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China's CPI will probably fall below 2% in July
China's CPI will probably fall below 2% in July due to the base effect, giving authorities more room to beef up monetary supply to support economic growth. If no unexpected factors arise in the third quarter, the CPI may reach 2% during the July-to-September period.
Many economists even predicted that the CPI may drop to 1.7% in July from June's 2.2 percent, to reach its lowest level in 30 months.
Food prices, which account for nearly one-third to calculate China's CPI, may stay flat in July compared with June, as rain and flooding affected vegetable production in many places in a traditionally peak season of supply.
Meanwhile, Chinese central government has strengthened its monitoring of farm produce prices.
China's economy is to see a continued slowdown and the government will implement more economic stimulus in the future.
The continued low consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, pushes the government to introduce more pro-growth measures, respondents thought.
In order to boost the currently fatigued economy, China's top leaders reaffirmed that they will underline stable economic growth and adhere to a proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy to counter the current economic hardships.
The ongoing pace of economic growth is within expectations, but the external environment remains grim and poses difficulties and challenges.
Moreover, most of leading Chinese economists also expressed high confidence in an optimistic economic outlook in the second half of 2012.
A quarterly survey, conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics, showed that 72% of 78 leading economists expected higher than 8% growth this year supported by further economic policies.
The previous stimulus policies have shown their effects, the economic growth is expected to rebound gradually, but at a moderate pace.
To buoy the economy, China has adopted a train of growth-spurring measures, including lowering banks' reserve ratios and interest rates, subsidizing energy-saving household electrical appliances and speeding up approvals for major construction projects.


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SAP reported better-than-expected first quarter results as it gained a nice tailwind from a stronger U.S. dollar.
Amid technology companies bemoaning a stronger U.S. dollar, SAP is one of the few tech vendors who will take a stronger greenback and run. SAP reports its results in euro and a stronger U.S. dollar boosts its sales.
IBM has the opposite problem because two-thirds of its revenue comes from overseas and results are in the U.S. dollar. As a result, its first quarter sales were flattish in constant currency, but down 12 percent as reported.
For SAP, the first quarter earnings release had a similar theme---all cloud and all HANA for growth with licensing holding the fort.
The company reported first quarter net income of €413 million, down from €534 million in the same quarter a year ago. Revenue for the first quarter was €4.45 billion, up 22 percent from a year ago. In constant currency, SAP reported sales growth of 10 percent.
Software licensing sales for the first quarter was up 12 percent, or 1 percent under constant currency. Cloud subscriptions and support revenue was €503 million, up from €219 million a year ago.
In a statement, SAP CEO Bill McDermott said "we are a strong growth company" and cited early traction for S/4HANA, which was launched early in the quarter, and 370 early customers.
SAP's Business Network sales were €368 million in the first quarter. SAP's Business Network is aimed at creating a commerce network and includes Ariba, Concur and Fieldglass in one unit.
As for the outlook, SAP reiterated its outlook. SAP sees cloud and support revenue of about €1.95 billion to €2.05 billion at constant currencies excluding charges for 2015. For the year, cloud and software revenue will gain 8 percent to 10 percent at constant currency. Operating profit for 2015 will be €5.6 billion to €5.9 billion at constant currencies.
SAP said that it saw strong cloud traction in Europe, primarily driven by the United Kingdom. Germany was also strong, but Russia and Ukraine struggled amid political turmoil. Americas revenue was strong led by Brazil growth and Japan sales did well.

domain: news


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After a couple of image leaks, the Nokia phone with Penta-lens camera has been rumored to be the Nokia 9. Now, leaked renders surfaced finally showing its display with a notch.
- Nokia phone with five camera lens image leaked
- Nokia phone with five cameras shown on leaked live photos
The design tipster Benjamin Geskin has shared this renders revealing its front and back panel. There is the notch that houses the earpiece, sensor and front camera. The side bezels are thin with a Nokia branding on the display’s chin.
Flipping the phone, we’ll see the controversial five cameras with a written “Zeiss” in between the top and middle lenses. It also has an LED flash.
This is Nokia 9 (2018) with a Penta-Lens camera. (render based on leaks) pic.twitter.com/gOQA8W08Cj
— Ben Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) September 6, 2018
Looking at the render, there’s no fingerprint scanner which could possibly be placed in-display.
As of now, we’ll be expecting a lot of leaks and speculations about the device. So stay tuned for more updates.


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The study claims that 31.1% of those who have cancelled their legacy pay TV services did so in the past 12 months, while 20.7% did so in the past one to two years.
Overall some 52% of US cord cutters are estimated to have cancelled their pay TV service in the past year, and TDG predicts that the threat of cord-cutting will “continue to haunt operators for some time”.
The research claims that the mainstream adoption of inexpensive streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime has caused legacy TV subscribers to “reassess the value” of their TV services.
It also noted the increased flexibility provided by live linear streaming services – like Sony Vue, YouTube TV, Hulu’s new offering, DirecTV Now and Dish’s Sling TV – and the move by many incumbents towards offering ‘skinny bundles’.
“TDG observed long ago that incumbents were going to have to make a choice: either resign themselves to being a ‘dumb-pipe’ provider, or invest in using IP, change the TV experience, and become the go-to source for all things video,” said TDG co-founder and principal, Michael Greeson.
“Comcast tuned into the later, investing in the hardware and software required to bring the power of IP to the legacy TV experience, and the company is now gaining video subscribers when others are reporting loses.”
Join us on June 23rd at 3pm BST for Magine Pro's live expert chat "Insight into thematic OTT services delivering co… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
6th June 2020


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Embed, a leading worldwide supplier of point-of-sale and revenue management systems, has launched its COVID-19 Relief Act to assist with the industry’s recovery.
Embed is pleased to announce its COVID-19 Relief Act, and is committed to supporting its customers and the attractions industry as a whole. This includes a year’s free access to its award-winning Mobile Wallet. The company is also working on adding capacity management to its Mobile Portal.
“At Embed, we want to do our part to support our customers prepare for their reopening day,” says Renee Welsh, CEO, Embed.
“We thought long and hard about how we can do this, and we decided to give away our latest award-winning innovation, the Mobile Wallet, free for 1-year to everyone. No app required. The virtual game card sits in the mobile wallet so you can offer your customers a contactless payment and FEC experience.”
Safeguarding guests with contactless solutions
“We are in the process of adding capacity management to our Mobile Portal, which will also be included,” added Welsh. “We are giving this to all our new and existing customers for free. Knowing how important it is to our customers to have contactless payments to safeguard their overall customer experience, we felt this would be the most powerful demonstration of our commitment to our customers and our industry’s recovery.”
“This is Embed’s COVID-19 Relief Act. Make no mistake about it, we are going the social distance with you.”
The company has been connecting with partners and customers in order to monitor the situation as it develops and to gain valuable insights, tips and strategies. These conversations and working sessions are available to watch through EmbedLIVE. The conversations will help bring operators, manufacturers and distributors together so they can share expertise and weather the storm as one.
“A new type of customer will emerge from this pandemic,” says Welsh. “After a long-lockdown period, the surge of consumers will emerge and only go to businesses they perceive as safe. They will be more conscious of hygiene, price and social distancing than ever before. It is unmistakable that people don’t want to touch cash, coins, papers, or anything that transmits viruses.
“This acts as a forcing function for our industry to become tech-savvy overnight. Embed has the contactless solution (in the mobile wallet and mobile portal) that the industry needs to recover, so it feels right and good that we give it away for free.”
New and existing customers can register for free here.
Embed has already been releasing a range of initiatives to bring people together during the crisis, including educational content, video chats and even a quarantine playlist.


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Panasonic Factory Solutions, a division of Panasonic Industry Europe, and SMT Worldwide, one of the largest technical distributors of high-tech capital goods for the manufacture of electronic products in Europe with more than 20 years of experience in the markets announce their future collaboration.
SMT Worldwide will distribute the Panasonic Factory Solutions portfolio, highlighting high-end automation products such as Pick & Place and odd form placement machines, printers, and Smart Factory software solutions for industrial sectors such as telecommunications, automotive, computing, and consumer electronics.
With extensive sales and service experience, SMT Worldwide is a valued partner who extends Panasonic Industry smart factory solutions directly to customers in Spain and Portugal.
“It is a logical step for Panasonic Factory Solutions to establish a close partnership with SMT Worldwide. With this cooperation, we bring our proven hardware and software solutions closer to Iberian customers. We look forward to intensive cooperation,” says Nils Heininger, Division Director of Panasonic Factory Solutions.
Jean Baptiste Bénard, CEO of SMT Worldwide, looks forward to cooperation: “We are enthusiastic and looking forward to working with Panasonic, SMT Worldwide is always proud to represent the highest quality technology manufacturers, providing clear added value to our customers. We always take care of our cornerstone: our excellence in technical service and support with a high focus on customer service. “


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TOWN centre bosses today said ‘we are sorry’ to furious shoppers forced to queue for hours as a new parking system caused havoc in the run-up to Christmas.
Long lines of customers snaked around The Octagon shopping centre and outside Asda supermarket yesterday as the launch of the new car park system turned people from Santas to Scrooges, with festive cheer quickly evaporating.
The situation was further compounded when shoppers were forced to sit and wait in massive queues of traffic after they finally managed to pay and attempted to exit the Orchard Street car park.
Peter Hardingham, Octagon centre manager, offered an “unreserved apology” to customers following a day of chaos.
He told the Mail: “I would like to offer our customers a big apology for the issues that arose during the launch of the new parking system.
“There was simply no excuse for the issues that they faced and we are very, very sorry.
“As we prepared to install the new system on Monday night, a technical issue was uncovered, which severely hampered the launch.
“The matter is being worked on and we expect to be fixed at some point today.
“I would like to tell shoppers that this is very similar to the old parking system, the only difference is that there are no tickets.
“When shoppers drive in to the car park, a camera takes a picture of their registration plate.
“They then go off to do their shopping and when they are ready to leave, type in their number plate and pay the required amount.
“If they do not pay, they will not be allowed to leave the car park until they have. Drivers will not be fined as a result of this system.”
Nicola Ellis, from Branston, contacted the Mail while she was still standing in the queue to pay – 45 minutes after she joined it.
She said: “It was an absolute joke. I was in the queue for nearly an hour.
“Arguments were breaking out as people waited, tempers flared and it was a complete disaster, especially at the busiest shopping time of the year.”
This comes months after a new parking system was put into place at Burton’s Queen’s Hospital, which caused chaos.


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This definition appears very rarely
and is found in the following Acronym Finder categories:
- Organizations, NGOs, schools, universities, etc.
See other meanings of PPI
We have 388 other definitions for PPI
in our Acronym Attic
Samples in periodicals archive:
At this time, some 110 papers are slated to be presented as well as more than 20 poster presentations," said Stephen Boros, PPXV organising committee chairman and the technical director for The Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI).
The ultimate beneficiary is the end user who received a product that is of the highest quality and delivers excellent long-term performance," says Anthony Radoszewski, executive director of the Plastics Pipe Institute.
reports that its Rheochem line of high-performance lubricants (HPLs) have been certified by NSF International and the Plastics Pipe Institute for use in PVC water pipe.
Finathene XT10 N--a bimodal, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin for pressure pipe applications that require superior physical properties--has a Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) TR-4 listing as ASTM PE3408.
Called PPI PACE for Plastics Pipe Institute Pipeline Analysis & Calculation Environment, the Beta version is available at www.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "From a sustainability standpoint, HDPE pipe and solar power are a unique partnership," stated Tony Radoszewski, executive director of the Plastics Pipe Institute Inc.
The materials that PolyPipe is now prohibited from distributing were originally prepared by the Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI), the trade association for the HDPE pipe industry.
MA Plastics Pipe Institute, DC Polyurea Development Association, MO Polyurethane Foam Association, TN Polyurethane Manufacturers Association, WI Rapra Technology Ltd.


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I have spent the past couple of months talking to dozens of INMA members about GenAI use cases.
The vast majority of them are uses for editorial, perhaps because that is where most companies expect to find efficiencies that can really move the needle.
Why? Because newsrooms are a substantial part of the business for any media company, and GenAI has shown that it generally works well as an editorial assistant — e.g., transcribing and summarising articles, tagging them with metadata, or coming up with story ideas or headlines that an editor then vets.
But one conversation repeatedly keeps popping up: What about uses for GenAI in advertising? Surely it has tremendous potential to generate higher revenue for our business, especially as we worry about the end of third-party cookies.
Today’s newsletter takes a look at two large, highly regarded news publishers that are experimenting with deploying the technology for different uses in advertising with an eye on charging premiums from advertisers.
We also dip into 11 other GenAI use cases that are useful for media companies.
GenAI for advertising
A couple of INMA members have told me that they are experimenting with using GenAI to come up with ideas on the creative side of marketing and advertising.
But there are two particularly interesting developments on the advertising revenue front, one from a legendary U.S. newspaper and the other from an innovative Indian publisher that is also an institution.
The first is The New York Times, which plans to use GenAI for real-time ad targeting and optimisation.
The news publisher is building technology that will recommend where an ad campaign will perform best, based on its content. It would let The Times align the ad’s message according to where the ad is placed, allowing it to target different niche audiences.
“This experimental product uses Generative AI to automatically align a brand or a specific campaign’s message with relevant editorial content, identifying ideal contextual environments that are unique to The Times and expanding beyond what is traditionally available for contextual targeting options,” a Times spokesperson told me.
“As a result, our new product will find audiences who are most interested in certain articles and will target them anywhere else on The Times, expanding the campaign’s reach and adding nuance to its audience targeting.”
The advertiser no longer will need to choose targeting criteria before the campaign is actually deployed — they can be chosen in real time. The technology also ensures ads will not appear adjacent to unsuitable content.
The Times is now finding advertisers that would like to beta test this technology in the second quarter of the year. Pricing will be determined later. The Times has been working on this technology for the past nine months.
The second example is from Delhi-based Times Internet, India’s biggest digital products company, which owns the largest-selling English daily in the world, The Times of India. The publisher is experimenting with an advertising chat product that interacts with the user and keeps them engaged for longer — an innovation that could allow them to charge a premium from advertisers and create sustained value for them.
Picture a banner ad on a Web site for, say, an electric vehicle. Now, imagine if you clicked on it and a chat box opened. You can ask questions about the vehicle here — e.g., how much is the range of the car, can I get it with leather seats, etc.
The company started building the product a few months ago and is still fine-tuning it.
Are you experimenting with GenAI for advertising? Please let me know!
11 GenAI uses for media companies
Here are some practical applications of GenAI that have emerged over the past couple of weeks:
GenAI for chat products: How can you learn from others’ mistakes and get a chat product right? Watch a recording of our Webinar (or read our summary) that saves you from reinventing the wheel. You can also watch a recording of a Webinar featuring India’s Jagran New Media (blog summary here), which has also built a chat product for search that its users find highly engaging.
GenAI investigative journalism tool: A candid piece by reporter Jaemark Tordecilla on how it took him 16 hours to build a truly helpful tool that he expects will save reporters 80% of the time they spend on audit reports, combing through data.
GenAI for diversity: The Baltimore Times has created a set of inclusive avatars and voices that allow its audiences to select from multiple diverse “personas” that reflect and represent the audiences they seek to serve.
GenAI for video: I have seen mainly rave reviews for OpenAI’s new video tool Sora, which can create extremely realistic, high-quality details. It does raise questions about copyright and training data, though.
GenAI for classifying information: Semafor found it was hard to collect hate-crime statistics because they are defined and tracked in different ways by local U.S. police departments. So, Executive Editor Gina Chua plugged a definition of hate crimes into a bot and was surprised by how well it could discover unwritten rules and relationships in articles. Chua suggests this capability could be used for “content moderation or finding violations of a given policy in a sea of complaints.”
GenAI for marketing: WPP unveils text and image-creation tools and talks about training models on brands’ tone/voice or target demographics. So far, they have almost 30,000 users and millions of prompts. It is part of a broader trend of using AI in marketing — design agency Code and Theory has joined a creative AI partnership with Oracle, Publicis has fully acquired Publicis Sapient AI Labs, and Omnicom has joined forces with Microsoft.
GenAI for PDFs: Adobe makes a PDF reader chatbot available in Acrobat and Reader in beta. The road map includes integrations with Firefly, the ability to pull information from multiple documents, document types, and sources simultaneously, and features for generating first drafts and editing copy.
GenAI for tapping into new audiences: Schibsted gets in younger listeners’ ears with audio reports and finds high completion rates and greater engagement than for text articles. Jagran is building an AI-based app for younger audiences.
GenAI as an alternate source of revenue: Reddit is reported to be selling its users’ conversations to Google as training data for US$60 million ahead of an IPO.
GenAI for customer service: A cautionary tale for anyone experimenting with this use case. The bot can make up stuff, and you are on the hook for it.
What I’m hearing
Idea generation: A lot of great GenAI use cases seem to have come out of hackathons. Are you running them at your company?
Ringier Axel Springer mentioned its “huge hackathon” as the reason for creating a secure environment for employees to play with GenAI.
Spread the net wide: Jagran collaborated with India’s top engineering college for its hackathon.
Productivity gains? They will not be straightforward, says this report.
ROI? It’s not straightforward either at this point.
Carpe diem: With GenAI, let's not repeat the mistake we made by dragging our feet on technological change, says the Aspen Institute.
ICYMI: A thoughtful report on AI in the news business by Felix Simon at the Oxford Internet Institute, highlighting the growing power of tech companies.
No, thank you: Around half of the top news sites in 10 countries block AI web crawlers.
Transformation: Don’t just throw AI tools at people and expect a transformation. Think about workflows instead.
The AI search revolution: Read and, well, don’t weep — get going on a solution instead: The dawn of personalised Web pages powered by AI search.
Date for the diary: March 6
An INMA Webinar on insights into using GenAI will feature two smart techniques: Prompt engineering for a print-focused chain, and gathering audience feedback and turning that into journalistic coverage. Don’t miss our Webinar on Wednesday, March 6 at 4 pm CET/10 am ET.
An AI diversion
My Spotify playlists are the objects of derision — first, from my family and now from a snarky bot. Go on, try it and see if you get more respect than I did.
About this newsletter
Today’s newsletter is written by Sonali Verma, based in Toronto, and lead for the INMA Generative AI Initiative. Sonali will share research, case studies, and thought leadership on the topic of generative AI and how it relates to all areas of news media.
This newsletter is a public face of the Generative AI Initiative by INMA, outlined here. E-mail Sonali at email@example.com or connect with her on INMA’s Slack channel with thoughts, suggestions, and questions.


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Viacom Inc. has decided to sell ROCK BAND producer Harmonix, according to The Hollwyood Reporter.
Viacom Inc. has decided to sell ROCK BAND producer Harmonix, according to The Hollwyood Reporter. The company lost $87 million in 2009 and $24 million in 2008. Sales of music games have been dropping rapidly.
In 2006, MTV Networks paid $175 million for Harmonix. Viacom issued $150 million to shareholders for the company's 2007 performance and is now looking for a refund of most of that money.
Activision and Electronic Arts are the top contenders to acquire the company. Activision produces ROCK BAND's top competitor GUITAR HERO. The company is estimated to have a price tag of between $50 and $100 million.


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SINGAPORE: Taxi operator ComfortDelGro will reassess the use of its cell app logo following suggestions that it might be insensitive in view of the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In a Facebook publish on Monday (Apr 25), the taxi large stated it had acquired “some feedback” concerning its new app, CDG Zig, which used a stylised letter “Z” as its logo.
ComfortDelGro introduced final week that CDG Zig would mix its current taxi reserving software and its way of life software Zig, which was launched final 12 months however decommissioned earlier this 12 months.
In addition to taxi and ride-railing reserving options, the app would additionally provide way of life choices comparable to restaurant reservation, in addition to providers like electrical car charging.
The firm stated it will ultimately add different ComfortDelGro providers, comparable to automobile rental and driving classes, to the app as properly.
Checks by CNA on each the Apple App Store in addition to the Google Play retailer on Monday confirmed the CDG Zig app continued to use the stylised Z logo.
“Unfortunately, the letter Z has also been used by the Russian army on its tanks in the Ukrainian invasion,” stated ComfortDelGro.
Used as a marking on Russian navy autos in the battle, the letter Z has additionally been adopted as an emblem by these supporting the warfare.
Some international locations, together with Germany, have proposed criminalising displaying the letter Z when used as an emblem of help for Russian aggression in Ukraine.
“We would like to categorically state that we are not in favour of the use of force and acts of aggression against another sovereign state,” stated the taxi agency.
“The letter Z has never ever been used as war propaganda before – certainly not when we launched Zig last year.”
ComfortDelGro acknowledged that, in gentle of the continuing warfare, the timing of its app relaunch “may have come across as insensitive”.
“We would like to apologise if we have offended anyone. It was certainly not our intent,” the corporate stated.
“Having heard your feedback, we will reassess the roll-out of our new logo at this point.”
Source : channelnewsasia.com


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With cloud computing becoming a major benefit for organizations of all sizes, some have abandoned the idea of having on-premise servers at their place of business. This could end up being problematic, however, as data security and privacy of cloud-based resources have been known to be often less than reliable. If you are looking to host your own IT in-house, there are some issues you have to see to before you can start purchasing hardware.
With all of the talk about the FCC and Net Neutrality in the recent news, a lot of computer users are concerned about the amount of privacy afforded them by their Internet service providers--and rightfully so. Regardless of whether the net neutrality ruling was justified (hint: it wasn’t), users are finding that they have to take their privacy into their own hands. The easiest way to do so is with a Virtual Private Network.
Mobile? Grab this Article!


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The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act) established the independent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and gave it enormous powers that profoundly affect American business. It’s critical that companies stay well informed about the CFPB as it writes rules, supervises companies and enforces federal consumer financial protection laws. But how can a business efficiently keep tabs on this vitally important branch of government?
Even before the CFPB launched in July 2011, AGG’s Consumer Regulatory team, led by Robert Belair, one of America’s leading privacy and regulatory attorneys, monitored CFPB-related developments in the nation’s capital as the huge federal agency emerged. Mr. Belair began making presentations about the CFPB’s significance and the team developed the weekly CFPB Weekly newsletter to share with clients information about the CFPB’s supervision, enforcement and rulemaking, its consumer complaint response system, and its outreach efforts. The newsletter also informs about federal legislative efforts to reform the CFPB and relevant court cases, and provides other valuable insights.
AGG clients who read the newsletter are frontline observers as the CFPB evolves, and are among the first to know about agency developments and decisions that are important to their businesses.


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Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch has resigned, according to an announcement issued by the company's board of directors late Monday.
"We thank William Lynch for helping transform Barnes & Noble into a leading digital content provider and for leading in the development of our award-winning line of NOOK products," said Leonard Riggio, chairman of the Barnes & Noble board of directors, in a released statement.
The announcement comes amid earnings woes, particularly surrounding Nook products. At the end of June, the company announced it would stop manufacturing Nook tablets, instead choosing an outside firm to make the tablets while the company focused more on Nook eReaders. The company also announced that Nook revenues were down 34 percent in the fourth quarter from one year ago.
While the tablet market has shown strong growth in recent years, Barnes and Noble's version didn't have the sustained traction of Apple's iPads and Amazon's Kindle Fires, and is not even among the top five tablets in sales, as U.S. News reported late last month. The company also plans to close 15 to 20 stores this year, while opening five.
Lynch came to Barnes & Noble in early 2010, after serving as executive vice president of HSN.com. Though the announcement of his resignation listed no replacement, it said CFO Michael Huseby has been appointed president of Barnes and Noble and CEO of Nook Media.


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Fact is, Super Bowl ads just aren’t that effective
Just one in five actually convince people to buy products
January 16, 2014
This year ad prices for the Super Bowl, which will air on Fox Feb. 2, hit a reported $4 million per 30 seconds, a record for the big game. The price of the ads has nearly doubled in the past decade, and every year media people debate whether that price is worth it. A new report suggests it may not be. Communicus, an advertising research firm, found that only one in five ads from last year’s game actually helped sell products. Moreover, many ads that were among the most liked in the postgame polls were the least effective at moving products, such as Tide’s popular spot about a stain shaped like Joe Montana. Though that was near the top in entertainment value, it ranked 30th of 40 commercials studied by Communicus in persuasiveness. By contrast, a Mercedes ad that rated average on Communicus’ likeability index generated more purchase intent that the most-liked car commercial from Hyundai. Jeri Smith, president and chief executive officer at Communicus, talks to Media Life about whether Super Bowl ads are worth it, how their persuasiveness compares to other ads, and why the game should not be an ad popularity contest.
What prompted you to do this report?
Communicus is in the business of helping advertisers to understand how well their advertising campaigns are working in-market and providing consulting to them as to how to improve campaign effectiveness.
As the largest advertising event of the year, the Super Bowl is worthy of a solid piece of research that can shed light on how effective Super Bowl ads actually are.
Many of the other Super Bowl ad reviews focus on recall and entertainment, but there’s a huge missing piece between that and a commercial that produces positive ROI for the brand. Further, it was our intention to be able to provide guidance to Super Bowl advertisers on how to maximize the return on their $4 million investment.
What did you find most interesting or most surprising about it?
Given that some of the best creative talent in the country works on developing these commercials, we were surprised that so few actually act as persuasive vehicles. Given the amount of focus given by the press to who’s doing what (e.g., Brand X will be running a commercial on the Super Bowl), and the brand-focused pre-game publicity programs implemented by the sponsors, we were astounded that such a large proportion of those who remembered specific commercials couldn’t recall the brand.
What’s the most important thing media buyers or planners can take from it?
Clearly, the Super Bowl is potentially a very powerful media venue. But without the right creative, that buy won’t pay off.
Interestingly, we found that, at least in 2012 and 2013, ad position during the game was not important as a predictor of success–the strengths/weaknesses of the specific pieces of creative overwhelmed any positioning effect.
One more thing–from a performance standpoint, long form commercials (either 60-second or two-minute executions) aren’t, on average, able to deliver commensurate with their added cost.
Some long commercials do well, such as the Budweiser Brotherhood 60-second spot and both Chrysler two-minute spots, Farmer and Whole Again. However, others fail to be well-linked to the brand (Toyota’s 60-second Wish Granted or Kia’s 60-second Space Babies) or to persuade (Tide’s two-minute Miracle Stain). Again, it’s what’s done with the length creatively more than the length itself.
From a macro point of view, we know that advertising that persuades usually works best on the basis of consumers seeing an execution with frequency, and even more importantly, seeing multiple executions – either on TV or across media venues – that all support the same basic brand platform. It’s just harder to persuade based on a single exposure to a single execution, which is why $4 million spent wisely across multiple exposure opportunities in many ways has a better chance of succeeding than does $4 million spent on a single exposure – despite the high engagement that comes with the Super Bowl environment.
As such, it’s often the advertisers who are introducing a new product or who have real news, who succeed best in the Super Bowl advertising environment. While it’s hard to change minds about a product that viewers are already familiar with only a single exposure, it’s relatively easier to communicate a piece of news.
Is other TV advertising more or less effective than the Super Bowl at encouraging people to buy something? That is, does the Super Bowl stand out as being less effective than running an ad on, say, “American Idol” or “Grey’s Anatomy?”
That’s not a simple answer, unfortunately. Given the high level of commercial engagement that comes along with the Super Bowl, it’s a good environment–if you have persuasive copy and don’t get too distracted by the whole “we need to win the popularity contest” dynamic.
On the other hand, brands are competing for attention with some of the most entertaining commercials that the consumer is going to be exposed to all year.
On average, Super Bowl commercials do get remembered more than the typical commercial would be with an equivalent number of GRPs behind it, but branding and persuasiveness is worse. Frequency and intensity of getting the message in front of consumers is vital. We do see good results from weekly real-time TV such as “American Idol,” while DVRs are definitely starting to take a piece out of the effective commercial audiences for shows that tend to get pre-recorded for later playback.
Clearly advertisers would like to connect with more people with Super Bowl ads, but even if you only encourage 20 percent to buy your brand, that’s still more than 20 million people. Does that make a Super Bowl ad worth the price?
The 20 percent number is actually the percent of Super Bowl ads that move the needle, not necessarily the amount by which these spots make the needle move. So your odds are just 20 percent that you’ll move the needle at all. The specific ROI math will differ depending on the product category and effectiveness of a specific piece of creative.
If I were Mercedes, I’d be very happy with the bump the CLA Soul commercial generated in interest in considering Mercedes combined with the increase in actual online investigations that were produced. Conversely, every year there are advertisers who opt out the next year because they just didn’t see the ROI that they were hoping for.
What do the most effective ads at influencing buying have in common?
They don’t lose sight of the basic tenets of good advertising–tell an engaging story, but weave it around the brand, and have it drill home a brand benefit (whether tangible or emotional) that is relevant, memorable and compelling.
Does it matter if an ad is well received? Does that give it a better or worse chance of influencing consumer behavior?
We find that “ad liking” does correlate with engagement. So if a brand creates the most likeable ad possible, the brand is more likely to get noticed and remembered.
However, ad liking doesn’t necessarily lead to strong persuasion, or even to consumers necessarily remembering what brand an ad was for. There’s some evidence that in some categories, being TOO likeable can create a risk of loss of persuasiveness–so much energy being liked distracts from the energy that should have been spent romancing the brand.
So much of the emphasis on Super Bowl ads these days is on creativity. Do you think companies would benefit if they went back to branding and selling over offering a funny, memorable, but ultimately ineffective ad?
I love creativity in advertising as much as anyone in the business, but at the end of the day it has to be about delivering a return on the advertising investment and growing brand equity, whether in short-term sales results or in brand-building that will produce profitable sales for the brand for years to come.
Shows Trump hates are seeing big ad gains
Broadcast vs. cable: How the top shows stack up
The word: Time Inc. sale is imminent
Rundown: Which advertisers have jumped from YouTube
Media Life’s Digital Media Transparency Initiative
For HBO, doing hard time with Dwayne Johnson
CBS wins Friday with NCAA basketball
ABC pulls ahead with ‘World News Tonight’
For one TV ad, a case of premature congratulation
TV programming blog: All the cancellations and renewals
CBS dominates Thursday with more NCAA playoffs
Podcasting comes of age: What’s behind a recent boom
CBS renews a slew of shows, with a few missing
- Arun Kumar becomes chief data and marketing tech officer at IPG
- Jenny Campbell rises to managing director at 72andSunny
- Adam Crandall becomes director of strategy at mono
- Mark Wildman rises to EVP of partnerships at Westwood One
- Kevin Craig rises to SVP of newspaper relations at AMG/Parade
- Bill Corvalan becomes VP of West Coast partnerships at AllOver Media
- Richard Just becomes editor at The Washington Post Magazine
- Gemma Lawson rises to VP and design director at Nickelodeon
- Ashley Judd joins Epix' 'Berlin Station'
- Former NBC ad sales executive Robert Blackmore dies at age 90
This week’s broadcast ratings
This week’s cable ratings
This week’s top-rated movies, songs and books
This week’s daypart ratings
This month’s digital traffic data: December 2016
Ad sales rep for a digital-only magazine
Freelance media planner/buyer available for all markets
Wanted: Media buyer in Philadelphia
Paid social media planner wanted in Detroit
Opening for a media planner at a top OOH agency


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NXT has cemented itself as the third brand of WWE with its TakeOver events over the past few years and the talents they have produced as well. It used to be considered as a developmental brand, but that is no longer the case for many.
While speaking to Morales Torres of Lucha Libre Online, Daniel Bryan talked about NXT as a brand. He explained the main differences between working on RAW and Smackdown as opposed to NXT.
Bryan believes that each brand offers different benefits to WWE Superstars, noting that those on the main roster get more payment. He then praised NXT for being different compared to the main roster brands.
“The benefits to coming to the main roster I think our exposure worldwide and you get paid better for your family, your future and all that kind of stuff. So there’s positives to coming up to the main roster that benefits the talent.“
“I think one of the cool things about NXT is that it’s different. It’s different from Raw. It’s different from SmackDown.”
Bryan then explained why some talents in NXT prefer staying in the brand instead of being called up to the main roster. Bryan noted WWE has made it so a Superstar can have a great career in NXT and stay in the brand should they want to become Mr. NXT similar to Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa.
“The other interesting thing is that they’ve made it so that like you can have a great career and never come to the main roster. If you’re a Johnny Gargano or a Tommaso Ciampa and you just want to stay in NXT and if you want to be Mr. NXT and that sort of thing you can do that.”
Adam Cole had previously revealed he considers NXT as the main roster and intends to stay in the brand.


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21 intriguing new ideas and trailblazing people
BOSTON GLOBE – Free college for Boston students, an Alzheimer’s hope, weight loss in an (inflatable) pill, and more.
Lyfebulb and Novo Nordisk A/S announce the ten patient entrepreneur finalists for the Lyfebulb-Novo Nordisk Innovation Award
GLOBE NEWSWIRE – The Award Recognizes Patient Entrepreneurs’ Innovative Efforts and Ideas for Management of Diabetes Using Consumer Products, Medical Devices, or Healthcare Information Technologies
Expanding in Stomachs and in Europe, Allurion Adds $6M for Anti-Obesity Device
XCONOMY BOSTON – Plenty of companies sell pills for weight loss or obesity treatment. None of them are quite like Allurion Technologies.
Allurion offers gastric bypass surgery in a pill
TECHCRUNCH – Just swallow a pill and it expands into a balloon in your stomach so you don’t feel hungry. No gastric bypass, no surgery required. Sounds magical, but Boston-based Allurion has created the only non-invasive gastric balloon for obesity.
The latest diet plan… swallow a balloon: Novel device is filled with water in your stomach and reduces your desire to eat
THE DAILY MAIL – Monica Nava, 42, from Surrey, is one of the first Britons to have the device fitted. She has already shed more than a stone. She said: “It took me a few tries to swallow the capsule with a glass of water. After it’s been filled you feel strangely heavy and full. But within a week, I’d stopped noticing it.”
Allurion Technologies’ Elipse™ Gastric Balloon Receives European Marketing Approval
MARKET WIRED – World’s First Procedureless Weight Loss Device Offers a New Treatment Option for Overweight and Obese Individuals
How swallowing a balloon will help you beat the bulge: Hi-tech inflatable that pops after four months given approval for use in the UK in the battle against obesity
THE DAILY MAIL – The new type of gastric balloon, which has just been approved for use in the UK, is designed to help those who find it impossible to lose weight through normal diets. But unlike existing products, no surgery is required to insert or remove it. Instead, the patient swallows a tiny capsule containing the deflated Elipse balloon, which is made from a delicate polymer film.
Allurion Technologies’ Elipse™ Intragastric Balloon Receives Prestigious SAGES Innovation Award
BUSINESS WIRE – Allurion Technologies announced today that its flagship product, Elipse, has received the prestigious Emerging Technology Innovation Award from the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES).
Experimental weight-loss device you swallow like a pill
CBS NEWS – Could losing weight ever be as easy as swallowing a pill? Preliminary research suggests the answer may very well be yes.
The ‘Balloon Pill’: What you need to know about new appetite reducer
TODAY – A potential breakthrough in the battle against the bulge was announced in Los Angeles this week: a new weight-control device that involves a balloon, and does not involve surgery. TODAY’s Erica Hill reports.


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Tweed is pleased to join the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in announcing the locations of its new production facility and first four retail locations in the province. Together, these sites will bring over 200 high quality local jobs in the booming legal cannabis sector.
The Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Jeff Ryan, Vice-President, Government and Stakeholder Relations, Canopy Growth, officially broke ground on the site located at 60 Eastland Drive in St. John’s.
This announcement marks another milestone achieved ahead of schedule and once operational, the site will produce up to 12,000 kg of high quality cannabis per year and serve as the hub for local research and development funded by a $500,000 investment from Canopy Growth over the next five years.
Also announced today were the locations of the first four Tweed retail stores, which, in addition to selling cannabis products, will engage with customers to deliver education programs and community events prior to the opening of the adult recreational market. Residents can look forward to visiting the Tweed stores at the production site, Corner Brook, Kenmount Road and on Water Street in St. John’s.
“When the sun rises on a new day in Canada, it hits Cape Spear first and just like the province, we’re a company of firsts. We’re proud to call Newfoundland and Labrador home to our first ever Tweed-branded retail locations,” said Bruce Linton, Chairman and CEO, Canopy Growth Corporation. “We’re excited to play a lead role in developing this industry in the province and look forward to supplying adult customers with high quality cannabis products once the legal market opens this year.”
“Our government congratulates Canopy Growth on reaching this important milestone and breaking ground on the site of its new production facility. Our vision is an industry which leads to production, job creation, supply chain development and research and development in this province. We welcome the 145 new jobs that will be created at Canopy Growth’s production facility and look forward to continued growth in this industry,” said the Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation, Newfoundland and Labrador.
To help us get to know each other better, Tweed will be hosting local events over the next few months supporting hiring, education, and community engagement. This includes events featuring the Tweed Collective which was recently established with a 4 year, $20 million commitment to find and fund the most impactful community enhancement projects.
The first of these events will be a Tweed retail job fair on June 2 and 3 from 11am to 6pm at the Rocket Bakery at 272 Water Street in St. John’s. All those interested in joining the Tweed retail team as well as learning more about Tweed and the Tweed Collective are encouraged to drop by.
The Tweed Collective is also currently seeking expressions of interest and community-building project ideas. Learn more and share your idea at: www.TweedCollective.com
Here’s to Future Growth (on The Rock).


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Clinch on Thursday announced it has received $10 million in Series A funding, led by investment firm D Squared Capital.
The company, which provides AI-driven omnichannel personalization to companies like Anheuser Busch InBev, Nespresso, and Chewy, will use the funding to continue to expand globally and further drive the upcoming launch of its next generation of data-driven solutions, built for a world without third-party cookies.
Oz Etzioni, CEO at Clinch, said there is also a growing demand for a unified omnichannel personalization solution that replaces the need for multiple niche partners that have narrow focused specialization such as display or video.
“It serves as a logistical nightmare for the stakeholders that have to manage several different platforms, operations and relationships,” he said.
Etzioni said through the pandemic the company launched thousands of omnichannel campaigns for Fortune 1000 brands across all types of industries, each facing their own challenges that required complex solutions.
Clinch took the opportunity during the pandemic to leverage the learnings and break them down into an actionable roadmap to expand on what he calls omnichannel personalization.
“We soon will launch the next generation of Clinch that provides more efficiency, creative automation, omnichannel activation and advanced optimization, these are the most important components of any digital media activation at this time,” he said.
He expects the outcome of the roadmap and funding will prove to advertisers the path to take. It’s all about consumer intelligence and video commerce.
‘We truly believe video is the biggest driver for commerce,” he said.
The pandemic accelerated change for every application of tech, and made quality personalization a necessity.
How did the pandemic change Clinch?


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Tenacious D, aka Jack Black and Kyle Gass, have revealed they'll be dropping two tracks they worked on with Jack White for Record Store Day Black Friday next month.
In August, Tenacious D shared a documentary of their trip to Third Man Records in Nashville, and to Jack White's house, where they recorded a new song.
Jack Black said of the collaboration - which they recorded on an 8-track - in the documentary, "It's a stone cold jam."
The duo have revealed that their collaboration with Jack White will be coming out on 7" vinyl next month for Record Store Day Black Friday, and it includes two tracks produced by Jack White, "Don’t Blow It" and "Kage".
Consequence of Sound reports that the record will be available on a limited tri-coloured pressing from Third Man shops in Nashville and Detroit only.


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Planning to buy a Sprint HTC EVO 4G? You have to wait for some days as Sprint has once again sold out of its stock of the device, the first smartphone available in the US with WiMAX
The high-end Android OS smartphone debuted this month and has become hugely popular within weeks. The surge in demand has been so high that the device has been in and out of stock on Sprint’s web site very quickly.
The device manufactured by Taiwan-based HTC comes loaded with features, which makes it one of the most advanced phones available today. The smartphone has a 4.3-inch touchscreen, 1 GHz Snapdragon processor and 4G cellular-wireless networking. The EVO will soon offer video chatting.
On June 4, the day when the device was launched by Sprint, the carrier sold twice as many EVO 4G units as it had ever sold any previous smartphone in a single day. But the growing demand forced Sprint and HTC to put up the sold-out board. A second shipment arrived after some days but it is also out of stock now.
Sprint has put a message on its website, saying that has becoming familiar to those shopping for this model: “Sorry, this device is so hot we can’t keep it on our virtual shelves. Check back later – more are on their way!” The carrier has stopped accepting pre-orders at this time, and it is still unclear when the next shipment will arrive.


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Trade tops list of priorities during ISA’s visit to Capitol Hill03/21/2019 | Soybean Exports, Policy, Soybean News
By Bethany Baratta, ISA senior writer
Iowa soybean farmers took to the nation’s capitol this week to engage with their elected officials and chief negotiators and encourage a swift resolution to pending trade deals.
The U.S. imposed 25-percent tariffs under Section 301 on $34 billion in Chinese products on July 6, and China retaliated the same day with a 25 percent tariff on U.S. soybeans.
Iowa soybean farmers are feeling the direct hit of those tariffs, they said.
“A year ago, in January and later in May, I pre-sold half of my soybeans for $10.24 cash and $10.04 cash. But when the trade tariffs hit, boom, it dropped $2 per bushel. Now I can sell them for $8.30, $8.40 per bushel,” April Hemmes, a Hampton farmer, told her representatives in Washington, D.C.
That 20 percent fall in price hurts, said Lindsay Greiner, ISA president from Keota.
“At 60 bushel-per-acre beans, $2 less in price, that’s $120 less per acre,” he said. “That means a 500-acre soybean farmer just lost $60,000 of their money. That’s a lot of profit.”
On top of the tariffs, there’s a glut of soybeans on the world market, Hemmes said.
“I’m used to supply and demand and the markets going up and down, but these tariffs came at a terrible time. We have a lot of beans in the world, so to add those tariffs on top of bad crop prices, that’s real money out of our pockets,” Hemmes said.
It’s hard for soybean farmers to pencil out a profit in the face of the tariffs, Greiner said.
“We’re growing soybeans for about 50 to 75 cents a bushel less than it costs us to produce it. We’ve gone from maybe making $40,000 to losing it. It affects the bottom line,” he said.
While the trade mitigation payments helped soybean farmers squeak by, ISA farmer-members said they would rather have trade over aid.
“That [trade mitigation] payment we got really helped, it really made a difference, but we would really much rather have free and fair trade than payments from the government,” Hemmes said.
China trade is complex
Trade negotiations with China are complex, said Gregg Doud, chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). The discussions between the two countries aren’t just about agriculture, but also about intellectual property, forced technology transfer, currencies, digital trade and others.
“We have to fit this together at the same time,” Doud said. “You don’t sit down and have a conversation about $500 billion in trade in an afternoon. It takes time.”
Doud said these negotiations with China aren’t meant to be a short-term, quick fix.
“This is not a situation where we’re going to do a trade deal with China and move on. That’s not what we’re doing here. We are setting the stage for a template to move forward,” Doud said.
Tim Bardole, ISA president-elect from Rippey, recognizes the work that Doud and his counterparts are doing to finalize trade deals.
“My son started farming with me two years ago and I truly believe the work you’re doing is vital not only to his ability to stay on the farm and prosper, but also for his son when he grows up,” Bardole told Doud. “I appreciate the work you’re doing.”
The United States, Mexico, Canada agreement (USMCA) is important for Iowa soybean farmers, the delegation told D.C. staffers last week.
The USMCA was signed by the three countries in November 2018 but has yet to be ratified by Congress using the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) timeline and process.
U.S. soy exports to Canada and Mexico were almost $3 billion in 2017, Iowa farmers noted. U.S. soy exports to Mexico alone have grown four-fold since the enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), of which USMCA is its replacement. Mexico is the second largest export market for U.S. soybeans and soybean meal. Both Canada and Mexico are hugely important markets for U.S. agriculture, representing a total of $43 billion in U.S. ag exports annually.
Doud said the USTR has also been working to resolve the Section 232 tariffs on autos, noting that was a separate issue outside of the USMCA.
“There isn’t a day that goes by that we’re not trying to fix this,” Doud said. “Mexico and Canada conversations are constant. I think we’re going to get there. I think we’re going to get this done.”
While it’s difficult to be patient in waiting for trade deals, the visits on Capitol Hill gave some assurance that progress was being made, Greiner said.
“We’re running out of patience, but they’re working on it every day. It just takes time,” he said. “The good news is we’ve got a little bit of time. We’ve got a few months yet that we can live without a deal. But when we get toward harvest time, we’ve got to have a deal done or it’s not going to be good for farmers.”
Contact Bethany Baratta at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Additional Recommended Articles for this topic:
For media inquiries, permission to republish articles or to request high-res photos, please contact Katie James, ISA Public Relations Manager at email@example.com. © 2020 Iowa Soybean Association. All rights reserved.


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Road America Lapped at 400 MPH [Video]
The course is no stranger to racers doing over 200 mph, but don’t expect to see an actual vehicle topping 400 mph in this video. No, we’re not trying to pull a prank on you, this is how AWOL TV and Volkswagen America have advertised what you’re going to see below.
During last year’s SCCA Runoffs, Volkswagen took their Jetta Pace Car out for a lap averaging about 70 mph. The video was then enhanced to look like the four-door sedan ran the track at 400 mph. Not exactly fair, but it’s still a cool a video. At least until a real hypercar can complete the 4 mile road course at this stunning speed.


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NIKE, Inc. announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with DyeCoo Textile Systems B.V., a Netherlands-based company that has developed and built the first commercially available waterless textile dyeing machines. By using recycled carbon dioxide, DyeCoo’s technology eliminates the use of water in the textile dyeing process. The name “DyeCoo” was inspired by the process of “dyeing” with “CO2.” The partnership is illustrative of NIKE, Inc.’s long-term commitment to designing and developing the most superior athletic performance products for athletes and its overall sustainable business and innovation strategy.
“Waterless dyeing is a significant step in our journey to serve both the athlete and the planet, and this partnership reinforces Nike’s long-term strategy and deep commitment to innovation and sustainability,” says Eric Sprunk, Nike’s Vice President of Merchandising and Product. “We believe this technology has the potential to revolutionize textile manufacturing, and we want to collaborate with progressive dye houses, textile manufacturers and consumer apparel brands to scale this technology and push it throughout the industry.”
Nike has been exploring this technology for the past eight years and expects to showcase cutting edge apparel using textiles dyed without water at events later this year, with an eye towards scaling the technology for larger production volumes. ‘
“We’re very excited to be partnering with Nike to help drive this together and believe the benefits and impacts of this technology are significant,” says Reinier Mommaal, CEO of DyeCoo.”There is no water consumption, a reduction in energy use, no auxiliary chemicals required, no need for drying, and the process is twice as fast. The technology can also improve the quality of the dyed fabric, allows for greater control over the dyeing process, enables new dye capabilities and transforms fabric dyeing so that it can take place just about anywhere. We hope more industry leaders will join us in leveraging this innovative technology in the near future.”
Conventional textile dyeing requires substantial amounts of water. On average, an estimated 100-150 liters of water is needed to process one kg of textile materials today. Industry analysts estimate that more than 39 million tonnes of polyester will be dyed annually by 2015. Nike says it expects DyeCoo’s supercritical fluid carbon dioxide, or “SCF” CO2 dyeing technology, to have a particularly positive impact in Asia, where much of the world’s textile dyeing occurs. As this technology is brought to scale, large amounts of water used in conventional textile dyeing will no longer be needed, nor will the commensurate use of fossil fuel-generated energy be required to heat such large sums of water. The removal of water from the textile dyeing process also eliminates the risk of effluent discharge, a known environmental hazard. The CO2 used in DyeCoo’s dyeing process is also reclaimed and reused.
DyeCoo is believed to be the first company to successfully apply the SCF CO2 process to the commercial dyeing of polyester fabric, and research is already underway to apply the technology to other natural and synthetic fabrics. SCF CO2 technology is safely utilized at scale in other industries such as the decaffeination of coffee and the extraction of natural flavors and fragrances.


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ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A prominent business owner and Allentown’s newest councilman plans to expand his retail business into downtown Allentown.
Santo Napoli, owner of assembly88 men’s clothing, footwear and accessories store at 544 Hamilton St., plans to open a women’s fashion boutique adjacent to assembly88 later this year at 542 Hamilton St.
The new store, which is expected to open in late summer or early fall, will occupy a renovated space that previously housed Lehigh Valley Pretrial Services, Inc., which recently moved to the lower level of 501 Hamilton St.
The name of the new store is still being finalized, but it will have a connection to its neighbor – something like assembly88 women or assembly88 for her, Napoli said.
Interior connections in a party wall will allow customers to pass from the men’s side to the women’s side and vice versa without going outside.
“You will also be able to make purchases for men and women at the checkouts on both sides,” Napoli said. “I don’t want it to be where a husband and wife come in and have to check out at two different times. It’s a pain. So if someone buys two items for men and two items for women, they can’t do only one purchase on either side.”
Napoli opened assemblage88 in 2014 and previously operated other Hamilton Street fashion stores, The Archive and New York Urban.
When opening assembly88, Napoli aimed to create a shopping destination for the mature man “who wants to look smart and confident, whether in a boardroom or at a football match”, according to a description on the company’s website.
The store, featuring exposed brick walls, a restored tin ceiling and the original 19th century hardwood flooring, combines “the strength of the city’s manufacturing heritage with the harmonious professionalism of its 21st century renaissance”. .
There are also enlarged photos of Allentown’s manufacturing heyday displayed on the walls.
Napoli, the son of Italian immigrants, chose the name assembly88 in homage to Kramer’s House of Music – the original occupant of 544 Hamilton St. – and the number of keys on the pianos that were built and sold there. .
The new women’s store will be similar to assembly88’s long, narrow footprint, but will be about 2 feet wider, Napoli said.
“It will have a similar aesthetic, but the plan with the architect is that we’re going to make it a bit softer for women,” Napoli said. “We’re also adding additional dressing rooms – larger ones that can accommodate pushchairs. So we’re really thinking about it and wanting it to become a friendly and fun place for women to shop.”
Assembly88 carries over a dozen leading clothing brands, including Faherty, Marine Layer and Peter Millar, as well as high-quality footwear and accessories such as belts, hats, socks and wallets.
Napoli is still finalizing what women’s clothing lines will be offered, but it notes that some of assembly88’s brands, including Patagonia, Barbour, Vuori and Vans, also have women’s lines and will be moving to the women’s store. .
“You’re going to see some of that, but we’re also going to include some new women-only brands,” Napoli said. “On the women’s side, I also want to get into other accessory brands and maybe homeware.”
Napoli, a member of the Downtown Allentown Business Alliance and the Allentown Parking Authority Board, was nominated earlier this month by the Allentown City Council to fill the vacant seat left by current state Representative Josh Siegel.
With over 25 years of small business experience, he is thrilled to bring a fresh perspective to City Council.
“It’s my passion,” Napoli told 69 News after his appointment. “We have a very large and diverse small business community in Allentown, and I want to help be a part of representing those people.”
On Tuesday, Napoli also received the Community Partner Award from the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
The distinction is awarded to a successful and esteemed business/person who is well known for operating with integrity and who is a prominent supporter of the Chamber and its communities, mission and goals.


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EDITOR NOTE: Maybe not all is lost. If you saw the video in which several Americans chose a free Hershey’s bar over a free 10oz silver bar, then you know what we’re talking about. In a recent Bankrate survey, more Americans chose to invest in gold over bitcoin for a 10-year investment. What’s not very promising about this is that the cryptocurrency percentage was not very far from the yellow metal. Additionally, cash came out above gold, The better news is that real estate--a “real” versus “paper” asset--came out on top. Precious metals demand may be relatively high as compared to just a few years back. But still, this survey, and the video on silver, tells us that most Americans still consider gold a relic and silver an industrial metal. The status of the latter is changing quickly, especially leading up to Basel III in 2023, when gold is recognized as a Tier I asset. Silver is already gaining some traction in the mindset of more forward-thinking Americans. Once the mainstream realizes the value of both, you’ll certainly want to have bought more of the metals, at bargain prices, in other words, the prices you see today.
More Americans are willing to invest in gold compared to Bitcoin over the next ten years (13 percent and 9 percent, respectively), according to a recent survey conducted by New York-based consumer financial services company Bankrate.
Stocks, cash, certificates of deposit (CD) are also more popular than crypto with U.S. investors.
Real estate has topped the list, with 28 percent of respondents saying that they are willing to put their money into it.
The majority of the survey participants (61 percent) are either “not too comfortable” or “not comfortable at all" with crypto.
Unsurprisingly, most millennials, who are aged between 25 and 37 years, have the opposite attitude to crypto. Meanwhile, baby boomers are overwhelmingly bearish: only 16 percent of them are okay with crypto.
Inflation talks falling on deaf ears
Another notable takeaway from the Bankrate survey is that 58 percent of all the surveyed Americans claim that inflation won’t influence their investment choice.
This, of course, flies in the face of the “inflation hedge” narrative that is being routinely pushed by both gold and Bitcoin supporters.
Only 20 percent of the survey participants are willing to invest more aggressively if inflation spikes.
Original post from U Today


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(NewsUSA) – According to the inaugural Crypto Literacy Survey, 96% of Americans failed a cryptocurrency literacy quiz, which tested knowledge on cryptocurrency basics, bitcoin, De-Fi, blockchain, mining, types of wallets, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and general views on digital currencies.
The quiz was developed by Cryptoliteracy.org, a collaboration between Coinme, CoinDesk, and Digital Currency Group, as part of a consumer education initiative.
The quiz was sent to 1,000 cryptocurrency or bitcoin-aware internet users in the US, Mexico, and Brazil, with a low pass rate of 4% in the US and 99% in Brazil and Mexico.
However, despite low scores, 30% of Brazilians and 28% of Mexicans intend to buy or sell cryptocurrencies in the next six months, compared to 12% of Americans.
Cryptocurrency owners scored higher on the quiz and were mainly male, younger, and wealthier. Younger generations in the United States are nearly three times more likely to use cryptocurrency as a means of payment, whereas older generations tend to view it as an investment.
Consumers globally can take the Crypto Literacy Quiz online to test their knowledge, with the opportunity to improve their skills through tailored courses provided by CoinDesk.


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Home Of The Unique Chicken Sandwich
Organisers behind the protest against the Chick-fil-A chain in Reading say its ethos and ethical stance goes fully against UK values. sell bottled drinks at massively inflated prices, I’d recommend buying the same thing within the boots or sainsburys reverse at half the worth and only shopping for the hen from here. Would like to see a permanent presence of the corporate in the UK and expertise the full Chick-Fil-A menu.
- In the meantime, KFC has 14 locations in Berkshire, the county that features Reading.
- Scott Cuthbertson, an LGBTQ activist, launched a petition calling for its closure.
- In 2018, it introduced plans to open its first worldwide location in Toronto, with no less than 14 more locations planned in the higher Toronto space within the next five years.
The restaurant, located in a Macdonald Hotels property within the Scottish Highlands, was controversial from its launch in October as a result of fast-meals chain’s historical past of donating to anti-LGBTQ organizations. “We have a special duty to challenge them to drop their affiliation with this poisonous U.S. company which funds campaigns to undermine LGBT+ people’s security and human rights,” Harvie said, based on The National. Another restaurant, situated in a Macdonald Hotels property in the Scottish Highlands, closed in January — simply months after its October opening. Scott Cuthbertson, an LGBTQ activist, launched a petition calling for its closure.
‘We Offer An Inclusive House ‘ Solely Eight Days After Launching First U.k. Location, British Mall Decides Not To Renew Chick
The UK market is a well-liked marketplace for US and Canadian franchise manufacturers. In latest years alone, we now have seen the likes of Tim Hortons, Five Guys, Krispy Kreme and Denny’s all efficiently launch themselves within the UK. And we don’t need reminding of how popular McDonald’s has been within the UK since launching its first restaurant in the early Seventies. It has since grown from a store in North London to over 1270 eating places across the UK. Could Chick-fil-A franchise comply with go well with, only time will inform, however what we do know that it’s much revered and popular brand that is already creating hype over its much-anticipated arrival on these shores.
There’s plenty of controversy-free chicken to go round, too. Chick-fil-A has been criticized for its anti-LGBT perspective since CEO Dan Cathy talked to two information shops about his opposition to same-sex marriage back in 2012. “We are very much supportive of the household—the biblical definition of the household unit,” he told the Biblical Recorder. “We need to do something we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very a lot dedicated to that […] We know that it may not be well-liked with everybody, however thank the Lord, we live in a country the place we can share our values and function on biblical ideas.” This month, Georgia-born quick-food chain Chick-fil-A took a daring leap throughout the pond, opening its first location in Reading within the United Kingdom. A local L.G.B.T.Q. group called for a boycott of the restaurant quickly after it opened at a mall in Reading, England.
Bi Delight Uk Sever Ties With Delight In London Amid Concerns Not Sufficient Is Being Done To Sort Out Racism
Real complete chicken breast are used for each burger and the nuggets are chunks of real entire hen as properly. Compared to KFC the popcorn rooster doesn’t look like actual chicken. Read extra in my full guide comparing UK and US shops and eating places.


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Hongkongers willing to forgo rubbish bins in countryside, but are not throwing away any less
- Study finds many support removal of trash cans from camping, barbecue and picnic sites
- Environmental group urges end to sales of plastic-bottled beverages, but kiosk owner attacks idea as ‘picking on the powerless’
Hongkongers are increasingly willing to have rubbish bins removed from recreational sites in the countryside, even though they are not throwing away any less at the city’s scenic spots, a study has found.
Support for doing away with trash cans at camping, barbecue and picnic sites ranged from 45 per cent to 75 per cent in three questions raised by an online survey carried out in September.
The figures marked increases of between 7 and 16 percentage points compared with last year.
A total of 555 people responded to the study, which was released on Sunday by environmental group Green Power, to coincide with the 26th Clean Up the World day organised by the United Nations with 130 cities worldwide.
The group urged officials to remove rubbish and recycling bins at some picnic spots to encourage Hongkongers to take their litter home.
Henry Lui Tak-hang, senior conservation manager, also suggested the government “actively consider” suspending sales of plastic-bottled beverages and disposable tableware at countryside kiosks.
However, he acknowledged that installation of more water fountains as a substitute was “rather difficult to implement in the short term”.
A kiosk owner inside Wan Chai Gap Park attacked the idea as “picking on powerless” salespeople, and said officials should instead target suppliers of plastic bottles.
Some 80 per cent of the survey respondents supported ending kiosk sales of plastic utensils, and 90 per cent for plastic-bottled beverages. Nearly 60 per cent said more water fountains should be installed.
Despite this, public habits in waste disposal had remained “generally the same” since the first edition of the survey three years ago, Lui said.
More than 70 per cent admitted they had generated waste during visits to the countryside, at an average of 2.2 pieces per person each trip. The most common items were used napkins, food packages and plastic bags. These three materials respectively accounted for 76, 72 and 53 per cent of total countryside waste.
“People’s mindsets have been changing, and they are becoming more willing to take their litter home,” Lui said. “But there has not been much difference in their actions.”
Mable Cheng, a civil servant hiking with a group of friends in Wan Chai Gap Park on Sunday, said she was all for the measures suggested by Green Power.
“We always bring food and beverages in our own containers,” Cheng said.
“But it would be better if implementation could come gradually,” she added. “It took me some time to adapt when all rubbish and recycling bins along the hiking trails were removed at the end of last year.”
A couple surnamed Tsang and Liu, who have been managing a kiosk in the park for six years, disagreed with the idea of ending sales of plastic-bottled beverages and disposable utensils.
“Some 80 to 90 per cent of our daily revenue comes from selling bottled drinks,” Liu said.
Her husband said the kiosk was too small to prepare drinks for customers in their own containers.
“It would be very difficult for us to guarantee quality and hygiene,” he said.
“These ideas are merely picking on the powerless like us. It’s good to care for the environment, but the government must step up its supporting facilities to show it’s not just paying lip service.”
Tsang said more water fountains would be needed, and drinks bottlers would need leaning on to switch to more eco-friendly packaging.
“If the government can make the suppliers replace plastic bottles with glass, we would be totally fine with helping collect and carry them,” Tsang said.
Undersecretary for the Environment Tse Chin-wan said removing all rubbish bins on hiking trails had had a positive effect, and officials would consider further measures to reduce plastic waste.
About 154 tonnes of disposable plastic tableware – about 2 per cent of all municipal waste – went into Hong Kong’s overflowing landfills in 2016. Plastic accounts for roughly a fifth of daily trash.


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PlayStation 5 Release Date Window Announced, New Details Revealed
The PS5 is finally official. In a blog post published today, Sony announced that its next-generation console will be called the PlayStation 5 and that it will be launched “in time for Holiday 2020.”
Details of the new console’s design are sparse at the moment, though a few tidbits regarding the new controller along and GPU have been revealed, among a few other things.
The currently nameless PS5 controller will ditch the tried and tested “rumble” tech for haptic feedback, which will allow players to “truly feel a broader range of feedback, so crashing into a wall in a race car feels much different than making a tackle on the football field.” Also new to the controller are what Sony is calling “adaptive triggers,” which will essentially allow developers to program varying levels of resistance into the L2/R2 buttons based on the action being performed in a game, so players may feel the difference between “drawing a bow and arrow or accelerating an off-road vehicle through rocky terrain.”
The official announcement references Sony CEO Jim Ryan’s interview with Wired, in which he discusses both the new controller and the capabilities of the console itself. Ryan confirmed that the console will continue to sport a Blu-ray drive, though games will have to be installed on the SSD without exception. Speaking of the SSD, Sony promises that the new iteration will feature read improvements that will see games take up less space, with developers also allowed to split the installation of multiplayer and single-player components of their games.
Also of note is the controller’s move to USB-C and a larger battery capacity. Having seen the controller up close, Wired confirms that it looks quite a bit like the DualShock 4.
This isn’t the first time we’ve had official word from Sony regarding the PS5. Back in April, the company revealed that its next console will support 8K gaming in addition to 4K gaming at 120Hz, an eight-core CPU based on AMD’s new Ryzen line, a Radeon Navi-based custom GPU with support for ray tracing, a new 3D audio experience, and backwards compatibility with PS4 games. We still don’t know what the console looks like, with that likely having been reserved for next year’s E3.


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Summer is still in the air, which means it's a perfect time for Blizzard to roll out its annual Summer Games celebration in Overwatch. It looks like Lucio Ball will be the main attraction yet again, with fun in the sun set to kick off on Aug. 9. Of course, you can expect the usual dose of fresh skins and maybe even a few surprises to pop up during the promotion as well.
The above tweet comes to us from the official Overwatch account, where their hint about the impending Summer Games feels less like a tease, and more like a full reveal. That being the case, we can't help but suspect Blizzard has something else up their sleeve that might shake this year's festivities up a bit. The announcement says players will "get a kick out of this," with a gif displaying what is clearly a match of Lucio Ball.
For those new to the game, Lucio Ball is a fun mode that lets players take the field as a team of all Lucios for a round of insane soccer. It only pops up once a year, so you'll definitely want to dive in starting Aug. 9 to get the most out of the mode. During Overwatch's first year, this mode had a theme based on the Olympics. Last year's iteration simply went the "beach party" route, as there was no major sporting event going on to serve as a reference. Since the World Cup just wrapped up a few weeks back, we can't help but wonder if that will provide some inspiration this time around.
The Summer Games also usually bring a collection of new skins for all of your favorite characters, so expect to see those outfits rolled out leading up to next week's big event. And, again, we wouldn't be surprised if some extra fun wrinkles are thrown into this year's event for good measure. I mean, to point out the absolute obvious, Overwatch's latest character cruises around the battlefield in a massive ball. They basically have to work that into this year's version of Lucio Ball, right?
Speaking of which, this is just the latest in a long line of big news for fans of Overwatch. The Summer Games come hot on the heels of the conclusion of the first season of Overwatch League, which itself proved to be a big success that looks to be spawning at least six more global teams for next season. Before that, we got Hammond/Wrecking Ball, the game's 28th character. Blizzard also recently beefed up its staff with a narrative writer, making us wonder if Overwatch is finally going to get a story-driven campaign somewhere down the line.
In short, Overwatch is still going strong and isn't showing any signs of slowing down.


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When Mark Zuckerberg was featured on the Inc. 30 Under 30 list in 2006, he was 22, and Facebook, the social network he co-founded from his Harvard dorm room, boasted seven million registered users. Rumors swirled he was holding out for a $2 billion buyout offer.
When Facebook went public this May, the site had skyrocketed to more than 900 million users and was worth a staggering $100 billion.
The Inc. 30 Under 30 can be the launch pad for the big leagues.
Just weeks before Facebook's IPO, Zuckerberg agreed to pay $1 billion for Instagram, a photo sharing app developed by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, 30 Under 30 alums from 2011. Though Instagram was not yet making money, it was giving Facebook a run for its money--on mobile social networking. Indeed, since being profiled on the 30 Under 30, the Instagram founders say they've grown their user base nearly sevenfold to 27 million.
Plenty of other 30 Under 30 alums have recently been rewarded with sweet exits. Ryan Allis and Aaron Houghton (2010) sold their email marketing company, iContact, to Vocus in February for $169 million. The Cook siblings--Catherine, Geoff, and Dave (2007)--sold their myYearbook website last summer for $100 million in stock and cash to West Palm Beach, Florida-based Quepasa, a social network that caters to young Latin Americans. For undisclosed financial terms, the Foodzie team--Emily Olsen, Rob LaFave, and Nik Bauman (2009)--sold the online food marketplace to Joyus, a video shopping start-up, and Sarah Prevette (2010) sold Sprouter, her start-up advice website, to Canada's Postmedia Network.
Despite the lackluster economy, Inc. 30 Under 30 alums are also raising capital. In June, Matt Lauzon (2011) of Gemvara raised $25 million in a Series D financing round to improve the customized jewelry site's shopping experience, and Adam Goldstein and Steve Huffman (2011) raised an additional $15 million for their travel site, Hipmunk, to double the staff to 32 over the next several months. In May, David Gorodyansky and Eugene Malobrodsky (2011), the founders of AnchorFree, which makes the Hotspot Shield for secure Web browsing, raised a $52 million Series C round from Goldman Sachs.
Many of our 30 Under 30 alums are plugging away, pivoting, and otherwise gunning for growth.
Adam Sachs (2011), co-founder of Ignighter, says that "after nine months of intense branding and positioning work involving focus groups, user surveys, we've rebranded for the Indian market. We're now StepOut.com, India's No. 1 place to meet new people." The company recently crossed the four-million-user mark and started monetizing, and says it is seeing 300% growth over the past few months.
The Shirt, founded by Rochelle Behrens (2011), is no longer just the shirt. The company launched an entire 150-piece clothing collection using the same dual-layer technology, and moved production from Spain to New York City's garment district.
The Second Glass (2010) founders, Morgan First and Tyler Ballet, moved operations from Boston to San Francisco and expanded their Wine Riot events to Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. The company now works with 350 wineries (up from 12 when the founders first appeared on the 30 Under 30) and is producing a mobile app for iPhone and Android. Meanwhile, Nick Friedman and Omar Soliman (2008) report that College Hunks Hauling Junk has grown fourfold since being featured on our list and has launched a full-service moving company called College Hunks Moving. The company now has 40 franchisees who employ over 600 employees.
Who on this year's list will be the next Mark Zuckerberg?


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“Reaganomics means you start a business in your garage; Obamanomics means you move into your parent’s garage.” – Sen. Ted Cruz.
“The truth of the matter is that stimulus money not only doesn’t stimulate; it actually reduces output.” (Dr. Arthur Laffer, Chief Economic Advisor for President Ronald Reagan)
When President Reagan entered office in 1981, he faced a lugubrious economy. According to Bloomberg, the recession of 2009 was the worst since WWII. Reagan didn’t inherit “a recession,” he inherited three. By 1969 we were maturating into the worst economy in our history. He inherited Carter’s double-digit inflation. Unemployment was 11%. Prices had risen over 25%. Economists agreed this was an “epidemic plague” and would vaporize the economy unless we took proximate reformatory action.


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Dave Seminara, skrywer van “Footsteps of Federer,” vertel “jakkals & Vriende” Dinsdag, die “cultural revolution” die VSA. is “a sad state of affairs.” He weighed in on the difficulties of being a konserwatief during this time period.
“We’re having essentially left-wing politiek crammed down our throats,” Seminara said.
“It’s increasingly clear that the sharp increase in corporate virtue signaling after George Floyd’s death wasn’t a passing trend but a sea change. Perhaps it’s time for conservatives to boycott companies that hate us.”
The former diplomat went on to criticize certain brands that he believes are isolating Americans by selling politiek.
“Regtig, ek bedoel, does Coca-Cola want to be the official beverage of the Democratic Party or what are they going for here?” asked Seminara.
“Tell me about your services. But please don’t tell me who to vote for. Don’t tell me what to think. And above all else, don’t insult me and alienate me as one of your customers.”
Seminara urged caution to customers and stressed the importance of researching maatskappye before spending cash.
“ek bedoel, really look at their Twitter feeds, look at their social media and find out what are they selling,” said Seminara.
“Are they selling a product or are they selling a service or are they selling politics?”


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Last week, rumors that Samsung will be released on August 24 Galaxy Note 8, that is, Unpacked conference the next day, the company will officially launch this product. However, according to Twitter broke the news of God Evan Blass (that is, well-known broke the news account @ EVleaks) argument, August 24 is only Samsung open pre-sale day.
Evan Blass said that Samsung will be scheduled for September 15 to sell this product, at least in the US market is selected at this time. For fans, the good news is that as long as the participation in the pre-sale can get a free 256GB microSD memory card, but also get a transferable wireless charger or Samsung Gear 360 camera.
Samsung's move is not surprising, the company has repeatedly participated in the pre-sale Galaxy series of mobile phone users to provide gifts.
As shown above, the appearance of Galaxy Note 8 is likely to be the case. There is no doubt that it will be by far the most powerful Note mobile phone, it may be the highest price Note mobile phone. Galaxy Note 7 last year, "battery door" time to Galaxy Note series fell into the bottom, this series can reproduce the glory, let us wait and see it.


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Meet our amazing Co-Creators for the Nordic Impact Week Launch
Welcome to Hanken School of Economics and the Future Gravity Venture Nordic Impact Week 2019 Launch in Helsinki.
Monday, Dec 3, between 2-4 PM
Address: Arkadiankatu 22, 00101 Helsinki.
We are heading into a new renaissance and one of the biggest business opportunity in mankind, from now and up to 2050.
What will VR / AI and XR mean for Education and practical use for our basic industries and cities?
We will launch Nordic Impact Week 2019, a business platform for Nordics companies and entrepreneurs do do business in San Francisco, California and ASEAN end of 2019.
Meet some of the International and Nordic leaders in AI / VR / XR, Sustainability and Climate Change, City Economic Development and Education.


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London Fashion Week for autumn 2016 is scheduled to take place September 16-20 in a number of venues, including the Brewer Street Car Park and ICA at The Mall. This annual event is one of the most talked about in the fashion world and one for which corporate hospitality tickets tend to sell out quickly.
J K Rowling's Film Premiere Hospitality
If cinema blockbusters are something you love, and you are planning ahead with an eye on a Christmas treat for your staff, why not take them to see the film premiere of J K Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
October's London Bierfest Hospitality
Every autumn, the good people of Bavaria, Germany open up their cities and towns to millions of people who flock to the region to help them celebrate Oktoberfest. If you can't make it to Germany, the next best thing is the annual London Bierfest based at the Old Billingsgate Market.
Both children and adults have loved Roald Dahl's books for decades, and many of his best-loved stories have made it onto the big screen as well as into the West End. Theatre lovers will not want to miss the opportunity to see one of Dahl’s favourite stories, Matilda, at the Cambridge Theatre.
Nearly every sector of our economy has something to say about the June Brexit vote. That includes the hospitality sector. Despite a sharp decline in hospitality spending in the last month heading up to the referendum, spending has rebounded nicely since.
The autumn rugby internationals return in November 2016, and fans who have missed seeing their favourite stars in action will be delighted to hear that England is taking on South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday 12th November.


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Chalk up yet another unknown device for T-Mobile coming in October, on Halloween in fact as that’s the date set for the debut of the Huawei Summit. There a number of possibilities that exist here — however, given that our most recent Huawei phones have all been mid-range to introductory smartphones, our hopes aren’t that high for something jaw-dropping. That’s not to say Huawei doesn’t make excellent T-Mobile ready products, as the Huawei Springboard was a top notch 7″ tablet.
So while the possibility exists this is something we really hope is high-end, or at least “higher-end,” it’s equally likely this is another mid-range smartphone just making its first appearance on T-Mobile’s upcoming roadmap.
So keep Halloween in mind for a new T-Mobile smartphone, just keep your expectations tempered until we know more.


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July 26, 2016
How much are consumers really paying for bad traffic?
By Louis Bedigian
Bad traffic has been linked to an increase in blood pressure, possible brain cell damage and higher rates of autism. It can cause psychological distress and anxiety and could foster the development of mood disorders.
Those problems are mostly associated with the stress and pollution of a lengthy commute, but what happens when those factors are excluded? How much are consumers really paying for bad traffic?
Bored to Death
Before getting into the side effects of a long drive, it’s important to understand how much time and money is spent in the process. One study showed that consumers spend an average of $2,600 commuting to and from jobs that are typically 45 minutes away from where they live. Commute times increase rapidly when bad weather, construction and accidents are factored in.
All told, consumers lose 200 hours driving to work, including 42 hours from traffic congestion, costing Americans as much as $124 billion per year. That number could rise to $186 billion by 2030.
There are many reasons why consumers drive far to work, but the primary factors are:
Job proximity is declining, and more than 10 million Americans drive at least one hour to work every single day. If moving is simply not an option, that’s understandable. But for those who can make a change, it’s time to consider the tradeoffs.
When all driving costs (gas, oil changes, repairs, tire replacements, etc.) are factored in, consumers spend nearly $800 per year for every mile they live from work. Thus, it is theoretically possible to pay several thousand dollars more to live closer and reduce the expense of a lengthy commute.
Consumers deal with traffic (and long drives in general) by investing in a wide variety of distractions, including gourmet coffees, monthly services (SiriusXM, Spotify, etc.), music CDs and audio books. While it is fun to indulge every now and then, these expenses might be less tempting to those who only drive a few minutes to work.
In two-income households, parents will likely pay for some form of child care. The farther they live from work, the more they’ll pay to take care of their kids.
Those fees add up fast. If a nanny charges $20 per hour and she is required to stay an extra hour every day, parents will pay an additional $100 each week, adding more than $5,000 to their annual child care expenses.
The Bigger Picture
Before making any drastic decisions regarding housing or employment, it is important to add up all the associated costs. It may also be wise to test a long commute by driving an extra hour every single day for a few weeks. If the added drive time isn’t bothersome, it might be okay to live far from work. If it turns out to be torture, however, it is probably smarter – and more economically efficient – to live a bit closer.


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Auto Expo 2020: Mercedes launches AMG GT 63S four-door coupe at Rs 2.42 crore
Vivek Dubey February 5, 2020
German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz has launched the AMG GT 63S 4 Door Coupe at the Auto Expo 2020, which it is claiming the fastest four-door production car. The luxury sports car is priced at for Rs 2.42 crore (ex-showroom).As per Mercedes-Benz, the new AMG GT 63S has a top speed of 305 kmph and can reach 0-100kmph in 3.2 second. The new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S competes against Porsche Panamera Turbo, which is also a four-door performance car.
The new Mercedes AMG GT 63S 4 Door Coupe gets its power with a 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 petrol engine, which generates 639hp and 900Nm of peak torque. The car gets a 9-speed automatic gearbox along with Mercedes' proprietary all-wheel-drive system 4Matic. The AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, on the inside, has a twin 12.3-inch display for instrumentation and infotainment system, a newly designed steering wheel, and centre console with a touchpad.The luxury manufacturer also unveiled its AMG A35 Limousine, and new compact SUV GLA.
In India, the new Mercedes-Benz AMG A35 Limousine is likely to launch in June for starting price of Rs 40 lakh, while the SUV GLA is expected to launch in October 2020 and is likely to start from Rs 43 lakh.Moreover, the automaker also hinted that it will be launching its first electric vehicle EQC in April 2020 in India.
Martin Schwenk, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, says, "The exciting and innovative line-up of products on display underlines our commitment towards our customers. It is also a sign of our confidence in the potential of the country's automotive sector." "As a customer-focused brand, it is extremely satisfying and rewarding to be able to reach out to our customers, both current and potential via this platform, and show them what we have in store for them in 2020 and beyond," he adds.
He said, "The range of products showcased truly reflects the energy within Mercedes-Benz as we aim for another year as No.1 luxury car maker in India." Matthias Luehrs, Head Region Overseas, Mercedes-Benz, stated, "India remains an important emerging market for Mercedes-Benz and the three-pointed has earned impeccable customer trust that is the hallmark of a fundamentally strong brand. Our customers will be at the core of everything we do and it will be our endeavour to offer them the latest products and technologies and the best retail and customer service experiences."


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With the end of the year, little by little new ways of approaching customer experience, which we previously thought impossible, are clarified. Such is the case of Negozia, a digital credit platform, which now has ease of contact, more effective processes, and a greater number of payment commitments thanks to the implementation and support of Lili Assistant in the collection management.
This is how a rough year is ending in economic and business terms because from a positive perspective, 2020 was an opportunity to test the strategic capacity of businesses that set their goals in the future of transforming traditional models into offers and tools based on artificial intelligence, such as the Vozy solutions.
Like we’ve said before, succeed amid change is one of the objectives that many companies have set throughout this year. Negozia, supported by Lili Assistant, did make it.
Among the objectives of the digital credit platform for this year were:
- To connect and retain in an adequate and pertinent way its clients with easy conversations, to include the work of its collaborators.
- Assist their collection management without compromising the relationship with their clients.
- Recover the past due portfolio that they required to keep their business afloat.
From this perspective, Negozia’s value proposition was set to provide easier, online, self-manageable, and immediately approved financial solutions. One of the alternatives to fulfill its offer and its objectives was the implementation of Lili Assistant; Vozy’s intelligent voice assistant capable of managing collections from clients in arrears, contactless, on the first days of the month (overdue) and remembering the payment to clients with close billing date (preventive).
2020 was definitely a great year for highly digital businesses and the positioning of useful technologies for better interaction with customers. That was the case for Negozia, which, despite this year’s ups and downs, was able to drive its digital transformation improving its customers’ experiences with an automated and easier service without losing the data potential they collect daily in each interaction, all thanks to Lili Assistant.
Don’t think twice and contact us to improve your processes with Conversational artificial intelligence.