Sales & Marketing news

• The White House is reportedly considering another stab at 'Trumpcare'

  19-04-2017 23:48 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The White House is considering reviving the American Health Care Act — again — according to a CNN report Wednesday.
  Sources close to the process told CNN's Jim Acosta and Elizabeth Landers that the Trump administration has attempted to make progress on the plan to repeal and replace Obamacare before Trump's 100th day in office, which comes next week.
  An administration official told CNN that they "don't think it's impossible to think we'll have a vote" in the next week
  
  Read more

• A top Silicon Valley dealmaker is predicting a big year for tech M&A

  19-04-2017 23:21 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  In light of the current state of the global economy, capital market conditions and political climate, many are wondering what lies ahead for this year’s technology M&A market.In the U.S., we are closely watching the Trump administration as it pursues its agenda to tighten immigration and the U.S. borders, renegotiate trade agreements, replace Obamacare, and enhance defense and infrastructure spending. Against this backdrop, the economy continues to improve and we are entering the eight
  
  Read more

• Bloomberg is taking a shot at the New York Stock Exchange (again)

  19-04-2017 22:49 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Bloomberg is taking a shot at the New York Stock Exchange. Again. 
  The financial data giant just filed a letter with the Securities and Exchange Commission, complaining about changes to the fee schedule for some trading data from America's biggest stock exchange. 
  There has been a long-running battle in the stock trading community over the cost of market data. At one point in February, this debate descended into Games of Thrones references. 
  This latest episode relates to the cost
  
  Read more

• Young investors are piling into Snapchat but they're overlooking a huge issue (SNAP)

  19-04-2017 22:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Young investors are piling into Snap.
  The firm is among the top stocks of investors under 30 on the mobile trading app Robinhood. And the brokerage firm TDAmeritrade attributed a boost in activity during the first quarter of 2017 to a high number of Snap trades fueled by first-time traders. 
  In many ways, that's not surprising. Snapchat's users skew younger, and many individual investors like to invest in companies they interact with as consumers. For example, Face
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Trump's team is considering a controversial plan that could make his promise to cut taxes harder to keep

  19-04-2017 22:03 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The Trump administration is considering a major shift to tax deductions, new reports have suggested, in a move that could make it even harder to pass tax reform.
  According to Axios' Jonathan Swan, Trump's top economic adviser and former Goldman Sachs executive Gary Cohn is "warming" to a plan that would eliminate the ability to deduct state and local taxes from federal tax returns. This plan has long been favored by conservative groups.
  But the move would likely be a deal breaker for many D
  
  Read more

• OIL GETS SMOKED: Here's what you need to know

  19-04-2017 22:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Crude oil had its steepest drop since March 8 after data from the Energy Information Administration showed that gasoline supplies rose last week for the first time in two months. 
  Here's the scoreboard:
  Dow: 20,404.49, -118.79, (-0.58%)
  S&P 500: 2,338.17, -4.02, (-0.17%)
  Nasdaq: 5,863.03, +13.56, (0.23%)
  WTI crude oil: $50.44, -$1.97, (-3.76%)
  US companies are complaining about "higher turnover rates" and "difficulty retaining workers," according to the Federal Reser
  
  Read more

• Here are the three crucial areas we could see marijuana reform under Trump

  19-04-2017 21:51 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer is bullish on marijuana.
  "This is a pivotal time," Blumenauer, a Democrat, said in a call with reporters on Wednesday. "The long term is clear. I've stated and I strongly believe in five years every state will be able to treat marijuana like it treats alcohol."
  Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, though Oregon is one of the eight states that have legalized it and allowed commercial sale.
  Blumenauer has championed the emerging industry in Washin
  
  Read more

• Oil has its worst day since March

  19-04-2017 21:26 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Oil's worst day since March is in the books.
  West Texas Intermediate closed down 3.99%, or $2.09, at $50.26 a barrel after US oil inventories fell less than expected while gasoline supplies jumped by more than expected. 
  The US Energy Information Administration reported that crude oil stocks fell by 1 million barrels, less than the 1.5 million drawdown that was expected.
  Supplies of gasoline climbed for the the first time in several months. Stockpiles rose 1.5 milli
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Larry Fink fired back at Jamie Dimon's assertion that regulation is hurting the US economy

  19-04-2017 21:23 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Larry Fink doesn't buy Jamie Dimon's complaints about regulation and the mortgage market.
  In an interview with Bloomberg TV on Wednesday, the BlackRock CEO said that he doesn't think the economy has been seriously hurt by the tighter regulations on financial institutions since the financial crisis, contrary to what Dimon argued after JPMorgan's earnings were released on Thursday.
  "I don't believe that we had a reduction in economic activity because of regulation," said Fink.
  
  Read more

• CREDIT SUISSE: Coke will return to growth, but not because of soft drinks (KO)

  19-04-2017 20:40 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Coca-Cola Company's stock price has fallen 7% over the last year as investors have come to realize consumers are becoming increasingly wary of sugary drinks.
  But Credit Suisse equity analyst Laurent Grandet says Coke is set to "sparkle" again with new CEO James Quincey taking over May 1 and a promising turnaround plan in place.
  Grandet circulated a note to clients April 19 upgrading the stock to an "Outperform" rating from "Neutral" and raising his price target to $49 from $44.&nb
  
  Read more

• Exxon Mobil asked the Treasury for a waiver from sanctions to work with Russia

  19-04-2017 20:37 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Exxon Mobil Corp. applied to the Treasury Department for a waiver from sanctions on Russia in an effort to restart its joint venture with state oil company PAO Rosneft, according to the Wall Street Journal's Jay Solomon and Bradley Olson.
  The firm applied for a waiver to proceed in the Black Sea, according to people familiar with the matter.
  The Obama administration previously issued an executive order that imposed sanctions on Russia in response to the country's actions
  
  Read more

• Facebook is working on tech to let you type with your brain and 'hear with your skin' (FB)

  19-04-2017 20:06 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Facebook wants to let you type with your thoughts and "hear with your skin."
  The social network is working on brain-computer-interface technology that "one day will let you communicate using only your mind," according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
  The project is part of Facebook's consumer hardware lab known as Building 8, as Business Insider first reported in January. Little had been publicly revealed about Building 8 until Wednesday, when Facebook took the wraps off the division's first two project
  
  Read more

• Employers are having a harder time finding skilled people to hire, Fed says

  19-04-2017 20:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Employers are having a harder time finding skilled workers to hire as the labor market continues to tighten, according to the Federal Reserve's Beige Book released on Wednesday. 
  The survey of contacts across the Fed's 12 districts includes several anecdotes on the US economy and was prepared ahead of the policy meeting in May. 
  "Labor markets remained tight, and employers in most districts had more difficulty filling low-skilled positions, although labor demand was stronger for higher
  
  Read more

• Traders are getting worried about the 'place to be' in the market (QQQ)

  19-04-2017 19:50 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Tech companies are expected to have the best earnings season in the S&P 500 this quarter.
  Investors aren't taking any chances.
  They're snapping up options that protect against a drop in the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index, pushing the cost of those hedges to the highest it's been since December.
  It's a huge swing in sentiment in just seven weeks, when investors were the most unhedged on tech stocks since late 2014.
  So what's changed? For one, first-quarter earnings growth forecasts have surged,
  
  Read more

• Here are the stocks millennials love more than people over 30 do, according to trading app Robinhood

  19-04-2017 18:52 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Robinhood, the app that lets you trade stocks without paying fees, has been a runaway hit with millennials, who have driven the startup to a reported $1.3 billion valuation.
  The thinking behind Robinhood was that younger people would want to trade stocks differently: namely on their phones and without the fees. But are the stocks they trade different as well?
  To answer that question, we asked Dr. Sahill Poddar, a data scientist at Robinhood, to crunch the numbers. By and larg
  
  Read more

• Wall Street is changing how it trades the world's hottest investment product

  19-04-2017 18:51 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Bond exchange-traded funds have exploded in size in the last few years. The big ticket trades in them are getting bigger too.
  Exchange-traded funds were originally launched as a vehicle for stocks, and they've been attracting assets at a fast clip in recent years. The combined assets of US ETFs stood at $2.7 trillion in February, according to the Investment Company Institute, of which $457.4 billion was in bond ETFs. 
  A growing chunk of the trading in these bond ETFs is now in lar
  
  Read more

• TD Ameritrade: Tons of people set up trading accounts just to buy Snapchat (SNAP)

  19-04-2017 18:40 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Although investors who bought Snap in its trading debut remain underwater, some companies are still counting their gains from the March IPO.
  Online broker TD Ameritrade is one such company. Regardless of whether Snapchat's parent company rises back above its opening price of $24 or not, the firm earns commissions when its clients trade the stock online. 
  And according to Tim Hockey, TD Ameritrade's CEO, Snap was a boost to the company's first-quarter performance.
  TD Ameritrade's averag
  
  Read more

• What defines ‘digital culture’ and how to achieve it

  19-04-2017 17:53
  
  The topic of ‘digital’ culture is currently en vogue. As more companies are formalising their digital-led transformations, they want to know how to ensure that change sticks. This is an effort that involves leadership and, increasingly, HR.
  There is a certain consensus on company culture. Most agree it affects the ability to compete (more so than strategy, perhaps), it is difficult to change, and it is chiefly about people.
  But, further than that, what is it?
  In a recent talk, B
  
  Read more

• Recommended reading: Disruptive technologies and the fan-based economy

  19-04-2017 17:49
  
  Connected World
  Philip Larrey
  Author Philip Larrey is a Catholic priest and chair of logic at the Vatican University. ‘Connected World’ features his conversations with a wide range of thought leaders such as Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google parent company Alphabet, and Publicis Groupe CEO Maurice Levy, in which they consider the philosophical implications of the artificial intelligence revolution. Covering areas such as design, data and industrial systems, this is
  
  Read more

• Converse, Paddy Power, Volvo: The top 10 YouTube ads in March

  19-04-2017 14:57
  1. Grohe: Garbage dog
  The proof is in the pudding; feature a cute dog in your advertising and your YouTube views will skyrocket. At least, that’s what sanitary fittings manufacturer Grohe has found. The ad, which looks to convince viewers of the importance of its new smart Sense system, racked up over four million views in March.
  2. Mercedes-Benz Cars UK: The C-ClassDespite a fairly functional ad, Mercedes-Benz has generated a lot of eyes with its latest campaign, having bagged the second
  
  Read more

• A third of marketers hired more staff in the first quarter

  19-04-2017 13:00
  
  Marketers are feeling more optimistic about taking on new staff after recovering from a dip in confidence at the end of 2016, the latest quarterly IPA Bellwether report has revealed.
  When asked in January whether they expected overall employment to be higher, the same or lower at their company in three months’ time, almost a third (31.3%) of those surveyed signalled positive expectations for employment, compared to 16.8% who predicted a fall.
  As a result, the net balance of marketers looki
  
  Read more

• Mark Ritson: Here’s why you don’t ask a marketing professor for career advice

  19-04-2017 11:37
  
  One of the delights of being the fat bloke in a suit on the back page of Marketing Week for many years and then, with the digital revolution, the fat bloke in a suit on the Marketing Week website for many more, is that young marketers start to venerate you.
  Don’t get me wrong. A lot of them anti-venerate you too. Dear God, they do that a lot more. But simple numbers mean occasionally you get the odd positive mentoring question about qualifications, career advice and general marketing stuff
  
  Read more

• Agencies are sceptical about ‘integrated’ client briefs

  19-04-2017 09:00
  
  Agencies are frustrated that too many brands are still briefing work with specific channels and outputs in mind, rather than adopting integrated communications strategies, new research shows.
  The survey from the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) is based on responses from 32 multinational clients across 12 sectors with an annual spend of more than $14bn (£11bn). Their responses were compared with those of 46 senior agency staff with global and regional roles to provide an agency view o
  
  Read more

• Why Africa is the ‘final frontier’ for global brands

  19-04-2017 08:00
  
  One of the new channel idents for MTV Base in AfricaThe dynamics of the global economy are shifting apace. With uncertainty in developed markets such as the UK, the US and Europe, many brands are looking beyond their traditional customer bases in search of new opportunities and sources of growth. Africa, the world’s poorest continent but also the most untapped by consumer brands, looks set to benefit.
  Africa is of course a huge landmass with massively varied conditions across its countrie
  
  Read more

• UK marketers upgrade budgets despite uncertainty

  19-04-2017 02:00
  
  LONDON: UK marketers are putting Brexit concerns to one side as new research shows they revised their budgets up in Q1 2017, with significant growth recorded in internet and main media advertising categories.This is according to data from the
  
  Read more

• Stadium signage challenges agencies

  19-04-2017 02:00
  
  SYDNEY: The advent of both temporary and permanent in-stadium digital signage is opening up new opportunities for advertisers, with agencies yet to establish the best way of using them without unnecessary distraction.The stadium marketplace in...
  
  Read more

• Motorola dials up programmatic success

  19-04-2017 02:00
  
  NEW YORK: Motorola, the telecoms brand, has shown how programmatic advertising can successfully be integrated into campaigns that are seeking to launch new products.Beth Reilly, Head of Global Media and Consumer Engagement at Motorola Mobility...
  
  Read more

• McDonald's launches unbranded campaign

  19-04-2017 02:00
  
  NEW YORK: A new US ad for QSR giant McDonald's mentions two brands, Coca-Cola and Google, while avoiding the brand bankrolling the spot –referring to it only as "that place where Coke tastes so good".The ads, which aired for the first time...
  
  Read more

• Hasbro's livestreaming formula

  19-04-2017 02:00
  
  AUSTIN, TX: Hasbro, the toy manufacturer, believes livestreaming can help its brands achieve new forms of consumer engagement – but only if it is underpinned by sound fundamentals based around quality and relevance.Victor Lee, Hasbro's...
  
  Read more

• China remains target market for auto brands

  19-04-2017 02:00
  
  BEIJING: Last year 11m cars were recalled in China, just over 120,000 of which were domestic brands, but this apparent discrepancy is notdeterring foreign brands from targeting what remains a growing market.Chinese auto brands, which accounted...
  
  Read more

• Brand briefing remains an issue for agencies

  19-04-2017 02:00
  
  GLOBAL:Global brands are improving their ability to brief for integrated communications but there is more work to be done on alignment, clarity and timing, a new survey has shown.Conducted by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), the...
  
  Read more

• Asia leads US on creative innovation

  19-04-2017 02:00
  
  SINGAPORE: Asia is leading the world when it comes to creative innovation while the US is falling behind, according to a senior agency creative.In an interview with Mumbrella Asia, Pelle Sjoenell – BBH's global creative chief –...
  
  Read more

• Plastic surgery ad banned for ‘exploiting’ young women’s insecurities

  19-04-2017 01:01
  
  The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has branded a TV ad as “irresponsible” after it glorified breast enlargement among young women.
  MYA Cosmetic Surgery aired the controversial TV ad on 16 January 2017. The ad focuses on multiple young women – some of which are wearing bikinis and sat in a Jacuzzi tub – each discussing how breast surgery has transformed their confidence.
  One of the girls says: “I can’t believe I used to be so ne
  
  Read more

• Marketer confidence on the up despite Brexit and Google concerns

  19-04-2017 01:01
  
  Despite economic concerns around Brexit and security fears around advertising with Google, marketers have started the new year by increasing their budgets once again.
  More than a quarter (26.5%) of senior marketers indicated an increase in marketing budgets in the first quarter of 2017, compared to 14.7% who signalled a fall, according to the IPA’s quarterly Bellwether report.
  This means the net balance of marketers saying they would increase their marketing spend was 11.8%, marking the fo
  
  Read more

Follow @sales_mrktinguk on Twitter!