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Paul Bulcke feels Nestlé is still under-represented in India, compared to where it wants to be, and is looking to expand
Image: Amit Verma
It’s been 105 years since Nestlé established its business in India. However, Nestlé SA Chairman Paul Bulcke feels the company is “under-represented” in the country and says it has immense scope for expansion in one of the fastest growing economies of the world.
Over the past 5-6 years, Nestlé—which operates in the country through Nestlé India, its listed subsidiary with a market value of close to â‚¹75,000 crore as on November 21—has invested around $500 million to expand capacity. In an exclusive interview with Forbes India during his visit to New Delhi in November, Bulcke, 63, says further capital investments to grow its presence in India will be a continuing priority for the 151-year-old company, headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland.
Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverages company with annual sales of $90 billion in 2016, has faced some serious challenges in India. Its biggest crisis was in 2015 when a controversy erupted over the quality and safety standards of Maggi, its popular brand of instant selling noodles and one of the FMCG major’s highest selling products in the country. Some state governments banned the product and a voluntary recall thereafter not only affected Nestlé’s goodwill but also had an adverse impact on its financial performance—its revenue dropped by 17 percent to â‚¹8,123 crore in the calendar year 2016.
Recalling that period, Bulcke, who was CEO of Nestlé SA then, calls it “a strange situation, where nobody was at fault and yet we were in trouble”. He says Nestlé India was always confident of its product quality and did well not to “leave the consumer alone” even when Maggi went off the shelves. This helped regain their trust and re-launch the product successfully.
Now that the Maggi imbroglio is in the past, Nestlé India, under the leadership of Chairman and MD Suresh Narayanan, has adopted a new growth strategy. Bulcke, a Belgian and Swiss national, and a 38-year veteran at Nestlé, says there is compatibility of ambitions and harmony of purpose between India’s goals and Nestlé’s purpose of enhancing quality of life through nutrition and contributing to a healthier future. Edited excerpts:
Q. How do you assess the situation with respect to food processing in India?
When it comes to food security and safety, there are definitely challenges in India. Despite favourable conditions for food production and richness in terms of agriculture, only around 10 percent of the food in India is processed, which leads to a lot of wastage. In other countries, as much as 75 percent of the food is processed in some form or the other. But that also means that the potential upside for food processing in India is huge. There are complexities in terms of infrastructure—warehousing, logistics and roads—that need to be managed.
Also, food safety and quality are issues close to Nestlé’s heart. We are a pre-eminent food and beverages company that is all about nutrition. Our purpose is to enhance the quality of life through nutrition and contribute to a healthier future. We are a part of this ecosystem and want to play an important part.
We started a factory in Punjab around 60 years ago and engaged with the community there to create a ‘milk district’. We helped form cooperatives and showed them how to work with technology like cooling stations. This has helped productivity increase from 2 litres of milk per cow to 8-10 litres. And the quality of milk is such that we can pay the full price for it, which means that the farmers can earn more money.
Also, any milk district sees around 20 percent of its produce wasted. However, by streamlining the production and collection processes, we have brought this down to 2 percent. This is the best example of creating shared value.
Q. Do you see greater scope for Nestlé to increase the level of food processing in India over and above what it is already doing? Nestlé runs eight factories in India and “there can be more”.
Definitely. We are more than 100 years old in India. Whenever we engage in a country, by the very nature of the business of food that we are in, we bring in our best global practices and knowledge and adapt our offerings to local tastes, preferences and habits. We have eight factories in India and there can be a lot more. We will look to expand and see if we can help create other milk districts. We are just beginning a new chapter of development in India because we believe that Nestlé is perhaps a little bit under-represented in India, compared to where we want to be.
We are certainly going to invest more. The country is growing and we want to be a part of this growth. We have invested half a billion dollars over the last few years to upgrade technology and expand, and we will continue to invest. We don’t work in phases. Investments are an ongoing plan for us. We are looking to invest in new areas where we are relatively small in the country.Q. What are some of the areas in which you would like Nestlé to grow further?
We are targeting infants and children with the First 1,000 Days programme—an area where more can be done in India. This is linked with some of our product categories like milk, infant cereals and baby food. I feel there is a lot of upside possible here and we are seeing how we can bring quality products that are also affordable. We are trying to evaluate how we can deliver more vegetables to children through our products. Coffee is another category where we plan to help, with the development of local plantations, through a concept similar to milk districts. So much more can also be done with noodles by factoring in the variety of spices, flavours and ways of cooking that can be found in India. The ready-to-drink products is another area we would like to develop. For instance, we have launched the MILO ready-to-drink energy beverage, which is fortified with nutritious elements for children, with 40 percent lower sugar content than some other products in this space.
I have high ambitions for India. This is a country of over 1.3 billion people and there is much more to be done to create healthy offerings. There is compatibility of ambitions and so much harmony between Nestlé’s purpose and India’s goals; we want to be an active part of this journey.
Stable economic growth, even at lower rates, is better than sudden spurts.
Q. What were some of the key lessons for Nestlé from the Maggi imbroglio?
I think what was challenged in that situation was trust—the consumers’ trust in us and the mutual trust between different stakeholders, including various government departments. That was really unfortunate. All of a sudden, we weren’t connecting with the consumer. Eventually, we had to call it off [withdraw Maggi from the shelves] and say, ‘Let us first win back the customers’ confidence again’.
Most importantly, we always maintained that our product was safe and this was proved through tests. So we didn’t fail the consumer in that sense. But we failed somewhere in securing a connection with them. It was a strange situation. Nobody was really at fault, but we were still in trouble. There was some confusion and we decided to let that clear before we came back to the market. It hurt, but that was the responsible thing to do. But what we did well was to never leave the consumers alone. We focussed on building trust with them and maintained our connection. I came here and we faced the situation directly. It wasn’t easy, but we spoke authentically and honestly. Now we are back with full confidence. Maggi is doing well and we are continuing to grow.
Q. Nestlé appointed Suresh Narayanan to lead its India operations during the Maggi crisis. How do you evaluate his leadership?
Suresh has shown good leadership skills and carried the whole team along with him. He understands the country. Solving the Maggi issue was part of his job, but not his only job. At Nestlé, a leader is only as strong as his team. I think Nestlé’s team in India, led by Suresh, has done a fantastic job. One of the reasons that I have come down to India is to congratulate the team. The management structure in Nestlé is quite decentralised. The business of food, along with its components such as supply chain, are local in nature. The leader of any of our markets needs to take an independent call on how Nestlé’s presence in that country shapes up. We have a global strategy and brand positioning guidelines. But it is the combination of this global strategy and innovation and local execution that makes Nestlé unique.
Q. There is a growing global demand for food companies to shift towards healthier offerings and reduce sugar content in their products. What are your views on this?
Sugar is readily available calories. Until 20-30 years ago, it was seen that there was a direct correlation between calorific intake and life expectancy. Then the correlation started diverging wherein life expectancy remained flat despite higher calorific intake. This is also when we, as a society, started moving towards a more sedentary lifestyle. Food and beverages companies have to figure out a way to deliver the enjoyment associated with food, but with lesser calories. This is a space in which we invest quite a lot. How do we reformulate our products with, let’s say, empty sugar crystals, which give the perception of sweetness but with fewer calories. Or how do we develop a salt profile, where the salt isn’t absorbed by the body.
Q. What role does digital transformation play in a company like Nestlé, which is more than 150 years old and traditionally into manufacturing?
Digital is a trend that is going to shape society. Companies like ours obviously need to be linked to social media. Maggi is where it is thanks to digital, which allowed us to maintain a continuous dialogue with our consumers. I think only those companies are going to be successful in the digital era which can figure out how to link the digital and the virtual with the physical. For us that could mean using technology to establish traceability of products or monitoring our milk districts, cooling stations and factories remotely. Q. India recently gained 30 places and ranked 100th in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index. What are your views on the present business climate in India?
India is a complex country with over 1.3 billion people and a federal structure. But there is a lot of upside if the people and policies are aligned. The government is aware of that and is doing something about it. So certain decisions are being taken, like with taxation, which lead to transparency. This has helped India improve its position vis-à-vis ease of doing business and kudos to the government for that. But there are still many more positions to gain and consistent policy making and implementation will help. I also feel that stable economic growth, even at a slightly lower rate, is better than sudden spurts. Economies and societies are like adolescents. If they grow too fast, they tend to become clumsy.
(This story appears in the 22 December, 2017 issue of Forbes India. You can buy our tablet version from Magzter.com. To visit our Archives, click here.)


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Despite hailing from nine different countries in Asia, Europe and North America, the roughly 35 people who toured New Bedford fishhouses Tuesday spoke one common language: seafood.
NEW BEDFORD — Despite hailing from nine different countries in Asia, Europe and North America, the roughly 35 people who toured New Bedford fishhouses Tuesday spoke one common language: seafood.
Fresh from the 2011 International Boston Seafood Show, the foreign buyers spent a day in the Whaling City — the nation's top-grossing fishing port for 10 straight years — as part of an annual effort to put local seafood companies face to face with their global markets.
New Bedford's harbor "is a seamless highway to the world," Mayor Scott W. Lang told the buyers, who represented Barbados, China, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand and took lunch at New Bedford's Waterfront Grille. "We would absolutely welcome a partnership with you."
These partnerships can spell big money, as evident in the fact that Massachusetts' exports of fish, crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates represented $392 million in 2010, according to the Massachusetts Export Center, which coordinated the tour. Food Export USA-Northeast sponsored buyer visits, while several local companies gave the event sponsorship and support.
"The international buying community helps with our import deficit," said Richard Canastra of the Whaling City Seafood Display Auction, who also said increasing international demand for scallops plays a role in their current high prices. "Our dollar is weaker right now compared to the currency overseas, so it's a good scenario for exporting product out of the United States."
New Bedford last year reported 2009 landings worth nearly $250 million, about $90 million a year more than any other fishing port in the country, largely because of its scalloping fleet and a growing international market that has driven scallop prices as high as $10.50 a pound.
Kristin Decas, executive director of the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission, called international trade and markets "very, very important to the commercial seafood processing industry in New Bedford."
Case in point is Marder Trawling Inc. — stop three on Tuesday's tour — where "we buy local seafood and we sell it worldwide," according to owner Brian Marder.
The diversity of foreign and domestic markets was obvious in the 10 seconds it took a knife-wielding employee to skin, de-fin, gut and behead a spiny dogfish.
"He'll put the head on the hook, cut off the fins and tail, which we sell to Asia for shark fin soup," said salesman Steven Costas, who described how other parts can be used for bait, nutraceuticals (nutritional supplements) and fertilizer. As for the meat, he said, "that's fish and chips in the U.K."
Other stops included the Whaling City Seafood Display Auction, where buyers watched the swiftly ticking numbers of the scallops auction, eyed everything from grey sole and hake to the aptly named red fish and crowded for glimpses of a seal that surfaced from the waters below. Tour-goers viewed processing operations and an 8.5-pound lobster at Northern Wind Inc. and donned hair nets and disposable lab coats to view operations at American Pride Seafoods.
They took an Eastern Fisheries-led tour of the scalloper Polaris, and they also listened to Billie Schofield of Northern Pelagic Group Llc. describe how it has been a tough year for mackerel.
Other than a recent catch off New Jersey, "we haven't seen any" mackerel, he said.
"We don't know why it's happening," he said, although he listed climate change and changes in fish patterns among possible factors. There's "a lot of fish out there, we just don't know where they are."
But, of course, the tour saw plenty of scallops — on conveyor belts, in vats, tubs, bags and boxes and, finally, wrapped in bacon at the Waterfront Grille.
Along with viewing processing operations and seeing different products, Richard Sumpter, director of the Barbados company Shorelinez, said the tour enables buyers to "meet people ... face-to-face so you can actually put a face to a name or build a relationship."
Sandy Ching Hiong Toh is seafood category manager for Cold Storage Supermarkets, which has 46 outlets in Singapore.
"I'm trying to put in ... more variety in Singapore to be ahead of the competition," she said. "Anything that is new, anything I can sell, I will try to bring in."

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A number of companies are currently engaged in a search to find alternates to lithium-ion batteries. Gbatteries has taken a different approach, finding a way of significantly improving the performance of existing lithium-ion batteries.
Whales can swim up to great depths in water to seek food. A Cuvier’s beaked whale recently set a new record for holding breath underwater by diving up to 2 miles deep and remaining underwater for more than 2 hours.
Google recently cut down the price for its Google Drive storage by a significant margin. Following in these footsteps, Amazon has also announced significant cuts for a wide range of its cloud services.
If you are suffering from insomnia and are a regular user of smartphones or tablets, then you are likely getting it from one of these gadgets. Head over to this article in order to learn more about this condition, and check out our tips to overcome it.
We have seen a number of smart lights in the past few years, as part of the greater home automation front. Now, Philips is pushing the boundaries by offering Hue Tap, a nifty gadget that lets you control smart lights through a tap.
iPad users have looked forward to an iPad version of Office apps since forever. Microsoft finally released the apps a day ago and they have soared to wild popularity, grabbing the top chart spots for being the most popular iPad apps right now.
You can get your hands one of the best iPad slates there is within a budget of $1000. Now imagine being offered a PDF-reading e-ink reader with a price tag of $1100. Pretty unimaginable, no? Sony begs to differ.
3D printed materials are being increasingly used in fields such as manufacturing, technology and modelling. A 3D printed skull was recently implanted in a woman’s brain, resolving a critical medical condition.
The Fukumisha disaster in Japan, in the wake of earthquake and floods, was a grim reminder of the risks of nuclear energy. Recent research reveals that ceramics may be the solution to fool-proof nuclear plants against such future disasters.
It would appear that Apple is finally ready to break its 4-inch-display barrier and go for larger sizes. Rumors have it that the company is readying two new iPhone models, packing 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch display sizes.
The Tech Journal is a technology news website that covers consumer technology news. We aim to provide you with latest information about what's going in the consumer technology industry. Over time, we want to grow in a technology news portal providing you with news, information and tools to help make your way through the tech clutter.


text: CAPE CORAL, FL- Cape Coral officials say they want city employees to give up their employee cell phones... for good. In return the city will offer a stipend of up to 50 dollars for employees to use their personal cell phones for city business. Currently, the city maintains nearly 600 moblie phones at a cost of 260 thousand dollars per year. The cost cutting measure is expected to save 75 thousand dollars per year. Employees will have to turn in their cell phones by February 1st.


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The NHS Test and Trace programme has signed UK risk management specialist Risk Ledger to proactively get to grips with cyber security risks in its supply chain, and mitigate the risks the NHS and other critical national infrastructure (CNI) organisations see emanating from supply chain cyber attacks, such as those perpetrated against the likes of Accellion, Microsoft and SolarWinds.
With a core mission of tracking and helping prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the UK, NHS Test and Trace will take advantage of Risk Ledger’s secure “social network” USP – which enables organisations to connect and share risk data securely and at speed, getting “unparalleled” levels of visibility into the supply chain, and a wide-ranging, comprehensive dataset to identify, measure and mitigate risk at scale. Risk Ledger claims it can do this for about 60% less per-supplier cost than more traditional risk management tools.
Digital infrastructure minister Matt Warman said the engagement was a demonstration of Westminster’s ambition to “build back better” in a post-Covid-19 world.
“The government is working tirelessly to secure the nation online and grow the UK’s £8.9bn cyber security industry as we build back better from the pandemic,” he said.
“We are helping SMEs develop innovative products and services and it’s great to see Risk Ledger, one of the firms we have supported, win this contract to protect the Test and Trace system and support the national effort against coronavirus.”
Risk Ledger CEO and co-founder Haydn Brooks said: “NHS Test and Trace is essentially the biggest new startup in the UK healthcare market, so we are delighted they have chosen to take advantage of our ability to provide enhanced visibility of their supply chain risks. I am proud we will be part of the effort to secure this incredibly important supply chain.
“Healthcare organisations and their supply chains handle lots of highly sensitive data and have a high rate of data breaches. We have already seen during the Covid-19 pandemic that bad actors are actively targeting supply chains to access data and cause disruption.”
Founded in 2019 and backed by a number of venture capital outfits and startup programmes, including the London Office for Rapid Cybersecurity Advancement (Lorca), Risk Ledger is on a mission to eliminate pain points in third-party risk management, and improve how organisations approach cyber security and information management in their supply chains.
A past winner of the National Cyber Security Centre’s Cyber Den competition, its existing customers include the City of London Police, Norwegian state telco Telenor, charity Mencap, fashion retailer Asos and unified comms specialist Gamma.
Read more about supply chain security
- Amid concerns that too few companies are addressing vulnerabilities in their supply chain, DCMS is opening a consultation on new measures to enhance security.
- In an RSA Conference keynote, Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, said security requires a major “mindset shift”.
- Following the devastating SolarWinds breach, IT leaders should renew their focus on third-party risk management. Start by implementing supply chain security best practices.


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At the Tokyo Game Show, Capcom unveiled Umbrella Corps, a new third-person online shooter that forms part of the Resident Evil series.
Gameplay will feature fast matches across familiar locations from the previous games. Modes will include One Life Match, in which you have to defeat other players without respawning, which will be made all the more difficult by the fact that in addition to other players, there’ll also be NPC enemies such as zombies and other fan favorite monsters from the series.
Weapons will include the usual lineup of guns and grenades in addition to more bizarre additions including an axe known as the Brainer, book spikes, and the Zombie Jammer.
Umbrella Corps will be released for PS4 and PC for $29.99 early next year.


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In 3-D simulation, shoppers prefer stores with more distancing
New York City residents are four times more likely to choose a store where shoppers respect 6 feet of distancing as opposed to one where no one is social distancing, according to an experiment Cornell researchers conducted in May using a 3-D simulation.
Ricardo Daziano, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is principal investigator on a one-year, $102,700 RAPID grant from the National Science Foundation to use immersive virtual reality (VR) to continue assessing New Yorkers' perceptions of social distancing as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves.
"We want to understand how people are making decisions based on compliance with the health guidelines," Daziano said. "Until a vaccine is developed, policymakers need to not only find the best incentives for people to avoid physical proximity, they also need to create plans for relaxing social distancing in the future. The behavioral forecasts from the models developed in this project will help guide those decisions."
In the next wave of experiments, participants will experience social distancing scenarios using head-mounted VR displays. The researchers will then construct mathematical models to analyze how people with varied backgrounds and political affiliations change their behavior in response to health threats.
The VR simulations will be designed and implemented by So-Yeon Yoon, associate professor of design and environmental analysis in the College of Human Ecology, and co-principal investigator on the grant. VR provides a safe way to gauge people's decisions in a more realistic setting than a simple survey or interview, Daziano said, and gives researchers complete control over density, proximity to others and the percentage of people wearing masks.
"We're not saying, 'OK, suppose the distance between people is 6 feet, would you patronize the store or not?' Because then of course people will say yes," he said. "They're just seeing this virtual scenario, where they can scroll and kind of move around and see what the whole environment looks like, and then respond to it."
The preliminary experiment was conducted online with 775 New York City residents in May, before the city entered phased reopening. At the time, shoppers frequently needed to wait in line outside grocery stores so the stores wouldn't exceed a limited capacity. The researchers found that the amount of distance mattered: respondents were four times more likely to choose stores where shoppers were spaced 6 feet apart in line, and 2.6 times more likely to choose those with 4 feet of space, as opposed to stores where they weren't socially distanced at all.
In grocery checkout lines, every additional foot that shoppers were spaced made participants 8% more likely to choose that line.
New York City residents were 1.5 times more likely to choose a store where shoppers were wearing masks—a significant result, but much lower than their preference for stores with social distancing. Daziano said this result may well change in future studies, as more evidence has emerged about the benefits of wearing masks.
In addition to asking about shopping preferences, the researchers asked study participants about their views on the statewide PAUSE order, as well as their political affiliations. They found that 78% of respondents were very concerned about the coronavirus outbreak, 60% were supportive of the lockdown and 44% found the restrictions very disruptive.
Daziano said they did not find a correlation between political affiliation and social distancing preferences, which could reflect the seriousness of the outbreak in New York City. They did find cultural differences, with Hispanics being roughly two times more likely to choose stores where masks and face coverings were worn. Of the respondents, 87% of women and 79% of men said they wore masks in public.
In future experiments, the researchers plan to survey city residents about different scenarios to gauge their perception of reopening as it occurs. For example, asking people to choose whether they'd rather sit indoors or outdoors at a restaurant—where the tables inside are much farther apart than the outdoor tables—could reveal valuable information about how people assess risk.
"From a policy perspective, understanding that will help us plan or maybe redesign the reopening of businesses," said Daziano, who generally researches how people make decisions about transportation. "We want to understand who is more likely to respect health guidelines, what the risk perceptions are in public spaces and how we can create incentives for individuals to sustain social distancing, so we can help guide decisions."


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Starbucks’ UK arms last year paid their US owner 15 times more than the British taxman.
Its seven businesses here coughed up just £22.5million corporation tax compared to the £353million dividend it handed its parent company.
The windfall for the Starbucks Corporation was up from £47million in 2017 after tax reforms introduced by Donald Trump to encourage US multi-nationals to repatriate profits.
Margaret Hodge, ex-chairwoman of the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee, said: “When ordinary families are struggling, it sticks in the gullet that people like Starbucks won’t pay their fair share.
“It operates an opaque financial structure which has no other purpose than to avoid tax.”
The Starbucks Corporation has a stock market value of nearly £80billion.
Newly published accounts for Starbucks EMEA Ltd, which collects royalties from franchisees in various countries, show it paid the equivalent of £15million UK corporation tax last year on profits of £200million.
However, this was before deducting a big dividend that came from its Dutch arm, where it had already been taxed.
This reduced the profit on which it was liable to pay UK corporation tax to £84million.
Together with five other related companies, they paid a combined £18.6m in tax, at a rate of 23.7%.
And Starbucks UK Coffee Company, which oversees 1,000 own and franchisee-run stores, paid £4million.
George Turner of the Taxwatch consumer group slammed “secrecy” around the Dutch dividends.
He said: “The firm says these have been subject to tax overseas but how much and where is far from clear. It is possible the large profits declared in the UK have not been subject to much tax at all."
Martin Brok, president of Starbucks Europe, Middle East and Africa, said business had been “challenging”.


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CHEAPER JUNK MAIL: The government body that oversees the U.S. Postal Service has approved a plan to cut postage rates for Valassis Communications, one of the nation's biggest mailers of ad flyers and other "junk mail."
REVENUE BOOST: The Postal Regulatory Commission approved the plan to boost use of the mail, saying it could add up to $15 million to the U.S. Postal Service over three years.
APPEAL COMING: The Newspaper Association of America said it would immediately appeal the decision in court. The NAA says the discount will lure away advertisers who pay for inserts in Sunday newspapers, jeopardizing $1 billion in annual ad revenue.


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Apple has recently announced that it will include “apple pay later” in Apple Pay when it releases ios 16 this fall. “Apple pay later” is part of a growing trend among companies to offer buy now, pay later payment options. Analysts estimate that at least $100 billion in transactions annually are paid with buy now, pay later, and this amount is predicted to dramatically increase within a few years, with some analysts predicting that this amount could reach between $1 trillion and $4 trillion within a few years. Because buy now, pay later is such a widespread phenomenon, it is important for Christians to be aware of its effects on low-income individuals.
What is buy now, pay later?
Buy now, pay later allows consumers to purchase products and pay for them in installments over time. Consumers often pay for items in four installments over several months, rather than paying for items all at once. Buy now, pay later is, essentially, a short-term loan that allows people to purchase items they may not be able to afford if they had to pay for them all at the time of purchase. Buy now, pay later does not cost more than traditional payment methods if consumers make their payments on time. These “loans” can be used to purchase necessities, household items, and technology, among other items.
However, while credit card companies check credit scores prior to issuing loans, buy now, pay later does not. Thus, these programs are particularly attractive to people who have a low credit score or who do not have a bank account, which are more common among low-income individuals. Studies show that a large percentage of users are young people, who may not have a full understanding of debt and who tend to have lower incomes.
Why are buy now, pay later programs predatory toward the poor?
Buy now, pay later programs encourage people to spend more money than they otherwise would. A 2020 survey by Cardify.ai, a data firm that tracks consumer spending, found that nearly half of buy now, pay later shoppers increased their spending by 10% to over 40% when they used buy now, pay later instead of a credit card. Another survey of 6,500 adults found that around half of people who use buy now, pay later worry it will lead them to overspend, and 57% of people who have used the program have regretted purchasing an item because it was too expensive. This is particularly troubling in light of the fact that a disproportionate number of low-income individuals use this method of payment.
While buy now, pay later does not cost more than traditional payment methods up front, it often charges high interest rates and steep fees for people who are late on payments. Unlike credit cards, buy now, pay later is not heavily regulated by the government. Consequently, it is not required to clearly state late fee policies and is not prohibited from issuing interest rates above a certain amount. These exorbitant fees and high interest rates can trap low-income individuals in a cycle of debt.
Evidence also suggests that people are likely to be late on buy now, pay later payments. A study by CR Research, a market research agency, found that over half of buy now, pay later consumers have fallen behind on a payment. Additionally, a 2020 study by Cornerstone Advisors found that two thirds of consumers who were late for a payment lost track of payments and paid late, despite having the needed money. This high rate of late payments is due in part to the complexity of the service and difficulty of keeping track of required payments. It also points to the reality that many low-income individuals may be forced to take on more debt to make these payments and that these programs are targeted toward young people who disproportionately overdraft.
Consequently, buy now, pay later is predatory toward the poor because it disproportionately attracts low-income individuals, often involves very steep late fees that are not clearly advertised, and can make keeping track of payments difficult. It can trap low-income individuals in cycles of debt.
Can buy now, pay later programs be helpful?
If people make careful and informed decisions about when to use buy now, pay later, it could serve as a helpful budgeting tool for those with limited resources. People may be able to purchase items that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. And if buy now, pay later programs reduced their interest rates for late fees and more clearly advertised their late policies, they could be beneficial to low-income individuals. Regulations to ensure that these criteria are met would reduce the risks associated with these programs.
Why should Christians care about this issue?
Christians should care about the rise in popularity of buy now, pay later programs because Scripture is clear that we are called to seek justice and care for the poor. “And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). High interest rates on these loans are unjust and harmful to the poor, so supporting reasonable regulations on their excesses is a way to promote justice in our society. Additionally, Christians are called to love our neighbors. Opposing predatory lending practices is one way that Christians can live out this call to love.
Scripture strongly condemns usurious and exploitative lending practices. Recognizing the dignity of every person extends to business and financial relationships as well as interpersonal ones. As the Southern Baptist Convention affirms, “God is opposed to those who take advantage of the weak, poor, and vulnerable” and “predatory lending fails to respect the dignity of the person created in the image of God and interferes with human flourishing.” For this reason, Southern Baptists are opposed to predatory lending practices that target financially unstable persons. Any lending practice that intentionally uses and exposes vulnerable individuals is unacceptable and should be strictly regulated by government protections. By being aware of the pitfalls of buy now, pay later, Christians can support policies that are beneficial to their neighbors and more effectively advocate for the poor.
The ERLC is committed to strongly opposing exploitative lending practices and is working to support regulations and legislation that would stop these practices that are harmful to our neighbors.


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Plum bottled water company: Difficult to get water into areas threatened by hurricane Irma
Tyler Mountain Water in Plum has been working with FEMA and some retailers to get bottled water to Florida, where Hurricane Irma could make landfall.
"Right now, there is a shipping issue across the U.S," said Joseph Bell, vice president of sales and marketing for Tyler Mountain.
Bell said that his company and most others use over-the-road truckers to deliver water long distances.
"There is an issue getting enough trucks to deliver product right now because people are starting to frankly avoid the areas that they think the storm is going to go into," he said.
Bell said he is working with companies in Florida, as well as government agencies, to help make sure the shelves are stocked and water is available to everyone in need.
"It's always frustrating because nobody gets what they want as fast as they want it, and everyone has to understand that we are dealing with unprecedented times. We don't prepare for these things every day," said Bell. "Everybody is doing their best to help out in our industry. There are a lot of things going on behind the scenes that people don't know, a lot of man hours and a lot of people and trying to make things happen. They're not always successful but they're doing their best."


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Microsoft and AT&T have sent out official invitations to a launch event for Windows 7 Phone, and the formal unveiling will take place in New York on October 11, with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega. The executives are expected to introduce both Windows PHone 7, as well as a series of devices from manufacturers LG, Samsung, and HTC.
Although AT&T is Microsoft’s front-line partner for the Windows Phone 7 launch, mobile operator T-Mobile also has a spot on the event’s agenda, presumably to show off its own forthcoming Windows Phone 7 offerings.
Windows Phone 7 now has an announcement date, but the companies have so far not revealed when Windows Phone 7 devices will actually go on sale to consumers. Industry speculation at this point still has Windows Phone 7 devices going on sale in Europe in late October, and landing in the United States in November.
In the meantime, it appears Microsoft intends to hold Windows 7 tablets — or, as the company prefers to call them, slates — back from the consumer market until 2011. Although Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has said the company has put a high priority on bringing Windows 7 tablets to market, industry watchers aren’t expecting the Windows 7 tablet market to launch in earnest until mid-2011 when Intel’s next-generation “Oak Tree” Atom processors are available to manufacturers.


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Finnish security firm F-Secure has shown that a smartphone from Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi does secretly steal user data without their permission despite strong denials by the company last month.
At the end of July a number of articles claimed that phones made by up-and-coming Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi - often called the 'Apple of the East' - were silently uploading user information to servers based in Beijing.
The company came out strongly to deny these rumours with the company's head of global expansion - and former Google executive - Hugo Barra writing an extensive question and answer post on Google+ to clarify the situation.
Barra said the company's forked version of Android - called MIUI - does not secretly upload photos or text messages but that it does upload this information through its Mi Cloud service (similar to Apple's iCloud) but only with the express permission of the user.
However today Finnish security firm F-Secure has published a blog detailing how a brand new RedMi 1S smartphone silently uploaded a users' phone number, the network being used, the phone's IMEI number (used to identify a specific phone), as well as the phone numbers of contacts added to the address book and phone numbers of SMS messages received.
The security company said that it took a brand new smartphone from the box with no prior set-up or cloud connect allowed. It then followed the following steps:
- Inserted SIM card
- Connected to WiFi
- Allowed the GPS location service
- Added a new contact into the phonebook
- Send and received an SMS and MMS message
- Made and received a phone call
"We saw that on startup, the phone sent the telco name to the server api.account.xiaomi.com. It also sent IMEI and phone number to the same server," F-Secure said.
The company then repeated the above steps but this time connecting to the Mi Cloud service. This time around the IMSI details (used to identify the user of a cellular network) were sent to api.account.xiaomi.com, as well as the IMEI and phone number.
In his Google+ post on the controversy, Barra claimed:
This experiment from F-Secure would suggest otherwise.
However F-Secure's security researcher Sean Sullivan cautioned that what Xiaomi is doing could be replicated by other smartphone manufacturers:
"It's important to note that all 'smart' phones are more or less nothing more than a tracking device in your pocket. Our research is ongoing to determine how much metadata vs data is being collected, and whether or not it differs significantly from other vendors in the industry."
IBTimes UK contacted Xiaomi and Barra to try and get a response to these fresh allegations but at the time of publication had received no response.


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The latest round of tariff announcements in the last few days means that by the end of the year, essentially all Chinese goods exported to the U.S. will be subject to duties.China Economyread more
Futures fell after Trump said the U.S. will raise tariffs on more than $500 billion worth of Chinese imports, increasing trade tensions.Marketsread more
Clouding the G-7 gathering, which represents the world's major industrial economies, are the tit-for-tat tariffs between Washington and Beijing.Politicsread more
Hours after President Trump said Sunday he had "second thoughts" about escalating the trade war with China, the White House sought to explain his remark because it was...Politicsread more
Carl Medlock used to work at Tesla. Now he's one of the few people in the U.S. that can fix the company's original Roadster electric vehicles.Technologyread more
President Donald Trump said that he would have a major trade deal with U.K. after it leaves the European Union.Politicsread more
Despite Kudlow's expectations, China said on Saturday that it strongly opposes Trump's decision to levy additional tariffs on $550 billion worth of Chinese goods, and warned...Politicsread more
President Donald Trump said Sunday he was not happy after North Korea launched short-range ballistic missiles over the weekend.Politicsread more
Bryn Mawr Trust CIO Jeffrey Mills lists where to put money to work as Wall Street copes with trade war and recession jitters.Futures Nowread more
The announcement for Target also comes on the heels of a strong quarterly earnings report, where it showed it drove more people to stores and got them to spend more money...Retailread more
The Goldman Sachs technology M&A team, led by Sam Britton, has cashed in on its software focus and decades of experience to dominate 2019's biggest deals.Technologyread more
Move over David Bowie. The brothers who brought the world Eminem are trying to cash in by selling up to $50 million shares in a startup that makes money off the hip-hop artist's music collection, including "Lose Yourself" and "The Real Slim Shady."
The startup, Royalty Flow, filed an offering at the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, outlining plans for a "mini-IPO."
Royalty Flow is selling a little more than 3.3 million shares to the public for $15 each, with a minimum investment of $2,250. It also aims to list on the Nasdaq. It will use the proceeds from the IPO to buy as much as 25 percent of Eminem music royalty rights from Jeff and Mark Bass, the Detroit-area producers who took on Eminem in his early days. Eventually the company plans to acquire more royalty rights.
The IPO could net the Bass brothers as much as $18.7 million.
"The music industry is booming," said Matt Smith, the CEO of Royalty Exchange, the company that is rolling out Royalty Flow, in an interview on CNBC's "Closing Bell. " "Unfortunately for investors there aren't very many ways they can participate directly in this. So that's why we're doing this. To give people direct exposure."
It would be just the latest example of a crowdfunded IPO under five-year-old rules allowing small companies to raise capital from regular investors. Prior to these rules, startups and young companies looking for money had to shop themselves around to private funds or affluent individuals who met certain income and net worth criteria.
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment listed on Nasdaq last month after its own $30 million crowdfunded IPO, which it billed as the largest yet.
David Bowie turned heads on Wall Street 20 years ago when he packaged up rights to some 300 of his recordings and sold them in a $55 million bond to Prudential Insurance Company of America. The "Bowie bond" paid a 7.9 percent annual rate over 10 years backed by the income from his royalties and record sales.
It was the first in what was to become one of the stranger corners of finance, where bankers managed to create bonds and other securities for a host of cash-generating businesses, including billboard rentals, film libraries and restaurant franchises, selling them to specialty hedge funds and other professional investors.
The Royalty Flow IPO could be the first music royalty-backed security open directly to ordinary people on an exchange. But the music streaming company Spotify is exploring a direct listing, which could come later this year or early next year.
Royalty Flow is calling itself an emerging growth company. Its plan to focus on music rights that generate 8 percent to 16 percent annual returns and eventually branch out to movie, television and trademark rights. It will pay investors dividends based on those returns.
Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, sold over 172 million records worldwide. The royalties earned by the portion of his catalog being acquired grew 43 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to the offering document. Streaming was 46 percent of royalties earned last year.
Correction: An earlier version gave the wrong first name for Royalty Exchange CEO Matt Smith.


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AI-Piloted “Flying Hotel Of The Future” That Never Lands
The internet is divided into a video depicting grand plans for a futuristic floating “hotel” that could accommodate 5,000 people and stay in the air for extended periods.
Animator Hashem Al-Ghaili uploaded the CGI video of the “Sky Cruise” ship to YouTube. A huge jet resembles a cross between a space station and a massive cruise ship floating above the clouds. The video promises that in addition to directing the spacecraft, AI would foresee and prevent any turbulence, allowing the craft to “glide over the turbulence with ease.”
Sky Cruise would allegedly have no carbon impact thanks to 20 electric engines “producing clean, nuclear energy,” according to the video, which features designs by Tony Holmsten and animation by Mr. Al-Ghaili.
The cruiser would be powered by nuclear energy, guided by artificial intelligence (AI), and have a disc-shaped viewing tower where passengers could view amazing skyscapes from above the clouds, according to the designers’ description.
The designers also claim that the floating ship could maintain its altitude for years at a time while being accessed by electric private or commercial aircraft that could land on top of the cruiser and transport people and goods to and from it.
The voiceover in the video highlights numerous bars and restaurants, swimming pools, viewing decks, cinemas and theatres, and games rooms, as well as wedding venues available for couples to get married above the clouds. It is positioned as a leisure vacation destination similar to a luxury cruise ship.


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I’m getting a 3.6 percent increase in my Social Security retirement benefits on January 1. This reflects the rise in the “cost of living.” I’m happy for the money, but it’s wrong: every economist who has studied the issue knows that the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) used for this adjustment overstates inflation by failing to account for the fact that people substitute away from goods and services whose prices rise relatively rapidly.
For a decade the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has published a measure that accounts for this substitution, the chained CPI (C-CPI-U). Over the last 10 years it has risen 24.4 percent, while the CPI-U has risen 27.4 percent (and 3.7 instead of 3.9 percent this past 12 months). The C-CPI-U is a better measure of the cost-of-living, and it should be used (although even it overstates inflation because it doesn’t account fully for improvement of products).
Unsurprisingly, groups claiming to represent us greedy geezers are vehemently against even this change, “This so-called ‘chained CPI,’ through compounding, would cut seniors’ benefits by thousands of dollars over their lifetimes ….,” said AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond.
Of course, nobody’s benefits would be cut. Rather, their future benefits would rise less rapidly and would reflect better the prices of the goods they consume. My advice to other geezers: suck it up—this is the right thing for society and the right thing logically.


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Honor launched a tonne of new consumer products at its All-Scenario Intelligence Conference, and one of them is the company’s latest true wireless earbuds – the Honor Magic Earbuds. Honor says its new wireless earbuds offer impressive noise isolation, thanks to the proprietary Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation technology. The Honor Magic Earbuds feature a triple mic noise cancellation system to reduce the ambient noise and facilitate higher audio clarity for voice calls. Honor says that its latest audio offering can provide 3.5 hours of continuous music playback on a single charge, while the charging case adds another 13 hour worth of battery life.
The Honor Magic Earbuds feature what the company calls trapezoidal earbuds to provide a comfortable in-ear fit. They are up for grabs in two colours – Pearl White and Robin Egg Blue. As for the pricing, the Honor Magic Earbuds will set buyers back by EUR 129 (roughly Rs. 10,000) and will be available in April in multiple markets, including India.
The Honor offering packs built-in capacitive touch sensors on both earbuds, and they bring support for gestures such as double tap and press + hold. Talking about the hardware, the Honor Magic Earbuds have a triple mic noise cancellation system, with each earbud packing Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) silicon microphones for reducing noise and improving voice clarity. At its heart, there is a 10mm driver unit. The earbuds weigh 5.4 grams, while the charging case tips the scales at 51 grams.
The new Honor true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds pack a 37mAh battery that is claimed to last up to 3 hours of voice calls and 3.5 hours of continuous music playback. The charging case features a 410mAh battery and is tipped to add another 12 hour worth of voice call and 13 hours of music playback. It pairs over Bluetooth 5.0 and supports A2DP 1.3, HFP 1.6, and AVRCP 1.5 profiles. The rapid pairing feature allows the Honor Magic Earbuds to connect with a compatible phone as soon as the charging case is opened.


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Apple's Mac Pro ship times fall below one week for first time since launchMore than six months after Apple debuted its redesigned Mac Pro, the company has finally caught up with demand and is estimating ship times of three to five days on base configurations sold through the Online Apple Store.
Apple's new shipping estimates hit the Online Apple Store early Saturday, ending a six-month Mac Pro drought that caused customers who purchased the computer in January and February to wait more than one month for their order to arrive. The change was first spotted by Portuguese Apple blog AllMacLong.
At the time of this writing only base model configurations are eligible for 3-5 day ship-by times, while modified systems are still running at 2-3 weeks.
Since launching the completely redesigned Mac Pro in December, Apple has faced supply issues with the "Assembled in USA" machine. The company has been making steady progress, however, and advanced ship times to 2-3 weeks earlier in May. Last month, ship-by dates dropped to below one month for the first time since launch.
Historically, ship-by dates have steadily improved over the first quarter, with checks in April showing estimates at 5-6 weeks, which moved up to 4-6 weeks on Apr. 11, 4-5 weeks on Apr. 18 and 3-5 weeks on Apr. 24.
While the new estimates mark substantial progress, supply is such that in-store models are still non-existent. In January, Apple said it didn't expect to have Mac Pros available to buy from brick-and-mortar stores until at least March.
As Apple builds its inventory toward 24-hour ship times, authorized resellers like MacMall and Adorama have dozens of Mac Pro configurations for sale, which can be seen in AppleInsider's live Price Guides.


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Posted by Harish Jonnalagadda on 20 Mar 2015 3:45 am
The Places API for Android gives developers access to better location pickers, which means that users will soon be able to share their location using real place names instead of latitude and longitude.
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 21 Apr 2010 7:01 pm
Back in February we reported about a new feature that may be coming soon to Google -- Store View, as part of Google Place. Well it looks like the project is being launched and Google has sent out a troop of photographers to take some snaps in select cities worldwide.Interested business owners can sign up for the service here -- http://maps.google.com/businessphotos. Of course, Google can't...


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August 8, 2023
Sponsored by Natural Products Insider
Industry professionals remain divided over a proposal to require manufacturers list their dietary supplement products with the Food and Drug Administration, according to a survey conducted in 2023 by Natural Products Insider.
Natural Products Insider and SupplySide (both part of Informa Markets) surveyed 191 industry professionals, in collaboration with New Hope Network’s NEXT custom research team—and the findings are captured in an in-depth report that is free to download below.
Based on the survey of ingredient suppliers, finished goods manufacturers and other businesses, slightly more people favor mandatory product listing (MPL) than oppose it, with 21% of survey respondents undecided. FDA’s proposal, which came as close in 2022 as it’s ever come to becoming law, would require certain disclosures to FDA, including a list of ingredients in the product.
“We welcome higher standards and greater transparency with FDA, as we are more than equipped to thrive in such an environment,” a finished goods manufacturer/brand shared in the survey. “We believe MPL is an important step toward better transparency and leveling the playing field.”
Perhaps more tellingly, the survey revealed that businesses tend to prefer other legislative reforms over MPL as their top priority, such as expanding health savings and flexible spending accounts to dietary supplement products.
In addition, the survey elicited feedback from industry professionals about other legislative priorities, including:
Adopting broader reforms to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).
Amending a clause in the law that blocks an ingredient from being marketed in dietary supplements if it has been first approved or researched as a drug.
Creating a legal pathway for CBD in food and supplements.
The survey revealed divided opinions regarding the effectiveness of the Food and Drug Administration in enforcing DSHEA. Matt Kennedy, director of market research for New Hope Network, who was instrumental in preparing the survey and analyzing the findings, said there is directional evidence showing legal/consultant businesses have a less favorable view of FDA enforcement.
“Dysfunctional,” “reactionary” and “a toothless tiger” were among respondents’ descriptions of FDA.
One person who answered the questionnaire and identified themselves under the category of VP/SVP/EVP stated FDA has failed to fully implement DSHEA nearly three decades after it was passed into law.
“For 10+ years following passage of DSHEA, the commissioner of the FDA (Dr. David Kessler) ordered the agency to not implement or enforce DSHEA, believing this would encourage rogue companies to run wild and lead to the overturning of DSHEA,” this person wrote. “The agency lacks any credibility on the topic of dietary supplements and continues to attempt to restrict access to these products and information about them. Even as science continues to show that supplements have a positive impact on public health and are extremely cost-effective, the agency resists this truth. The agency and its leadership should be held accountable for decades of failure and malice.”
A final section of the 49-page regulatory report features exclusive, in-depth reporting from recent years that focuses on the issue of FDA enforcement. A four-part series of articles published in 2020, follow-up story published in 2021, and related documents, highlight vigorous debates over enforcement of the new dietary ingredient notification requirement in DSHEA.
Click below to download the free report from Natural Products Insider.
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Business Objects pioneer embraces open source BI
Remember me, SAP?
The founder, former chairman and chief executive of Business Objects has turned to open source for his latest venture in business intelligence.
Bernard Liautaud has joined the board of open source ETL and data integration specialist Talend following a round of $12m funding by Balderton Capital. Liautaud - a pioneer in BI who helped create an industry with his founding of Business Objects nearly 20 years ago - is a general partner of Balderton, which was an early investor in MySQL.
Talend promises to undercut proprietary and expensive data integration tools such as Informatica's PowerCenter, IBM WebSphere DataStage, and tools from Business Objects' owner SAP. The cash will be used to help fund worldwide expansion.
Talend claimed its customer base has grown more than 300 per cent during the last 12 months, adding the recent economic downturn has not dampened enthusiasm. It also said there's been more than 3.3 million downloads of its flagship Talend Open Studio.
It's not clear how many of those downloads point to paying customers, but the company's customer list does include Virgin Mobile, French railway company SNCF, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Liautaud said in a statement that Talend has proven open source is especially suited for operational data integration. "I am proud to be associated with a category leader and to help IT organizations in companies of all sizes unlock their data assets," he said.
Liautaud founded Business Objects in 1990 as databases and enterprise applications moved into the mainstream with PCs and Intel-based servers, and there was a growing demand for tools that could query and slice data. He was chief executive until 2005 and stepped down as chairman and chief strategy officer in 2008, after SAP announced its decision to buy Business Objects for $6.8bn.
As he handed off Business Objects to SAP, Liautaud said the business intelligence industry was at a "tipping point." ®


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The Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl was the epitome of hospitality many years ago, German-owned and with cigar-smoking Hotelier Horst Frehse at the management helm. Its Bosman’s restaurant was our country’s number one for many years, until its star faded, Frehse left, and For Sale signs were seen for many years. Now the hotel is in new local hands, the name of the restaurant has changed, and it has a new Chef Patron to redevelop it! Continue reading →
I received a media statement from GC Communications on behalf of the KWV, informing me that its oldest wine Roodeberg is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Whilst I do not normally write from media releases, this one touched me, evoking a childhood memory of growing up in Wellington. Continue reading →
Last Monday I attended The Sommeliers Selection 2018 tasting of the top-scoring wines at Tokara Delicatessen, driving through from Cape Town on a rainy day. My two favorites I tasted were Arra Shiraz 2015, as well as Trizanne Reserve Syrah 2017. The top wines in the tasting were selected by top Sommelier members of the South African SOmmeliers Association, and the Black Cellar Club. Continue reading →
I am lucky to have become a regular recipient of the SARIE KOS supplement, which is delivered to my home every quarter. Editor Herman Lending is a young and talented chef, passionate at his job and about cooking, and is very successful at what he does. Continue reading →
Yesterday I attended the Chenin Blanc Showcase, a tasting of a selection of 50 Chenin Blanc wines, at the Cape Grace Hotel. Chenin Blanc is a cultivar growing in popularity, and we tasted the different styles of Chenin Blanc. Continue reading →
Yesterday Ben Goble, Llewellyn Lambert, and I tried the new Christmas Tasting Menu at Benguela on Main in Somerset West, at the invitation of Chef Jean Delport. I was impressed with the creativity which Chef Jean has become renowned for, and how he put Christmas on the plate with his Chef’s Christmas Tasting Menu. The seven course Tasting Menu had two added courses and costs R720 per person, and R1050 with the wine pairings. It runs until 24 December.
Multi-wine and brandy brand company Distell was crowned as top producer at the Veritas Awards Gala Dinner at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday evening, winning two Double Gold and 12 Gold Awards. Distell also won Best Performer by Enry, in the 10+ Entry wine category. A total of 30 Double Gold and 130 Gold awards were awarded to 1760 entries. Continue reading →
In one of the top coups in the wine industry, Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate has announced the appointment of award-winning Johann Fourie as its head winemaker. Johann left the KWV last week, where he and his team reaped numerous industry awards.
OpenWine ‘Taste Pair Shop’ opened on Wale Street in a chic less-is-more venue a month ago. Yesterday Seth Shezi and I visited OpenWine, and found two very friendly Italians who are passionate about promoting and drinking South African wine.
Yesterday I attended the Chenin Blanc Showcase at the Cape Grace Hotel, a presentation of 44 wines segmented into six categories. Continue reading →


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As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is willing to create India as the international hub of entrepreneurship with his dream campaign ‘Startup India, Standup India’ on January 16, businesses across the nation seems enthusiastic with PM Modi’s bold initiative. Many believe that ‘Startup India, Standup India’ will help boost young entrepreneurs and MSMEs, and brings desired reforms in the area of registration, taxation and licensing.
Rahul Jalan, Director, Indiaonline Network, a startup company: “Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Start Up India, Stand Up India’ initiative will simplify the things and doing business in India will be easier than ever. However, government should take measures to provide relaxation in existing tax laws and other regulatory procedures.”
Tarun Wig, Co-Founder, Innefu Labs: “It is high time the Govt of India realise that the any innovation in cyber security ecosystem can achieve the double aim of economic growth as well as improving national security landscape of the country. US has already realised this and established In-Q-Tel and CIA funded venture capital firm to invest in technology startup. India needs to follow it.”
Govind Bansal, Co-founder of Aqua (a startup telecom firm): ” Due to a slow procedure consumers are deprived of good options and businesses are unable to meet the market demand with the right product at a right time. Aqua Mobiles requests The Controller of Certifying Authorities to take necessary actions that may expedite the certification process in the interest of both consumers and manufacturers of mobile handsets.”


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TVS Motor and Suzuki make smart gains in scooter market in tough FY2019
Scooter sales register negative growth for the first time in a decade.
If India Auto Inc closed FY2019 on a low single-digit growth rate of 5.15 percent, among the contributory factors has been the poor sales of the scooter segment which slid into negative territory after 12-odd years. Right from FY2007, when a total of 1,050,109 scooters were sold (+11.64%), to FY2018 which saw sales of 6,719,911 units (+19.90%), the scooter segments was booming. Until FY2019 happened – at 6701,469 scooters sold last fiscal (-0.27%), the scooter segment was the sole segment to be in the red. In fact, in FY2019, of the seven OEMs in the fray, four registered de-growth.
A combination of factors like high insurance premiums, rural market distress in the middle of FY2019, liquidity crisis and overall poor consumer sentiment saw the scooter market feeling the pressure of slowing sales for the first time in a decade. Even market leader Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), which sold 3,680,403 units (-3.69%) was not spared and the company saw its market share drop to 54.92 percent in FY2019 from 56.87 percent in FY2018.
Overall two-wheeler market leader Hero MotoCorp too was impacted adversely – its sales of 719,087 units were down 18 percent YoY – and saw its market share drop to 10.73 percent from 13.15 percent in FY2018. India Yamaha Motor, which sold 364,879 scooters in FY2019 was down 12.14 percent YoY.
The only ones to keep their heads above water were Piaggio Vehicles, Suzuki Motorcycle India and TVS Motor Co. Piaggio sold 77,7775 units, up 14 percent to marginally grow its scooter market share to 1.16 percent. The two companies which have made smart gains are Suzuki and TVS Motor.
Suzuki sold a total of 615,520 units, which constitutes a YoY increase of 46 percent, which translates into a market share of 9.18 percent compared to 6.27 a year ago. What is helping the company is the sustained demand for the Suzuki Access 125. The Japanese company’s turnaround efforts are finally visible as it continues to work not only on its product portfolio but also on the dealer development side. The consistent and linear growth in the demand for the Suzuki Access 125 is to be attributed for this achievement along with the company’s expanding reach across the country. This is a first for Suzuki as well as the Access 125 scooter in at least the past eight years or more.
TVS Motor Co, which is the second biggest scooter player in India with a market share of 18.52 percent, sold a total of 1,241,366 units, which marks 13 percent YoY growth. Consistent demand for its Jupiter, the longstanding No.2 best-selling scooter in India, has given a fillip to TVS’ growth. Younger sibling, the NTorq is also turning out to be a popular buy.
Given the current market situation, apex industry body SIAM has forecast 5-7 percent growth for the two-wheeler industry in FY2020. This means the single-digit growth might persist for scooters in the new fiscal. However, OEMs are optimistic that demand will return.
Speaking at Autocar Professional’s Two-Wheeler Conclave 2019 last month, Malo Le Masson – Head, Global Product Planning, Hero MotoCorp, said: "Buyers are going to change. Scooters are benefiting from urbanisation and the growing number of women riders. Urbanisation is driving growth and fueling premiumisation. Fifty percent of the volume increase in the scooter segment is through women buyers." He was highlighting the growing trend of 125cc scooters which are outpacing the growth in the 110cc segment that currently rules the scooter market.
Nikunj Sanghi, director, International Affairs and past president, Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA), added, "With a large number of young people coming into the working age, two-wheelers will be the only mobility solution. Although scooterisation is undergoing a temporary blip, it will always have the potential to drive the mass market. I accept that in this male-dominated economy motorcycles largely drive sales, but with an increasing number of women in the workforce, the scooter segment can stand at par with the motorcycle segment in India. Demand for scooters will soon return.”
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Three-wheeler market leader’s recently launched zero-emission passenger and cargo models have sold 3,314 units in the pa...
India EV Inc, which is just 112,886 units away from achieving record sales of 1.5 million units in CY2023, has registere...


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DG: "A Low-Cost Operator"
My deep dive on small box retailer Dollar General (“We Went Where They Ain’t”), which was published in June 2021, concluded with the following:
“I believe Mr. Market has some doubts about the company’s ability to grow beyond ~25,500 units and / or questions the sustainability of the business and its economics at maturity. I’d argue the market has held some version of this belief for much of the past five years, which is why the stock trades at a pretty large discount to retailers like Costco. Personally, I think that conclusion has been, and continues to be, too pessimistic.”
On March 17th, DG reported financial results for Q4 FY21. The quick summary is that the investment thesis remains on track; while the quarterly numbers over the past two years have been irregular, the net result has been better than expected comps, profit margins, and EPS growth.
In FY21, DG generated $34.2 billion in revenues, up ~1% from FY20. As a reminder, the company experienced significant tailwinds during the heart of the pandemic, with 20%+ YoY sales growth in all four product categories in both Q2 FY20 and Q3 FY20. While those tailwinds have started to normalize, the net result is still impressive: over the past two years (FY19 - FY21), DG’s revenues increased ~11% p.a., or ~300 basis points higher than the ~8% annualized growth reported over the prior five years (FY14 – FY19).
Looking at the five year period from FY16 – FY21, DG reported a ~6% annualized increase in the store count, along with a ~3% annualized increase in average unit volumes (AUV’s). This is roughly in-line with the top-line growth algorithm I expect the company to deliver for the foreseeable future.
Let’s drill down on unit growth, which is key to the long-term thesis.


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The deal of the storied Jaguar and Land Rover auto brands in 2008 ended up handing India’s Tata Group a challenge that had long exhausted Ford Motor, the British marques’ earlier owner: How to earn a profit.
For sometime, Tata appeared to have found the answer. Within a couple of years of the acquisition, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive started earning profit. The company’s market value increased above $29 billion in 2015.
Then China’s downturn hit sales in what is the biggest auto market; the U.K. voted to depart from the European Union; and India’s biggest conglomerate was wracked by a power struggle as Ratan Tata eliminated his handpicked successor. JLR was also slow to decrease its reliance on diesel vehicles in Europe. The outlook is now so dreadful that Tata executives are rumored to be finding out the possibility of selling part of the luxury-car unit.
“JLR faces all these challenges and more, as it is the smallest of the mainstream luxury automakers, barring Volvo,” stated Deepesh Rathore, London-based director at Emerging Markets Automotive Advisors. Sweden’s Volvo Cars was purchased by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 2010.
Tata Motors stated on Friday there is no truth in the rumors that it’s looking to sell its JLR stake.
Tata Motors, whose shares dropped 60 percent in 2017, posted a record loss of 270 billion rupees ($3.8 billion) in the December quarter, the biggest for an Indian company, as the British unit had a hard time. Deliveries have collapsed in China, falling 35 percent in the nine months to December 31. The company is slashing 4,500 jobs, or about 10 percent of its global workforce, and on February 7 took investors aback with a strategy to write down its JLR investment by $3.9 billion.
JLR, that also makes the Jaguar XE sedan and the Land Rover Discovery SUV, has to raise $1 billion in just more than a year to replace maturing bonds — a bigger target after S&P Global Ratings downgraded the unit in December for the two times in five months. That pushed the firm’s debt deeper into S&P’s junk category.
Quality issues have weighed on both marques: A J.D. Power survey of 31 brands in June 2018 put them in the bottom two spots. Jaguar had 148 problems every 100 vehicles and Land Rover had 160. Top ranking Genesis, the luxury brand of Hyundai Motor had 68.
Quality issues have contributed to JLR’s struggles in China, where the company had multiple recalls, stated John Zeng, managing director of LMC Automotive Shanghai.
“This has greatly jeopardized Chinese consumers’ confidence in the brand value,” stated Zeng. JLR’s “quality control capability and its after-sales network are not good enough to support its volume expansion or help it compete with competitors.”
The marques were therefore especially vulnerable to China’s downturn. The world’s largest auto market decreased about 4 percent last year, the first such reduction since the early 1990s.
Nonetheless, Land Rover still ranks as the most costly of the major brands owned by Tata Group, that also controls Tetley tea and New York’s luxury Pierre hotel. The automotive marque was worth an estimated $6.2 billion in 2018, according to Interbrand.


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Visual audience evolution in four screens:
4/ Online handheld devices, like the just announced Apple 'iPhone'
'Fourth Screens' like this one, look set to be the devices a lot of us carry around in the same way the iPod and other mp3 players have become ubiquitous...just a few years ago we didn't even know we wanted them, now it seems everyone's got one.
Last year I mentioned Microsoft's Origami project and speculated how it could be of use to photographers who already carry laptops, mobiles and PDA's around as an integral part of our working gear.
This Christmas I bought a 'multimedia viewer' as a gift, a fairly esoteric piece of kit, which works as a 'digital wallet' for CF card data storage, but also plays mp3's, shows stills and plays video. There are more than one make of these things, but so far they occupy a pretty small niche.
But the market reach and cachet of Apple, means their new 'Internet Communicator' looks set to be the possible tipping point for widespread use of handheld devices - defined as 'The Seventh Mass Media' - to view digital visual content.
This has profound implications for people who produce visual stuff.
Which means us.
In the past I speculated about how people already tend to use their iPods. Most people have simply thrown their entire music collection on 'em - shelfloads of LP's or CD's are now being carried around in people's pockets.
Sooo...what's the chances of people using new visual handhelds to hold personal collections of other material? Like pictures?
Sooo...how much would you pay to download say, the latest Magnum in Motion presentation? Or an illustrated biography of Eugene Smith? Or a video tutorial about Aperture? Or the latest episode of Ugly Betty?
Apples iTunes already works like this, with singles, short films and some podcasts. Again, until iTunes existed, we didn't know we wanted it, but recently iTunes recorded its 2 billionth song download and sells 58 songs a second.
Apple have also released Apple TV, a box to connect to a HDTV - again, to act as a collection hub for visual material,
which can then be sync'ed to the iPhone or an iPod Video for carrying around in your pocket.
Newspapers and TV are set to be thrown up in the air by the increasing use of visual handhelds - You Tube has already shown a massive demand for short video clips, mostly viewed (I suspect) over a cup of coffee and a sandwich at the office computer.
Well, now they'll be viewed with a cup of coffee on the tube, or train, or bus...just like reading a newspaper.
The potential audiences to be reached by visual material is potentially mindboggling in a new age of consumer defined media consumption - people will increasingly obtain visual information at times, places and in types of their choosing, NOT defined by the schedules of TV channels, or the print runs of newspapers.
It also represents a possible huge audience for photojournalism, perhaps surpassing the previous print audience...if we make efforts to engage with them via this route.


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Cue Health Appoints Nitin Duggal as Chief Marketing Officer
December 16, 2021
Experienced Leader Brings Over 15 Years of Marketing and Product Development Expertise at Premier Healthcare Companies
SAN DIEGO, California, December 16, 2021 – Cue Health Inc. (“Cue”) (Nasdaq: HLTH), a health technology company, today announced that it has appointed Nitin Duggal as its first Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately. In his new role, he will be responsible for leading all marketing initiatives at Cue, including partners, direct to consumer, customers, employers, and providers.
Nitin has over 15 years of executive experience at high-growth technology organizations in Silicon Valley. During his tenure, he has developed a proven track record of scaling innovative technology platforms, developing robust product portfolios and leading high-performance teams. Nitin joins Cue to help further strengthen the company’s brand, marketing, and technology capabilities across its virtual care platform and products.
“On behalf of everyone at Cue, I’m thrilled to welcome Nitin to Cue. Nitin brings a wealth of experience in developing product marketing strategies and building teams around consumer insights, which we expect will meaningfully contribute to our mission of empowering people to live their healthiest lives as Cue enters its next chapter of growth,” said Ayub Khattak, co-founder and CEO of Cue.
“I am honored to be part of the Cue family and excited to embark on a journey together that we believe will transform the consumer health experience. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of our healthcare system and Cue Health is uniquely positioned to offer innovative solutions that are already empowering more and more people to take control of their health. Together, we can bring meaningful change to the healthcare space,” added Nitin Duggal.
Nitin joins Cue from Abbott Diabetes Care, where he spent 10 years in a number of leadership positions. Most recently, he served as Senior Commercial Director in Abbott’s Biowearables group to promote and commercialize sensing technology among the non-diabetic population. Nitin also established a digital health group in the U.S. to redefine the consumer journey and to explore alternate reimbursement models. Prior to that he launched a number of Libre® products in the U.S. market as Senior Marketing Director and served as marketing lead for the launch of FreeStyle® Libre in European markets.
Prior to Abbott, Nitin was a consultant at McKinsey & Co and focused on the healthcare industry. During his stay at McKinsey, he led different engagements with payors and medical device companies. Nitin received his MBA degree from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and holds an undergraduate degree in Electronics and Electrical Communication.
About Cue Health
Cue Health (Nasdaq: HLTH) is a healthcare technology company that makes it easy for individuals to access health information and places diagnostic information at the center of care. Cue Health enables people to manage their health through real-time, actionable, and connected health information, offering individuals and their healthcare providers easy access to lab-quality diagnostics anywhere, anytime, in a device that fits in the palm of the hand. Cue Health's first-of-its-kind COVID-19 test was the first FDA-authorized molecular diagnostic test for at-home and over-the-counter use without a prescription and physician supervision. Outside the United States, Cue Health has received the CE mark in the European Union, Interim Order authorization from Health Canada, regulatory approval from India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, and PSAR authorization from Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority. Cue was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in San Diego. For more information, please visit www.cuehealth.com.


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A CHARITY that helps local people struggling to pay for the essentials celebrates its sixth birthday this month.
Pembrokeshire Action To Combat Hardship (PATCH) provides everything from food and clothes to household items and toiletries to those who can’t afford them.
Six years on, it has helped hundreds of Pembrokeshire families who have been referred for a helping hand, and charity co-ordinator Tracy Olin said PATCH’s help is still much in demand.
“The need for the services of PATCH is growing,” she said.
“It seems hard to believe in this day in age, in a county as beautiful as Pembrokeshire, that there are folks living here who are facing a genuine struggle to survive.
“The number of bases we have is growing, and thanks to the support of many local businesses we have an increasing number of locations where donations can be received.
“This year we have been fortunate and delighted to be named as the Charity of the Year for three local businesses and organisations, and the support and profile that this provides for us in invaluable.”
The charity also recently moved into new headquarters, thanks to support from the Port of Milford Haven, and is also the base for a weekly fruit and veg co-op.
Anyone wanting to give PATCH a birthday present, be it a few tins of food or some second-hand clothes, should contact the Milford Haven branch on 01646 699275.


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Maruti Suzuki gains as carmaker decides to make electric vehicles
The Japanese automaker had once showcased an all-electric version of Swift (called Swift REEV , or Range Extender) around 2010.
Suzuki to set up India’s first Lithium Ion battery unit with Toshiba & Denso
Suzuki Motor chairman Osamu Suzuki on Thursday also promised to ...
Maruti will make electric cars in Gujarat
The Japanese company had once showcased an all-electric version for Swift (called Swift REEV, or Ra...
Maruti Suzuki India will not hold back in electric vehicle segment: R C Bhargava
"Government has announced programme to rapidly promote the use of electric vehicles in India," MSI Chairman R C Bhargava.
Why Japan is pouring lakhs of crores in cut-rate loans to build infrastructure across India
JICA is today the largest bilateral donor agency in India, having disbursed over Rs 1.5 lakh crore of soft loans to India since 2007-08.
Maruti chief Kenichi Ayukawa's salary up 6% at Rs 4.2 crore in 2016-17
According to the company's Annual Report 2016-17, Ayukawa's total remuneration during the year was at Rs 4,20,67,808, which also included a performance-linked bonus of Rs 1,50,39,000.
Suzuki is pumping in billions of dollars to further strengthen its position in India
Suzuki has lined up investments worth close to Rs 10,000 crore to set up manufacturing facilities in Gujarat to produce 750,000 vehicles a year.
Fuel test row: Osamu Suzuki to resign as CEO from Suzuki
Suzuki Motor Corp patriarch Osamu Suzuki is stepping down as chief executive and the Japanese automaker promised to cut executive pay and slash 2015 bonuses, hoping to draw a line under the bruising admission of major flaws in its fuel tests.
Suzuki's Gujarat plant will be operational in 2017: Chairman Osamu Suzuki
When it comes to Maruti Suzuki, the performance is going up very well. I am sure Maruti Suzuki has been loved by the Indian people. So I am very much satisfied.
India to be part of Toyota-Suzuki Motor business partnership
The two companies are to immediately establish an implementation framework aimed to bringing to realisation the points agreed on Monday.
Suzuki joins Toyota in partnership talks
The companies said they would hold a joint briefing on the possible partnership in Tokyo at 0930 GMT. A Toyota spokeswoman declined to give details on the agreement.
Osamu Suzuki says add 'Quality' to PM Narendra Modi's Make in India
"I believe if all suppliers follow Quality in India, then they will be able to overcome the US and China and can acquire No.1 slot in global market" he said.
Global auto companies heads drive into India
India is critical for the Japanese parent with 50% of global sales coming from the country, said Maruti Suzuki chairman RC Bhargava.
Maruti Suzuki shares hit by Suzuki scandal
Fuel economy compliance has come under increased scrutiny since Mitsubishi said last month it falsified fuel economy readings for some of its mini-vehicle models.
‘Maruti Suzuki’s Gujarat plant to be operational in 2017’
The Gujarat facility is also Suzuki Motor's first wholly-owned car plant in India and being set up bypassing its Indian unit.


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'I want that!' The ultimate compliment
A few years ago, popular television sitcom "Modern Family" nearly drove up the costs of Leah Ingram's home renovations. Ingram, founder of SuddenlyFrugal.com, discovered that Benjamin Moore sold the color -- an aptly named Labrador Blue -- featured on the walls of the Dunphy home.
"It affected my thinking and had me considering buying more expensive paint," she recalls. Ultimately, Ingram opted for a cheaper product, but the experience stuck with her.
"You think you're watching a funny show about a modern family," she says, but you're simultaneously getting inspiration for home design projects that may or may not be within your budget.
"Modern Family," of course, isn't the only show likely to influence our spending habits.
All television shows "are targeted toward particular audiences," says Michael McCall, professor and chair of the marketing department at Ithaca College in New York. Advertisers, in turn, pay for commercial air time or product placement during a show that shares its target demographic. So, on a very basic level, your favorite television program is likely to feature advertisements for products you're more apt to want and/or purchase.
There are some shows, however, that are more likely to drive up your credit card bills.


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Exclusive: New Lordstown Motors CEO Edward T. Hightower shares major plans for EV fleet buyers
Lordstown Motors has a new CEO and the announcement is making history. The electric vehicle startup appointed Edward T. Hightower into this role, making him the first black CEO of a US automaker. Mr. Hightower has also held senior executive positions with Ford, BMW, General Motors, and Alix Partners. He joins us on Inside Automotive to discuss his new role and perspective on the EV future. Watch the complete segment here.
In a quarterly regulatory filing released on Monday, Tesla stated that the company has been served with a fresh subpoena by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on June 13 regarding quote “our governance processes around compliance with the SEC settlement.” The settlement resulted from Musk’s 2018 tweet claiming to have financing secured to take Tesla private. The SEC claimed that Musk lacked the capital necessary to take Tesla private despite conversations with Saudi investors. Musk agreed to pay the fine and to submit all tweets containing information that would be important to investors for approval before he sent them out as part of the settlement. Read More
Volkswagen confirmed on Friday that current CEO Herbert Diess would be leaving his post at the end of August. Taking over for Diess on September 1 will be Oliver Blume, the current CEO of Porsche. Volkswagen has not given a statement about the departure; however, Chair Hans Dieter Potsch congratulated Diess for helping to further the company’s development. “Not only did he steer the company through extremely turbulent waters, but he also implemented a fundamentally new strategy,” Potsch said. Read More
According to a signed agreement made public late last week, the state of Georgia and local governments will provide Hyundai Motor Group with $1.8 billion in tax breaks and other incentives in exchange for the automaker constructing its first U.S. plant specifically for electric vehicles, close to the port city of Savannah. Hyundai is required by the agreement to hire 8,100 people and invest $5.5 billion in its Georgia plant. This has been the most significant economic investment in the state. A few months ago, Georgia closed another lucrative deal with electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian to establish a factory. Read More
Ford is considering significant staff reductions as the automotive industry transitions to electric vehicles. Ford is preparing to lay off 8,000 salaried employees, or almost a quarter of its us workforce, in order to cut $3 billion in operational costs by 2026, according to a recent Bloomberg report. Ford Blue, the company’s internal combustion engine division, will be making the layoffs. Ford has previously stated that Ford Blue would bring in the revenue necessary to power its upcoming Ford Model e and other future products. No plans have been finalized yet, but CEO Jim Farley acknowledged the reports in an email to staff members and did not deny them. Read More
News & Opinion:
Should your service department consider using automated vehicle inspections
The automotive industry is evolving rapidly, and with that comes changes in how dealerships operate. In particular, automated vehicle inspections are changing the game regarding service lane efficiency, customer trust, and customer experience. Several OEMs like Toyota, GM, and Hyundai are currently implementing automated vehicle inspection systems at their dealerships. Israel-based UVeye is working alongside Volvo Car USA to introduce a new program for US dealers. The UVeye automated vehicle inspection system uses a high-speed camera system, AI, and machine learning to check for missing parts, underbody, tires, and many other safety-related areas. Read More
Can introverts make great car salespeople?
The idea of an outgoing individual willing to be bold, energetic, and almost a little pushy is what most consumers expect when interacting with a car salesperson. Extroverted personalities tend to recharge when they’re around people, and they converse easily and can navigate social situations easily. But in general society, roughly half are extroverts while the others tend to lean more toward introversion. But the thought that sales positions are suited for outgoing personalities primarily has been challenged. In reality, introverts possess characteristics that could significantly benefit the dealership, especially when more leads come in online than from traditional walk-in traffic. Read More
Did you enjoy this automotive newscast? Read other articles on CBT News here. Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic by submitting a letter to the editor here, or connect with us at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Gamers are making more money than ever streaming their performances on , a website where people can watch their favorite video games being played by others.
Top Twitch streamers can make six-figure salaries, and one man is working behind the scenes to help them land ever-bigger deals.
Omeed Dariani is the founder of Online Performers Group and a manager to some of the top streamers on Twitch like Bajheera, Yuuie and Kitboga.
"They're entertainers, they're nice people, but they're not business savvy," Dariani told CNBC. "They need people in their corner."
He founded OPG with his wife in 2014, right as Twitch was exploding, and right around the time Amazon purchased the gaming site for close to $1 billion. OPG manages streamers and takes a cut of their revenue.
"You wouldn't expect someone like Tom Cruise to walk into a meeting room and negotiate his contract — he's got people for that," Dariani said. "Streamers are getting to the point that they need that, so they can focus on their performance."
OPG has signed some of Twitch's biggest deals, and in the fourth quarter, it handled one-fourth of all sponsored deals on the platform, according to Dariani.
There's big money in Twitch for gamers because brands are eager to get in front of the company's 15 million daily users. Twitch claims to reach half of the millennial males in the U.S.
Intel and Corsair are among companies turning to Twitch streamers to promote their products to their hundreds of thousands of followers.
"The market for this is going up like nothing I've ever seen," Dariani said. One client, in particular, Anthony Kongphan, has "20 times as much booked revenue as he did last year, and this is just April," he said.
Because consumers are tuning into Twitch to watch their favorite gamers perform, the streamers have influence. And that makes their voices and opinions very valuable.
"It used to be that game companies held all the power and all the authority of what people were going to buy," Dariani said. "Game companies now have to listen their fans because their fans have become famous for their opinions."


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By Lucas Van De Graaff, Marketing– Vin Diesel is one of the world’s most beloved and famous actors, and there’s little wonder why Chinese cinema has joined the many nations trying to cash in on his success. There are plans to make a fourth movie in his xXx series lineup and ...
March 17, 2021Tami Mickelsen
By Xochitl Bott, Marketing – In the United States, donuts are a sweet tooth for many people. They are found everywhere, from the grocery store to coffee shops. But one donut shop placed their sights on something more valuable than donuts. In Central New York, there is a line of donut ...
March 3, 2021Tami Mickelsen
By Lucas Van De Graaff, Marketing – The TV show “Shark Tank” is where the best product campaign ideas are invested in, the ones that will make a lot of money and will take off. I imagine they must have a good screening process into the legitimacy of one’s product lineup ...
February 20, 2021Tami Mickelsen
By Megan Porter, Marketing – One of the top causes of loss in large companies is when someone embezzles money. But large companies are not the only ones embezzling effects. Small companies and even labor unions must be on the watch for embezzling and other forms of financial misuse. Such was the ...
February 17, 2021Tami Mickelsen
By Xochitl Bott, Marketing – Shark fins are a delicacy in many countries — and the poaching of certain sharks is illegal. A crew trying to export their stash found that out the hard way in Hawaii, USA. In 2018, the fishing vessel M.V. Kyoshin Maru No. 20 from Japan was fishing ...
January 26, 2021Tami Mickelsen
By Xan Johnson, Marketing – Frederick Arias, a former Arizona law enforcement officer, was recently arrested for being involved in a fraud scheme totaling around nine million dollars. He had previously served as a patrol officer and detective for over 20 years in various locations throughout Arizona. The FBI has recently ...
January 13, 2021Tami Mickelsen
By Megan Porter, Marketing – Each year, both individuals and businesses seek to decrease expenses and increase their profit margin. But some of these entities seek to do so through illegal means, including tax fraud and evasion. The IRS loses thousands of dollars annually through misrepresented or fraudulent tax returns. Penalties ...
January 10, 2021Tami Mickelsen
By Xan Johnson, Marketing – With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of claims for unemployment benefits has skyrocketed. What has been interesting, though, is seeing how the current measures put in place to counteract fraudulent claims have held up. The simple response — not so well. Through these systems ...
January 5, 2021Tami Mickelsen
By Xan Johnson, Marketing – We often hear in the news of big-time frauds or corruption scandals, totaling to millions of dollars. But are we aware of the many times these same crimes are committed right under our noses? Recently, a 29-year-old Boost Mobile employee was arrested for embezzling over two ...
December 21, 2020Tami Mickelsen
By Megan Porter, Marketing – The federal government takes mail fraud and tax evasion very seriously, and businesses are always looking for new ways to prevent embezzlement. When Hailey Keele, a North Ogden resident, pled guilty to all three, she knew she would be facing steep penalties. During the trial, Keele confessed ...
December 16, 2020Tami Mickelsen
Converus (“with truth”) provides scientifically validated credibility assessment technologies that help protect countries, corporations and communities from corruption, crime and threats.