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In keeping with the need to treasure hunt for a kaleidoscope of personalities, who will be the next big thing, as the new year brings rays of hope, the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), is coming up with the #GetNoticed model hunt.
This is being done, in association with Wilderbee Talent Camp (WTC), by supermodel Lakshmi Rana.
The FDCI and WTC will initiate the process with online applications from aspiring models. Interestingly, to break the mould of perceived “perfection”, it will be inclusive. So whether you are regular, petite, plus-size, or transgender, everyone is welcome to apply.
The fortunate 15 new faces will be selected from online applications and invited to the FDCI Office to undergo an intensive training module designed by Lakshmi Rana. This in-depth program will be conducted over three days, during the first week of February, and conclude with a jury on the fourth day.
Three models will be selected from the 15 shortlisted ones, who will get a chance to strut on the coveted India Fashion Week runway.
“The FDCI has always been a thought leader, we believe in not just discovering talent, but also nurturing it to touch the summit. As the world is opening up to limitless possibilities, we have chosen a way that reaches out to millions, aspiring to realize their embellished dreams. Wilderbee Talent Camp by Lakshmi Rana is one of the first all-inclusive training camps and we feel confident that this intensive training by her will be of immense value to the newcomers,” says FDCI Chairman Sunil Sethi.


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Welcome to the PaymentsSource Morning Briefing, delivered daily. The information you need to start your day, including top headlines from PaymentsSource and around the Web:
A bigger Atlas: Like most payment gateways, Stripe has been diversifying to deepen client relationships, and that includes the development of Atlas, a service that launched in 2016 as a pilot program to enable internet businesses outside the U.S. to incorporate in the States, receive a bank account and a tax ID number for a fee of $500. The service has been successful enough for Stripe to expand it to U.S. startups. It's also working with Silicon Valley Bank, one of Stripe's Atlas collaborators, to reduce the time to obtain an account to a few minutes from a few days. Stripe is also allowing members to invite new startups, expanded its network of investors and accelerators and has created a member's forum. "Thousands" of startups in more than 120 countries have used Atlas in the past year, according to Stripe.
Steelworkers for 'faster payments': In Canada, legislation is advancing that would require project stakeholders take appropriate steps to ensure faster payments for contractors and subcontractors tied to government projects, in which more than 10% of the payments are past due, according to government estimates. This bill doesn't require same-day processing, but it does dramatically tighten windows for a range of business and supplier payments. That could spur more payments automation and adoption of technology that integrates B-to-B payments with enterprise resource planning software as payment cycle times shorten. But it could also provide a potential boost to the country's steel industry. The Canadian Institute of Steel Construction is lobbying in Ottawa for the bill's passage, saying the bill will introduce billions of dollars into the construction industry because of faster processing, which would enable steel companies to hire more workers and invest in training and skills development. In a recent interview with PaymentsSource, Javelin Strategy & Research payments analyst Michael Moeser said governments and businesses were among the last vestiges of paper-based payments, along with rental properties. It's partly because of inertia, and partly because of the float that slower check payments provide.
End of the road for swipe cards?: After years of squabbling, technology delays, and huge IT investments, the U.S. EMV migration may have a target date for maturity, or at least a date in which nearly all transactions will involve non-magnetic stripe cards. Glenbrook Partners estimates 81% of credit cards and 46% of debit cards in the U.S. are now chip cards, and 90% of all transactions will be chip card-enabled within the next three years. Furthermore, The Strawhecker Group said more than half of U.S. merchants are now enabled to accept chop payments. There are other signs that the chip card migration is starting to plateau, such as declining earnings for EMV-related sales by payment processors.
Virtual prepaid: Mobile commerce technology provider Cellum has launched a new financial inclusion effort that enables users to access an open loop virtual prepaid account through a smartphone. Called Connected Card, the app enables online, Masterpass and Near Field Communication purchases, as well as P-to-P transfers. Users install a smartphone app and then sign up for the service, immediately receiving a virtual prepaid card which can be used for standard bank transactions. The app is designed to ease access to digital transactions for people who do not have a bank account, and are often required to make "digital purchases" by exchanging cash at local stores through third-party online payment services.
From the Web (powered by Wiser)
US mobile payments projected to grow 80 percent by 2020
Payments Cards & Mobile • Adam Unsworth
Although the mobile wallet ecosystem is maturing, in-store mobile payments have yet to take off. Consumer disinterest, coupled with delays in fully implementing the necessary infrastructure, are preventing mobile wallets from achieving mainstream adoption. While neither US merchants nor consumers have yet...
Asia-Pacific Online Payment Methods: Full Year 2016 - Research and Markets
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Asia-Pacific Online Payment Methods: Full Year 2016" report to their offering. Asia-Pacific Online Payment Methods: Full Year 2016, reveals the evolving payment preferences of online shoppers in the vast region. Among other…
Challenges of double Payments in SAP
SAP Blogs • Colin Thomas
More from PaymentsSource
After Grab wiped out cash, it needed a way to bring it back
Singapore-based ride-sharing company Grab is looking to expand its reach in Indonesia through its acquisition of Kudo, an e-commerce platform for unbanked consumers who would be unable to use Grab's own digital payment platform.
Congress should reject the CFPB's prepaid card rule
One reason why the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has engendered such controversy is because it was set up on a false premise.
Net Element extends Apple Pay to Russia via PayOnline
Net Element Inc., a global payments processor with offices in Miami and Moscow, has extended support for Apple Pay to Russian consumers via its PayOnline subsidiary.
Visa Checkout adds Walmart and other new merchants
Walmart still has no Near Field Communication technology to support mobile payments in its 4,000-plus U.S. stores, but it’s added Visa Checkout as an e-commerce option, joining many new merchants that now support Visa’s streamlined checkout process.

domain: news


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Oculus is hedging its bets that an adorable critter named Henry can help convince consumers—and Hollywood—about the viability of virtual reality as a storytelling medium.
Move over Tinder—a crop of dating apps in smartphone-addicted Asia is offering to recruit friends for group dates or send along a chaperone to steer the course of romance.
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba will invest $1.0 billion in its cloud computing arm to expand its international presence, the company said Wednesday, as it looks outside its core business and beyond traditional markets.
We all struggle to make a decision to do something now that will be good for us later on. It takes self-control and is amazingly easy to subvert. Getting fit, eating less, studying more, and many similar plans, are made, ...
In the age of Apple's CarPlay, a lot of cars on the road still have tape decks.
Snapchat has replaced Yahoo and Warner Music Group with iHeartRadio and Buzzfeed on the list of about a dozen media organizations that get a big opportunity to generate revenue through the popular entertainment app.
The first Android mobile application that can automatically detect gel electrophoresis bands and accurately measure their size has been developed by A*STAR researchers.
Pandora fans can now listen to a full hour of music uninterrupted by ads - if they agree to watch or interact with an advertisement first.
Some 15 percent of American adults are not using the Internet—a figure which has not changed over the past two years, researchers said Tuesday.
A century ago, Switzerland decided to electrify its railways. Out went coal, coal pollution and energy dependency. Today, what about switching all our cars over to electricity? The air would be cleaner, but what would be ...


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How you can help
April 3, 2020
The United Way of Carlton County created an emergency fund called the COVID-19 Local Relief Fund. The purpose of this fund is to provide immediate support for Carlton County residents who need basic, everyday survival items by sending grocery cards through the mail.
To donate, text UWCARLTON to 41444 or visit the website. The office is not open to the public but it is accepting grocery cards through the mail at United Way of Carlton County, PO Box 250, Cloquet MN 55720.
Those requesting help should call 218-879-8404.
The Salvation Army operates a food shelf at its Cloquet location on 316 Carlton Avenue. While the thrift store is currently closed because of the threat of COVID-19 transmission, the food shelf is still serving people who need help.
While grocery donations to the food shelf are much appreciated, cash donations are even more helpful, because the food shelf purchases many of its food items through the Second Harvest Food Bank. According to Second Harvest, for every $1 donated, they can secure and distribute food for five meals to people facing hunger by working directly with farmers, wholesalers, packers, shippers and retail partners.
According to Joanne Lee, service extension director for the Salvation Army Northern Division, the local food shelf also needs paper goods such as toilet paper and paper towels, as well as other items in short supply since the pandemic started. Donations stay in the area where they are made, Lee said. Call 651-746-3407 to find out more about the Salvation Army’s programs.
The Salvation Army food shelf is open for those in need on Tuesdays from 8:30-11:20 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. It’s a drive-through service for now.
Moose Lake and Cromwell also have food shelf locations.
Support your favorite dining establishment by ordering delivery, carryout or curbside pickup.
The Cloquet Community Clean Up page says people out walking should pick up trash along the way. Keep your social distance and wear gloves. Trash pickup pictures may be posted online.


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Google is popular for its acquisitions, with plenty of money to spend and no fear to scoop up companies that will put the search engine giant further ahead of where it is now. In the last six months, Google has acquired cloud training startup Qwiklabs, monetized image search company Undecidable Labs, Android emulator for PC company LeapDroid, digital marketing agency FameBit, location-based analytics company Urban Engines, API management provider Apigee, cloud commerce company Orbitera, machine learning startup Moodstocks, Kifi, and live video startup Anvato, among others. Well, according to direct sources, Google will add another company to its portfolio to improve its performance in the wearables market.
According to an announcement by the Cronologics team, the company has been acquired by Google for an undisclosed amount. While we don't know many details about the acquisition, Cronologics seems to assume that its acquisition by Google has something to do with growing Android Wear's smartwatch lineup:
We started Cronologics in 2014 as a platform for smart, diverse smartwatches. Today, we're excited to announce the next phase of our journey -- we are joining Google to help grow the portfolio of watches powered by Android Wear. We see strong alignment with Android Wear's mission and look forward to working with our new colleagues at Google to continue pushing the frontier of wearable technology and smartwatches with Android Wear 2.0 and beyond.
The company doesn't say anything about what will happen to the CoWatch, its smartwatch announced earlier this year. As for Google, the search engine giant is planning a nice rollout of Android Wear 2.0 in Q1 2017 with two new Pixel smartwatches (codenamed Angelfish and Swordfish) that will, in all likelihood, feature voice command at the forefront (Google's latest-generation smartphones, the Pixel and Pixel XL, feature Google's new AI, Google Assistant).
Google is in need of something to kickstart its wearables platform. Just two years in, and Google is having trouble sustaining interest. Samsung has decided not to make another Android Wear smartwatch (despite claims it's not done with AW just yet), Huawei is seeking to do business with Samsung to have more control over its UI and software on its smartwatches as opposed to its current situation within Android Wear, Motorola is exiting the smartwatch market for now and has decided not to make new hardware on an annual basis, and Sony hasn't invested in Android Wear since its first AW smartwatch, the Smartwatch 3, in 2014. ASUS is the only one having made a smartwatch recently running Android Wear.
LG intends to make 4 new smartwatches next year, but with the Korean manufacturer planning to have "Watch Pay" running on its smartwatches that features the same MST technology Samsung is using for Samsung Pay on the Gear S2 and Gear S3, it appears as though LG won't be using Android Pay on the wrist (Android Pay runs NFC only, no MST). So with that said, it appears as though LG may make Android Wear watches next year, and ASUS will be on board with the ZenWatch 3 (and perhaps a ZenWatch 4), but Sony, Motorola, and Samsung are pretty much out.
Huawei is restless at this point and has seen its first-gen. men's and women's watches running AW pushed out the Google Store recently. Whether there'll be followup successors is anyone's guess.
At this point, Google could use some saving, but I'm not sure Chronologics is the solution.


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Shopify Inc., a leading global commerce company, has launched a new OOH campaign via Chello and iPROSPECT, encouraging both businesses and consumers to meet the brands reimagining retail.
The campaign, Reimagine Retail, is a celebration of Australian brands that have disrupted retail with innovative products and cutting-edge e-commerce strategies — and they’re doing it all on Shopify.
Featuring an inbuilt QR code functionality on all assets, the campaign comes to life, delighting those who scan with the ability to meet Australian brands who have reimagined retail, and then shop their stores — from anywhere on any device.
>Although the campaign was originally designed for a pre-lockdowned Australia, Shopify was keen to proceed as a show of support for its more than 100,000 merchants in Australia. Some of Shopify’s customers featured in the visual assets of the campaign include Go-To Skin Care, frank green, MAAP, and Who Gives a Crap.
Says Robin Marchant, head of marketing APAC at Shopify: “We wanted a campaign which celebrates and showcases local, independent businesses, who are the backbone of Australia’s entrepreneurial economy.
“At Shopify, we power more than 100,000 Australian retail businesses to launch, run and grow by making it possible to sell to anyone, anywhere. Every day, we’re inspired by our merchants as they reimagine the possibilities of retail, and we can’t wait to see what the next generation of budding entrepreneurs will do with the exciting, evolving retail space.”
Says Tristan Velasco, creative director and co-founder at brand and content agency Chello: “Working with Shopify made two things clear to us. One, that they’re merchant obsessed, and two, they help a long list of innovative, Australian brands redefine retail. It was a no-brainer that these brands would be the heart of our campaign. With so many businesses being hit hard by these latest lockdowns, it’s an exciting time to demonstrate the resilience and willpower of Australian brands on Shopify that have truly reimagined retail.”
Says Sam Cousins, chief strategy officer, iPROSPECT: “We recognise more and more in our business that every media touchpoint is a commerce opportunity. It’s great to have Shopify on board with us to help drive this forward through our partnership with Chello.”
The campaign will run out of home, digital out of home, programmatic and digital.
Agency credits – Chello
Creative Director – Tristan Velasco
Design Director – Eeuwout ‘Dutchy’ Baart & Sophie Taylor
Designer – Natalie Wong, Becky Gillis, Rebecca Odey
Finished Artist – Mick Tonello
Copywriter – Celina Siriyos
Strategy Director – David Coupland
Senior Account Director – Christina Knox
Senior Account Manager – Gabi Atchison
Producer – Ceri Jones
Production Assistant – Lauren Barrett
Music Supervisor & Sound Engineer – Shea Bennett
3D Motion Designer – Sean Pointing, Guy Robinson, Joel Stylis & Miles Hellyer
Senior Motion Designer – Mark Kilroy
Motion Designer – William Nghiem
Agency credits – iPROSPECT
General Manager: Marcelle Gomez
Chief Strategy Officer: Sam Cousins
Group Investment Director: Nicola Barnes
Client Partner: Sam Bremner
Senior Client Manager: Florence Horwich


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Interweave, the multi-craft publishing company that’s been a part of F+W since 2012, announced an “updated and reinvigorated” Interweave with the launch of a redesigned website.
At the same time, the company announced a merger with Patternworks, an online fiber arts company that also produced a mail-order catalog. Visiting the Patternworks website now brings up news about the merger with an Interweave URL.
The former daily websites and blogs have been recast under the Interweave name (so KnittingDaily.com no longer goes to that URL but to interweave.com/knitting). Each of the major categories Interweave publishes content about — knitting, crochet, beading, jewelry, spinning, weaving and needlework — has its own section, as well as a shop, which includes Interweave patterns and products as well as yarn and other items that would have been sold by Patternworks.
It’s not clear whether the daily updates from each of those former sites will continue, but the Patternworks post mentions “high quality content being published multiple times a day.”
I think this is an interesting strategy and I’m not sure what it means for the company, though diversifying their offerings with the connection to Patternworks seems like a good plan. I’d love to know what you think!


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Some investors are taking dangerous risks to get into cryptocurrencies.
Roughly 18 percent of people who buy bitcoin use a credit card to do so, according to a new survey by loan marketplace LendEDU. Of those, 20 percent have not paid off their balance. The phrase "buy bitcoin with credit" has been trending on Google for weeks.
Joseph Borg, president of the North American Securities Administrators Association, a voluntary organization devoted to investor protection, said he often hears of people who've made financial sacrifices to own cryptocurrencies.
Some are relatively benign: People who have transferred a portion of their money from stocks or mutual funds. But he also hears from people who have gone into credit card debt or taken out home equity loans on their house.
That impulse is somewhat understandable in today's economic setting, he said.
"We've inundated everyone with the idea that most Americans don't have enough in savings â that they don't have enough to retire," Borg said. "People want to make it up with anything they can. What else is being as hyped as cryptocurrency?"
But the risky investment can leave people in even deeper arrears, said Joshua Fairfield, a bitcoin specialist at the Washington and Lee School of Law.
"People are maxing out their credit cards because they think it's going to make them a lot of money," said Fairfield. "They've been right enough that people are now making ever more risky investments in cryptocurrencies."
However, bitcoin should be treated like any other uncertain investment, Fairfield said.
"I'd trust it less than Apple stock and probably more than some other members on the New York Stock Exchange," he said, laughing.
People should never jeopardize an asset as safe as their house for volatile cryptocurrencies, Fairfield said. Instead, holding on to safer investments can leave room for some risks with other assets.
Another problem with going into debt for cryptocurrencies is that people will have to pay back their debt before they see sufficient returns, said Erika Safran, founder of Safran Wealth Advisors. That may require tapping other resources, potentially creating further financial trouble.
"If you can stay on for long enough, I believe you will be rewarded," Safran said about cryptocurrencies. "But in the short-term, you may not realize those funds you need to pay your credit card."
Plus, there's no promise of profit. At least some cryptocurrencies may soon be worth nothing â leaving people in a pickle, Borg said.
"Bitcoin has no underlying value," he said. "If next month everyone decides bitcoin is passe and everyone moves to ripple, bitcoin goes to zero. Now you have more credit card debt, and what are you going to do with it?"
The misuse of debt with cryptocurrencies has some frightening parallels to the 2008 housing crisis, said Angela Walch, an associate professor at St. Mary's University School of Law who studies cryptocurrences.
"People took on debt â mortgages â with the expectation that house prices were only going to go up," Walch said. "When the bubble popped, housing prices actually fell, and people's assets weren't enough to cover the debt they owed."
"We've seen how using debt to buy speculative investments can be problematic," she said. "The consequences were dire."
More from Personal Finance:Bitcoin, once 'sketchy,' becomes more mainstream Some cryptocurrency-backed debit cards dropped from Visa network, leaving users scrambling Bitcoin is too risky to treat as a 'serious' investment, financial advisers say
Bitcoin Had a Strange Week. Does It Matter?
Bitcoin was supposed to kill Western Union — that hasn't happened – Yahoo Finance
all 14 news articlesÂ Â»
Venezuela Blasts 'False' White Paper for Oil-Backed Cryptocurrency
Venezuela's government is pushing back against what it calls "false information" in connection with a purported white paper tied to its planned oil-backed cryptocurrency.
While the South American n
Prominent crypto critic calls bitcoin a ‘bubble’ and says go to Vegas if you want to gamble
Retailer Overstock mixed up bitcoin and bitcoin cash, letting customers buy items at a steep discount
A serious payment glitch on retail website Overstock.com, which sells everything from furniture to diamond rings, allowed customers to pay with either bitcoin or bitcoin cash interchangeably. It's a
OKCoin Eyes Cryptocurrency Exchange Launch in South Korea
Cryptocurrency exchange OKCoin is reportedly moving to launch in South Korea – possibly as soon as next month.
According to The Korea Times, the Beijing-based firm is eyeing a partnership with NHN
Bulgaria Joins 'International Operation' Against OneCoin
The Bulgarian Special Prosecutor's Office is involved in a wide-ranging, international investigation into companies and persons behind the digital currency investment scheme OneCoin, which has been wi
Report: India's Government Sends Tax Notices to Cryptocurrency Traders
India's government has reportedly sent tax notices to cryptocurrency traders and investors following a nationwide survey.
According to Reuters, a survey found that Indian citizens conducted more th


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May 11, 2020
Who is the legal consumer of the 21st Century?
The Age of the Consumer is here. In the past 10 years, technological development has empowered consumers and enabled them to be a driving force of innovation in almost every industry. While some believe that increased focus data is the main characteristic of the digital transformation, others argue that it is, in fact, the emphasis on customer satisfaction. For example, Bain & Company has announced the shareholder primacy era over and encouraged the Firm of the Future to adapt to a more service-oriented economy with higher customer expectations. Research from Deloitte also shows that customer-centric companies were 60% more profitable compared to their shareholder-focused competitors.
Suddenly, buzzwords like customer-centricity, client-driven innovation, or customer success management are used by everyone. Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group said that: “Customers are No. 1, employees are No. 2, and shareholders are No. 3,” while SAP CEO Bill McDermott has stated that: “We're in the midst of a customer-driven growth revolution in which every single company is going through digital transformation”. However, most law firms seem to consider themselves immune to the concept of client-centricity. They regard their profession as too complicated to be defined by consumers and they still measure their success in partner equity.
All that is going to change if one is to believe Mark A. Cohen who is a passionate advocate for increased client-centricity in the legal industry. The former trial lawyer, BigLaw partner and founder of a multi-city litigation boutique is now CEO of the legal business consultancy Legal Mosaic as well as regular Forbes contributor, author of the excellent Essays on Legal Transformation, and international speaker and thought leader. In other words, Mark Cohen is a global colossus who is truly fit to be part of the Global Thought-leaders of Legal Innovation series.
Legal Tech Weekly has, therefore, spoken with him to learn his views on the client-centric movement in the legal industry, and to find out who is the legal consumer of the 21st Century?
Who is the legal consumer of the 21st Century?
What is the concept of client-centricity, and why has become so important?
To explain client-centricity in the context of the legal industry, one should start by looking at its traditional focus which has been lawyer-centric. Lawyers have been the ones who defined what legal work is. They have created a self-regulated industry where the legal profession has systematically prevented other professionals and paraprofessionals from engaging in what lawyers define as legal work. They have also constructed rules that largely prevent other professions, or as lawyers like to say, non-lawyers, from owning law firms. Law has historically taken a very insular, inward focus. Let's pivot to today, and what client-centricity means. In the last decade, since the global financial crisis, what we are beginning to see is that clients/ legal buyers are beginning to exercise their might. Lawyers may have certain differentiated expertise that only they are equipped to handle, for example, high stakes M&A work or representation before tribunals. The UK calls this ”regulated activities.” But there are many more functions that others in the legal supply chain can do. Also, machines are increasingly able to do some of these functions. So client-centricity today is a focus on what does the client need and who are the appropriate recourses to satisfy those needs.
But these rules were created to protect the legal consumer?
That was the rationale, yes. However, let's take the United States as an example. How are those rules protecting consumers when the data shows that 85 % of Americans, even when they are in dire need of legal services, can't afford them or are effectively denied access to them? That number is 67 % when it comes to businesses. So, I don't think you can argue that rules are protecting consumers when the net impact of those rules is to deny most prospective legal consumers access to legal service.
You mentioned the financial crisis as a tipping point. What impact has that event had?
It's actually a trinity of factors. The financial crisis was one, acceleration of technology was a second and globalisation was a third. With the financial crisis, businesses across all industries became more efficient, cost-effective, and customer-centric. This filtered into the legal industry as well because the law was never before required to be financially accountable. Lawyers could charge what they wanted. They had the leverage over clients but post-financial crisis that pendulum started to swing. Likewise, technology became a greater change agent after the financial crisis. Go back to 2007 - social media was in its infancy, a lot of the large tech companies like Facebook and Google were neophytes, Amazon was bleeding red ink, Uber barely hit the road, and Airbnb wasn't really up and running. You had all these new tech-enabled business models which were really customer-centric that came into being in the last decade. Then finally there is globalisation. Technology has accelerated globalisation and that has two facets. One is labour arbitrage and sourcing a growing list of low-value/high-volume tasks to lower-cost jurisdictions. Likewise, technology enables remote resources to work in a far more agile fashion. You these elements together and one is left to wonder, how can lawyers think that they are immune from the changes affecting every other industry?
So the legal demand has changed. What does the modern legal consumer want?
As recently as 10 years ago, it's fair to say that law firms remained the dominant provider source in the legal industry. But over the past 10 years, you have had a significant migration of work that was once performed exclusively by a law firm that is now done inhouse by corporate legal departments or by other legal service providers. They are often referred to as alternative legal service providers. I don't like the term ”alternative because it suggests these providers are fringe or less qualified than law firms. There is a growing consumer recognition that there is the practice of law, which is narrowing, and the the business of law or legal service delivery which is expanding rapidly. As a consequence, what you are seeing is a p proliferation of providers with different delivery models better aligned with clients. Law used to be exclusively about lawyers and legal expertise. Today, legal delivery is a stool supported by three legs: legal, business, and technological expertise. Legal consumers recognise that there are different resources and skillsets required to do different aspects of legal delivery. Law is not just about lawyers anymore. It's equally about technologists, data analysts, project managers and a whole raft of other professionals with multidisciplinary skilllsets.
You have said that the legal industry is too fixated on ‘innovation,’ not its outcome-customer satisfaction. Do you have any practical advice on how to change that?
Look at businesses focus on to see how they are doing. Number one is their bottom line. And if they are a public company, how is the market perceiving them? But equally important to business today is Net Promoter Score: how likely are consumers to recommend them to others? The promoter score is something that law firms don't pay much attention to. There is a recent Cambridge University business study conducted on large law firms in the UK that concluded large law firms had one of the lowest net promoter scores of any type of provider in any industry. The legal industry has a lot of improvement to make in terms of customer satisfaction.
Going back to your question; what are customers looking for? They are looking for more data-driven solutions. Lawyers have been famous, if not infamous, for speaking from their gut as opposed to relying on data. Trial work is all about evidence and proof, and yet, rather than having proof derived from data, lawyers prefer to talk about war stories or what’s in their belly. Clients want data-driven recommendations. They want answers to questions, not legal briefs. They want solutions to business challenges, not narrow, one-dimensional legal answers. Law is only one in a constellation of factors and variables that go towards making an informed business judgement. So increasingly clients are looking for multidisciplinary, holistic counsel as opposed to just legal advice. Obviously, clients are looking for value, speed in terms of response time and, ultimately, they are looking for a better customer-experience. If you look at numerous surveys, you will find that lawyers don't fare well with client communication. There’s more than a bit of irony to that.
The legal industry seems to be doing fine nevertheless. When will this manifest for real?
As my good friend Richard Susskind said about a decade ago: It's hard to tell a room full of millionaires that their business model is broken. A lot of managing partners from major law firms will tell me privately that they agree the model is broken. But you have to understand that a lot of legal buyers and general counsel grew up in a culture where it is more important not to make a mistake than it is to innovate. There is this entrenched conservatism and cultural hangover that is prevalent among many general counsel. But you are certainly seeing a growing number of them that are getting increasing pressure from the C-suite to do things differently. Particularly as companies engage in digital transformation. That is going to accelerate the pressure on the legal function to operate differently--not just in terms of cost but more importantly in a paradigmatic shift in what clients expects from the legal function.


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Let’s face it. SEGA will never make a Sonic game as good as the originals (or Generations). This means we’ll have to continue replaying the
Day: Jul 25, 2022
Just like that, season one of Netflix’s new much-anticipated live-action adaption of the Resident Evil franchise is here. While we’re excited to hunker down and
You’ll now be able to jump into your Xbox Series X/S games five seconds quicker thanks to a new boot speed improvement on the console.
Developer BlueTwelve Studio and publisher Annapurna Interactive’s cat adventure game Stray is now the highest user-rated game on Steam for 2022. The game is currently
Hisense South Africa hosted its 2022 virtual product launch last week where the company detailed the latest lineup of TVs and laser displays to hit
MultiVersus, the upcoming pop culture brawler from Warner Bros. Games, is slowly trickling new characters arriving while others are being leaked via datamining. Before the


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NEW DELHI: Smartphone maker Realme has already confirmed that it will launch the new Narzo series smartphones — Narzo 30 5G and Narzo 30 — in India on June 24.
Recently, Realme India CEO Madhav Sehth confirmed some of the details about the upcoming smartphones. Now Flipkart has confirmed the availability of the two smartphones.
Walmart-owned Flipkart has created a microsite revealing some specifications of the smartphones. As per the Flipkart listing, the Realme Narzo 30 5G will be powered by MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G processor, while the 4G variant will be powered by MediaTek Helio G95 chipset.
The smartphones will feature a full HD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate. The devices will be backed by a 5000mAh battery.
Realme launched the Narzo 30 in Malaysia last month. It is expected that the company will launch the same version in India as well.
Realme Narzo 30 specifications (Malaysian variant)
Realme Narzo 30 is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio G95 processor paired with 6GB of RAM. The smartphone packs 128GB internal and users can expand it further by installing a microSD card.
The Realme Narzo 30 features a 6.5-inch full HD+ display with 1080×2400 pixel resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. The smartphone runs Android 11 operating system topped with the company’s own layer of Realme UI.
The dual SIM smartphone comes equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Realme Narzo 30 sports a triple rear camera with 48MP main sensor with f/1.8 aperture, 2MP portrait camera and a 2MP macro sensor with f/2.4 aperture. The front is home to a 16MP selfie shooter with f/2.1 aperture.
Realme Narzo 30 is backed by 5000mAh battery with 30W Dart Charge fast charging support.


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Check out Katie Herzog’s recent interview with the Midlands Business Journal.
The Ervin & Smith marketing team welcomes Erica Heiden!
We are excited to have four new team members on board at E&S. Here’s a look at the new talent in our Client Services and Creative departments!
E&S Marketing Strategist Ashley Bails recently shared her SEO expertise with the Midlands Business Journal.
Check out President and CEO Heidi Mausbach’s interview about mentoring in the workplace in the July 2016 edition of The Costco Connection.
The E&S Web Development team is expanding! The digital- and design-minded Amy Arnold has come on board as a developer.
Our client services team is growing! We are excited to welcome Anna McTygue as an account executive.
Introducing the newest member of the Ervin & Smith team: Danelle Schlegelmilch, Public Relations Counsel.
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The WPP owned market research company Kantar Worldpanel ComTech declared the results of their 12 weeks spanning research on the sales of handsets across the key markets. The figures of the finding clearly mark mobile OS Android from Google to continue to hold the top position in the list. In the research, nine potential mobile markets were surveyed by the organisation that included, the U.S., UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, Japan and China, which clearly showed that in the last 12 weeks that ended on March 31st of the year 2013, Android alone accounted for 64.2% of the total sales of handsets in these 9 markets.
The details of the survey shows, irrespective of the financial situation of the country, developed, emerging or struggling, sales of the Android handsets are touching the sky. Spain, with its struggling financials, tops the chart with 93.5% android smart phone sales. The only exception was Japan, where iOS from Apple steal the first position with 49.2% sales.
Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, expects that with the launch of HTC One from the house of HTC, and Galaxy S4 from Samsung, the market share of Android is going to increase even more, which will surely create pressure on Apple, Nokia and BlackBerry to keep their products updated. In the US market, share of iOS has already declined by almost 1 per cent, whereas Android has gained 1.4pp. Symbian and BlackBerry scored as low as 0.2% and 0.9% respectively in the recent month.
According to the reports it is only Windows phone that has shown a moderate rise in its sales apart from the Android. The credit for this can be given to the marketing of the Windows phone maker Nokia that targets the first time smartphone users. At the present times, the smartphone sales have outnumbered the feature phones, but it is to be noted that the number of active feature phone owners are still higher compared to the smartphone owners, and Nokia is targeting this group of consumers. Whereas the majority of the iOS and Android owners has owned a smartphone previously, and if the market pattern continues Windows phone can certainly get a growing advantage.


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CHICAGO -- The smell wafts out among the high-rises, bridges, and overpasses like invisible, chocolaty tendrils catching passersby in every direction, drawing them toward the source -- an inconspicuous brick building on an industrial corner downtown, home of the Blommer chocolate factory.
The sometimes syrupy, sometimes burnt, but unmistakable scent from Blommer, North America's largest producer of raw chocolate, is beloved by many residents.
''It's enough to drive you nuts!" said Ken Jones, 45, an electrician for Commonwealth Edison who often works in the area. ''It makes you want it. In fact, I went in there today" -- to buy double-dipped chocolate peanuts.
Blommer, Frango Mints, Fannie May, Brach's. These were some of the names that made Chicago the chocolate and candy capital of the nation. But of those companies, only Blommer is still producing in Chicago.
''I like to say Chicago's the capital, but I don't know if we can really say that anymore," said Mark Puch, president of Primrose Candy Co. Primrose, with 79 years in the city, is augmenting its Chicago operations with a plant in China.
Producers of hard candy, such as Primrose and Brach's, which closed its Chicago plant in 2004 to move its operations to Mexico, attribute their shifting production strategies to one culprit: US sugar subsidies that keep prices of domestic sugar much higher than those on the world market.
In addition, tight import quotas make it hard to import less expensive foreign-produced sugar.
''We haven't seen a hard-candy company expansion or new factory for many years," said Rob Hoffman, director of business development for World Business Chicago.
Puch noted that Primrose has drastically reduced its production of sugary hard candies at its Chicago factory, shifting to sugar-free and chewy treats.
The company used to manufacture 8 million pounds of the red-and-white swirl Starlight mints in Chicago every year; now it makes 400,000 pounds.
The production of Frango Mints was moved to Pennsylvania in 1999. Fannie May closed its Chicago factory and more than 200 area retail stores in 2004.
But chocolate lovers are counting on the city's strong cultural identification with chocolate, and the craving for sweets and hot cocoa that a cold winter provokes, to keep Chicago's legacy alive.


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Developer announced for derelict Sheffield Ski Village
A ski village which burned down in Sheffield five years ago is to be redeveloped as part of a £22.5m extreme sports centre.
Sheffield Ski Village, which produced some of Great Britain's most successful Winter Olympians, was destroyed by fire in April 2012.
The ski slopes will be rebuilt in the project's first phase and could be back in action by as early as 2019.
Sheffield Council has announced leisure company Extreme as the lead developer.
The sports and leisure development is planned for 48 acres (19.4 hectares) on the old ski village at Vale Road and surrounding land at Parkwood Springs.
It is hoped it will reinforce Sheffield's reputation as "The Outdoor City" and could include an indoor ski diving centre, live music and a virtual reality hub.
An outdoor mountain bike track, indoor climbing wall and snow sports centre have also been suggested, and restaurants, bars, shops and hotels will be built in later phases.
Developers Extreme have been creating leisure schemes since 1995 and own TV channel Extreme Sports.
Alistair Gosling, Extreme CEO, said it was a "fantastic opportunity to bring Sheffield's much-missed ski facility bang up-to-date".
"All the excitement of sport and leisure facilities would be brought together in a totally immersive destination," he said.
Snowboarder Jamie Nicholls and skier Rowan Cheshire are both said to be on board and the council said 100 new full-time jobs would initially be created.


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But it remains unclear when, or if, the plans will materialise, especially in countries where consumers depend on subsidies that cost Indonesia, for example, about $18 billion last year — funds that analysts say would have been better spent on infrastructure.
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The Royal British Legion said: "The vast majority of ex-service personnel go on to live successful and law-abiding lives. However, inevitably, and for a variety of reasons, a small number experience difficulties." 13 July 2010Last updated at 19:14 GMT
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Making people aware of your place is the next step. Most people advertise on websites such as Craigslist, Airbnb and similar local sites,Michael Kors Handbags, said Oppler. In Europe Gumtree is also popular for property listings. There may also be event specific forums and a website where people can post a rental property,Michael Kors Handbags, but be very careful about renting out a room in a property you dont own, he said it could break landlord tenant laws.
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"Saying goodbye is part of life, but it's never easy," summed up Rob Reiner in his tribute to his former on-screen mother-in-law, "All in the Family's" Jean Stapleton, who died May 31 at the age of 90. "House of Cards," a television show that's not on television, could be the big winner of this year's prime-time Emmys.


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The much-awaited Season three of Beyblade Burst made its debut on Marvel HQ in India on 7 December 2020. The series follows the epic adventures of Aiger Akabane as he sets his sights on becoming an invincible Blader with the help of his Turbo Bey, Z Achilles, and claiming the title of World Champion. The 51-episode series season premiered on Indian TV for the first time on Marvel HQ on 7 December 2020 and airs from Monday to Friday. The series is available to watch in Hindi, Tamil and Telegu.
Originating in Japan in 1999, the BEYBLADE brand is currently in its third generation, with five animated seasons produced to date. The series has gained popular acclaim in India through multiple generations with beloved themes of friendship and competition that fans have formed a deep affinity with. The latest generation, Beyblade Burst, premiered in India on Marvel HQ in 2018 and has been very well-received across many demographics, garnering fans old and new.
The capable team at Dream Theatre will represent this successful brand for content syndication and merchandise rights, having partnered with ADK Emotions NY Inc., which manages the BEYBLADE brand globally (ex. Asia). The brand has much more excitement coming in 2021 as it also welcomes the 20th anniversary of the first generation of the animated series; so stay tuned for more news!


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I’ve always loved the state of California for taking actions that force our country to examine exactly what we eat, or how much we impact the environment. I appreciate how they’re able to look at the bigger picture on these issues, without allowing corporate America to bulldoze our health and safety. That’s how we make progress.
I admit they go over the top at times with their product and safety warnings, which are literally everywhere you look… to the point that they almost become background noise.
But if vitamin manufacturers are required to label their products as possibly containing lead — even though the chances are miniscule — then it’s only fair for corporate manufacturers to be held to the same standards and play by the same rules.
So I’ll confess to a certain kind of glee when I read a story recently about how Starbucks and other coffee sellers now have to slap a cancer warning on coffee sold in California.
It’s true — per the ruling of an LA judge. And if they don’t comply, they could be looking at millions in fines.
So how and why is this happening? Well a small non-profit recently sued about 90 different coffee sellers, Starbucks among them, because they were bypassing a California law that requires them to warn customers about possible cancer-causing chemicals in their products.
Acrylamide is the main chemical in question. It’s generated during the coffee roasting process, and there are fairly high amounts of acrylamide in the final brewed product. So in theory, at least, there’s a valid point here.
But you’ll also find acrylamide in a lot of fried foods, like French fries. So I’m not sure why this group decided to zone in on coffee slingers. But if ridding our food supply of unnecessary poisons requires targeting offenders one at a time, then so be it.
Starbucks has kept mum on this issue… no surprise there. But the National Coffee Association (NCA) has suggested an appeal on the industry’s behalf — not least of all because U.S. Dietary Guidelines say that drinking coffee is perfectly healthy.
Now, I’m not here to vilify coffee. I don’t personally drink it, but it does have plenty of research-backed health benefits. (And if anything, the sugar Starbucks puts in the drinks that they pass off as “coffee” is the real threat.)
But at the end of the day, the burden was on Starbucks to prove that the levels of acrylamide in their products were below what would generally be considered carcinogenic — and they couldn’t. So per California law, a warning label is required.
No one is forcing Starbucks or these other retailers to stop selling coffee. And no one is forcing Californians to stop buying it. But if these companies were transparent in the first place, they could’ve saved themselves a whole lot of trouble. I’m just hoping other sectors of corporate America are taking note… not only for the sake of their businesses, but for ours too.
Buyer beware, as they say.


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(Reuters) - Macy's Inc M.N reported higher first-quarter profit and sales on Wednesday as it won market share from rival department stores.
Its shares were up 2.8 percent to $48.72 in early-afternoon trading, hitting a record high.
The retailer, which operates the Macy’s and high-end Bloomingdale’s chains, said comparable sales rose 3.8 percent in the quarter, a slightly below Wall Street expectations. Overall sales were in line with expectations, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, up 4 percent to $6.39 billion.
Macy’s has benefited from large investments in technology in recent years, which have allowed it to use hundreds of its stores to deliver orders placed online, fueling its e-commerce and giving it an edge over many department store rivals.
“I do think these guys (Macy’s) continue to take share from the J.C. Penneys of this world and the Kohl’s of the world,” Edward Jones analyst Brian Yarbrough told Reuters.
Many U.S. shoppers, especially those with lower incomes, proved to be cautious earlier this year amid concerns about sharp cuts in government spending and a wobbly job market.
“We are seeing some weakness among our more budget-conscious, what we call deal-hunting customers,” Macy’s Chief Financial Officer Karen Hoguet told analysts on a conference call.
Penney last week reported same-store sales fell 16.6 percent in the first quarter, still feeling the effects of the company’s decision last year to eliminate most discounting, a strategy it has since dropped. Kohl’s is expected to report a 0.1 percent decrease in same-store sales when it posts results on Thursday.
Among department store operators, analysts expect only Nordstrom Inc JWN.N to outperform Macy's in the first quarter.
Macy’s merchandise inventory levels were up 3 percent at the end of the quarter, roughly in line with expected sales gains, lowering the potential damage to profit if Macy’s has to discount more than expected because shoppers pull back.
Hoguet said women’s clothing and apparel aimed at teenagers and young adults were among the company’s slowest businesses, while handbags and menswear were top performers.
Macy’s posted net income of $217 million, or 55 cents share, for the quarter that ended May 4, up from $181 million, or 43 cents per share, a year earlier, and topping analysts’ average forecast by 2 cents.
Despite the higher-than-expected profit, Macy’s left its full-year earnings forecast unchanged at $3.90 to $3.95 a share on a same-store sales rise of 3.5 percent.
The company boosted its quarterly dividend to 25 cents a share from 20 cents and increased its share repurchase authorization by $1.5 billion.
Reporting by Phil Wahba in New York; Editing by John Wallace
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has asserted its dominance in the cryptocurrency custody niche by acquiring Xapo for $55 mln, Fortune reports. As a result of this deal, Coinbase will be responsible for storing a staggering 5 percent of Bitcoin’s circulating supply.
Coinbase’s digital wealth
An anonymous source told Fortune that the Brian Armstrong-led exchange has managed to snatch the deal from mutual fund giant Fidelity Investments, which has been keen on crypto for a long time.
As reported by U.Today, Grayscale recently transferred $2.7 bln from Xapo, its long-time partner, to Coinbase Custody, which is considered to be one of the biggest cryptocurrency transactions ever.
Xapo will still control its ultra-secure vault in the Swiss Alps that has been grabbing headlines in the mainstream media for a long time. Wences Casares will also remain the firm’s CEO.
Shifting focus to retail
From now on, Xapo will solely focus on operating its Bitcoin exchange after ceding ground to Coinbase in the crypto custody race.
It’s hard to do a consumer business well at the same time as an institutional business. Earlier this year, we looked for a home for it, said Casares.
Its retail business enjoys a growing popularity in Latin America, and Casares himself has a vested interest in that region given that he comes from inflation-stricken Argentina.


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EA showed off what some of its games will look like on the new iPhone 5. Real Racing 3 will be one of the first titles to take advantage of the improved internals and graphics that Apple’s newest iPhone offers.
Developers can take advantage of the iPhone 5′s larger screen real estate to enhance applications and gaming. Apps which do not do is in time for launch will display the same content with a half-inch black bar across the screen.
Rob Murray, executive producer of the EA Firemonkeys studio, said the iPhone 5 technology would be a great addition to developer gamer capabilities.
“Apple technology continues to evolve the mobile games experience, and we believe games like Real Racing 3 best highlight what consumers have to look forward to with these advancements,” he said in a statement. “The game’s dynamic reflections, sharp track shadows and other beautifully detailed assets will take full advantage of iPhone 5’s new visual capabilities and greater performance to deliver a mobile gaming experience that rivals many console games.”
EA also said they are planning to add iPhone 5 screen compliance to many of its most popular forthcoming titles.


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- AMD has received up to 20% of its total revenues from selling graphics cards used for Ethereum mining.
- Bitmain will put pressure on AMD, as the Chinese-based chipmaker is said to have developed its own ASIC, a graphics chip used for mining Ethereum, a Susquehanna analyst says.
- The analyst downgraded AMD's shares and lowered its price target.
- You can view AMD's stock price here.
The advent of a new application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) — a graphics chip used to mine Ethereum — developed by Chinese-based chipmaker Bitmain spells trouble for AMD because the increased competition threatens its market share.
"While this call is likely early (in front of needed GPU channel replenishment), the proliferation of Ethereum mining ASICs have the ability to impact ~20% of AMD's total company revenue," wrote Christopher Rolland, a Susquehanna analyst.
AMD's total revenue exposure to GPU sales makes it especially vulnerable to competition, Rolland notes.
"While Bitmain is likely to be the largest ASIC vendor (currently 70-80% of Bitcoin mining ASICs) and the first to market with this product, we have learned of at least three other companies working on Ethereum ASICs, all at various stages of development," Rolland said.
Though the popularity and price of cryptocurrencies has fallen since their December highs, demand for graphics cards that help users mine Ethereum, bitcoin, and other digital currencies has risen, sparking a rise in prices for the sought-after chips, as well as shortages.
Rolland still believes that AMD will have a "blow out" first quarter of 2018, bringing in $500 million in revenues. However, he believes as new chips come into market, AMD will feel the pressure.
He downgraded AMD shares to "Negative" and shifted his price target to $7.50 per share from $13.
The analyst also warned that Nvidia is subject to similar pressures, but it does not have the same fate. Nvidia has less revenue exposure to Ethereum-related GPU sales, Rolland said, adding Nvidia has a "stronger more durable gaming franchise which would help it work through this potential Ethereum-related unwind."
Though he did not change his rating on Nvidia, he did lower its price target to $200 a share from $215.


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As the release of Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 draws closer, the studio has released an extended 60-second TV spot while cautioning players against spoilers. As reported yesterday, at least one PS5 player has already unlocked the game’s Platinum trophy.
Insomniac Games has “packed” Spider-Man 2 with surprises
Over on Twitter, Insomniac Games said that Spider-Man 2’s story is “packed” with surprises and urged players who get their hands on the game early not to spoil anything for others. We still have a little under three weeks to go until Spider-Man 2’s release, so you’ll want to be extra vigilant.
As for the new trailer, the cinematic ‘Be Greater. Together.’ TV spot can be viewed below:
Separately, Insomniac has confirmed that although Spider-Man 2 will come with a lengthy list of accessibility options, those who want a challenge can make the game more difficult via new settings. One of them is the ability to turn on fall damage, and another option allows players to adjust the ‘Swing Assist’ slider, making swinging more challenging than in the previous game. There are 10 levels of swing assistance.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will release exclusively on the PS5 on Friday, October 20.


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Elgi Equipments posts rise in net sales, profit in Q4
ELGI Equipments Ltd, manufacturers of compressors and automotive equipment, has witnessed a substantial increase in net sales and net profit in the fourth quarter of 2003-04 compared to the corresponding period in 2002-03. The company's full ...
Taj GVK net rises 38 pc; declares 15 pc final
TAJ GVK Hotels and Resorts Ltd, the city-based hospitality joint venture between the Tatas and GVK group, has declared a final dividend of 15 per cent for the fiscal ended March 31, 2004. This is in addition to the interim dividend of 15 per ...
Zydus posts higher Q4 net
ZYDUS Cadila Healthcare said on Monday that it posted a net profit of Rs 45.66 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2004, compared with Rs 14.82 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income has increased from Rs 260 crore in Q4 last ...
Orchid Chemicals net up 59%
ORCHID Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals has announced a profit after tax of Rs 31.03 crore in 2003-04, up 59 per cent over the profit registered in the previous year. For the same period, the company's turnover was Rs 713.41 crore, higher by 32 per ..
Virudhunagar Mills net profit drops to Rs 5.48 cr
VIRUDHUNAGAR Textile Mills Ltd has recorded a decline in profits in its working for the fiscal 2003-04, despite a marginal increase in its net sales. The company, belonging to the Madurai-based Thiagarajar group, has closed the financial year ...
TVSE net up 10 pc in Q4
CHENNAI: TVS Electronics Ltd has declared an annual dividend of 7.5 per cent. It has recorded a 10 per cent jump in net profit to Rs 1.34 crore for the quarter ended March 2004 as compared to Rs 1.22 crore for the same period in the ...
HCL Tech Q3 net up 58 pc; to pay 100 pc interim
HCL Technologies Limited on Monday announced 58 per cent increase in net profit in January-March 2004 quarter to Rs 125.8 crore and declared an interim 100 per cent dividend for its third quarter. HCL Tech revenues in January-March 2004 grew 39 ...
Nucleus joins bonus bandwagon Net up 15.7 pc despite lower sales
FINANCIAL services software producer Nucleus Software Exports Limited has announced a 15.7 per cent increase in net profit at Rs 9.73 crore for 2003-04. The company's revenues, however, fell 10 per cent from Rs 88.83 crore in 2003-04 as ...
Hindalco posts 44% growth in net profit
HINDALCO Industries Ltd ended 2003-04 on a robust note with a 44 per cent growth in net profit and 24 per cent increase in topline amid concerns about the stagnating demand for copper. The non-ferrous metals major reported a Rs 838.9-crore ...
BIO-TECH & GENETICS
Sterling Biotech Q1 profit up 46.7 pc
STERLING Biotech, global manufacturer of pharmaceutical grade gelatine, has posted a 46.7 per cent growth in its profit after tax at Rs 15.04 crore for the quarter ended March 31 compared to Rs 10.25 crore in the first quarter of the ...
Regency Ceramics net up at Rs 18.43 cr
REGENCY Ceramics Ltd (RCL) has posted a turnover of Rs 183.39 crore and a net profit of Rs 18.43 crore during 2003-04. The company's earnings per equity share of Rs 10 each last fiscal stood at Rs 13.56. As per the unaudited financial results, ...
PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS
Indian Bank net doubles to Rs 406 cr
INDIAN Bank's net profit for the year 2003-04 has more than doubled to Rs 405.75 crore, from Rs 188.83 crore for 2002-03. The bank's operating profit rose by 36 per cent to Rs 802.46 crore from Rs 590.25 crore previously. The bank also ...
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Transcontinental Inc. announces its results for the first quarter of fiscal 2018, which ended January 28, 2018.
TC Transcontinental will transfer to Hearst the printing operations of its Fremont, Calif., facility.
Transcontinental has announced its results for fiscal 2017, which ended October 29, 2017, with an increase in net earnings by $65.2M.
TC Media, Transcontinental Inc.’s Media Sector, has announced the sale of 12 of its publications, and its related Web properties.
TC Transcontinental – RBW Graphics, recently completed a suite of upgrades to a Goss M-3000 press installed at a RBW Graphics Facility.
Transcontinental announced that it has acquired Les Industries Flexipak, a flexible packaging supplier located in Montréal, Québec.
Transcon has reported its results for Q2 of Fiscal 2017, which ended April 30, 2017 — noting an increase of $1.5 million, or 0.3%.
Transcon has launched a process for the sale of TC Media’s newspapers in Quebec, Ontario. Buyers may express interest starting today.


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Did you know this Thursday is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day? It might get a little confusing, as National Chocolate Chip (sans cookie) Day is May 15 and National Cookie Day is December 4, but rest assured there’s also a day specifically for these classic treats.
If you haven’t noticed, it’s been hot. Sweet and icy treats can be a good way to combat this, but let’s face it. Ice cream, milkshakes, and smoothies can get expensive. Air conditioning is pricey too, and you can only hang out in chilly coffee shops for so long until you start to get grumpy stares.
Starting this Friday until August 6, the folks at music fest Full Moon Festival will be going around to various locations in the city, doling out free (yes, that’s right) snow cones. Revel in the sweet nostalgia of this simple frozen treat and and try to avoid brain freeze from crunching on ice too quickly as you seek refuge from sweat in what is really just syrup poured onto literal ice. Hey, it’s tasty. As a way of spicing up the typical snow cone fare, they’re offering a special “Blue Moon” flavor (no, not the beer) which combines pineapple and blueberry in a refreshing blend.
One of the highlights of WNYC’s recent released rundown of filming locations was the Mr. Robot map that showed how heavily filming is concentrated in the Lower East Side and Chinatown (Elliot lives in an apartment at 217 East Broadway, after all). Of course, the show also shoots in Coney Island, where the hacker group Fsociety is based in what’s actually the rear of the Eldorado Auto Skooter bumper car track (totally not a conspicuous location for an Anonymous-like collective that wants to bring down The Man.)
Keep Reading »
After a series of delays and under-the-radar soft openings (um hello, where was B+B’s invite?), Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken is finally hatching today, which is a relief because we are running out of chicken puns.
Earlier today, an employee told us the restaurant would be hosting a free tasting around noon, and then closing and re-opening for another free tasting around 6 p.m. Word has gotten out: as we post this, there are 25 people in a line that stretches out the door. Some of them are getting disgruntled (one of them said the line hadn’t moved in 15 minutes) but if you’re in need of a free lunch, you might want to stop yolking around and get over there.
Keep Reading »


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(Bloomberg) — Chinese tech stock returns are harder than ever to predict in an era of shifting government policy, rising interest rates, and cooling economies.
Most Read From Bloomberg
Take Alex Yao of JPMorgan Chase & Co.. It downgraded 28 online Chinese stocks in March, calling the industry “uninvestable” — before a big rally. He then moved on to upgrading the sector in mid-May, and while indexes have risen since then, Tencent Holdings Ltd has fallen. By about 20%. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. She is a broad haired, far from wiping out all the gains since Yao upgraded the stock.
An investor who follows Yao’s recommendations on Tencent has lost 48% over the past year, the worst among analysts who follow the stock, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. With that said, Yao has a lot of companies. Many analysts’ strategies on stocks could have resulted in losses of more than 30%. Yao and JP Morgan did not respond to requests for comment.
“We feel it will be very difficult to determine when is the right time to move to China,” said Tom Massey, New York portfolio manager at GW&K Investment Management. “What we are seeing now are the fallout from the slowdown caused by the Covid shutdown, increased uncertainty about the property market, and increased pressure from unemployment.”
Chinese internet stocks have seen wild fluctuations even by the standards of the volatile tech sector.
The Nasdaq Gold Dragon China’s index of US-listed companies lost three-quarters of its value from its February 2021 peak to its lowest level in March this year, after it was crushed by a government regulatory crackdown. Then, China’s sweeping promise that the worst of the screening was passed, led to a nearly 60% jump in the benchmark. But that rally faded in late June due to growing concern that companies would be delisted from US stock exchanges and profits would be squeezed by the economic slowdown.
Tencent slumped on Tuesday to its lowest level since 2018 after it failed to obtain licenses for new online games.
People familiar with the matter said in May that Yao’s famous March call should not use the word “uninvestable.” JPMorgan staff responsible for examining the bank’s research asked that it be removed from the 28 reports that Yao and his team drafted before they were published, the people said, but it backed out on four of them due to an editorial error.
For now, the majority of analysts are still holding onto their bullish trend. Tencent has the most buying recommendations of any Asian company, while Alibaba and delivery giant Meituan are also near the top of the list, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Analysts expect the three stocks to rise at least 38% in the next 12 months. Alibaba shares rose 2.5 percent in New York on Tuesday.
August earnings season will provide a real test. Analysts expect a weak quarter for Chinese tech companies, as the April-June period was halted by the country’s shutdown of major cities. Alibaba is expected to report its first quarterly revenue decline this week.
“Confidence must grow in the state’s willingness to allow these companies to thrive,” said David Waddell, CEO and chief investment strategist at Waddell & Associates. “Confidence must increase that Chinese lockdowns will abate. Confidence must increase that recessions in the developed world will not engulf the developing world.”
Technical chart for today
Tech companies have cut more than 60,000 jobs this year, according to Layoffs.fyi, which closely tracks publicly traded and owned companies. On Monday, Oracle Corp. laid off employees in its marketing and customer experience division in the United States, although the extent of the cuts could not be immediately determined. “Management is taking a proactive approach” as economic headwinds hit the software giant, said Barclays Plc analyst Raimo Lincho. The stock is down 11% this year, compared to the Nasdaq’s 21% decline.
The most important technical stories
Uber Technologies Inc reported revenue that beat analyst estimates, buoyed by resilient demand from customers who continued to welcome rides and order takeaway food despite rising inflation. Shares jumped as much as 16% on Tuesday.
Oracle cut jobs in the marketing and customer experience division in the United States, indicating a decline in customer analytics and advertising services.
Pinterest Inc. has jumped. After reporting flexible sales and user numbers, Elliott Investment Management confirmed a major stake, saying it had agreed to lead the company. Shares rose about 18% on Tuesday.
Activision Blizzard Inc. , the largest video game publisher in the United States, reported revenue that beat analyst estimates, but adjusted sales were down 15% from a year ago due to the soft launch of Call of Duty last fall and a slow year in the games industry overall.
As the US Congress passed a historic $52 billion federal program to boost the capabilities of the domestic chip industry, it included one important caveat: Companies receiving funding must pledge not to increase their production of advanced chips in China.
Hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen has exited his investment in cryptocurrency startup Radkl, according to a spokesperson for the digital asset firm.
A weak yen has driven up prices for electronic devices from iPhones to refrigerators across Japan this year, with one glaring exception: the video game console.
Amazon.com has hired a top congressional Republican aide, stepping up its efforts to thwart a new antitrust bill targeting US technology companies, according to two people familiar with the appointment.
The US regulator is throwing cold water on a workaround that has been put forward as a way to avoid delisting nearly 200 Chinese companies from US stock exchanges.
Apple Inc. The US high-quality bond market on Monday with $5.5 billion selling in four parts.
Skyports Ltd. Ltd., which builds take-off and landing sites for flying taxis, is an investment from Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. Amid plans to set up a station in the city for airborne electric taxis.
(Adds Alibaba’s stock move in the ninth paragraph.)
Bloomberg Businessweek’s Most Read
© Bloomberg LP 2022


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Gaming Gift Guide: PlayStation VR, Elite Xbox One Controller and the NES Classic Edition
With the holidays just a few weeks away, it is time to start rounding off the best gaming gadgets of the year, which would work perfectly as a gift.
PlayStation VR Makes It Into Time Magazine's 2016 Best Inventions List
Are you a PSVR user? If yes, lucky you! you have a device which made it into Time Magazine's Top 25 Inventions List for 2016! Learn why the PlayStation VR has a better edge compared to other Virtual Reality gaming platforms.
PlayStation VR Best Sellers Result Out, Batman: Arkham VR Ranked High
First batch of top PlayStation VR is out. Guess who's on top? Yes, Batman! Because, he's Batman. No, seriously, the game is awesome so that's why it's on top.
5 Must-Have PlayStation VR Improvements Gamers Are Dying To See
PS VR is already a good device but it can be even much better if Sony will have these few tweaks. Plus, it will give the PS VR an edge to its competitors.
Analyst Say PlayStation VR Has Foundation Elements To Be The Most Successful VR Platform Despite The Current Negative Reactions
Currently the PSVR is being bombarded by negative comments about its performance. An analyst says it's expected for a brand new platform to compete on, and he believes that Sony will win in the end. Find out why.
Growing Sexual Harassments In VR Resulted In Ingenious Countermeasures
VR is undeniably the growing trend today and a lot of people are getting into the VR world as time pass by. Although VR was intended for an immersive gaming experience and fun, some people tend to use it for some illicit acts. Recently, sexual harassments have been growing in the VR world and one incident has lead to some drastic countermeasures by two game developers to prevent these kind of acts.
Watch This Guy Play Xbox One With The PlayStation VR Headset
The PlayStation VR is an amazing piece of hardware that can be used on multiple platforms aside from the PlayStation console. It turns out that you can now have a theatre-like experience with your favorite games with just a simple HDMI cable connection! Check out this guy as he plays Xbox One Games using the PlayStation VR headset.
Playstation VR Update: 50,000 Headsets Sold In Japan During First Week
Sony sold more than 50,000 units of their new PlayStation VR headsets in Japan in just one week after its release.
NBA 2K17 Starts PlayStation Tournaments Launched By Sony
Sony starts their PlayStation tournaments as part of the features of their new gaming system, the PS4 and is launching the said tournament with the popular game NBA 2K17.
PlayStation VR's Simplicity Will Be Its Edge Among Other VR Headsets
PlayStation VR is competing against HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Will its simplicity be enough to outperform the two?
Sony Chairman Says The PlayStation VR Will Market Itself Via Word Of Mouth
PlayStation VR was just released a week ago and it has had its ups and downs of reviews. However, Sony boss believes that word-of-mouth from gamers is still the best way to market the new platform.
Top 10 PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Games For October UK Charts
The Top 10 UK game chart list is finally out and it gives us the glimpse of the bestselling game for the month of October and who are climbing their way to the top. Find out the most popular games in the UK today.
5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Buy PlayStation 4 Pro
PlayStation 4 Pro is only weeks away from its release. A lot of people are already considering for an upgrade but is it really worth it? Let's try to debunk the truth behind the PlayStation 4 Pro and the reasons why you shouldn't buy one -- yet.
PlayStation VR Keeps Breaking Down, Other Resolution Issues Reported
Aside from motion sickness, many more people who have used the PlayStatioon VR are complaining of other problems, such as screen resolution.


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CloudCover – the pioneer of multi-network mobile data services, brought together women from a broad cross-section of industries to discuss solutions and ways to build successful businesses in Nigeria, on Wednesday, April 11th.
The event which took place at Browns Cafe & Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria, sought to promote open conversations between leading women in business such as Co-Founder of She Leads Africa, Afua Osei and Director of CloudCover, Uchenna Agbo who shared their experiences with other career-focused individuals or entrepreneurs with budding businesses.
It was an insightful event as guests who shared similar hurdles in their different lines of work went home with one or more ideas on how to tackle these issues. There were also networking sessions that encouraged women to connect and find ways to help each other out.
Nigerian entrepreneurs such as Ore Onile-Ere of Lagos Talks, Tobi Jaiyesimi of The Book Banque, Atim Ukoh of Afrolems, Bola Awosika Adelaja were among the guests who attended the event.
Group Chief Operating Officer of CloudCover, Eleanor Potter made remarks on the success of Women in Business 2018, which happens to be the maiden event.
“The goal of this event was to empower business women in a shared community, with their shared stories and we believe that we were able to achieve that.
We are aware of the harsh realities of running a business in Nigeria, this is why CloudCover set up this event to ensure that women are consistently supporting each other, by helping to address the barriers to building businesses that women face today. Our vision is to provide Nigerians both men and women – with constant connectivity, enabling business productivity and growth.”
CloudCover launched in Nigeria in 2017 with its flagship 4G/LTE device called the CC1 MiFi that allows its users to stay connected regardless of where you are and what network is available, using just one device.
Owing to its ground-breaking virtual SIM technology, CloudCover has been able to provide this multi-network service in Nigeria as well as in over 100 other countries including United Kingdom, US, Kenya, and South Africa.
See more photos from the event below.


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The California avocado deal has been hampered by a plethora of small-sized fruit, with Mexican producers providing most of the larger fruit for the past couple of months. But the avocado market is on an uptick as Mexico moves into a typical lag period and California fruit begins to have a more diverse size portfolio.
Rob Wedin, vice president of fresh sales for Calavo Growers Inc. in Santa Paula, CA, told The Produce News that “Mexico is barely importing any small fruit at all, while packers in California are getting better sizing every day.”
The result, he said, is a strengthening in the market. He said Mexico’s fruit, which has largely ranged from 32-48s, was down in volume the last week in June and should be down for most of July. It will be August, he predicted, before Mexico gets into big volume shipments again as its new crop begins.
At the same time, California is expected to have good size and good volume well into October.
At the beginning of the season, the California crop was estimated at about 515 million pounds, which is a big-volume crop. The smaller fruit during the first third of the season has reduced the estimate a bit, but most observers still expect it to be very close to the 500 million-pound figure.
Illustrating the size issue was Mark Carroll, senior director of purchasing and merchandising for produce and floral for Gelson’s Markets, which is a Southern California chain of 16 upscale stores.
Gelson’s typically supports the California avocado growers when their crop is in season, but this year it was mid-June before he was able to find enough large fruit for his conventional displays.
He said he was able to switch to organic avocados from California early in the season because he uses a 48 size in his organic displays. But he just wasn’t able to find enough of the 40 size and larger fruit for his conventional displays until mid-June.
Wedin said that most of the larger California Hass avocados that have been available are “Lamb Hass,” which is a slightly different variety though it does have the “Hass” designation and as the season wears on it is hardly distinguishable from the regular Hass. It does have a slightly smoother skin, especially early in the season.
Bob Lucy, who is a partner and handles sales at Del Rey Avocado Co. in Fallbrook, CA, cautioned that while the fruit is getting larger, it may be several weeks before there are consistent supplies across all sizes.
Lucy said many growers have been size picking for two months, literally taking any fruit with any size at all off the trees. So even though the fruit is now sizing at a much faster clip, he said it is going to take several weeks to completely fill the pipeline of all sizes.
So during the last week of June, the shipment of smaller fruit (60-72) from California actually increased as a percentage of total volume while larger fruit (40 and 48) declined, according to Lucy
Of course this was also caused by a several-dollar jump in the market place, which saw a strong demand for many sizes.
By the last week of June, the U.S. Market News Service reported that larger fruit from California was selling in the $ 35 to $ 37 range, while the smaller fruit was in the $ 28 to $ 30 range. Some of the smaller fruit was being sold in bags for attractive retail pricing on multiples.


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Registrations Begin for STRMNFT Digital Asset Marketplace
- StreamCoin has officially started registrations for STRMNFT.
- STRMNFT is a digital asset marketplace that offers various news features.
- CEO Michael Ein Chaybeh and the team are excited about the new phase.
StreamCoin, the blockchain company, has officially announced the kickoff of registrations for its all-new STRMNFT marketplace. According to the information provided by the team, as a preliminary offer, STRMNFT features a free digital asset minting until July 2022.
The STRMNFT marketplace is the newest venture from StreamCoin. Reportedly, it possesses a user-friendly interface that will be beneficial to users who are new to the crypto world.
Regarding this accessibility, StreamCoin’s CEO Michael Ein Chaybeh remarks:
As per our approach towards developing an ecosystem from user to tech, we designed STRMNFT to be an easy-to-use marketplace and an open space for all types of users. With our platforms and services, we aim to draw the line between the crypto enthusiasts and the modern Web 2.0 users who have not experienced blockchain or crypto before.
Furthermore, environmental concerns top the list of StreamCoin’s priorities, because of which the team uses the Proof of Deed (PoD) approach to save power and resources.
Chaybeh says they have observed how the planet is being consumed every day by operating high-capacity servers, power-consuming blockchain networks, and other high carbon-emission platforms. The CEO states that this is why they came up with a new, responsible, eco-friendly solution that doesn’t compromise the speed and efficiency, and at the same time, contributes to a better future for the planet.
Furthermore, through STRMNFT, users can follow their favorite content creators, create playlists for the video NFTs, and also sort the content based on categories. Users will also have their own personal channel with options to make their content available for public or private views.
Shortly after the STRMNFT launch, TNC Group, one of StreamCoin’s leading partners and investors, released an exclusive Lady Apes NFT Collection. TNC Group claims that they will be offering discounts on these collections to all who participated in StreamCoin’s ICO and staking portal.


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The number of people who bought an Android tablet in the most recent fiscal quarter is triple what it was the year before.
As such, the operating system is continuing to chip away at Apple’s tablet market share.
Apple, which essentially invented the modern-day “tablet” category, now sits at a 57.6% market share, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. Keep in mind that number was at one point 100%.
A year ago, the iPad accounted for 68.2% of tablet sales, so Apple is not headed in the direction it would hope for. Compare that to Android, which shot from 29% to 39.1% in the same time frame.
Strategy Analytics didn’t cite specific tablet models, but there’s no doubt the affordable $200 Kindle Fire helped that number swell in a big way.
In pure numbers, 10.5 million Android tablets were shipped in Q4 2011, compared to 3.1 million the year before. If you look at total revenue, though, Apple most definitely has the upper hand.
Nevertheless, the cost of hardware is becoming increasingly irrelevant as consumers buy more and more digital content. Amazon’s strategy with the Kindle Fire is to practically give away the tablet and earn its money back through MP3 downloads, e-books, digital magazines, TV shows, and movies. That’s a lot of revenue streams.
On the other hand, Apple rakes in money on iPad sales but doesn’t offer a lot of expensive digital content in the way the Kindle Fire does.
These numbers are on a global scale. In the US, the iPad is more dominant and abroad there are many countries where Android is the primary player.


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The game tray on our old Xbox 360 started sticking every now and then. I learned to tilt it forward and let gravity help the tray slide open, but eventually even that didn't work. The hard drive worked, but I couldn't put games in and out.
So what to do now, with a disabled Xbox that's out of warranty? I could bundle it up, send it to Microsoft, pay the big company about $100, and get it back in a few weeks.
Now Thomas Yu, owner of Top Games in Gardendale, is offering another solution. The video game shop is shifting its emphasis from selling new and used games to system repairs.
Competition on used game sales is getting tougher for small shops such as his, he said. Big chains such as Gamestop have the buying power to reduce the price on a popular game, Yu said, making it difficult for smaller shops to match. "They're constantly doing that more and more now. It used to be three months before they dropped the price on games, and now it's a lot faster -- probably a month to six weeks, and then it's a $10 or $20 price drop."
Tom's Xbox tip
I asked Thomas Yu if it's better to keep my Xbox standing upright, or sitting flat. He said the machine gets better air flow to cool it when it's upright, but there is less danger of scratching and ruining a game if it is lying flat. If the console is bumped and wobbles, the laser lens can touch and scratch the spinning disk. This happened to one of our games when our cat jumped on our Xbox. "The best thing to do is lay it down."
Yu recently started a game system repair business in New York, and he trained a local technician to work in the Gardendale shop.
Does that mean Top Games can fix the dreaded "red ring of death" -- the error message on an Xbox that signals an internal meltdown -- that plagues so many Xboxes?
"Everything. You name it; we do it," Yu said. "We do same-day service, also. None of this 'holding your stuff' for a week." The shop normally repairs about 25 systems a week, he said.
Repair charges on an Xbox, PlayStation 3 or Wii S3, Wii or hand-held game device depends on what the problem is, rather than a flat rate charged by the manufacturer, Yu said. For example, a simple problem such as a jammed tray is likely to cost less than a quarter of Microsoft's rate of about $100. Gamestop sells refurbished systems and might issue credit for a trade-in, but doesn't repair systems, according to their sales staff.
Top Games has a 90-day warranty on repairs, and it also sells spare parts for people who can make their own repairs. Many people try their own hands at repairs, trying methods they might see on YouTube, Yu said, but if they make a mistake, it might end up back in his shop anyway!
"We take care of our customers, to keep them coming back. It is all about the repairs," Yu said. "The No. 1 priority is repairs."
Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email Crowson at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Tag Archives: reggie
Tue, May 26, 2009 | 19:39 BST
Nintendo just confirmed its E3 press conference exec line-up.
From the release:
– Mr. Satoru Iwata, Nintendo Co., Ltd., global president
– Mr. Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America president and chief operating officer
– Ms. Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America executive vice president of Sales & Marketing
No Miyamoto? The event takes place in LA next Tuesday morning, at 9.00am PST.
Fri, Apr 10, 2009 | 19:24 BST
NoA’s Reggie Fils-Aime has told GameTrailers TV that Nintendo will do better at E3 this year.
“We haven’t announced a launch date [for The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks], maybe we’ll do that at E3. You know, everyone wants to know what we’re going to announce at E3 and my answer is, come to E3 and you’ll see… From Nintendo’s perspective, we always go into E3 with a very high bar wanting to satisfy not only the core fans but also ourselves. We’re hoping to do a much better job this year. You’ll have to see for yourself.”
Last year’s E3 performance from Nintendo was panned by most attendees.


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A few Nortel products are being renamed under the Genband single-letter convention ("C" for call center stuff, "G" for gateways, etc.) Others are still being offered but will gradually be replaced. For example, Nortel's MG 15000 gateway media gateway will survive in "sustaining mode," eventually giving way to Genband's flagship G9, says CEO Charlie Vogt.
Table 1: Genband's New Product Names
|Old (Nortel) Name||New (Genband) Name||Function|
|Adaptive Application Engine (A2E)||A2||SIP application servers|
|WMG 6000||A6||Call center routing|
|MG 9000||unchanged||Media gateway|
|MG 15000||unchanged||Media gateway|
One new product being announced is the C20 softswitch, an update of Nortel's Communication Server (CS) 2000. While the CS 2000 will still be offered, the C20 offers the usual next-generation benefits of higher capacity and a smaller box size.
The C20 also introduces Genius, Genband's AdvancedTCA (ATCA) platform that will be the basis of all future IP products.
Genband describes these products as a complete package for IMS, or next-generation VoIP networks. Much has been made of the additions Nortel brings to Genband, but Vogt says Genband filled a critical gap for Nortel as well -- meaning, Nortel lacked access gateways.
Genband officials have already delivered details of the new portfolio to sales staff in North America, who met in Plano, Texas, last week. The Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) sales team was briefed in London the previous week, while the Asia/Pacific crew is meeting this week in Hong Kong.
What's harder to quantify, but still instrumental to Genband's future, is the range and depth of professional services the company plans to provide. Vogt describes services as a key piece of the Nortel CVAS deal, citing Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) as that business's star customer.
The CEO expects services to become even more crucial as carriers more aggressively migrate networks from TDM to IP: Many service providers lack the IP expertise needed to perform that switchover.
"Our services organization represents almost about 30 percent of our business," Vogt says. "We're going to put a huge emphasis on IP services."
— Craig Matsumoto, West Coast Editor, Light Reading


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Sexist adverts put women off beer says Foster's boss: Chief says it is time to move on from campaigns that are 'insulting'
- Boss of SABMiller - which owns Fosters and Peroni - calls for change
- Alan Clark wants to sell beer to women - but says old adverts offensive
- The number of female beer drinkers in the UK has doubled to £1.3million
- But Mr Clark wants more women drinking as their income is set to rise
The owner of Fosters has blamed the sexist beer advertisements that were common in the 1980s for alienating women drinkers.
Alan Clark, boss of SABMiller, said it was time to move on from campaigns that were either ‘dismissive’ or ‘insulting’ to women.
The firm - which also makes Grolsch and Peroni - bought Fosters in 2011.
In the past the then-owner of the Australian beer brand was notorious for running a series of commercials that would not pass muster today.
Scroll down for video
Formula One grid girls in Foster's attire at the Albert Park Street Circuit in Melbourne, Australia prior to Australian Grand Prix
Man's world: Alan Clark, boss of SABMiller - which owns Fosters, Grolsch and Peroni - wants to move away from sexist marketing of beer and try and make them consumers
Peroni has already changed its tact and is trying to encourage more women to drink the beer
Clark said ‘women were the butt of jokes’ and it is time the industry moved on from its previous association with ‘lager louts and laddish’ behaviour.
More than 30per cent of Peroni drinkers are women in London. The female market is vital to brewers as craft beers take off and firms attempt to take lager upmarket with some pints costing more than £5.
‘Peroni has moved away from the lager lout college frat impact,’ said Clark. ‘Beer now has associations with fashion, art and design. The world has moved on from lads telling jokes on a Saturday and high volume consumption. Beer is now drunk by women and men together.’
Brewers have also been busy educating women that beer does not necessarily have more calories than wine, and advertising campaigns such as Peroni’s are targeted at both the sexes, positioning it like an Italian designer brand.
In the UK, drinkers sink about 56million hectolitres of beer annually with a retail value of around £19billion.
While the number of female beer drinkers in UK has doubled to 1.3m in recent years, only 31per cent of weekly beer drinkers are women.
SAB Miller Plc owns Fosters, pictured left, and also Peroni and Grolsch, pictured right
There are billions to play for and brewers are not blind to the fact that female employment and earnings are rising rapidly.
Market analyst Euromonitor forecasts that women’s income in Europe will rise by 18 per cent in real terms between 2012 and 2020.
This makes women an increasingly important customer – as they also influence men’s general spending and drinking behaviour.
Clark wants to move away from the sexist advertising of the past and promote a more progressive attitude that will make women feel more comfortable drinking what has always been considered a very male drink
Sue Clark, managing director of SABMiller Europe has previoulsy said: ‘When a chap is out with a woman they tend to follow her. So if she orders wine the chap tends to be influenced as men want to make women feel comfortable, so it’s easier to order a bottle of wine.
‘Women do drink beer but the barrier is the frequency and encouraging them to drink on more occasions.’
She has also previously written that the firm has taken a step away from ‘misogynistic marketing that became the industry norm’.
SAB has introduced a range of fruit beers called Radler and it has also launched the Piccola, a new smaller sized Peroni bottle, and introduced tulip glasses alongside traditional tankards.
Clark also said: ‘We are not moving away from men’.
Most watched News videos
- Blanche d'Alpuget thanks Bob Hawke's daughter and granddaughter
- Puppies dug up from drainpipe by man after hearing barking noises
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At SES New York last week, I heard “sales and marketing need to come together” so much I thought it was a Beatles tune or something. I’ve harped on this before, but it really needs to be a trifecta of sales-marketing-customer service. The panel “Search Marketing & Social Media for Regulated Industries” really drove that point home for me.
There was, throughout the panel, a lot of talk about controlling customers, which makes sense. Marketers by definition want to control the message, and of course the stakes are so much higher in heavily-regulated industries like pharma or financial services.
Razorfish’s SEO director Sri Nagubandi for instance spoke about the importance of claiming the brand online. For instance, Pfizer should consider claiming a Zoloft handle on Twitter even if it has no intention of maintaining a social media presence. Additionally, he added the companies should try to control what it wants customers to do, and that a good way to get brand coverage without any of the usual social media risks is through sponsorship efforts (the cynic in me cackles; the idealist swoons).
During the Q&A following the panel, however, an audience member asked: “What happens if customers start criticizing you publically?” He was referring to the Facebook wall, which ended the ability for corporations to turn off comments, thereby forcing two-way conversations essentially.
And then there was silence. Because everyone seemed seriously baffled.
That’s why I think customer service needs to be involved. They’re the ones (presumably) trained at dealing with disgruntled customers. If a customer grumbles on Facebook, a customer service rep (CSR) can acknowledge the customer and direct him or her to an offline, or less public, channel.
So while brands might not be able to initially control customer behavior, they can direct it while, at the same time, show they are both responsive on social media and sensitive to customer concerns.


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GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has been accused of market "abuse" by the consumer watchdog, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
The OFT alleges that the pharmaceutical giant paid rivals to delay the release their own versions of GSK's Seroxat treatment.
Alpharma, Generics UK and Norton Healthcare all received money not to enter the market with their copies of Seroxat, it said.
The generic drug makers were attempting to supply the UK market with their versions of paroxetine, which GlaxoSmithKline brands as Seroxat, the OFT said. Seroxat is used to treat depression. GSK accused them of infringing its patent, so to resolve this dispute Glaxo effectively paid the three companies off, according to the OFT.
"The paroxetine supply agreements under investigation were terminated in 2004," GSK said. If proven, the allegations would be an infringement on the part of all the parties of competition law and on the part of GlaxoSmithKline an abuse of its dominant place in the market.
More on this story here.