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British beef information campaign reaches 17 million consumers
The second year of a campaign by the British levy bodies has succeeded in reaching 17 million people.
The initiative, which was funded by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) – Meat Promotion Wales, aimed to bring a more balanced perspective to public discussion around the health properties of red meat.
A notable highlight was the programme’s consumer social media campaign, which saw reality TV star and entrepreneur Spencer Matthews (pictured top) cooking up wholesome, balanced meals for his 750,000 Instagram followers, while explaining the health credentials of the beef, lamb and pork used.
Spencer’s lamb and pesto pizza, mini beef tacos and Thai green pork medallion curry recipe videos inspired an audience of 3.3 million online users and were seen over 5.2 million times.
The campaign’s positive messaging continued to reach large social media audiences with its Blue Monday influencer programme, reminding followers that beef, lamb and pork naturally contain essential minerals and vitamins such as iron, vitamin B12, B6, niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2) and pantothenic acid (B5), all of which can help reduce tiredness and fatigue.
AHDB, QMS and HCC have also continued to collaborate successfully with micro-influencers, working with BritMums to reach smaller but even more engaged social audiences – specifically mothers of children and teens – to promote healthy recipes featuring beef, lamb or pork.
The content has reached over 1 million online users across Facebook, Instagram and blog sites, with 98% of engaged users agreeing they would be likely to try the recipes at home as a result of the posts.
The programme also launched the Food Advisory Board this year, a panel of leading experts in nutrition, agriculture and environmental science, drawing on their industry-leading expertise in order to support the promotion of a balanced diet.
QMS chief executive Alan Clarke said: “In an age of confusing, often contradictory headlines, and the differing viewpoints that current science and research present, it is vitally important that the role red meat plays in a healthy, balanced diet is communicated clearly and accurately to the public.
“We seek to provide evidence-based information in the interest of public health, to help consumers make informed nutritional choices instead of following trend-led diets or acting on sensationalised media claims.
“We are delighted to have worked with the experts on the Food Advisory Board this year, as well as with Spencer Matthews, Dr. Alex George, and many other supportive partners as we continue to drive public awareness on red meat’s many positive health credentials.”


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IS THIS the coolest Hot Wheels set ever? To mark the launch the new Jaguar F-Type sports car, toy maker Mattel teamed up with the British car maker to create an epic Hot Wheels track — all the way through Jag’s design studio in Gaydon, Warwickshire.
The toy company created a 1:64 scale model of the facelifted F-Type to coincide with the reveal of the new car, as well as the 232 metre-long track, which was designed by Hot Wheels’ senior project designer Paul Schmid.
As expected from an extravagant Hot Wheels course, plenty of stunts were packed into the track to help the scaled-down sports car make its way through the styling studio. Jaguar says the route featured no less than 25 loop-the-loops, and the toy car was sent soaring through the air thanks to the three jumps laid out in the track.
The clever course charts the design process of the real life, full-sized sports car. As shown in the accompanying video, the mini Jag’s adventure begins at the initial design sketches of the facelifted F-Type, before loop-the-looping past computer screens showing digital renderings and passing over clay models, before coming to a stop by the front nearside tyre of the real life car.
The tiny two-seater achieved some pretty lofty speeds for its size, too. According to Jaguar, as it rocketed along the course the toy F-Type was clocked at a scaled speed of up to 300mph — significantly faster than the real F-Type, which has a top speed of 186mph in 567bhp F-Type R form.
To go quicker in real life you’d need the prototype version of the Bugatti Chiron hypercar, which managed to hit a wild 304mph in August this year.
Bryan Benedict, senior manager of product design at Hot Wheels, said: “We’ve been working with Jaguar for over 40 years but this was an opportunity to do something really special with a car that was not yet on sale.
To go behind the doors of the top-secret Jaguar Design Studio and work with the talented design team to bring this car to life and reveal it on our unmistakable orange and blue track was a unique opportunity.”
Jaguar’s design director Julian Thomson added: “We are used to creating models in clay but seeing such a finely-detailed 1:64-scale model of the new F-TYPE race around the studio, showcasing every stage in our design process, was a truly unique experience.”
While Hot Wheels had access to the Jaguar F-Type ahead of the car’s official reveal (it says the scale model was built using computer design data provided by Jaguar), it’ll be a while before the toy car arrives on store shelves, as it’s scheduled to go on sale until Autumn/Winter 2020.
In contrast, the full-size facelifted Jaguar F-Type is available to order now, with deliveries expected to commence in early 2020.

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06-07-2017 Ramesh Kumar Raja
With an objective to promote apps that have great design and performance, or those who follow the best practices given by the search giant itself, Google has come up with a new section in Google Play store called ‘Android Excellence’. The newly-introduced section has been curated by Google’s editorial team and is divided into two categories of apps and games. The Android Excellence appears in Google’s newly revamped Editor’s Choice section.
The move comes after Apple’s recent WWDC debut of its overhauled App Store, with a new interface and shifted focus on discovery and howtos. It also has a new way to highlight apps — the App Store’s upgraded landing page will feature one new app a day, opening possibilities for upcoming developers and encouraging daily visits.
“The new collections will showcase apps and games that deliver incredible user experiences on Android, use many of our best practices, and have great design, technical performance, localization, and device optimization,” Google said in its blog post.
Google says that the Android Excellence collections will be refreshed quarterly. As the lists will be refreshed after a considerable time, it might not be the best place to find great new apps or games but the entries that make this list are likely to get abundance of promotion and exposure. This is likely to prove as a great incentive for app developers to follow the guidelines provided by Google for Android apps.
We’ve listed here the distinguished names in the first round of Android Excellence.
Android Excellence Games:
Android Excellence Apps:


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The Calabar Carnival which was created as part of the vision of making Cross River State the number one tourist destination for Nigerians and tourist all over the world has today surpassed the expectations of most people.
It has grown from being primarily a Calabar event, to become an international event, the pride of Nigeria and of Africa.
The Carnival routes were flooded by millions of spectators – the figure of visitors is estimated to have reached two million this year.
Chairman of the Carnival Commission, Mr. Gabriel Onah, described this year’s edition as classic, adding that the carnival has gone full swing and now has a brand identity that everyone wants to be associated with. The presence of participants from over five countries and high ranking personalities from around the country and beyond, he said, is a testimony to the heights the 32-day Calabar Festival has attained.


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Six in every 10 Australians choose not to use smartphone apps because of concerns about the way personal information would be used, research by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has found.
The OAIC has released a new guide, Mobile Privacy: A Better Practice Guide for Mobile App Developers, with the aim of assisting mobile app developers to embed better privacy practices into their products, and to comply with Australian privacy law.
OAIC warns developers
Australian Privacy Commissioner, Timothy Pilgrim said the growing app industry presented both potential benefits to people but also serious risks to how personal information is handled.
“Mobile app developers operating in the Australian market need to be aware of how Australian privacy regulation applies, otherwise they risk breaching the law,” Mr Pilgrim said.
He said he was recommending that app developers adopted a ‘privacy by design’ approach to make sure any app they developed was privacy-friendly.
“It is ultimately in an app developer’s best interest to build strong privacy protections into their product. The mobile apps that take privacy seriously will be the ones that stand out from the crowd and gain user trust and loyalty,” Mr Pilgrim said.
He said the guide recommended that app developers use short-form privacy notices instead of lengthy privacy policies that were difficult to read on small screens.
“People are increasingly expecting transparency about how their personal information is handled, so it’s important to get informed consent from people so they can decide whether or not to install an app,” he said.
“Informed consent requires that users be told about the privacy implications of an app in a way they can understand.”
The full guide can be viewed at this PS News link.


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The light bulb ban took place in 2009 and so began the phasing out of incandescent light bulbs.
EU phased out the incandescent bulbs in a move to make Europe more energy efficient. With the ban in place it’s even more reason to go LED.
The latest addition to the ban is the filament reflector bulb meaning that since the 1st of September, they stopped producing that type of bulb. However, there is an LED version available.
Most companies have a range of alternative reflector bulbs and LED ones are available on the site. This includes: Philips, Megaman, Sylvania and Crompton. So if you’re looking for a replacement choose to conserve energy and get an LED version.


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How to Protect Your Small Business From Cybercriminals
Jun 21, 2013
In The News
While many small business owners take measures to keep their physical office secure, unprotected company data stored on a computer poses a grave threat – and that data is getting more and more difficult to shield.
Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting American small businesses. According to Symantec.com's 2013 Internet Security Threat Report, companies with one to 250 employees were the victims of more than 30 percent of all cyberattacks last year, up from about 18 percent in 2011. And while 77 percent of small business owners surveyed by Symantec said they think their company is protected against cybercriminals, 83 percent of respondents lacked any official security plan.
Chris Collins, R-N.Y., chairman of the U.S. House's Small Business Subcommittee on Health and Technology, says many small business owners aren't adequately prepared for an online attack because they assume cybercriminals only target large corporations. "I think, by and large, most small business owners go to work every day worrying about paying their bills, where their next order is coming from or how they're going to grow their business, where cybersecurity is so far down on the list it often gets overlooked," says Collins, who led a subcommittee hearing in March on how small businesses can mount defenses against complex cyberattacks.
The ramifications of a successful cyberstrike can be crippling, as roughly 60 percent of small businesses close within six months of a cyberattack, according to Symantec. Once the data is infiltrated, a perpetrator may be able to steal money and intellectual property, view contact information for the company's customer base and plant viruses. One of the most egregious types of assault is a "watering hole" attack, in which the criminal installs a virus so when people visit the company's website, the virus spreads to their computers, too.
To protect your small business, employees and customers from cybercriminals, experts suggest taking these measures:
Install anti-virus software. Anti-virus software can detect a large number of perpetrators, whereupon the system typically notifies the owner of the breach and takes steps to eradicate the issue. But, like a flu shot, there's no guarantee anti-virus software can keep a machine clean, as some viruses are well-disguised and difficult to pinpoint, says Michael Hicks, director of the University of Maryland—College Park's Cybersecurity Center. Therefore, he says a small business owner should use anti-virus software as one component among many to protect the company.
According to security experts, Macs are generally well-protected from viruses, but anti-virus software products are available for those users.
Keep computers up to date. Making sure your operating system, Web browser, anti-virus software, programs and plug-ins (e.g., Adobe Reader or Java) are updated is crucial, says Michael Kaiser, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance. Users of most big-brand security software like McAfee products can enable an automatic update feature.
Andy Steingruebl, who oversees customer security at PayPal.com, says the major Web browsers – namely Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome – are relatively safe if kept up to date.
Train employees. According to cyber analytics firm CyberFactors.com, in-house employees are responsible for 40 percent of small business breaches. Some are targeted attacks by disgruntled workers, while others are due to employees engaging in behaviors they don't realize put the company at risk of a cyberattack.
That means it's critical to educate employees about how to create strong passwords for both work-related and personal accounts. Cybercriminals who hack an employee's personal account can find their way into the company's database. "Just one bad password used by an employee can lead to a breach that affects the entire company," Kaiser says.
Many security experts recommend using passwords of eight or more characters that include letters, numbers, punctuation and special characters like a dollar sign. It's also prudent to create different passwords for every account. Kaiser says people who reuse the same one are at a greater risk because if one password is stolen, a cybercriminal can use it to access the person's other accounts. For added protection, consider implementing a system requiring employees to change their work password on a regular basis (e.g., every 60 days). You can test the strength of a password using Microsoft.com's password checker.
Some programs offer two-step authentication. Gmail.com users, for example, can select this extra layer of security, which means when signing into Google, they must enter their username and password and then provide a code that was sent to their phone via text message.
Secure the office Wi-Fi network. Changing the password to the office's wireless network periodically can help protect against cybercriminals, Kaiser says. A number of companies also periodically rename the network for security purposes. (A rule of thumb: Don't call it the company name.)
Hicks advises small businesses to use Wi-Fi with Wireless Protected Access 2 technology for up-to-date encryption. With older technology like Wired Equivalent Privacy, he says "almost anyone can go online and find software that will automatically break into [the network]."
Don't fall prey to phishing email. Threatening emails sometimes slip through spam blockers. Some of these messages look identical or close to a company's real email format. "You have to assume the adversary knows something about you," Hicks says.
Small business owners can adjust their behaviors to account for this threat using simple verification. When you receive an invoice from a vendor, consider calling the supplier directly to confirm the email is legitimate. It's an extra step, but it could prevent your system from being hacked.
Purge sensitive data periodically. Steingruebl says small businesses shouldn't continue storing sensitive information they no longer need. For example, an employer may have pulled a worker's credit report when he or she applied for the job, but Steingruebl says most companies have no further use for such information. However, that information can fall into the hands of cybercrooks if not properly disposed of.
Keep a watchful eye. Implementing these practices across company machines and devices, including desktop computers, laptops, cell phones and tablets, and frequent monitoring for suspicious activity is vital to protecting your small businesses from cybercriminals.


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Fast Retailing says it is working to raise the bar across the apparel industry, after facing criticism earlier this year of factory conditio...
In 2011, Greenpeace published its Dirty Laundry report, which found toxic chemicals in waste water discharges from two textile processing fa...
Superdry brand owner SuperGroup has revealed plans to adapt its buying model to source more directly and flexibly, with the aim of improving...
As the countdown to the second anniversary of the Bangladesh Rana Plaza tragedy begins, the call is getting louder for apparel brands to fil...
“You cannot solve the sustainability agenda overnight,” explains Frank Henke, global director of social and environmental affairs at German sporting goods giant Adidas Group. Indeed, as he tells just-style, the company has faced a moving target since it launched its first sustainability programmes some 15 to 20 years ago – and that target is today moving faster than ever.
From providing the first low-cost loans for factory remediation efforts, to setting up worker helplines and training 1.1m people on fire safety, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety is making “good progress” on its goals. But this is just the beginning, according to Ian Spaulding, senior advisor to the Alliance, who talks to just-style about what still remains to be done.
Major footwear manufacturer Pou Chen Group, which supplies Adidas and Nike, is in discussions with the Vietnamese government to address worker concerns at its Pou Yuen factory, which resulted in strike action.
The process that may lead to the re-admission of Sri Lanka to the European Union’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) scheme got underway last week during the visit of an EU delegation to the Indian Ocean island.
Myanmar's textile and garment industry is set to benefit from the country's new export strategy - a five-year roadmap aimed at strengthening smaller companies and fuelling exports and trade diversification.
International non-profit organisation Textile Exchange (TE) has launched the latest version of its Responsible Down Standard (RDS), designed to help companies ensure the down in their products comes from ethically treated geese and can be traced across the supply chain.
The EU is to tighten regulations under Reach legislation that will see an improvement in the screening, assessment and analysis of risk management options for chemical substances of concern.
Discount retailer Aldi has pledged to ban all hazardous chemicals from its textile and shoe production by 2020 - a move welcomed by environmental pressure group Greenpeace.
Smart fabrics and wearable technology go hand in hand. And with strong growth forecast over the coming years, it's no wonder fashion and software companies are developing new products to tap into the market.
Fashion brands and retailers need to embrace “radical change” in their apparel sizing and fit strategies if they are to remain competitive in a changing environment, according to executives at a recent conference on the issue.
- Speed to market key to Adidas 2020 growth plan
- SuperGroup to adapt sourcing model for speed
- SOURCING: Production problems weigh on Pakistan
- Cutting-edge companies focus on consumer needs
- What next for smart fabrics and garments?
- Transparency call for German apparel firms
- Lululemon Athletica on “strong growth” track
- PVH “pleased” after swinging to Q4 profit
- Organic cotton assessment tool launches
- El Corte Ingles to accelerate time to market
- Myanmar's Garment Sector - Opportunities & Challenges in 2015
- Apparel Retail: Top 5 Emerging Markets Industry Guide
- Management briefing: Outlook 2015: Apparel industry issues in the year ahead
- Outdoor performance apparel: peaks, valleys, and green fields
- Global market review of swimwear - forecasts to 2019


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The immensely popular venue game Keno has initiated a re-launch to “drive customers into pubs and clubs”.
Played by an estimated 2.7 million each year and delivering $62 million back to players in winnings each month, the Tabcorp subsidiary is undergoing a transformation that will “deliver a fresh, customer-driven experience” to more than 3,600 venues in the eastern states.
The brand is being repositioned as “playful, fun, social and accessible” and the ‘play’ concept factors into the new logo (below), to “communicate the liveliness”.
Customer touch-points at venues will feature new animations, an enhanced self-service terminal experience, and new game cards.
Keno has also begun its largest advertising campaign to date – introducing “Let’s Play!” across television, radio, digital and outdoor.
The new brand is now live in Victoria, where the new TVC launched last week. Changes and advertising will be rolled out across New South Wales, Queensland and ACT over coming months.
The new image also includes a revamped digital presence and innovative, customer-led products – all designed to increase dwell time inside venues.
Adam Rytenskild, Tabcorp’s chief operating officer – Keno & gaming, said the revamped Keno is more than just a new look.
“The new Keno customer experience ensures current and new Keno customers are at the centre of everything we do,” said Rytenskild.
“We’re aiming to increase participation from existing customers and attract new customers to Keno with a fresh brand, new customer offer and new products.
“Launching a new brand is just the start of what’s to come.”


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Original Silent Hill Creator Is Working On New Horror-Action Game
The game will have an action-adventure spin and appeal to a broader audience.
Last month, Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama announced he had founded a new company called Bokeh Game Studio with veteran developers from games like Gravity Rush and The Last Guardian. Now, we have learned more about Toyama's first project, and it should appeal to Silent Hill fans.
In an interview with IGN Japan, Toyama said his new game would be an action-adventure game rather than a standard survival-horror experience. However, he said it would "appeal to fans of [his] previous work," quite clearly referencing Silent Hill. That series has been on ice for several years now, with Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro's collaborative Silent Hills project being canceled in 2015. The demo, PT, was deleted from the PlayStation Store, and PS4 consoles that have it installed have become valuable.
"If anything, this will be more of a horror-oriented game," Toyama added. "But we will focus on making this a broader entertainment experience rather than a hardcore horror game."
The game isn't expected until around 2023, with it just recently entering the prototyping development stage. It will be a multi-platform game, so expect to play it at least on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
We've heard rumors about a Silent Hill revival at Konami, as well, but thus far there has been nothing concrete. The company shot down claims that a revival was in the works earlier this year, and we've heard little else since. With Kojima no longer at Konami, it's very unlikely it would be any sort of Silent Hills or PT reboot, but we're certainly ready to enter that terrifying town again.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.


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Rumored BioShock game in development
An article on Kotaku detailing the problems at Hangar 13 seems to have revealed an exciting work in progress: A new BioShock game. The report states that development on the title is under way at a secret location in San Francisco. Very little is actually known about the possible BioShock sequel, apart from the fact that a new 2K Games studio is involved and the project is operating under the codename “Parkside.”
The original BioShock was released in 2007, with BioShock 2 coming three years later, in 2010. BioShock Infinite also had a three-year gap between itself and its predecessor, meaning a new BioShock title is well overdue. All three games were very positively received and have sold over 25 million copies between them worldwide. It seems likely a new game in the series would be met with similar enthusiasm as long as it could match the high expectations BioShock fans will have.
Take-Two Interactive, which wholly owns 2K Games, has previously hinted at a major franchise release occurring by March 2019. However, it has been speculated that this would most likely be Borderlands 3. Fans of BioShock may have to wait a bit longer.


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The U.S. and China have had a rocky economic relationship over the past few years, marked by trade tariffs and strong rhetoric from politicians. But a change may be in the air.
China’s President Xi Jinping said Washington and Beijing should do more to overcome their differences, while he met with prominent U.S. business executives. He also told them China is working on improving its business environment.
Relations between the U.S. and China have been strained for the past few years. In 2018, former President Donald Trump initiated strict tariffs on Chinese goods, setting off a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.
President Joe Biden has upheld those tariffs. The U.S. has also introduced further limits on exports to China in key sectors such as semiconductors, and made electric vehicles with certain Chinese-made components ineligible for government subsidies. Chinese companies have faced increased scrutiny stateside as well. A proposed bill that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if China-based owner ByteDance doesn’t sell the app recently advanced to the Senate.
Xi’s comments come as foreign investment in China has declined. Nevertheless, China represents one of the biggest markets for many U.S.-based multinational corporations, and remains a manufacturing hub for prominent companies like Apple (AAPL), Nike (NKE), Chevrolet (GM), and more.
Read more reporting here .
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Starting in April of 2015 West Side Transport is trading in our 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012’s and bringing in brand new 2016 Freightliners and Internationals. Over 170 trucks are being replaced with new trucks and we are adding additional 35 trucks to support our customer growth. This means the oldest West Side Transport truck on the road will be only 2 years old with 2013’s being our oldest truck on the road. The trade out will be completed by the end of November 2015.
For new drivers coming on board we recognize that getting an older truck isn’t aesthetically pleasing but we have a solution. We have been issuing a certificate that we give to every driver that is being issued an older truck promising that we will get them into a new truck as soon as they arrive.
If you have any questions about the truck delivery dates please contact myself Justin, Manger of Recruiting at 319-390-4466 ext. 201.


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It's been nearly a year since HTC revealed the One M8. HTC will be announcing its next great design at the start of MWC.
Showing results 1 to 20 of 178
Features two ports for charging tablets, and two ports for charging smartphones. Use code EMCPDWC85
HTC continues to produce high-quality high-end smartphones, the new flagship One M8 taking over where last year's One left off. But will it be enough to improve the company's fortunes?
We saw several new smartphones launched at MWC this week, but most are evolutionary products offering a few improvements over existing devices. Here are the best.
MWC 2014: Given success of Galaxy smartphones and recall of Fitbit Force, Samsung Gear Fit could rule wearables
Samsung sells millions of smartphones and dominates the Android market while Fitbit's Force has been one of the most popular fitness bands. The attractive Samsung Gear Fit may be timed perfectly to succeed in the wearable market.
HTC is showing off a couple of mid-range Android devices with their compelling design features. They also talked about a new initiative and a study as they attempt to reach beyond simple design initiatives.
Samsung kicked things off at MWC with their new generation Gear 2 smartwatches. They both run Tizen and connect to a number of Galaxy smartphones.
Fixya has just published a report on owners' most common complaints about four leading smartphones: the Galaxy S4, Moto X, iPhone 5S, and HTC One.
Google revealed Android 4.4 KitKat details yesterday, along with the Nexus 5. HTC and Motorola were quick to inform consumers they will be providing updates for their smartphones very soon.
The government is partnering local carriers to offer smartphones and services for people over 65 years old. Features include reduced sensitivity of touchscreen, enlarged icons, reduced service charges and higher data quotas.
We compare features, specifications and more for Apple and Motorola's latest flagship smartphones.
We compare features, specifications and more for Apple and Nokia's latest flagship smartphones.
Smartphones now outsell features phones, while Android has stretched its lead over Apple's iOS even further.
Microsoft continues to roll out Office Mobile for different platforms and today we see the launch for Android smartphones. With the largest smartphone displays, Android is a perfect platform for working with Office files on the go.
To be launched in third-quarter 2013, Lenovo Game World will offer social networking features and gameplay tips, and is aimed at overtaking Samsung smartphones in China as well as reducing reliance on the ThinkPad business.
More details of the rumored HTC One Mini appeared yesterday. Samsung is releasing the Galaxy S4 Mini and I wonder if we are starting to see a trend towards smaller smartphones.
HTC has pulled out all the stops with the One, which looks great, performs well and includes some clever features. The lack of storage expansion and the persistence of BlinkFeed are irritations, but overall the HTC One stands up well against rival flagship handsets.
LG is coming out with some solid Android smartphones, and the new LG Optimus Pro G looks like a fantastic alternative to the Note II, Galaxy S4, and HTC One.
HTC is making a fully SIM unlocked high-end HTC One available for developers and smartphone enthusiasts like me, and it's priced less than many other high-end smartphones, without contract.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 Windows 10: You've got questions, I've got answers
- 2 Hands-on with Windows 10: Installing the latest Technical Preview
- 3 Perfectly legal ways you can still get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
- 4 31 ways to improve your iPhone's battery life
- 5 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)


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B corporations gain media spotlight
New York Times blog profiles growing movement
According to standard U.S. corporate law, corporate trustees have a fiduciary obligation to maximize shareholder return. This has led to many “socially responsible corporations” being acquired by multi-national companies. Famously, a decade ago Ben & Jerry’s was acquired by Unilever. Other examples abound, as Tina Rosenberg of the New York Times details here. As Rosenberg writes: “Silk Soymilk was bought by Dean Foods, America’s largest dairy company; today, most of Silk’s products are no longer organic. Horizon Organic Milk is also now owned by Dean Foods. The organic brands Cascadian Farms and Muir Glen are now part of General Mills. The natural toothpaste-maker Tom’s of Maine was bought in 2006 by Colgate-Palmolive. The juice-maker Odwalla’s Web site advertises it as “earth-friendly” and as “a business with a heart” but nowhere on the site will you find the information that it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coca-Cola. Stonyfield Farms yogurt company is owned by Dannon. The Body Shop was bought by L’Oreal in 2006. The cereal maker Kashi was bought in 2000 by Kellogg, Naked Juice is owned by Pepsico and granola-maker Back to Nature and Boca Burger are subsidiaries of Kraft.”
In response to such developments, since 2006 a growing movement has emerged to form B corporations, a new corporate form that permits corporate owners to subordinate profix maximization to social goals, as defined in the corporation’s bylaws. This blog first profiled B corporations three years ago here. Originally a voluntary designation monitored by the nonprofit B-Lab, the state of Maryland became the first state in the nation to create a B corporation law in 2010. As Rosenberg details, Vermont, New Jersey, and Virginia have since followed Maryland’s lead. At present, there are over 400 B-corporations in over 60 industries, which combined generate over $1.87 billion in annual revenue. For example, King Arthur Flour, a 200-person employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) company — and the nation’s second largest flour maker — is one of the first B corporations to be formed. Additional B-corporations are profiled in this Tina Rosenberg follow-up column.
Additional mission-oriented B corporations profiled in Rosenberg’s two-part series include the following:
* Opticos Design: a Berkeley, CA-urban design and planning firm
• Casecade Engineering, a Grand Rapids, MI plastic manufacturing firm with over 1,000 employees and $250 million in annual sales
• Ice Stone, a Brooklyn, NY-based firm that creates surface material surfaces from recycled waste glass that can be used to produce kitchen counter-tops, bathroom vanities, shower walls, tabletops, flooring, bar tops, conference tables, windowsills, and related products.
• Better World Books, a northern Indiana company, founded by three Notre Dame students, which now employs over 200 people; the company collects books and textbooks through a network of over 1,800 college campuses and partnerships with over 2,000 libraries nationwide while donating over $9 million to support literacy campaigns and donating over 4 million books that it cannot resell to nonprofit organizations


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It’s a little bit of streetwear, skate, punk, new wave and contemporary art set amid half trashy pawn shop and half art gallery that’s overtaken Maxfield.Los Angeles brand Enfants Riches Déprimés is next in line for Maxfield’s pop-up series when it opens the doors to its temporary stand-alone space located across from the boutique retailer’s main store on Melrose Avenue.The temporary shop will have a three-week run selling a limited-edition shoe collaboration with Vans, archival pieces, toys, banners, art and the introduction of Enfants Riches Déprimés furniture, all born out of the mind of founder and sole designer Henry Levy, who sometimes goes by Henri Alexander.The idea was to create an exterior similar to a pawn shop, complete with fake infomercials created by Levy playing in the store windows. The building’s facade was painted a bright yellow Levy called "obnoxious" amid the street’s more conventional building exteriors. Inside is a bit of a different story with white walls and a gallerylike backdrop for the clothes.“I really wanted the person coming in to fully get pulled into the experience of the [Enfants] studio, but in a more organized fashion so really pinpoint and consolidate the visual of the art aspect of what I do with the fashion aspect,” Levy said.Mixed in with the art and clothing are display cases filled with objects that have influenced the artist: 'zines, a skate video from 2002, an Enfants rag doll toy and Henry Miller’s “Tropic of Cancer.”It’s the first time Levy has had carte blanche with a space and some might say another milestone in the brand’s trajectory following a June runway show at Christie’s in Paris.Levy started Enfants Riches Déprimés, which translates to "depressed rich children," in 2012 while still studying art at the University of California, Los Angeles. He’s built a brand selling distressed graphic T-shirts bearing images of Parliament Lights or a reference to the Swiss boarding school Le Rosey mixed in with vintage leather jackets and coats Levy and his team then revamp with art or in some cases studs. It’s since caught on with celebrities such as Jared Leto, Courtney Love and the South Korean rapper G-Dragon.“I think it has to do with the timing,” Levy said of why he thinks the brand has gained the following it has in such a relatively short amount of time. “I started the line in 2012. That was before anyone was wearing ripped T-shirts or anything else. I feel like the brand couldn’t have existed in the early [Aughts]. There wasn’t room for a brand with an aesthetic like this, and I feel like the industry was not ready for it. A lot of walls had to be broken down to be able to create a new luxury brand that wasn’t based on decades of work in Europe. A lot of the luxury aspect of the [Enfants] brands started with the concept rather than the quality like the idea of the Parliament Lights shirt for $1,000. I wanted to make things that I would want. I didn’t necessarily think anyone would relate to it.”It’s a mixing of punk with luxury in a way that rings more authentic than other attempts he said seem “as if [companies] sat down and had a board meeting about it.”It struck a chord not only with consumers via social media, where the brand first made inroads, but also buyers. Browns of London came calling first not long after Levy launched the line and then things started snowballing from there. Levy’s kept a close watch on distribution.“I’m looking at the long-term longevity of the brand and I’d rather just be in the right places and make the right quantity because, at the end of the day, you blow it out, it gets on the wrong people,” he said. “I’m very cautious over it and I feel like it’s my baby.”Production is tightly controlled not for the sake of creating hype but more because Levy views fashion design in much the same way as his paintings. He said he’ll likely retreat to his paintings for a few months once the Maxfield store completes its run. Enfants, he said, would never make more than 200 pieces of anything. It’s gotten close with 180 pieces and Levy said even that quantity felt like a mistake.“I don’t want stores to have the same things,” he said. “If you buy something special, you don’t want to see another kid in it.”As Enfants grows, Levy now finds himself balancing the art with a growing business and picking the right people to hire along the way. The company now counts a team of 17 in its Los Angeles office and another three in Paris. Enfants recently moved into new space, still in downtown, just under the I-10 freeway that Levy described as being more secluded.“I just don’t want people to know where I am. I don’t want people to know what I look like. I don’t want people to know what I’m doing. I’m not really trying to brand myself personally. I have too many flaws as a human being. I just want people to look at the work,” he said.For More Los Angeles Coverage in WWD:Poketo Bridges Gifts, Home and Fashion Via DesignDefining West Coast Style Not So SimpleState Earmarks $3M to Laid Off American Apparel WorkersComunity to Open Arts District Headquarters, Store
In honor the @CFDA’s announcement of @iamnaomicampbell receiving the Fashion Icon Award at the 2018 #CFDAAwards, which will take place on June 4, here’s a #tbt of the supermodel on @michaelkors’ runway in 1991. #wwdfashion #wwdarchive (📷: George Chinsee)
“I was making the guacamole when my scout saw me,” says model @stuckinteenage on being discovered just six months ago while working at @chipotlemexicangrill. Since then Williams has signed with @dnamodels, walked in her first show at @calvinklein and landed on the cover of @vogueitalia – a high point of any model’s career. To read @lisajlockwood’s full interview with the model on her experiences thus far, head to WWD.com – link in bio. (📷: George Chinsee)
“I love the idea of dialogue, period. It’s where I’ve always gotten my inspiration from: hearing other women speak, their journeys and their paths,” said @hereisgina, who delivered the keynote speech during @sxsw for @createcultivate in partnership with @fossil. For her two panels, Rodriguez chose female empowering, female-led and female entrepreneurs to focus on. Head to WWD.com to read more about her thoughts on Time’s Up, growing up in a family of women and why we “need a girls’ club.” #wwdeye #sxsw (📷: @jgreenery)
Leading luxury brand are shaking things up to keep up with streetwear. Case in point: the arrival of @mrkimjones as artistic director of @diorhomme. Jones, who succeeds @Kris_Van_Assche, is seen as one of the handful of designers who can actually straddle the luxury and streetwear worlds — which could lead to even more changes at established brands. What could this mean for the rest of the menswear landscape? Head to WWD.com to find out what experts predict #wwdfashion (📷: @franckmura)
“It’s like buying groceries. You’re going to buy the best mango, the best mozzarella, the best things. You have to, or others are going to take it all,” said @gabrielahearst on why she uses only the finest fabrics. Last week, Hearst received her first @cfda nomination for Womenswear Designer of the Year, and earlier this month she opened a permanent showroom in Paris. To read @jessiredale’s interview with the designer and find out why this is shaping up to be a big year for her, head to WWD.com. #wwdfashion (📷: @francoisgoize)
“It’s an interesting thing, playing a younger version of your mother. It’s an interesting concept. I adore my mom and love her in every capacity, but it was just something that had never crossed my mind,” says @anniemstarke on playing a young Joan Castleman in “The Wife.” The same role will be played by her mother Glenn Close. Read more about her growing up in the film industry as the daughter of producer John H. Starke and Close and what she has planned for the future #wwdeye (📷: @nataliamantini)
@asics is launching a new streetwear sneaker inspired by its latest ambassador, @steveaoki. The Hyper-Kenzen x Aoki, which will launch at @footlocker stores exclusively tomorrow, is a slip-on style that incorporates the brand’s proprietary Gel technology through beads integrated into the midsole for comfort and endurance. Read the full story on WWD.com.


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Reading the LEDs Magazine online we saw this fantastic article on how far you can go with LED light screens. Signify turns the 1000-ft+ China World Trade Center tower into a top-to-bottom ornamental light show.
It’s a skyscraper! It’s an office complex! It’s an LED screen!
You might not have known that Christmas is a big thing in China. But it is indeed catching on as a commercial activity, befitting to a country richly engaged with capitalism. It’s certainly a tall thing: Take a look at the embedded video below of the 1083-ft China World Trade Center (CWTC) Tower B in Beijing.
Less than 10 seconds in, you’ll notice images of trees, ornaments, angels and decorations, dangling more or less from top to bottom of the city’s tallest completed building, also called Tower III. The entire CWTC facade serves as a veritable screen of white digital light provided by Signify, which recently released this video from last holiday season. LEDs Magazine fully expects a repeat performance this year.
But it’s not just a Christmas event. In partnership with China’s Beijing Fortune Lighting System Engineering Co. Ltd, Signify has been providing changing light scenes on the building exterior for about a year, using 400,000 white LED light points from the Philips Color Kinetics eW Flex Micro positioned in exterior cavities so as to not disturb people inside, Signify said.
The recesses — basically holes in the wall — didn’t get there by accident. Signify said it worked with architects from the onset to assure the lights could be strategically angled. The lead design architect for the building, completed in 2010, was Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, and the structural engineering lead was Arup.
Lighting designer Kaoru Mende and his Tokyo-based Lighting Planners Associates played a key role. The LED lighting work began in 2015, went live last year, and has been fined tuned over the ensuing months.
It’s all controlled by a Philips Color Kinetics Video System Manager Controller, operated by the end-user — the China World Trade Center management team — which decides what scenes to display, sometimes under request from government authorities.
Signify, formerly called Philips, still uses the Philips product brand. In China, the company itself is still legally known as Philips, where the name change takes effect early next year.
CWTC is jointly owned by two companies, China Shi Mao Investment Co., Ltd. and Hong Kong-based Kerry Industrial Co., Ltd.
The CWTC tower tops out in changeable colours, while white LED lights that stretch from top to bottom can be programmed to show different images, such as butterflies, bubbles, or other motifs. (Photo credit: Signify.)
Signify also lights the rooftop of the China World Mall at the bottom left. The tower in the background is Tower A, lit by another company, and it does not change colours, according to Signify.
The CWTC first opened in 1990 and has expanded in a few phases as a complex of offices, hotels, apartments, exhibition spaces, and retail shops. Towers A and B, or III, are part of the most recent expansion.
Soon, it will be Christmas at all the facilities, where people will go to work like any other day, except for all the promotions. Business should benefit.


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Container freight rates to fall further
The Shanghai Containerised Index is taking a break for China’s annual Golden Week, but sadly there is no break for the world’s ocean carriers amid reports that rates will decline even further this month. Rates fell across all trade lanes last week on the SCFI and box prices on the Asia-Europe trade fell to their lowest level for nearly a year. Alphaliner warned that the reluctance of carriers to reduce capacity on the Asia-Europe and transpacific trades in the winter slack season will increase pressure on rates even further.
With shipping lines pushing back their October GRIs to mid-month to coincide with Golden Week, Alphaliner warns that attempts to revive rates will be hindered by overcapacity as lines refuse to withdraw services, seeking to safeguard their market shares.
Further uncertainties will be created by the introduction of the 2M and Ocean Three Alliances, if they receive regulatory approval, said Alphaliner. However, Freight Investor Services Brokers Richard Ward says reports suggest that some lines are looking to reduce capacity.
This coincides with the announcement from NYK Line this week that it will increase rates on the Asia-Europe trade by as much as USD 920 per TEU from 1 November, he said.
“The apparent co-ordination has been achieved by more luck than judgement with Evergreen reportedly not sailing one of its recently delivered new builds because of an apparent inability to fill the vessel,” said Ward. “Superstition dictates maiden voyages that are not fully utilised are bad luck and as such the company has decided to withdraw the vessel and replace it with reduced tonnage.” “Time will tell whether additional carriers decided to use this as a catalyst to reduce capacity further in an attempt to restore rates from their 12 months low.”
Ocean Three and 2M carriers to dominate
A massive shift in market share on the East-West trades is in the pipeline as the order book of the Ocean Three (O3) and 2M alliances will see their combined mega-vessel capacity eclipse that of their more established G6 and CKYHE rivals. “2M and O3 are outpacing the other two alliances when it comes to the order book, particularly when it comes to the mega ships,” SeaIntel COO Alan Murphy told the Liner Shipping conference in Singapore.
The O3 tie-up is between CMA CGM, China Shipping Container Lines and United Arab Shipping Co., while Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co., will partner in another vessel sharing agreement. “The average vessel size is a strong indicator of the cost efficiency indicator of a line and here 2M and O3 have a massive advantage over G6 and CKYHE carriers, with 2M dominant in vessel size.” But O3 is not the group of rejects, Murphy pointed out. “CMA CGM is a force into its own and has very interesting partners which all have mega vessels that are new and fuel efficient. There is no doubt about it, O3 is coming in ahead of the G6 and CKYHE and have a clear vessel advantage,” he said.
The three O3 carriers have ultra-large container vessels on order that will allow them to maximise economies of scale on their combined services. UASC has six 18,800 TEU ships on order and China Shipping is awaiting delivery of five 19,000 TEU units, which will be the largest container vessels afloat. CMA CGM has six 17,700 to 17,800 TEU units on order, scheduled for delivery in 2015.
CMA CGM is the world’s third largest carrier behind Maerska nd MSC, with a 1.6 million TEU fleet and a 8.6% share of global deployed capacity, according to industry analyst Alphaliner. China Shipping is ranked seventh with just over 687,999 TEUs and a 3.7% market share and UASC is in 19th position with almost 294,000 TEUs and a 1.8% market share. China Shipping and UASC were already planning to cooperate in the Asia-Europe trades following the contracts for ultra-large vessels.
Ocean Three will compete head on with the 2M, G6 and CKYHE alliances on the major East-West routes, which are facing mounting pressure on freight rates as even larger ships are flooding markets at a time of modest traffic growth.
The new alliance’s strongest presence will be in the Europe-Asia trade where it is estimated to have a 20% market share, ahead of 13% and 6% shares in the trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic, respectively. This contrasts with the 2M’s estimated 35% share of the Asia-Europe trade, 15% in the trans-Pacific and a dominant 40% across the Atlantic.
Carrier agrees to $ 67 million price-fixing fine
The Japanese carrier ‘K’ Line entered a plea agreement with the US Department of Justice which, subject to court approval, will see it pay a fine of $ 67.7 million to resolve a case. The DOJ said K Line had been involved in ‘a conspiracy to fix prices, allocate customers and rig bids of international ocean shipping services for roll-on, roll-off cargo, such as cars and trucks, to and from the United States and elsewhere’.
The charges related to ‘K’ Line’s actions from as early as February 1997 to at least September 2012 over which period the line ‘conspired to suppress and eliminate competition by allocating customers and routes, rigging bids and fixing prices for the sale of international ocean shipments of roll-on, roll-off cargo to and from the United States and elsewhere, including the Port of Baltimore’, said a DOJ statement.
Bill Baer, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, said the case was part of a long running global conspiracy which had affected the shipping costs of ‘staggering numbers of cars, into and out of the Port of Baltimore and other ports in the United States and across the globe’. He added, “We are continuing our efforts to ensure that both the Corporations and ‘individuals’ involved in this cartel are held accountable for their acts and the harm they inflicted on American consumers.”
‘K’ Line said it would continue to co-operate with investigators and would take steps to strengthen its compliance and training programs to prevent falling foul of rules and regulations in the future.
Cost savings more than just bunkers
The savings to be gained from a container line getting more miles to the gallon are immense. Take NGL Group, in just over two years the Singapore based company managed to save $ 1.2 billion with more than half the savings coming from cuts in bunker consumption and better network management at its liner division, APL.
“This is made possible by factors such as improved vessel speed management and the entry of bigger, technologically advanced and highly fuel efficient ships into the APL fleet coupled with the progressive return of smaller, expensive and less efficient chartered vessels,” an APL spokesman told JOC.com. “These effectively lifted the APL fleet’s overall fuel efficiency through optimised fuel consumption.”
The bunker price has played along with the cost savings game, supporting the stressed balance sheets of the world’s carriers. Drewry data reflected the Rotterdam price of IFO 180 bunkers dropping more than $ 60 since the end of June to $ 570 per ton. However, hanging cost saving efforts on the price of oil was not sustainable as it applied to all carriers and was eventually passed on as lower freight rates, according to Lars Jensen, CEO of SeaIntel.
“The sustainable path to reduced costs lies in a systemic approach to cost savings related to better understanding of total network costs,” he said. Container lines are building larger vessels to optimise economies of scale and lower the carrying costs per 20 foot unit, but Jensen said it was about more than just having large, fuel efficient vessels in the fleet.
“You need to ensure that costs related to the usage of this vessel, i.e. feeder costs at either end, inland costs equipment repositioning etc., are properly taken into account. This results in a level of complexity where systematic reliance on computer models rather than gut feeling becomes critical in turn, this can only be accomplished by a fundamental shift in mindset within the carriers a shift wherein Maersk Line appears far ahead of their main competitors,” Jensen said. Underpinning the Maersk Line approach is the belief that freight rates will not improve any time soon. CEO Soren Skou said that rates had fallen by 2-4% over the last 10 years and that trend was unlikely to be reversed and the company strategy would remain firmly on cutting costs.
2M needs no approval from China
Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co, do not required regulatory approval from China for their proposed ‘2M’ vessel sharing agreement on the East-West trades, Maersk Line said. But the company left open the possibility that Chinese regulators may not automatically approve the agreement.
Since the agreement is only a vessel sharing agreement and not a full fledged alliance with its own joint vessel operations centre, the world’s two largest container lines only have to file the agreement with the Ministry of Transport and will avoid the Ministry of Commerce, which in June rejected the proposed P3 Network alliance involving Maersk, MSC and CMA CGM.
“The requirement with China is that we file with MOT and there are no additional requirements,” said Maersk Line spokesman Michael Storgaard. “It doesn’t mean the authorities won’t come back and ask questions and keep an eye on things, but that’s it.” Maersk and MSC filed with the MOT in July, he said. He added no filing is required for the VSA to received European Union approval.
US approval by the Federal Maritime Commission is required and the carriers will be filing with the agency ‘within a couple of weeks’. According to Maersk and MSC, the 2M will involve a total of 185 vessels with an estimated capacity of 2.1 million TEU, deployed on 21 strings, with Maersk supplying 55% of the capacity and 45% coming from MSC.
Salalah volumes slide
The Port of Salalah, Oman, saw its container volume slide 7% year-over-year in the first half of 2014, but general cargo throughput jumped 28%, port operator Salalah Port Services said in a written statement. The container terminal handled 1.63 million 20 foot equivalent units in the six month period, compared with 1.75 million TEUs a year earlier. General cargo tonnage totalled 5.46 million tons.
“The decline in container activity is due to lower volumes from some of the existing liner customers in addition to delays in new businesses materialising,” port Chairman Ahmed Al Mahrizi said. “The port commercial teams continue to endeavour growing volumes from existing customers and attract routes through Salalah to a number of new destinations.” Salalah’s consolidated net income tumbled 19% year-over-year in the first half of 2014 to $ 8.3 million on revenue of $ 73.4 million, down 3% year-over-year. “Competition is growing in the region, with new port capacities emerging. Profitability, capacity and market share are the fundamentals which the company continuously manages between risk and opportunity,” Mahrizi said.
The writer a Maritime Economist is a Chartered Fellow (Logistics Transport), Chartered Shipbroker (UK), Chartered Marketer (UK) and a University of Oxford Business Alumni. He is also a Fellow of NORAD/JICA and Harvard Business School (EEP).


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The Daily Beast 12/2
Workers at two Peet’s Coffee locations in Davis, California, have filed to unionize—inspired by the union effort at Starbucks stores across the country.
Business Insider 12/1
If you’re trying to convince your boss to adopt a four-day work week, a new study just might help your case.
Food Industry Policy
Los Angeles Times 12/1
Coronavirus case and hospitalization rates have risen dramatically in Los Angeles County, which on Thursday reentered the medium COVID-19 community level for the first time since the end of the summer Omicron wave.
Long Beach Post 12/1
How much community input will factor into new permanent parklets could change as the Long Beach City Council is set to vote on removing a requirement that business owners seek the consent of community organizations before applying to the city.
On the Side
Patch California 12/1
CALIFORNIA — While Michelin is known for recommending well known and high-heeled fine dining establishments, the Bib Gourmand list recognizes affordability as well as quality.
The Sacramento Bee 12/1
At least 19 restaurants opened around Sacramento in November, adding tastes of cuisines such as Italian, Filipino and Southern to the Capital region’s dining scene.


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Kyle Potter and Brian Edwards, Associated Press | Posted Jan 17th - 2:41pm
A ban on Sunday liquor sales that has been Minnesota law for more than eight decades could face a more aggressive challenge than usual this year due to an influx of new legislators and a push by one of the state's most powerful politicians.
Matthew Daly, Associated Press | Posted Jan 17th - 2:40pm
Donald Trump's choice to head the Interior Department on Tuesday rejected the president-elect's claim that climate change is a hoax, saying it is indisputable that environmental changes are affecting the world's temperature and human activity is a major reason.
Lisa Marie Pane, Associated Press | Posted Jan 17th - 2:30pm
It's a difficult topic to discuss, fraught with politics and social stigma, and an even tougher one to fix: people who kill themselves with a gun. But now two unlikely allies — the gun industry and a leading suicide prevention group — are coming together to tackle it.
Bill Barrow, Associated Press | Posted Jan 17th - 2:15pm
Carla Dent is a restaurant owner who steers her employees to federal health insurance exchanges. Eden Purdy helps poor and working-class Georgians navigate the health care marketplace. Bryson Boech is a grocery cashier recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, what the insurance industry calls a pre-existing condition.
Michelle Chapman and Anne D'Innocenzio, Associated Press | Posted Jan 17th - 2:01pm
Wal-Mart plans to add about 10,000 retail jobs in the U.S. as it opens new stores and expands existing locations. The world's biggest retailer said Tuesday that its plans will also generate about 24,000 construction jobs.


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Why the Analysts Are Right on Their $1000 Price Target
Tedra is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
Whether you rely on analysts’ recommendations on how to play a stock or you take analysts’ thoughts with a grain of salt, there are times when their actions are worth taking into consideration.
A case can be made for following their recommendations now for Google (NASDAQ: GOOG). Not only do a significant number of analysts have it marked as a buy, but there are almost a dozen that have $1,000 price targets for the stock. The only other stock within striking distance of $1,000 is Priceline.
Who likes Google?
Barclays Capital, Needham & Company and Cantor Fitzgerald were among the firms that recently increased their price targets for Google. Their actions took place from May through last week. Barclays and Needham raised their price targets to $1,000, while Cantor Fitzgerald raised its target to $1,030. Evercore Partners went even further and raised its target to $1,050.
The other companies that have price targets of $1,000 or more include Sanford C. Bernstein, Robert Baird and Jefferies Group.
One of Google’s most recent efforts aimed at increasing ads on mobile devices is gaining steam, and it is another reason behind optimism that the stock will hit $1,000 sooner rather than later.
Launched earlier this year, the product was designed to help businesses more easily have their ads displayed on mobile devices. Called Enhanced Campaigns, analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald cited this effort as one of the reasons for its price target increase. Businesses that use Google's older, so-called legacy, campaigns have until July 22 to upgrade to the enhanced campaigns. Observers point out that it can be pricier, but the benefits could make up that difference for businesses, especially for those that are small to medium sized.
That July 22 deadline falls about a week after Google releases its earnings report for the second quarter. It reports on July 15, and we should get an idea about how the enhanced campaigns are going then. Remember, Google derives more than 90% of its revenues from advertising.
Then there’s YouTube. Of all of Google’s acquisitions, this has turned out to be the most lucrative. Just how lucrative YouTube is remains unclear because Google does not break out revenue figures for the video service.
No matter, that has not stopped Wall Street analysts from trying to figure it out. What seems to be clear is that much of YouTube’s success also stems from mobile. It is estimated that as much as $350 million of Google’s roughly $14 billion in sales last quarter came from revenues raised through mobile ads on YouTube.
Morgan Stanley estimates that YouTube’s gross revenues this year will be $4 billion, generating roughly $711 million of operating income. Morgan Stanley pegged the video service’s revenues at $20 billion and its operating income at $5 billion by 2020.
Not bad for a company bought for $1.65 billion seven years ago.
What Google’s YouTube offers is unrivaled by its chief competitor in the space - Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO)
However, strides being made by the web portal are noteworthy. As CEO of Yahoo!, Marissa Mayers has made it clear that she wants to help grow ad revenues by offering video streaming services. Thus her entry into the bidding war for Hulu with an offer ranging between $600 million and $800 million.
In what could be considered her biggest coup yet in video streaming was usurping the rights to air Saturday Night Live reruns. In April, Yahoo! announced that it had partnered to bring SNL archives from 1974 through 2013. Hulu and NBC.com previously held the exclusive rights. The fact that Yahoo! managed to wrangle such a catch from these heavyweights, which clearly had an edge considering how popular they are, is impressive. More coups like this could very well help close the competition gap between Google and Yahoo!.
Signs point to YouTube making headway in revenue growth through mobile video-ad sales. However, when it comes to display ads in general Google has its hands full with Facebook (NASDAQ: FB). An advantage Facebook has over Google is its increasing growth with mobile advertising. This can be seen in how much market share Facebook carved out in mobile ad display last year versus Google. It snapped up 18.4% of the market compared to Google’s 17%. That’s small, but in this high stakes game, it is still too close for comfort.
The bottom line
There’s no question that Google is a force to be reckoned with in just about every tech space there is. Its main focus will continue to be on its bread and butter search engine business due to the ad revenues it generates. However, by entering several other businesses, Google is furthering the reach of its brand and the number of consumers that are directed to its properties who may inevitably click on an ad.
So, I think it’s fair to say that Google’s $1,000 price targets from analysts are more than feasible. At the time of writing (during intraday trading on Tuesday), it was within $4 dollar of breaking through $900 a share…again.
As one of the most dominant Internet companies ever, Google has made a habit of driving strong returns for its shareholders. However, like many other web companies, it's also struggling to adapt to an increasingly mobile world. Despite gaining an enviable lead with its Android operating system, the market isn't sold. That's why it's more important than ever to understand each piece of Google's sprawling empire. In The Motley Fool's new premium research report on Google, we break down the risks and potential rewards for Google investors. Simply click here now to unlock your copy of this invaluable resource.
Tedra DeSue has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Facebook and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Facebook and Google. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!


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No, Aurora is not throwing away all of its cannabis…
A recent article from Forbes about Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NYSE: ACB) has been getting a lot of attention.
At first, I thought this article was so poorly-written and researched that nothing need be said about it.
But it “went viral,” as they say, and now it seems like just about everyone has heard about it, even if they haven’t personally read it. Not only is the article itself not right, some of the stories about the article itself make claims that the article writer didn’t even make!
People have been painting a picture of Aurora Cannabis “dumping” cannabis in the sense of sending it to a landfill or something.
And of course, the thought is that if Aurora is doing this, its competitors will have to do the same thing at some point.
But that is just not happening, and the article’s author did not claim that that is what is happening.
What Aurora did and what the author wrote about are completely different than what’s being talked about.
What Really Happened with Aurora Cannabis
Instead of putting one of Aurora’s brands on a product and shipping it to provincial distributors for eventual sale in cannabis stores, Aurora shipped bulk cannabis to other producers for them to put their brand on a product and ship it to provincial distributors for eventual sale in cannabis stores.
That sounds a whole lot less sinister than Aurora “dumping” cannabis, doesn’t it?
In fact, this story actually is better than most people realize.
These wholesale sales might be the best thing to happen to the Canadian cannabis industry in the year that recreational cannabis has been legal.
That’s because at least some of those wholesale deliveries are to extractors, to be turned into cannabis oils and distillates.
Cannabis companies are preparing for “Cannabis 2.0” in Canada, when vaping products and edibles become legal in the country. And some of the country’s extractors are buying up cannabis so that they have sufficient oil for when the products start to ship.
In fact, we have two of the premier cannabis extractors in our Cannabis Investor’s Report model portfolio.
And with the cannabis extract market projected to be worth $23.7 billion by 2025, this could be one of the fastest growing markets in the cannabis sector.
The Advantage of Extraction
Cannabis oil has a key advantage over flower cannabis for producers.
It doesn’t go bad nearly as quickly.
The big cannabis companies are getting complaints that they are shipping older cannabis, which dries out, loses flavorful terpenes, and it otherwise is an inferior product to the great craft brands being shipped by companies like 48North Cannabis Corp. (OTC: NCNNF) and The Supreme Cannabis Co. (OTC: SPRWF).
Well, now a lot of that older cannabis, which didn’t sell because there just weren’t enough stores to sell through, can go to an extractor.
The extractor can pull out the THC, CBD, and whatever else it wants and put it on a shelf for two or more years.
That adds life to that old cannabis.
Eventually, Aurora (and other producers) will purchase the cannabis oil back from the extractors and put it in gummies, chocolates, beverages, and vape pens.
This man’s three principles for cannabis investing led him to a multi-million-dollar fortune. And he wants to share them with you.
To be clear, it is possible that there are problems at Aurora; I can’t see inside the company. In the short term, some of the larger producers may experience issues with their low-end business. Canadians increasingly insist on high-quality cannabis (fortunately, most of the big producers also have high-end products to sell).
But overall, the Canadian industry is finally enjoying the kind of growth that investors have been looking for.
Monthly sales at cannabis stores, which spent the first few months of adult-use legalization flat, are increasing and are now more than double the level we saw at the beginning of legal adult use in October of last year.
That growth will continue as Alberta, British Columbia, and even Quebec add legal dispensaries.
Things will go through the roof if Ontario ever gets its act together and allows the number of stores that population can support.
Executive Director, National Institute for Cannabis Investors
PS: The demand for extracted cannabis molecules is only increasing. And there’s one particular molecule that’s could see market growth over 3,000%. CBD is currently flying off shelves around the country – at stores like Walmart, CVS, and even Ulta Beauty. The “Year of CBD” is in full swing and we’re only expecting it to continue growing as extractors receive more cannabis. This is great news for anyone looking to get off the sidelines and start investing in cannabis. In fact, we can show you a CBD company that’s selling for under $3 a share – with the potential to triple or quadruple in just a matter of weeks. You can learn more about it right here.
16 responses to “Don’t Panic Because of Aurora”
October 28 2019


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A GYM is celebrating doubling its membership after a concept fitness company came to its rescue in the autumn.
Simply Gym took over the former Fitness First in Crewe in November after months of speculation over the future of the West Street site.
A question mark had been hanging over the landmark business after Fitness First began a programme of trimming down its sites across the UK and Ireland.
Staff were uncertain about their jobs and members concerned about their contracts before a deal was struck with Simple Gym, a growing business with sites across the country including Wrexham, Telford and Reading.
Slashed fees and improved facilities have seen membership soar to more than 2,000 since the takeover.
Staff numbers including reception workers, fitness trainers and cleaners has also increased to more than 40.
General manager Kate Dingle said: “The whole ethos of Simply Gym is to make fitness affordable to everyone. Monthly membership is just £19.99 and there are no stressful contracts. It’s a winning formula. We have welcomed more than 1,000 new members.”
The 29-year-old, who was previously membership manager, was made general manager after 10 years at the site.
She added: “Years ago the site was Crewe Squash Club before it became Fitness First. Never has it seen so many people keen to keep fit.
“It’s a great location with major workforces nearby at Bentley and Leighton Hospital. They have brought us many new members while others have switched from more expensive gyms that make you sign up to a contract.
“We understand that circumstances change. People lose their jobs, move home or just change their mind about gym membership.
“All that has made Simple Gym a huge success in Crewe. Another advantage is that we have a vast site and car park to accommodate all our new members. The feedback has been fantastic.”
Extra fitness classes and the launch of a new ladies fitness studio has generated more membership enquiries.
The club is currently fundraising for Leighton Hospital’s One in Eleven appeal and more than 50 members are training for the Midnight Walk to raise money for St Luke’s Cheshire Hospice.
For more information on joining Simply Gym call 01270 252445.


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After two months of tepid performance, India’s pharmaceutical sales rose 12.1% year-on-year to Rs 12,072.9 crore (approximately US $ 1624.95 million) in February led by double-digit growth in eight of ten segments, according to data from market research firm AIOCD-AWACS. In December and January, sales were at 8.8% and 7.7% respectively.
Growth in February was primarily driven by price hikes, contributing 5.4 % points, while a rise in volumes and introduction of new products added of 3.8 and 2.9 % points respectively, AIOCD-AWACS said.
Sales of respiratory and anti-infective drugs topped charts in February. Respiratory medicine sales grew a stellar 17.9% on year to Rs 1,053.2 crore (approximately US $ 141 million), while anti-infective sales rose 14.1% to Rs 1,640.6 crore in February, pushing Indian pharmaceutical market’s growth back into double digits.
The robust performance in February was also on account of double-digit rise in other segments like cardiac care, gastrointestinal, anti-diabetic and analgesics, among others.
During the 12 months ended February, pharmaceutical companies in India clocked sales of Rs 1.4 lakh crore, up 9.7% year-on-year, with price increases being a major contributor to the higher revenue.
Sales of medicines not under price controls grew at a faster pace of 9.8% than the 9.1% recorded by those under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). According to the data, over the last year, growth in sales of medicines not under NLEM was primarily due to price increases, with volumes rising less than 1%. Cardiac care, anti-infective, and anti-diabetic drugs led the year-long sales growth.
Among the top 10 corporates, growth in the year ended February was led by Intas Pharmaceuticals, Mankind Pharma, Alkem Laboratories, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, and Zydus Cadila, with revenue increasing in the range of 12.0-13.5%. Indian drug makers, in general, grew at a faster rate of 10% compared with their multinational counterparts’ average of 8.3%.
Sales of India’s largest drugmaker–Sun Pharmaceutical Industries–grew 9.3% during the year ended February, while the biggest multinational, the Abbott group, reported an 8.6% rise in sales.
Sales of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals were up 7.9% for February, higher than the 4.7% it recorded in December-February, which could indicate that the company’s struggle with the suspension of rantidine sales, one of its best-selling drugs, is behind it.
GSK Pharma had suspended sales of the drug, sold under the brand Zinetac, in September after the US Food and Drug Administration raised an alarm over high levels of the known-environmental carcinogen N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in ranitidine.


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On Monday, Apple released the first batch of its publicly available “rapid security” patches, designed to quickly fix security vulnerabilities that are under active exploitation and pose a significant risk to its customers and users.
The Rapid Security Response updates, according to a notice, “deliver important security improvements between software updates.”
Rapid Security Responses were introduced to allow Apple customers to update their devices more quickly than a standard software update would allow. According to Apple, the feature is enabled by default, and some rapid patches, though not always, can be installed without having to reboot your device.
Customers running iOS 16.4.1, iPadOS 16.4.1, and macOS 13.3.1 will receive the rapid security update. It will add a letter to the software version once installed, such as iOS 16.4.1 (a), iPadOS 16.4.1 (a), and macOS 13.3.1 (a). Older versions of Apple’s software will not receive the rapid security fix. Apple stated that fixes will be included in future software updates.
However, the launch on Monday did not go as planned. Some customers reported that they were unable to install the update. When tested, the updates on an iPhone, iPad, and Mac, they downloaded but did not install right away.
It’s also unclear what this security update fixes and Apple is yet to respond to a comment request.
In recent weeks, researchers have discovered new exploits developed by spyware makers QuaDream and NSO Group that are aimed at iPhone users worldwide. Both spyware developers took advantage of previously unknown vulnerabilities in Apple’s software, allowing their government clients to steal data silently from a victim’s device.
Also, see: Watch out as Apple (re)invents the iPod
Last month Citizen Lab reported that Lockdown Mode, a feature introduced by Apple last year to prevent similar targeted attacks, blocked at least one NSO-developed exploit that abused a vulnerability in Apple’s smart home feature, HomeKit.
Given the nature of the update, it is important to try and stay updated to know what to do and when to do it as Apple will keep working to improve on any discrepancy in the software update.


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By Rachel Phillips
Most people don’t put much thought into where yarn is produced, but Mary Jeanne Packer of Battenkill Fibers Carding and Spinning Mill hopes to change that.
The mill, which operates out of Greenwich, processes wool and other fibers from farmers across nearly 500 miles, and serves as a supplier to yarn retailers across the country.
Packer had aspirations of owning a yarn mill ever since she’d visited Green Mountain Spinnery in Putney, Vt., in 1982, but wasn’t able to make it a reality until 2009. A resident of Vermont, she is also the partner of the Vermont-based GWC Inc. consulting firm, through which she discovered Washington County.
Upon realizing the enormous potential for a yarn mill in the upper Hudson valley, she decided to capitalize on the large fiber industry of the region.
According to Packer, most commercial-scale milling operations in the U.S. have gone out of business. Now, most textiles are milled in China or India, from wool farmed in New Zealand. Battenkill Fibers has offered consumers an alternative option sourced much closer to home.
The demand for Battenkill Fibers’ products has been proven by the success the mill has seen since it first started. Recently, it signed a multi-year contract with Quince and Co., a major yarn distributor, as a supplier. Also in the last year, the mill has expanded to enable a broader range of custom dyeing services in order to better meet demand.
“More and more people want to know that their stuff is ethically sourced and locally processed,” said Packer.
It hasn’t been all victories, though. In June 2010, less than one year after Battenkill Fibers opened its doors, a fire burned the facility to the ground. Packer credits several local organizations for helping to rebuild her business, including the Washington County Local Development Corp., the Hudson Valley Ag Development Corp., Capital Tractor, and the Carmody Ford family. With help from these organizations, the business was back in full operation on Christmas Eve, 2010.
Just five short years later, Battenkill Fibers was named the Washington County Small Business of the Year.
Packer hopes to expand her operation to include hemp and flax processing.
“Now that industrial hemp has been authorized for growing in New York state, there may be an opportunity for yarn-making from the plant stalks,” she said.
She feels that providing farmers with processing services could give them reason to consider growing hemp as another crop and provide them a market for their yields.
To help make this a reality, Packer, a founding member of the Hudson Valley Textile Project, has been working with the organization to encourage people to invest in one or two locally created garments a year that are completely locally produced in Hudson Valley.


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November 2014 polling by Millennial Media identified a couple shifts among mobile app developers and publishers as they looked toward the future.
For one, mobile app developers and publishers worldwide were changing mobile app monetization models. In-app advertising models grew in popularity between November 2013 and November 2014, from 73% to 82% of respondents. Meanwhile, developers and publishers had decreased usage of paid app downloads—a good thing considering US mobile users aren’t fans of paid-for apps. Instead, respondents were increasing their focus on a monetization model that focused on in-app purchases post-download. Read the rest at eMarketer.


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Ryan Bakken, Forum News Service, Published January 31 2014
Karlstad company aims for big game splash: Mattracks buys regional Super Bowl ad
Mattracks, a manufacturer of rubber track conversion systems located in Karlstad, will be part of Sunday’s commercial showcase that will keep viewers on the couch when there is a break in the action.
Mattracks, which has about 40 employees, will have its ad aired twice – once at about 4:30 p.m. and the other at the end of the second quarter, said Vice President Dan Laux.
Its commercials won’t be aired nationally. Instead, they will be shown in regional markets where there is a market for the company’s product, which is a track system that can be used instead of tires on vehicles traveling in rugged terrain. Viewers in eastern North Dakota and most of northwestern Minnesota, along with other selected markets across the country, will see the commercials.
“This is our first foray into TV commercials, and the Super Bowl is obviously the best place to start,” Laux said. “Super Bowl viewers fit our demographic, ages 18 to 60 males, that would be mostly buying our tracks.
Laux declined to comment on Mattracks’ cost for the regional commercials. Thirty-second spots shown nationally cost as much as $4 million.
The commercial was filmed in the Karlstad area and Mattracks welding supervisor Rod Sele was the lone actor.
Mattracks’ commercial is modeled after two other well-known commercials, one for Viagra and the other a Keep America Beautiful public service spot.
In the Viagra commercial, a cowboy’s pickup, pulling a horse trailer, gets stuck in the mud. The cowboy hitches up his horses to pull the pickup and trailer to drier ground. The public service spot highlights a tear running down the cheek of a Native American man witnessing pollution and littering.
In the Mattracks commercial, a tear falls from a horse’s eye when a cowboy uses the tracks – rather than the literal horsepower – to free the pickup and trailer from the mire.
Laux said the timing of the commercial is because Mattracks, within a year, will be offering track conversion systems that can be activated by pushing a button rather than doing the switch manually. He said there is no cost estimate yet for that product. Their current products range in price from $3,400 to $400,000 for custom models.
Another reason for the Super Bowl splash, Laux said, is because 2014 is the 20th anniversary of Mattracks’ incorporation.
On the Web: Watch Mattracks’ Super Bowl commercial at http://bit.ly/1iiiELZ.


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A business owner in LaGrange posted signs in his southwest Georgia convenience store warning customers with baggy pants that they look like "fags" and he won't serve them.
The owner said he put up the signs because he was sick of customers coming in with saggy pants. They call customers a gay slur if they choose to wear saggy pants.
“I came up with that sign, nobody else did,” said Anil Patel, who owns PCA Food Store on Hogansville Road. “Since that sign went up there, I don’t see no pants down in my store, because they read the sign and they decide what they want to be.”
WSB blurred the slur in their video and reporter Rachel Stockman didn't say it. But it's likely that the slur is "fags," based on the sign and descriptions from customers in Stockman's report.
When confronted by WSB, the store owner dug in and said he plans to use his anti-gay quip on a bumper sticker. Which prompted a shrug of disbelief from WSB anchor Justin Farmer at the end of WSB's report.
But lesbian Kerrie Williams, a clerk at the store, says she's not bothered by the sign.
“It doesn’t bother me, not a bit. I have a girlfriend and I am gay,” said Kerrie Williams, a clerk at the store.
[image via WSB]


text: Yonhap reported that South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy will run a task force to support steelmakers with post-typhoon recovery work and to check the supply situation of steel products to minimize damage by Typhoon Hinnamnor. The task force will hold its first meeting later in the day with the steelmakers, their association and state-run trade entities to share information on the extent of damage and the current situation, and assess their impact on exports and other businesses First Industry Minister Mr Jang Young-jin said “The steel industry in Pohang suffered a very serious, nearly unprecedented level of damage and the full recovery of those facilities is likely to take a long time, with a hot rolling factory not to be put into normal operations for up to six months. There wouldn't be an immediate problem with supply thanks to sufficient inventory. But some items are produced only in the Pohang region and necessary steps will need to be taken in consultation with companies.” Last week, the typhoon hit the southern part of Korea and affected steelmaking facilities run by major companies, including POSCO and Hyundai Steel. POSCO halted blast furnaces at its main steel mill in Pohang for the first time in its half-century history. Some Hyundai Steel facilities at its Pohang factory were also damaged by the flooding.


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News of a major British high street retailer announcing thousands of job cuts or going into administration comes round with depressing regularity. Earlier this week, the fashion chain Republic took the latter course, following Blockbusters, HMV and Jessops into a place of no return.
The difficulties faced by companies such as these have three main causes: profound changes in consumer behaviour, disruptive technologies and, now, recession. Rescuing the high street, therefore, requires both creativity and determination. Sadly, those two qualities are distinctly lacking from the efforts expended on the so-called “Portas Pilots”, the towns whose fortunes the Government invited the retail expert Mary Portas to try to transform.
Freedom of Information requests seen by this newspaper reveal that 11 pilot schemes, set up following the Portas Review in 2011, have completely failed. Of the £1.2m allocated to those towns, just 12 per cent has been spent, some of it – such as the £1,610 to pay for a person in a Peppa Pig costume – woefully. One could be forgiven for thinking that the Government is responding to the deracination of Britain’s high streets with mere gimmickry.
The long-term challenges may not be soluble. Social changes and rapid technological innovation, together with prolonged economic gloom, are a toxic combination. But there are innovations that local councils should enact to encourage business.
Reducing their reliance on car parks for revenue, and so lowering car parking charges, could encourage consumers to shop in the real world rather than the virtual one. Rent holidays would incentivise start-ups. Improved transport links would generate more weekend trade. None of these measures alone will restore our high streets to health. But they would surely command the respect of the public, which is more than can be said for the projects carried out in the name of the so-called Queen of Shops.


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The future looks good for Pokémon fans. There will be a new Pokémon game for the Nintendo Switch this year, on November 16th. True to tradition, there will again be two versions: Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu, and Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee.
There will also be a special accessory, the Poké Ball Plus, which should be a kind of icon in the form of a pokéball, for extra realism if you want to catch a pokémon. The game revolves around the first generation of pokémon, and Pikachu and Eevee will play a central role. You can also transfer pokémon from Let’s Go on the Switch to Pokémon Go on your mobile, and vice versa. Pokémon Let’s Go will be released on the Nintendo Switch on November 16th.
In addition to Let’s Go, another Pokémon game has been announced. Pokémon Quest is a free-to-start game that is now available on Switch and comes to iOS and Android in June.
Finally, there was also the announcement that there is still a core RPG in development, and that it should appear on the Switch in 2019. Enough Pokémon games so the coming time.


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Be it Cadbury���s Meethamoments.com, HLL Sunsilk���s Gangofgirls.com or Pepsi���s The Blue Billion. Brand marketers have morphed their efforts to weave branding element in consumers��� e-lives. User-generated content is changing the advertising and marketing paradigms. Says Cadbury India director marketing Sanjay Purohit: ���The digi-media is clearly evolving as a critical touch point to reach, inform and influence consumers. And it would be a wise long-term e-strategy to optimise such a medium in terms of its direct impact on the actual purchase behaviour.���
The target audience is clearly the youth under 30 years: an average age of population generally found at such websites. Although the initial rumblings for such a new kind of marketing are seen mainly in FMCG space, market watchers say that it is only time before there the cascading effect is seen towards other sectors such as automotive, lifestyle products and maybe, even the art markets.
However, in the present scenario, brands are looking at web portals for value addition to the traditional means of advertising and marketing than seeking volumes growth from marketing through such alternative means. ���Take the Blue Billion community for example,��� explains Pepsi���s executive director-marketing Punita Lal, ���while such sites act to create a consumer pull towards the brand, other media then are used to publicise their existence to the consumers. They would never replace the tradition advertising media, but helping getting a large addressable under one roof.���
Despite brand managers being buoyant about the advent of yet another media for connecting with end consumers, India���s internet numbers may not present a rosy picture for mass market products. According to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), India had nearly 37 million internet users till the latest count, which is still considered a small number for brands to cash in on marketing through the Net. Out of the 37 million a mere 14% of the netizens are active bloggers.
Also, in a market like India, being online does not necessarily equate with blogging or accessing community websites. The IAMAI says that nearly 45% of the internet users primarily access the internet for using e-mails. While in the macro picture for Asia, 40-50% of internet time is spent on instant messaging and e-mailing.
Says an Indiatimes spokesperson, ���The numbers game works both ways. On one hand, such type of online advertising can only release its true potential in India, when the country���s internet population reaches a critical mass. At the same time, blogs and community websites run by brands are a way to attract more internet users and improve the numbers in cyberspace and in turn improve the marketing prospects on such channels.���
While India is still getting its act together for such a move, globally such marketing strategies have already crept into marketing mix of various companies. Consider this: By the end of 2006, it is estimated that nearly $280 million will have been spent on advertising and marketing on social network sites in the US alone. The total marketing spend on social media is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 106.1% from 2005 to 2010, reaching $757.0 million by 2010, says a research report from PQ Media.
Online advertising via blogs and social networking websites has garnered huge support in developed markets. However, not all brand promotions on the web seem to have worked. While user groups seem to have worked very well for brands like Levis, Harley Davidson and GM; the same may not be true for Wal-Mart���s efforts towards driving a community-driven pull. Explains marketing consultant Harish Bijoor: ���Such type branding activity works better for single product brands, rather than multi-product brand names.���
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Banks will again ask the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to allow them to spread provisions toward mark-to-market (MTM) losses over several quarters following a sharp hit in the June quarter on this account.PV Sales in 2022 Set to Beat Record Estimates
India’s passenger vehicle sales this year are expected to be about a quarter of a million units more than the initial projections that were themselves for record high volumes, industry executives said.
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