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Public ad tech CEOs: ‘If you don’t need the capital right now, then wait’
After a number of wilderness years and some notable implosions, ad tech is back in favor with public investors but not every CEO in the space should be in a rush to join the herd, according to industry leaders.
Investment bank LUMA Partners notes how there are more than 20 ad tech companies listed on the public markets, a stark contrast to just two years ago when the number of such companies was in the single digits.
All of this has been buoyed by brands doubling down on their digital media spending, outstanding success stories — just look at how The Trade Desk’s market capitalization (about $40 billion) is more than double that of PG, Publicis Group, and WPP — not to mention special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs).
However, everything is cyclical and not everyone should be in a rush to jump on the gravy train, according to Michael Barrett, CEO of publicly-traded SPP Magnite. He imparted his opinion when participating in a panel session at Industry Preview, a conference hosted by AdExchanger earlier this week.
Quizzed on what advice he would give fellow CEOs eager to list publicly, he said, “If you don’t absolutely need the money, wait… too many [ad tech companies] went out last year, and that’s not a pejorative statement, they can all be wonderful companies.”
Panel moderator Terence Kawaja, CEO of LUMA Partners, noted how there is speculation that up to eight companies in the sector are mulling a debut on the public market in the coming months. This prompted Barrett to further clarify his position, “Just from a dynamic standpoint, the amount of money a Fidelity can invest in ad tech… they don’t need another eight choices, so my advice would be if you don’t need the capital right now, wait.”
Fellow panelist Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify, a content verification outfit that debuted on the NYSE in April 2021, similarly advised caution. “If you’re shooting for a window, that’s not what you should be shooting for,” he said. “You should be shooting for getting behind your company, and just getting it into the right place to go public, period, because good companies can get out at any time.”
Also participating in the discussion was Lisa Utzschneider, CEO of Integral Ad Science, a measurement company that was listed on the Nasdaq in June 2021, who similarly advised clarity of purpose over speed to market. She added, “Having a clear, defined vision, and solid plan [is needed] and again, don’t rush.”
On Feb. 23, Magnite reported revenues of $161 million for the fourth quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 97% year-on-year, an uptick driven by the company’s pursuit of the fast-emerging CTV market which now contributes to more than 40% of its revenue.
Meanwhile, Integral Ad Science and DoubleVerify are scheduled to announce their earnings for the same period on March 3 and March 8, respectively.
Why DOOH is a big draw for startups and direct response marketers
As digital ad channels, like social and paid search, become saturated and data privacy gets more restricted, startups and small businesses turn to DOOH to boost brand awareness.
TikTok’s uncertain future: the issues marketers should (and shouldn’t) fret over
A TikTok ban would require U.S. lawmakers to prove that the short-form video app is a genuine national security risk. So far, that hasn’t happened.
Maybe Web3 isn’t as dead as it would seem, as agencies play with new data-generating models
Agencies are continuing to invest in Web3 technologies in new ways, from client activations to data management.
SponsoredHow critical data pillars will increase brands’ confidence in CTV
Mario Diez, CEO, Peer39 With every quarter, the balance of TV viewership slips away from the traditional linear model and more towards connected TV. Less than half of the adults in the U.S. subscribe to cable or satellite, and fewer than half of the households watched linear TV daily in the second half of 2022. […]
Why real estate company Windermere is adding influencers to its marketing mix and spending half of its ad budget on them
Windermere is working with Seattle-based agency PB& as well as the home-focused publication Domino to partner with influencers like design influencer Max Humphrey.
Digiday+ Research: Agencies’ attitudes on secondary social platforms have seen ups and downs (especially on Twitter)
Digiday+ Research surveyed over 100 agency professionals, and found that agency clients' approach to the channels categorized as "other social platforms" has been somewhat erratic over the last year.


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The British folks at Land Rover released details on a special edition model. We talk about the Defender Africa Edition, a model which will be built in a limited run of 50 units.
Available in both Defender 90 and Defender 110 versions, the new model stands out thanks to the Santorini black exterior finish with red roof, revised black alloy wheels, a rear step, roof rack and bumper caps.
Inside, you will get black seat covers with red inserts as well as Bluetooth connectivity.
Under the hood of the Land Rover Defender Africa Edition sits a 2.2-liter diesel engine capable to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 15,8 seconds with a top speed of 145 km/h.
There four-cylinder engine is linked to a standard six-speed manual transmission. Pricing details were not released yet but Land Rover says that the new model will be available worldwide.

domain: news


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DraftKings, FanDuel scrap merger plan
DraftKings and FanDuel have scrapped their merger plans after initial proposals were rejected by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
An initial scheduling conference with the FTC national consumer protection agency was set to occur before an administrative judge today (Friday), but the two daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators announced on Thursday that they will now seek to pursue their own development.
A deal between the two companies had been mooted for some time and an agreement was announced in November 2016. However, the FTC, estimating the pair held 90% of the US market, raised concerns over the impact the deal could have on competition.
The FTC said it would join with the state Attorneys General of California and the District of Columbia to file a complaint in federal district court to seek a preliminary injunction to halt the deal and “maintain the status quo”, pending an administrative trial.
In a statement, FanDuel chief executive Nigel Eccles said: “FanDuel decided to merge with DraftKings last November, because we believed that this deal would have increased investment in growth and product development thereby benefiting consumers and the greater sports entertainment industry.
“While our opinion has not changed, we have determined that it is in the best interest of our shareholders, customers, employees, and partners to terminate the merger agreement and move forward as an independent company. There is still enormous, untapped market opportunity for FanDuel, and we will continue to execute our strategy to grow our business and further expand the fantasy sports industry.”
DraftKings chief executive, Jason Robbins, said: “We have a growing customer base of nearly eight million, our revenue is growing over 30 per cent year-over-year, and we are only just beginning to take our product overseas to the billions of international sports fans we have yet to even reach.”
He added: “We believe it is in the best interests of our customers, employees, and investors to terminate our agreement to merge with FanDuel and move forward as a separate company.”
Related article: FanDuel open to abandonment of DraftKings merger


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Of the more than 3,000 women we asked:
- 70 percent are more worried about money now that they're moms
- 70 percent are focused on saving money "wherever I can"
- 69 percent think they should be doing more to prepare for future child-related expenses
- 68 percent say that having more money makes parenting easier
- 63 percent gave up things they really enjoy so there'd be more money for their child
- 62 percent need more money to feel secure about their child's future
- 57 percent say finances will affect how many children they decide to have
- 52 percent say they're just getting by financially
- 40 percent say finances influenced when they decided to have kids
- 40 percent are worried about affording their baby's first year
- 40 percent say having a child costs a lot more than they expected
- 42 percent expect to spend $10,000 or more on their baby in the first year
A note about our survey: From July 5 to July 8, 2007, BabyCenter visitors were invited to complete an online survey. The 3,137 total respondents included 2,041 moms, 792 pregnant first-time mothers, and 304 women who were trying to conceive. All data reported is statistically significant.


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A vendor that services countless big-name banks and retailers with web email announced over the weekend its database had been breached.
The hack affected a number of the biggest banks in the country as well as a number of huge retailers. This included Best Buy, Capital One, Barclays, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, US Bank, Kroger, New York Times Co, Brookstone, TiVo and Walgreens. There were many more, Epsilon has in the neighborhood of 2,600 big-name clients.
All of the affected companies put out a similar release saying Epsilon, a provider of internal cloud email services, notified them about the data breach. Essentially, an unauthorized person outside their company accessed files that included e-mail addresses of customers for those companies.
We are advised by Epsilon that the files that were accessed did not include any customer financial information, but are actively investigating to confirm this. As always, we are advising our customers of everything we know as we know it, Chase said in a statement.
According to Epsilon, this was the case for all of the companies. Only names and emails were accessed part of the breach, not essential information.
The banks advised their customers to ignore emails asking for confidential account or log-in information. They also said familiar looking links in an email can redirect to a fraudulent site.
Security firm Sophos said the breach isn't the end of the world for those affected. However, Paul Ducklin, head of Sophos' security in Asia Pacific, said this kind of breach can lead to a worse outcome.
Losing your email address to scammers and spammers is likely to mean a surge in spam to your account, Ducklin said. Also, losing your email address via a service to which you already belong makes it much easier for scammers to hit you with emails which match your existing interests, at least loosely. That, in turn, can make their fraudulent correspondence seem more believable.


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(The Center Square) – A series of economic struggles that have grown increasingly worse this year will likely have a significant impact on the holiday season, many economic experts predict.
(The Center Square) – New national research shows that parents fear students who lost time in school during the pandemic shutdowns could experience long-term effects on their learning and career opportunities.
The rain was falling in sheets. The wind was howling. The temperature was 40 degrees, and I could see my breath. My raincoat was soaked throug…
The award-winning journalist also talks about how they decided to 'pivot entirely' for this season.
Khloe Kardashian's ad campaign for her clothing brand 'Good American' has been banned, following claims that it is too raunchy to air on television.


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- SkyBridge Arizona, a new international air cargo hub and the nation's first, will soon commence operations out of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, American Shipper reported. The hub will enhance trade between the U.S., Mexico and throughout Latin America by eliminating the additional step of gaining approval in Mexico City.
- The customs portion of the project — Unified Cargo Processing (UCP) Program — will be operated by both the U.S. and Mexico. The joint program initially began in Nogales, Arizona and will now expand for air freight to SkyBridge Arizona.
- The project will likely create 17,000 jobs and increase cargo flights out of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport by roughly 2,000 a year, transforming the airport from a "convenient regional transportation hub to a powerful economic engine,” Jose Pablo Martinez Buentello, SkyBridge Arizona project manager, said in a press release. At least $230 million dollars in investments have been set aside for 360 acres of land for commercial development and 2 million square feet of warehouse space to accommodate the project.
Air cargo freight between Arizona and Mexico has expanded 30% YoY, or roughly 180% from 2011 to 2015, easily bypassing other modes of international transport. At an annual total of $390 million per year, freight trade between Arizona and Mexico also outpaced the surrounding states of California, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas, whereas air freight traffic expanded a mere 10% percent during the same period.
SkyBridge is expected to gain at least 5% of the region's exports to Mexico by 2025, worth roughly $650 million dollars.
In addition, Skybridge will benefit both Arizona State University and the Maricopa County Community Colleges as an ally in the schools' research and development endeavors, business incubator, technology partner and potential employer.
Lastly, e-commerce is also expected to benefit from the Skybridge initiative. Currently, just over half of Mexico’s population has internet access, while only two out of three users are online shoppers. Despite those numbers, the Mexican market spent almost $300 billion on e-commerce goods in 2017. As freight transport becomes simpler thanks to Skybridge, an increase of 17% in purchase totals is expected.


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Hey, it's better than a sharp stick in the eye.
Online coupon and direct marketing services provider CoolSavings Inc. yesterday reported its first-ever profitable quarter — by $100,000.
This compares with a $1.7 million loss for the Chicago company in the second quarter of last year.
CoolSavings said that business from consumer packaged goods companies was largely responsible for this year's boost, rising 200 percent in second-quarter 2003 versus the same period last year and fueling a 69 percent increase in revenue between those two periods.
Net revenue for second-quarter 2003 was $8.6 million, up from $5.1 million in second-quarter 2002, the company said.
CoolSavings lost $900,000 in the first six months of 2003 compared with $4.2 million for the first six months of 2002.
At the close of the second quarter June 30, CoolSavings reported having cash and cash equivalents of $5.9 million, compared with $4.9 million at the close of fourth-quarter 2002, which ended Dec. 31.
Also, accounts receivable were $5.1 million at the close of the second quarter, compared with $4.9 million at the close of 2002, the company said. Liabilities at the close of the second quarter were $12.3 million, compared with $11.9 million at the close of 2002.


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Arla Foods Taw Valley creamery also crowned 2014 Danisco Grand Prix Champion
Arla Foods creameries have been rewarded once again for the outstanding cheeses they produce, this time at the Global Cheese Awards which took place on Saturday, 13th September. Arla Food’s creameries, including Taw Valley, Lockerbie, Llandrynog, Tuxford & Tebbutt, Trevarrian and produce from Denmark, successfully walked away with an incredible 52 awards between them.
Competing against quality cheeses from around the world, Arla Foods creameries won an array of highly sought after awards most notably the industry coveted 2014 Danisco Grand Prix Trophy which was picked up by North Tawton-based creamery Taw Valley. Awarded on a points-based basis following the culmination of the summer season, at a series of shows such as the Cheshire County Show and Great Yorkshire Show, the Danisco Grand Prix Trophy was presented in recognition for being the most consistent maker of finest quality mature cheddar.
Taw Valley’s win of the Danisco trophy is a culmination of successes achieved throughout 2014, highlights of which include attaining the Supreme Champion award for Vintage Cheddar at the Devon
County Show and being crowned the Reserve Champion for its Mature Cheddar at the Nantwich International Cheese Awards.
In addition to this fantastic success, Arla Foods creameries were recognised with further gold awards for their ‘Whole Blue Stilton’ and ‘White Mild Cheddar’ amongst others from their Tuxford & Tebbutt and Lockerbie creameries respectively. In total, Arla Foods walked away with 52 awards including 2 Champion awards, 3 Highly Commended acknowledgments, 17 Gold awards, 15 Silver awards and 15 Bronze awards; matching the success from 2013.
Matt Walker, Senior Marketing Cheese Director at Arla Foods commented: “This year has already been a great year for us with award wins for our cheese products, so to have received more accolades at the recent Global Cheese Awards is fantastic. We’re especially thrilled that one of our creameries’ took home the 2014 Danisco Grand Prix Trophy; this is the first time Taw Valley has won the award since 2008. All our creameries pride themselves on the quality of cheeses produced and to be recognised at another great show is a fantastic achievement. Without the dedication and expertise of our cheesemakers, winning these awards just wouldn’t be possible.”
Arla Foods is a global dairy company and co-operative owned by 13,500 dairy farmers circa 3,000 of whom are British.
Dating back to 1881, Arla’s purpose is to secure the highest value for its farmers’ milk, while creating opportunities for their growth. With production facilities in 11 countries and sales offices in a further 30, Arla is the world’s sixth largest dairy company and largest supplier of organic dairy products. Arla has a total of more than 18,000 colleagues and its products are sold under the well-known brands Arla®, Lurpak® and Castello® in more than 100 countries.
Arla Foods UK is the largest dairy company in the country and is home to leading dairy brands Anchor, Cravendale, and Lactofree. It processes 3.5 billion litres of milk a year and has a turnover of £2.2 billion. As well as being number one in fresh liquid milk, butter, spreads and cream, Arla is the UK’s largest cheese manufacturer. It has also built the world’s largest fresh milk facility located at Aylesbury and has plans for it to be the first zero carbon site of its kind. The UK business has a team of approximately 4,000 colleagues located at its dairies, distribution centres and head office.


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Calling the Ford Bronco launch “rocky” would be a massive understatement.
A few of Ford’s launches in recent memory haven’t been entirely smooth, but the issues surrounding the brand new Ford Bronco take the cake. Owners have reached out to us with a new email they received from the automaker, acknowledging the palpable frustration and — surprisingly — hitting those owners with what, for some, could be an unbearable truth. “We are not yet able to give you a delivery timing update,” the message says.
We’re used to run-around marketing speak, but that’s decently clear cut for a change. In short, Ford doesn’t really have a specific idea when it will be able to get Bronco models to some owners. The automaker goes on to explain that the “Achilles heel” around this launch stems from suppliers making the hardtop roofs. Ford also says it’s investing “millions” into fixing the supply problem, but again does not have a date for when things will be back on track.
Here’s the email, in its entirety:
We’ll have to wait and see what happens
As frustrated and pissed off as owners are — understandably so — the unending supply issues stemming from the coronavirus pandemic may take awhile to actually iron out. A global pandemic, semiconductor shortage and plenty of other events have turned the entire industry on its head, and even with substantial investment, it’s clear prospective Bronco owners still have a teeth-grinding wait in store.


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Instagram-famous dessert brand Bubblewrap has launched its first franchise site to kickstart its plans for significant expansion.
The company has opened a site in London’s Old Spitalfields Market, its third in total, adding to its Chinatown and Covent Garden venues.
The 100sq ft kiosk will be takeaway only and will be the company’s pilot franchise site. More locations are to be announced in the near future with founder Tony Fang planning to open at least three new stores in the Middle East by 2024.
Bubblewrap was the first bubble waffle concept in the UK, with its debut Chinatown site attracting long queues and its products becoming a hit on Instagram.
Last year the company announced that it intended to roll out across the UK and internationally in high-footfall locations as part of an ‘aggressive’ expansion plan.
“The future of Bubblewrap is exciting and I’m incredibly proud to announce the beginning of our expansion model through this partnership with our new franchisee,” says Fang.
“Our brand is unique and we are proud to position ourselves as a branded fast-food product – by using fresh, premium quality ingredients and waffles that are cooked to order. This is a growing market with fantastic opportunities and growth market potential.
“Since 2015, we’ve worked hard to establish the Bubblewrap® brand in the UK. Opening in London’s destination hotspots has enabled us to bring our unique desserts to a wide-ranging global audience and open up our channels to driven and passionate operators who are keen to replicate our success in other areas of the world.”
Fang started Bubblewrap as a university project at Imperial College in 2015 designed to put a creative spin on the traditional Hong Kong street food snack.
Source: Big Hospitality


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The ongoing festive season in the country has brought an excitement to the automobile industry, which it has been waiting for for a long time. The festive season witnessed strong demand, leading to a 92 per cent year-on-year growth in the wholesale sales of passenger vehicles in September this year. Not only this, there has been an increase of 122.2 percent in the sales of cars on a year-on-year basis in September. Automakers are now offering huge discounts on many of their models to entice buyers to buy new cars during festivals. Almost every carmaker is offering discounts on their models in October. If you are planning to buy a new car this festive season, then we are telling you about 5 such small cars that are getting benefits of more than Rs 30,000.
French auto giant Renault is offering huge discounts on its small car. The carmaker is offering discounts of up to Rs 35,000 on its entry-level car Kwid. Under the company’s offer, a cash discount of Rs 10,000, exchange bonus of up to Rs 15,000 is being given. Apart from this, corporate benefits worth Rs 10,000 are available on select variants.
Maruti Alto K10
The only model launched this year that has been included in the festive discount is the new generation Alto K10 (Alto K10) model. Launched barely a few months back, Maruti Suzuki is offering discounts of up to Rs 39,000 on this hatchback car. The offers include a cash discount of Rs 20,000, exchange bonus of Rs 15,000 and a corporate discount of Rs 4,000.
Maruti Suzuki is offering benefits of up to Rs 40,000 on the popular hatchback car WagonR with tallboy boxy look. Apart from a cash discount of Rs 20,000, Maruti is offering an exchange bonus of Rs 15,000 and a corporate discount of Rs 5,000 for those looking to buy the WagonR this month.
Maruti Suzuki is offering bumper discounts on its popular hatchback car Swift. Under the company’s offer, Maruti Swift is getting a discount of up to Rs 50,000 on buying this month. This includes a cash discount of Rs 30,000, an exchange bonus of Rs 15,000 and a corporate discount of Rs 5,000. The company is soon going to launch a facelift version of the Swift.


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Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2020 Show: All-Access with Loïc Prigent
Published – 11/26/2019 8:28 pm
Given exclusive access to Louis Vuitton’s Spring-Summer 2020 Fashion Show, Loïc Prigent documents the moments just before, during, and after Nicolas Ghesquière’s runway presentation at the Louvre in Paris.
Special guests shared their first-hand impressions including Emma Chamberlain, Indya Moore, ITZY, Jennifer Connelly, Laura Harrier, Zhong Chuxi, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ruth Negga, and Cody Fern. See more from the fashion show at //on.louisvuitton.com/60561EOj8


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PORT EVERGLADES, Florida. – Princess Cruises newest cruise ship, Enchanted Princess, sailed from its home port of Port Everglades Thursday morning as crew members prepare for guest voyages in November.
“This is the third new ship to arrive in the last few months, starting with the Apex, then the Odyssey of the Seas and, of course, the Enchanted Princess today,” said Jonathan Daniels, director. general and port manager of Port Everglades.
According to a press release from Port Everglades, Enchanted Princess was delivered to Princess Cruises from a shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, almost a year ago.
The first passenger cruise is scheduled for Nov. 10 from the ship’s winter home port in Port Everglades.
The 145,000-ton enchanted princess can accommodate 3,660 guests.
The Enchanted Princess now expands Princess Cruises’ global fleet of MedallionClass vessels and a portable “OceanMedallion” device will help make passenger vacations easier, “by providing highly personalized service and enabling interactive, touchless experiences and entertainment. The press release said.
Passengers will also be able to take advantage of ‘expedited boarding; delivery of food, beverage, retail and on-demand services; keyless cabin entry; contactless payment; friend and family locator; anywhere to bet; interactive games; and live movies / TV on the go.
The ship has over 25 bars and restaurants to provide plenty of options for eating and drinking.
Passionate cruisers Jeffery and Donna Grosky came to port on Thursday to get their first glimpse of the new ship, which they will sail on at the end of November.
The Groskys have been on 42 cruises in total, of which around 22 are with Princess Cruises.
“We are just delighted to be back on cruise,” said Donna Grosky.
“It’s been a long time,” added Jeffery Grosky.
The cruise industry has been among the hardest hit during the coronavirus pandemic.
“It has been a long process. No one thought we would be here 18 months after it all started with the pandemic in March 2020, ”Daniels said.
But signs of a rebound are on the horizon with the arrival of new ships in ports and more and more ships setting to sea.
“The way the industry has handled it and the lines have handled it has been absolutely fantastic, putting their contingency plans in place, while continuing to build these huge assets,” Daniels said.
Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.


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OATA’s seven YouTube videos designed to give helpful advice to aspiring fish keepers have now been viewed more than 600,000 times in total.
The most popular video – with more than half a million views – is the Setting up a Goldfish Aquarium while second most popular is Keeping Goldfish Successfully with nearly 31,000 views.
To help spread the word OATA has now added all seven videos to its Facebook page to help retailers and hobbyists find them easily.
“We wanted to help our members to promote the hobby of fishkeeping so we produced these seven videos two years ago to give advice on how to keep fish successfully and set up aquaria,” explained OATA Chief Executive Keith Davenport.
“It’s very pleasing that between them the videos are getting about 1,000 hits a day which I think goes to show how popular fishkeeping, particularly it would seem keeping goldfish. Hosting them on our YouTube channel means people can search and find them and it also means our members can use them on their own websites as a useful resource for their customers.
“But to help keeping spreading the word to new people who might not know they exist we’ve now also added the videos to the OATA Facebook page as another way to reach people.”
The seven videos are:
- Learning how to keep pet fish
- Keeping tropical freshwater fish successfully
- Setting up a tropical freshwater aquarium
- Keeping marine fish successfully
- Setting up a marine fish aquarium
- Keeping goldfish successfully
- Setting up a goldfish aquarium


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Altek released its first-generation depth chip, the AL3200, in 2016 and shipped millions of units into smartphones and portable devices.
The AL6100 depth chip comes with an infrared light to support a range of applications such as smartphone, surveillance, autonomous vehicle, smart home assistant, drone, sweeping robot. The company did not provide information about the image resolution or depth range or resolution.
But it said it can demonstrate the AL6100 in use as a surveillance camera alongside deep learning technology focusing on human recognition under various environments and lighting conditions. For virtual and augmented reality applications, the real-time depth information provided by AL6100 provides a more accurate perception of its surrounding environment and the posture and gesture of people in proximity, the company said.
Related links and articles:


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For the past 20 years Alcatel has been bringing innovation and quality in mobile technology to people across the world with simple and accessible devices focused on enabling users to do more. Alcatel ONE TOUCH phones are designed around real peoples’ lifestyles and the usage and technology they need. This is perfectly encapsulated in the company mission and statement for 2013, “It’s all about you!”.
And 2013 has been a very busy year for Alcatel ONE TOUCH so far, with 13 new smartphones announced at CES and MWC and currently launching in markets around the world, the launch of the world’s slimmest smartphone and a new partnership with Marvel to be the exclusive smartphone partner for “Iron Man 3“.
The partnership marks Alcatel ONE TOUCH’s first alliance with Marvel, and showcases the brand’s commitment to the launch of its rapidly growing smartphone portfolio across the globe in its 20th anniversary. Alcatel ONE TOUCH is the 7th largest global handset manufacturer, ahead of RIM, Motorola and HTC, with a solid market position in North America and Western Europe.
With the 20th year anniversary, the launch of the new wave of smartphones, the partnership with Marvel and The ONE TOUCH IDOL ULTRA being officially declared the world’s slimmest smartphone and making the “Best of CES” lists, 2013 promises to be a great year for Alcatel ONE TOUCH.
For more information, visit their website.
Follow us on Telegram for more updates and breaking news: https://t.me/hypemsia


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BOCA RATON — The 105-acre custom estate community of Glen Oaks -- being developed by Radice Properties, Inc., a subsidiary of Fort Lauderdale-headquartered Radice Corporation -- is buzzing with activity these days.
More than one-third of the homes planned for the community, totaling around $22 million, are either built or under construction. At the same time, new models are being readied for a late fall opening, and the developer is working out plans with the city for a five-acre park, on which construction soon will begin.
Julie Fisher, senior director of sales and marketing for Radice, said that $15.5 million in sales has been posted in the nine months since the $60 million single-family home development opened its models.
Glen Oaks, on the east side of Powerline (Jog) Road just south of Yamato Road, will have 232 residences when completed.
Eight homes, priced from $252,800, comprise the existing model row at Glen Oaks, Ms. Fisher pointed out.
The Radice executive noted that new models will ``probably be introduced late in the fall of this year.`` They will contain from 2,800 to 3,100 square feet of space, and are intended to offer more versatility in design.``
``The new models will be on a par with the homes we are offering in Glen Oaks at this time,`` Fisher emphasized. ``In fact, there will be a number of improvements in the new homes. In addition, we`re increasing the minimum square footage allowed from 2,200 to 2,500.``
She added that ``we will be continuing with many of the same builders currently active in Glen Oaks.``
Builders presently represented on model row include Tuscan-Frankel, Inc., Showcase Homes, Inc., Ellish Builders, Inc., Alan Bush Development, Inc., Radice Homes, Inc., Jennings Construction Corp. of Boca, Michael Cimorelli, Inc., and Lewis & Associates Development Corp.
So far, approximately 30 homes have been occupied in the community.


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Ten years later, Waukesha's largest shopping center, The Shoppes at Fox River, is booming
WAUKESHA - The scene along Sunset Drive just over a decade ago garnered little attention from anyone, let alone trendy shoppers.
On the north side of the road between Sentry and Oakdale drives lay an old vacant warehouse, once the home of Sentry-parent Godfrey Co., a Waukesha-based food distributor, which was bought out in 1987 by Flemings Cos., which supplied a generation of local supermarkets before its acquisition by grocery wholesaler Supervalu Inc. in 2003.
By 2008, the sizable parking lot was overgrown with weeds that pushed their way through cracks in the blacktop and served as the foreground to an immense old grey blue building. The weeds were the only colorful part of the scene.
Supervalu, which had purchased Flemings' warehouses in Waukesha and La Crosse, wasn't interested in using the old warehouse for its wholesale operations.
But there was someone interested in the land beneath it, and not for its incumbent industrial nature. Within its vision, The Opus Group pictured an eventual sprawling campus of retail stores and restaurants far larger than Waukesha was accustomed to at that time.
Today, most people don't need to do a Google search to pinpoint the Shoppes at Fox River, a 467,000-square-foot property that this year has added three more high-profile tenants to its mix: Old Navy, Skechers and Bath & Body Work. Two more, Tuesday Morning and Torrid, are on the way.
The shopping center, which initiated its third phase of construction in 2016, is again nearly fully leased, anchored by three big-box companies: Target, Hobby Lobby and Pick ’n Save.
It's perhaps stating the obvious to say The Shoppes at Fox River has been a success, given the multi-phase growth and the few vacancies as the center enters its 10th year in operation.
A quick count shows that, with its latest announced tenants, the 45-store property now has only four vacancies, including two in the newest additions that haven't been previously occupied. Vacancies caused by departures — most notably Rue 21, Famous Footwear and Batteries Plus, have been quickly filled, usually within a year.
But there are other measures to support the visual evidence of success.
From the city of Waukesha's standpoint, it has to do with the performance of the tax incremental financing district that Opus sought as an incentive to take on a major development.
"We see the Shoppes at Fox River as a great success," said Jennifer Andrews, the city's community development director. "The development transformed a vacant distribution center with a value of $7.3 million to a vibrant neighborhood shopping area serving the southwest side of the city with a $60 million value."
In fact, the increase in property values has fed the TIF district so well that the initial debt — used primarily for infrastructure work and environmental cleanup on the land beneath the Shoppes — could be paid off as soon as 2019, eight years earlier than anticipated, according to information from various city sources.
Based on the TIF district performance, city officials are also hoping to use the estimated $1.7 million in revenue — that is, property taxes generated from improvements above the taxes it generated beforehand — to extend the district's boundaries to fund further improvements for its Mindiola Park athletic complex further to the east off Sunset Drive. (That proposal must first be approved by a joint board made up of officials from the other tax jurisdictions who stand to benefit from the full release of tax dollars generated within the TIF district.)
But for Andrews, the measure of success is more than simply about the city's financial investment in the development.
She noted other aspects that make it a "quality" development — its willingness to support public art displays, its support of the idea of connecting the center to public bike trails nearby, and its pleasing aesthetics throughout the development.
"The project has exceeded the city’s expectations in terms of value, success and design," Andrews said, noting how the Shoppes at Fox River draws in patrons, especially on the southwest side of the city and beyond.
More than expected
It also has exceeded what Larry Nelson envisioned.
Nelson, now a Waukesha County Board supervisor who served as Waukesha's mayor when the Shoppes at Fox River was first proposed and when its first stores opened in 2009, couldn't be happier, especially given what the neighborhood looked like before it all began.
"If you have been around that long, you can remember how the Flemings site was just a vacant lot forever," Nelson said, recalling how the industrial-zoned site briefly appeared it might be repurposed by Generac Power Systems before Opus stepped in with a better offer to Supervalu.
He noted that the weeds have been replaced by a center filled with green space and trees to soften the massive commercial expanse.
Nelson believes the support offered both by him and Waukesha Common Council aldermen were critical in several phases of retail development, including the Shoppes at Fox River in 2009 and the new Walmart supercenter store off West Avenue and Highway 59 in 2008, along an area of the city that needed it. And that does not include the nearby mall where Kohl's opened on St. Paul Avenue
"When I became mayor in 2006, the one real vital shopping center (in Waukesha) was near I-94, where the original Target is," Nelson said. "I felt that area should remain strong, ... but I felt the south side of the city was really under served with retail."
The city got what it wanted, and then some.
"The success of the Shoppes at Fox River have exceeded my high expectations for it, because when the first phase was completed (in 2009) it already was the largest shopping center in Waukesha history," he said. "And now with the additional phases, it's (much larger)."
Such successes, he said, likely caught the attention of other developers and retailers. Nelson credits the Shoppes, in part, for drawing Meijer to Waukesha's Sunset Drive location to the east when it began shopping for prime locations in southeast Wisconsin.
The Shoppes at Fox River's success comes at a time when malls — that is, the enclosed shopping centers that for a while seemed like the only way to shop after they were introduced more than 60 years ago — are struggling.
The Shoppes' nearest enclosed competitor, Brookfield Square, has seen two of its three anchor tenants disappear — one permanently, given the redevelopment of the Sears store into an entertainment and dining complex.
While the smaller retail stores that fill Brookfield Square have largely kept the mall from a definite downward spiral, the tenant mix has changed. Some of those retailers have simply gone out of business. Others have changed their focus.
For some, that focus shifted to Waukesha's largest shopping center.
Among the retailers previously identified almost exclusively with enclosed malls are Old Navy and Bath & Body Works, both of which opened this year at the Shoppes at Fox River.
Skechers, another store seen often, though not exclusively, at enclosed malls, also joined the Shoppes' mix, joining Old Navy in the center's third-phase addition off Chapman Drive.
One manager at those stores, who spoke anonymously, stated her viewpoint succinctly: "Malls are dying," she said.
Her view was shared by at least one California shopping center developer, Rick Caruso. According to Michael Baker, the principal of Baker Consulting, Caruso reportedly told a gathering at National Retail Federation's annual convention in 2015 that "within 10 to 15 years, the typical U.S. mall, unless completely reinvented, will be seen as a historical anachronism, a 60 year or so aberration that no longer meets the public’s, the consumer’s or the retailer’s needs."
But others see the shift as part of the fine tuning of retail in an era when Amazon.com and online venues prompt new strategies.
"I think that shoppers are looking for a unique and authentic experience if they shop in person versus online — an experience that is similar to what you have in a downtown shopping district like downtown Waukesha," Andrews said, from her standpoint dealing with community development initiatives. "Open malls seek to create this overall shopping experience with natural amenities, dining, entertainment and diverse retail products.
"Enclosed malls are now also more focused on the overall shopper experience as well," she added. "You can see this with mall renovations where they are adding entertainment venues, outdoor dining and natural areas."
The new tenants at the Shoppes point to that evolution and purpose, Andrews said.
"I think the new tenants add to the healthy mix of products, services and price points in the center," she said.
Nelson also thinks outdoor malls offer an advantage — at least if they are designed for convenience as the Shoppes at Fox River have been.
"I think people like it where there is adequate parking, and even in bad weather it's not far to run inside," he said. "It is the largest shopping center in the city, but it is easy to navigate around."
But is it a trend that open-air shopping centers expected to continue? Difficult to say.
The current owner/developer of the Shoppes at Fox River, Ramco Properties, declined to comment on that topic and refused repeated attempts via email and phone messages to comment on the center in general.
Regardless, the impact on the shopping center has had on Waukesha is obvious, Nelson said, especially when combined with other retail advancements, such as the addition of Walmart and Menards in the city.
"I think the Waukesha of 2018 is a much more vibrant place to live than it was in 1976, when I moved here for a teaching job," Nelson said. "It was pretty dead at that point. ... I'm happy to say the renaissance of Waukesha is continuing."


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Microsoft announced that it is working with TV manufacturers to allow the Xbox app to work on TVs on its own, without the need for a console. Using its xCloud technology, Microsoft is bringing the Xbox Game Pass service to gamers who don’t have a PC or console nearby or don’t even own.
Microsoft is working with TV manufacturers around the world to allow Internet-connected TVs to stream games from the Xbox app. Smart TVs will only require a controller or a gamepad to play the 100+ games that can be found on Xbox Game Pass.
Microsoft also announced that it is currently working on an Xbox app plug-in, like a streaming stick, for TVs that don’t have Smart TV infrastructure. That means players won’t have to upgrade their TVs or own a console to access Xbox games.
Little is known about when Microsoft will roll out its Xbox app to smart TVs or when it will release plug-ins for older TVs. Xbox director Phil Spencer has hinted at both of these new means of Xbox gaming in 2020, and we’re only seeing confirmation now. There is currently no release window or set price.
Xbox has stated that their E3 presentation will mainly focus on upcoming games so it is unlikely that we will hear new information about Xbox TV integration. While this is a whole new avenue for Xbox and your living room gaming in general, Xbox remains committed to creating future consoles.


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Johannesburg – An above inflation tariff increase for Eskom would add strain to an already struggling South African economy, said Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) chief executive Tanya Cohen.
According to a statement issued on Friday, BUSA believes such a hike without considering the impact on the economy and addressing the appropriateness of Eskom’s business model would not be justifiable nor sustainable.
Speaking this week at the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (NERSA) public hearings on the feasibility of the tariff hike, Cohen said: “The proposed tariff increase is not acceptable on a number of grounds including the immediate impact thereof on the economy and consumers and the longer-term impact on the financial stability of Eskom.”
BUSA believes the increase should not be higher than inflation and any hike should be on the basis that poor governance and corruption within Eskom is addressed.
“Nersa has the responsibility to ensure that any licensee operates in a manner that is free from corruption and in line with sound principles of good governance.
“A credible board and good governance needs to be restored to Eskom as a precondition for any tariff increase,” the statement read.
BUSA wants tariff applications to be for longer than a year as this will provide greater certainty to the public and the economy.
Earlier this week Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba, who was speaking at a business breakfast in Durban, said that Eskom’s 19.9% electricity tariff hike for 2018/19 is unjustified.
“To ask South Africans to pay more … when the economy is subdued and the mid-term outlook is as subdued as it is and we have the types of financial and leadership challenges that Eskom is now experiencing, I think that will serve as a perverse incentive,” he said. “We’ve got to be careful what we do.”
Gigaba also called on the power utility to stabilise its finances and improve its governance.
The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry which also made a presentation at the Nersa public hearings said that the new increases would result in an average selling price of R1.07 a unit. According to the chamber, this means that Eskom tariffs have increased nearly fivefold in 10 years.
“The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry believes it would be counter-productive to approve Eskom’s application for a 19.9% increase in its electricity tariffs and a 27.3% increase in tariffs to municipalities. To grant these huge tariff increases would simply accelerate the pace of the utility’s death spiral,” said Sid Peimer, executive director of the chamber.
Peimer proposed that Eskom focus on cutting expenses, even if it leads to job losses, Fin24 reported.
“Cutting costs is always painful, but it serves a purpose. There comes a time when medicine must be swallowed, no matter how bad it tastes,” he said.
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The 10 states suffering the largest net losses between 2001 and 2010 were:
- California (454,600 jobs),
- Texas (232,800),
- New York (161,400),
- Illinois (118,200),
- Florida (114,400),
- North Carolina (107,800),
- Pennsylvania (106,900),
- Ohio (103,500),
- Massachusetts (88,600) and
- Georgia (87,700).
Industrial sectors hit hardest in the past 10 years due to the trade deficit include:
- apparel and accessories (178,700 jobs),
- textile fabrics and products (92,300),
- fabricated metal products (123,900),
- plastic and rubber products (62,000),
- motor vehicles and parts (49,300), and
- miscellaneous manufactured goods (119,700).
China's share of the total U.S. non-oil goods trade deficit soared from 69.6 percent in 2008 to 78.3 percent in 2010, stated the report, due to China's "currency manipulation, state-owned enterprises, heavy industrial subsidies, intellectual property theft and piracy, indigenous innovation policies, rare earth mineral export restrictions and other trade-distorting practices."
Scott Paul, executive director of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) , said the report offers "conclusive evidence that immediate action by the Administration is needed to curb China's currency manipulation which, along with China's blatant trade violations, are having the same devastating impact on high-tech production that they've already had on the nation's longstanding industrial base." AAM is a partnership of America's leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers union.
Written by Robert Scott, EPI's Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Research, the study cited illegal currency manipulation as a major reason behind the trade deficit. (Unlike other currencies, the Chinese yuan does not fluctuate freely against the dollar, but is artificially pegged in order to boost China's exports.) "Unless China raises the real value of the yuan by at least 28.5 percent and eliminates other trade distortions," the report concluded, "the U.S. trade deficit and job losses will continue to grow rapidly."
"Global trade in advanced technology products-often discussed as a source of comparative advantage for the United States-is instead dominated by China," the study concluded.


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(Sept. 18, 2020) – The White House released an executive order Sept. 13 aimed at high drug prices. The executive order directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' secretary to immediately take steps to conduct rulemaking on a model that would test limiting Medicare payments for Part B drugs to no more than a "most-favored-nation" price, similar to the International Pricing Index model that CMS had proposed in late 2018. The executive order also directs the HHS secretary to develop and implement rulemaking on a payment model that would limit payments to a most-favored-nation price for Part D drugs with "insufficient competition." This proposed pricing approach is different than that in the IPI model in that the most-favored-nation price is defined as the lowest price, adjusted for volume and gross domestic product differences, among all Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries that have comparable per-capita GDPs.
KHA is monitoring the impact of the EO on the 340B program and will continue to advocate to protect the intent of the 340B program on behalf of our members and the communities they serve.


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(Yicai Global) Feb. 9 -- Xiaomi intends to compete with Apple in China’s high-end smartphone market and become the country’s No. 1 seller in the segment within three years, according to founder Lei Jun.
To capture the top spot, China’s biggest handset maker will benchmark its products and experience against the iPhone, Lei, who is also chief executive, said via Weibo yesterday. The Beijing-based company also set up a working group yesterday to oversee its game plan.
Xiaomi faces stiff competition from Apple. The US tech giant’s share of the Chinese market soared to an all-time high of 20.6 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, while Xiaomi ranked fifth with 15.8 percent, according to market research firms IDC and Counterpoint.
At the end of December, Lei told reporters that Xiaomi planned to double spending on research and development to CNY100 billion (USD15.7 billion) over the coming five years to vie with Apple for the global top spot within three years.
The iPhone had a 22 percent global market share in the fourth quarter of 2021, followed by Samsung and Xiaomi with 20 percent and 12 percent, according to market researcher Canalys.
Editor: Futura Costaglione


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CLEVELAND -- Some northeast Ohio homes may have a new leather couch that is making people sick.
Consumer Reports magazine is reporting about a skin rash in Great Britain inked to leather couches from China.
Investigators think a dye or preservative in the leather is causing a reaction.
No official complaints yet in the U.S., but Consumer Reports said many leather couches now come from China.
Copyright 2009 by NewsNet5. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Chickens don't exactly have nuggets, so how does McDonald's make its popular McNuggets?
In a new video, McDonald's Canada showed viewers how the sausage -- er, nuggets -- is made.
The segment is part of a campaign that aims to combat attacks on McDonald's food and policies. Earlier videos from the fast-food giant show the company making a burger look delicious in advertisements and constructing a Big Mac from scratch. The chain also posted answers to questions posed on its website, including "Do you use red slime in your meat?" and "How do you afford to sell your food so cheap?"
The latest video takes viewers into an Ontario Cargill plant that produces the nuggets to answer a question from an Alberta, Canada, man who wondered: "What are legitimately in chicken mcnuggets?"
Well, chicken for one. Workers started with whole chicken, which is cut up and the breast meat is set aside to make the nuggets. (It's not clear what happens to other cuts of chicken.)
The next step involves taking a load of chicken breast meat and putting the batch into a grinder along with some seasonings and chicken skin for flavor.
The ground chicken meat is then cut into four distinct shapes: ball, bell, bow tie and boot. (Who knew there were these four shapes?) The pieces, moving along on a conveyor belt, are then covered twice with batter and partially fried.
The nuggets, frozen and packed, are fully cooked at restaurants. Check out the video below:


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Google, for the first time, has offered daily deals via Google Offers, on its website home page, even as Facebook has decided to depart from the daily deals business.
Google Offers, which was launched in several US cities a while back, allows users to get daily deals from businesses and service providers in and around their area. The company hopes to emulate the same success Groupon has had in the daily deals market.
According to Reuters (opens in new tab), on Wednesday, the company placed a daily deals offering on its web page, indicating that Google will use the might of its search engine to promote its service.
The deal, which was placed at the bottom of the Google Search home page, allowed users to purchase $25 tickets for New York's American Museum of Natural History at a discounted price of $5.
Google, like Groupon, hopes to rake in advertising revenue from local businesses like eating joints, pubs and retailers, by promoting their business via discounts.
"We occasionally include a link on the Google homepage that points users to important information, whether it be about a relevant cause, a new product or an offer," a Google spokesperson told Reuters.
With Google receiving million of search hits on any given day, Google Offers is definitely going to get some chunk out of that and might become one of the fierce competitors of Groupon.


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The 130th update for The Sims 4 was released on May 27th, 2022. It updated the game to version 220.127.116.110 for PC, and version 18.104.22.1680 for macOS. Console versions of The Sims 4 were not updated.
We discovered an issue in the Base Game update that was released earlier this week that has caused some players to experience crashes on Windows and macOS only. This update resolves the issue. Happy simming!
– The Sims Team
The Sims 4
- An issue that caused some players to experience crashes has been resolved.


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Video streaming service Socialive debuts a new offering letting brands stream live video to their own sites, as well as their social channels.
Knowing where consumers want to watch brand videos and what they want to see is half the battle. An Animoto survey offers stats.
No machine check by itself is going to flag every video with unsafe content. That’s why Fullscreen Shield adds a manual review.
And it’s not stopping! While Facebook takes a massive piece of the video advertising pie, it will expand with double-digit growth.
Thanks to a partnership between ListenFirst and Twitter, marketers can compare Twitter video performance against industry benchmarks.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to online video advertising. In these 3 tips, Facebook helps match advertisements with the viewer’s mindset.
Creating effective mobile video ads isn’t a hassle with Facebook’s latest service, which lets even brands with no videos get in the game.


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SILVER SPRING, MD – February 9, 2016 – It’s corporate recess for adults. And, it pays many ‘dividends.’ That’s the philosophy of a Canadian company that is just as committed to its employees’ physical fitness as it is to producing and selling its product.
Twice a day, the 85 employees of the John Brooks Company in Mississauga, Ontario have 15-minute fitness breaks: at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. During these breaks, many employees go outside for a brisk walk, some go for a run, others walk up and down the indoor stairwells, and a few do calisthenics and stretch. This has been the company policy for four years. The company also subsidizes health club memberships for its employees. The results of the employee fitness breaks are stunning. As a result of this focus on fitness, there’s less absenteeism at work, better employee morale, and no increase on money spent on health care claims in four years.
Another big benefit to employee fitness is financial: the John Brooks Company’s bottom line. A Benefits Canada study states that companies are reporting a savings that range from $2 to nearly $7 per person for every dollar invested in workplace wellness.
“We see the benefits every day,” company president Gord Bell told the Mississauga News. “Healthy employees are happy productive employees - and we can have fun doing it.”
“Companies in the U.S. would be well-served to implement an employee fitness policy which is similar to that of the John Brooks Company,” says Mike May, director of communications, PHIT America. “The benefits are real and tangible.”
“Exercising regularly -- three or more times per week -- will, on average, raise weekly earnings nearly 7 percent for men and 12 percent for women,” says Vasilios Kosteas, a Cleveland State University economics professor.
A recent Mashable story outlined the efforts of seven companies – Fitbit, Houston Methodist, Google, Motley Fool, Earth Friendly Products, Zappos, and Draper, Inc. – which are focused on creating a culture in the workplace which is fitness-focused.
At Las Vegas, Nevada-based Zappos, the company is fully committed to employee wellness and fitness. According to Kelly Maher, the wellness coordinator at Zappos, if an employee wants to compete in a road race (5K, 10K, triathlon, half marathon, etc.), then Zappos will reimburse that employee for the registration fee. There’s also a gym located at the office which employees have complimentary access to 24 hours a day. The company also fully endorses Recess Tuesday, where employees are encouraged to get up from their desks, mingle with other company employees in the company plaza, and play volleyball, basketball, or play some tetherball. According to Maher, this helps open up communication lines with other people in the company. It’s worth noting that Recess Tuesday is now happening every day. And, once a quarter, the company pays for wellness adventures where a small group of employees from different departments will go for daylong excursions/trips, which encourages stronger lines of communication and efficiency in the office.
Not surprisingly, Under Armour is one company that encourages its employees to practice what it preaches. The Baltimore, Maryland-based company has its own gym on site, aptly named the Under Armour Performance Center, a 10,000-square-foot fitness facility. Employee memberships to the Performance Center are subsidized by Under Armour. The general public is allowed to join the gym, too, but, there is a waiting list. Also, just outside the company headquarters, there’s a mock football field which is decorated with the Under Armour logo. This outdoor fitness venue is often utilized just before the work day and immediately after the work day.
Another sports company, Baden Sports (Renton, WA), is aware of the importance of fitness in the workplace as its employees are encouraged to take walks during their lunch hour on a nearby public trail.
And, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (Silver Spring, MD) provides its employees with a monthly subsidy to pay for their employees’ health club/gym memberships.
“My daily midday fitness sessions help recharge my batteries and propel me through the afternoon,” says Kathy Mejasich, SFIA’s vice president of strategy and operations. “My fitness sessions make me sharper in the office and more efficient.”


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Shakopee, Minn., to hear Emerson Electric tax abatement request
- Staff St. Louis Business Journal
The city is trying to land a new 500-employee Emerson factory at an industrial site that has an unfinished building that was built for — but never occupied by — ADC Telecommunications Inc., the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports.
If approved, the abatement would be part of a $6 million economic development package for Emerson (NYSE: EMR) that's being put together by the city, Scott County and the state of Minnesota. The City Council's agenda includes more details on the incentive package.
The abatement would be worth a combined $590,000 and only abate taxes on the increased value of the property after Emerson is up and running.
VICE PRESIDENT – COMMERCIAL LENDING First National Bank & Trust Company | Wichita, KS
Consumer Lending Compliance Officer MOHELA | Chesterfield, MO
Executive Director Boonslick Regional Planning Commission | Warrenton, MO
Purchasing Manager Drury Hotels | Saint Louis, MO
Business Analyst II Centene | Chesterfield, MO
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A look at the day's business stories from media outlets around St. Louis


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A new report breaks through the veil of secrecy that Amazon tends to keep around the the viewer and subscriber numbers for its Amazon Prime video service. Reuters examined company documents that the news service says reveal “for the first time how the retailer’s bet on original video is paying off.”
The documents “show that Amazon’s U.S. audience for all video programming on Prime, including films and TV shows it licenses from other companies, was about 26 million customers. Amazon has never released figures for its total audience,” Reuters reports.
“The internal documents compare metrics that have never been reported for 19 shows exclusive to Amazon: their cost, their viewership and the number of people they helped lure to Prime. Known as Prime Originals, the shows account for as much as a quarter of what analysts estimate to be total Prime sign-ups from late 2014 to early 2017, the period covered by the documents,” Reuters reports.
The story reports that Amazon’s top TV shows drew more than 5 million people worlwide to Prime by early 2017.
MediaPost adds: “Prime Video is available to all Amazon Prime subscribers, or as a standalone offering for $8.99 per month. The company doesn’t reveal how many Prime subscribers it has, but Wall Street estimates range from 70 million to 90 million. With 26 million people watching videos through the service, that means there are tens of millions more people with access to the library of videos that aren’t yet watching.”
MediaPost notes that the numbers make Amazon “one of the largest streaming video services in the world, behind only YouTube and Netflix.”
“For comparison, Netflix has more than 118 million global subscribers, while Hulu has more than 17 million subscribers,” MediaPost adds. “CBS All Access has more than two million subscribers. YouTube has two subscription offerings, but most of its viewership comes from its free video offerings. YouTube has said it has more than 1.5 billion unique worldwide viewers each month.”


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Agencies like the Federal Trade Commission have started to crack down on celebrity endorsements on networks like Instagram and YouTube. But have you ever wondered how much your average celebrity gets paid for a post? Not Kim Kardashian West or Kanye West. We know they can make millions from endorsements. But just your average, run-of-the-mill celeb or internet-famous “influencer” with a few million followers? They still make tens of thousands of dollars.
The New York Times has a new article about the FTC’s efforts to get celebrities to more clearly define ads. Kim K and others have gotten into hot water with agencies like the FDA for being misleading, and the FTC has not been too happy with the opaque nature of celebrity endorsements on social media.
But the most fascinating part of the article might be about precisely how much celebrities can rake in from social media posts.
Captiv8, a company that connects brands to influencers, says someone with three million to seven million followers can charge, on average, $187,500 for a post on YouTube, $75,000 for a post on Instagram or Snapchat and $30,000 for a post on Twitter. For influencers with 50,000 to 500,000 followers, the average is $2,500 for YouTube, $1,000 for Instagram or Snapchat and $400 for Twitter.
The FTC doesn’t have any problem with celebrities making money by selling ads on their social media accounts, but they’d like consumers to know when a given post has been bought and paid for—especially when so much money is changing hands.
And if you have three million Instagram followers and aren’t monetizing that audience, what are you doing? There’s $75,000 with your name on it if you’ll just act like Kim Kardashian and pretend to eat a “Chewy Hair Vitamin,” whatever that is.
Kardashian, with over 81 million Instagram followers, certainly got paid a lot more than that.


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Digital Marketing, Our News
Debunking Six Common Apprenticeship Myths
First Internets very own digital marketing apprentice Olivia speaks about her apprenticeship journey!
16th June, 2023
The much-maligned social network Google+ has had a lukewarm reception in the online marketing community ever since its launch.
Following a flurry of early-adopter sign-ups by those in the marketing industry itself, many people’s profiles have been left scarce of activity, leading some to abandon the network completely.
However, an Econsultancy report reveals why it is still worth incorporating Google+ into your overall online marketing mix – and why it might be wisest to put your profile in the hands of a search marketing agency.
In the Econsultancy UK Search Engine Marketing Benchmark Report 2013, client-side marketers and SEM agencies were asked for their views of how Google+ has affected their search campaigns.
Just 6% of client-side marketers reported a positive impact – and 1% claimed they have seen a negative impact, while a massive 63% simply did not know.
Among SEM agencies, just 28% were unsure of Google+’s effect; 0% reported a negative impact; 51% reported no change; and 20% cited a positive overall effect.
The platform is still finding its feet; however, with no negative impact for Google+ campaigns carried out by SEM agencies, it is worth incorporating it into your online marketing mix for the potential positive effects, raised clickthrough rates and increased search visibility offered by innovations like Authorship markup.
29th July, 2013


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Business lunches are making a comeback in major cities as pandemic restrictions ease and employees return to the office. According to data from OpenTable, the number of lunchtime dinners in New York City has increased steadily between January and April 2022. While March saw a dip in the number of eating and drinking establishments, cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, and Philadelphia are also reporting a surge in the number of restaurants. OpenTable CEO, Debbie Hsu, said that the rise of hybrid work and returning to offices are key factors in the resurgence of business-related lunches.
The report also found that demand for in-person dining is increasing, recovering from the slowdown reported in the first half of the pandemic. Despite economic headwinds, people continue to prioritize dining out, with a rise in reservations being made at least six days in advance. The resurgence of business lunches is especially good news for cities like New York, which saw a forecasted loss of $12 billion a year due to remote working employees.
However, the rise in dining out is also creating economic headwinds for restaurants. Many restaurants are experiencing staffing shortages due to the coronavirus outbreak. As a result, many restaurant owners are still forced to reduce days of operation or reduce hours to avoid overworking their teams.
While employees may be returning to corporate offices and business lunches are making a comeback, there are still challenges. An earlier report from PYMNTS noted a rise in remote work fraud, with 86% of businesses saying that it is affecting their fraud prevention efforts. With the use of AI and chatbots becoming more prevalent, businesses are struggling to prevent synthetic identities, phishing emails, and fake personas from damaging their operations.


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Apple’s data protection feature App Tracking Transparency, or ATT for short, is intended to ensure that users can determine for themselves whether their iPhone and iPad actions can be tracked across apps. To this end, the group has built in new software features that integrate an opt-in loop. There has been a lot of criticism of the function from the app providers and advertisers – they fear that they will lose income if there is no tracking. This seems to be the case, while one thing is benefiting: Apple itself. This is evident from analyzes carried out by advertising experts.
Tremendous search ads business in a short amount of time
As the Financial Times reported, Apple is said to have tripled the market share of its advertising business – in about the same period of time as ATT has existed. However, this has a lot to do with the fact that Apple is now fully relying on search ads in the App Store. When you enter search terms, sponsored results will appear there.
According to the mobile marketing specialist Branch, Apple is now responsible for almost 60 percent of all iPhone downloads via said advertising, while a year ago the group – albeit with less advertising – was still responsible for 17 percent of all installs. This, in turn, has a direct impact on in-app advertising from third-party providers who had previously generated no small part of their income from advertising for other programs.
Is Apple breaking the rules?
The “Apple Search Ads” are now Bundesliga, so branch expert Alex Bauer. Apple is said to generate around 5 billion US dollars from the advertising business this year, and in three years this sum could rise to 20 billion, according to the economic research firm Evercore ISI. Some of Apple’s search ads use personalization, even if Apple claims that this is always anonymized. Above all, there is criticism because it looks as if Apple takes itself out of ATT and the associated rules. No other advertising network is allowed to do something like this. Among other things, Apple delivers real-time data to advertisers.
The impact of ATT on app operators can be seen in the latest figures from the messaging service Snap. This just had to accept a three million dollar lower turnover, which the company justified with the introduction of ATT. Nevertheless, the company is still behind Apple and ATT, according to boss Evan Spiegel. Some business disruption is expected because the (ATT replacement) solutions currently “do not scale as expected”. Basically, however, Apple’s data protection policy is correct. Recently, however, there have been reports that ATT is actually not working as well as Apple had hoped.


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E-commerce is now commonplace. No longer does a local jeweler have to rely on their local market, they can now list their items on Amazon and EBay. The use and acceptance of online stores has not only increased market access, but also product lines due to being able to meet the different demands of the expanded marketplace.
The prevalence of new technologies are creating new opportunities for jewelers. The trend in plating new products such as smartphones, tablets, and other electronics has become commonplace outside of the upper class, giving jewelers a new pool of customers to attend to.
Within the US, there has been an increase in buying jewelry for no special occasion. In other parts of the world, cultures are breaking away from just consuming jewelry during religious or special occasions. 75% of women in India are constantly looking for new designs to infuse jewelry into their daily lives.
As new societies experience an increase in wealth, such as China, innovative creations are being formed from a new set of designers and pioneers. Since China consumes a large share of the jewelry market, places such as the World Gold Council and their K-Gold website have made significant efforts to help meet their tastes in design.
Testing gold the old-fashioned way with acid testing is not only messy and dangerous, but it is also a time consuming process. The AuRACLE Gold Tester's quick and accurate readings saves you the time to make more money.
Since the passing of the Dodd-Frank Act, there have been various resources for jewelers to help exercise their due-dilligence over their supply chain. JVC has developed a do-it yourself Supply Chain Assurance kit and the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition created a Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative.


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How Your Franchise Can Turn The Great Resignation Into The Great Recruitment
Why did 11.5 million workers quit their jobs during the months of April, May, and June 2021?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, it’s indicative of a cultural shift you may have been reading about lately: The Great Resignation.
The reasons for the mass exodus are quite diverse. Just consider a few of the variables from the past two years during the pandemic:
Economic upheaval, companies pivoting their strategies, firms going out of business, new buying habits emerging, more remote workforces, shortages of key commodities, unexpected disasters, reprioritization of what’s most important, people changing careers, employees are looking for greater fulfillment, and of course, entrepreneurs getting the itch to start something of their own.
No wonder people are resigning in droves. If you haven’t been paying attention to the data, here are a few highlights from the current research:
This data showed that one in three workers would not want to work for an employer that required them to be onsite full time.
According to this report, in addition to 54% of Generation Z workers, 41% of the entire global workforce could be considering handing in their resignation.
According to their research, employees between 30 and 45 years old have hd the greatest increase in resignation rates, with an average increase of mo
The Great Resignation is more than a clever soundbite, it’s an economic reality. With the threat of the pandemic decreasing, there is a looming war for talent.
And that’s a great thing for your franchise organization.
Selling Point #1: Flexibility Is On The Rise
Since the pandemic began, workers have realized that there is an opportunity to do something more interesting than their previous jobs, to have more flexibility, and to be their own boss.
And this work doesn’t have to replace whatever they’re currently doing. You can have your entrepreneurial cake and eat it too.
One of our franchisees at Perspire Sauna Studio still runs her psychotherapy practice while owning a local infrared sauna location with her husband. Before the pandemic, such a setup might have seemed impossible. But now that remote workers have optimized their routines, it’s a reality.
ACTION ITEM: If you want to sell more franchises to potential owners at this time in history, make sure you’re highlighting the schedule flexibility. Connect your franchise opportunity within their desire to have the freedom to explore and expand their skills while pursuing an interesting career. Also remind potential owners that becoming a franchisee gives them a chance to develop their own personal brand alongside the larger organization’s identity.
Selling Point #2: Control Is King
While people can’t control economic forces, public health and other large scale macro factors, they can wield greater control over our careers, incomes and our professional destiny. Now more than ever. There’s an opportunity to get behind the wheel of your work, in many cases quite literally.
Recently we launched a pilot program of our new webinar product. We kicked off our inaugural presentation this September with Mighty Dog Roofing, the hottest new home services brand run by founders that have had deep success in the space. We were overwhelmed at 200 interested people who registered to discover this brand. Clearly this industry raised the roof during the time of the pandemic, with people at home more, investing greater resources into taking care of their homes.
ACTION ITEM: Help your leads see that Sunday night blues are in short supply when you have control over your business like that. That’s beyond a perk, it’s a lifestyle. I’m reminded of the quarterly survey by Vistaprint which showed that the vast majority of micro business owners are optimistic about running their own businesses, with 78 percent reporting that they are either happy or very happy. Don’t just sell your brand, sell the control it gives people.
In short, this economic trend might not be great for all the companies losing their employees, but if you’re a franchisor looking to sign up new owners, this is the time to capitalize.
Use these selling points and resources to augment your messaging, sales conversations and Discovery Days so that they’re speaking people’s language.
Soon you will turn The Great Resignation into The Great Recruitment, and eventually The Great Retention.
Scott Ginsberg is Head of Content at FranchiseHelp. The first job he quit was selling couches at a discount furniture warehouse.
We Changed Our Email Send Times, Again – Five Graphs That Tell the Whole Story
For those of you who have followed the lead generation resource center since its inception, you’ll realize that we’re almost 18 months into this awesome experiment. We certainly appreciate your avid readership, as it inspires us to cover all the latest in online franchise lead generation.
FranchiseHope: How Resource Operations International Made ROI A Brand, Not Just A Goal
In this edition of FranchiseHope, we sat down with Meghan Fletcher, VP of Operations for ROI, to talk about this emerging brand and why it’s poised for success, even in the wake of an economic downturn.
Franchise Hope: How Dickey's Barbecue Is Adapting To Support Their Owners During Tight Times
Despite economic downturns, franchises can bounce back, thanks to the comprehensive operational support owners get from day one. Here's a case study from one brand taking franchise hope to the family level.


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The surge in gold prices continued to gain momentum as it hit a record new high in Odisha. The market price of the yellow metal reached a record high in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
The gold price for 24 carats was recorded as Rs 51,730 per 10 gram in the State Capital City today. Earlier on February 4, price for 24 carats gold was recorded as Rs 49,650 per 10 gram. The price of the precious metal has surged around Rs 2,000 in the last 15 days.
Similarly, the gold price of 22 carats gold has increased from Rs 44,800 to Rs 46, 130 in the last 15 days.
However, the price of silver has been static at Rs 65,000 per kilogram.
As per market experts, the price of the gold has witnessed an unprecedented rise in the last 15 days following unrest in stock market in the wake of rising conflicts between Russia and Ukraine.
“Investors are happy to invest their money in gold because of the upward surge in the price of the precious metal. It is also predicted that the uptrend will continue in near future. The effect of stock market has also affected the retail gold market,” said market expert Trinath Lenka.
On the other hand retail sellers of gold in the State are worried as the sales of gold ornaments have dipped in the market because of the steep price rise.
(Edited by Suryakant Jena)


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ABI Research forecasts the rising global SIM card market to top five billion shipments this year, and expects developing markets in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and pockets in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions to experience above average growth rates through 2021. A mandatory registration, however, will cause turbulence in the Chinese market, as the government now mandates citizens to register their SIM cards.
“The Chinese SIM card market will experience an unsettling period from late 2016 up to early 2019,” says Dimitrios Pavlakis, Industry Analyst at ABI Research. “Somewhat slower growth for 4G and the subsequent cannibalization of 3G shipments will characterize this chapter.”
China’s current economic climate continues to affect most technology segments, causing shipment decline across multiple verticals and affecting SIM card sales noticeably. Governmental mandates are also pushing the three big MNOs to increase LTE penetration rates. While all citizens will be subjected to mandatory SIM Card registration by 2017, or otherwise will be under penalty of account termination.
“Not all is bleak, however, and while LTE rollouts are still facing difficulties in certain Asia Pacific regions, we foresee global 4G SIM card shipments accounting for approximately 23% of the overall APAC shipments for 2016,” concludes Pavlakis. “This percentage will rise to almost 45% by 2021 in the APAC region, sitting above the 43% global 4G shipments, as 4G becomes dominant.”
These findings are from ABI Research’s SIM Cards and SIM Card ICs market research. These reports are part of the company’s Digital Security sector, which includes research, data, and analyst insights.
About ABI Research
ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm delivering actionable research and strategic guidance to technology leaders, innovators, and decision makers around the world. Our research focuses on the transformative technologies that are dramatically reshaping industries, economies, and workforces today.
ABI Research提供开创性的研究和战略指导，帮助客户了解日新月异的技术。 自1990年以来，我们已与全球数百个领先的技术品牌，尖端公司，具有远见的政府机构以及创新的贸易团体建立了合作关系。 我们帮助客户创造真实的业务成果。
For more information about ABI Research’s services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific, or visit www.abiresearch.com.
Asia: +65 6950.5670


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MOSCOW: Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp has decided to close its plant in Russia, Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade said in a statement.
The automaker suspended production in St Petersburg in March due to supply chain disruptions and stopped vehicle imports into Russia.
Toyota will ensure the fulfilment of all social obligations, as well as significant additional pay-offs to the staff, the ministry said, and will retain after-sales service of Toyota and Lexus cars and maintain its dealer network.
Russia’s Kommersant newspaper first reported the plans, citing unnamed sources, earlier on Friday.
The factory, which has a capacity of 100,000 units a year and produced the Camry and RAV4 models, will be preserved and may be sold in the future, Kommersant’s sources said.
The ministry and regional authorities are working on possible scenarios to develop the site, the ministry said.
Toyota did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Many factories in Russia have suspended production and furloughed workers due to shortages of high-tech equipment and an exodus of Western manufacturers after Moscow sent armed forces into Ukraine on Feb. 24.


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As hundreds of thousands of Indians are glued to TV screens watching the T20 World Cup 2022, Amazon on Wednesday introduced that the individuals can now get official dwell cricket commentary and scores from digital assistant Alexa.
Customers can ask the gadget concerning the latest match data reminiscent of schedules, scores, staff sheets and participant statistics, the corporate stated.
This ability is obtainable without cost on totally different gadgets, together with Echo good audio system, Hearth TV, Alexa cellular app and the Amazon buying app (Android).
Customers simply should say “Alexa, begin dwell cricket commentary,” to tune in.
Moreover, it may be used to set reminders for the matches and to maintain monitor of the favorite staff’s fixtures.
Alexa also can use data from previous matches to analyse the present ongoing matches to inform anticipated winner, innings scores and rather more, the corporate added.
The corporate stated not too long ago that the variety of requests to Amazon Alexa in Hindi language had elevated by greater than 52 per cent within the final yr.
Clients in India interacted with the Amazon Alexa voice service hundreds of thousands of instances in a day in Hindi and Hinglish for music, data, cricket scores, good dwelling management, setting alarms/reminders and many others.
Earlier, a report stated that the worldwide put in base of good dwelling gadgets was set to exceed two billion gadgets this yr.
Based on the report, good audio system had probably the most world shipments in 2021, with 195 million, adopted by lighting, plugs/switches and related well being gadgets.
Click on Right here For Newest Updates On Inventory Market | Zee Enterprise Dwell


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But investors and customers should hope that someone inside those two Silicon Valley tech giants has done a lot more than just imagine a day when someone else is running the company. At some point, they'll have to deal with an issue nearly every tech outfit must face: What does a company do when the person who personifies it either cannot or does not want to remain the CEO?
Increasingly, companies are putting into play succession plans that they've been working on for years.
For every Apple or Oracle--where the potential heir to the chief exec's office is a mystery to the outside world--there are many other big tech outfits that have carefully and even publicly groomed the CEO-in-waiting. At many of these companies, CEO succession planning has been a meticulous process that's downright...old industry.
This year, tech companies have seen some major transitions. In April,stepped aside as CEO, making way for longtime understudy Jonathan Schwartz to take the wheel. Bill Gates firmed up in June, outlining plans for his last day at the company in 2008 as part of a gradual process that has unfolded over the past few years.
In fact, industry watchers say that lack of a publicly known succession line at some big tech companies shouldn't be all that surprising. What should be surprising, they say, is that in recent years so many big tech companies--Sun, Microsoft, Dell, Intel, Advanced Micro Devices and Symantec among them--actually have managed to pull off relatively smooth transitions to new CEOs. After all, this is an industry built by entrepreneurs who guide their companies with charisma, ideas and a good deal of hardheadedness.
"A lot of these companies depend very much on the personality and skills of just one individual, so the transition is not easy," said venture capitalist Mark Dubovoy of Leapfrog Ventures.
Much of the planning for future leaders takes place in ongoing conversations between the directors of a company and current executives, said Stephen Mader, vice chairman of executive search firm Christian and Timbers. Board members draw up criteria for their search by considering the current state of the company and its eventual goals.
This, of course, is a delicate matter, as most boards are loathe to share their decision-making process with the outside world before they are ready, Mader said. Not only do they not want to make the public think they are considering a change at the top, they do not want to set off a flurry of internal maneuvering for the job, he said.
"You're sucking the juice out of your organization while you're trying to run a succession," Mader said. Part of the problem is that only one person can win the spot as the heir-in-waiting. Those who fall short aren't the best fit for that company's CEO job, but are likely very talented executives who might choose to seek their fortunes elsewhere if snubbed during the succession planning process.
"General Electric can afford that, but your ordinary company can't, certainly not your typical technology company," Mader added. That said, McNealy, who adopted the Six Sigma management principles of former GE CEO Jack Welch, managed to pull it off.
The easiest way to plan for the inevitable transfer of power is to start the planning process when the company is still small, Dubovoy said. Since many technology companies are started by engineers or software developers, "almost by definition, the people that start those companies are unproven in terms of their management skills as CEOs," he said.
As a company grows, many venture capitalists insist upon succession planning: the strategy in which a professional manager is brought into the company at a relatively young stage to run the show, Dubovoy said. Recent examples include eBay, Yahoo and Google, companies where technologists latched onto a great idea, butto take those companies to the heights they currently enjoy.
Often, the CEOs also demand a good plan.
"Most CEOs--not all, but the majority of CEOs--think they should have term limits," Mader said. In practice, however, only about 20 percent to 30 percent of CEOs have such an arrangement, he said.
Also, bringing in outsiders often doesn't work. For every John Thompson, who succeeded Gordon Eubanks at Symantec and turned it into one of the largest software companies in the world, there are many who never quite fit in with a tech company's culture. Somewhere between 35 percent and 50 percent of outside managers will not fit into a young growing company for any number of reasons, Dubovoy estimated. This makes it harder for founders to cede control and delays the succession planning process until the inevitable arises: the company needs a new leader right away.
Sometimes, of course, succession can't be planned. Recent examples include Hewlett-Packard, which spent several months searching forwas dismissed, and after its CEO pled guilty to fraud charges. In those cases, directors turned to outsiders for leadership because there were no clear-cut successors and because difficult circumstances required a fresh approach. In CA's case, several new directors were also brought in, which can dramatically change the culture at the top of a company, Mader said.
Smooth transitions are often the result of corporate culture that has survived from the early days of a company's history, said David Hsu, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. "The decisions that are made early on are quite important in imprinting the culture" that will outlive the founders, he said.
Several companies--including ones that have gone through relatively recent exec transitions, such as Intel, Sun and Microsoft, and ones that haven't publicly discussed the eventual departure of CEOs, such as Apple and Oracle--declined to comment for this article.
That isn't that surprising, Mader said. Directors "aren't interested in the outside world watching the process itself, they're only interested in telling the outside world what the results are," he said.
As for the two major companies keeping the world in the dark about succession, it's good to remember that Jobs left Apple from the mid-1980s into the mid-1990s--though few Mac fans would like a repeat of those years. Throughout the 1990s, Ellison retained his CEO title while then-President Ray Lane played a major role in running the company's day-to-day operations.
Certainly, there's no question who is in charge at the two Silicon Valley bellwethers today, but both companies have gone for a time without their larger-than-life honchos involved in the day-to-day business.
And while no Apple exec comes close to Jobs' public persona, in fairness, that's not the case at Oracle. Co-President Charles Phillips (Safra Catz is the other co-president and chief financial officer) has become a very public face for Oracle, meeting with customers around the world and speaking at many conferences. Does that mean he's the heir-apparent? It's not clear that anyone knows, but customers are at least familiar with him.
That's a good thing, because the failure to adequately plan for the future can put a big company at risk, Mader said.
"Everybody's not as good as they should be in this space," he said.


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Actelion Looks Within as Competition Lifts Drug PricesSimeon Bennett
Actelion Ltd. is depending on in-house research to invent new medicines because the company can’t compete with bigger rivals to buy products in development elsewhere, Chief Executive Officer Jean-Paul Clozel said.
Actelion is looking “all the time” to acquire or license the rights to experimental drugs to lessen its reliance on treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension, Clozel, 57, said in a Feb. 14 interview in his office in Allschwil, Switzerland. The company gets 95 percent of sales from medicines for the disease, in which arteries that move blood from the heart to the lungs narrow, causing high blood pressure.
While the company wants to build a second business selling so-called orphan drugs for rare diseases that are prescribed by specialists, that’s a strategy also being pursued by Sanofi, Shire Plc, GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Pfizer Inc. The competition means higher prices.
“The chances that we can get very obvious, nice assets is rather low,” Clozel said. “Specialized orphan drugs is what people look for, it’s hot. Shire wants it, Sanofi wants it, Glaxo, Pfizer. They have much bigger pockets.”
Actelion has spent at least 650 million Swiss francs ($704 million) on five deals since going public in 2000. Two gave the company drugs that flopped in trials, and another resulted in a lawsuit the company is still fighting. Actelion terminated its latest deal, an option to buy Trophos SA, in 2011 after that company’s drug failed in a study.
Diversifying is important because Tracleer, a drug for pulmonary arterial hypertension, accounts for 87 percent of Actelion’s sales and starts to lose patent protection in 2016.
Clozel co-founded Actelion to develop Tracleer after his previous employer, Roche Holding AG, decided it didn’t want the product. Tracleer has garnered 13.8 billion Swiss francs in sales since being approved in 2001.
Actelion has applied for regulatory approval of a successor product, Opsumit, in the European Union and the U.S., and expects a decision this year. The company is working on other home-grown treatments for psoriasis and diarrhea.
“If you want to have good drugs, discover them yourself,” Clozel said. “I don’t like to depend on other people.”
Actelion said Feb. 14 it plans to increase its dividend by 25 percent to 1 Swiss franc, and repeated a commitment to completing an 800 million-franc share buyback by the end of this year.
“If we believed we could use this money to buy an asset so easily, we would keep it,” Clozel said. “But frankly we have to be realistic. It’s not so easy to compete.”
Actelion rose 2.8 percent Feb. 15 to close at 47.72 francs, giving the company a market value of 6 billion francs.
Opsumit’s peak sales may surpass Tracleer’s, Clozel said. Actelion is testing another drug for PAH, selexipag, in the third and final stage of trials usually needed for regulatory approval. The company gained marketing rights to the treatment outside Japan in a 2008 deal with Kyoto-based Nippon Shinyaku Co.
Actelion will start advanced trials this year of two drugs from its own laboratories: ponesimod for psoriasis and an antibiotic called cadazolid for clostridium difficile, a diarrhea-causing infection acquired commonly in hospitals.
Still, neither of those will be big enough on their own and the company will need to look outside for more products, said Fabian Wenner, an analyst at Kepler Capital Markets in Zurich.
“Those ones will not change the course of things,” Wenner said in a telephone interview. “They really need the next big asset.”
Actelion is in talks with potential partners to help pay for trials of ponesimod as a treatment for multiple sclerosis, Clozel said, declining to comment on how advanced the talks are or whether he expects a deal this year. Partners are waiting to see whether Biogen Idec Inc.’s MS pill Tecfidera is approved and what prescribing conditions the U.S. Food and Drug Administration puts on it, Clozel said.
“There are a lot of moving parts, which make the life of partnering not so easy,” he said, adding if the company doesn’t find a partner, it won’t develop the drug for MS. “We want to keep some value in the product. I am not ready to accept any price.”
Clozel, who founded Actelion with his wife Martine Clozel in 1997, cited the company’s in-house development as a reason for remaining independent when Amgen Inc. considered making a takeover offer in 2010. He reiterated that position in 2011 in fighting off a hedge fund that sought seats on the board and wanted Actelion to consider selling itself.
“We have a real company based on research and innovation,” Clozel said. “That’s unique. When we had activists, they didn’t see that. Our shareholders have given their confidence to us. I really want to show them they were right.”