text:
Chapter in this post:
Instead of November 17th, as it was rumored to be, the next Apple event will take place on November 10th, 2020. Apple has just announced this by email, among other things. "Look forward to our Apple Special Event, which will be broadcast from Apple Park“It says, among other things. As with the previous presentations, it starts in the evening at 19:00 p.m. Central European time. The event title “one more thing” indicates that the November keynote date will be the last event of its kind in 2020 for the time being.
The Apple November Event has the date of November 10.11.2020th, XNUMX, which is also officially stated on the Events page of the tech giant from Cupertino. In California, the event starts at 10:00 am; You can download the automatic entry in your Apple calendar from the linked page. You will also find the live stream of the presentation there next Tuesday. There will certainly be another broadcast via YouTube. I will show the individual links again next Tuesday in a small message so that you are informed at short notice.
You can already find some assumptions, rumors and possibly products postponed to 2021 in mine Message from the end of last month. It also includes rumors about possible Apple Mac models with their own ARM chip, information about AirTags, AirPods Studio headphones and new Apple TVs. So far, it is most likely that Apple will introduce the AirTags as well as new MacBook and iMac models next Tuesday. That would also fit into the pattern of the last presentations, in which only two product categories were also dealt with.
After graduating from high school, Johannes completed an apprenticeship as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which resulted in his independence. For several years he has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others. His articles include product introductions, news, manuals, video games, consoles, and more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.


text:
|FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 1999
Release # 99-081
Company Phone Number: (800) 615-3111
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Nychelle Fleming, (301) 504-7063
CPSC, Safari Ltd. Announce Recall of Toy Puzzles
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Safari Ltd., of Miami, Fla., is recalling more than 10,200 toy puzzles. The puzzle has two shapes that are small parts, presenting a potential choking hazard to young children.
CPSC and Safari Ltd. are not aware of any complaints or injuries involving these puzzles. This recall is being conducted to prevent the possibility of injuries.
The child's wooden toy puzzle has 10 shapes. Each shape has a colorful paper laminated veneer and plastic knob handles. When the handled piece is lifted up, the name of the shape is revealed underneath. The small parts are the oval and rhombus shapes. The puzzle is labeled ?SHAPES...SAFARI...No.9536-12...1997 SAFARI LTD." The puzzle was packaged in plastic with a card insert that reads "SAFARI LTD...PEEK INSIDE PUZZLE, Made in Taiwan, NO. 9536-12 SHAPES."
Toy stores nationwide sold these puzzles from April 1998 through February 1999 for about $5.
Consumers should immediately take these puzzles away from young children and return them to Safari Ltd. for either a refund or a replacement. For instructions on returning the puzzle, consumers should call should call Safari Ltd. at (800) 615-3111 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.
This matter was brought to CPSC's attention by the State of Connecticut, Department of Consumer Protection.
Shapes Safari puzzles currently on the market, model 9549-12, have been redesigned and are not involved in this recall.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of
thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the
nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or
mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to help ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household
chemicals -– contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at
(301) 595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing
to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.

domain: news


text:
Chicken nuggets took a licking this summer at city pools – not from hungry swimmers but by… fruit.
Patrons at Lexington Parks and Recreation pools picked fruit over chicken nuggets by a ratio of 3-to-1 at public pool concession stands.
The 75% increase in fruit sales is attributed to the coordinated efforts of Lexington Parks and Recreation and the Tweens Nutrition and Fitness Coalition, the founder of the Better Bites program.
Together, they helped improve nutrition by offering a healthier line of concession stand food at public pools such as chicken sandwiches, veggie burgers, cheese quesadillas, veggie dippers and string cheese.
“Kids and adults are making healthier food choices, while staying physically active at our pools,” Mayor Jim Gray said. “Lexington is always looking for ways to improve the health of its children.”
From 2013 to 2014, Better Bites concession stand sales increased by 21%, accounting for nearly 40% of total concession sales. The biggest seller was Better Bites’ frozen yogurt that generated nearly $12,500 or 17% of total sales. Popsicles, fruit, water and chocolate banana dippers were additional top sellers.
Since 2011, Better Bites has experienced a 267% increase in sales, said Anita Courtney, chairperson of the Tweens Nutrition and Fitness Coalition.
“You have to ‘stay the course’ on healthy changes,” she said. “You don’t change a community’s habits overnight. Better Bites sales have increased steadily each year. Soon we hope healthy options will be the new normal.”
The success at public pools led Better Bites to expand to additional venues including a mobile bike, Lexington Legends ballpark, all 17 Kentucky State Parks, schools, camps, restaurants, churches, work sites and government buildings.
Said Better Bites Coordinator Amanda Hege: “Our goal is for Lexington to be the first city to ensure healthy choices everywhere.”


text:
Credit card companies have put up more than 100 fees since September, the financial information group Moneyfacts says. Those relating to withdrawals from cash machines, the use of cards abroad and debt transfers from other cards have risen particularly steeply.
Moneyfacts lays the blame on the turmoil gripping international money markets. "It seems as if the credit crunch is beginning to cause credit card chaos," said Esther James, credit card analyst at the group.
Problems on the money markets have made it more expensive for banks to borrow off one another to pay for their credit card and mortgage offers.
"These fee and rate increases are less in the public view, and often tucked away in lengthy terms and conditions," Ms James warned. "However, they can still make a substantial increase in the cost of using your card."
Interest rates are also on the rise, Moneyfacts says. Since September, 13 card providers have raised their rates. Ms James advised consumers to check that their credit card is offering a competitive deal, and if it isn't, to switch: "There are still some great 0 per cent deals on purchases and balance transfers to be found."
Cardholders should not use their cards to withdraw cash, as the average rate of interest on these transactions is currently 23 per cent.


text:
Facebook has so far grouped dairy products together with alchohol and firearms under items that it bans from being promoted through its service. But that is going to change.
The Center for Consumer Freedom, an ambiguously-named Washington, D.C. advocacy nonprofit supported by restaurants and food companies, has been making a push to get Facebook to loosen its terms around what sort of food products can be promoted on Facebook. And the effort seems to be working. The Associated Press covered its complaint, and got the following statement from Facebook’s Washington-based manager of public policy communications, Andrew Noyes.
He said Facebook is trying to comply with “state laws that impose penalties for distributing dairy at a discounted rate.”
“We’re all big fans of strong bones at Facebook,” he added, “and we will soon revise our promotions guidelines to lift the complete ban on dairy and simply prohibit giving dairy away as a prize.” So that’s still not great news for any dairy farmers trying to give away free wheels of cheese, but perhaps ice cream chains like Baskin Robbins will soon begin offering free samples of flavors, like what other food vendors have done?
Here’s the current terms:
Section 2. Prohibitions: You may not publicize or administer a promotion on Facebook if:
2.4 The promotion’s objective is to promote any of the following product categories: gambling, tobacco, dairy, firearms, prescription drugs, or gasoline;
2.5 The prize or any part of the prize includes alcohol, tobacco, dairy, firearms, or prescription drugs; or


text:
Epic Games “did not win its preliminary injunction in its antitrust action against Apple, which would have forced Apple to allow Fortnite back onto the iPhone, iPad, and Mac,” reports BGR, calling it “the decision we warned you about a few weeks ago.”
Gonzalez Rogers hinted during the injunction relief hearing a few weeks ago that she wasn’t inclined to side with Epic when it comes to Fortnite. She pointed out at the time that Epic lied in its business relationship with Apple.
“You did something, you lied about it by omission, by not being forthcoming. That’s the security issue. That’s the security issue!” Gonzalez Rogers told Epic. “There are a lot of people in the public who consider you guys heroes for what you guys did, but it’s still not honest….”
Epic engineered a huge PR stunt to turn gamers against Apple over the expected Fortnite ban and then sued Apple for anti-competitive practices at the same time. Even if the antitrust case might have merit on its own, this doesn’t change the fact that Epic breached its contract…
The judge clarified that Epic has breached a contract unilaterally and cannot claim that it did it because of monopoly concerns. Judge Rogers also said that Epic’s failure to show it’s willing to work with Apple and the court to have the game reinstated proves that Epic isn’t necessarily concerned with the well-being of iOS users.
“Epic Games cannot simply exclaim ‘monopoly’ to rewrite agreements giving itself unilateral benefit…”
Epic did receive some good news in the ruling. “Epic Games is grateful that Apple will continue to be barred from retaliating against Unreal Engine and our game development customers,” the company said in a statement which was quoted by Thurrott.com. “We will continue developing for Apple’s platforms and pursue all avenues to end Apple’s anti-competitive behavior.”
And the same site also quotes Apple’s own statement on the ruling. “We are grateful that the Court recognized that Epic’s actions were not in the best interests of its own customers and that any problems they may have encountered were of their own making when they breached their agreement.”


text:
E-Commerce development empowers “Belt and Road”
ISLAMABAD, Aug.24 (Gwadar Pro) - “Expanding business through the Internet has become very secure and easy to operate in recent years. For example, the development of cross-border e-commerce is in full swing, so it is necessary to have a preliminary understanding of cross-border e-commerce operation models, logistics methods and payment tools, and increase awareness of digital trade and digital Economic understanding. ” Ms. Sehrish Arshid Mehmood said on the Closing Ceremony of the Seminar on E-Commerce Development Strategy for Belt and Road Countries as Representative of Participants from Pakistan on Monday.
Ms. Sehrish Arshid thanked the organizer for providing such a high-qualityplatform for representatives from different countries to share their diverse experiences and wisdom. Mr. Diao Jiandong, President, Shandong Foreign Trade Vocational College, expressed his hope that the students would apply the knowledge and experience they have learned to their work and improve people’s lives. Since the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, various undertakings in China have developed rapidly. Mr. Diao highlighted that, “I hope that the trainees can become messengers to enhance the friendly relations between China and their host countries, and China and Belt and Road countries will reach more mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation projects.”
Ms. Leng Yanbing, Deputy Director of Culture and Tourism Department of China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area stated that SCODA has always attached importance to and actively promoted international cooperation and knowledge sharing. She hopes that all trainees can build a bridge of friendship and cooperation with SCODA. Mr. Wang Zihai, Executive Director of Pakistan China Center also expressed his hope that the trainees can empower the knowledge and transfer it the business reality.
The 14-day online seminar was sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, organized by Shandong Foreign Trade Vocational College, co-organized by China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area and Pakistan China Center. 59 officials and senior management talents in large enterprises from the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Mathematical economy and Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Planning and Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Irrigation and Communications Consulting companies from 10 countries, including Pakistan, Jordan, Myanmar, etc attended the seminar. It is learnt that Shandong Foreign Trade Vocational College will continue to organize the China Aid Training Programs, involving trade, logistics, finances, diplomacy, public administration, business attraction and a vegetable planting and other fields.


text:
Online gambling is legal in the USA, however, each state has its own regulations regarding the practice. Because each state has its own laws, gambling websites are regulated and, in some cases, prohibited. For this reason, online gambling in the USA is regulated in order to prevent people from betting outside of their home states.
While the UIGEA restricts certain forms of online gambling, games of skill, such as poker, are not prohibited by federal law. In fact, since May 1, 2013, online poker has been legalized in Nevada. But only Nevada residents can play poker online. Another form of skilled gaming is fantasy sports. ESPN, Yahoo! (YHOO), CBS Sports, and other companies have long dominated the industry.
Recently, the United States Department of Justice announced that advertising for online gambling could be illegal. The Justice Department says the advertising would be considered aiding and abetting. But critics of this move argue that there is no legal basis for the decision. Even though it is unlikely to prevent online gambling from becoming legal, it will undoubtedly affect the gambling industry.
Increasing smartphone adoption and advances in Internet technology have driven demand for digital gambling. Consumers are also increasingly spending their money online, which is encouraging online gambling. Moreover, online gambling software vendors are investing heavily in new technology. Further, increasing female casino patronage and the ease of using cashless payment methods are expected to boost the sector.
While some countries prohibit online gambling, it is legal in some states, including the United States, Canada, and several nations in the Caribbean. However, online gambling service providers must be licensed by a regulating authority. The United Kingdom Gambling Commission and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board are two examples of such bodies. These licenses are required in order to provide services to customers.
Gambling can be harmful to those who have a problem with it. In some cases, it may lead to compulsive behavior. This type of addiction is difficult to overcome. However, online gambling has many benefits for people. Many people avoid the potential consequences of gambling, so they turn to online sites to gamble instead.
While online gambling is legal in many jurisdictions, the US federal judi slot online terpercaya government is unable to regulate it. Several states have passed legislation, including Delaware and Nevada. In addition, online gambling is regulated in California and Pennsylvania. In other states, regulation will likely continue on a state-by-state basis. In some cases, it may be illegal to operate online gambling.
When choosing an online gambling site, it is important to find the right one for your needs. This means comparing several sites to determine which one is best for you. Consider the type of games you prefer and the payment methods. Also, ensure that the website is mobile-friendly.


text:
Kerry opened a new 21,500-square-foot facility in Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, producing sustainable food ingredients for distribution across the Middle East’s snack, bakery and meat sectors. The new facility is the company’s largest in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) region and it operates with a staff of 130 people. The company has invested over EUR80m in the region over the past four years.
The new facility at the company’s Jeddah operations was built to support sustainability efforts: since 2018, the factory carbon footprint has been reduced by 35%, with a 40% reduction in water usage. It complies with Ready To Eat (RTE) standard of design and construction to uphold strict requirements for hygiene and food safety.
Commenting on the announcement, Edmond Scanlon, Kerry Group CEO, said: “Today’s consumer-led food revolution and the world’s environmental challenges are driving accelerated change and reshaping the entire food industry. The opening of our new facility at our Jeddah site is part of our commitment to continuing to grow our presence across the Middle East where we have invested over EUR80m since 2018. Our continued growth and investment reflect the growing number of consumers in the region who are adopting a more proactive approach to their health and wellbeing and want to be able to consume food and beverage products that support their goals while also being respectful of our environment. This new facility is the first of its kind in the Middle East and is one of the most modern and efficient in the world offering top-in-class sustainable nutrition technology platforms, laboratories equipped with unique testing capabilities while also being sustainable.”
Peter Dillane, vice president and general manager, Kerry Middle East, India, Sub-Saharan Africa (MISA) added: “Our customers are our priority and our commitment is to bring local solutions to the Saudi market. We believe in global capability, executed locally, as seen in our local insight and team backed by Kerry’s global technical and operational expertise. Our deep understanding of retail and foodservice channels enhances our ability to partner customers with greater success and make it easier and more valuable for them to do business with us.”


text:
Business friendly Samoa leads the Pacific
Samoa provides the most businessfriendly environment for local entrepreneurs in the Pacific region, according to a new report from International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank that measures the ease of doing business.
Released yesterday, Doing Business 2013: Smarter Regulations for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises finds that 23 economies in East Asia and the Pacific have made their regulatory environment more business-friendly since 2005. Singapore tops the global ranking on the ease of doing business for the seventh consecutive year, while Hong Kong SAR, China, holds onto the second spot, followed by New Zealand. Australia is also among the top 10 in the global ranking on the ease of doing business. Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu were the top performers for the Pacific.
Samoa leads the region in four of the 10 indicators, including starting a business, trading across borders, protecting investors, and registering property. Fiji made paying taxes less costly for companies by reducing the profit tax rate—though it also introduced a capital gains tax.
At the same time, Fiji made obtaining a construction permit more expensive, and transferring property and starting a business more difficult. The report, which covers the period from June 2011 to June 2012 and which uses data for indicators that measure regulation affecting 10 key areas of the life cycle of local businesses, finds that 11 of 24 economies in East Asia and the Pacific improved business regulations in the past year. China made the greatest progress in improving business regulations for local entrepreneurs, and Mongolia is the region’s top improver for the year..
“This year, Mongolia joined the global list of top 10 improvers for ease of doing business in the report, which uses data for indicators that measure regulation affecting 10 key areas of the life cycle of local businesses,” said Augusto Lopez- Claros, Director, Global Indicators and Analysis, World Bank Group.
“Mongolia implemented reforms that cut regulatory hurdles and make it easier for firms to do business.”
The list of the 10 economies with the most business-friendly regulations are, in this order: Singapore; Hong Kong SAR, China; New Zealand; the United States; Denmark; Norway; the United Kingdom; the Republic of Korea; Georgia; and Australia.
Doing Business analyzes regulations that apply to an economy’s businesses during their life cycle, including start-up and operations, trading across borders, paying taxes, and protecting investors.
The aggregate ease of doing business rankings are based on 10 indicators and cover 185 economies.
THE NEW COMMENTS PROCESS
To make comments, you will need to register. You can register under your real name or use a 'screen' name. This way, people will be able to follow comments and make comments back and forth to each other. If you choose to use a 'screen name' no one will know your true identity. In either case, no email addresses will be available to anyone. It is an automated process. If you have questions, email: firstname.lastname@example.org
You currently are not logged in, please LOGIN to post comments.


text:
The Milwaukee Brewing Company has put itself up for sale, according to a statement from an acquisition firm that specializes in food and beverage plant sales and dispositions.
New Mill Capital, a national acquisition and disposition firm, said in a statement Friday that “the board of directors of Milwaukee Brewing Company has engaged New Mill Capital to seek potential suitors for its downtown Milwaukee production brewery and ale house location including all equipment, intellectual property, and book of business as a going concern,” according to a statement.
The sale would include the company’s brewery operation at 1128 N. 9th St. near Fiserv Forum and the Milwaukee Ale House at 233 N. Water St. in the city’s Historic Third Ward neighborhood.
In its statement, New Mill Capital said it is beginning the process of selling the company immediately and added that it is “focused on finding a strategic buyer for the assets and operation” of Milwaukee Brewing Co.
The brewery was founded in 1997.
New Mill Capital, in marketing materials on its website, says Milwaukee Brewing Company is the “nicest major microbrewery available in the country,” and that it is located in “an amazing downtown Milwaukee location.”
Representatives of Milwaukee Brewing and New Mill Capital could not be reached for comment.
“We put our heart and soul into this brewery, building it into the operation it is today,” said Jim Hughes, primary shareholder of Milwaukee Brewing Company, in the statement issued by New Mill.
“We believe in the brewery and people who have been critical to our success but have made the decision to search for a strategic buyer to satisfy internal needs and secure the future of Milwaukee Brewing for decades to come.”
The company produces traditional and specialty ales as well as hard cider, seltzers, and ready to drink cocktails.
New Mill Capital describes itself as “a privately held manufacturing asset acquisition and disposition firm specializing in food processing & beverage plant acquisitions, sales, business brokerage, equipment auction programs, and valuations.”
Article originally posted on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. View article here >>


text:
Stocks are set to head higher this morning despite weaker-than-expected payrolls data.
S&P 500 futures have gained 0.4%, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures have risen 0.4%.
The U.S. economy added 192,000 jobs in March, below forecasts for 200,000, while the unemployment rate remained at 6.7%.
Mylan (MYL) has surged 11.3% to $55.51 on reports it is contemplating making an acquisition.
Mercury Systems (MRCY) has jumped 9.6% to $14.50 on reports that Boeing (BA) has considered buying the company. Shares of Boeing have gained 0.7% to $129.65.
Potbelly (PBPB) has gained 4.6% to $17.90 after the sandwich maker was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at William Blair.
Global Payments (GPN) has dropped 2.3% to $70.03 after the card processor beat earnings by a penny but missed on revenue.
CarMax (KMX) has fallen 3.9% to $45.70 after issuing disappointing financial results.


text:
Primark lovers in Northern Ireland can shop to their heart's content as one store is planning extended opening hours after current Covid-19 restrictions here end.
With all non-essential retail stores shut until December 11, Primark's store in the Abbeycentre, Newtownabbey, says it will open for 33 hours continuously to give shoppers more time to pick up their Christmas Primark essentials.
Announcing the news on their social media, a spokesperson for Abbeycentre said: "Come as you are...Whether your go-to is off-duty style, fancy festive wear or PJ chic, we're here for you.
"Primark, Abbeycentre will open Friday 11th December 9am and STAY OPEN all the way through until 6pm Saturday 12th December.
"33 HOURS OF PRIMARK! (Yes, you can visit at 3am!!!) We have extended our opening hours to help you shop safely. Please continue to follow our safety measures in store."
Follow Be our new Lifestyle page
Are you a lover of Style, Beauty or Interiors? Maybe you want the latest tips on keeping fit, eating right, organising your home and staying well, not to mention all the latest showbiz goss and the craic around town? If that sounds right up your street then follow Belfast Live's brand new lifestyle page Be.
When current lockdown restrictions ended in England this week, 11 of Primark's English stores opened for 24 hours in order to give customers more time to do their festive shopping.


text:
Latest unicorn GlobalBees shares its vision for the New Delhi-based house of brand’s future
Delhi-based house of brands— founded in 2021 — recently raised about $111.5 million in its Series B funding round led by Premji Invest, marking its entry into the coveted unicorn club.
GlobalBees helps scale up online-first D2C businesses by parenting with entrepreneurs in India and abroad.
Speaking to YourStory’s Daily Dispatch about its recent unicorn status, Nitin Agarwal, CEO, GlobalBees said the valuation is an aspect of the business. According to him, last year showed the opportunities that lie in India, with many entrepreneurs creating valuable business. GlobalBees, too, is extremely focused on building a large and valuable enterprise.
In terms of fund utilisation plans, GlobalBees will use the maximum amount of funds in investing and acquiring new brands. Besides, it will apply some of the funds in building the enterprise and its technology platform.
“It’s been probably less than six months since we started operating, so it’s a lot about foundation creation,” Nitin says on the company’s endeavours. He adds GlobalBees will focus on the growth of the companies it is investing in while continuing the journey of acquisitions, investments, and partnerships.
Nitin explains the valuations are all between the seller and the buyers regarding what values they are looking at. “It’s a broad spectrum where there are people who would take a very aggressive call on a portfolio, and there are some people who would not take an aggressive call on the portfolio,” he adds.
For GlobalBees, FMCG is one of the important focus sectors. Besides, nutrition, home and kitchen, merchandise, and fashion accessories are other important sectors. “We continue to evaluate other sectors; we keep a very top-down approach,” Nitin says.
Nitin shares any business model with opportunities will see a lot of traction and strong models and companies emerge from this. The house-of-brands model, he says, is as right for India as it is for any other country. The business idea helps certain brands scale their businesses under a powerful label.
He adds GlobalBees has a very category-specific focus in the coming months. “We’re looking at each of those categories creating an impactful portfolio from GlobalBees’ perspective,” says Nitin. Moreover, GlobalBees is looking at achieving billion-dollar revenue in the next three years, he shares.


text:
A borrower’s credit profile is one of the primary eligibility factors mortgage lenders consider when evaluating a mortgage application. Yet, credit continues to be one of the significant reasons mortgage applicants fall out or have their mortgage application denied. Additionally, millions of Americans face obstacles raising their credit to a level that qualifies for a mortgage. These barriers result in numerous credit application denials and credit inquiry fallouts, negatively impacting lenders’ pipeline conversion.
Many consumers entering this new purchase-driven market are first-time homebuyers unfamiliar with the mortgage process and whose credit profile may not yet be sufficient for mortgage loan approval. Yet, regardless of their current credit score when they approach you for a mortgage, 67% of all applicants could move up at least one band in 30 days, according to CreditXpert. And applicants are willing to wait; 46% of borrowers are prepared to delay closing by 30 days for a better rate.
Mortgage originators who proactively provide their applicants with tools and resources to help boost their credit will qualify more applicants and be better positioned to offer their applicants competitive rates and terms.
Consumers want help to boost their credit scores
Consumers utilize a wide range of free and paid sources to access their credit score, including their bank or credit card providers, credit monitoring services and credit bureaus, before applying for a mortgage, however, many consumers aren’t fully aware of the factors that impact their credit scores. In a survey conducted by the Consumer Federation of America, only 78% of consumers knew that high credit card balances were a factor, and 71% knew that personal bankruptcy was a factor. Many consumers aren’t sure of the factors that impact their credit score. When asked, 66% said to keep credit card balances below 25%, and 62% said to avoid opening up multiple credit card accounts at once.
Providing prospective borrowers with the tools and resources to help them understand what impacts their credit score, preferably before their credit is run for pre-qualification, can help them improve their credit for loan eligibility.
Consumers seek a trusted advisor to know the minimum credit score to qualify for a mortgage
There is confusion among many first-time homebuyers on the minimum credit score to qualify for a mortgage loan. In a Fannie Mae study, “Consumers Continue to Overestimate Mortgage Requirements,” only 11% of consumers knew that the minimum credit score to apply for a mortgage was 580 and 53% of consumers didn’t know the score or were entirely out of range.
Originators who connect with prospective homebuyers early in their homebuying journey have the opportunity to discuss the credit score requirements for various mortgage programs before the pre-qualification application is submitted.
Educating homebuyers with your social media marketing on the minimum credit score for the most frequently requested mortgage products can help you attract leads to your business.
Expand pipeline with low-to-moderate income consumers
Homeownership remains a significant way most Americans build wealth, yet low-to-moderate income consumers lack on-ramps to the mortgage market.
According to TransUnion, almost half of the credit-active population in the U.S. (approximately 120 million consumers) are low-to-moderate income (LMI) consumers, yet 75% of these consumers are presently credit eligible for a mortgage. The remaining 30 million could be eligible for an FHA loan with a 10% down payment or nurtured into that product.
LMI consumers exist across all income levels – 65% of LMI consumers’ average annual income is above $50,000, including 65M between $50,000 and $75,000 – and live in all fifty states, with the majority of consumers in California, Texas and New York considered LMI.
How lenders can capture and convert more consumers in a purchase driven market
The key to increasing pipeline conversion of consumers with lower credit scores is operationalizing credit, particularly at the beginning of the mortgage process. Too many fallouts and mortgage denials occur at the inquiry stage, resulting in a missed opportunity for you to close a purchase and for the borrower to attain homeownership. Providing consumers with tools and resources that show their credit improvement potential early in their homeownership journey will help improve the mortgage loan process for both parties.
Lenders should focus on expanding their pipeline to attract prospective borrowers whose credit is below 619. Those with credit between 620 and 679 who may qualify for an FHA or conventional loan can be shown the benefits of improving their credit health to increase their purchasing power. Consumers with a score above 680 could be advised how a higher credit score may help them qualify for better loan terms. Ensuring that each borrower is aware of their credit potential from the beginning helps to build trust and a strong relationship between you and the consumer.
FinLocker can help lenders convert consumers with lower credit scores
FinLocker provides each consumer with tools to improve their credit health. Consumers can access their TransUnion credit score and credit report, which displays their active and closed accounts and the past two years’ payment history.
Leveraging their consumer contributed data inside their app, prospective homebuyers can use the credit simulator to test the impact of various scenarios on their credit score. For example, someone who has a poor payment history can see the positive impact of making on-time payments. A consumer with a high-debt-to-income ratio could run the scenario to see how paying off a credit card, but keeping the paid-off account open, could boost their credit score and reduce their DTI ratio.
FinLocker can also help recover previously turned down applicants. Too often, consumers whose mortgage applications get turned down due to poor credit scores receive little to no assistance to improve their credit. FinLocker can provide these consumers with a personalized journey to improve their credit score and reduce their debt-to-income ratio while tracking their progression towards mortgage readiness.
A vast library of educational videos and articles is available to all consumers to improve their financial literacy to manage their credit and credit cards and introduce them to the mortgage process.
FinLocker’s product provides an engaging solution that prepares prospective homebuyers and reengages turned down into mortgage-ready applicants to increase pipeline conversion. Watch our online demo or schedule a live or 1:1 consultation to see how FinLocker can increase your pipeline conversion.


text:
Posted: 3 March, 2015
by Web Guy Josh
Woman Refused Wedding Dress Refund After Fiancé Dies Suddenly
You’ll be shocked when you hear what this woman, who was grieving her dead fiancé, was told by her wedding dress designers when she asked for a refund!
44-year-old Fiona Mullins from the UK found her dream dress in November last year, planning to wear it this year at her wedding to factory worker Kevin Elliott, 34.
But tragically, her fiancé dropped dead in December and his cause of death still remains unknown.
Mullins asked for a refund of the 50% deposit of £1, 200 (AUD $2375) and was mortified by what she was told by staff.
“They told her they could cancel the dress but the money would be held as a cancellation fee or they could carry on making it in case of a change of circumstances,” her daughter Rhiannon said.
“We have never heard of anything so callous in our whole lives. What was her fiancé going to do - come back from the dead?”
“Money is not everything in life but when you also only work in a supermarket, trying to provide for your children, as now, a single parent £1,200 was a lot of money to lose.”
Rhiannon then organised an online petition as a way of getting back her mum’s deposit, and it gained over 6,ooo signatures in just one day.
After finding out about the petition, the dress designer decided to offer Mullins a full refund.
“I’m so pleased they agreed to pay the money but the whole family are still upset this was deal with so badly,” a triumphant Rhiannon said.
“This situation could have been handled so much better but we are thankful they have seen sense and decided to honour my mum’s request.”
A bride-to-be has launched a social media offensive against the company she had ordered her wedding invitations from.
It was meant to be Amy Dawson's special day. The day that every girl dreams about.
They say you can’t choose you family… but you can choose not to have them at your wedding if they don’t deserve it!
A man reportedly ended his marriage on his wedding night after seeing what his new wife looked like under her veil.
A bride’s dress is often the most talked about part of a wedding… but sometimes it’s for all the wrong reasons.


text:
Tesla Stock Overvalued By Every Metric: Seeking Alpha
Tesla, Inc. CEO Elon Musk has confidently claimed that the company will reach 20 million annual vehicle sales by 2030.
Tesla's Q3 deliveries, which will be reported next week, appear set to fall short of market expectations. I Photo: Tesla X
Analysts warn of difficulties in achieving this growth, with downside risks to earnings expectations and overestimation of Tesla's growth potential, John Engle wrote for Seeking Alpha.
Tesla's current valuation is significantly higher than what can be justified by its automotive business alone. Its value of $758 billion is actually down to $455 billion, while its non-automotive enterprises face challenges.
Tesla has grown at a rapid pace over the past several years, with deliveries rising at a blistering pace year after year.
The company delivered just over 100,000 vehicles in 2017; in 2022, it delivered 1.3 million.
Last year, CEO Elon Musk confidently claimed that Tesla would reach 20 million in annual vehicle sales by 2030.
Of course, promising 20 million deliveries in 2030 is much easier than actually achieving 20 million deliveries. To do so, Tesla would have to grow about 40% annually from 2024 through 2030.
Q3 deliveries, which will be reported next week, appear set to fall short of market expectations, though Tesla is unlikely to cut its full-year delivery target of 1.8 million deliveries.
Looking beyond 2023, some analysts see further difficulties in the offing.
Deutsche Bank warned that the market's forward-looking consensus may be significantly overoptimistic: "Looking at 2024, however, we see considerable downside risk to earnings expectations due to [a] much lower volume outlook than the market believes. On the bright side, with the company not trying to push as much volume, there could potentially be less pricing pressure next year.


text:
These are some of the industries threatened by the world’s water crisis. How can investors protect assets?
Water is fundamental. Nearly every other substance or material that’s part of everyday life can be substituted, but there’s no replacement for water. Entire industries, from agriculture to commodities to manufacturing everyday goods depend on it absolutely.
A global water crisis has been long in the making. Depleted aquifers, droughts made worse by climate change, advancing desertification, the decline of once dependable glacial melt-off, even as growing demand from larger populations and economic activity all put unprecedented pressure on the supply of fresh water. It’s created what the World Economic Forum calls the fourth greatest global societal risk1 by impact—after weapons of mass destruction, failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation and extreme weather events. The global consequences of insufficient safe drinking water range from higher child mortality and other health issues to social instability and mass migrations.
The growing scarcity of fresh water also affects the global economy, especially industries with high water usage, which run the gamut from food companies and energy firms to textiles and technology manufacturers. For corporations, policymakers, investors, and even consumers, now is the time to understand the core issues and engage with solutions to manage the growing risks to businesses, supply chains and even more acute vulnerabilities.
Here are some of the industries most at risk because of the world’s water woes:
Agriculture accounts for 69% of global fresh water use, which makes the entire food and beverage supply chain highly sensitive to water stress. A single kilogram of beef takes more than 15,000 litres of water to produce, based on irrigating feed crops, providing drinking water, and hosing down factory farms, transport trucks and abattoirs. Similarly, a kilogram of nuts uses around 9,000 litres of water.2 California dedicates roughly 10% of its water supply just for growing almonds.
Agriculture-related water stress isn’t just limited to food production. For example, growing, washing and dyeing the cotton used to make a single pair of jeans requires 9,500 litres of water.
Not all businesses are prepared to deal with water stress. Only 40% of beverage companies have developed programs to optimise water usage, and just 24% of food companies report efforts to manage water stress in their supply chains.3 At the other end of the spectrum, some companies in the industry have targeted a 100% rate of water reusage by 2020.
Agriculture Consumes Huge Amounts of Water
Water footprint per kilogram across food types
Oil and natural-gas companies also face water challenges, usually tied to environmental and community impact, and their related costs—often not included in the initial project financing—as well as reputational and regulatory risks. The industry’s water management costs can reach 15% of the total cost to drilling and maintaining oil and gas wells4.
The extraction of oil using hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is particularly fraught, requiring high-pressure water mixed with chemicals and sand to extract shale oil. To complicate matters, 38% of these projects worldwide are located in arid areas. Fracking also produces contaminated water that requires proper disposal, with its own costs and risks.
Water is used in 90% of global power production (raw material extraction, powering turbines, cooling thermal processes and cleaning emissions),5 with 47% of global thermal power plant capacity (coal, natural gas and nuclear) located in regions already experiencing water stress.6
Poor water management and unsustainable rates of water consumption increase the risk of operational disruptions and regulatory water-withdrawal limits. These disruptions can not only lead to a loss of revenue, but often require additional investment in infrastructure, such as desalinisation plants or air cooling, which often aren’t part of the initial project financing.
The production of wafers—the thin layers used to make integrated circuits—requires massive amounts of ultrapure water (UPW), the hyper-purified water needed to meet the industry’s stringent manufacturing requirements. Producing a single smartphone requires more than 12,000 litres of water.
A typical semiconductor manufacturing facility uses two to four million gallons of UPW per day. Semiconductor companies have also historically incurred clean-up costs connected to groundwater contamination of up to US$100 million per incident7. The main solution appears to be water recycling; however, recycling rates in the industry for processed water range from as high as 80% (mainly in Asia) to as low as 10%.
Investors can use scores on companies’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance (available through specialist data providers) to identify the leaders and laggards in water stress exposure and risk management, and analyse factors such as water recycling rates, consumption reduction targets and investment in water infrastructure.
To facilitate dialogue and understanding, investors can engage with companies in various ways:
Encourage water stewardship and evaluation of water metrics and conservation policies.
Monitor the water footprint in all steps of the supply chain, to gain a better understanding of inefficiencies and viable improvements.
Prompt companies to improve the quality of their disclosure on water management, for example, by participating in the Carbon Disclosure Project annual water survey.
Ensure companies follow the relevant water stewardship code for their industry.
Global industries and their component corporations are on the frontlines of the water scarcity issue. The risks they face have repercussions for their top and bottom lines, as well as potentially long-term ramifications to brand favourability and market standing—precisely because the issue of water management also ripples out to their customers and beyond.
1 World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2019. https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2019
2 www.waterfootprint.org/en/resources/interactive-tools/product-gallery/Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2012) A global assessment of the water footprint of farm animal products, Ecosystems, 15(3): 401-415
4 Morgan Stanley Research, How Water Can Impact Share Economics, 14 January 2019.
5 UN Water. www.unwater.org/water-facts/water-food-and-energy/ Accessed 28 June 2019.
6 World Resources Institute. www.wri.org/ blog/2018/04/water-stress-threatens-nearly-half-world-s-thermal-power-plant-capacity Published: 11 April 2018.
For more on the global water crisis, speak to your Morgan Stanley financial adviser or representative. Plus, more Ideas from Morgan Stanley's thought leaders.


text:
Chinese plant-based products producer Shineco Inc., through its joint venture company Xinjiang Shineco Taihe Agriculture Technology Ltd., on Dec. 15 signed a supply contract with Horgos Huajing Tencel Technology Development Co. worth $51 million or 340 million Chinese yuan, according to a Dec. 18 company release.
Under the arrangement, Shineco will supply 20,000 tons of apocynum leather fabric at 17,000 yuan per ton and is expected to guarantee the impurity and dampness of the fabric are less than 6%. Horgos Huajing is expected to purchase the product from Dec. 15, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2018.
Shineco also secured a supply contract worth $1.2 million with e-commerce company Huangpu International Ltd. on Dec. 13.
As of Dec. 18, US$1 was equivalent to 6.62 Chinese yuan.


text:
Bucharest-based startup Vatis Tech has announced closing a round of over €200.ooo for its AI-powered online speech recognition platform. The funding is provided by Early Game Ventures, Sparking Capital, and Mălin Ștefănescu, President of TechAngels.
Vatis Tech is the ultimate tool to “unlock the potential of your audio”, shares the company on their website. Audio platforms are growing rapidly in the past months but there is something that makes Vatis Tech stand out. The startup focuses mainly on European languages, allowing users to create tailored models with a minimum of resources. The service is available online and can be tested by anyone. Developers can use the API to integrate Vatis technology into their products and services, benefiting from dedicated support and taking advantage of advantageous prices.
“At Vatis Tech, we focus on developing recognition algorithms for European languages such as French, Italian, German, Dutch, or Polish. We started, of course, with the Romanian language, and we proved that our solution has better results than the technology offered by established players. In tests performed so far, the accuracy of our competitor’s transcription reached 84%, while that of Vatis Tech has exceeded 94%. The speech recognition algorithms developed by us are specialized in industries and verticals, such as media, finance, technology, or the medical field,” says Adrian Ispas, founder and CEO of Vatis Tech in a press release.
Vlad Sarca, Partner at Sparking Capital, adds that the automatic speech recognition market has reached a worth of over $17 billion by now and is showing significant growth. “We are noticing that business leaders are looking to use their voice data for improving their customer experience, training employees, or integrating it with other data sources to gain an edge over competitors. The Vatis Tech team has recognized this opportunity and is providing solutions that can be deployed in the cloud and on-premise, for companies that want to gain a competitive advantage through technology.”


text:
We’ve all experienced moments where our pet has been more than a pet. There’s a reason dogs are known as man’s best friend. Today over 60 percent of Americans have pets—77 million dogs, 93 million cats, and many other creatures are part of the $45 billion dollar pet industry. You can’t put a price on the happiness a pet provides, according to a new recently published study. In trials conducted studying pets within the family, psychologists found that they were viewed as family members, and that pet owners were reaping the same multiple beauty benefits that sleep, healthy eating, and exercise can offer. While anthropomorphizing your pet can decrease your benefits, overall, owning a pet is a net positive. It allows its owner to live a healthy lifestyle and helps him or her to open up to deeper, more meaningful relationships. So give your pooch an extra pat today, and if you’ve been debating a visit to pet store, get up and go!
MORE: Why They Call It Puppy Love!


text:
Welcome to ignition track’s Weekly Wrap, where they break through the noise to bring you their favorite insights from the tech and startup world.
Ignition Lane works with ambitious executives to apply the startup mentality to their technology, product and commercialization problems.
This wrap is going out free for subscribers every Saturday. Don’t forget that you can catch Gavin Appel covering the week on the Startup Daily Show Ausbiz every Monday at 2 p.m. If you miss it, you can do it Find out about the shows of the week here.
Here is her weekly recap.
Tech’s battle to save the climate is heating up
MCB’s coal patrol. Australian tech billionaires and big supporters of the green economy, Mike and Annie Cannon-Brookes, have taken their money into their hands trying to reduce Australia’s reliance on coal.
Along with Canadian investment firm Brookfield, the couple’s investment arm Grok Ventures made a takeover game for one of Australia’s biggest polluters – energy giant AGL. The $8 billion offer represented a 4.7% premium to the stock’s closing price the previous day and included a proposal to spend $20 billion to transition AGL to renewable energy and shut down its coal-fired power plants by 2030. AGL and Scomo however have fired the plan as “unrealistic”.
Grok also behaved “sensibly”. $200 million stake in Infradebt – a major financier of renewable energy and battery storage. Infradebt offers a new $35 million credit facility for the development of Genex’s Bouldercombe battery project in Queensland. This project includes a world-first revenue-sharing agreement with Telsa, which will supply and operate the large battery system, while Genex receives guaranteed revenue.
Meanwhile, there was plenty of activity on the green tech raising front this week as well:
- Era VC Raised $30 million (AUD 42 million) to invest in climate technology. Aera is also launching an investment DAO (Distributed Autonomous Organization) called Aera Force, with 2,000 Ethereum (around $6 million) for pre-seed blockchain projects working on climate and carbon-related issues.
- Zoomo raised $20 million, extending its $60 million debt/equity round from November. Zoomo, which operates in 16 cities across North America, APAC and Europe, offers e-bike subscriptions for gig workers and e-bike fleets for enterprise customers like Domino’s.
- Ark Energy Raised $2.6 million to help renewable energy companies generate better returns by mining bitcoin when there is oversupply on the power grid.
- Cecil Raised $1.6 million managed by Tenacious Ventures. Cecil simplifies the process of managing and investing in natural assets that incentivize decarbonization and ecosystem preservation.
- Pursue Raised $1.5 million to help SMEs track and manage their carbon emissions.
Births, Death & Marriages in ANZ tech
Unified AI CSIRO’s new National AI Center has named ex-Microsoft AI gun Stela Solar as its first director. Solar’s first priority is to unite the Australian AI industry by breaking down the divides between different AI fields and improving our ability to convert world-leading AI research into commercial opportunities.
More resources for Web3. Sydney-based VC King River Capital is launching a new digital asset fund to invest in Web3 opportunities (crypto, NTF, etc.). It has so far raised $50 million from a target of $150 million.
Aussie capital for the startup nation. Serial investor Josh Liberman (former Seek and Canva backer) is launching a new $140 million VC fund to give Australian investors access to the Israeli startup scene.
Starting Vic. Victoria’s startup agency LaunchVic made three big announcements:
- The new 30×30 program aims for 30 Victorian scale-ups to achieve unicorn status by 2030. Rather than a program solely focused on founders, 30×30 provides executive education and mentoring for HR, operations and finance leaders, and other startup support. Applications are now open.
- V-Ignite (led by Neil Stanford and Brighid Pappin) has been appointed fund manager for the Victorian Startup Capital Fund. V-Ignite will raise at least $60 million from investors to match the cornerstone government investment managed by LaunchVic.
- Congratulations to all winners of the inaugural Governor of Victoria Startup Awards including Linktree (Scaleup of the Year), Amber Electric and Seer Medical (Startups of the Year) and Currus Biologics (Best Newcomer).
Death to underpaid gig work. in the a win for gig economy workers, the NSW Industrial Relations Commission ruled that Amazon Flex drivers (who courier parcels using their own vehicles) must be paid a minimum hourly rate. The rate will be phased in, starting at $27.83/hr on March 1st and increasing to $37.80/hr by July 1st, 2025. Amazon’s growth in Australia is booming – Revenue in 2021 grew 57% to $1.75 billion.
Crowdfunded Super Breakdown. GigSuper, a super fund targeting self-employed/gig workers, collapsed in December after giving away $2.7 million to unsecured creditors and $200,000 to employees. Media reports this week shed details of questionable behavior:
[it] launched a crowdfunding capital raise two weeks after his trustee warned he would close the fund within months, then violated the privacy of all its members when he announced on Christmas Eve that he had collapsed.
Maropost loves Australian retail technology. Canadian e-commerce and multi-channel marketing platform Maropost has acquired Retail Express for $55 million. Retail Express is a cloud-based retail management and point-of-sale system that powers 5,000+ retailers. This is Maropost’s second most recent acquisition in Australia — the company bought back-end e-commerce management platform Neto for $60 million in March.
PEXA’s first strategic investment. Online real estate listing network PEXA acquires a 38% stake in Landchecker, which provides real estate information and data.
Round up local increase
Scalapay raised $692 million at a valuation of more than $1 billion “in all currencies,” co-led by Tencent and Willoughby Capital. European-focused BNPL was founded in Wollongong in 2019 – making it one of the fastest Australian startups to achieve official (USD) unicorn status.
OCR Labs raised $42 million (US$30 million) for its digital identity verification solution, which helps businesses comply with AML/KYC regulations using technologies like character recognition, face matching, and video fraud assessment.
image wealth announced it had raised $14 million at the end of 2021. PictureWealth uses technology to give clients a comprehensive picture of their total wealth and offers access to financial specialists when needed.
cybel raised US$13.8 million (US$10 million), led by Blackbird. Cyble analyzes dark and surface webs in real time to determine if a company’s credentials are being exposed online. The number of corporate passwords leaked on the dark web has increased by 429% since March 2021!
Lumi raising another $10 million just two months after completing a $20 million round. Lumi is a technology-led small business lender that can process loan applications in hours.
tiik Raised $5.2 million. Tiik uses blockchain technologies to allow users to transfer funds directly from a bank account into DeFi products.
upwards raised $6.6 million (US$4 million) led by Counterpart Ventures (the San Francisco VC’s first Australian investment). Upflowy’s no-code platform helps optimize web experiences by offering drag-and-drop tools for A/B testing and personalization across web and mobile apps.
Linkby $5 million raised led by Our Innovation Fund. Linkby enables brands to pay for content from selected publishers on a cost-per-click basis.
Fortiro Raised $3.5 million from our innovation fund. Fortiro was spun off from PwC by three of its directors and acquired Protect, PwC’s bank fraud detection product. The product helps banks detect fraud in loan document applications, for example by detecting when people understate their spending.
liquorice Raised $1.8M to ‘End IT Tickets Forever’. Hooray. Licorice’s next-generation IT ticketing solution matches IT requests with the right engineers, calculates the time required for each task and allows customers to choose appointment times that work for them.
Blakthumb raised $825,000 led by Tidal Ventures for its end-to-end operations solution specifically designed for cannabis and indoor food production.
On vertical SaaS: David Yuan and the team at Tidemark VC launched the Vertical SaaS Knowledge Project starting with a great introductory text how to approach growth
For founders currently raising:
Reminder to Founders that the public cloud (and SaaS) markets have returned to the multiples of 2018-2019. (e.g. 10x current turnover / market capitalization and 7-8x forward turnover).
I’m sensing a slight pullback from VC investors on valuations, particularly on less “hot” deals. pic.twitter.com/mUwYudVTpn
— Ben Armstrong (@_BenArms) February 22, 2022
Closing Words of Wisdom from the only Steve Jobs:
“Everything around you that you call life was made by people no smarter than you. And you can change it.”
~Steve Jobs, 1994pic.twitter.com/6ScMSmE9mP
— Jon Erlichman (@JonErlichman) February 22, 2022
That’s a wrap! We hope that you liked it.
Bex, Gavin and the team at Ignition Lane


text:
for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure,
personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to
analyse how our Sites are used.
A new world is possible.
Let's not go back to what wasn't working anyway.
Add this topic to your myFT Digest for news straight to your inbox
Turkish president’s move could inflame tensions with US and EU and inflict more pressure on lira
Europe’s largest online clothing retailer urges whole sector to be more sustainable
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus take legal action to overthrow ‘monopoly’
Border tariffs with the UAE and other GCC states viewed as part of efforts to woo companies to base themselves in kingdom
Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruise’s executive chair, explains how a focus on detail helped the company survive
Former US vice-president calls for an end to the large-scale backing of carbon-intensive projects
The shopping trend is surging as consumers worry that Covid-19 will delay shipments
WHO-backed programme has cut its projected deliveries following setbacks
Demands for time off to be with lockdown pets is jarring when millions still lack paid parental leave
Continued pursuit of zero-Covid makes travel almost impossible and frustrates global business
Corporate strategists may draw comfort from President Xi’s recent remarks on citizens’ wealth
Chancellor’s Budget to include £4.3bn for skills training, family support and cultural institutions’ pandemic recovery
Italian government balks at high cost of recapitalising world’s oldest bank
It is time to overhaul the way we train, recruit and retain doctors, nurses and care staff
The Oxford hardware shop scours the globe for designs to spark joy
Bin Salman promises cut in carbon emissions but likely to remain world’s biggest crude exporter
The writer and broadcaster explains why she spends it in silence, and why mindfulness is a balm when times get tough
Avolon and AerCap warn aircraft maker’s ambitions are not justified by demand as industry emerges from pandemic
With prices being forced up by disruptions, consumer spending and corporate earnings are at risk
FT writers nominate awe-inspiring places to get your literary fix, from Mumbai to Buenos Aires
Following new paths to sustainability, from farming to fashion...
Plus, how Uefa intends to lower football club borrowing costs, the NBA’s latest clash with China, and more.
Its popularity may slide now and again, but this hairstyling product for men retains a presence in many bathroom cabinets
Recorded in 1965, the album captures a pivotal stage in the saxophonist’s transition into jazz expressionism


text:
Chevrolet released a teaser image of the next generation Colorado pickup truck which generously shows lots of details! The car is set for debut at the next Bangkok motorshow in Thailand, which is apparently becoming the new China for car makers.
This new Colorado can potentially be a rival for the Ford Ranger. GM says the Colorado will benefit from Chevrolet’s strong truck DNA and a heritage of award-winning trucks. But it’s going to b a helluva truck if it want’s to beat the Ranger because that Australian-built truck offers many qualities not just in terms of business stuff, but also convenience and technology.
Thailand was chosen as the site of the global debut because of the popularity of pickup trucks and the growing importance of the Thai market to Chevrolet. In 2010, the pickup truck segment alone accounted for 43% of vehicles sold in Thailand. The new Colorado will go on sale in Thailand later this year.
New Chevrolet Colorado Pickup Teased,
“Trucks play a key role in most Southeast Asian markets,” said Susan Docherty, vice president, GMIO Sales, Marketing and Aftersales. “Nowhere is this more evident than in Thailand, where trucks like the Colorado are ingrained in the local lifestyle. Thailand was a natural place to give the public a first glimpse of our all-new Colorado.”
Bangkok International Motor Show: on from March 25 – April 5, 2011.


text:
Dhaka: Six years after one of the world’s most devastating factory disasters led to international safety monitoring in Bangladesh, campaigners are warning of “grim consequences” if such oversight is abandoned.
The collapse of the nine-floor rabbit warren of textile factories at Rana Plaza in Dhaka April 24, 2013 killed 1,138 workers and shone a spotlight on the poor safety standards in Bangladesh’s $31 billion garment industry.
Under intense pressure, top brands such as H&M, Inditex, Carrefour and Gap set up two watchdogs to look at more than 4,500 factories that make clothes for Western stores.
One of the watchdogs, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, has already wrapped up after reviewing nearly 1,000 factories that produced mostly for US brands.
The future of the larger monitor, “Accord on Fire and Building safety”, representing some 200 European labels such as H&M, Primark and Tesco, is to be decided by Bangladesh’s Supreme Court after a lower court ruled it should also wind up.
Laura Gutierrez of the US-based Worker Rights Consortium, a labour group, warned that ending the international oversight “will have grim consequences for workers and factory owners”.
It “will cause brands to see the country as a far riskier place to produce,” she added.
Christie Miedema of the Clean Clothes Campaign added that progress of safety “will be lost — setting the country on a path back to the situation before the Rana Plaza collapse”.
Top brands including H&M, Zara, Adidas, Tesco and Next have backed concerns raised by such labour rights groups.
British brand Next said that “any early termination of the current Accord operations in Bangladesh would be detrimental to the safety of workers in the readymade garment industry there”.
Accord, for its part, says it needs more time to enforce safety in the 1,700 factories it has reviewed so far, while manufacturers argue that the programme’s five-year mandate has already expired.
The Bangladesh government says factory fatalities have dramatically declined since the disaster because of upgrades overseen by the monitoring groups and local agencies.
It argues that the national inspection agency can now handle the enforcement of factory safety alone.
However, two major fires in Dhaka — in which 100 people died — have highlighted the lingering dangers.
One of those blazes tore through a 22-storey building that housed several garment businesses. A probe found it did not have a safety license and breached multiple construction rules. Many emergency exits were locked.
Despite this, the influential Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), whose members own the factories, want international oversight to end.
The group’s outgoing President Siddiqur Rahman told AFP it is “negotiating for an amicable settlement with the Accord steering committee”.
Campaigners say that textile companies fear the monitors could start looking into other workers’ rights issues, in an industry where minimum wages start at $95 dollars a month.
“Manufacturers fear Accord might put the industry under greater scrutiny,” said Salahuddin Swapan, a Bangladesh garment union leader.
Critics say that Bangladesh’s factory inspection agency, which would take over the monitors’ work, lacks the means and desire to push through costly safety upgrades.
But Shib Nath Roy, head of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), said the agency was now better placed than the international monitors to take on the work.
He said it had had “made significant progress” with scores of extra inspectors employed since the Rana Plaza disaster.
A consortium of groups campaigning for garment workers’ rights, including the Clean Clothes Campaign and International Labour Rights Forum, dispute that the government is ready to take over.
They say none of the 745 factories under the government inspection programme has yet eliminated “high risk safety hazards” identified in the past five years.
“Our research shows a shocking level of unreadiness” by the government to take over Accord’s work, they said in a report this month.


text:
Aesthetic and medical supplier Ivanmed is launching the microneedling device Dermapen 4 at an event in London this month.
AnteAGE, a division of the biotech company Cellese, will release its skincare range to the UK at ACE 2020.
Medical device manufacturer InMode will launch Evoke, a hands-free radiofrequency (RF) platform for facial remodelling, in the UK by the end of this year.
Skincare company LABthetics has introduced two new chemical peels to its portfolio.
Italian aesthetic distributor and manufacturer the Baldan Group has released a new device aimed at deeply cleansing the skin.
The British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM) held its two-day Virtual Conference on September 10-11.
Profound, a minimally invasive, fractional radiofrequency microneedling device manufactured by Syneron Candela has won an award for the best energy-based microneedling device in the Aesthetic Industry Awards 2018.
Skincare company LABthetics will unveil its LABpen microneedling device at CCR in October.
UK distributor Belle is now supplying the HairWave device to aesthetic practices in the UK.
Juvea Aesthetics on Harley Street conducted a day of training and demonstrations to launch the Icon Aesthetic System on May 26.


text:
Home > Lifestyle > Family > News & Events
Wednesday July 30, 2014 MYT 12:35:00 PM
Wednesday July 30, 2014 MYT 1:29:44 PM
Jacquetta Wheeler and her mother, Tessa Codrington.
Fashion models Jodie Kidd and Jacquetta Wheeler and designer Jasmine Guinness star in Jaeger’s latest campaign, and they’ve brought their mums along.
Celebrating the 130th anniversary of the brand, Jaeger has unveiled a new campaign for the winter months shot by Josh Olins. Model, equestrian and occasional race-car driver Jodie Kidd appears with her mum Wendy (who used to model for Hardy Amies), while former face of Gucci, Jacquetta Wheeler posed with her mother, photographer Tessa Codrington.
The sextet was rounded out by Jasmine Guinness, a former model and now designer and of course a member of the famous brewing dynasty, who was captured with her Irish-born mum Liz Casey.
“Each duo shares an inherited sense of refined style,” explained Colin Henry, Jaeger’s CEO. All of the women wear pieces from the Jaeger Fall/Winter 2014 collection.
One of the hottest photographers in the industry, Olins has also shot this season’s campaigns for labels including Adidas Originals Blue, Balenciaga Menswear, AG Jeans, and Iro. Other mother-daughter fashion ads include Givenchy’s Fall/Winter 2013 campaign which featured Carine Roitfeld and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, and Jerry Hall and Georgia May Jagger’s work for Sunglass Hut. — AFP Relaxnews
Tags / Keywords:
Family Community, Jaeger, Mother, Daughter, Model, Fashion
Artists Gilbert & George Veteran light up Singapore with hot-button issues
Make art, not dessert, with JANICE WONG
‘He made me feel like a prostitute’
There's something about Sitka
Dynamic and Stylish BMW X1
Healthy living in the heart of Ampang
Balboa double stuns Tunisia as hosts go through
Intel says corporations buying more high-end PCs
Sharifah still waiting for kidnapped husband's homecoming
Copyright © 1995-2015 Star Publications (M) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)


text:
PortsToronto marks eighth consecutive year of profitability in 2015
PortsToronto released its 2015 Audited Financial Statements May 11, marking the organization’s eighth consecutive year of profitability and demonstrating PortsToronto’s continued role as an investor in the infrastructure, community and economic performance of Toronto.
All three of PortsToronto’s core business operations—Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, the Port of Toronto and the Outer Harbour Marina—were profitable in 2015, generating C$55.9 million in overall revenue, an increase of 10.7 percent from the C$50.5 million reported in 2014. Net income was down in 2015 to C$5.9 million from C$14.9 million in 2014, due primarily to costs associated with the opening of Billy Bishop Airport’s award-winning pedestrian tunnel, PortsToronto’s settlement with the City of Toronto on Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILTs) and studies related to the Porter Proposal.
Billy Bishop Airport continued to see ongoing success in 2015 serving 2.5 million passengers, up from 2.4 million in 2014, reflecting the airport’s continued managed growth policy. Billy Bishop Airport generated revenue of C$43.5 million, which included C$19.4 million in revenue from Airport Improvement Fees. The Port of Toronto experienced another strong year facilitating the delivery of more than 1.6 million metric tons of cargo from around the world directly into the heart of the city. The port and its activities reported operating income from all sources of C$1.5 million, up from C$1.2 million the year prior. The Outer Harbour Marina’s 2015 operating income remained at C$1.2 million on revenues of C$3.6 million, as PortsToronto continued to make important investments in this popular facility, including building a second heated, winter storage building for boats and opening a new retail store for food and supplies.
PortsToronto will hold its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, June 14 at the Fleck Dance Theatre in the Queen’s Quay Terminal, 207 Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario. Detailed financial statements are available here.


text:
Tech site Mashable is being sold to publishing giant Ziff Davis, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. The website, which focuses on tech and tech-related stories and has been publis
Amazon has finally brought its line of Alexa-powered Echo speakers to Canada. The release of Echo hardware has been long awaited by America’s northern neighbor, which could only watch and wait as Ec
Pronoun, a self-publishing service for authors, is shutting down after promising free ebook distribution for authors. The company, which raised millions in funding and ended up being sold to Macmillan
Tencent’s China Literature, an Amazon-like e-book business, is continuing the trend of Asian tech IPOs after it announced its public listing in Hong Kong will raise $1.06 billion on Wednesday. T
Kat Kinkead and Peter Weijmarshausen met at their old company, Shapeways. Weijmarshausen recently stepped down as CEO and was looking for something cool to do when he and Kinkead realized that the mos
The parent company of games giant Nexon has confirmed that it acquired Korea’s second largest cryptocurrency exchange, Korbit, in a deal that values it at just over $120 million. A spokesperson
In the year of the $1000 iPhone Amazon just announced a scattering of new gadgets and none cost more than $150. Essentially, Amazon said “screws the margins” and are selling everything as
This is one of the minor dangers of owning an Amazon Echo. Most anyone can activate the device by just saying the wake word, including Cartman. And in the season opener of South Park, that's exactly w
While Facebook prepares to offer readers a way to subscribe and pay for news directly from inside its app, the social network continues to tinker with how it presents publishers’ content else
Amazon has accused several book publishers, marketers and authors of using the Kindle Direct Publishing system to artificially inflate their sales numbers and has now filed for arbitration against the
Figuring out how to organize your marketing stack is almost like putting together a 1,000 piece blank jigsaw puzzle -- impossible.
E-books are a lot of things. Convenient. Good for the environment. Usually cheaper than printed books. One thing they're rarely accused of is being good-looking. Ugly books is what 180g is declaring w
I’ve been thinking a lot about retail these days and I’ve been connecting the dots between the seeming death of retailers like Ralph Lauren and the book industry. In short, we are feeling
Amazon Prime has driven growth for the e-commerce company for years now. But Amazon has traditionally been cagey about disclosing too many details regarding the popular service. In a 10-K filing sum
Mixed faces in Seattle today as Amazon delivered its Q4 2016 earnings. The e-commerce company reported lower than expected revenue of $43.74 with better than expected earnings per share of $1.54.
Google’s ongoing effort to fix its reputation in the world of publishing in Europe took another step forward today. The Digital News Initiative, a group formed by the search giant to explore,
It’s good news and bad news for the publishing industry. The good news is that print revenue was up 3.4 percent in April, primarily in trade paperbacks, with some solid grown in young adult prin
Another traditional media company has invested in an online property to help expand its digital footprint and capture the next generation of consumers. Refinery29 — the online publisher that,
A report from Science shows that academic paper piracy site Sci-Hub is not a niche product catering to cheapskates and isolated mad scientists: It's as popular as it is illegal, and its millions of us
In contrast to the more traditional top down, generally involving the sale to a CIO or VP, the bottoms up sales approach enable each employee to be a credit card carrying decision maker.


text:
Tech Stocks Pressured Through HolidaysBy Kathleen A. Martin | Print
Re-Imagining Linux Platforms to Meet the Needs of Cloud Service Providers
In the short Christmas trading week, trading of tech stocks for vendors, distributors and solution providers had few bright spots.
Technology stocks were down overall in the final week of trading for 2008. With just three days left until the New Year most companies are predicting a sluggish start to 2009 and minimal gains through the first half.
On Friday, Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) reported this was "the best holiday season" they had seen. The online retailer stated over 6.3 million items were ordered during the official holiday season. The same could be said for direct marketing retailer (DMR) Insight (NASDAQ: NSIT). The company who was recently named CA’s value-added reseller of the year was up 20 percent this week closing at $5.95.
Other DMR’s did not fare as well last week. PC Connection (NASDAQ: PCCC) and PC Mall (NASDAQ: MALL) were down 16 and 5 percent respectively.
Unisys (NYSE: UIS) offered pink slips as holiday gifts to 1,300 employees worldwide on December 23. Investors and analysts saw this as a positive move with Unisys stock gaining 33 percent but still closing well below a dollar at $0.72.
Polycom (NASDAQ: PLCM) the conference call equipment manufacturer dropped 11 percent this week on news of an earnings estimate cut by Wedbush Morgan. As Polycom continues to report record rollouts of equipment to companies such as Telstra, investors believe the competition from Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) and others will continue to put pressure on the manufacturer in an economy with waning demand.
Distributor Synnex (NYSE: SNX) continues to lead the pack with a 6 percent gain over the prior week. Arrow Electronics (NYSE: ARW) remained flat, Ingram Micro (NYSE: IM) dropped 2 percent and Tech Data (NASDAQ: TECD) noted a 5 percent loss.
Leading Technology Vendor Stocks
|Adobe Systems (ADBE)||22.13||21.08||-4.70%|
|Arrow Electronics (ARW)||17.85||17.85||0.00%|
|BMC Software (BMC)||26.36||26.21||-0.60%|
|Check Point (CHKP)||18.62||18.53||-0.50%|
|Cisco Systems (CSCO)||16.64||16.27||-2.20%|
|Citrix Systems (CTSX)||22.8||22.88||0.40%|
|Data Domain (DDUP)||18.78||18.45||-1.80%|
|Foundry Networks (FDRY)||16.66||16.66||0.00%|
|Ingram Micro (IM)||13.25||12.97||-2.10%|
|Juniper Networks (JNPR)||16.86||16.93||0.40%|
|Nortel Networks (NT)||0.22||0.27||22.70%|
|Red Hat (RHT)||12.37||13.13||6.10%|
|Research in Motion (RIMM)||42.83||40.85||-4.60%|
|Seagate Technology (STX)||4.55||4.16||-8.60%|
|Sun Microsystems (JAVA)||4.16||3.82||-8.20%|
|Tech Data (TECD)||18.02||17||-5.70%|
Leading Solution Provider Stocks
|BT Global Services||20.92||19.54||-6.60%|
|Citigroup Transaction Services||7.02||6.73||-4.10%|
|Insight North America||4.93||5.95||20.70%|
|NTT Data Corp||26.59||26.22||-1.40%|
|Tata Consultancy Services||513.2||472.1||-8.00%|


text:
Craig Rosenbaum | January 17, 2019 | Products Liability
When we think of dangerous products, things like toys or appliances usually come to mind.
However, a new lawsuit is aiming to add digital products into the mix. But how can something without a physical product be harmful?
How apps can harm
The app in question is dating app Grindr. A New York man claims the app allowed his ex-boyfriend to create several profiles to stalk and harass him. The ex allegedly sent strangers to his work and his home address over a dozen times.
The man filed multiple police complaints and reached out to the developers of Grindr but the harassment continued. In 2017, the man filed a suit alleging that by releasing the app without protections against harassment or bullying, Grindr’s parent company had negligently created a dangerous product.
Grindr has said that the suit unfairly skirts free-speech laws and that they handle harassment on a case-by-case basis. Can an app be considered a product?
Redefining product liability
Traditionally, product liability has been used to protect consumers from dangerous physical products. Victims of defective products that had entered the marketplace could target them with these lawsuits. Product liability helps mitigate the damages caused and help keep consumers safe.
Is an app that has no physical presence a liability? That’s the question that a federal appeals court will try to answer in the upcoming months.
If the case moves forward, customers may be able to hold app developers to the same standards as physical manufacturers.
Protecting consumers from further harm
Product liability helps protect people from harmful products. Safety should be the top priority of all products. If something isn’t meeting those standards, a skilled attorney can help hold its company accountable.
If a negligent product has injured you or someone you know, it’s important to prevent others from suffering in the same way.


text:
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
– Long-time Tim McGraw producer Byron Gallimore and music industry veteran Jim Wilkes today announced the launch of a new Nashville-based record label, Streamsound Records.
The label, which officially formed in fall 2011, also announced that it has inked an exclusive distribution deal with Sony Music Nashville.
Streamsound Records will be focused on an artist development strategy that will see the release of one artist at a time. The first, Jaida Dreyer, who has been nurtured by Gallimore over the past few years, will release her debut single this March. She is based in Nashville.
Gallimore, who has produced or co-produced nearly 50 number hits with the likes of McGraw, Faith Hill, Sugarland, Martina McBride and Lauren Alaina, will serve as the label's creative visionary. Wilkes, who has also worked with Gallimore on various publishing and management ventures, will oversee Streamsound's business operations.
"I've been interested in starting a label focused on and dedicated to developing artists," said Gallimore. "The intent is to work with and nurture them - to give them the time that is needed to hone their craft. This business is all about great songs, talent, passion and drive. I really do believe that we've found all of that in Jaida."
"At the end of the day, this business is all about the talent and the people that you have supporting that talent," said Wilkes. "We intend to create a culture that takes the time needed to combine good old fashioned hard work with a strong creative business strategy."
Streamsound has begun to form a team of individuals who collectively will bring decades of experience in off line marketing, digital and social media marketing and sales strategies and radio promotion.


text:
ScottishPower has announced from today all new domestic fixed price tariffs will use 100% renewable energy that will be sourced entirely from its own wind farms.
This will mean that all of the power generated by the company’s wind farms will be used exclusively by its domestic and commercial customers. Money made from the tariff will be reinvested into new renewable generation, allowing investment in renewables to grow alongside customers.
Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower, said the company was in a “unique” position in being able to make the tariff offering, as the UK’s only end-to-end provider.
“This new approach builds on this investment and shows how we’re finding new ways to speed up the drive to net zero in the UK.
“With an increasing number of green tariffs in the market, it’s important that consumers understand how ‘green’ their tariff is in terms of supporting the UK renewables industry. This isn’t about playing games with bits of paper or certificates. This is the real deal – customers buying energy from renewable sources and helping us to build even more.”
The company is hoping that the move will set it apart from other 100% renewable tariffs that rely on Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin certificates (REGOs).
“My concern is that too many customers think they’re buying renewable electricity, when all they’re buying is a renewable certificate. Today, we’re calling time on this so-called ‘greenwashing,’” continued Anderson.
“Unlike some competitor offerings that simply buy up green certificates and don’t actually purchase the related renewable electricity, ScottishPower customers can be confident that their electricity comes from renewable sources, with all the electricity supplied from our UK-based windfarms.”


text:
Jury Awards $3.27 Million in Bellwether Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuit
By Zac Pingle, Staff Writer
Recently, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 2014 verdict that awarded $3.27 million to a plaintiff who suffered from adverse effects after receiving a transvaginal mesh implant. The company that designed and manufactured the defective mesh device, Ethicon, argued to have the Court rescind the verdict based on several arguments.
The Use of Comment K
Ethicon argued that it was not liable for the plaintiff’s injuries based on the language used in Comment K of the American Law Institute’s Restatements. This Comment specifically states, “There are some products which, in the present state of human knowledge, are quite incapable of being made safe for their intended and ordinary use.” However, the Fourth Circuit disagreed with this assertion, seeing that the jury could have reasonably found that Ethicon’s Tension-Free Vaginal Tape-Obturator (TVT-O) design caused the device to be needlessly unsafe, based on expert testimony.
In his testimony, an associate professor of chemical engineering from Vanderbilt University stated, “the body recognizes [the material in pelvic mesh] as a foreign material and… will continue to attack it in this way until it’s removed or destroyed or it’s gone.” A former Ethicon employee also claimed that the polypropylene used in the pelvic mesh may contribute to medical complications, and that another lightweight material could be used to reduce the potential for injury.
Thus, the Court found that, “A reasonable jury could conclude from this expert testimony that Ethicon’s use of a heavyweight quantity of polypropylene mesh in the TVT-O constituted a design defect.”
Ethicon’s other main argument was that, since the product was approved by the FDA via the the 501(k) process in 2003, the court which presided over the case in 2014 erred by retracting this evidence. This process allows a company to receive market approval for a medical device if the device is “substantially equivalent” to another device that is currently approved, which also allows the company to skip submission of clinical data of its device. The Fourth Circuit sided with this decision, as the 501(k) process only considers safety based on a previous product, known as a predict.
Since 2014, the FDA has reclassified pelvic mesh devices as a “high risk” product, and is no longer eligible for approval through the 501(k) process.
The Real Danger of Pelvic Mesh Devices
The plaintiff in this case sued Ethicon in 2012, after receiving three different surgeries to correct the issues caused by the TVT-O device. Surgeons found that the device had completely eroded on the right side during the third surgery, and the plaintiff still experiences pelvic pain as a result. The jury awarded the plaintiff $3.07 million in damages, and another $200,000 for loss of consortium.
The Fourth Circuit concluded that the plaintiff “offered sufficient evidence to sustain the jury’s verdict and the district court committed no reversible error. Accordingly, we affirm.”
This case is only one in thousands involving defective pelvic mesh devices that are being used to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The side effects associated with pelvic mesh devices can be debilitating, and include:
Severe pelvic pain
Device migration and/or erosion
Pain during sexual intercouse
This case, in particular, has set a precedent to prove liability in pelvic mesh mass tort cases, and many other similar cases are expected to be heard in the near future.


text:
Ritson and Hegarty endorse effectiveness of cinema in new global campaign
Well-known experts in advertising and marketing have come together to back a new global campaign raising awareness of the power of cinema for brands, including Marketing Week columnist Mark Ritson and advertising legend Sir John Hegarty.
Launched by SAWA, the global cinema advertising association, the ‘#HelloBigScreen’ campaign includes a three-minute film featuring vignettes with the likes of Ritson and Hegarty, which will run in cinemas. It will also include multiple social media campaigns across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to reach marketers, moviegoers and agencies.
“We should remember, after this year or two away from cinema, the power of this incredible medium. Most importantly of all its emotional payload that is unlike any other,” Ritson says during the film.
Hegarty adds: “It’s a palace of dreams…Where your imagination is set free. In that sense it is completely unique in a world of distraction.”
Joining Ritson and Hegarty are Corinne Woods, director of communications at the United Nations World Food Programme, Brazilian art director Marcello Serpa, Mark Tutssel, the former global creative officer of ad agency Leo Burnett, and Rosie Arnold, the former executive creative director of BBH London.
The campaign is a first for SAWA, which was established more than 68 years ago and represents cinema advertising globally, with more than 75 members in 38 countries. The membership body is comprised of global cinema advertising companies who sell the medium of cinema, including Digital Cinema Media (DCM) and Pearl & Dean in the UK, as well as research companies and tech businesses.Advertisers flood back to cinema as latest Bond film breaks records
Some 33 countries are participating in the campaign, including the UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, South Africa and the US
“This is such an important campaign for our industry,” say Pearl & Dean’s CEO Kathryn Jacob and DCM’s CEO Karen Stacey in a dual statement. “Not only does it highlight the resilience of the cinema medium, but it also celebrates the enthusiasm and love that the industry, creatives and consumers continue to have for cinema, as well as its effectiveness as an advertising platform.”
SAWA’s CEO, Cheryl Wannell, adds: “As the pandemic hit, leading Hollywood film directors stood up and endorsed the power of cinema over all other screens. It is therefore great to see that the ad legends of our business have done the same, as it relates to the power of the cinema medium as the ultimate place for brands to appear.”
The UK box office was unsurprisingly devastated in 2020 as the pandemic forced cinemas to shutter, decimating total revenues for the year by 76% – down to £296.7m from £1.25bn – and breaking a sequence dating back to 2011 of the UK box office taking a minimum of £1bn, according to the UK Cinema Association. Admissions for the same year were down 75% to 43.9 million.
Cinema ad spend in 2020 amounted to just £45.7m, a decline of 80% compared to 2019, according to Statista. Meanwhile, figures from the Ad Association/Warc expenditure report reveal spend on cinema was down -100% year-on-year over the first quarter of 2021.
However, the report forecasts that in 2021 as a whole cinema ad spend will bounce back by 315.6%, compared to 2020. Indeed, since cinemas reopened in the UK in May, audience numbers have hit 45 million admissions across the industry, fuelled by the launch of much-anticipated films such as No Time To Die, the latest film in the James Bond franchise.
Advertiser demand to be featured alongside Daniel Craig’s last outing as 007 has been “extremely high”, Digital Cinema Media (DCM) has said, with a record number of forward bookings and brands looking to take advantage of the commercial opportunities associated with the film.