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JOHANNESBURG, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc has launched a 6.4 billion rand ($377.6 million) offer for the remaining 47 percent of South African retailer Massmart it does not already own, valuing it at a premium of over 50 percent.
Shares in Massmart surged 46 percent after the company announced the news on Monday, as its Chairman Kuseni Dlamini said the offer seems "fair and reasonable."
The world's biggest retailer had acquired a 51 percent stake in Massmart in 2010 for $2.3 billion, an investment that was seen as an outlay to use South Africa as a base to grab a share of the so-called 'Africa growth story.'
But it has struggled since then in the face of very competitive and highly profitable local retailers such as Shoprite and Woolworths, curtailing the company's aims to expand further into Africa and shaving off almost three-quarters of its market value in the last decade.
Walmart has offered 62 rand for each outstanding Massmart share, a premium of 53 percent to Friday's closing share price, Massmart said, adding if approved, it would de-list the company.
The deal would help Walmart put "further intervention operationally and significant additional financial investment," Massmart's Chairman Dlamini told reporters.
'GO THE WHOLE HOG'
Massmart, which sells a lot of discretionary items such as apparel, home supplies and seasonal goods, has faced a number of challenges over recent years, forcing Walmart to dole out financial relief and convert loans into equity.
Massmart's management launched a turnaround plan in 2019 involving selling off non-core assets, but it was not enough and financial support by Walmart deepened during the pandemic when it injected 4 billion rand into the company.
The COVID-19 crisis was followed by civil unrest last year, flooding of its stores earlier in the year and most recently inflation.
"The potential offer, if finalised, will provide Massmart with needed access to ongoing financial and operational support," Massmart said in a statement.
Analysts and bankers said having invested billions into the company, it is tricky for Walmart to back out now, especially as rivals have shown the South African retail market is highly rewarding.
Its peers have been posting gross profit margins - a key measure of profitability of retail companies - of up to 36%, nearly double that of Massmart.
"Considering the support that they (Walmart) have to give Massmart in this process, they probably thought well... why shouldn't we get the benefit of it and let's just go the whole hog and take the rest of the shares out," Sasfin Wealth senior equity analyst Alec Abraham said.
The amount that Walmart has been investing into Massmart is a fraction of the profits the parent company makes annually, so it can keep on investing until it manages to turn it around, a banker who has advised Massmart in the past said.
He did not wish to be named as he is not involved in the deal.
Massmart's losses widened in the 26 weeks ended June 26 to 903.5 million rand, from a loss of 358.5 million rand a year earlier.
($1 = 16.9507 rand)


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Agricultural tourism is one of the new tourism products of Ho Chi Minh City with high potential of development, but providers of this kind of tourism are facing difficulties in expanding their service.
According to the city Department of Tourism, demand for farm tours rises 20-30 percent each year. Some most popular areas for tourists include the 88-hectare Ho Chi Minh City Hi-Tech Agriculture Park in Cu Chi district.
Tran Kim Hang, Vice Director of the Infrastructure Exploitation under the Ho Chi Minh City Hi-Tech Agriculture Park, said that the park has offered a number of farm tours since 2014. The number of tourists to the park has risen sharply to reach over 12,000 in 2016 from only 7,000 in the first year. The figure is expected to hit 15,000 in 2017.
However, Hang said that the park has yet to give adequate investment to the product, with a lack of many services for tourists.
Nguyen Duy Son, Vice Chairman of the Management Board of the park, pointed to a lack of human resources for tourism in the park.
Son stressed that in order to survive and develop, it is necessary to invest more in personnel quality targeting specific groups of tourists.
Truong Minh Hau, Vice Director of Tourism Promotion Agency under the city Department of Tourism held that firms should decide which kind of customers they wish to attract and design their tourism services accordingly.
According to Hau, while investment in tourism infrastructure is necessary, only facilities to meet basic demand of tourists are needed to avoid stretching resources. What is more important is to train their tour guides, establish connections with local community and strengthen communications to promote their tourism products, especially through social media.
Local firms also proposed that the Government should design policies to support infrastructure system in rural areas to serve agriculture tourism, while building a set of criteria for standards of this kind of product.
Bui Ta Hoang Vu, Director of the city Department of Tourism said that tourism is a special economic sector that requires strong connection among sectors and regions.
In the future, the department will continue working with other departments and sectors to improve the city’s tourism products with agriculture tourism one of priorities.
Via : Sapa Luxury Travel

domain: news


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Apple Inc. (AAPL), fighting over the rights to the iPad name in China, asked a Hong Kong court to continue a parallel case against Proview International Holdings Ltd. (334), which says it owns the trademark.
“Their application was about testimony they wanted to exclude,” Sun Min, a director of Proview International, said after a pre-trial hearing in the High Court today. Sun didn’t comment on the content of the testimony after telling the court that Proview, a failed Hong Kong-listed display maker, opposes Apple’s request.
Apple is awaiting a ruling by a court in Guangdong province, China, on whether it or Proview owns the rights to the iPad trademarks in the world’s fastest-growing major economy. The Cupertino, California-based company also filed a lawsuit in Hong Kong against Proview founder Rowell Yang and his companies for conspiring to breach their sale agreement.
Apple’s lawyer, who didn’t identify herself in court, urged Hong Kong High Court master Reuden Lai to ensure that the case proceeds to trial on schedule. After the hearing, she declined to identify herself or elaborate on the pre-trial application.
Proview International doesn’t have a lawyer for the Hong Kong proceedings, Sun told the court today.
A Hong Kong court in July issued an order preventing Proview from selling the trademarks.
The world’s most-valuable technology company started litigation in 2010 against Proview, the same year it introduced the iPad tablet. It lost the case last year in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, where a court ruled that Apple hadn’t properly acquired the trademarks because the Proview entity that owned them wasn’t involved in the sale agreement.
On Feb. 29, the Higher People’s Court of Guangdong heard Apple’s appeal. A ruling is expected within three months.
Proview has asked China customs authorities to block imports and exports of the tablet computer. Roger Xie, Proview’s lawyer, has said Proview also filed requests to retailers to halt iPad sales.
Proview’s Shenzhen factory is being dismantled after creditor banks took over the company’s assets and could sell them, Yang said March 5. The plant was shuttered in November 2010 after Proview Shenzhen missed payments to suppliers and banks.
Apple will sell the newest version of its iPad, featuring a higher-resolution display and a faster processor, beginning March 16. The product is the second-biggest revenue contributor for the company.
To contact the reporters on this story: Mark Lee in Hong Kong at email@example.com; Debra Mao in Hong Kong at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at email@example.com


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Matthew Driver from MasterCard APAC explains how 'Selfie Pay' maps the characteristics of a face into a binary code for app-based mobile payments.
MasterCard sales staff will begin using artificial intelligence (AI) systems to advise them on putting together deals with potential clients.
Morningstar uncovered the bets of some of the top investment managers, with the FMHR traders.
Aldi, the Germany-based no-frills supermarket chain, is now accepting credit cards at its U.S. stores as it tries to attract more shoppers.
Wendy's legacy systems hack highlights vulnerabilities many small business owners face today.
Amid a tough year for markets, "Fast Money" traders looked to what they deemed best-in-class stocks that could outperform ahead.
MasterCard customers will soon be able to replace their passwords with a “selfie” and a fingerprints to verify their identity.
Ann Cairns, head of international markets for MasterCard, talks about the potential of using biometrics for identity checks.
Jim Cramer gives his take on various caller favorite stocks, including these two payment services companies.
For months we have watched energy, materials, and global industrials weaken on concerns about oil oversupply and slower global growth.
Investors continue to weigh in on whether there's a looming recession on the horizon. This CEO says that she doesn't care.
“Mad Money” host Jim Cramer puts profits center stage.
Jim Cramer shares his shopping list of stocks to buy for the next time the market sells off, which could be right around the corner.
Results from MasterCard and Visa show consumers appear unfazed by the stock market's choppiness and the fears of a recession that has generated.
U.S. stock index futures indicated a higher open on Friday after the Bank of Japan unexpectedly adopted a negative interest rate policy.
Data showing the economy barely grew in the fourth quarter could set the tone for markets Friday.
Payment services company Visa reported better-than-predicted earnings on Thursday despite headwinds from a strong U.S. dollar.
Thailand dominated as the most popular regional travel destination in 2015, according to MasterCard's Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2015.
Investors will turn their attention this week to the Fed and big earnings for clues on market direction.
American Express reported earnings that topped expectations, but "Fast Money" traders remain skeptical of its battered stock.


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- Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) recently announced it is committing to invest $1.8 billion to become the first manufacturer in Canada to build full battery electric vehicles (BEVs)
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) recently announced it is committing to invest $1.8 billion to become the first manufacturer in Canada to build full battery electric vehicles (BEV). And Ford of Canada hourly employees ratified a 3-year globally competitive labor agreement.
The agreement between Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited and Unifor enables Ford to commit to transform its Oakville Assembly Complex from an internal combustion engine (ICE) site to also become a BEV manufacturing facility, starting in 2024 along with introducing a new engine program at its Windsor operations.
The labor agreement also enables several operational improvements to increase the efficiency of Ford’s Canadian facilities such as competitive alternative work schedules to maximize production flexibility and an Enhanced temporary employee program. And Ford of Canada’s hourly employees also receive a number of benefits such as 1.) 2.5% wage increase twice over the life of the agreement 2.) C$7,250 ratification bonus for full-time permanent employees and $500 for temporary employees and 3.) reduced grow-in period for new hires from 11 years to eight years
“Working collaboratively with Unifor, and as discussions continue with both the federal and provincial governments, this agreement is an important step toward building a stronger future for our employees, our customers, and our communities,” said Dean Stoneley, president and CEO of Ford of Canada. “By introducing battery electric vehicle production at Oakville Assembly Complex, we are cementing our Canadian operations as a leader in advanced automotive manufacturing.”


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Over the last year or so we have seen vast improvements made to smartphones and portable devices, however many of us are still gaming on relatively old handhelds, that said recently the games being developed for Apple iPhone OS-based devices are begin to really challenge the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.
Currently iPhone OS-based devices include the all versions of the iPhone and the iPod Touch, however soon there will also be the Apple iPad, for the best gaming experience you should be using the iPad, iPhone 3GS or 4th generation iPhone (as these models have the best hardware specs).
Back in 2008 iPhone OS-based devices only accounted for 1 per cent of the video game market in the US, however in 2009 this rose impressively to 5 per cent, this was mostly all at the PSP’s expense.
If you look at the US portable game software revenue figures in 2008 you will see that the Nintendo DS was accountable for 75 per cent of the market, whereas the PSP accounted for just 20 per cent and iPhone OS accounted for just 5 per cent, however these figures changed pretty drmatically in 2009.
In 2009 the US portable game software revenue figures showed that the Nintendo DS’s share had dropped to 70 per cent, whilst the PSP had dropped dramatically to 11 per cent and the iPhone OS’s share had risen impressively to 19 per cent.
I must say that I feel that in a year these figures will be even more impressive for Apple. What do you think?
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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Durable goods orders fall after Japanese earthquake
WASHINGTON — Businesses cut back on their orders for heavy machinery, computers, autos and airplanes in April, reducing demand for long-lasting manufactured goods by the largest amount in six months.
Orders for durable goods fell 3.6 percent, and a key category that serves as a proxy for business investment was down 2.8 percent, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.
The weakness was widespread across a number of industries as the impact of supply disruptions stemming from the Japanese earthquake in March rippled through U.S. manufacturing. Demand for autos, auto parts, steel, computers and electronic equipment all fell, and those declines were attributed in part to difficulty in getting critical component parts from Japan, where manufacturing has been disrupted by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and nuclear plant disaster.
Many analysts viewed the setbacks as temporary, but said they could dampen manufacturing for several months, until U.S. companies find alternative supply sources. The big drop last month came following a 4.4 percent increase in March, a gain that was revised up from a previously reported 2.9 percent increase.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


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The diversity of the Asia-Pacific region gives marketers plenty of opportunities to align their brands with significant cultural celebrations.
Marketers can engage audiences en masse throughout the year, whether it’s on Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, Korea’s “love days,” Diwali in India, or Melbourne Cup day in Australia.
But the potential pitfalls are also significant: A cultural misstep can waste entire campaign budgets and even do long-term damage to a brand.
Here are five classic APAC celebrations, accompanied by a marketing hack, to help your next occasion-based campaign make sense and get results.
Breaking Barriers In Singapore
This past Valentine’s Day, cinnamon-flavoured toothpaste brand Close-Up broke marketing boundaries with its love-filled TV commercial “Make Your Move.” The campaign, which never shows its toothpaste product, reveals the ABCs of love before coining the hashtags #breakthebarrier #makeyourmove.
Hack 1: Investing in quality creative means you are doing more than just contributing to the banal messaging often associated with national holidays. If you’re going to make your move, make sure it’s worth it.
The Chinese New Year is, perhaps, Asia’s most culturally significant festival for marketers. CNY celebrations occur in almost every APAC market. In addition to the dragon dancers, fireworks, and parades, CNY is a celebration for family and friends to come together. This makes travel and logistics an important part of the celebration for many.
Well-known APAC beer brand Tiger recognised the sentiment regarding reunification would appeal to the target audience during CNY 2017. So it deployed a fleet of 100 taxis, fully wrapped in product advertisement, to pick up passengers from Singapore’s Changi Airport. The taxis then took the passengers home to their loved ones to celebrate CNY together.
“There’s a common truth behind these occasions ... they make us happier,” wrote Katie Rockliff, strategy director at Sydney-based media agency Carat. Rockliff pointed to the work of behavioural psychologist Daniel Kahneman to explain the emotional pull behind “moment marketing.”
“Kahneman’s work proves our [sub]conscious cares about how we spend our time,” she said. “It actively curates our memories ... eventually deleting the obsolete or neutral memories and retaining only those experiences that really drew us in.”
Hack 2: From an emotional perspective, occasions such as CNY create positive feelings and a strong sense of community--an influential foundation for any campaign.
Keeping Up With Changing Aussie Attitudes
Attitudes towards Australia’s national day have become increasingly polarised over recent years. While many Australians still celebrate the national holiday with a BBQ, a significant part of the population regard January 26 as “invasion day” because it commemorates the arrival of the first English settlement.
For 10 years, a white, middle-aged, male sporting personality named Sam Kekovich was appointed “Lambassador” for Meat and Livestock Australia’s annual Australia Day lamb campaign.
“A big change happened a couple of years ago where the feedback from the broader community was that we should progress beyond the ‘un-Australian’ Sam Kekovich rant,” said Andrew Howie, MLA group marketing manager.
As a result, the company responded by creating a stir with messages of inclusivity in its 2017 Australia Day lamb commercial.
Hack 3: Acknowledging feedback from the broader community allowed MLA to progress the conversation about “what it means to be Australian” and breathe new life into a long-running campaign.
Prepare For Maximum Impact Diwali 2017
Every October or November, Diwali, India’s favourite celebration, takes place. It’s a time for family festivities, gift giving, and lots of candles. Large and vibrant Indian populations throughout APAC celebrate this lively festival, making it a great marketing opportunity in Singapore and Sydney, as well as Chennai and Kerala.
E-commerce giant Amazon launched its #AdjustNoMore campaign early, in July 2016, with a series of videos. The last video of the series went live in October. It focused on India’s hard-working middle class, who value Diwali as a time to showcase their appreciation for loved ones.
Mei Lee, formerly senior vice president, digital, at COMO Group Singapore, recommended preparing a campaign such as this about three months out from launch date.
“Starting a lot earlier in the campaign cycle gets you in front of the consumer as soon as possible,” she said. “Each country in Asia needs its own strategy, budget, and marketing mechanics. There’s no one-size-fits-all,” Lee said.
She encouraged marketers to leverage influencers who may not be well-known in the region as a whole, “but are very influential and relatable in their home country.”
Hack 4: When it comes to celebrations that span a region, constantly look for localisation opportunities.
Black, White, And Love In Korea
Why wait until Valentine’s Day to spread the love? In Korea, the 14th of each month is dedicated to celebrating love: Candle Day, Valentine’s Day, White Day, Black Day, Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day, Music Day, Wine Day, Movie Day, and Hug Day.
The unofficial monthly love holidays have been garnering greater attention in recent years, particularly with moment marketing of the quirky, experiential kind.
For example, many local restaurants take advantage of Black Day, which consists of black-clothed singles who indulge in black-coloured comfort food. With black coffee sales said to spike on Black Day, it seems any product or service that is black in colour could creatively capitalise on some extra sales this April 14.
Hack 5: Participating in cultural celebrations at a local level such as this allows marketers to find authentic and creative ways to capture the spirit of the event.


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The PCI Council encourages multi-layered approach to protecting customers.
The Miami Herald reports that management company, overseeing Marriott brands, is looking into fraud patterns in connection with systems that process credit cards.
As expected, mobile and cloud remain two of the top priorities in regards to point of sale, but payment security also continues to gather steam as a high-level concern.
Award-winning restaurant eyes EMV card payment compliance by implementing the RAIL Payment Platform from Viableware.
Mobile POS and enhancing customer service top priorities at the 103rd NRF Big Show.
VeriFone, Ingenico and Equinox among leading payment device vendors that support ACI's Point to Point Encryption solutions that help protect cardholder data at the point of sale.
A part of the OpenWays Group, a new line of locks from Okidokeys enables consumers to manage access to all properties anytime using cell phones, smartphones and tags.
Along with broad-based use of encryption and biometric technologies, expect increased focus on securing enterprise BYOD programs and "bring your own security" trend.
Thirteen of the most-read stories from the past year include in-depth studies, reports, updates on cloud and POS technology and much more.
Gamification, mobile and digital currency, and smart CRM tech are a few of the trends shaping hospitality technology in 2014.


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LOS ANGELES, June 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hilton Lifestyle, LLC, a skincare manufacturer in Los Angeles, has announced the release of its first full skincare line under the Paris Hilton brand called ProD.N.A., featuring innovative enzymes sourced from marine microalgae. Manufactured and packaged in Los Angeles and made of natural ingredients from around the world, the line is based upon a proprietary formulation, trademarked GenoMatrix, that contains exclusive enzymes that help support the body's natural DNA repair process.
ProD.N.A. features four products as part of an entire skincare regimen created by Paris Hilton herself. "From a very young age, my mother taught me the importance of taking care of my skin," states Paris. "I have been obsessed with finding the best products on the market to help me look and feel young, so after years of searching I decided to create a line that can offer the absolute best results."
The products are available from the Paris Hilton Skincare online store on Friday June 29th and at select retailers both domestic and worldwide.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Hilton Lifestyle Group is committed to developing innovative, natural skincare products while incorporating the founders' vision of a genuine and transparent consumer/company relationship. With the help of world-renowned chemists and biologists, Paris Hilton and a team of industry experts established the company in 2016 with the goal of formulating skincare products for ingredient-conscious consumers that deliver measurable results and support skin health from within. Hilton Lifestyle is a privately held company based in Los Angeles, California.
For product information, visit: parishiltonskincare.com
For corporate information, visit: hiltonlifestylegroup.com
For distribution inquiries, contact: [email protected]
SOURCE Hilton Lifestyle


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With nine years of consecutive growth, and a record-breaking year in sales on tap for 2016, Buffalo Wings & Rings has cemented itself as a major player in the sports restaurant, casual dining arena.
The genesis of Buffalo Wings & Rings dates back to 1984, when a husband and wife team realized their dream of opening a sports restaurant focused on wings and homemade sauces in Cincinnati. A new ownership team took over in 2005 and, in the past 11 years, has grown from four to 70 franchises across the globe (50 domestically, 20 internationally).
“We are extremely selective with our franchisees, making sure that they believe in the same values that we believe in and that they will execute the brand to the way its intended to be,” says Nader Masadeh, CEO for the brand. “Our growth and annual AUV increase has been 13 percent over the last 10 years, which is pretty huge and unheard of in the industry.”
In 2016, the brand has opened two new franchises in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and Brownsville, Texas, and has signed an additional five franchise agreements for restaurants that will open up to five more locations before year’s end. Another eight to 10 locations are expected in 2017.
For this past quarter, Buffalo Wings & Rings saw its average unit sales increase 2.9 percent, with year-to-date system sales up 11.4 percent overall.
Today, the restaurant offers a full menu of specialty burgers, gyros, and salads to cater to its customers and provide options for the entire family to enjoy.
“We are serving a niche where we have no competition at all when compared to the casual dining segment, which has stayed stalled in the quality of the food and service,” says Philip Schram, Buffalo Wings & Rings’ chief development officer. “We have a chef-inspired menu that uses quality ingredients and unexpected options, like healthier alternatives, fresh never frozen. It’s no secret to our success: you just do the right things for the right reason and make sure we stay ahead of the consumer need.”
And of course, he adds, the company prides itself on its wings.
When it comes to sourcing, the company uses hormone-free and naturally fed chickens. Although they are fed antibiotics when born to kill any disease, Masadeh notes that by the time they are processed, it is all out of their systems as the feeding process follows a healthier feeding schedule.
It’s not lost on its executive team that Buffalo Wings & Rings sounds very close to competition like Buffalo Wild Wings and other wing-themed restaurants, but Masadeh says that it’s easy to see the differences.
“Sometimes people may look at the name and see they resemble each other and get confused, but when they actually come into our store and see the product and the differences, they clearly and quickly see the differences in the two brands,” he says. “We like to think we’re more of a sports restaurant and they are more of a sports bar to us.”
Although sporting events are on, he feels it’s a totally different guest experience. Buffalo Wings & Rings, he offers, is more family friendly, and focuses on the connection between guests, not just the game.
“We found an unmet need for consumers—those a little more mature with a wife and kids but who still want to enjoy watching a game,” Masadeh says. “We created this club level environment for those consumers who have graduated from the bar scene and now want to enjoy a similar type of experience but in an elevated environment. It’s a VIP fan experience customized to the level of the restaurant.”
By Keith Loria


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Netflix Announces $ 19 billion 2021 Production Spend.
Netflix, a global leader in the streaming market, intends to retain its title and for this, the American company does not hesitate to put money on the table to produce films and original series, even if it means going into ever more debt. A policy that Netflix will continue to follow in 2021 since, according to data collected by the Dutch investment band Bankr, the video-on-demand (VOD) service plans to invest a staggering $ 19.3 billion in exclusive productions, a record amount for the company.
The 2021 budget allocated to original productions will be 10% larger than that of 2020 ($ 17.3 billion). A trend that has been observed for several years. Netflix had already invested $ 4.9 billion in 2015 for its own productions. However, the American platform now relies heavily on exclusives to attract new subscribers, but also to retain them in the long term. Generally speaking, across the industry, original productions are a growth engine for VOD services.
This business model is a bet that has paid off in the case of Netflix since the streaming platform continues to attract new subscribers. It had more than 195 million subscribers in the third quarter of 2020, according to figures from Bankr. In 2019, the streaming platform had negative cash flow of $ 14.4 billion. And while the coronavirus pandemic has certainly helped Netflix attract new subscribers, it’s hard to imagine its debt has eased significantly.
Thank you for taking the time to read this news article “Netflix Announces $ 19 billion 2021 Production Spend”. For more UK daily news, Spanish daily news and Global news stories, visit the Euro Weekly News home page.


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In the last month the BSA has publicized 4 separate settlements resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars:
- 1. A Georgia woman was fined $250,000 for selling counterfeit software on eBay.
- 2. Argus Technical Services of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC) of Madison, Wisconsin paid a combined $145,000 for having unlicensed copies of Adobe, Microsoft and Symantec office software installed on its computers. This lead came from BSA’s online tip form!
- 3. Author Solutions of Bloomington, IN paid BSA $50,000 for having unlicensed copies of Adobe, Microsoft, and Symantec software installed on its computers.
- 4. Communication Technology Services, LLC of Marlborough, MA. Communication Technology Services paid BSA $80,000 to settle claims that it had unauthorized copies of Microsoft and Symantec software installed on its computers. (This is a Fortune 10 company!)
Just goes to show you – they don’t discriminate – from Fortune 100 companies to 50-year old women on eBay.


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Japanese telecommunications company SoftBank (SFTBY) dialed up a 4% increase in operating profit in the first quarter.
The company posted operating profit of 269 billion Japanese yen ($2.5 billion) in the three months ended in June, roughly in line with analysts' estimates, according to a report from Reuters.
SoftBank used targeted marketing of heavy data-users to help add 372,000 more smartphone subscribers in the period than in the three months prior.
The company also raised its ownership stake in Yahoo Japan during the three months and said it would start a stock buyback program.
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Constable owns none of the securities listed in this story.


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The Mobile Library will not make its scheduled stops today, Tuesday, Dec. 10, due to poor conditions and concern for the safety of our customers.
Published October 11, 2013 Submitted by: Erin
Truthfully, it is always award season for books. There are awards for every genre and style of writing. Here a few that made the national news recently. We have copies of winning titles just for you.
Find this article at


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Thursday, April 28, 2011
Gaming Startup The Casual Collective Rebrands As Kixeye; Launches Battle Pirates On Facebook
Social gaming developer the Casual Collective is rebranding today as Kixeye and debuting a new game, Battle Pirates, today on Facebook. Battle Pirates is a real time strategy game featuring base building, exploration, and player vs. player combat. Kixeye's games are targeted towards hardcore gamers and is betting that Facebook is a platform where these types of gamers will continue to flock to. Kixete games are all free-to-play and monetizes via virtual goods. In addition to Facebook, KIXEYE?s games are also published on the company?s own platform.


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Imagine a start-up company releasing an expensive new product. Imagine they putting it on sale online without even showing a single picture or allowing any returns. Imagine if Mastercard wasn’t even processing their payments. Now imagine that they cleared their entire stock in less than a day.
That’s exactly what Notion Ink managed to do with the launch of their supposed iPad killer tablet, the Adam, and all of this was accomplished without any marketing beyond running a single blog, which was not written by communications professionals, but only consisted of jumbled updates on the progress of the company by its CEO.
Bangalore-based start-up Notion Ink created the Adam, a tablet, which on paper at least, is a lot better than the iPad, and while it generated a lot of buzz online from the word go, what was interesting was that with only a single company blog to promote their product, Notion Ink was able to generate a fantastically loyal fan base, which has followed the brand through its entire journey with a dedication that even Apple loyalists can’t really match.
The Adam’s hardware was pretty amazing when it first came on the scene as a design and an idea nearly two years ago. In that time, CEO Rohan Shravan ran a single blog on Wordpress and has put forward regular updates to show how much progress the company has made, and over time, this became one of the most commented blogs on Wordpress, and individual updates getting over 1,000 comments is nothing new.
The sell-out funda
The initial pre-order, which despite a lot of problems saw the Adam sold out in hours, was a controversial one, as payment gateways failed and the website crashed for a while. On February 9, on the NI blog, Shravan said, “The next round of orders have started and emails are being sent right now. The list is huge, and unlike last time, we are not taking chances by sending all at the same time.”
The second round of pre-orders then followed, and despite there being “twenty times as many devices”, according to Shravan, with a focus on the higher end PixelQi models, “for which there is higher demand”, Notion Ink has again sold all their devices.
And they have done so without spending money on marketing or advertising.
Most companies can’t just launch a product without running marketing programmes, but as the Notion Ink example shows, with the reach and interactivity of the Internet, viral marketing and building communities is also important.
The company did not do anything special, except respond to the customers, quickly and in simple terms. While they didn’t respond to journalists or tech-bloggers, the firm has engaged with its customers from the beginning, and made them feel a part of the brand, made them feel emotionally invested in the success of the product, which has led to unprecedented success.


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Tiger Brands Shares Slide as Rising Grain Prices Weigh on Profitby
S. Africa's biggest food maker says consumers under pressure
Company plans to pass some cost increases on to consumers
Tiger Brands Ltd. fell the most in more than a month, wiping out this year’s gains, after the largest South African food producer said higher grain prices and slowing consumer demand is weighing on profit.
The warning from the Johannesburg-based maker of Albany bread and Black Cat peanut butter comes as a drought causes the price of key South African staples such as white corn to more than double since the beginning of last year, and wheat to rise 18 percent. These increases have been exacerbated by a 28 percent plunge of the rand’s value against the dollar over the period, fueling the price of imports in a country where more than one in four is unemployed.
“With consumers under considerable financial pressure, the impact of the depreciating rand and rising soft commodity prices was only partially offset by price increases,” Tiger Brands said in a statement on Tuesday. The company achieved sales growth of 7 percent during the four months to end-January, compared with the year-earlier period, it said.
The stock dropped 5.7 percent to 300 rand by the 5 p.m. close for a decline this year of 5.2 percent. The securities lost 14 percent in 2015.
The company will pass on some cost increases to consumers, Noel Doyle, Tiger Brands’ acting chief executive officer, said during a conference call. It expects inflation to accelerate in the second half of the year, he said.
“We’re going to do a particular delicate balancing act over the next six to eight months,” he said. “If we stuck to market share at all costs, that cost could be very significant.”


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For the first time in five years, the Magnavox brand is going solo on a broad scale in the consumer audio/video category with the launch of 23 SKUs intended to position the name as a “premium value brand.”
The launch marks “the first full year of the Magnavox brand being marketed separately from the Philips brand,” said Andy Mintz, senior VP/GM of Magnavox Audio/Video.
In recent years, the Magnavox-only name has been limited to a handful of “special occasion” TV SKUs available only in limited quantities to select dealers, a spokeswoman added.
The new Magnavox products not only mark the first time that a full line of Maganvox-only A/V products have been marketed since 1997, but they return the Magnavox name to audio products for the first time in two years. At that time, audio products transitioned from Philips/Magnavox to the Philips brand.
Philips purchased Magnavox in 1974, then in 1997 launched the first Philips/Magnavox co-branded products as part of a plan to introduce the Philips name to the U.S. CE market. Over time, Philips launched Philips-only products, then shipped its last co-branded products — all TVs — during spring 2001.
The Magnavox strategy is designed to take advantage of continued unaided awareness by consumers of the Magnavox name, Mintz said. The products are targeted to 30- to 55-year-old consumers who want reliable, easy-to-use products.
Magnavox will focus on analog technologies and commodity value price points, including 13- to 36-inch direct-view analog TVs, VCRs, TV/VCRs, home-theater-in-a-box, entry-level DVDs, mini and microsystems, CD boomboxes, headphone CD and CD clock radios. Philips no longer sells TV/VCRs and VCRs, Mintz said.
The shelf systems will retail for $79 on average, while CD boomboxes and headphone CDs will sell for $39.
Magnavox is targeting national retailers and select regional retailers with and without assisted sales floors. The products, sold direct, will begin appearing in stores in April or May.
National advertising, POP and co-op aren’t planned for 2002, but that could change in 2003, Mintz said.


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Amazon India is rolling out an online marketplace to connect vendors on its platform to B2B services.
Reports in the Economic Times of India on Monday (Aug. 12) said Amazon’s Marketplace Appstore is now live in India, allowing sellers to access third-party applications to promote automation, business management and growth. Businesses can access services developed by Amazon as well as other third-party service providers across 13 categories, including accounting and tax, inventory management, eCommerce solution services and others.
Businesses can access the app marketplace via the Amazon Seller Central dashboard.
“The platform is designed to connect the right developer with the right seller to ensure that both parties can succeed,” said Amazon India Vice President, Marketplace Gopal Pillai in a statement. “We want to become the go-to solution for sellers to access business tools for their various needs and minimize the time, effort and money otherwise spent on searching and experimenting for appropriate solutions.”
Amazon first debuted its Marketplace Appstore last year in North America. At the time the company said in a statement, “Many developers have innovated and created applications that complement our tools and integrate with our service. We created the Marketplace Appstore to help businesses more easily discover these applications, streamline their business operations and ultimately create a better experience for our customers.”
Meanwhile, Amazon has been strengthening its position in India with the addition of other services and tools both for buyers and sellers.
In March Amazon India announced the rollout of kiosks across the country to help consumers purchase a range of Amazon hardware products, including the Kindle eBook reader and the Echo.
“The Amazon Devices Kiosk gives customers a first-hand experience with the devices. Customers can walk up to the kiosk and take an assisted live demo of Kindle, Fire TV and Echo family of devices with the help of the store staff before purchasing devices,” the company said in a statement. “The store staff is also available to solve customer queries, pre- and post-purchase.”


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Listeria Contamination Leads to Protein Bar Recall from Amrita Health Foods
no illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall
what's being recalled?
Amrita Health Foods is recalling snack bars due to a potential health risk.
The manufacturer's recall applies to a limited number of the company's protein bars that may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. Listeria can cause serious—even fatal—infections in young children, the elderly, and those with weak immune systems.
For a list of the recalled bars, sizes, UPCs, and Best-Buy dates, see the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) release.
The recalled Amrita Bars were distributed across the country via retail stores and online sales.
"We sincerely apologize for this situation that occurred with one of our ingredient suppliers. As soon as our team was notified, we immediately set our recall plan into action to ensure the safety and health of our customers. Amrita Health Foods will continue to operate with the highest standard of excellence providing customers with full transparency and food safety." said Arshad Bahl, CEO of Amrita Health Foods.
No other Amrita Health Foods products are included within this recall.
Consumers with this product should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Customers with questions about this recall can contact the company at (888) 728-7779.


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Microsoft has announced the release of the much awaited Windows Server 2016. The product will be uncovered at the Ignite conference in Atlanta.
Major product launch news has come from Microsoft which is all set to outdoor the successor of the Windows Server line of operating systems.
Windows Server 2016 will be showcased at Microsoft’s Ignite developer conference scheduled to commence on September 26 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Three major editions of Windows Server 2016 have been developed by Microsoft, namely, Datacenter, Standard, and Essentials.
“Standard” and “Datacenter” come with the Nano Server which is a new feature to allow installation on virtual machines. The Nano Server won’t have a graphic user interface since virtual machines are low on resources.
According to fossbytes.com, servicing option for Windows Server 2016 will be of two kinds. One is the LTSB (Long Term servicing Branch) in which five years of extended support will be provided after five years of mainstream support. The extended support is only meant for bug fixing, unlike the mainstream support in which the updates will be provided. Another option is CBB (Current Branch for Business) which will provide two to three major updates annually.
The customers who choose to install Windows with the Nano Server could only opt for a CBB type support cycle. The servicing model is similar to what is offered for Windows 10, but with a slight difference.
Microsoft Windows Server team explains in a blog post when the third Nano Server release comes out, you will need to move off of #1 as it will no longer be serviced. When #4 comes out, you will need to move off of #2, and so on”. This is because only two CBB releases will be serviced at any given time.
Auto-update functionality will not be available for Nano Server. Hence, the customers can’t held up behind by more than two CBBs.
Other than the Nano Server, the Standard and Data center Windows Server editions will also be available as Server with Desktop Experience and Server Core installation.
The technological world is traveling rapidly, as usual. Obviously, Microsoft does not want to be left out the technological evolution. This improvement will surely give them the leverage they need against their competitors.


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07 Apr. 2010
ADIDAS VENTURES INTO TABLE TENNISGermany’s Adidas Adidas officially entered the table tennis market with its first official sponsorship and competition held at Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin. The game with 4,500 spectators was part of the German Open 2010 for table tennis, which took place Mar. 18-21. It was the first time Adidas officially supplied table tennis athletes and the ITTF Pro Competition.
Adidas’ game was the final event of the German Open, with well known participants, including Carlo Thränhardt, the world record holder in high jump; female boxing champion Cecilia Braekhus; and German actors André Emanuel Kaminski and Tim Sander. Thirteen of the world’s top 20 ranked players in fact took part in the German Open.
The company’s engagement with tennis sports is no less of a strategic move on Adidas’ part. Table tennis is already highly popular with millions of active players in Asia. Adidas said it plans to offer eventually a whole table tennis assortment for professional and recreational players.
|Back to home|


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Several sources are reporting General Motors will end production of six passenger cars and close 5 factories in the largest restructuring shakeup since the bankruptcy.
Reuters and the Associated Press are both reporting Lordstown, Ohio, Hamtramck, Michigan and Oshawa, Ontario will all end production next year. Two transmission plants, Warren, Mich and Baltimore will also close or production will shift to other models.
GM plans to stop building several car models next year including the Chevrolet Cruze, Cadillac CT6 and Buick LaCrosse. Sources are also saying the Chevrolet Volt, Impala and Cadillac XTS are also being discontinued.
The plan is for GM to shift production to electric and autonomous car research, a plan they announced in October, 2018 with the plan to reduce their executive work force by 18,000 executives.
Closing the factories will result in another 14,700 jobs being affected with 6,000 factory jobs and 8,100 white-collar jobs at those factories.
GM’s CEO Mary Barra has reportedly made calls early Monday morning to disclose the plan and the United Auto Works plans to address these changes next year.
This shakeup joins Ford, which announced a similar plan earlier this year, and Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles who also killed off their cars a few years prior.
Sources say the plants affected are running well below capacity and GM is losing money with the recent and stark downward trend on passenger cars sales.
This shift from cars, down 13.2 percent through the first nine months of the year and well offer the mark of 50 percent of vehicles sold annually (now at 31 percent) to SUVs and pickup trucks, both rising 8.3 percent, has caught the industry by surprise and pushed up transaction prices and car loan rates and length to unheard of levels.
It remains to be seen if these changes will have a political impact with GM joining Ford saying the steel tariffs are causing a major loss in their businesses.
Just like the bankruptcy. Poor management. GM’s leaders let’s people down because of short/narrow vision, over compensated management and ill fated decisions. We don’t see this from Ford. Ford has better management, makes better decisions and offers better products. One reason is that the workers are happier. Knowing that poor management has crashed this company before and ruined countless lives leaves GM employees nervous and guess what, it just happened again. 14,600 workers are being let go because of poor leadership. This doesn’t address even touch on all the stock and bond holders from 2009 when the government bailed GM out and allow the company to rip off billion of investors. The company had twice as much debt as they owned in Assets. What kind of leadership could do that? Bad leadership. Have they learned? Doesn’t appear so. Get all these smart people for a well compensated Board of Directors and their answer is to raise the CEO’s salary to $20+M and close plants.
Avoid GM! I have since 2009.


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Following up on Karma Automotive's announcement a few months ago, light-duty electric vehicle maker Ayro said today it had raised $10 million through new "definitive agreements with Carnegie Hudson Resources, an investment arm of Wanxiang America, and several existing institutional investors." Ayro sold just over 3.7 million shares to Wanxiang and the other investors for prices ranging from $6.06 and $8.91 per share. The deal was finalized today.
The sale brings another electric vehicle maker more firmly under Wanxiang's roof. Wanxiang Group is a Chinese conglomerate that owns both Wanxiang America, which in turn owns Karma Automotive, and A123 Systems, a company that has long been designing and selling batteries for electric vehicles. A123 provided the batteries for original Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid in 2011 and 2012. Wanxiang purchased the bankrupt Fisker for $149.2 million in 2014.
"This strategic investment further expands our relationship with Karma and provides better access to Wanxiang's global supply-chain, as well as A123's leadership in automotive lithium battery technology," Ayro CEO Rod Keller said in a statement. "This important investment should help Ayro accelerate our mission to provide next generation, purpose-built EV solutions designed for the urban, last-mile, and food delivery markets. We believe that this strategic investment by Wanxiang and existing investors is a testament to our future potential."
Back in September, Karma and Ayro announced a strategic manufacturing, engineering and design partnership and said they would build Ayro's small work EVs at Karma's production facility in Moreno Valley, California. The plan called for "more than 20,000 vehicles" to be manufactured by the end of 2023. The two companies valued the deal at more than $300 million.
As part of the stock sale announcement, Ayro said it would use the $10 million (minus "placement agent fees and other offering expenses") for "manufacturing, production, operations, product portfolio market expansion, and general working capital." Keller specified that the money would be used to "build strong fundamentals, expand production capacity beyond our current 600 cars per month, drive stronger market penetration, and position Ayro to meet ever growing demand with a variety of EV products across our value chain."
Texas-based Ayro sells two different little, all-electric work vehicles: the Club Car 411 meant for fleet use in urban or campus areas, and the 311, a three-wheeled vehicle meant for last-mile urban deliveries. Both can be had in three configurations. A four-wheel drive, off-road concept EV, the 511 4x4 Concept, has been revealed but no production plans have been announced. Ayro was founded in 2017.


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The Sunday Telegraph reported that Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons were among companies targeted as part of an investigation into price fixing in groceries and health and beauty products.
The consumer watchdog is said to have seized hundreds of emails between retailers and their suppliers, who were apparently also visited, during Thursday's "surprise raids".
The OFT declined to comment. A spokeswoman said: "We never comment on investigations."
A Tesco spokeswoman said: "We understand that the OFT has asked for information from a wide range of suppliers and retailers. We are working with them to provide what they require.
"At Tesco we are confident that we always act in the interest of consumers. Indeed over the last 10 years we have saved the average family almost £5,000 as a result of our investment in price."
A spokesman for Asda said: "They came to our offices. They requested a range of information, and we were happy to assist."
A spokesman for Morrisons said: "I can confirm that they did visit us - along with many others - and we will be co-operating with them."
A spokeswoman for Sainsbury's said: "We are co-operating with the OFT. We have been asked for some information and we don't have any further knowledge of what their concerns are."
The development comes just two days after it emerged that 11 major retailers and two tobacco manufacturers are facing an OFT investigation over allegations of unlawful cigarette pricing practices.
- More about:
- Consumer Issues
- Lipstick And Other Lip Makeup
- Sainsbury (j)


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GRAB PHILIPPINES (MyTaxi.PH, Inc.) said on Monday it is partnering with media technology company IDOOH International for the distribution of in-car display tablets in its vehicles.
The on-demand transport company said in a statement the partnership will support its online-to-offline advertising platform GrabAds.
In the case of its deal with IDOOH, Grab said this will involve interactive 10-inch tablets mounted inside Grab cars. The devices will serve an e-commerce function and will display news, lifestyle, entertainment and other branded content.
Grab has started diversifying its business to transform the ride-hailing platform into an “everyday app.”
“As an everyday app, we always look for ways to improve the experience of both passengers and drivers. Thanks to our partnership with IDOOH, passengers will be able to discover, engage with, and receive deals from quality brands,” Grab Philippines head for business Steven Martin Luchangco said in the statement.
He noted the tablets use technologies such as geo-fencing and day-parting to synchronize the content with external conditions such as speed, location, weather and traffic conditions.
Aside from projected benefits to passengers, Grab said the ad platform is also expected to boost the income of its drivers, as they will earn additional revenue for the number of trips they complete and the length of time the tablet screen was actively running.
“Beyond the commute experience, this partnership opens up a rideshare business ecosystem that will serve as a window for collaboration across other ridesharing services like advertising, delivery, and fulfilment of e-commerce transactions on the move,” IDOOH Group chief executive officer Mark Forsyth was quoted as saying. — Denise A. Valdez


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Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, had the distinction of being awarded the title ‘Sri Lanka’s Most Valuable Brand’ for the second consecutive year by Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation consultancy, at the 17th edition of its annual review. Dialog also retained its brand rating of AAA for the sixth consecutive year and the title of ‘Most Valuable Telecommunications Brand’ for the 13th consecutive year, reaffirming the brand’s ethos of empowering and enriching Sri Lankan lives and enterprises.
The ‘Most Valuable Brand 2020’ and ‘Most Valuable Telecommunications Brand’ accolades recognise Dialog’s passion to deliver ‘Service from the Heart’ and its commitment to create “The Future. Today”. This is a testament to the company’s salient and meaningful efforts to differentiate and drive the nation’s digital transformation through a range of products and services underpinned by inclusivity, affordability and accessibility to technology for all Sri Lankans, whilst creating unparalleled experiences.
The strength of the Dialog brand has been attributed to its commitment to empower and enrich lives in a connected world, whilst positioning itself as a trusted digital companion in the hearts of over 15 million customers. Dialog’s strategic focus on organization and digital transformation, culture and customer experience has paved the way to create value and ensure it continues to lead in the respective business verticals with unique experiences, resulting in enhancing its brand equity.
Commenting on the awards, Supun Weerasinghe, Group Chief Executive of Dialog Axiata PLC said, “We are honoured to once again be awarded the highly coveted title ‘Sri Lanka’s Most Valuable Consumer Brand’ for the second year running and the ‘Most Valuable Telecommunications Brand’ for the 13th consecutive year. The awards are a representation of the world-class services and solutions that have enriched lives of over 15 million Sri Lankans’ and their continued trust and confidence placed in us to always deliver the Future. Today. This recognition also embodies the Dialog team’s ongoing commitment to placing the company at the forefront of innovation while delivering Service from the Heart.”
Ruchi Gunewardene, Managing Director of Brand Finance Lanka commented “ Dialog’s core success has been its ability to bring new technologies into the country and by implementing unique marketing strategies which enable rapid customer adoption. This, together with the single brand approach, which straddles many digital interphases, enables them to drive a compelling brand proposition across many customer touchpoints”.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading independent brand valuation consultancy, with offices in over 20 countries including Sri Lanka. Brand Finance bridges the gap between marketing and finance by quantifying the financial value of brands. Brand Finance calculates the values of the brands in its league tables using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation methodology compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market


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As we near ever closer to the much anticipated iPhone 6 release, it’s inevitable that an actual launch date will rear its head eventually. And now it has! Well, a suspected launch date anyway…
It’s predicted that Apple will announce the iPhone 6 on September 16th with at least one of the two size variations becoming available in stores a near enough a month later on the 14th October, according to MacRumors.
The unnamed source mentioned 14th October as being an “immense” day for Apple and that it is expected to be a very busy month for stores and Apple as a company. Apple have two events planned for the Autumn, with their September event covering the iPhone 6 and iOS 8 and their October conference covering the iWatch, OSX Yosemite and new iPad and Mac hardware.
Making a change from their usual launch days falling on a Friday, Apple are now seemingly planning the launch of the iPhone 6 on a Tuesday; predominantly in an effort to maximise sales for that week to accommodate the increase in production.
There is no mention of which of the size variants will become available in October, or even if both will. However, if previous speculations are anything to go by, it seems more likely that the 4.7inch model will be on the market sooner, due to the previous manufacturing constraints with the thinner battery on the 5.5 inch model. This could potentially bump the larger model into becoming available by early next year.


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EVEN among the countless bits of gimmickry taking up space on the Internet, the ads for Pherotones did look a little fake.
"Can my ring tones make you sexy?" read one ad posted last month on the Hollywood gossip blog Egotastic.com, depicting a red-haired doctor in a white lab coat. "Experience the ring tone secret I discovered in Denmark that's too hot for mainstream science," the ad promised, directing visitors to a Web site, pherotones.com. There, users could download special cellphone ring tones that, when played, were supposed to attract the opposite sex.
But rather than the revolutionary product that Pherotones promised, the ads were the beginning of a buzz marketing campaign under the guise of a fake product (Pherotones) and a fake doctor (Dr. Myra Vanderhood) with a fake Web site (Pherotones.com), all for a real client with less than $250,000 to spend.
The real client is Oasys Mobile, a little-known cellphone content provider that sells games, cellphone wallpaper and ring tones that can be downloaded. Oasys, based in Raleigh, N.C., enlisted the advertising firm McKinney & Silver, in Durham, N.C., to introduce its brand inexpensively -- with a nontraditional campaign that it hoped would grab the attention of its desired 18-to-24-year-old demographic.
"You have a brand that nobody knows what it is and you have a consumer that's very specific," said David Baldwin, the executive creative director at McKinney, a unit of Havas. "They don't engage in traditional marketing. But they live online and they live with their cellphones."Continue reading the main story
So McKinney manufactured the idea of Pherotones, enlisting an actress to play the part of Dr. Vanderhood, the fictional Danish spokeswoman pictured in the ads for Pherotones.
McKinney also hired the Viral Factory, an agency in London that specializes in viral campaigns, to create a video that they hoped would spread around the Web. The video features a mock wedding ceremony where the ring tone on a male guest's cellphone compels the groom to run from the altar and passionately embrace the stunned guest. (So far, the video has been downloaded about 3,000 times on Web sites like YouTube, Punchbaby and Kontraband.)
In mid-December, McKinney placed a Pherotone entry on Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that is written and updated by thousands of anonymous Web users. It was taken down after a month when Wikipedia discovered that it happened to be untrue.
But the overall campaign is garnering interest: after placing ads on blogs like Gawker and Defamer, Pherotones.com is now averaging 10,000 page views a day. Last week on Technorati, a Web site that tracks blogs, Pherotones.com was in the top 10 percent of the most popular blogs worldwide. It has also attracted attention on insider blogs like AdRants, a Web site that closely tracks the advertising industry.
The campaign has also revived a question that is routinely asked in the advertising industry: is it acceptable to use advertising to trick consumers?
One recent study has indicated that the buying public is willing to be fooled. A study by Northeastern University released last month found that even when participants who pitch products in word-of-mouth campaigns identify their commercial affiliations, it usually does not affect consumers' willingness to pass the marketing message on.
And the planners of buzz marketing campaigns often say that in order to reach the modern multitasking consumer -- who may be simultaneously watching television, talking on a cellphone, reading the Internet and sending instant messages -- advertising must be a two-way conversation to have an effect.
"The consumers in that target demographic do not want in-your-face marketing," said Gary Ban, the chief executive for Oasys Mobile. "We wanted something that was risqué, funny and something that involves the consumer. If you're doing something that they can identify with, that they can participate in, that's basically something that that generation can tune into."
Nearly 80 percent of marketers spend money on buzz marketing, said Marian Salzman, the executive vice president of JWT (and the trend-spotter responsible for spreading the term "metrosexual" to the masses). And the buzz marketing business is gaining financial muscle: the trade publication Advertising Age estimated that buzz marketing annually is a $100 million to $150 million industry.
The advertising industry has taken note of the power of buzz and viral marketing, which are loosely defined as efforts that encourage consumers to spread marketing messages to each other. A Burger King spoof on the Internet in 2004, for example, centered on a subservient man in a chicken suit, has collected more than 17 million unique visitors, said a spokesman for Crispin Porter & Bogusky, the agency that created the ad.
In 2004, Volvo ran ads in European car magazines claiming that 32 people in Dalaro, a small village in Sweden, all bought Volvo S40 sedans on a single day -- more than the local Volvo dealer would typically sell in a year. A short video posted on the town and the "sale" on Volvo's Web site became an Internet cult phenomenon in Europe, with more than 400,000 people visiting the Web site in the first six weeks. The Mystery of Dalaro campaign resulted in impressive sales figures; in the first half of 2004, Volvo sold double the number of S40's it had sold in the first half of 2003.
But how does a company judge the effectiveness of the campaign? The same way any other ad campaign is assessed, Ms. Salzman said.
"I think you measure it first in brand momentum and then in sales," Ms. Salzman said. "Is it building in brand velocity and then are sales following?"
Now Oasys will be able to test the campaign's effect on sales: starting today, the Pherotones Web site is revealing its client by directing visitors to Oasysmobile.com.
Raising the ire of people who initially believed in the power of Pherotones is simply a negative consequence of the whole effort, said Mr. Ban of Oasys Mobile.
"You run the risk in any campaign like this that you might offend somebody," he said. "But even if you offend somebody, it seems to spread the gospel of the campaign."Continue reading the main story


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BEIJING JD.com Inc, China's second-biggest e-commerce company by market share, will accept pre-orders for Microsoft Corp's Xbox One games console in China from July 28 to July 30, the firm said on Monday.
The pre-orders will be taken via Tencent Holdings' mobile social networks Mobile QQ and WeChat, known as Weixin in China, JD.com said in a statement. Tencent holds a 17.6 percent stake in JD.com.
The Xbox One will be the first gaming console to be released in mainland China since the government banned console sales in 2000, citing games' effects on mental health.
On Friday, China Telecom, the country's smallest wireless carrier, said it would sell the Xbox One when released in September.
In September last year, Microsoft reached a deal with Chinese internet TV set-top box maker BesTV New Media Co Ltd to form a joint venture to manufacture the consoles in Shanghai's Free Trade Zone.
Released in November, the Xbox One has trailed in sales to Sony Corp's PlayStation 4, launched around the same time.
(Reporting by Paul Carsten; Editing by Stephen Coates and Kenneth Maxwell)
Trending On Reuters
Google Inc is refusing to bow to an order from the French privacy watchdog to scrub search results worldwide when users invoke their "right to be forgotten" online, it said on Thursday, exposing itself to possible fines. Full Article
- Google loses bid to overturn low-cost patent licenses to Microsoft
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Here’s how to fix it, says Toreson Lloyd, co-founder and chief commercial officer of APEXX Global
In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, too many travel and hospitality businesses have been in a struggle to survive amid declining revenues.
They have not been helped by pressures from payment acquirers, the organisations that process payments on behalf of companies, a boring but vital piece of financial infrastructure that keeps money and business flowing.
It doesn’t come cheap. Travel companies spend on average about 5.4% of their revenues on processing payments. The global pandemic is driving that cost higher for many companies, just as they try to keep their heads above water.
We have already seen some of the biggest payment acquirers severe client relationships without much notice.
In some ways this is understandable. Acquirers which focus on the travel industry find themselves horribly exposed during the pandemic.
Revenue losses in global tourism amounted to $195 billion in the first quarter of this year, with the UK, Spain and France the top-three countries with the biggest losses. Iata forecast in June that airlines would lose an estimated $84 billion this year.
Loss-making travel companies become a business risk for payments companies, which are looking to reduce their exposure.
Some travel companies are being given as little as 60 days’ notice to find another provider before their service is switched off. Businesses trying to plan for 2021 will be asking who will process my payments next year and is my company viable without this service?
This is as much an issue for international travel companies as for smaller domestic players. They all tend to use one or maybe two acquirers. This makes sense in ‘normal’ times. Getting set up with an acquirer requires technology integrations which take time and money.
Businesses may also believe they are getting economies of scale – the more transactions they push to an acquirer, the lower fees they will be charged. And there can be some real benefits working with acquirers that focus on travel. They can provide meaningful, sector-specific advice on how to boost conversions.
However, the downside to working with just one acquirer is a lack of flexibility during a crash in travel. You have nowhere to go. Even acquirers that don’t ditch their travel clients are tightening the screws in other ways.
Acquirers are telling businesses they need to increase the amount of collateral they hold or they are taking longer to complete settlements. For companies that are already stretched on working capital, this can be the final blow that tips them into bankruptcy.
While payment providers should strive to be good corporate citizens and reliable partners through good times and bad, travel merchants should be smart about de-risking their partnerships and diversifying their payment providers.
Working with a payment-orchestration platform is one solution. Instead of just working with one acquirer, they can provide access to hundreds.
Travel companies can use them to regain choice, flexibility and control over their business.
There are other benefits, too. For margin-sensitive businesses like OTAs, payment-orchestration platforms can offer reduced fees by virtue of the number of acquirers they use, bringing competition into the relationship.
They can also boost conversion rates. If one acquirer drops a transaction, it can be re-routed to another. This is crucial in a tough economic environment. You don’t want to be turning people away from your payments page once they have committed to booking.
A payment-orchestration platform can also reduce ‘redundancy risk’ – the risk that the service a single acquirer provides becomes redundant, should it suffer a service outage or change its commercial terms or hike its fees.
Having multiple acquirers gives the ability to cascade transactions or the leverage to demand better service from an existing provider.
Lastly, bear in mind that many acquiring banks use payment-orchestration platforms as a sales channel. Not every acquirer wants to get out of the travel business. Many see the pandemic as a blip and the industry as ripe for a rebound.
They are waiting on the side-lines, eager to hoover up new business, and platforms are willing to act as the middlemen.


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New entrants will face certain obstacles given the changes in Vietnam's telecoms market, though interest from foreign investors remains.
Indochina Telecom, the Vietnamese mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), officially relaunched in April after ten years out of the country’s telecommunications market.
Having failed to negotiate a deal with Viettel - the leading local mobile network operator (MNO) - this time around Indochina Telecom is operating on the Vinaphone network, the mobile subsidiary of the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT).
The “newcomer” expects to contribute to improving the nature and quality of services in Vietnam’s information and telecommunications industry, sharing the burden of infrastructure investment and operations with other companies, said Mr. Luu Anh Son, Deputy CEO of Indochina Telecom (ITelecom).
Back in the game
Back in 2012, after ITelecom failed to roll out commercial services after a few years of effort, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) cancelled its license.
At that time, another MVNO license was approved for the State-owned VTC Telecom, but it also failed to launch mobile services.
The return of ITelecom sees it become the sixth telecoms provider in the market, despite the market being saturated in recent years, which makes local insiders wonder how it can earn a profit.
But the company believes it possesses advantages in its new business model, and will focus on niche markets and targeted customers to turn challenges into opportunities, Mr. Son told VET.
ITelecom will initially introduce services for workers at industrial parks in nine cities and provinces.
According to its research, spending on telecom services by these workers is about VND80,000 ($3.4) each per month and so are the target segment in the first stage. It then plans to reach 15 million workers at industrial parks around the country.
It will introduce a variety of packages tailored to different groups and user segments, and will cooperate with local MNOs that have unused mobile phone capacity to negotiate the best deals.
“We will create the most convenient services at reasonable cost, which will make the market compete fairly,” Mr. Son added. “There are still a lot of niche segments that MNOs find hard to exploit.”
In theory, a focus on niche markets is one of the model’s competitive advantages, which its competitors either find challenging to address or have addressed in a different manner.
Successful MVNOs around the world have effectively applied three key factors: an understanding of the target segment, better distribution channels, and lean operations.
Another MNVO, the Malaysia-based
RedONE, told VET of its plan to cooperate with VNPT to launch a new business in Vietnam this year.
The two sides have signed a cooperation agreement and are now preparing for the upcoming launch. Established in 2012, RedONE has received MNVO Service Provider of the Year awards for three consecutive years.
It reached 1 million post-paid subscribers in just under three years, and its goal is to become the largest MNVO in ASEAN.
The penetration of the foreign company increases the total of mobile network operators in Vietnam to seven.
Room to grow
Vietnam’s telecoms market is dominated by the three largest MNOs - Viettel, Vinaphone, and MobiFone - which hold a combined market share of more than 90 per cent in mobile and broadband services.
Growth in total revenue in the industry comes mainly from these three giants, standing at $15 billion in 2018 for 6 per cent growth, according to MoIC.
Viettel, who has just made Vietnam one of the first countries in the world to pilot 5G technology, in early May, contributed 60 per cent of total revenue and 70 per cent of total profit in 2018.
MobiFone, meanwhile, saw 7.5 per cent growth in profit in 2018 against 2017. Growth in revenue and profit, however, is tending to slow as the market has witnessed mobile-price competition between players over recent years.
But Mr. Sesto E Vecchi, Managing Partner of Russin & Vecchi - a foreign consulting company in Vietnam - believes there is still room to grow.
The ratio of households with internet access is just 27 per 100. Similarly, only 9.3 per cent of households have fixed-line telephones, though this is a diminishing market.
In addition, the number of mobile subscribers exceeds the population, most of which primarily use 2G services (calls and SMS).
The number of mobile subscribers with 3G data connection is still lower than the global average. 4G subscriber numbers is lower again, and the 5G network is yet to be developed in the country, according to Mr. Vecchi.
He noted that data demand is one the rise in Vietnam and will keep increasing into the future.
MoIC and telecom analysts have forecast that the number of 4G subscribers will rise more than nine-fold from 2019 to 2024.
In addition, under Vietnam’s commitments in trade agreements, the government understands that it must divest from State-owned enterprises, including telecommunications enterprises, and MobiFone and VNPT plan to have their IPOs completed this year and next, respectively.
“This presents a huge opportunity for foreign investors to invest in the telecoms market if indeed divestment does occur and if bidding is open and appropriate,” Mr. Vecchi said.
Mr. Son believes that participation by foreign MNVOs and other newcomers will create fair competition between telecoms providers and help them gain more opportunities to develop and improve products and services to provide the best value possible for customers.
VNPT recorded the highest profit growth among the three giants in 2018. Recognizing that revenue from traditional mobile services is going down, the group plans to change to a mobile-data business model.
It also plans to outlay $1 billion on merger and acquisitions (M&As) of domestic and foreign tech enterprises over the next two years, as part of adopting a business model in line with digital transformation.
Other State-owned telecoms companies have also switched their business strategy to differentiate themselves and serve cross-border partnerships in areas of mobile payments, digital marketing, cyber security, and cloud-based services.
Opportunities exist for foreign exporters in providing equipment and infrastructure and value-added services, such as developing wireless and alternative broadband technologies and partnering with established network operators to provide 3G/4G/5G services, pay TV infrastructure, and media broadcasting services, according to Mr. Chu Bao Khanh, Associate at Russin & Vecchi.
“Since the satellite-based telecom market is not yet developed in Vietnam, we think there is an opportunity for foreign companies to provide satellite services into the country on a cross-border basis,” he added.
2019 will be another year of much change, like 2018, due to MoIC’s mobile number portability (MNP) policy and other polices that will re-draw the market share among telecom companies.
This makes them feel more pressure to retain subscribers, in which they need to provide services with high quality.
ITelecom and RedONE will also face challenges, as they depend on the VNPT network, needing solid partnerships with the corporation to gain competitive price policies as well as distribution networks.
In theory, MNOs limit MVNOs in exploiting distribution areas where the MNO has stable share market.
Mr. Son said ITelecom will propose telecoms management policies to MoIC that will help the price model in buying wholesale and selling retail.
The introduction of 4G services is expected to generate a spike in new opportunities for investors, especially as the industry has been moving towards digital and data products, and local telecoms providers have continued to improve their services.
MoIC is encouraging the development of broadband infrastructure to complete the 4G network and begin work on 5G as early as possible, to enhance the performance of the Internet of Things (IoT).
The ministry has also proposed policy incentives to attract new foreign investments in telecommunications and information technology.
The government hopes more tech companies will invest in Vietnam, as foreign investment has played a major role in the development of the industry.
Mr. Vecchi said that with Vietnam joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), it is clear that the country intends to open up its telecoms market, well beyond its current WTO commitments. VN Economic Times
Three major mobile carriers in Vietnam have recently announced information of cooperation plans with foreign partners in the roadmap of 5G implementation but no one has mentioned Huawei.
The telecom network is expecting to receive more mobile network operators, but analysts say the existing networks are ‘more than enough’ for Vietnam.
The pilot of 5G technology is planned to be carried out in 2019 in Vietnam so that in 2020, the country will become one of the first in the world to formally offer this service.


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- We have offered positions to drivers pending their background checks and DMV clearances.
- The warehouse lease is in the final stages of attorney review.
- New ETA for the bins is the week of May 20th.
- We are still awaiting an ETA on the vans.
The next three months will bring a lot of changes to the BCCLS delivery department.
The committee meets this week to continue its work on defining the core pieces of the mission statement. We will also be reviewing demographic and BCCLS surveys.
The committee is on track to deliver the first draft of the strategic plan at the June System Council Meeting.
Cisco Umbrella blocked the following in the past week:
- Total number of DNS requests inspected by Cisco Umbrella for BCCLS computers: 1.3 Million
- 1.2k Malware and Drive-By Requests for Malicious links
- 25 Phishing Requests
- 4 Crypto Requests
Intel Processor Shortage Update
For the past few months, computer manufacturers have been waiting on Intel due to a processor shortage throughout the industry. Recently, we had difficulty in getting just 14 identical computers for our new training room as most vendors were out of stock on all of their inventory. Our PC order for nearly 300 computers had been sitting in the queue for months, but there is some exciting news. Intel has started catching up, and the computer manufacturers have resumed production. Our order for PCs just rolled off of the assembly line at HP last Friday and we received nearly our entire order of four pallets of computers on Wednesday. We anticipate being able to start replacing older PCs with these new models in the next week or two.


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Sunglass Hut and OPSM owner gets go-ahead for wholesale deal.
‘Voice’ of major Aussie retailers searching for interim CEO.
Stephen Younane, co-founder and CEO of Retail Prodigy Group, added to speakers line-up for Inside Retail Academy event in Melbourne.
Eyewear chain opens second luxury store concept on Collins St, Melbourne.
Luxottica-owned eyewear chain to rollout digitally enhanced store concept.
Google inks deal with eyewear giant for Glass collaboration.
Australian sunglasses retail faces a subdued forecast for the next five years.
Luxottica opens world’s largest Sunglass Hut store in Australia.
Former owners buy back 50 store Australian sunglasses chain from Luxottica.
Retailers are in for a “white knuckle ride” in 2012 according to Inside Retail’s Australian Retail Outlook 2012.


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"In every crisis there’s an opportunity" is the phrase that springs to mind when analysing the latest developments in the trade negotiations between the United States and China.
While it’s true that U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to increase tariffs from the level of 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion-worth of Chinese goods triggered widespread discomfort and concern in the markets, it’s also a fact that global equities pushed higher during the initial reaction.
However, the upside was short-lived after Beijing wasted no time in retaliating by unveiling tariffs of up to 25 percent on about $60 billion worth of US goods. With the United States releasing a list of about $300 billion worth of Chinese goods that could be hit with a 25 percent tariff after Beijing’s retaliation announcement, trade war fears are shifting into higher gear.
Optimism has faded since China’s retaliation because escalating trade tensions remain a significant threat to global growth and stability. Already, the European economy has slowed down, partly because of the reduction in sales growth in China seen in the last half of 2018, and while China’s economy appeared to have recovered lost ground in the first quarter this year, an increase in tariffs on Chinese exports to the U.S. is likely to take a toll going forward. Concerns over tit-for-tat tariffs between the two largest economies in the world are likely to fuel fears of slowing global growth which may heavily impact global equities and multi-national companies’ revenues.
The consequences of trade disputes are well known but it’s important to put them into perspective. It’s significant that the markets show a robust performance in the face of the new global economic order in which the world’s two largest economies are raising tariffs against each other before reaching an unprecedented trade deal. Should there be a positive end result and a trade deal is reached later this year, it could be argued that China would take its place as a leading developed and mature economy, rather than an emerging economy.
Although the trade negotiation process between the U.S. and China is filled with twists and turns, other regions like Europe may benefit long term from the temporary disturbance in their trade relations. If EU manufacturers and traders adapt quickly, for example, they could step in to take advantage of market opportunities that would currently be more difficult for US-based export companies. Additionally, China has increased monetary support to its gigantic economy and the stimulus appears to be having a positive effect, judging by Q1 results.
This leads us to the conclusion that tariff hikes between the U.S. and China may force many major central banks to maintain a cautious or dovish stance in the face of the possibility that growth may slow down again in both economies. The Federal Reserve has paused interest rate hikes due to external factors like the impact of tariffs on global growth. Lower interest rates usually mean a more attractive borrowing and investment climate, which could support overall growth in the final analysis.
To read more market analysis from FXTM please visit: FXTM.
Disclaimer: This written/visual material is comprised of personal opinions and ideas. The content should not be construed as containing any type of investment advice and/or a solicitation for any transactions. It does not imply an obligation to purchase investment services, nor does it guarantee or predict future performance. FXTM, its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees do not guarantee the accuracy, validity, timeliness or completeness of any information or data made available and assume no liability for any loss arising from any investment based on the same.
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© Opinion 2019


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The Royale Pass rewards would include 75 new outfits and other items that include a Bronze armour, Shark’s Bite DP-28 skin, a Swamp Horror SLR skin amongst others.
PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds aka PUBG is about to enter its eighth season. The new 0.13.4 PUBG Mobile is rolling out on beta and has revealed some new features that can be expected in the final version.
According to a YouTube channel called Mr Ghost Gaming, Season 8 would continue to feature Elite Upgrade and Elite Upgrade Plus for players. The feature is said to have some new rewards for players who purchase the new packs.
According to the channel, Elite Upgrade members would receive instant rewards worth 4,000 UC. Elite Upgrade Plus users, on the other hand, would get upto rewards worth 10,000 UC that include 25 ranks, an Urban Scavenger Backpack skin and a Warning Sign QBZ skin.
Elite Upgrade Plus players would also get two new emotes called Triumphant Victory and Spawn Island Line Dance. Both these packs would cost 600 UC and 1,800 UC, respectively.
The Royale Pass rewards would include 75 new outfits and other items that include a Bronze armour, Shark’s Bite DP-28 skin, a Swamp Horror SLR skin amongst others.PUBG is yet to announce the release of Season 8. According to leaks, the new season is based on an Ocean Pirate theme. We can expect the new version rolling out soon after Season 7 ends on July 14. The new update could also release Erangel 2.0, which is available on PUBG PC. LIVE NOW... Video series on How to Double Your Monthly Income... where Rahul Shah, Ex-Swiss Investment Banker and one of India's leading experts on wealth building, reveals his secret strategies for the first time ever. Register here to watch it for FREE.


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Closer Look: How Huawei Quietly Became a Mobile Phone Giant
Huawei Technologies Co., well-known as a provider of telecoms network equipment and technology solutions, is enjoying impressive results in its mobile handset business after years of low-profile development.
Market research institution International Data Corp. (IDC) says Huawei sold 10.8 million mobile phones around the world in the fourth quarter of 2012, third behind Samsung and Apple.
- Deadly Plunge
- Investor Accuses ABC of Insider Trading over Sale of State-Owned Firm's Bonds
- Tech Progress Depends on More Reform, Including for Intellectual Property
- Did a Chinese Insurer Cross the Investor Line?
- Caixin China PMI: Chilly April for Factories with Index Falling to 49.4
- Fast Track
- Fund Used to Bailout Stock Markets Lose 12 percent in Value
- Former Head of CDB Leasing Denies Taking Bribes from China Southern Airlines
- Coal Addiction Spells Trouble for Wind Power Producers
- Crash Site
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The maker of that disaster-in-a-can known as Four Loko has announced that it will begin relabeling cans to show the beverage’s alcohol content. One can of Four Loko contains as much alcohol as 4-5 beers. People have argued—and rightly so, I believe—that not clearly labeling how much alcohol is in the drink puts consumers at risk; under pressure from the Federal Trade Commission, Four Loko’s manufacturer, Phusion Products, is beginning to see it this way, too.
I can’t believe people drink Four Loko. Scratch that—I can believe that people drink it (many of my friends drink it, despite the fact that they are pushing 30), but I think it’s a horrendously bad idea. The beverage is no can-of-red-bull or cup-of-coffee before a few beers; Four Loko 1.0 made even Sparks—the caffeinated alcoholic beverage of choice during my collegiate days—look like a Shirley Temple.
Four Loko 2.0—theoretically the only kind that’s sold today (though I feel like folks somehow come across an endless supply of black market Four Loko 1.0)—is a decaf beverage. Last November, manufacturers of Four Loko and other caffeinated malt beverages removed the stimulants (including energy-drink staples guarana and taurine) from their products when the FTC and Food and Drug Administration planned to crack down on them otherwise. The federal agencies branded these products dangerous because “caffeine can mask the sense of intoxication.”
But decaf Four Loko is still packed with tons of alcohol and sugar—making it not only potentially dangerous, but oh-so-unhealthy as well. While neither the sugar or calorie contents of Four Loco are listed, it’s estimated that one can contains more than 60 grams of sugar and around 660 calories.
Phusion Products has only agreed to list the alcohol content after essentially being forced to by the FTC, which said keeping alcohol content unlisted while touting the drink as a single-serve beverage and selling it alongside other tall beers amounted to ‘deceptive advertising.’
Photo: Fox News


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However, users who believe that Adobe will collapse many Figma tools have not welcomed this with open arms.
Many believe the tool will no longer be free and will be included in Adobe’s Creative Cloud paid premium service products. Nevertheless, some experts believe that the company will continue to exist.
According to Jonathan Poston, a company’s growth consultant, the perfect situation will see Figma “Adobe-fied and hyper-monetized.”It could also become a second option to the point where no one wants to use it.
Since Dylan Field, the firm’s founder and current CEO is still in charge, it is unclear what Adobe might do given its history of acquisitions. Dylan Field has stated that Figma will remain free for the time being, but this may change in the future.
According to the statements made by both organizations, Figma will continue to be a stand-alone business led by its current CEO, who could answer to David Wadhwani, President of Adobe’s Digital Media Business.
In addition, Adobe provided an investor deck outlining both companies’ strong points and motives for the acquisition. Also, both enterprises have a large and increasing number of joint customers, which may have prompted the company to buy Figma.
Although this isn’t Adobe’s first rodeo, it has acquired businesses such as Behance, a LinkedIn for artists; Frame.io, a collaborative video production tool; and Sayspring, a voice interface platform.


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Bud Light / Twitter
There are two things that are dominating the internet right now: pictures of people making themselves look old, and talk about Area 51.
As for how interest in the latter topic started, it all stemmed from a Facebook event, Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us, which started out as a joke before it went viral. The event calls for people to raid the classified U.S. Air Force facility located in the midst of the Nevada desert.
The initial number of people who pledged to participate was staggering enough. But thanks to the viral coverage, there are now 1.6 million people who said they are going to participate in the raid on September 20, and 1.2 million more have indicated interest.
The movement has caught so much attention, the Air Force actually spoke out and warned people not to follow through with their plans to raid Area 51.
Air Force spokesperson Laura McAndrews issued the following statement to the Washington Post:
“The U.S. Air Force always stands ready to protect its assets,” McAndrews said, then going on to add that Area 51 is “an open training range for the U.S. Air Force, and we would discourage anyone from trying to come into the area where we train American armed forces.”
So why are people willing to risk upsetting the U.S. Air Force just to catch a glimpse of what’s inside Area 51? Well, for years, many people have believed that the location is home to super secret government projects…and also aliens.
It was this latter belief that one popular beer brand embraced in a clever way of playing off the intense interest in Area 51 right now. And that popular beer brand is none other than Bud Light.
The company first expressed that it was not in support of the raid, writing, “We’d like to be the first brand to formally announce that we will not be sponsoring the Area 51 raid.”
But then, in response to a follower who commented, “Don’t be on the wrong side of history here,” the beer brand appeared to have a change of heart.
“You’re right. Free Bud Light to any alien that makes it out,” read the response. The company then issued a nearly identical statement in a standalone tweet as well.
As if that wasn’t funny enough, the brand then tweeted artwork for special-edition alien-themed cans. Its profile picture has even been changed to feature the new black and green artwork.
“Area 51 Special Edition,” read the caption accompanying the new artwork. If you zoom in, you can see that the banner above the alien’s head reads the following:
“Greetings Earthlings. This is the famous Area 51. We know of no space beer by any other life form which is brewed and aged to be more refreshing. Our cryogenic aging produces a light bodied space lager with a fresh taste, a crisp, clean finish, and a smooth drinkability. Take us to your leader…for drinks.”
When one follower asked if Bud Light was serious about releasing the alien-themed cans, the brand responded that it would indeed release them. But there’s a catch…Bud Light says it will only release the cans if its post gets 51,000 retweets.
Only time will tell if the alien-themed Bud Light cans will soon be seen on store shelves near you. As of press time, the company’s tweet has over 9,000 retweets, so it still has a way to go to get to 51,000.
Those who have seen the artwork are all for it, so we have a good feeling that Bud Light will get the 51,000 retweets its looking for. What about y’all, would you buy the alien-themed booze?
You can learn more about the viral interest in Area 51 by tuning in to the clip below.
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