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Retailers are scrambling to meet demand, given supply chain pitfalls this holiday season. Whether it’s supplying the right amount of inventory or employing enough staff to deliver on consumer expectations, the holidays are bound to be a challenge yet again.
While sales are expected to increase year over year, the hoops that retailers must jump through to see this revenue is problematic. Supply chains are continuously backed up, awaiting raw materials for production or managing unreliable logistics. While these challenges are intensified due to the pandemic, research shows that this phenomenon is shedding light on a larger problem within supply chain organizations. Today’s consumers are expecting companies to deliver products faster than ever before. However, traditional supply chains are not made for same-day deliveries with excellent service.
Overcoming Supply Chain Pitfalls
“As omnichannel shopping is becoming the new norm, consumer and retail companies must be ready to deliver fast, impeccable omnichannel service. Doing so requires a new supply chain network approach,” research from McKinsey states.
Innovative supply chain leaders are looking into technology solutions that streamline the production, logistics, inventory, and distribution of products. They are already utilizing big data across the supply chain to predict how much inventory they will need in the future. While no one anticipated this pandemic, supply chain leaders have felt the repercussions of not adopting omnichannel AI solutions faster.
When leaders empower their teams with data, they can source the right raw materials, produce the right amount of products, distribute through the right channels, and monitor consumer trends. With this data, leaders are able to make informed decisions about their supply chain and create meaningful partnerships with suppliers and distributors. So what does all of this mean for retailers this holiday season?
The Washington Post found that there is a high demand this year for consumer electronics and home goods, including furniture. The article encourages consumers to buckle up for a bumpy ride this holiday season, as they report on limited inventory, increased prices, and shipping delays. With supply chain challenges wreaking havoc on retailers large and small, companies must prepare to meet consumer demand in more ways than one.
With the use of AI technology, companies can not only monitor supply chain trends and forecast upcoming demand, but they can also create authentic relationships with their consumers. Several organizations are adopting technology that enables them to structure their first-party data and apply it to their business goals.
Retailers in particular are leaning on technology to communicate with customers and monitor the interactions. Today, it’s more important than ever to communicate effectively and showcase the core values of your company at every consumer touchpoint. So, how are retailers preparing to meet consumer demand this holiday season?
Preparing to Meet Consumer Demand
With more and more shoppers ready to purchase the latest technology and home furnishings this season, retailers must be prepared to communicate clearly with their consumers. Shoppers are anticipating shipping delays by shopping early. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t expect their favorite brands to deliver before the holidays.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that retail sales will grow 8.5% to 10.5% year over year. This equates to a total of $843.4 to $859 billion dollars in sales over November and December 2021 alone. Online sales are a part of this projection, expected to bring in 11-15% more revenue than last year.
While these numbers seem promising, it’s dividing retailers into the “haves” and “have-nots” when it comes to delivering on consumer expectations. Forbes reports that there are retailers experiencing no shortage of supply, while others say the supply chain continues to be a challenge, resulting in goods dwindling despite the demand.
To combat the frustrated shopper, retailers must communicate clearly with their customers to deliver on expectations. This means that organizations must find a way to connect on a personal level with every shopper, creating meaningful connections with authentic messages.
Satisfying Consumers While Reaching New Retail Goals with AI
Consumer loyalty is not in fashion this year. In fact, research tells us that competition is higher than ever before. Consumers are expecting more from companies. They want authentic, personalized communication. They want to know a brand’s stance on social issues. They want to see their own values within the brands they choose to buy from. And they want shopping to be easy. Easy to find. Easy to buy. Easy to return.
With this much pressure to exceed expectations on a grand scale, enterprise corporations are finding it impossible to meet the growing consumer demand to create personalized content at scale. You can see why. It is humanly impossible for Fortune 500 retailers to compete in a world that wants individualized messaging for each consumer.
That’s why forward-thinking leaders are adopting AI as part of their marketing team, automating the mundane, manual tasks and empowering human team members to focus on more strategic and thoughtful work. Organizations everywhere are changing the way they view their teams, especially during COVID.
Whether your company has chosen a fully-remote workforce or a reorganization of teams, chances are the pandemic changed not only the way you work, but what your company’s expectations are for your production. Those who work-from-home are spending more and more time at their desks, producing more work in less time. While leaders who are revamping their teams are adding more technology to enhance the way they do business and streamline processes for team members.
So, how are language and retail success related? The words we choose to use offer transformational moments that connect your brand to your customers with human emotion. Words are everywhere, and customers have trillions of messages rushing at them every single day. Despite all of these messages, only certain ones break through.
Consumers want to feel connected with brands, and forward-thinking leaders understand that there is a better way to speak to consumers. By utilizing AI-generated content and mapping it to human emotion, companies can create authentic connections with consumers to unlock incredible value.
Along the way, they learn about their consumers’ interests, and track engagement to drive a deeper understanding of the consumers they serve. These learnings take the guesswork out of creative, so teams can make informed decisions on implementation and meet business goals. Discover how Persado has helped several Fortune 500 companies transform their content and realize unprecedented value from their creative.


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Ripple Goes For M&A in Asia Amid Legal Battle In US
US-based major blockchain company Ripple that is still fighting a major legal battle with American regulators said it has agreed to acquire 40% in Tranglo, an Asian cross-border payments specialist.
The transaction is expected to be closed this year, while TNG Fintech Group will remain the majority shareholder in Tranglo, Ripple said without providing any other details about the deal.
With this acquisition, the blockchain company aims “to meet growing customer demand in the region and expand the reach of RippleNet’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) service.” ODL uses the XRP token to send money. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accused Ripple’s two co-founders and executives of personally profiting from the sales of XRP, which it claims is an “unregistered security,” to the tune of around USD 600m.
As the legal battle is still ongoing in the US, the company aims to broaden its ODL footprint in Southeast Asia, “the fastest-growing region for RippleNet adoption.” Last week, Ripple announced Brooks Entwistle as Managing Director of Southeast Asia.
Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, previously said that if the SEC were to say that XRP is a security, “a lot of what Ripple does in the Unites States, we could continue, no problem.” According to him, “more than 90% of RippleNet customers are outside the US,” so Ripple would “continue to build the business and grow.”
At the time of writing (04:09 UTC), XRP trades at USD 0.56 and is unchanged in a day. It’s up by almost 3% in a week and 27% in a month.
– XRP Jumps as Ripple’s Partnership With MoneyGram Ends (For Now)
– Unconfirmed Report From Court Hearing May Have Sparked XRP Rally
– SEC Lists 3 Reasons for Seeking Ripple Execs’ Financial Info on XRP Deals
– SEC Hits out at Ripple’s ‘Lack of Due Process’ in Letter to Judge
– Fact-checking Ripple’s Claim that ‘Many G20 Gov’ts’ Call XRP a ‘Currency’
(Updated at 04:32 UTC with a quote from Ripple CEO.)

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News Analysis: Tech Retail Goes Touchy-Feely
Nokia is the latest brand to open a store dedicated to placing its products in consumers' hands, writes Claire Murphy.
When is a shop not a shop? When it is an 'experience centre'. Last week it emerged that Nokia has joined the small but growing band of retailers creating stores to encourage customers to spend as long as they want playing with their products.
The handset manufacturer has just opened its first experience centre in Moscow, with a network of other sites to follow (Marketing, 16 November).
Designed in a style more akin to a mini-science museum than a high-street mobile phone store, Nokia's experience centres offer the ideal conduit to encourage customers to trade up to higher-priced products.
This is a priority for Nokia; its third-quarter results published at the end of last month showed that while quarter-on-quarter volume sales had increased, average purchases had fallen from EUR105 (pounds 72) to EUR102 (pounds 69).
This led to a fall in Nokia's share price, as analysts expressed worries over whether the handset manufacturer could increase selling prices, particularly in Europe and the US. Although it remains the global market leader, Nokia is coming under pressure in these territories from Motorola and Samsung.
In theory 3G, with its wider range of functions, should provide the ideal platform for upgrading customers to higher-priced phones, but the industry's excitement over the technology's capabilities has failed to transfer to consumers.
This has led Nokia to create retail environments in which consumers can touch, feel and play with the handsets, with the intention that they will be enticed by their features and styling.
Nokia is not the only brand trying to control its retail environment and encourage sales of higher-end products. Toshiba, too, is about to launch its first store, in Liverpool.
Bang & Olufsen pioneered the idea of this type of store, creating retail spaces that mimic living rooms to show off its high-end audio products. Apple, meanwhile, has opened three stores in the UK to strengthen the branding of its products and encourage trial (see box).
This week it also emerged that Sony is adopting a dual-pricing strategy, offering discounts to retailers whose staff are sufficiently trained to demonstrate its products to customers. Thus Sony, which was one of the first consumer electronics brands to launch its own stores, is now trying to influence sales of its products in others' stores.
Nokia seems to have been inspired by the Niketown 'destination stores', having poached the sportswear brand's UK retail director, Hamid Raja, to take charge of its strategy shift as director of retail distribution and marketing.
The company has already tested the 'experience' concept on a smaller scale. It recently opened a store in Dubai for Vertu, its ultra-premium handset brand.
The layout of the Dubai store, designed by London agency Dave, was influenced by car showroom displays of materials used in vehicle interiors, such as upholstery, to emphasise the craftsmanship that goes into a Vertu phone.
The outlet includes mini exhibition areas, and a partially walled-off area to create an air of privacy for the sales process.
'We wanted the store to act as a stage for the sales people to perform on,' says Dave creative director Dan Rowe. …


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Downtown Minneapolis 'geek bar' Byte, which highlighted paying each of its employees $15 an hour with benefits, will close its doors later this month.
A post to the Byte Facebook page said its last day of business will be Oct. 28.
"While we have enjoyed a steady and loyal customer base, we’ve also struggled with getting the volume necessary to make our business model fiscally viable in this location," the post said.
Travis Shaw and Mark Lowman are the two founders behind Byte, which opened about eight months ago. Shaw told the Business Journal in December that the inspiration for Byte sprouted from their frustration of a majority of restaurant employees not being able to earn a livable wage. Byte hired around a dozen employees, each one making $15 an hour with benefits, plus vacation time.
"This was what motivated us to start out on our own," Shaw said. "I'm passionate about food, but more passionate about the system and a business that can sustain its workers."
Nearly every aspect of Byte's business plan highlighted efficiency to save on costs to pay the employees their wages. There were no table servers and meals were be prepared meticulously to minimize food waste.
Since Byte opened, Minneapolis passed its own $15 minimum wage ordinance.
Byte is part bar, part cafe and part coffee shop. It has a quick-serve front counter and a bar area in the back with board games. Byte is at 319 First Ave. N. It's about 2,900 square feet.


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Glendale, CA, May 20, 2014 --(PR.com
)-- Glendale Lutheran School, now has a smartphone-tablet app that allows school adminstrators to communicate with parents directly on their phones and tablet devices sharing alerts, schedules, school news feeds, contact numbers and more. The new app, published in the iTunes App Store and Google Play, also gives parents the convenience of staying in close contact with the school from their mobile device.
Mobile apps are being adopted quickly by schools with thousands using them now to engage parents who grew up on the web and expect communication to be convenient and available on the devices they use most, smartphones and tablets. Schools that have adopted mobile apps are beginning to see greater involvement from parents and even grandparents and increased school loyalty.
The mission of Salem Lutheran School is to educate students through quality instruction emphasizing Jesus Christ as the foundation of their lives, in which their potential can be nurtured and developed as they grow in faith.
The Glendale Lutheran School mobile app was developed by WhizFish, an interactive agency in Toledo, Ohio. The company has developed apps for a variety of other schools, both public and private.
The app can be found in both the iTunes App store here and in Google Play.


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Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) is one of the companies that have realised the benefits of utilising communities and informal markets as an alternative distribution channel. Taking this route to market, the company has created opportunities for entrepreneurs in distribution while also connecting their smaller customer base through their Local Distribution Progamme (LDP).
Verda Maluleka stands next to her stock at her LDP
Since inception, this programme has grown in leaps and bounds and has seen an impressive growth of female-led LDPs across the business.
The LDP programme was started in 2011 as a means to empower upcoming entrepreneurs who are looking for business opportunities in the community by providing them with the necessary support to become “logistic” partners to the business. These individuals are properly equipped with training in customer service, stock management, IT systems and financial literacy, all with the aim of ensuring that the business’s products are delivered timeously and in an efficient manner.
Verda Maluleka, an LDP owner in Louis Trichardt grabbed the opportunity with both hands when she was still a sales team leader in the business. “I am a very business minded individual and as soon as this programme was announced, I knew that it was my calling. With this transition, I was still going to be part of the Coca-Cola family, yet be able to pursue my dreams of being an entrepreneur,” says Maluleka.
Embracing challenges of all magnitudes
The role is exciting but Maluleka admits to there being challenges, such as creating a greater awareness of this innovative route to market which caters to customers in more congested areas such as townships. However, women such as Maluleka and other LDP’s in the business have come to embrace challenges of all magnitudes and changes that are thrown in their direction that through the support of their peers and the business, they will continue to make their mark in the logistics space.
Overall, the programme has produced some extraordinary results since inceptions which include the establishment of 126 LDP’s, 45 job opportunities created to date, 93% equity partner appointments and 20% black female LDP appointments. The business looks forward to growing the number of entrepreneurs that have decided to form part of this programme and partnership and will continue to support them, ensuring that they continue to thrive in their respective communities.


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The new energy drinks will be called "Coca-Cola Energy" and "Coca-Cola Energy No Sugar".
Coca-Cola is planning to launch its first energy drinks under the Coke brand name. The move will shift the world's largest beverage maker from fizzy sodas.
The timeline for the launch of the drinks is not provided by the company. The new energy drinks will be called "Coca-Cola Energy" and "Coca-Cola Energy No Sugar". These drinks would likely have caffeine from naturally-derived sources and guarana extract.
Presently, Coke is in arbitration with Monster Beverage over the launch of the Coke energy drinks, which Monster says could violate their initial 2015 agreement.
Coca-Cola spokesperson said, "We have submitted the difference in interpretation to an arbitration panel for resolution, which is the mechanism agreed by the Coca-Cola Company and Monster in the original agreements."


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One indicator used to gauge current brand fads is how many times a certain brand is mentioned in popular music—so far this year, 59 different brands have been mentioned 645 times in Billboard Top 20 tunes (mainly hip-hop), according to a survey by marketing firm Agenda. Topping the list are Cadillac, Hennessy, Gucci, Rolls-Royce, Nike, Mercedes, Jaguar and MTV. “This is a window into pop culture,” says Agenda president Lucian James.
One of the biggest losers is Burberry, which scored 42 mentions last year (probably the result of a company statement that it didn’t care to be associated with rappers), and one of the biggest surprises this year is Rolls-Royce, which has garnered 26 mentions so far. “The Rolls used to feel dated, but they’ve updated their models and given the brand a new life. It seems to have a direct appeal to the P. Diddy crowd,” says James. The trend has sparked a product placement effort on the part of some companies, who are offering rappers money to mention their brands. “I’ve had lots of companies come up to me, saying, I’ll give you a thousand to mention this, five thousand to mention that,” says rapper Kanye West. “I didn’t take it, but a lot of rappers do. I can always tell when I hear it in the song, because I’m like, ‘Why are you mentioning that product here?’ Sometimes it’s just obvious.”
New York Post 25 Aug 2004


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Navier 27 to be offered in two models, with official debut planned for 2022 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show
A US boatbuilder and a Silicon Valley startup have joined forces to launch a new fully electric hydrofoil for the US market.
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On Feb. 11, Tempo told the story of the Ohio Barbie Slasher, a person who cut and mutilated two dozen Barbie dolls at three stores within six months in Sandusky, Ohio, but had managed to elude police.
Late in February, Perkins Township Police Detective Timothy McClung received a psychological profile of the slasher from the FBI. "We wanted to know if it was just a vandal or someone with a serious psychological problem," McClung said.
The report noted four other incidents in the U.S. in which Barbie dolls had been slashed or mutilated and made its profile based upon those perpetrators.
According to the profile, the Sandusky suspect is most likely a white male 16 to 30 years old, an "organized and controlled individual who is probably dominated in a relationship with a woman, possibly his mother."
The FBI report also noted that the slasher is considered harmless by friends and there is little to indicate "an escalation of danger"-the slashing of women, for example. But the suspect probably is "a person who fantasizes about forcefully removing women's clothing using a weapon such as a knife" and "having total power" over a woman.
Since that profile came out, McClung said, Perkins police have interviewed a few suspects, but no slasher has been caught and no more Barbies have been damaged.
"The publicity and the increased security in the stores probably scared him away," McClung says. "He's decided to lay low."


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Co-founded in 2017 by Ju Rhyu, Dwight Lee and Andrew Lee, Hero Cosmetics has disrupted the skin- and acne care categories with innovative products like the cult-favorite, award-winning Mighty Patch acne patch. Consumer adoption has been swift driving revenue growth by over 300% in 2020 alone. A Hero product is currently sold every 15 seconds in the U.S. and the brand expects over $80 Million of retail revenue in 2021. Adding to Hero’s achievements, the business has grown into a market leader without raising a single dollar of outside capital until now.
“Ju, Dwight and Andy are tremendous entrepreneurs, and it shows in the quality of the brand and business they’ve created and the extraordinary growth they’ve achieved. We are thrilled to be their partners,” said Trevor Nelson, a partner at Aria Growth Partners. “We are excited to help Hero continue to solve long-standing skin concerns with innovative and disruptive products such as Mighty Patch and Rescue Balm,” added Jackie Dunklau, a principal at Aria.
“Fortunately, we have been profitable since year-1 and were in a position to choose a partner for their strategic value-add to help take the company to the next level. That’s exactly what we found with Aria Growth Partners, and we are thrilled to work with Trevor and Jackie to turn Hero into the #1 functional skincare brand,” says Ju Rhyu, Co-Founder and CEO of Hero Cosmetics.
In addition to DTC and Amazon, Hero has built a strong partnership with Target where it has rapidly expanded its assortment and shelf presence. Later this month, Hero will launch Clear Collective, a one-of-a-kind 3-step blemish prevention system targeting the root causes of acne and blemishes. The line will be available exclusively at Target and on the brand’s own website. “Part of our mission at Hero is to help people reclaim their skin confidence by bringing game-changing, effective, innovation to acne care at accessible price points,” stated Rhyu.
Hero products including its Mighty Patch line can now be found nationwide at Target, Ulta, CVS, Amazon, Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters and at herocosmetics.us.
Michael Toure of Toure Capital advised Hero on the transaction.
About Hero Cosmetics: Hero Cosmetics is a functional skincare brand focused on acne breakouts. Since launching in 2017, the brand sells a box of Mighty Patch acne patches every 15 seconds in over 8,000 doors and has grown from a startup with a single product to an established acne-care brand with customizable toolkits that span your skin’s entire healing journey, from start to finish. Hero takes a consciously clinical approach to skincare, developing products with gentle ingredients, transparent product details, and clinically high standards for efficacy. Hero offers consumers customizable solutions to prevent blemishes and to restore skin to good health. Hero helps people clear their skin and reclaim their confidence. www.herocosmetics.us
About Aria Growth Partners: Based in New York City, Aria Growth Partners is a leading consumer growth equity firm that provides capital and elevated partnership to extraordinary consumer brands. Aria typically invests between $5 – $25 million for minority stakes in growth-stage consumer brands. For the last decade, Aria principals have been growth partners to many of the most successful emerging brands across beauty, personal care, food, beverage, household, baby and pet products. www.ariagrowth.com.
Media Contact: Foundation [email protected]
SOURCE Hero Cosmetics


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- COSMI praises President for decisive move, encourages faster disbursement
- Urges funding of MSMEs based on business rather than collateral
Sri Lanka’s latest credit and refinancing support for private sector has been lauded by the country’s micro and SME sectors.
COSMI Founder President Nawaz Rajabdeen
“Finally, much-needed relief. We can now be optimistic of an economic revival,” said Confederation of Micro, Small and Medium Industries (COSMI) Founder President Nawaz Rajabdeen.
He welcomed the Central Bank’s 15 June roll out of new credit schemes at an estimated Rs. 100 billion to revive the economy. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa directed the Central Bank on 15 June to revive the severely handicapped business sector disrupted by COVID-19.
“We are now eagerly and impatiently awaiting for operating instructions from Central Bank to banking sector so that the new scheme can kick-start immediately.
A quicker disbursement shall result in a faster revival. The 4% interest is a reasonable rate in comparison to retail market rates. Still, we are call for extended repayment schedules, rather than a shorter deadline for repayments as MSMEs are struggling in a big way due to economic slowdown and COVID-19,” Rajabdeen said.
According to him it is most important to disburse this credit on a business basis and on business track records rather than on a collateral basis. “The bulk of micros and SMEs have been faced with massive losses and are unable to show significant collaterals at the moment – this is why it is important to focus on business based lending rather than collateral based,” he said.
“We call on the President to intervene in the same decisive manner towards other government institutions that are involved in Micro and SME support. Not only SMEs are more than 50% of our economy, we even saw their response capacity during COVID-19 lockdowns—their ability to deliver essential items and groceries with remarkable speed in Just in Time (JiT) fashion that saved people from hunger and even sustained urban communities. Therefore asking for collaterals from them should not be prioritised in this revival credit scheme,” COSMI Chief emphasised.
The Central Bank said on 15 June: “Growth of the Sri Lankan economy has fallen to dismal levels over the past few years, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may result in severe stress on economic and financial system stability in the period ahead unless immediate remedial actions are taken.”
The Confederation of Micro, Small and Medium Industries (COSMI) was formed in 2019, and aims to revive and foster the MSME and industry sectors of Sri Lanka.


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Summer has begun and that means even more sports tourism events for the Myrtle Beach area. In fact, this summer could set records for the number of visitors coming here for sports – from athletes and their families to event organizers and spectators.
Chamber Academy features a wide range of seminars for businesses – marketing workshops, customer service classes, small business forums and more.
Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau summer internship program has resumed with three college and university students participating.
Get to know the newest investors.
South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette spoke to Myrtle Beach Area Chamber’s board of directors during a multiday trip to the area that included touring area businesses.
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, companies can require employees to be vaccinated and request proof of vaccination. However, many businesses are instead, encouraging or incentivizing vaccinations. Yet, even incentivizing vaccinations can cause questions or concerns...
Palmetto Goodwill is the June Nonprofit of the Month sponsored by South Atlantic Bank
Learn more about Juneteenth celebrations around Myrtle Beach.
Renew by July 31, 2021, and be entered into a staycation drawing.
Monarch Roofing is our June 2021 Leading Business of the Month sponsored by South State Bank.


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Swarajya Group, which currently operates influential media brand Swarajya Magazine, is delighted to announce that OpIndia will be the newest addition to its portfolio.
OpIndia.com is a trailblazing, digital-only publication founded by @bwoyblunder and Rahul Raj (@bhak_sala). Within a short span of time, it has created a huge social media footprint and commands a fiercely loyal band of young audience through its witty, provocative and passionate brand of writing and reporting.
Swarajya Group, through this acquisition, will derive significant business synergies in terms of massive combined digital reach, deliver enhanced value for our advertisers, consolidate our brands into a common technology platform, provide our audience with a diverse range of choice and strengthen our leadership team.
This acquisition, seen together with the recent launch of creativeindiamag.com, a global platform featuring Indian art and culture where Swarajya is acting as a technical partner, establishes a clear inorganic growth strategy that Swarajya Group is aggressively pursuing. After two years of organic growth, Swarajya Group is now seeking to develop a slew of sub-brands either through acquisitions or technical collaborations. It is also looking out for opportunities in the technology and humour space.
Following the acquisition, OpIndia will continue to operate as an independent platform and focus on building a full-fledged editorial set-up.
OpIndia will strengthen its current positioning as a news and views website that runs original opinion pieces, curates content from various sources, aggregates user-generated content on topical interests and serves as a media critique website. OpIndia's roadmap for the future will include the launch of OpIndia in Hindi and the generation of easy to consume digital content across formats including videos, listicles, podcasts, covering the segments of politics, business, technology, entertainment and sports.
Rahul Roushan, who recently joined Swarajya Group as its chief strategy officer, will spearhead the OpIndia initiative.
The editorial team of Swarajya Magazine will work to solidify its founding mission of providing a thought leadership platform with special focus on producing high-quality commentary on society, politics, economics and culture.
We look forward to your continued support to Swarajya Group in helping us grow and become India's most-respected media platform of choice in the years to come.
For further information, please contact:
Corporate Marketing and Communication


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Hewlett-Packard is developing servers based on a low-power microprocessor design from ARM Holdings, and claims it can slash power and space requirements by as much as 90 percent for companies running certain Web-based applications, HP announced Tuesday.
The servers use a 32-bit processor from ARM licensee Calxeda, and are aimed at web giants such as Yahoo and Facebook, as well as other companies running large-scale cloud applications for tasks like data analysis, web serving and content delivery.
HP's server design packs 288 Calxeda chips into a 4U rack-mount server, or 2,800 in a full rack, with a shared power, cooling and management infrastructure. By eliminating much of the cabling and switching devices used in traditional servers, and using the low-power ARM processors, HP says it can reduce both power and space requirements dramatically.
It will release its first ARM servers in the first half of next year, said Glenn Keels, director of marketing for HP's Hyperscale Business Unit. However, they'll be for testing and evaluation purposes only, he said, and HP isn't saying yet when it expects to sell ARM-based servers for production use.
"We want to get the technology out there so that people can start testing their applications for suitability," Keels said.
Still, it's a big step for HP, which becomes the first major vendor to announce an ARM-based server. It's also significant for Calxeda, a startup from Austin, Texas, that's been developing its technology in secret and has yet to even announce its first product.
But Tuesday's news is about more than a new server, Keels said. The Calxeda system will be the first in a family of energy-efficient servers that HP will release for "hyperscale" customers using a new platform it developed called the Redstone Server Development Platform.
In addition to the Calxeda product, HP will develop further Redstone servers using low-power chips from other vendors, including Intel's Atom processor, Keels said.
"This is about much more than a server," he said. "It's an infrastructure, its a customer enablement program, and its about uniting industry partners behind a vision for extreme energy efficiency that will evolve in the coming quarters and the coming years."
HP will ship its first ARM system to only 30 or 40 of its biggest customers for testing, Keels said. Other customers will be able to visit HP labs in the U.S., China and France to try out their applications and see if they scale efficiently on the new hardware.
The Redstone platform uses a 4U (7-inch) rack-mount server chassis. Inside, HP has put 72 small server boards, each with four Calxeda processors, 4GB of RAM and 4MB of L2 cache. Each processor, based on the ARM Cortex-A9 design, runs at 1.4GHz and has its own 80 gigabit cross-bar switch built into the chip
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LG is ready to introduce its V30 smartphone which the company has recently confirmed will sport the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and have a QHD + (1440 x 2880 pixels) resolution.
The switch to OLED which is a plastic one will not only increase its battery life and durability but as the company claims it will allow for curved edges on the sides but images of the smartphone suggest that the display will only be slightly tapered and not copy features of Samsung Edge.
The LG V30 will have a full vision display similar to the LG G6, and the company says it will cover 109 percent of the DCI-P3 colour space and support HDR10 as well.
The company has confirmed that despite the V30 being smaller in size to last year’s LG V20 the company has managed to reduce the bezels in V30 by 20 to 50 per cent and the logo has been moved to the back panel.
Speaking at the launch of V30 LG Electronics Mobile Communications President Juno Cho said, “Expertise in OLED has long been a core competency of LG, and the technology has always been seen as a potential value-add for smartphones. With competition in the global smartphone space fiercer now than ever, we felt that this was the right time to reintroduce OLED displays in our mobile products.”
According to earlier reports, it seems that the V30 will be powered by Snapdragon 835 SoC and will have a 3200mAH battery and will come with three storage capacities of 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB.,
An outline sketch leaked some time ago seems to suggest that the V30 will have a bezel-less design with centre-mounted two camera lenses having f/16 aperture at the back. It may also continue with the emphasis on low –light performance. The logo seems to sit right at the bottom.
According to Android Authority LG V30 will not have the secondary screen present in LGV20 and it will be replaced by a floating bar meant to give quick access to shortcuts, notifications, and other things.
It will also come with a fingerprint sensor and have Daydream support. It is also claimed that the smartphone will have wireless charging and to facilitate this will have a glass design at least on the back. The audio performance is expected to be better than the V20 as the LG V30 is likely to get the improved version of QAD DAC. It will be protected by Gorilla Glass 5, have military standard protection and better cooling management.
The much rumored LG flagship smartphone is expected to hit the US market on September 28 preceded by its announcement on August 31 while the pre-order bookings will begin on September 17.


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(Yicai Global) Sept. 28 -- Dawning Information Industry Co. [SHA:603019], a high-tech company headquartered in Tianjin in North China, released the world's first quantum communication crypto cloud server, QC (quantum cryptography) server, which it jointly developed with CAS Quantumnet Co.
The pair unveiled the product at a strategic agreement signing ceremony in Beijing yesterday, Dawning Information Industry said online. The server features a quantum communication-based key management system, a secure operations platform and a cloud computing operating system developed to create urban and private cloud networks.
Advances in quantum computing research throughout the world will make quantum computers a reality in the foreseeable future. It takes one traditional computer 150,000 years to crack a cryptographic key, but a quantum computer can do it in one second, and China thus needs to develop its own quantum communication industry as quickly as possible, said Cao Zhennan, a vice president at Dawning Information Industry.
Dawning Information Industry and CAS Quantumnet are both hi-tech enterprises affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The former is a leader in the high-performance computer field. It is the developer of Dawning 6000, Asia's first and the world's third supercomputer with a computing capacity of over 1,000 trillion operations per second.
Under the strategic partnership, the pair will work with other companies along the industry chain to create a quantum communication ecosystem and promote quantum communication technology applications.


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The Netherlands-based mobile data solutions provider Mondicon has acquired Romanian IoT startup Simfony for an undisclosed amount. Joachim de Wild, co-owner of Mondicon, will become the new CEO of Simfony; Stefan Anghel, formerly product architect at Simfony, will join the management team as CTO. Founded in 2014, Simfony has developed a Platform-as-a-Serice (PaaS) product for […]
Swiss mobile computer vision startup Scandit, which scans products to incorporate them in the Internet of Things, has raised a $30 million Series B financing round. The investment was led by GV, with participation from NGP Capital and existing investor Atomico, among others. Companies in industries such as retail, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare […]
London-founded industrial IoT (IIoT) analytics startup Oden Technologies has raised $10 million in a Series A round led by Atomico, with participation from existing investors including EQT Ventures and Inbox Capital. Niklas Zennström, Atomico CEO and co-founder of Skype, will join the company’s board. The startup claims that its cloud-based data analytics platform for IIoT […]
Israeli IoT startup Axonize has raised $6 million in Series A funding led by Meron Capital with participation from Deutsche Telekom, StageOne Ventures, and Cornerstone Venture Partners. The Israeli company develops a Microsoft Azure-based internet of things orchestration platform for IoT service providers for connecting and managing multiple applications. It will use the new funds […]
The Smart Kitchen Summit will host its first European edition of the conference this June in Dublin.
Dutch energy startup Nowi has raised €1.5 million in funding from Amsterdam VC firm Disruptive Technology Ventures. Nowi is developing a power module for IoT sensors that it claims won’t run out of power. “By getting energy from WiFi, GSM signals, light and movement that is all around us and effectively harnessing this to power […]
French startup Ermeo, which develops software for industrial maintenance, has raised €2.5 million from Hi Inov, SNCF Digital Ventures, Partech Ventures, and Axeleo Capital. The software collects data on and monitors maintenance requirements in industrial equipment. The company’s CEO is a former maintenance engineer at French rail network SNCF, which has now invested in the […]


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Pace Center for Girls, Lee County’s virtual dress collection, #MakeSpaceForPace, has raised a record number of fashion-forward apparel for its Love That Dress! shopping event. Initially scheduled for fall 2020, Love That Dress! will now take place in 2021, with a new date to be announced.
The #MakeSpaceForPace campaign encouraged the community to clean out their closets for a cause, helping build an expansive inventory for Pace’s highly anticipated shopping event. Nearly 6,000 brand-new and gently loved dresses, separates, shoes, handbags and accessories were donated. These items will later be sold at deeply discounted prices to attendees of Love That Dress!
“We are so honored by the incredible number of donations received through our first #MakeSpaceForPace dress collection,” said Jennifer Nelson, chair of the 2020 Love That Dress! event. “While we made the difficult decision to postpone our event, we look forward to unveiling these incredible donations at a later date when we can safely gather for an evening of fun and fashion while helping raise critical funds for Pace programs.”
The expansive collection features thousands of dresses and separates from well-known brands including high-end brands like BCBG, Calvin Klein, Lilly Pulitzer, Ralph Lauren, St. John Collection, Tory Burch and White House Black Market. Along with gently loved contributions from individual community supporters, local businesses also have donated thousands of brand-new items. The inventory for Love That Dress! also includes 385 brand-new gowns donated by Macy’s as well as more than 2,000 items donated from a Coconut Point boutique.
“Donations from local businesses and community donors is what makes Love That Dress! such a fashion-forward and budget-friendly event,” said Amy McQuagge, co-chair of the 2020 Love That Dress! event. “Thanks to the community’s generosity, for the first time ever, we’ll have the unique ability to restock our merchandise throughout the event with amazing, high-quality clothing and accessories.”
The new date for Love That Dress! will be announced soon. To sign up for event updates, visit LoveThatDressLeeCounty.com. For more information, visit PaceCenter.org/Locations/Lee or call 239-425-2366.
About Pace Center for Girls, Lee County
Since 2007, Pace Center for Girls, Lee County has been providing girls and young women an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy. The gender-specific, strength-based program is one of 21 Centers throughout Florida, and is known throughout the nation as a best practices model for diverting girls from the juvenile justice system. Pace is a registered not-for-profit organization that relies on the support of individuals, businesses, civic/community organizations and churches in Lee County in order to serve girls and their families. Since its inception, Pace Center for Girls, Lee County has served more than 650 at-promise girls and young women, believing each one deserves an opportunity to find her voice, achieve her potential and celebrate a life defined by responsibility, dignity, serenity and grace. For more information on Pace Center for Girls, Lee County, call 239-425-2366 or visit www.pacecenter.org/locations/lee.


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It is part of the fame of cryptos that regulations have always been minimal. Even when a government has wanted to have more control over them, it only ends up generating longer and more complicated processes for the trading platforms, but at least for those who can create their own nodes or for those who work in private networks, such regulations have no effect.
It is interesting to think that going to a bank we could find numerous obstacles to formalize an account, incessant paperwork, requirements, recommendations, waiting times... However, to be part of the cryptoassets movement it doesn't take much more than a device connected to the internet.
As nice as it sounds to put it that way, there are indeed regulations for cryptos today and there are increasing attempts by governments to control the movement of cryptocurrencies. Earlier this year the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden signed an executive order that seeks to oversee and outline policies on digital assets, and also to evaluate the possible creation of a digital currency of its own. While this executive order does not introduce new regulations or provide regulatory agencies with the administration's position on what regulations, specifically, they should adopt, it does hint at the growing interest and concern of government agencies.
Slowly but surely different governments at different paces have been trying to bring some "order" to the cryptoassets sphere, either to encourage and make cryptocurrencies safer and scam-free, or to completely discourage and ban the application of cryptocurrency in all its forms.
Cryptocurrencies as an alternative
Such is the case of countries in crisis such as Russia, Venezuela and Argentina, which have resorted to the use of cryptocurrencies as an escape from the financial crisis, weak fiat currency, and economic sanctions. And while there is a tendency to view them as an escape from just sanctions there is also the case of Ukraine and how many have come out ahead due to the irregular movement of cryptocurrencies.
So for a long time the minimal regulations have been a real attraction for very positive reasons. People who previously couldn't have a bank account or send money to their relatives abroad made it thanks to exchange platforms, large contracts or significant purchases were achieved in a couple of hours without having to go through the overblown scrutiny of a banking institution, artists and content creators sold their exclusive art directly without seeking the backing of managers, financial advisors and lawyers.
However, not everything about regulations is bad. In fact, regulatory agencies actually have the best of intentions. Created to protect consumers from the risk of dangerous and predatory financial situations. Some intend to couple the practical freedom of cryptocurrency use with standard security rules to prevent, for example, money laundering, embezzlement, financing illegal activities, or even something simpler like preventing you from buying from or selling to a person with a fake name or business name.
So it only remains to work on devising solutions that mitigate the exaggerated and increasingly complex regulatory standards that government agencies are implementing, while at the same time generating secure and simple membership processes to offer more transparency and security in general, without taking away from cryptocurrencies this deeply rooted characteristic.


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Eurostar flags up marketing as central to sales rise
Eurostar has earmarked marketing and price-led promotions as central to its rise in sales and passenger numbers.
Speaking to Marketing, Eurostar marketing director Lionel Benbassat said: "A series of recent price-led promotions and marketing campaigns have worked well in communicating attractive fares, convenient connections and fast journey times."
Eurostar's results reveal an uplift in customers choosing high-speed rail over flying in Europe.
Eurostar reported a 1% rise in revenues to £425m for the first six months of the year, up from £421m for the same period last year. Passenger numbers have grown by 2% to 4.8 million, the company said.
Benbassat said a series of activity around fares had helped to boost the train company’s performance against air carriers to European destinations such as Amsterdam.
He said: "As a result, we are seeing more customers choosing high-speed rail over plane for destinations like Amsterdam and Provence, as well as the traditional capital cities of Paris and Brussels."
Eurostar is the official rail services provider for the Games and in April staged a series of promotions over the course of a day, from on-board upgrades to tickets to the Olympics, for consumers travelling to and from London.
Follow Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith on Twitter @loullamae_es
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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Good morning, PR pros:
Diet Coke is removing the labels from some of its cans to help consumers “start a conversation about theirs.”
The campaign, called “[unlabeled],” turned into a multiyear effort that started with a discussion of what “labels” mean to different people. It’s part of Coca-Cola’s diversity and inclusion efforts.
Communicators are an essential part of creating a welcoming and diverse workplace. How are you helping to effect change at your organization?
Here are today’s top stories:


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The Council of Ministers approved an amended draft law on copyright protection Friday, paving the way for the National Assembly to consider its second law dealing with intellectual property rights.
A copyright law, which would make it illegal to copy and sell VCDs, CDs and other commercial and artistic products without permission from its creator, is one of more than 40 laws that must be passed by Parliament before Cambodia can enter the World Trade Organization.
Ministers first passed a copyright law in October. The new version of the law complies with WTO standards and the trade and intellectual property agreement signed with the US in 1996, Ministry of Commerce Secretary of State Khek Ravy said Friday.
A law governing the registration and protection of trademarks was passed unanimously by the National Assembly in December. The copyright law could be considered by the assembly’s Public Works and Transport, Post and Telecommunications, Industry and Commerce commission in a few weeks, Khek Ravy said.
Government officials still hope to gain WTO membership within the year. But that may not happen until mid-2003, when the WTO is scheduled to meet in Mexico, Khek Ravy said.
At the last WTO ministerial meeting, held in November in Doha, Qatar, member countries agreed to provide technical assistance to developing countries like Cambodia who are working toward WTO membership.
Speaking in Mexico on Friday at the UN’s International Conference on Financing for Development, Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh asked for aid to help poor countries improve their trading abilities.
“Because of their lack of skills and knowledge of the world’s markets, [least developed countries] have not been able to build up their supply capacity, nor are they able to meet international standards,” a UN statement quoted Cham Prasidh as saying.
“Mainstreaming trade into development policies has been neglected in the past. But nowadays, people are starting to acknowledge that trade is a tool for development, an engine for growth,” the release stated.
Cambodia first told the WTO it wanted to join in 1994 and submitted an application to the Geneva-based organization in mid-1999. In June, government authorities are scheduled to meet with officials from WTO member nations who are reviewing Cambodia’s membership bid, Khek Ravy said.
WTO accession could help the country’s economy through the lower tariffs and regulations enjoyed by members, government officials argue. Each member is granted equal trade status and a reduction of trade barriers. Without membership, Cambodia faces economic marginalization, Cham Prasidh has said.
But few of Cambodia’s current laws meet WTO standards and the government must prove its commitment to reforming customs duties and trade regulations, economic observers have said. Cambodia must also show that its laws will be enforced.
One test of whether authorities here can protect intellectual property rights will come next week when a crackdown on vendors who sell illegally-copied videos is due to take place.
Ministry of Culture officials warned of the crackdown in January. A similar crackdown in February 2001 was delayed after vendors protested.


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How iPhone vulnerabilities allow websites to hack iOS devices
You may have heard about the discovery of a hack targeting iPhone devices through websites for years. Google claims it has discovered the issue as part of Project Zero's security analysis mission and shows hackers may have accessed thousands of devices over a two-year period.
So how can websites hack iPhones? And what should you do to keep yourself safe from hacks like this? The following article will have all the details you need to know.
Hacking iOS devices via websites - It's possible
- How can websites hack iPhone?
- What are the consequences of these hacks?
- Who do these hacks affect?
- What should iPhone users do about avoiding hacks?
How can websites hack iPhone?
Here's how this security issue affects iPhone devices, revealed in August 2019 by Google Project Zero. Traditionally, people thought it was difficult or even impossible to hack iOS devices as long as they were not jailbroken. To hack an iOS device requires zero day knowledge.
This is an undisclosed vulnerability to Apple or the security community. As soon as Apple discovered the security flaw, they fixed it. This means that as soon as a flaw is known to a large extent, it will almost immediately be fixed.
However, in the case of these hacks, websites can hack iPhones that have accessed them. Hackers have achieved this by using 14 different vulnerabilities, combined into 5 attack chains.
The attack chain is where several vulnerabilities are used in combination with one another to attack a device. A single security flaw won't be enough to hack a device, but when put together, they can do it. Hackers can combine the use of security holes together to install a monitoring software, run as the root on the device.
That means it defeats the operating system's security protocols and gains the highest possible security privileges.
Just visiting one of these sites is enough for your device to have surveillance software installed. More worrying, Google says it estimates that thousands of people visit these sites every week. This means that hackers have likely infected thousands of devices in the past few years.
What are the consequences of these hacks?
The list of privileges these hacks are really worrying about. Installed software can locate the device in real time, view call and SMS history, view notes in the Notes app, view passwords, listen to voice memos and view photos. The software can even see encrypted messages like those shared on multiple apps like iMessage, Telegram or WhatsApp.
Installed software can view encrypted messages because it has access to the database files on the phone. These files allow you to read and send encrypted messages. The operating system will protect these files from third-party applications. But because the software that was originally installed has root access, it can view these files and use them to read encrypted messages.
It can also upload emails from your phone to a hacker server, or you can copy all the contacts stored on your phone. Real-time GPS tracking is especially frightening because it means that hackers can see a user's current location anytime and track their movements.
Who do these hacks affect?
Apple has issued a statement addressing this issue. According to Apple, 'this sophisticated attack only affects a small extent, not a widespread exploit that affects all iPhone devices'. The company added, 'This attack affected about a dozen websites, focusing on content related to the Uighur community (Uighur in English).
Uighurs are an ethnic group of Chinese origin. The implication in Apple's statement is that the Chinese government may have used malware on iPhones to spy on Uighurs in particular, to monitor and control them.
Apple accuses Google of causing undue fear, causing all iPhone users to think their device has been compromised. This implies that most iPhone users need not worry about hacks, as they are aimed at only a small number of people. However, all users should be aware of the fact that these vulnerabilities exist and are used to harm iOS devices for two reasons.
Firstly, using these vulnerabilities to target a minority group is something everyone should be concerned about. Second, it proves that iOS devices can't be hacked and that iPhone users need to be aware of security issues.
Also, the potential dangers of this hack might be worth considering. Hackers only care about targeting certain groups of people. If desired, however, they could use the same method to infect iPhone devices on a much wider scale.
What should iPhone users do about avoiding hacks?
Although this news sounds scary, iPhone users don't need to panic. Apple has patched this vulnerability a while ago. As long as you're running iOS 12.1.4 or higher, you're currently 'immune' to this attack. This shows why updating device software regularly is so important. Companies often fix security issues like these in the latest version of software.
If you think your device has been infected with malware, you should update it to the latest version of iOS as soon as possible. The phone will reboot as part of the installation process. New software and rebooting will remove the malware from your device.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to run antivirus software on iOS. This means there's no way to test your device and detect threats, like this malware, in the future. The best thing you can do to keep your device safe is to update it regularly.
Although the iPhone is still a very secure device overall, it's not perfect. As demonstrated, it is possible to hack iOS devices and steal vast amounts of data from them.
To help keep your iPhone safe, you can learn about iPhone security apps and settings that you must know.
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Thanks to what it calls "Online Sunday"
Of all the shopping "holidays" that come around this time of year, you're probably the least familiar with "Online Sunday." But to Ebay, it's the most critical day of the year, as for two years in a row the second Sunday in December has led to a new sales record for the auction site.
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On December 13, US shoppers spent a total of $5 million in purchases through Ebay's mobile app and mobile website. That's 38% more than the weekend after Thanksgiving, and significantly higher than the same period last year.
At the peak of the busy day were the hours of 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Eastern time. During that period, around 9500 transactions were being triggered every hour, or about 2.6 transactions every second.
Interestingly, the second Sunday in December was the busiest Ebay shopping day last year as well, though it holds no such record for any other major online or brick-and-mortar retailer. Ebay now refers to it as "Mobile Sunday," to be added into the mix of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Ebay is a popular spot for holiday shoppers on a budget, looking to buy gently-used merchandise at a fraction of what it would cost at retail. It's also a beacon of hope for those with a lot of money looking to buy the latest sold-out gadget.
Buy Now: Sony PlaysStation VR In Stock Here
The highest concentration of people using Ebay over the weekend were in California, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.


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Skype makes an international call, phone companies get paid
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For two decades, international calls — made through traditional phone companies — had been growing at a clip of about 13 percent a year. Then things hit a speed bump.
“We saw about 9 percent growth in 2011 and estimate about five percent growth in 2012,” says Stephan Beckert, an analyst at the research and consulting firm TeleGeography.
Meanwhile Skype’s international calls grew about 45 percent. Beckert estimates that Skype handles about one-third of the international calls being made today.
Charles Golvin, an analyst at Forrester, says international calls were once a high-profit business for traditional phone companies but today, “it’s a small part of their business, they don’t feel the pinch.”
Golvin says phone companies have moved onto data. Selling data plans for smartphones is a growth spot for companies like Verizon and AT&T.
And as more Voice-over-Internet calls, like the ones made on Skype, move from the desktop to the smartphone — that means selling more data — and the phone companies will make out just fine.
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2022 Nissan X-Trail Price, Specs, Photos, & Design. The fourth generation of the compact crossover debuts with the 2022 Nissan X-Trail. The vehicle is the European equivalent to Rogue, one of the most popular models in the USA. Well, the X-Trail is also available in a few other big markets (China, Japan, Australia). The all-new model is part of the new generation. The first crossover was launched at the beginning of the third millennium. Far, we saw three series, with every next edition bringing a lot of upgrades. The 2022 YM won’t lack surprises.
There are a lot of things we already know at this point. There are even more details that will be unveiled at the premiere. The 2022 Nissan X-Trail will be one of the best 4 × 4 crossovers outside the US. Well, its off-road capability made it so popular. One of the most impressive things about the new arrival is the concept Leaked images won’t be the same as the production version. Plus, we already saw the new Rogue on spy shots. Fans like the changes, but even the test mule is not unveiling too much. One of the biggest mysteries is the engine room. We can bet the X-Trail is getting a very efficient hybrid drivetrain.
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2022 Nissan X-Trail 4 × 4 Capabilities
The drive capabilities of the X-Trail made it so famous. Not only that vehicle is efficient on the road, but also off the asphalt. Still, the performance depends on drivetrains. That, special packages and upgrades are going to boost the skills of the upcoming model. Of all, there is the 4 × 4 drive. The intelligent system will become even smarter. Automatic mode will recognize the surface and send power to axle that needs it the most. Not only that function is solving obstacles, but also saves a lot of fuel.
The redesign of the 2022 Nissan X-Trail is one of the biggest things that will happen on this crossover. The fresh look should draw more attention and lure younger buyers. It is not easy to do, but the Japanese company is well known for its innovations. Their lineup is pretty wide and you can find almost anything you imagine.
The new look will have to meet a lot of criteria. Of all, the crossover must stay durable and ready to respond to off-road challenges. Plus, the interior is taking a heavy overhaul, according to spy photos of the Nissan Rogue. Well, its international sibling will get different styling. Two vehicles are not going to be the same, but the similarities will be obvious.
2022 Nissan X-Trail Specs
We can bet that two drivetrains will be part of the lineup when the new generation steps into the market. The first one is a 1.3-liter four-cylinder unit. This one is available only in Europe, and it will stay so. The output of the engine is between 140 and 160 horsepower and the latest powertrain by Nissan engineers is capable to deliver 180 lb-ft of torque. Still, a single powerplant choice is not a good plan. We are sure that the Japanese company will add another option. Currently, the best chances are for 1.6 or 2.5 units.
The second safe bet is a hybrid drivetrain. The current version is using a 2.0-liter petrol engine as the main source of energy. It is not so bad, but 2022 Nissan X-Trail will have to catch up with the major rivals– Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav4. Both of them are offering very efficient systems that return best fuel economy numbers in the class. Still, we can not underestimate the third Japanese giant. The X-Trail Hybrid will return more than 40 mpg, converted to the US units.
When Will 2022 Nissan X-Trail Be Available?
The 2022 Nissan X-Trail is still in development. The company gave us only pieces of information, but the full data is going to be available when the crossover shows up in markets. Well, it is not going to happen in the next few months. The situation with the coronavirus pandemic hit the automotive industry very hard. Companies will need some time to recover. Early in 2022, we could see the debut. Since X-Trail is one of the best-selling vehicles, we expect it at a big car show.


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In their interviews with The Kabul Times reporter, a number of private investors willing government’s supports said, if our government support us, we produce better products and supply them to domestic and foreign markets.
Jawad Tawakoli an incharge of Zaranj Co who had displayed his products in a booth in the exhibition of “It is great It is Afghani” said, Afghanistan is developing and these products could talk somethings to visitors. Our products are not only for domestic needs but for exports too.
Tawakoli added, since six years, our company has been producing Zaranj model Tricycle and its spare parts and located in Herat industrial park. “Daily, we produce 20-30 Zaranj tricycles, montage and pack them and supply them to not only domestic, but also to foreign markets in Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran and Sudan. We have sales branches in some provinces.”
He added, we have employed 20 workers and experts and ask the government to increase imports tariffs on foreign tricycles into Afghanistan and enable domestic products to flourish in local markets.
Ahmad Rahmani another investor and local trader who exports fresh and dried fruits asks the government to support private investors and national traders and enable them to exports- imports to domestic and foreign markets.
He added, Rahmani Co collects fresh fruits and after sorting, exports them to India, Jeddah and Dubai through available air corridors and in current year, we have exported ten tonnes fresh fruits to India including 700 tonnes apples from Wardak province.
Touching the urgent problem, he said, all the horticultures complain on lack of spring houses. In the last week exhibition different companies like mineral water, handicrafts steel production, publishing houses, medicinal herbs, carpets had displayed their products and have held contracts with local and foreign companies for marketing of their products.


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Ladies: Diet Drinks May Be Putting Your Heart At Risk
One of the biggest stories in health news recently has been a study presented in early April stating that women who drink two or more diet beverages per day may be at a greater risk for heart disease. So does drinking diet soda put you at risk?
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinic. Their findings state that postmenopausal women who drank the diet beverages were up to 30 percent more likely to have a cardiovascular event like a stroke, than those women who ‘rarely’ consumed such beverages. The study was presented at the American College of Cardiology conference, but it’s important that readers understand what is left out of most of the news articles on this story.
It isn’t that drinking diet soda is directly related to cardiovascular events or death, but that the study suggests women who drink diet beverages may be more likely to engage in less healthy habits in general and perhaps are using the diet beverages to ‘make up’ for unhealthy habits. Specifically, women in the study who drank the most diet beverages were more likely to smoke, have high BMI’s and also have diabetes, all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular events. According to government data, about one in five Americans drinks a diet beverage a day.
Although the findings are yet to be peer-reviewed, ask yourself if you really want to be drinking diet sodas anyway? We know that green tea and water are some of the best options for your body. While diet sodas are a less calorie dense option than regular sodas, the bottom line is they’re still not the healthiest option.
Carlene Thomas RD,LD is a registered dietitian nutritionist who specializes in weight loss and wellness. She provides nutrition guidance to the public in a variety of ways including corporate wellness, private clients and contributes an expert nutrition voice to a variety of media.


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Andrew Marsden, one of the UK’s most high profile and outspoken marketers, shouldn’t find it too hard to get a new job, say observers. The Britvic marketing director surprised the industry last week by announcing his departure from the soft drinks giant, where he has led the marketing department for the past ten years.
Marsden, described as “an assiduous networker”, says he is leaving of his own volition and is looking forward to pursuing new directions. “I’ve had ten years in the business, and by the time I finish gardening leave at the end of January it will be 11 years. It will also be more than two years since the Britvic flotation and it seems a good moment because I’m 50 and I want to do some more things. I’ve got the energy to do more,” he says.
Jed Glanville, chief executive of Britvic’s media agency MindShare, says: “He is well-connected with businesses across the UK and I’m sure he’ll find another top position.” Others believe that it will be tough given his age, but believe his wide experience should stand him in good stead.
One source claims Marsden was going to leave the company after failing to secure the managing director’s position in 2003, when sales chief Paul Moody took the job, paving the way for the chief executive’s role when the company floated in 2005. But Britvic offered Marsden strong financial incentives to stay on until after the flotation, and he is now leaving with a substantial package, says the source. Marsden refuses to comment on these rumours.
Marsden remains a keen proponent of marketing as a major business discipline that deserves greater respect in the boardroom.
“What matters is that people who know about brands are represented around the boardroom table. You have to have people who understand that the majority of shareholder assets are held in those strange things called brands,” he says.
He is involved in a wide range of industry bodies – he is president of The Marketing Society, has sat on the executive committee of advertisers’ trade by ISBA, and is on the Government’s advisory committee on advertising, overseeing the Central Office of Information and other state marketing activity. He is a director of BCap and is involved with an array of other marketing bodies.
A source sums up his achievements: “Diversifying the portfolio, new product development and cleaning up the products to fit the needs of today’s chemical-free environment. He is an active member of the marketing community and really does deliver above and beyond the call of duty.”
Leading the way
Marsden has led some of Britvic’s biggest launches as it has expanded its presence in the rapidly-growing still-juices market, while less healthy carbonates, which make up half its sales, are declining.
He lists his achievements at Britvic as launching adult soft drink J20, which is now the biggest-selling packaged product in pubs, clubs and bars. He relaunched the Robinsons brand after Britvic bought it from Reckitt & Coleman in 1995.
“It wasn’t in great shape, but it is significantly bigger than when we bought it – now it is the number seven grocery brand. It is the biggest soft drink by volume, when diluted with water,” he says. He also launched children’s range Fruit Shoot and says its H20 mineral water sub-brand is number one in its category.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing, though. There was the saga of Freekin’ Soda, which had to change its name twice and was eventually dropped. And the original launch of mineral water Drench was misjudged. Marsden says it was too narrowly positioned and it is being relaunched.
One of his most notable moves was shifting the account for Tango and several other brands into CHI. BBH handles the Robinsons account.
Britvic is understood to have hired a headhunter to find a replacement for Marsden.
Agencies responsible for the £15m annual ad spend – including about £5m for Pepsi – will be keenly monitoring Marsden’s replacement to see if the new marketing director will review the advertising.


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As hotels, resorts, restaurants and attractions compete to lure in new customers, it's tough to find a completely quiet vacation week. Airplanes often fly completely full and traffic can be a nightmare in any major city. Nonetheless, some times of the year guarantee an even more crowded experience than usual. To minimize prices and maximize your enjoyment, try to avoid significant travel on the worst travel days of the year.
The week leading up to Christmas is the worst time of year to travel, according to statistics compiled by Orbitz and published by "Consumer Traveler." The Friday before Christmas and the two days after Christmas are among the four worst travel days of the season, according to ABCNews.com. However, many people remain in their destination through New Year’s Day. Expect premium prices, packed attractions and gridlocked local traffic. ABCNews.com points out that January 2 is also one of the four worst travel days during this time period.
Although it turns out to be a myth that the day before Thanksgiving is the worst travel day of the year, the holiday weekend easily ranks among the top ten, especially for drivers. NPR.org notes that the entire weekend is often fraught with traffic. On Wednesday, people headed to far-flung festivities make up the bulk of the travelers. On Thursday, drivers are on the road to and from destinations that are within a day’s drive. Known as Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, snarling local traffic from the wee hours until late night.
Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend bookend the official summer tourist season. Many families hit the road en route to local beaches or more distant attractions as they search for fun in the sun. Both weekends are heavily celebrated across the United States, presenting plenty of opportunities for high prices and snarled traffic. The precise dates for spring break vary by school district, but the holiday generally gives a week-long school break sometime around Easter. According to the Orbitz data, the last week in March is one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.
Although the holidays draw massive crowds, the airlines note that the worst days for air travel do not fall during any holiday period at all. They point out that the busiest air travel days of all are Thursdays and Fridays throughout the summer. In addition, delays are more likely to occur on those flights due to summer thunderstorm patterns. If you need to fly during the summer, consider traveling on alternative days.


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This week, the Adweek staff is highlighting a robotic family assistant, a hoverboard that won't spontaneously combust, Oakley's Olympian-worthy sunglasses and more. Take a look!
At the Olympics, golfer Bubba Watson will be walking the course like everyone else. But don't be surprised if someone asks him about his insane jetpack golf cart.
Oakley, maker of sunglasses and sports gear, is throwing open the doors to the inner sanctum where its products have been mysteriously designed, in the hope of joining the ranks of high-flying sports performance brands like Red Bull and Nike.


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A large crowd of well-wishers from the City of Philippi, Philippi Main Street, Barbour County Development Authority and Chamber of Commerce marked the opening of a new Christmas Shoppe by Country Blooms Florists in Philippi.
The new business is located at 15987 Barbour County Highway and may be telephoned at (304) 457-9191. Their email address is
The Christmas Shoppe will sell “anything and everything related to Christmas” says owner Casey Hall Foster, “including Christmas trees, Christmas decorations, and Christmas toys and games. There is a special section of the new store we are calling Nattilie’s Nook,” she added.
Casey Hall Foster is a graduate of Buckhannon High School and Pittsburgh’s School of Floral Design. She has spent fourteen years in the floral industry, she says, and specializes in event designs and everyday florals
Cutting the ribbon in row one from left are Tammy Stemple, Kelli Ganoe, Santa Clause, Nattalie Streets, Casey Hall Foster, and Ann and Faron Hall. Standing behind are Sabrina Carpenter, Traci Malcolm Rexrode, Philippi’s Mayor Bowers, Amber Higgins, and Clint Newman. Not pictured are employees Kayli Curry and Vicki Hommes.


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FRIEND has launched a series on organic food systems that will allow people to learn about organic agriculture and the opportunities it might bring.
While speaking at the launch, FRIEND Founder and CEO, Sashi Kiran says they have had a lot of interest from the organic agriculture community in Fiji.
She says there has not been a lot of information readily available and they have been continuously asked to build capacity in this sector.
Kiran says the online series will continue for the next few weeks where they will share experiences from practitioners around the world on why they are engaging in organic agriculture and why it is important for people in Fiji and the Pacific.
The President of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements Karen Mapusua says the word ‘organic’ is not regulated in Fiji and it is something that could be introduced.
Mapusua says for many countries, the word ‘organic’ is regulated by the Government where certain standards need to be met before it is allowed to use the word ‘organic’ on the product.
She adds the first step is consumer education so that people know what they are looking for when they go to buy organic.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations


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Around 50 Chinese travel professionals took part in an educational training seminar recently in the city of Shenzhen, in south-eastern China, learning about Ireland and the opportunities for Chinese tourists.
The seminar, organised by Tourism Ireland in conjunction with Hainan Airlines, was timed to coincide with the launch of the new Hainan Airlines flight from Shenzhen to Dublin. Attendees learned how to better sell holidays to Europe, in particular Ireland and Britain. A key message was the new flight and easier than ever access for travellers from this part of China to Ireland.
The travel agents also learned about Dublin and Belfast, the Wild Atlantic Way and Causeway Coastal Route, as well as filming locations used in Game of Thrones and Star Wars. Tourism Ireland also highlighted the convenience of the British Irish Visa Scheme.
Travel agents continue to play an important role in China, with Chinese travellers preferring to use a travel agent for a number of reasons, including convenience, language barriers, visa preparation and knowledge gaps.
This is the second Hainan Airlines service from Mainland China to Ireland, and will help to boost visitor numbers from China to Ireland. Tourism Ireland is working with Hainan this spring, to highlight the island of Ireland and drive demand for the new service.
James Kenny, Tourism Ireland’s Manager, China, said: “We were delighted to partner with Hainan Airlines, to inform and enthuse travel agents in the city of Shenzhen about the island of Ireland. China is the largest outbound travel market in the world and one that Tourism Ireland is committed to growing over the coming years. In 2018, we welcomed an estimated 100,000 Chinese visitors to the island of Ireland.”


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The recent discovery that some of retailer IKEA's trademark meatballs in its European stores contained equine DNA will focus attention on the need for better controls for the food supply for some highly dangerous threats, according to Kalorama Information. The healthcare market research publisher said the recent coverage of several contamination and impurity incidents in food will drive sales of food safety diagnostics technologies. Kalorama covered the market for food safety testing products in its recently published report, "Food Safety Diagnostics."
It's a rough story for a fantastic retailer but it highlights the damage that a food safety scare can do to a company. This is an international retailer that used food only as a marketing item and can rely on positive PR of the quality and price of furniture products to survive. For a food company, this might have marked the end of business.
For its part, IKEA has stopped sales of Swedish meatballs from its 18 UK sites and stopped sales from the same run in 12 other European countries after Czech inspectors found equine DNA in a consignment last week. IKEA is a furniture retailer but sells the meatballs in its novelty cafeterias in its huge box stores. The checks were carried out in response to a Europe-wide scandal that erupted last month when tests carried out in Ireland revealed some beef products contained horsemeat. Kalorama noted that in the largest market, the United States, IKEA says its meatballs are sourced from an American supplier. They also say the meatballs in the USA contain only beef and pork, which should limit some of the damage in the world's largest market.
However, Kalorama sees that the problem is not only with authenticity of food but quality of food even when it is authentic.
The larger danger is not so much horsemeat but beef, chicken or even vegetables that may contain a toxin, and do physical damage to a person. IVD companies who design medical tests now are the experts at developing testing products, and I would expect more of them getting involved.
Testing for drug residue, for bacteria and for environmental toxins is essential to public health, according to Kalorama, and technologies such as microbiology and molecular testing exist that can assist food providers to calm public fears.
Kalorama Information's "Food Safety Diagnostics" covers the market for IVD test products used for food testing purposes. The report details the market by threat, including Pathogens, Toxins, Agricultural Chemical/Veterinary Drug Residues, Allergens, and GMO/Authenticity. The report can be found at http://www.kaloramainformation.com/Food-Safety-Diagnostics-7326556/.


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Pizza shop owner delivers prescriptions so people can avoid the bitter cold.
Read the full story here.
Teenager buys £600 worth of shopping for 4p and donates food to charity
A teenager collected hundreds of supermarket coupons to buy £600 worth of shopping for 4p so he could give the food to families.
Jordon Cox, 16, scoured endless websites and magazines and gathered hundreds of coupons for dozens of products.
After spending hours each day searching the internet for coupons, he managed to collect 470, which he took to his local supermarket, and filled three trolleys with food and household items.
The bill came to £572.16, but once the coupons were factored in the bill was reduced to just 4p - a saving of 99.81 per cent.
The teenager, of Brentwood in Essex, donated all his food to the charity Doorstep which gives food to disadvantaged families.
More at the link.
Natural Machines says its Foodini will soon be printing homemade pizza in your kitchen, and it’s just one of many 3-D food printers in development.
Thornhill garden grows vegetables for Richmond Hill Community Food Bank
At the Richmond Hill Community Food Bank, Victor and Betty Mero take the canned goods they need from the shelves, then pause to gaze on the colourful display of fresh organic vegetables.
“Kale! Oh, I want some. I eat lots of kale and it’s getting expensive,” says Victor, 63, a retired cabinet maker living on a small pension. He adds a bunch of the broad green leaves to his bag along with peppers and a baggy of basil.
Betty talks about steaming the vegetables or making soup. Victor says he might eat the kale raw with a few drops of lemon.
“We’re diabetic,” he explains. “We like all these greens and it’s important to get them.”
The greens that the Meros took home had been picked by volunteers about 36 hours earlier at the Seeds for Change community garden tucked behind a fire hall, 11 kilometres away in Thornhill. A garden volunteer delivered the produce to the food bank early that morning.
Their stuff is top quality,” says manager Brenda Ewart, as food bank volunteers lay out the garden’s 22 pounds of zucchini, peppers, herbs, Swiss chard and other greens. The Richmond Hill food bank feeds about 1,000 people a month.
The bulk of the food bank’s fresh produce comes from a nearby farmers’ market, often the fruits and vegetables that didn’t sell. By comparison, the community garden’s donations are small. Its contributions, however, have been steadily increasing since the garden started three years ago with only three plots.
This summer, the garden has 17 beds, and, along with the earthy pleasures of digging, planting and tending comes the knowledge that the heft of the harvest goes to the food bank.
The Balcony Barbecue that lets city-dwellers grill their dinner in even the smallest of outdoor spaces
It is one of those things that those of us living in high-rise apartments or small city flats must endure: the lack of space to hold a proper barbecue.
But now a firm has come up with an ingenious solution to allow city-dwellers to enjoy some outdoor cooking - with the invention of a barbecue that hooks over a balcony just like a window box.
The Balcony Barbecue costs £59.99 from Firebox.com and is large enough to grill a decent number of sausages or a couple of steaks. Lengthways you could even fit a whole fish or some meat kebabs.
'Living in the City certainly has many perks but it does mean that not everyone has the luxury of boundless green gardens and varnished oak decking to enjoy their summer,' Firebox.com say on their website, adding: 'but now the Balcony Barbecue has landed!'
The genius part? During the winter months the barbecue doubles up as a window box. Just turf the plants out when the sun comes out again, replace the grill part and you’re back in business. [x]
Field of greens: Edible garden coming to San Francisco’s AT&T Park
Buy me some peanuts … and kale chips? Starting next season, AT&T Park, home to the San Francisco Giants, will be getting a 3,000-square-foot organic garden — a first for a professional sports venue.
Mars food study researchers emerge from dome
Researchers who have spent nearly four months simulating what it’s like to live on Mars have emerged from their experiment on a barren Hawaii lava field.
The NASA-funded study is researching what foods astronauts might eat during a mission to Mars.
The researchers left their simulated Martian base Tuesday for the first time without the mock space suits their experiment required whenever they ventured out of the dome on the northern slope of the Big Island’s Mauna Loa.
The University of Hawaii and Cornell University selected six people of various scientific backgrounds to cook meals from a list of dehydrated and shelf-stable ingredients that are not perishable.
Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation Investigator Kim Binsted hopes to present findings at the International Astronautical Congress this year. [x]
Agua Caliente Helps Feed the Needy in Coachella Valley’s Food Desert
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians appreciates the work of nonprofit Well in the Desert to fill the stomachs of those struggling to make ends meet.
“There is a great deal of need in our community, and the volunteers at the Well in the Desert are making sure people who are in need have access to healthy food,” Tribal Chairman Jeff L. Grubbe said. “We knew we wanted to provide assistance as soon as we saw the organization’s call out to the community to help fill their nearly empty shelves.”
Using donated food, Springboard Kitchens offers opportunities to people who otherwise would have trouble finding a job.
Cronut creator to give to charity
The creator of the newest food craze, the cronut, has pledged to raise money for the Food Bank for New York City by holding daily raffles for cronuts and donating all of the proceeds from the sale of cronut T-shirts.
NBC’s Katy Tur reports.
Tucson Food Bank Helps The Needy Grow Their Own Food
Food banks around the country face growing demand, despite improvements in the economy. Many families are still underemployed and struggling. So some food banks are looking for more permanent ways to address hunger, beyond handing out food.
One of them is the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, based in Tucson. Among the many programs it runs is Las Milpitas de Cottonwood, a community farm located in one of the city’s lower-income neighborhoods.
More than 50 families have garden plots there. Most, like Jamie Senik, who lives in a nearby trailer park, are regular clients at the food bank.
Working under the hot morning sun, Senik says the ground at the farm might look hard and dry, but it’s good for growing. Her plot is surprisingly green.
"I have tomatoes and basil, cucumbers and peppers and some beans," she says, walking around her plot. Senik says the food bank provides the land, the seeds and the water: “All I have to do is plant it and tend it."
(Photos: Pam Fessler/NPR)


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Wednesday, May 18, 2016 - 12:41
With the start of the financial year the management of Sopharma AD parts with the company’s Commercial Director. Vladimir Stoychev joined the team of Sopharma AD in September 2001 as a warehouse manager for export goods. Later he was transferred to the position of Head of Kazahstan office. His good work lead eventually to his promotion to Commercial Director of Sopharma AD in 2007. The management team of the company wishes Mr. Stoychev success in his new professional endavoures. The Executive Director of the company will temporarily be responsible for the export markets.


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Facebook Inc.’s focus on mobile users continues to pay off for the social media giant, and it’s lifting the fortunes of the businesses who advertise on its platform along with it, COO Sheryl Sandberg said during the company’s latest earnings call on Wednesday.
During her portion of the call, Sandberg told investors that mobile ads account for $11.4 billion (all figures USD), or approximately 89 per cent, of Facebook’s ad revenue during the fourth quarter of 2017, which ended on Dec. 31.
In fact, mobile ad revenue for the year overall grew by 56 per cent over 2016, validating the company’s investment into the platform and paving the way for its continued focus on mobile audiences, Sandberg said.
“We continue to make progress on our three priorities: helping businesses leverage the power of mobile, developing new ad products, and making our ads more relevant and effective,” she said. “Globally 70 million businesses use Facebook. We surveyed small businesses in 18 countries and 57 per cent of them are employing more people due to growth in demand since joining Facebook.”
In addition to emphasizing the mobile success of Facebook itself, Sandberg noted that an increasing number of businesses are creating profiles on photo-based subsidiary Instagram as well, with more than 25 million businesses now having Instagram profiles, up from 15 million last July.
“Instagram is a business as mobile visual shop, and we’re seeing more people seek out businesses there,” Sandberg said. “About two-thirds of the visits to Instagram business profiles are from people who don’t follow them, and this is helping bring in new customers.”
Mobile is also playing an increasingly large role in Facebook-driven retail activity, accounting for 69 per cent of online conversions on Black Friday and 64 per cent on Cyber Monday, she said, based on data from 17 markets (the company did not specify which ones).
Meanwhile, mobile-first videos represented 50 per cent of fourth-quarter video ad revenue – a substantial increase from third-quarter 2017, which it accounted for 41 per cent of video ad revenue, Sandberg said.
“We’re seeing the short form videos work well and Instagram Stories were people can watch a full-screen vertical video and swipe up to quickly learn about a product or brand,” she said. “60 per cent of these ads are viewed with sound on.”
Declining usage rates ultimately good for businesses, Zuckerberg argues
It’s important to note, however, that Facebook’s fourth-quarter results were the last to be unaffected by the much-publicized news feed changes which came into effect the week of Jan. 22, and which CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during the earnings call are likely to decrease average time spent on Facebook by five per cent.
But businesses will ultimately benefit from the drop, a likely outcome of viewers seeing fewer published articles and viral videos, Zuckerberg said.
“By focusing on meaningful interactions, I expect the time we all spend on Facebook will be more valuable, and I always believe that if we do the right thing and deliver deeper value, our community and our business will be stronger over the long-term,” he said. “It intuitively makes sense… When you care about something, you’re willing to see ads to experience it. But if you just come across a viral video then you’re more likely to skip over it if you see an ad.”
“The most important driver of our business has never been time spent by itself,” he continued. “It’s the quality of the conversations and connection. And that’s why I believe this focus on meaningful social interactions is the right one.”
Even without the changes, the company reported a usage decline in its native country: though Facebook CFO David Wehner reported a worldwide increase of 269 million daily active users during the quarter – a 14 per cent rise over the same period in 2016 – that rise was led by growth in international markets such as India, Indonesia, and Brazil. Meanwhile, in Canada and the U.S. the number of daily active users fell by 700,000 compared to the third quarter of 2017.
“We don’t see this is an ongoing trend, but we do anticipate that DAU in this region may fluctuate given the relatively high penetration level,” Wehmer said during the call.
Responding to an analyst’s question about whether the growth in Facebook’s advertising revenue was sustainable given its North American numbers, Wehmer also said the company’s executive team feels that it’s making “good progress” in its goal of providing advertisers with a greater return on investment through efforts such as “better targeting, better ad units, [and] driving better conversion.”
“The willingness of advertisers to continue to grow budgets with us I think highlights our progress,” he said. “Remember, they are optimizing at the end of the day for business results for a given dollar spent, not the impression price that we’re kind of nominally reporting here.”
“We have over 184 million people using Facebook every day in the U.S., which is considerably more than the Super Bowl every day on mobile alone,” she said. “We also have – we think – the best stability to target and make advertising relevant for businesses and people who see ads. We’re continuing to build the products that allow businesses to get a higher return for the dollars they spend, and allow people to see more relevant information in ads on our platform.”
Our thanks to investment research platform Seeking Alpha for the transcriptions from Facebook’s Jan. 31 Q4 earnings call.