Sales & Marketing news

• Businesses failing to take brand engagement seriously

  09-08-2016 18:38
  
  Marketers often use the term ‘engagement’ as a measure of success but an online survey of 585 Marketing Week readers shows that while 78% would use brand engagement as an ROI metric only 39% believe the metric is taken seriously by senior leaders and the board.
  The majority of marketers (84%) consider a positive mention of their brand on social media as an indicator of brand engagement. A similar number (82%) class a retweet, like or share as a sign of consumer engagement. Just
  
  Read more

• Facebook takes aim at ad blockers

  09-08-2016 17:55
  
  Facebook is looking to tackle the problem of ad blocking with a software update that makes ads indistinguishable from normal posts for ad blocking software,
  Marketing Week understands this new technology will work by stopping ad blockers from identifying which Facebook ‘posts’ are ads, and which are not, on people’s news feeds. It will still be clear to Facebook users which content is paid for, however.
  “Rather than paying ad blocking companies to unblock the ads we
  
  Read more

• Brand Recruitment: SEO and PPC Specialist

  09-08-2016 17:45
  
  £35000 per annum + benefits:Brand Recruitment:
  SEO and PPC Specialist, St Ives -Do you consider yourself to be an SEO and PPC genius? If so an exciting opportunity has arisen to join a successful finance
  Huntingdon
  
  Read more

• Americans have $12.29 trillion of debt — here's what it looks like

  09-08-2016 17:10 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Americans are still adding debt.
  Household debt — which includes everything from mortgages to credit cards — increased to $12.29 trillion in the second quarter of 2016, a $35 billion or 0.3% increase, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit.
  "Overall household debt remains 3.1% below its 2008Q3 peak of $12.68 trillion, but is now 10.2% above the 2013Q2 trough," said the report.
  The biggest increases came from auto de
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• The hedge fund industry has a problem

  09-08-2016 17:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The hedge fund industry has a problem. There are too many hedge funds. 
  That's according to a Barclays survey of 340 investors managing $8 trillion in total, released this week.
  The UK bank asked survey participants why hedge funds have underperformed expectations. The most popular answer was that the industry has now gotten too big relative to the number of opportunities. 
  The industry has as many as 11,000 funds worldwide now, managing about $3 trillion in assets.
  It's been phen
  
  Read more

• 3 charts show how drastically Valeant has changed over the past year (VRX)

  09-08-2016 16:31 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Valeant reported mixed earnings Tuesday morning, and the stock is up 13%.
  "I am continuously encouraged by the commitment of our employees who work hard daily, rebuilding our relationships with prescribers, patients and payors, and regaining the trust of our debt holders and shareholders," Valeant CEO Joseph Papa said in a release.
  The earnings gave an important glimpse into the effects of some of the headlines Valeant's made over the last year. In particular, its product revenue.
  Xifaxan
  Xifaxa
  
  Read more

• Why Hollywood hasn't learned anything from a miserable summer of box-office bombs

  09-08-2016 16:26 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  It turns out there isn’t mass hysteria at the major movie studios following a weak summer-movie season, in which ticket sales were down 10% from last year. 
  In fact, after Business Insider talked to a wide range of players in the industry, we've discovered that moviegoers should expect little change in the kinds of movies that are released over the summer in the next few years. So get ready for the endless stream of superheroes and franchises to continue apace.
  Last year&nbs
  
  Read more

• Hedge funds have been whining about how hard their job is, but they may have a point

  09-08-2016 15:58 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  You've probably heard that hedge funds are having a tough time of it.
  There has been poor performance and insider-trading investigations. Overall, the industry's return this year was at 1.6% through June, according to Hedge Fund Research. That's less than half the gains in the S&P 500.
  A common complaint among hedge fund managers is that market conditions are making it much harder for them to eke out a return.
  On one hand, you could say, well, that's what you get paid 2% and 20% for. On the
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• The CFA Level 3 results are in

  09-08-2016 15:50 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  In June, nearly 140,000 aspiring finance buffs took the notoriously tough Chartered Financial Analyst exam.
  The results are now in for the third and final level of the exam: 54% of test-takers passed.
  The Level III candidates received their results via email on Tuesday morning.
  This year's Level III pass rate is up slightly from last year, when 53% of candidates passed. In 2014, 54% passed, while in 2013, 49% passed.
  Only about one out of five people who start the CFA program makes it through al
  
  Read more

• Macy's and Nordstrom are becoming Coach's worst nightmare

  09-08-2016 15:50 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  After years of struggling, Coach has executed a turnaround.
  For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 net sales were up 15%. For the full year, net sales were up 7%.
  But one aspect of Coach's business is seriously slowing down its revival: department stores.
  In fact, North American department store net sales dropped 7% to 9%, according to a release.
  "This sharp reduction reflects the actions Coach has taken to reduce its exposure to the department store channel, but it also underlines
  
  Read more

• Here's how each country is doing at the Olympics

  09-08-2016 15:13 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The 2016 Summer Olympic Games are on, and the medals are flowing.
  Using medal counts helpfully assembled by Google, we've put together a running count of how many gold, silver, and bronze medals each country participating has won at the Rio Olympics.
  As of Tuesday morning, 38 countries' teams had won at least one medal. So far, the US is in the lead, with five gold, seven silver, and seven bronze medals, adding up to 19 in total.
  This post will be updated regularly with new m
  
  Read more

• 21 years ago today, news of Jerry Garcia's death froze Bloomberg terminals across Wall Street

  09-08-2016 15:13 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  On August 9, 1995, the Grateful Dead brought one of the biggest sources of information on Wall Street to a stop.
  On this day, Grateful Dead lead guitarist Jerry Garcia was found dead of a heart attack. While it certainly stopped many Grateful Dead fans in their tracks, it also seized up the Bloomberg terminal, one of the most important tools on Wall Street.
  The terminal, the ubiquitous and essential source of information for bankers and traders, sent an alert informing clients of Garcia's death.
  
  Read more

• Like Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz before him, Donald Trump is pledging 4% GDP growth

  09-08-2016 15:11 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  There is something special, it seems, about 4% GDP growth.
  On Monday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump outlined his vision for the economy under a Trump administration. Lots of claims were made.
  And in an appearance on "Fox and Friends" Tuesday morning, Trump put a number on the GDP growth trajectory he thinks would be "easily attainable" under his administration: 4%.
  "When China goes down to 7% [GDP growth] it's like a national catastrophe," Trump said.
  "We're at 1% [GDP growth] and
  
  Read more

• Credit Suisse's CEO dodged an important question about his investment bankers

  09-08-2016 15:06 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam was candid during an interview with Bloomberg Markets' Francine Lacqua published Tuesday, but he was less transparent on one important point.
  When asked about his relationship with his investment bankers, Thiam dodged the question.
  He talked instead about the markets, or trading, division of the firm and then moved on to discuss the UK's vote to leave the European Union.
  Here's how it went:
  FL: "Do you have the support of your investment bankers?"
  TT: "The pr
  
  Read more

• MARC FABER: The big one is coming (SPY, SPX, DJI, IXIC, IWIM)

  09-08-2016 15:05 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Marc Faber is still bearish.
  In a CNBC interview on Monday, the editor and publisher of the "Gloom, Boom & Doom Report" spoke on why he sees a 50% drop in the S&P 500 coming and why he likes US Treasurys right now.
  Faber said stocks have rallied because of the easy monetary policies of central banks around the world that have increased the flow of money.
  "When you print money, something goes up," Faber said about the stock market.
  "The real economy in the world is not doing well."
  And wi
  
  Read more

• Virgin Media ‘disrupts’ sports sponsorship model by subsidising away ticket prices

  09-08-2016 14:39
  
  Virgin Media is using its Southampton FC sponsorship to offer away fans cut-price ticketsVirgin Media is to subsidise the ticket price for every away fan travelling to St Mary’s Stadium as part of its shirt sponsorship of Southampton Football Club for the 2016/17 Premier League season.
  Partnering with the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF), the multimedia giant will cap ticket prices for travelling fans at £20 from Southampton’s 13 August clash with Watford onward
  
  Read more

• Virgin Media ‘disrupts’ sports sponsorship model by subsiding away ticket prices

  09-08-2016 14:39
  
  Virgin Media is to subsidise the ticket price for every away fan travelling to St Mary’s Stadium as part of its shirt sponsorship of Southampton Football Club for the 2016/17 Premier League season.
  Partnering with the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF), the multimedia giant will cap ticket prices for travelling fans at £20 from Southampton’s 13 August clash with Watford onwards. That is £10 less than the standard £30 ticket price announced by the Premi
  
  Read more

• Valeant is leaping after reporting mixed earnings (vrx)

  09-08-2016 14:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Shares of troubled drugmaker Valeant Pharmaceuticals are taking off after the company reported mixed earnings on Tuesday morning.
  Valeant earned an adjusted $1.40 per share ($1.47 expected) on revenue of $2.42 billion ($2.46 billion expected) during the second quarter. The firm did, however, beat on GAAP earnings with a loss of $0.88 (-$0.92 expected).
  "We continue to make progress towards stabilizing the organization," CEO Joseph Papa said in a press release accompanying the earnings.
  "We are a
  
  Read more

• 'We managed to move the needle forward a little bit'

  09-08-2016 14:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  India's central bank on Tuesday made its last policy decision under Raghuram Rajan.
  The Reserve Bank of India held rates at 6.50%, as economists were expecting. It added that there was upside risk to the inflation target.
  The Indian rupee was little changed at 66.876 per dollar as of 8:20 a.m. ET.
  "We managed to move the needle forward a little bit," Rajan said at the following press conference.
  "Snap judgments either by critics or supporters don't really matter. What matters is how these [measu
  
  Read more

• One of Wall Street's most outspoken strategists succinctly captures how dull the market is right now (SPX, SPY, DJI, IXIC, IWIM, TLT, TLO, USD, DXY)

  09-08-2016 14:18 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  It is summer on Wall Street.
  This means that at some point in August, a lull hits markets as traders take time off and trading volumes drop.
  Deutsche Bank strategist Jim Reid is one of the more colorful and forthright strategists on Wall Street. On Tuesday, his daily "Early Morning Reid" started, as usual, with a personal anecdote.
  And this one captures the market's quietness right now.
  Here's an excerpt (emphasis added):
  "Talking of TV, when I was a kid there was a program entitled 'Why Don't Y
  
  Read more

• Here's a super-quick guide to what traders are talking about right now (SPY, SPX, DJI, IXIC, MWW, WMH, TLT, USO, WTI, OIL, VDE)

  09-08-2016 13:33 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  From Dave Lutz, head of ETFs at JonesTrading, here's a quick guide to what traders are talking about right now:
  Good Morning! US futures rebounding 20bp from one of the lightest sessions of 2016, as More M&A (MWW, William Hill) offsets a sea of fresh offerings (BMRN, X among others). It’s a sea of green in Europe, with the DAX recouping 20% from the 2016 Lows, adding 75bp as those Banks continue to rally, with the SX7P adding 80bp, and those Italian Banks jumping another 1% early. Ever
  
  Read more

• The Bill Ackman problem everyone forgot about is coming back to bite him and Valeant (VRX)

  09-08-2016 12:58 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  And now some bad news for billionaire Bill Ackman, the founder of the hedge fund Pershing Square.
  Valeant Pharmaceuticals, the drug company whose 90% stock-drop disaster has been pulling down Ackman's portfolio since October, announced on Monday that three executives would leave.
  The departing executives were of no small importance at Valeant. Pavel Mirovsky was the head of the company's Europe business, Laurie Little was the head of media relations, and finally Robert Chai-Onn was the company's
  
  Read more

• 10 things you need to know today (spy, spx, qqq, dia, nwsa, twtr, x, lc)

  09-08-2016 12:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Here is what you need to know.
  China's inflation grew at its slowest pace in 7 months. Consumer prices in China rose 1.8% year-over-year in July, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics. Pork prices grew at a 16.1% YoY clip (30.1% YoY in June), helping push food inflation down to 3.3% YoY. As for producer prices, they fell 1.7% YoY, an improvement from the 2.6% YoY contraction seen in June.India's central bank made its last policy decision under Raghuram Rajan. The Reserv
  
  Read more

• Tomorrow Recruitment: Freelance Packaging Designer - FMCG

  09-08-2016 12:06
  
  £250 - £300 per day:Tomorrow Recruitment:
  We are working with an extremely established, Global FMCG brand who are on the lookout for an outstanding Freelance Senior Packaging Designer for a 10-day product innovation project, starting within the next couple of weeks.
  London
  
  Read more

• Speckled Frog: Midweight-Senior Planner / Strategist - Creative Agency W1

  09-08-2016 11:35
  
  £45-55k depending on experience:Speckled Frog:
  Lovely opportunity for a Midweight-Senior Planner from an integrated or ATL background to join this thriving independent creative agency (W1).
  Central London (W1)
  
  Read more

• Copper is flashing a warning sign for China's economy

  09-08-2016 07:21 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Copper is waving a red flag.
  "Recent movements in copper inventories highlight the lack of significant demand for the metal, particularly in the ever important Chinese market," analysts at BMI Research wrote in a recent note.
  The country's demand matters because copper is used to make items as varied as electrical cables and coins, and China is the world's largest importer.
  "While the corresponding decline in Shanghai inventories largely offset the jump in [London Metal Exchange], the shift sugg
  
  Read more

• A 'paradox' is plaguing the art market (BID)

  09-08-2016 07:20 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Sotheby's made it out of the second quarter with a profit even though the art market remained in turmoil.
  The art broker on Monday reported a 31% year-over-year rise in profits as it cut costs.
  Meanwhile, its net auction sales fell 16%, "reflecting a comparable decline in the global art market," Sotheby's said in its earnings statement.
  "There are a number of geopolitical macroeconomic commodity pricing and financial market uncertainties to leave the art market with a paradox," said Th
  
  Read more

• Stopgap: Senior Copywriter

  09-08-2016 02:00
  
  £40000 - £45000 per annum + package:Stopgap:
  A fantastic opportunity for a Copywriter with consumer brand and team management experience to join this fast growing and unique energy company
  London
  
  Read more

• Salt: Senior Business Analyst, Charity, Data, Systems

  09-08-2016 02:00
  
  £40000.00 - £50000.00 per annum + Benefits:Salt:
  This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior Business Analyst to work for one of the largest most well respected charity providers in the UK who are currently making leaps within digital transformation.
  London
  
  Read more

• Robert Half Recruitment: Digital Designer

  09-08-2016 02:00
  
  £40000 per annum:Robert Half Recruitment:
  Successful digital agency opening their new London office this year. Join and help build the team!
  London, City of London
  
  Read more

• Online Resourcing: Digital Designer

  09-08-2016 02:00
  
  Competitive salary and benefits package:Online Resourcing:
  Boat International Media is looking for a Digital Designer to work as a key player within our digital product team.
  Wimbledon
  
  Read more

• Major Players: Senior Integrated Project Manager

  09-08-2016 02:00
  
  £45000 - £55000 per annum + Benefits:Major Players:
  Major Players are working with arguably London's most talked about ATL agency to help find a multi-talented Senior Integrated Project Manager.
  London
  
  Read more

• Major Players: Director of Customer Experience and Retention

  09-08-2016 02:00
  
  £60000 - £70000 per annum:Major Players:
  Innovative digital subscription service in the Education sector is seeking an experienced CRM pro to join them as a Director of Customer Experience and Retention on a permanent basis.
  London
  
  Read more

• Gabriele Skelton: Senior Account Manager - branding agency, global network, EC1

  09-08-2016 02:00
  
  £35000 - £45000 per annum:Gabriele Skelton:
  This highly respected branding agency are looking for a really fabulous Senior Account Manager, with proven experience in design and brand, ideally having had experience on large or global client projects. It's a fantastic opportunity to join this 40+ str
  London
  
  Read more

• Carter Murray: Business Development Assistant

  09-08-2016 02:00
  
  Negotiable:Carter Murray:
  The client is seeking a Business Development Assistant to provide high quality, proactive business development support for one of their three Business Groups which includes their Intellectual Property and Disputes practices.
  London
  
  Read more

• Ball & Hoolahan: Insight Director

  09-08-2016 02:00
  
  £90,000 per annum:Ball & Hoolahan:
  Fabulous opportunity for senior insight professional. You will provide consumer, shopper and market insights in this pivotal Global role to local m...
  Midlands
  
  Read more

• Ball & Hoolahan: Brand Campaign Manager

  09-08-2016 02:00
  
  £45,000 per annum:Ball & Hoolahan:
  We are looking for strong brand campaign managers with 360° experience across all channels but with a strong emphasis on TV experience and other AT...
  London
  
  Read more

• Adam Recruitment: Senior Innovation Strategist - London

  09-08-2016 02:00
  
  £50000 - £70000 per annum:Adam Recruitment:
  Leading Innovation business are looking to recruit some high calibre folks to join them on their growth journey...
  London
  
  Read more

• Unilever tackles ad stereotypes

  09-08-2016 01:44
  
  NEW YORK: Unilever, the FMCG group, is actively tackling the use of female stereotypes in ads, having studied the problem in depth and identified a slate of solutions to begin redressing the issue.Based on various research studies in 25 markets...
  
  Read more

• Turnover of CMOs hits new high

  09-08-2016 01:44
  
  NEW YORK: There appears to be some career volatility among top marketers because a new study has found that the turnover of CMOs in the US reached its highest level in the first half of 2016.Executive search firm Russell Reynolds has been tracking...
  
  Read more

• Pharma looks to brand experiences

  09-08-2016 01:44
  
  CANNES: Building brand experiences rather than above-the-line ads is often a better way for pharmaceutical and healthcare brands to reach people, due in part to the category's extreme complexity.Speaking at the Cannes Lions International Festival...
  
  Read more

• NBC defends its Olympics coverage

  09-08-2016 01:44
  
  NEW YORK: NBC has come in for scathing criticism on social media about its ad-laden coverage of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but the US broadcast network has argued that viewing habits have changed.Frustrated sports...
  
  Read more

• Lawyers warn of Olympic ambushes

  09-08-2016 01:44
  
  SYDNEY: Experts in media law have warned Australian brands against legally-fraught "ambush marketing" during the 2016 Olympic Games, as marketers try to capitalise on the world's biggest sports event.With broadcast rights-holders hoping to rake in...
  
  Read more

• EMEA mobile budgets are on the up

  09-08-2016 01:44
  
  LONDON: The vast majority (91%) of marketers across EMEA plan to increase their mobile budgets over the next 12 months, with almost half (45%) expecting that growth to exceed 25%, a new industry survey has revealed.For its inaugural "
  
  Read more

• Chinese theme parks buy up content

  09-08-2016 01:44
  
  HONG KONG: Competition between China's theme park operators has heated up since Disney opened a new resort in Shanghai in June, with Chinese companies responding by exploring intellectual property deals and global alliances.They are tapping into a...
  
  Read more

• Blog: What personalisation really means

  09-08-2016 01:44
  
  Personalisation in marketing is gaining ground in the digital era, but what does it really mean, asks Faris Yakob, Co-Founder of Genius Steals, who delves into the arguments made by the winners of this year's Admap essay competition.
  
  Read more

Follow @sales_mrktinguk on Twitter!