Sales & Marketing news

• 4 GOP senators just threw a wrench in the Republican plan to repeal Obamacare before it was even released

  06-03-2017 23:45 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday, Republican Sens. Rob Portman, Shelley Moore Capito, Cory Gardner, and Lisa Murkowski laid out concerns regarding the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, in what could be the beginning of serious trouble for the GOP's plan to overhaul the healthcare law.
  The four senators wrote that they were specifically concerned with the leaked draft version of the House GOP's Obamacare repeal and replacement bill as it p
  
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• Exxon plans to invest $20 billion in US Gulf Coast refining projects over the next 5 years (XOM)

  06-03-2017 22:26 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp, the world's largest publicly traded oil producer, said on Monday it would invest $20 billion through 2022 to expand its chemical and oil refining plants on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
  The investments at 11 sites should create 35,000 temporary construction jobs and 12,000 permanent jobs, Chief Executive Darren Woods said in a speech at CERAWeek, the world's largest gathering of energy executives.
  Woods ran Exxon's refining division before becoming CEO two months ago and the
  
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• Snapchat closes below its IPO opening price (SNAP)

  06-03-2017 22:10 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Snap Inc. had its first down day in the stock market since going public on Thursday.
  Shares of the parent company of Snapchat fell 12% in trading on Monday to as low as $23.79, below the opening price of $24 a share. They were about 16% lower than their high after the initial public offering.
  Even though there was huge demand for Snap's shares, making it the largest tech IPO since Alibaba in 2014, none of the seven analysts who cover Snap rate it a "Buy." Analysts who advise investors
  
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• STOCKS FALL: Here's what you need to know (SNAP)

  06-03-2017 22:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Stocks traded lower to start the week and an intraday climb was insufficient to log a positive close for the market.
  Traders began the day with news that North Korea fired four ballistic missiles and President Donald Trump accused his predecessor, Barack Obama, of wiretapping him. 
  Here's the scoreboard:Dow: 20,954.34, -51.37, (-0.24%)
  S&P 500: 2,375.31, -7.81, (-0.33%)Nasdaq: 5,849.17, -21.58, (-0.37%)
  Snap already tanked below its IPO opening price. Following the 44% pop on
  
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• Here's how many hours hedge funders worked in 2016

  06-03-2017 21:32 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Everyone knows people on Wall Street work long hours.
  In order to get ahead, many Wall Streeters have to stay at the office late into the night, take work home with them, or both.
  The 2017 Hedge Fund Compensation Report aggregates compensation information from "hundreds of portfolio managers" from over 200 firms. 
  According to the report, the number of hedge fund workers who clocked in more than 60 hours per week rose from 9% in 2015 to 15%. But the majority still works 40 to 59 hours per w
  
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• There's a problem with the post-Trump boom in economic data

  06-03-2017 20:41 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  In the months following the election of President Donald Trump, economic data have been on an upswing.
  Survey measures of expectations such as consumer confidence, purchasing manager surveys, and regional Federal Reserve surveys have all seen booms. Citi's US economic surprise index — a measure of economic data' performance against expectations — has been pushed to multi-year highs.
  There's only one problem: This boost may not be as good as it appears.
  Much of the rece
  
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• Trump is right that America has lost manufacturing jobs — he's just picking on the wrong country

  06-03-2017 20:33 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  President Donald Trump spent much of his election campaign attacking Mexico and China for, in his words, "killing us on trade" because of "bad trade deals."
  As president, however, Trump's harsh tone with Mexico has persisted while he has mostly backed off the stronger China rhetoric — even though China had a much larger impact on the manufacturing jobs the president has said he wants to "bring back" to the US.
  The chart below, which shows the path of US manufacturing employment over time,
  
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• It's another day of 'good news is bad news' at Bill Ackman's nightmare stock (VRX)

  06-03-2017 19:16 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Here's the good news: Valeant Pharmaceuticals has raised $1.1 billion dollars in asset sales it will use to pay down debt. It's also taking this opportunity to refinance more of its $30 billion outstanding debt load.
  That's also the bad news. The stock is down over 4%, adding to its 20% slide over the last week.
  Last Tuesday on the company's earnings call, Valeant execs told investors they "plan to be in compliance with the maintenance covenants in our credit agreement through 2017."
  Now, if the
  
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• SNAP TANKS: What you need to know on Wall Street right now

  06-03-2017 19:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Welcome to Finance Insider, Business Insider's summary of the top stories of the past 24 hours.
  Snap Inc. is having its first down day in the stock market since going public last Thursday.
  Shares of the parent company of Snapchat fell 7% in early trading on Monday to as low as $24.85. They were about 14% lower than their high after the initial public offering.
  In other deals news, General Motors is selling Opel, its European division, to Peugeot for $2.3 billion. The asset managers Standar
  
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• Paul Ryan's plan to repeal and replace Obamacare is expected to come out soon — here are the biggest fights he'll face

  06-03-2017 18:56 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  House Speaker Paul Ryan and the House GOP leadership are expected to roll out their plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare, sometime over the next few days.
  The bill will be moved through a process known as budget reconciliation, meaning it would only influence the parts of the ACA that have to do with federal funding. It would pertain to massive parts of the law including Medicaid expansion, the mandate that everyone must buy insurance, and all ta
  
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• Stocks have entered the 'danger zone'

  06-03-2017 18:43 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  This bull market is simultaneously one of the most loved and hated in history.
  Credit it to the fact that stocks have kept rising in the face of several indicators that suggest this can't continue.
  Stocks have rallied even in the face of what strategist Jeff Saut of Raymond James said is the media's glass-half-empty coverage of President Donald Trump.
  Investor optimism has also climbed to historic highs, alongside business and consumer confidence.
  That's at odds with some strategists, including
  
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• Trump just signed a new travel ban that bars all refugees from entering the US for 120 days — here are 7 surprising facts about the refugee resettlement process

  06-03-2017 18:34 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  President Trump signed a new executive order Monday, barring travelers from six predominantly Muslim nations from entering the US. 
  The new version, which was postponed several times and goes into effect March 16, replaces a previous ban, which courts blocked. It lasts for 90 days and bars entry to those from Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen, unless they have a visa. Iraq is no longer on the list. 
  The order also includes some changes for refugees. 
  Whereas the o
  
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• A biotech exec just got real about one of the largest middlemen in the drug industry

  06-03-2017 18:23 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Another drug executive just pinned the blame for soaring drug prices on the middlemen who help insurance plans and companies negotiate what they'll pay for a medicine. 
  Pharmacy benefit managers are hired to help insurance plans determine what drugs they'll cover (ideally, favoring the most effective medicine) and what they'll pay for it. They also take a cut, though, of the rebates that drugmakers will pay back to the insurer or whoever is paying for the medicine.  
  That cut has
  
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• 16 brilliant quotes from Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's right-hand man

  06-03-2017 18:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Charlie Munger dropped out of college, served as a meteorologist in the US Army Air Corps, and graduated from Harvard Law.
  And then he met Warren Buffett, and the rest is history.
  As vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Munger is Buffett's right-hand man. He has an estimated net worth of $1.51 billion.
  Like Buffett, Munger is incredibly sharp in his wit and investing wisdom. You might even argue that his words are more blunt and unfiltered than Buffett's.
  We compiled a list of Munger's most
  
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• Retailers are slumping on declining February sales (JCP, M, KSS, SHLD)

  06-03-2017 18:14 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Department store stocks are taking a beating on Monday, following word that February store sales slumped amid declining store traffic.
  Sales slumped 17% from January 31 to February 23 compared to the same period last year, Bloomberg reports, citing First Data figures. The drop came as store traffic decreased 16.3% during the same period.
  Additionally, growth in digital sales surpassed same-store sales growth in the 4th quarter of 2016.
  Here's a look at the sector's performance in the a
  
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• 3 reasons why GM is getting out of the European car business (GM)

  06-03-2017 18:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  General Motors' long-held stake in the European car business came to and end on Monday when the automaker announced that it would sell its Opel/Vauxhall division to France's PSA Group for $2.3 billion.
  GM came close to selling Opel in the aftermath of the Detroit giant's 2009 bankruptcy, but the deal never made it to the finish line. Since then, GM has struggled to make Opel profitable. 
  The deal was a bold move by GM CEO Mary Barra, who is determined to cut losses and cut them quickly. Alr
  
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• Jägermeister moves into radio but vows to ‘engage, not broadcast’

  06-03-2017 17:15
  
  Jägermeister has launched its own radio station in partnership with Soho Radio in a bid to reach more than 100 million consumers.
  Jäger Soho will be based in central London and forms part of the brand’s latest move in its JägerMusic Programme, which supports emerging and established artists.
  The one-year partnership is set to reach over 100 million consumers via the radio station’s listeners and Jägermeister UK’s amplification channels. It claims the partne
  
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• News UK: Marketers need to hold Facebook and Google to account

  06-03-2017 16:46
  
  Marketers need to be warier and demand more openness when it comes to digital metrics, says News UK’s chief marketing officer for The Times and Sunday Times Catherine Newman.
  Ad fraud and ad viewability are dominating the headlines this year, with Procter & Gamble’s chief brand officer Marc Pritchard recently urging the industry to clean up the “murky” media supply system. Digital giant Facebook has also landed in hot water after admitting it overestimated its digita
  
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• Coca-Cola reveals its ‘point of view’ on diversity and inclusion in new campaign

  06-03-2017 14:03
  
  Coca-Cola has unveiled the latest ad for its ‘Taste the Feeling’ campaign, including “a wink” to the company’s stance on diversity and inclusion.
  The ad shows a brother and a sister race to win the affection of the family pool boy by being the first to offer him a cold Coca-Cola. Unfortunately for them, their Mum was just a bit faster.
  It follows on from the ‘Brotherly Love’ ad, which came out early last year, and looks to deliver a “fresh”
  
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• Kellogg’s on representing ‘modern Britain’

  06-03-2017 10:44
  
  Where does the Corn Flakes marketing team look for new sources of creativity?
  Kellogg’s Corn Flakes is an iconic UK brand. Therefore we thought it important that our next campaign represented current modern Britain, and looking forward versus a nostalgic look back. We worked with Leo Burnett to create something that was fresh, new and ultimately different from what we have done before. We are always listening to insights from our customers and consumers because we want to talk to our core
  
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• Brands must retain their empathy as automation accelerates

  06-03-2017 10:37
  
  Ever feel as though the joy has been sucked from your job? The once fun, creative aspects of your marketing role – the things you signed up for in the first place – are now handed off to data specialists, algorithms and machines. Technology is on its inevitable march and you are starting to feel as obsolete as the old fax machine in the corner of the office…
  This scenario may seem overly pessimistic, but it is one that more and more marketers are confronting as automation see
  
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• Snapchat, AI and Sky: Everything that matters this morning

  06-03-2017 09:00
  
  Retail sales decline for first time in five years
  Non-food sales declined by 0.4 per cent in the quarter to February for the first time since November 2011, according to the retail sales monitor reported by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG.
  It’s another indication that consumer spending is slowing. GfK’s monthly consumer confidence index shows that British consumers are moving away from making major purchases as concerns about the economy hit confidence amid warnings tha
  
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• Nestlé, Nike and Twitter: Everything that matters this morning

  06-03-2017 09:00
  
  Nestlé pledges to cut 10% of sugar by 2018
  Nestlé has announced it will remove 10% of the sugar content from all its snacks in the UK and Ireland by 2018.
  The company, which makes brands such as KitKat, Quality Street, Smarties and Yorkie, said it was responding to public health concerns around obesity levels and unhealthy food.
  Nestlé also stated that it would not replace sugar with artificial sweeteners and would instead look at other ways of designing its products. &ldqu
  
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• Fake news, Morrisons and Pret: Everything that matters this morning

  06-03-2017 09:00
  
  NMA calls for Facebook and Google fake news probe
  The News Media Association (NMA) has called for an urgent investigation into the impact of Google, Facebook and the digital advertising supply chain on the spread of fake news.
  In its submission to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into fake news, the NMA said action needs to be taken to ensure agenda setting journalism can survive and thrive in the digital environment.
  “News media publishers are by far the biggest inv
  
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• Facebook, Peugeot-Citroen, John Lewis: Everything that matters this morning

  06-03-2017 09:00
  
  Facebook is looking to buy up to 30-minute shows
  According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook is asking for pitches for TV-like shows in half a dozen genres, including science, sports, pop culture, gaming and teens and lifestyle, as the platform continues its push into video content.
  The weekly shows are set to last up to 30 minutes and Facebook is said to be willing to offer a “premium digital rate” for scripted shows, low to mid six figures per episode.
  READ MORE: Facebook Inten
  
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• Airbnb, Aldi and Volkswagen: Everything that matters this morning

  06-03-2017 09:00
  
  Airbnb valued at $31bn
  Airbnb has closed a funding round of more than $1bn (£820m) that values the company at more than $31bn (£25.5bn). The funding is part of its Series F round, which it began raising in June last year. Airbnb has declined to say who the new backers are, but previous investors include Google parent Alphabet’s venture capital arm GV. It has raised more than $3.5bn (£2.9b) in total.
  The round makes Airbnb one of the most highly valued US tech businesses,
  
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• The future of creativity in an automated world

  06-03-2017 08:30
  
  Is creativity in the marketing industry on a slow death march? Go to any marketing conference or seminar these days and you are likely to hear someone lament declining creative standards and the loss of ‘brand magic’.
  Financial pressures have put a squeeze on marketers’ ability to unleash their creative instincts, but of greater concern is the role of technology and automation. The growing influence of programmatic media buying, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI
  
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• Women reveal their top brands

  06-03-2017 01:00
  LONDON/SAN FRANCISCO: Women on both sides of the Atlantic have given their verdict about which brands deliver the best positive impression, with retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) winning in the UK while Band-Aid tops the rankings in the US. ...
  
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• Small businesses rapidly embrace apps

  06-03-2017 01:00
  WASHINGTON DC: Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are rapidly adopting mobile apps, and increasing sales and improving customer service are the two main reasons driving the trend, a new survey has found.According to research firm Clutch,...
  
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• Nokia is more than just phones, says CMO

  06-03-2017 01:00
  BARCELONA: Technology firm Nokia gained worldwide attention last week when it announced the reintroduction of its iconic 3310 handset at the Mobile World Congress, but the company's CMO says the brand is about much more than mobile phones.Speaking...
  
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• McDonald's sees home delivery potential

  06-03-2017 01:00
  CHICAGO: McDonald's, the quick service restaurant chain, last week unveiled its global growth plan, which included a strong hint that it plans to roll out a home delivery service in its top five market to reignite sales and win back customers.The...
  
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• Mazda targets 'premium' drivers

  06-03-2017 01:00
  HOLLYWOOD, FL: Carmaker Mazda is seeking to reach "premium" consumers – a group it defines in terms of engagement and meeting certain psychographic criteria, rather than only using financial metrics.Russell Wager, VP/Marketing for Mazda's...
  
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• Chinese shoppers boost Aussie brands

  06-03-2017 01:00
  SYDNEY: Chinese personal shoppers, known as "daigou", have emerged as a powerful consumer segment in Australia, as more Australian brands head for the lucrative China market.Thousands of daigou buy local brands in Australia exclusively for the...
  
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• Alibaba builds Indian e-commerce stake

  06-03-2017 01:00
  NEW DELHI: Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, is to invest Rs 1,180 crore ($177m) to increase its holding in Paytm E-Commerce, an online unit of One97 Communications, which owns the Paytm brand.It means Alibaba, along with its payments...
  
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