Sales & Marketing news

• The maker of EpiPen won't answer this yes or no question about its DOJ settlement

  21-10-2016 23:48 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  It's a simple yes or no question — does Mylan know the terms of its settlement with the Department of Justice or not?
  Earlier this month it said it did. Specifically, it said it struck a deal that would have it pay the government $465 million for fleecing the Center for Medicare and Medicaid for years.
  But the question of whether this is accurate came up on Friday, when Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) laid into the Department of Justice for agreeing to such a dea
  
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• Twitter's stock is up on Softbank M&A chatter, but there's no real evidence of a deal (TWTR)

  21-10-2016 23:24 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Here we go again.
  Twitter's stock finished Friday's regular trading session up 7% as a new round of acquisition rumors sparked investor hopes that the struggling social network will be sold.
  Japan's Softbank is the latest putative bidder for Twitter. But the source of the M&A speculation can best be described as extremely thin. 
  Barron's Tech Trader Daily blog mentions the rumor, which it traces back to Flyonthewall. But Barron's notes that the Flyonthewall post cites chatter
  
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• Automakers could be making a big mistake with their big bets on electric cars

  21-10-2016 22:51 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  A hundred years ago, the electric motor lost out to the gas engine. 
  A century later, electric vehicles are staging a tepid comeback: they now make up about 1% of global auto sales.
  The EV market goes through what I think of as evolution-and-extinction cycles. In the 1990s, General Motors introduced the EV-1, only to kill off the car after building just over 1,000.
  We didn't hear much about EVs until around 2010, after Tesla put its Roadster on the street and a clutch of startups hit t
  
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• Copper isn't the predictor of economic doom that everyone thinks

  21-10-2016 21:32 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Copper is not a good doctor.
  Investors believe that the metal's price is a reliable way to gauge the health of the global economy, and have nicknamed it "Dr. Copper" for this reason.
  Copper is found in things like electrical cables, roofing, and other components of the largest capital projects undertaken anywhere.
  And so, if copper prices fall because demand is weak, it's seen as showing a deeper rut elsewhere in the global economy. 
  In a note on Thursday, John LaForge, head
  
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• RAY DALIO: There will be 'big, bad outcomes' if the ECB doesn't keep buying bonds (EUR)

  21-10-2016 20:56 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  There will be "big, bad outcomes" if the European Central Bank prematurely reduces its bond-buying program designed to support the economy, according to Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio and his colleagues.
  Dalio and his colleagues Bob Prince, Karen Karniol-Tambour and Melissa Saphier sent a note to clients on Friday titled: "Tapering by the ECB would be very bad for Europe's economy, its assets, and its unity."
  Business Insider obtained a copy of the note. In it, Bridgewat
  
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• The 5 biggest mistakes small business owners make according to 'Shark Tank' stars

  21-10-2016 20:52 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  “Shark Tank” has changed the outlook for many small businesses over its eight years on the air. That makes its stars some of the most knowledgeable people on earth when it comes to what makes or breaks small businesses and why they’re so important to the American economy.
  “Small businesses are near and dear to my heart, both from the show and my personal experience,” “Shark Tank” star Robert Herjavec recently told Business Insider.
  In addition
  
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• Republicans respond in fury to Obama's Obamacare defense: 'It's a disastrous failure'

  21-10-2016 20:22 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Republicans roundly criticized a Thursday speech from President Barack Obama in which he defended the Affordable Care Act, his administration's signature healthcare law that is better known as Obamacare.
  During the speech Obama said that the law was working but needed adjustments and that Republicans were criticizing the law only because he was the one who passed it.
  "So why is there still such a fuss?" Obama said. "Well, part of the problem is the fact that a Democratic president named Barack O
  
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• Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his 'separation' from the US — here's what that means

  21-10-2016 20:04 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  During his first official trip outside of Southeast Asia as head of state this week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his "separation" from the United States.
  "America has lost now," Duterte told Chinese and Philippine business people at a forum in the Great Hall of the People, attended by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.
  "I've realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to (President Vladimir) Putin and tell him that there are three o
  
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• It's getting harder to understand why automakers are placing big bets on electric cars

  21-10-2016 19:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  A hundred years ago, the electric motor lost out to the gas engine. 
  A century later, electric vehicles are staging a tepid comeback: they now make up about 1% of global auto sales.
  The EV market goes through what I think of as evolution-and-extinction cycles. In the 1990s, General Motors introduced the EV-1, only to kill off the car after building just over 1,000.
  We didn't hear much about EVs until around 2010, after Tesla put its Roadster on the street and a clutch of startups hit t
  
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• Oil rig count rises for 8th straight week

  21-10-2016 19:03 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The US oil rig count rose for an 8th straight period by 11 to 443 this week, according to oilfield-services giant Baker Hughes.
  The gas rig count increased by 3 to 108. 
  The oil rig count has increased since June as operators became more bullish on the market.
  Oil prices have stabilized in a range of $40 to $50 per barrel, giving oilfield-services companies confidence to negotiate higher prices with their clients.
  As of last week, the rig count had not dropped for 16 straight weeks, reflect
  
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• Steve Ballmer says Microsoft is 'the only company that ever had any synergy' with Yahoo (YHOO, MSFT)

  21-10-2016 19:01 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer still thinks a Microsoft-Yahoo tie-up would have made a lot of sense.
  In an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Friday, Ballmer said Microsoft is the only company that "ever had any synergy" with Yahoo, citing the overlapping search technology and cost reduction it would have produced.
  "Microsoft is the only company that ever had any synergy with Yahoo, because you could fold the two search businesses together, get rid of engineers – all the good stuff
  
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• The Wall Street Journal is asking a 'substantial number' of staff to take voluntary buyouts

  21-10-2016 18:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The Wall Street Journal is asking a "substantial number" of staff to take voluntary buyouts.
  Gerry Baker, editor in chief, just sent out a memo to staff, offering enhanced voluntary severance benefit. The terms, detailed in an FAQ, said it is offering 1.5 times regular severance to those who take the buyout. Anyone in The Journal's news department is eligible.
  Staff have been invited to send an email to HR by end of day October 31, saying: “I [NAME] elect to be considered for the WSJ News
  
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• DNA Recruit: Account Director - Global Network Agency - London

  21-10-2016 18:25
  
  £55000.00 per annum + bonus & benefits:DNA Recruit:
  We are looking for an Account Director with Shopper and Pharmaceutical experience to join the London office of a global activation agency.Our client is probably one of the world's largest activation, award-winning, multi-practice marketing agency who infl
  London
  
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• Time Warner is skyrocketing after reports that AT&T is closing in on a takeover (TWX, T, AAPL, GOOGL)

  21-10-2016 18:11 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Time Warner shares spiked more than 13% to a 15-month high after The Wall Street Journal reported that the company is in "advanced talks" to be acquired by AT&T.
  A deal could be announced this weekend, according to the report.
  Bloomberg reported Thursday that the companies were in talks. The discussions intensified after the talks went public and amid AT&T's concern that other companies such as Google or Apple could make a bid, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
  A deal would bring major netwo
  
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• A time-lapse map shows how wrong Donald Trump is about US unemployment

  21-10-2016 17:55 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  In a speech on the economy in August, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump called the roughly 5% unemployment rate "one of the biggest hoaxes in American modern politics."
  He and his team like to cite much more expansive — and less mainstream — measures of unemployment than the standard includes. His senior economic adviser, David Malpass, said in a statement at the time that the overall unemployment rate was stuck at 9.7%, though on the campaign trail Trump also said he "hea
  
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• Elizabeth Warren just torched the DOJ in a letter — and called out a lie by the maker of EpiPen (MYL)

  21-10-2016 17:50 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts would like to know if the Department of Justice is for real right now.
  A few weeks ago, the pharmaceutical company Mylan announced that it had settled with the DOJ for overcharging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for its EpiPen allergy drug over multiple years.
  The tab, the company said, would come to $465 million. Under the terms, Mylan would not admit to any wrongdoing for classifying its drug as a generic rather than a branded medication
  
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• 'The foundation for a powerful US dollar rally is in place'

  21-10-2016 17:07 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  After a strong two years, the dollar has remained more or less flat during the last few months, with the trade-weighted dollar index hovering near a range of 93 to 98.
  But now, some analysts are arguing that the greenback could have some room to go.
  "...the foundation for a powerful USD rally is in place. In many aspects, the USD outlook is stronger than it was last year," argued a Morgan Stanley team led by Hans W. Redeker in a recent note."Valuation has moderated and the market
  
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• Here's how a $50 drug ends up costing you $700 in America's healthcare system

  21-10-2016 17:01 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Pharmacists around the country are agitated.
  For years they've been watching their customers struggle to pay for prescription drugs, even when they have generic or over-the-counter alternatives. These drugs are supposed to treat simple, everyday ailments, like acid reflux and heartburn.
  In the case of acid reflux, the drug in question is Nexium, and it serves as an illustration of the pharmacists' chief complaint.
  Nexium comes in many forms, including a less potent over-the-counter version. That
  
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• Report: AT&T in 'advanced talks' to buy Time Warner (T, TWX)

  21-10-2016 17:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  AT&T is in "advanced talks" to buy Time Warner, The Wall Street Journal reports.
  It's unclear how much AT&T would be willing to pay for Time Warner. CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin reports that it'll be "way north of $90 per share."
  The news comes following a Bloomberg report Thursday that the two companies had been discussing an acquisition. The Journal report says a deal could be reached as soon as this weekend. After that, the acquisition would have to go through standard regulatory procedu
  
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• Marketing’s toughest jobs: Why innovation is key to cutting through

  21-10-2016 16:54
  
  Illustration credit: BloodBrosIn 2010, tobacco, the public sector, accountancy, law and financial services were singled out as the most difficult industries to market in a survey commissioned by Marketing Week. Six years on much has changed, so what is now considered the toughest sell?
  Societal concerns have evolved, technology has created a plethora of new opportunities for marketers – along with a new set of rules and regulations –  and
  
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• Skechers is crashing after blaming its weak earnings on a 'shorter back-to-school period'

  21-10-2016 16:26 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The apparel company Skechers was tanking on Friday after missing on both earnings and revenue in the third quarter.
  The firm reported earnings of $0.42 a share, lower than analysts' expectations for $0.46 a share. Revenue also came in light at $942 million against expectations for $954 million.
  The company also missed analyst expectations on guidance for the fourth quarter, seeing net sales of $710 million to $740 million, much lower than the estimated $800 million.
  "Impacting the Company's dome
  
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• Tesco trials digital receipts and self-scanner tech that aims to reduce theft

  21-10-2016 16:15
  
  Tesco is trialling Tap&Tag technology, which replaces paper receipts with digital receipts when customers make a purchase at one of its stores.
  To use the system, customers simply tap on the Tap&Tag console at the checkout with any contactless bank card or NFC enabled phone. And following an online registration, a digital receipt is sent instantly via email, app or web portal to the customer’s chosen device. There is also an option for participating retailers to attach offers and p
  
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• Thailand is ordering its former prime minister to pay $1.3 billion for her failed rice plan

  21-10-2016 16:11 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Thailand's military junta has fined former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra 35 billion baht ($1.3 billion) and ordered to have her assets seized as the result of a rice stockpiling scheme that went awry, Australia's ABC News reports. 
  Back in 2011, Thailand was the world's largest exporter of rice, accounting for 30% of the global market. Yingluck, who was prime minister at the time, introduced a scheme that would pay farmers a price 50% above current market value for
  
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• YouTube takes a swipe at Facebook over silent videos

  21-10-2016 15:59
  
  YouTube has joined Snapchat in taking a swipe at Facebook over watching videos without sound. Both Facebook and Twitter autoplay video ads without sound, leaving users to click on specific videos and ad if they want to hear anything.
  YouTube said that 96% of its users now watch video with the sound on and that this “has an impact on advertising”.
  “People come to YouTube to watch video with the sound on. It is really important to not scroll with the sound off,” said Peter
  
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• Stocks open in the red after mixed earnings (MCD, GE, AMD)

  21-10-2016 15:34 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  US stocks are a leg lower on Friday after some mixed earnings results from Wall Street. 
  At 9:33 a.m. ET, the Dow is down 104 points (-0.58%), the S&P 500 is down 10 points (-0.5%) and the Nasdaq is down 10 points (-0.2%). 
  The two big earnings reports came from McDonald's and General Electric. McDonald's reported stronger-than-expected sales growth after it revamped its all-day breakfast menu and kept customers interested in the offering. However, General Electric cut its revenue
  
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• Millennials told JPMorgan they want to retire by 60, but they're in for a rude awakening

  21-10-2016 15:33 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Millennials are way too bullish on their financial future.
  On Tuesday, JPMorgan Chase released a study about the savings trends of millennials as opposed to baby boomers. Among other details, the survey found that millennials started saving for retirement at 23, and that 82% of millennials are comfortable about talking about money.
  Another interesting snippet caught our eye — the age at which millennials want to retire. From the study:
  "As a result, we're seeing a millennial generatio
  
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• Here's a super-quick guide to what traders are talking about right now (SPY, SPX, DJI, IXIC, MCD, MSFT, IWIM, JPY, USD, DXY, USO, WTI, OIL, VDE)

  21-10-2016 15:03 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Dave Lutz, head of Exchange Traded Funds at JonesTrading, has a quick overview of what is going on in markets on Friday.
  In brief:
  US equity futures are lower even after a number of companies reported earnings that were better than analysts expected. Microsoft shares rose to an all-time high on Thursday after the company's results. And, McDonald's posted sales that were better than expected on Friday, thanks to all-day breakfast. 
  It's expiry day, the final trading day before stock opt
  
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• The Canadian dollar is getting whacked after disappointing data

  21-10-2016 14:41 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The Canadian dollar is getting whacked after some disappointing data.
  The currency is down by 0.7% at 1.3312 per US dollar as of 8:38 a.m. ET.
  Just minutes earlier, data showed that core retail sales came in at 0.0% month-over-month in August, below expectations of an increase of 0.3%.
  Additionally, CPI rose only 0.1% month-over-month in September, below expectations of a 0.2% uptick. Meanwhile, core CPI rose 0.2% month-over-month, as expected.
  SEE ALSO: Legendary physicist Freeman Dyson ta
  
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• Tesco, Unilever and Asos: 5 things that mattered this week

  21-10-2016 14:15
  
  Tesco’s price spat sends Unilever’s brand perceptions plunging
  It made national headlines but was short-lived, as the pricing row between Tesco and Unilever ended within 24 hours. It was caused after Unilever reportedly raised the price of its products by 10% in a bid, it said, to offset the higher cost of importing caused by the weak pound following the Brexit vote. In response, Tesco decided to pull dozens of Unilever’s brands from its shelves.
  READ MORE: Mark Ritson &n
  
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• McDonald's is still killing it because of all-day breakfast (MCD)

  21-10-2016 14:08 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  McDonald's on Friday reported third-quarter sales that beat analysts' estimates amid concern that the boost from all-day breakfast was fading.
  The company said its comparable-store sales, or sales at locations open for at least one year, rose 3.5%, topping the forecast for 1.5% growth, according to data from Bloomberg.
  In the second quarter, the company's comparable-store sales growth slowed and missed analysts' expectations.
  After McDonald's introduced all-day breakfast, some US franchisees pre
  
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• The euro slides to its lowest level since March

  21-10-2016 13:55 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The euro dropped its lowest level since March after the European Central Bank said it wouldn't taper policy anytime soon.
  The currency is down by 0.4% at 1.0890 against the dollar as of 7:43 a.m. ET.
  As for the rest of the world, here's the scoreboard as of 2:29 p.m. ET:
  The US dollar index is up by 0.2% at 98.52 on a quiet day for data. Baker Hughes, however, will release its weekly rig count at 1 p.m. ET.The British pound is down by 0.4% at 1.2
  
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• What Cancer Research UK learnt from its YouTube telethon

  21-10-2016 12:56
  
  Cancer Research UK’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign has extended its reach and engagement on YouTube, as it gives full control over the event to YouTubers and moves away from “generic” fundraising.
  Last year was the first time Cancer Research UK (CRUK) had run the event on YouTube as it looked for ways to talk about the campaign when it was not on TV. CRUK and Channel 4 run the telethon on TV every other year.
  At the time, CRUK said the activity was about testing how effective Yo
  
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• 10 things you need to know before the opening bell (SPY, SPX, QQQ, DIA, NXP, QCOM, MSFT, T, TWX, RAI)

  21-10-2016 12:34 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Here is what you need to know.
  China's red hot housing market is still accelerating. Data released by China's National Bureau of Statistics showed new home prices rose 11.2% year-over-year in September. Prices in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing — some of China’s largest cities — saw prices jump by 34.1%, 32.7% and 27.8%, respectively.The euro hit a 7-month low. The single currency touched a seven-month low of 1.0878 on Friday, a day after Mario Draghi suggested the European Cent
  
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• KFC moves on from ‘shouty’ messaging to build brand love

  21-10-2016 10:00
  
  KFC is shifting its marketing focus way from “shouty” messaging and “real” food to building brand love among consumers.
  It has introduced a new visual identity, created by BBH, which focuses on typography-led executions and has a Colonel stamp of quality. All communications are also characterised by a witty tone of voice.
  As part of the shift, KFC is releasing an outdoor poster with the headline ‘It’s f******n’ good’, which it says brings “a
  
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• Wells Fargo employees on the front lines say they were so stressed, they were chugging hand sanitizer and having anxiety attacks

  21-10-2016 02:02 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The Wells Fargo scandal ousted its CEO John Stumpf, drew Congressional ire, and resulted in a $185 million settlement with federal regulators.
  But employees who say they were forced to open the 2 million accounts to hit quotas were deeply affected, too. Five of them told their stories to The New York Times on Thursday, sharing the pressure they were under and how stressed it made them.
  Angie Payden, a banker in Hudson, Wisconsin, from 2011 to 2014, said she was so worried about coercing customer
  
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• Haymarket Media Group: Senior Sales Executive / Account Manager - Supply Management

  21-10-2016 02:00
  
  Dependent on experience :Haymarket Media Group:
  Haymarket are recruiting a Senior Sales Executive / Account Manager working for Supply Management / CIPS
  Twickenham, London (Greater)
  
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• Haymarket Media Group: New Business Executive - Marcomms Recruitment

  21-10-2016 02:00
  
  Dependent on experience :Haymarket Media Group:
  Haymarket are now recruiting for new Business executives. This role requires someone who loves getting on the phone and going out on meetings.
  Twickenham, London (Greater)
  
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• Who are the missing NFL viewers?

  21-10-2016 01:11
  
  NEW YORK: A new analysis of falling NFL ratings suggests that the missing viewers are mostly white, blue-collar workers from lower-income households.Pivotal Research reviewed data from Nielsen covering the first five weeks of the season to look at...
  
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• SE Asia influencer strategy needs nuance

  21-10-2016 01:11
  
  SINGAPORE: Engaging South East Asia's online influencers requires more strategic nuance and direct advertising strategies will not work, industry experts have said. "Most brands try to do social media advertising with influencers and… they want to...
  
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• Putting fun back into research

  21-10-2016 01:11
  
  NEW ORLEANS: The research industry's current emphasis on speed doesn't produce much in the way of engagement or meaningful answers, so a Unilever executive advocates a "playful gravity" approach that delivers greater insight. In an ESOMAR paper –...
  
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• P&G calls for measurement shift

  21-10-2016 01:11
  
  ORLANDO, FL: Procter & Gamble's "patience has run out" with the absence of common measurement standards – a problem which is reducing the amount of time brand custodians can spend on the more important task of driving creativity.Marc...
  
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• Ferrero invests in India

  21-10-2016 01:11
  
  PUNE: Ferrero, the Italian chocolate maker, is doubling its investment in India as it develops a "tropical portfolio" of products geared to local tastes and climatic conditions. Roberto Grasso, managing director at Ferrero India, told the Economic...
  
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• Brexit pessimism grows in ad industry

  21-10-2016 01:11
  
  LONDON: There are signs of growing unease in advertising circles about the impact of June's Brexit vote, with industry sources warning that fourth quarter TV advertising revenues could be significantly down on last year.Media sources indicated to...
  
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• Blog: From AR to VR to MR

  21-10-2016 01:11
  
  Microsoft's "mixed reality" HoloLens will be on the market in the UK soon. At OMD's Innovation Week, Brian Carruthers sees some of what it has to offer.
  
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• Aussie brands bypass daigou

  21-10-2016 01:11
  
  SYDNEY/BEIJING: Australian brands are waking up to the daigou phenomenon that has seen private sellers shipping food, cosmetics and health products to China for resale online, with many spying an opportunity to build on this "free" marketing...
  
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• ANA launches leadership initiative

  21-10-2016 01:11
  
  ORLANDO, FL:US marketers have made great strides in embracing new forms of creativity to build their brands, according to the head of the ANA, but he also warned that they need to address a variety of issues that have led to them losing control of...
  
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• Admap Prize 2017 launched

  21-10-2016 01:11
  
  LONDON: Admap, Warc's flagship magazine dedicated to thought leadership, has launched the Admap Prize 2017, offering a $5,000 cash prize to the best essay discussing the subject: How should TV and social media be used to maximum effect?Admap...
  
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• Jeff Bezos told what may be the best startup investment story ever (AMZN)

  21-10-2016 00:35 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has made a lot of money for people who bet on his company over the years.
  But Bezos told an amazing story in San Francisco on Thursday about the first brave souls who invested in Amazon two decades ago.
  According to Bezos, the first 20 or so outside investors in Amazon put in around $50,000 apiece for a stake of a little less than 1% of the company at the time. If those early investors had held on to their entire stakes, and those stakes had never been diluted by l
  
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• Microsoft's Salesforce-killer product is selling well (MSFT)

  21-10-2016 00:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Microsoft reported a lot of good news with its earnings on Thursday, sending its stock to all-time highs.
  For instance, it said revenue for its Productivity and Business Processes unit grew 6% (up 8% in constant currency) to $6.7 billion.
  Most of that is from Office 365. Microsoft says that revenue from the consumer versions of Office 365 alone grew by $24 million. It doesn't report the revenue of the Office 365 it sells to businesses, which is, presumably a lot more, but did say that it gr
  
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• NBCUniversal doubles its investment in BuzzFeed to $400 million, valuing the company at around $1.7 billion

  21-10-2016 00:08 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  NBCU is finalizing an investment of another $200 million into BuzzFeed, at a valuation of about $1.7 billion, according to Recode's Peter Kafka, who cites sources. That would bring NBCU's total investment in BuzzFeed to $400 million.
  A $1.7 billion valuation is slightly raised from last year, when NBCU invested its first $200 million in BuzzFeed at a valuation of $1.5 billion (post-money).
  This investment continues a trend of traditional TV giants investing in digital up
  
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