mobile players are reporting that they are unable to find matches with squadmates, or that they are being faced with PUBG Mobile not updating. PUBG Officials have continuously chased the MEITY officials for around 30 days and the government is yet to provide a hearing.
And the major information coming in from both the sides is that the ban on the game is not getting revoked for a few more months. Sources on the side of PUBG informed that the matter is not getting resolved so soon. PUBG Mobile season 7 has come to an end and, as usual, Tencent is quick to usher in the new season for its fans.
A new update () has started rolling out for PUBG Mobile which is MB for iOS devices and MB for Android devices. This means that season 8 is just around the corner and should begin in a day or two.
PUBG mobile has finally confirmed that the update will be pushed on 20th November with some new features and a royal pass.
This time the server won’t go offline. So it is expected that the season will start from 21 November worldwide. The last season came out 2. Developers at PUBG haven't revealed the exact time for when the update will be rolled out.
The PUBG Season 7 update was set for 7 PM PT, so you can expect the new update to roll out around the same time. PUBG Mobile is the FREE battle royale shooter that pits players against each other in a struggle for survival. Gather supplies and outwit your opponents to become the last person standing. PUBG Mobile update is coming tomorrow i.e, 7th July. So all the changes we are listing are confirmed.
All new Livik map is coming in update and. The PUBG Mobile Update. The latest patch for PUBG Mobile, which is scheduled for launch this next September 8, is updating the game with many improvements both internally in the code, as well as externally on the visual aspects.
PUBG Mobile UPDATE TIME: Vikendi Map download news, release date details and patch notes (Image: PH) Tencent has finished with their downtime and servers are now up and running once again!
As a reminder, this doesn't mean that the games new mobile update is live, nor is the new Vikendi Snow Map and several other new features. Expected features of PUBG Mobile India. According to PUBG Corporation, PUBG Mobile India will be a little different when compared to the global version of the game. The characters in PUBG Mobile India will come fully clothed by default and a time limit will also be introduced n the game in order to ensure healthy gaming habits among players. PUBG Mobile Update: What’s New Savage Map – Sanhok.
First of all, on the new PUBG Mobile Update, we have the new Sanhok Map (Codename – Savage) which is smaller than the other two, Erangle and Miramar sizes 4×4 Km. The Map is based out of South East Asia and has coastal locations like jungle, mountains and abandoned resorts. PUBG Mobile Season 9 Update Details PUBG Mobile Season 9 Theme | Source: PUBG Mobile Twitter.
As you already know, PUBG Mobile season 9 update is going to drop on Septem, and before it, there are some official notes out. The new details are about what the new Royale Pass and Season 9 has to offer to the players like you. PUBG Mobile Update! 🔥What's NEW? Lightspeed BETAThe new update includes a lot of things and major changes!- New weapon- New vehicle- New attachmen.
PUBG Mobile is extremely popular in the gaming network and it has figured out how to keep up the publicity with its steady updates that carry the new substance to the game. The famous fight illustrious title on the versatile stage will get one more update in the days to come and it will carry some new increases to improve the gaming experience. PUBG Mobile Season 14 Release Date CONFIRMED: Live Now, Season Length, Season 13 End Date, Rewards, Royale Pass, Update & More!
Season 13 of PUBG Mobile is about to get here very soon, but before it finally arrives, the update has a lot of new content we still need to go through first. And getting through all of the new stuff on the new update, which came out on May 7, would take quite a while.
update introduced an incredible amount of content for free. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) finally added Ranked mode as part of Update The update, which hit the PC version of the game on May 20 and is coming. tech2 News Staff IST. Tencent had recently announced the new PUBG Mobile update beta which introduced a new collaboration with the upcoming Godzilla movie, a new mode called as Deathmatch, new MVP stats and more. Now we have information when the company could launch a stable version of the update.
The PUBG Mobile update will begin rolling out starting November 8, however, the servers won't be taken down for maintenance. The update is GB in size for PUBG Mobile. When Did PUBG Come Out? PUBG is now a global sensation, available on three platforms (PC, Xbox One and Mobile) and still receiving regular updates from its developers. PUBG Mobile update is here and it comes with the new Vikendi snow map, Snowmobile, Snowball Fight for Vikendi's Spawn Island and more.
The PUBG Mobile update will be available from December PUBG Vikendi snow map has been confirmed to. UPDATE: Reports are coming in that PUBG Mobile servers are back online following today's maintenance period.
A new download is expected to arrive later today/early tomorrow, which will. UPDATE ONE: Tencent has confirmed that the first major step towards the release of PUBG Mobile Season 7 is now underway. A new update is rolling out tonight, with patch containing all the. PUBG Update Out Now On PC; Full Patch Notes For Season 6 Revealed The new season will make its way to PS4 and Xbox One later this month.
By Jeremy Winslow on Febru at PM PST. When Does The New Pubg Map Come Out A Reddit user named IamEzalor made a map concept for Venice, a city consisting of small islands and connected by bridges. Of course this will make players spend more time playing in the waters, because as we know, the bridge is one of the quite dangerous roads to be taken. Also Read - PUBG Mobile return may delay as PUBG should address govt's concerns first Also Read - PUBG MOBILE is coming back to India soon, but as PUBG MOBILE INDIA The update has been out.
PUBG Mobile India is coming back There have been rumors that the game would come out on November 20, but it was proven to be wrong, making people more worried. However, PUBG Mobile dev is still doing their job behind the scene to bring the game back to India. PUBG Mobile Star Challenge North America Finals Results; PUBG Early Access Week 10 Update is coming soon. Find out what’s in this upcoming patch. We have the latest patch notes for PUBG Early Access.
Week 10 is here and Developer Bluehole has the weekly patch note details here. We have broken the PUBG patch notes down into a bit easier to. PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG) has sold over 70 million units to date, celebrating the milestone with the season 8 update and remastered Sanhok.
While areas without cover on any map are dangerous, and often deadly in PUBG, Vikendi’s open fields offer a special kind of threat because characters naturally stand out .


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Telecom Lead India: As mobile major Nokia and Microsoft aggressively trying to elate the uptake of
their Windows based Lumia portfolio against incumbents such as Android,
BlackBerry and iPhone, Ovum predicts that Windows Phone will surpass BlackBerry
to seize the third spot in smartphone shipments to the Asia-Pacific region by
Last month, Nokia and technology giant Microsoft announced that they will each invest up to 9
million euros into a newly established mobile application development program
at Aalto University during the next three years. This move will significantly
help Nokia to set up an ecosystem for the Windows-based
In coming year, the Windows Phone shipments will be
supported by the Window-based smartphone offerings from companies such as ZTE and HTC.
Meanwhile, Ovum predicts that the smartphone shipments for
Asia-Pacific region will lead by Android-based smartphones. The data released
by Ovum suggests that shipments for Android-based smartphones will reach 79.8
million at the end of 2012, followed by iOS-iPhone and Blackberry with 44.3
million and 16.84 million shipments respectively.
In 2012, the firm predicts that Windows-based smartphone shipments
will be reaching 10.6 million. The uptake of Windows-based samrtphones will see
a significant growth after 2014.
Globally, Ovum predicts that Android will dominate the
smartphone market over the next five years. Smartphones based on Android accounted
for 44 percent of the smartphone market in 2011, which was an increase from 17
percent in 2010.
In Asia-Pacific region, Android smartphone shipments will be
reaching at 283.4 million by 2017, followed by iOS and Windows Phone with 186.8
million and 96.25 million shipments respectively.
Total shipments of BlackBerry samrtphones in the
Asia-Pacific region will stand at 64.4 million by 2017.
China to become largest smartphone market in 2012, India will
grab third spot in 2016
According to IDC, China will become largest market for
Smartphones in 2012, while India will grab third spot by 2016.
By 2016, India’s country-level Smartphone market share
will increase to 9.3 percent from 2.2 percent in 2011. Presently, India stands
at 9th rank, which will improve by 2016 at 3nd rank.
The Indian smartphone market will witness galloping growth
throughout the forecast period, as carriers are expected to aggressively roll
out 3G networks and data plans, according to IDC.


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With lockdowns and social distancing measures to contain further spread, millions of people have been forced to stay home, resulting in an unprecedented increase in the amount of time consumers spend on social media platforms. From accessing latest news and entertainment to shopping, communicating, and finding things to do, platforms like TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook increased their popularity, and usage and engagement are way up.
Table of Contents
The 2022 Social Media Trends – Overview
The global pandemic has changed how much, why, and how people use social networking sites. As humans, our personal and social wellbeing and emotional satisfaction are tied up in the quality of our social connectedness and personal relationships. With restrictions on gatherings, social life, and movement, social media platforms came to fill the void. More and more people are beginning to use networking services as channels for communication and interaction. The global pandemic has also increased the time spent on social. In fact, a recent Coronavirus Research study by GWI, conducted in 20 countries, shows that 42 percent of people are spending more time on social networking sites. The role of social media has also changed amidst the pandemic due to an increased demand for up-to-date-information. As a term coined to describe the practice of scrolling through social media to seek out upsetting news, doomscrolling illustrates the importance of networking sites as a news source. At the same time, more people are now turning to social media to reconnect with a happier and more joyful past that they learnt to appreciate during the pandemic.
As the global crisis is not over yet and social media use is soaring, businesses can no longer downplay the importance of networking sites and the trends that emerged amidst the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. Here is a list of the top 10 digital marketing trends to look into as 2022 is unfolding.
1. Nostalgia Marketing
The global pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges for millions of people who are struggling with financial fallout. The crisis has led to a rise in depression, stress, anxiety, and fear of the unknown, as an ongoing pandemic of unparalleled proportions means uncertainty for many. An increasing number of people are using social networking sites to reconnect with what made them happy pre-Covid, and businesses can help provide emotional support and reassurance that life will feel normal again. Nostalgia marketing is a powerful tool to this end, as nostalgia gives people a sense of continuity and meaning. The nostalgic feelings that people have for the past are known to counteract anxiety, loneliness, and fear – the gamut of emotions that people are now struggling with. Nostalgic feelings also make consumers spend more money on services and goods as a 2014 article published in the Journal of Consumer Research informs us. This is so because people are more likely to act when driven by emotions. Consumers buy products that are not only functional but generate emotions that trigger behavioral response. The stimuli can be visual merchandizing, tastes, fragrances, materials, colors, music, or symbols. Regardless of what communication medium is being used, whether e-mail messages, web pages, newspapers, or social networking websites, it must be rich in emotion. Brands use different communication channels to create experiences that involve emotions, needs, and sensory perceptions.
2. Video Marketing
As the global pandemic pushed hundreds of millions to the confines of their homes, more video content has been watched and shared than ever before. This is also because compared to images and text, video encourages more social shares as users find it more engaging A recent article from Bloomberg shows that the number of U.S. users watching Facebook livestreams increased by 50 percent from January to March 2020. To catch emerging trends, businesses are increasingly using video content as a tool of promotion. Common video content varieties include:
- Video ads
- Recordings of live streams
- Product demos and reviews
- Video presentations
- Explainer video
Needless to say, it is hard to sell anything to a Covid-bored home-confined audience, especially today when we face an information overload. Consumers crave things that are easy to consume, entertaining, funny, and new, and that is what memes are about. They inspire a feeling of belonging and being part of something, as Winnipeg professor Matthew Flisfeder notes. This explains why businesses have been quick to capitalize on meme marketing. Besides, memes are cheap, grab the attention of visitors, and help showcase brand personality. All comments, likes, and shares can help increase organic traffic.
4. Live Videos Streams
All major social media platforms now have livestreaming functionalities that enable users to stream live videos. They have been quick to add video streaming because it is very popular with users. According to the Wyzowl’s State of Video Marketing Survey, video marketing will remain a #1 priority, and there is a good reason for this. For most people (68 percent), a short video is the best way to get familiar with a product or service, followed by text-based content (15 percent), manual or e-book (4 percent), pitch presentation (4 percent), sales demo/call (3 percent), and infographic (3 percent).
With the pandemic continuing to spread across the globe, livestreaming platforms saw a huge jump in growth in terms of hours watched. Lockdowns and social distancing measures have been the boon to Facebook Gaming and Twitch, which saw an unprecedented growth due to the influx of performers, all looking to compensate for the loss of touring revenue. According to Research and Markets, this trend is to continue, and the live streaming market is forecasted to grow to over $70 billion this year, up from slightly over $30 billion in 2016.
As live streaming platforms have gained larger audiences than ever before, brands can go live to showcase their products and services – tech businesses can go live to market new systems and solutions, travel brands can feature top vacation destinations, etc. When it comes to format, there is a variety of options to look into, from interviews and announcements to collaborations, product launches, and QnA sessions.
5. Voice Search
A voice device enables consumers to search an app or website via a voice command. Adults use voice search to call someone, dictate texts, and ask for directions while teens also use it to get help with homework. People use voice search across multiple environments, including at home, at a restaurant with friends, at the gym, and even in public restrooms.
Currently only a small percentage of social media users rely on voice commands to interact with family or friends. However, more and more people are expected to use it as voice search continues to improve. Advanced AI chatbots will be able to understand accents, with machine learning helping to solve the language barrier problem.
6. Visual Search
Rather than typing a description of whatever is being searched, there is an option to upload a photo or image and get information. Visual search is based on artificial intelligence and is built into major social networking sites and search engines such as Google, Amazon, Snapshot, Bing, and Pinterest. This search method is quite popular with Zoomers and Millennials as a 2018 report by ViSenze reveals. The study included 1,000 Millennials and Generation Z consumers from the UK and U.S., up to 60 percent of which were shopping in-store and 50 percent shopping online. With mobile devices overwhelmingly used to make purchases, it is not surprising that 62 percent of participants show preference for visual search, allowing them to easily find products and services on their mobile device.
With shifting consumer habits, businesses must be quick and sleek. The visual search market has been forecasted to grow to over $25 billion in 2020, and data shows that brands that embrace visual search are expected to increase their profits by 30 percent.
Visual search is becoming more and more popular, and businesses can certainly leverage it. They can add visual search to their website, introduce an image sitemap, and optimize meta data and alt-tags for organic search. Introducing a visual search function helps improve product discovery, and there is a wide choice of Application Programing Interfaces to look into, including Amazon Recognition, Cloud Vision by Google, and IBM Watson.
Hoaxes, stories, and news that misinform online audiences have been on the rise in recent years, and this is mainly due to information overload. The most common types of false information that visitors are likely to come across on social media include biased news, misleading headings, satire, propaganda, and clickbait stories. Social networking sites are trying to curb misinformation, and they will continue doing so in 2022. Companies that want to build or boost their brand credibility have to ensure that they provide real and accurate information.
8. Focus on Issues That Matter
In 2020 humanity saw a world health crisis of unknown proportions that can change the way we act as a society. In spring, as non-essential retailers, restaurants, and bars shut down, unemployment soared, and many saw their incomes collapse. The new virus has been circulating for almost a year and a half, with restrictions being imposed and lifted and no sign of subsiding. As the world’s population is gradually learning how to live and work in a pandemic mode, more and more people are looking into the long-term effects of a once-in-a-century global crisis. From global food security and historic reductions in oil prices to falling demand for goods and services, we come to realize that the pandemic has pervaded every aspect of our lives.
A lot of conversations about these far-reaching effects take place on social networking sites. How will remote learning transform education? How will cities, towns, and isolated rural areas change? Is this the last global pandemic? It is companies that take a stance on important issues that build emotional connections with customers.
9. Incorporating Positive Emotions in Your Business Strategy
The Manifest 2019 Consumer Media Survey reveals that consumers interact with brands by liking posts (51 percent), direct messaging (20 percent), mentioning brands on their profile (22 percent), leaving reviews (31 percent), and tweeting (18 percent).
Brands that trigger positive emotions not only receive positive feedback but connect with customers more easily. Having realized this, more and more businesses use emotional motivators as part of their SEO and social media strategy. Some already use tools like Net Emotional Value which includes 20 emotions. They can either lend credibility to a brand or destroy a company’s value. The four clusters of the pyramid are destroying, attention, recommendation, and advocacy. At the bottom of the pyramid (destroying), people feel frustrated, disappointed, stressed, and dissatisfied. The attention cluster includes emotions that have a short-term value. When customers feel indulgent, stimulated, and interested, they are more willing to explore product offerings. The recommendation cluster brings long-term benefits. Customers who feel cared for, safe, and valued will want to stay with a company longer (brand loyalty). At the top of the pyramid is the advocacy cluster which has been proven to drive the most value. This is when customers feel pleased and happy.
Studies also show that brands which align with customers’ motivations are more successful – they help people fulfill unconscious wishes and desires. High-impact motivators affect customer behavior and prompt people to buy products and services. People are motivated and driven by a desire to feel a sense of connectedness, thrill, or freedom. They are also motivated by a desire to have confidence in what the future holds or a desire to succeed in something requiring a lot of skill and competency.
Brands that are active on social media also benefit from analyzing customers’ responses about their latest interaction or the products they offer. Negative responses contain words like useless, unsatisfactory, unreliable, unhelpful, rude, frustrating, and disappointing. Neutral or indifferent responses include words such as useful, fine, average, and alright. Customers who are satisfied use words such as sound, professional, positive, patient, and knowledgeable. Customers who are extremely satisfied, on the other hand, use words like exceptional, brilliant, awesome, amazing, and delightful.
10. Strategic Marketing
A successful marketing strategy is not just about following best practices and trends or using innovative platforms and solutions. For businesses to expand their operations and tap into new markets, they will have to reconsider how their marketing strategy helps achieve their business objectives in the short and long run. This boils down to determining which marketing tools and strategies will have a positive impact and will work best for their business.
Strategic marketing transformation refers to a shift in strategy and implementation to increase profitability and revenues. It is also about building long-term customer relationships, which is not an easy undertaking but one that is certainly worth the effort. As Garner Group illustrates, just 20 percent of existing customers generate 80 percent of revenue. Not only this but attracting new customers is much more expensive than retaining existing ones. In fact, it is up to 7 times more expensive as data by the Office of Consumer Affairs shows.
Strategic marketing transformation involves multiple processes and objectives as to build lasting customer relationships. For companies to build a solid customer base, they have to establish a search engine presence and improve their online presence. Businesses also benefit from using a combination of tools such as offering quality content, engaging with online audiences, integrating advanced solutions, and using sophisticated data analysis techniques.
Marketing tools can help drive customers, but it is also important to choose social media that consumers use to make online purchases. The Manifest’s 2019 Consumer Media Study shows that customers are more likely to buy products from businesses they follow on Facebook (52 percent) than on LinkedIn (2 percent), Tweeter (6 percent), Pinterest (10 percent), YouTube (11 percent), and Instagram (16 percent). At the same time, younger customers show preference for social media like YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram. When younger people come into their prime spending years, brands might find these social media platforms more appealing.
Looking Back and Ahead
2020 was a terrible year and unpredictable at that. Some of the trends that experts predicted never emerged while others give cause for optimism. Forced to stay home, people spent more time on social networking sites, and e-commerce sales skyrocketed. With social distancing measures set in place, people weren’t able to attend events, travel, engage in enough leisure activity, or socialize with family and friends. Many turned to live streams, be it online workshops or virtual conferences, live videos from their favorite chefs or bands, or branded live streams. A whole new terrain of activity emerged for companies to explore and improve the customer journey. With the continuing rise of social commerce and changes in purchasing patterns and consumer behaviors, businesses will have to adapt and revamp their SEO and social media strategy. Brands will have to create engaging connections with customers and deliver the level of personalization that consumers expect and value.