Sales & Marketing news

• Pinterest raises $150 million at 2015 share price and $12 billion valuation

  06-06-2017 20:56 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Pinterest has raised $150 million in funding from existing investors at a $12.3 billion valuation, the company said on Tuesday.
  The round was based on Pinterest's share price from two years ago and brings its valuation up slightly from $11 billion in April 2015.
  Choosing to raise more money now could delay Pinterest's eventual initial public offering, which the app maker has said isn't coming soon.
  "One goal is to make the product experience great outside of the US, and the second is to continu
  
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• 'If you are human' you should be investing your money, says financial editor of NBC's 'Today Show'

  06-06-2017 20:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  If you're not investing your money because you're no stock-picking genius and you don't earn a six-figure paycheck, guess what? Neither of these is a requirement to become a successful investor.
  "If you are human, you are a good candidate to be investing your money," Jean Chatzky, financial editor of NBC's "Today Show" and senior editor at The Balance, told Business Insider in a Facebook Live interview.
  "We all need to invest because there is no other way to keep up with taxes and inflation," sa
  
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• There was no way David Einhorn was ever going to get his way with GM (GM)

  06-06-2017 20:29 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  At General Motors' annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday, a proposal from Greenlight Capital to split the carmaker's stock into two classes and replace three directors on the board was shot down.
  Greenlight's David Einhorn has been pushing his scheme hard over the past few weeks, firing off letters to GM shareholders and decrying the company's management for a stock price that's currently trading at its 2010 IPO price. Greenlight owns 3.6% of GM's stock, so Einhorn has understandably been lookin
  
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• Deloitte's COO explains his view of the economy, fintech, and why we shouldn't be afraid of robots

  06-06-2017 20:04 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited is one of the most powerful financial companies in the world.
  The 172-year-old UK firm, which is commonly referred to as Deloitte, is known for its audit and consulting services. In 2016, the company's workforce stood at more than 240,000 employees and its revenues totaled about $36 billion, according to the firm's 2016 Global Report.  
  Heading the operations of the multi-national and multi-billion dollar outfit is Fr
  
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• 'I just don't think we can put it together': Senate Republicans may try to vote by July 4 on a healthcare bill that could fail

  06-06-2017 19:55 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Senate Republicans appear to be running headlong into a healthcare bill that may not pass.
  Reports say GOP leaders are looking for an end to the debate over their proposed healthcare overhaul during 2017 — one way or another.
  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and leadership are presenting their conference with options for their version of a healthcare bill at a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, according to those reports. The Senate is expected to essentially start from scratch
  
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• A Wall Street bank used bitcoin to prove that NVIDIA is better than its competitors (NVDA)

  06-06-2017 19:29 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  NVIDIA stock is a darling among millennial investors, and bitcoin could be a reason why they are right to love the stock.
  NVIDIA makes graphics processing units, also known as GPUs or graphics cards, and it competes with companies like AMD. When the average consumer shops for a GPU, they are primarily looking at performance versus price, trying to find the best bang for their buck.
  That same measure doesn't work as well when you scale that comparison up to giant data centers.
  
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• Macy's plunges to a 6-year low after warning that its profit margins are shrinking (M, JWN, KSS)

  06-06-2017 19:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  Macy's warned on Tuesday that its profit margins are shrinking, sending the company's shares down by as much as 7%.
  Karen Hoguet, the department-store chain's chief financial officer, said at the annual investor day that second-quarter gross margins were running about one percentage point below last year's level, Bloomberg reported. The company reaffirmed its earnings forecast amid cost cuts. 
  Macy's is shutting down about 15% of its store base, or about 100 stores, as it copes wi
  
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• An insurer just made Obamacare's nightmare scenario worse, and it could be 'the tip of the iceberg'

  06-06-2017 19:14 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Anthem on Tuesday announced it would not participate in the individual health-insurance exchanges in Ohio for the 2018 plan year. That could leave 20 counties in the state without any plans on the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act, the healthcare law better known as Obamacare.
  In a statement to Business Insider, Anthem cited "continual changes in federal operations, rules, and guidance" as its primary reason for exiting the marketplaces.
  The insurer said disruptions in the mar
  
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• Alex Hesz: ‘It’s time to embrace the radical middle’

  06-06-2017 18:37
  
  It was perhaps the defining image of Cool Britannia. Noel Gallagher, champagne, no tie, huge eyebrows, chatting amiably to a grinning Tony Blair at a Number 10 reception, the PM’s hands clasped in front of him, head tilted in studied attention. The middle of the middle. A centre-ground politician with a mandate the size of Knebworth, a centre-ground musician who only needed to trot out four familiar chords to send the NME into paroxysms of glee, meeting at the centre of British power. Outs
  
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• Wall Street firms are betting that the technology behind bitcoin could help them cut jobs

  06-06-2017 18:28 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Wall Street is convinced that blockchain is set to radically transform the world of finance. But exactly how and when that transformation will transpire is uncertain. 
  Blockchain, which gained notoriety as the technology behind the cryptocurrency bitcoin, is thought to have the potential to improve numerous businesses including banking, payments, and the capital markets. 
  Cognizant, a US-based digital consulting firm, recently surveyed over 1,500 executive
  
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• 'So, do you want to see the car?': The story of the day that Tesla stunned the world (TSLA, F)

  06-06-2017 18:21 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  In early 2016, Ford was intensely preparing to stage a history-repeating assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France.With two teams and four new Ford GT race cars competing in both North America and Europe, the goal was to grab a win at the grueling endurance competition and remind the world of Ford's 1-2-3 triumph in 1966 over Ferrari — 50 years before.But while Ford and Chip Ganassi Racing were battling it out on the track, another challenge was taking shape.In California, Tesla CEO Elo
  
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• Sears CEO's public feud with a top supplier has been mysteriously resolved (SHLD)

  06-06-2017 18:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Sears CEO Eddie Lampert eviscerated a top tool vendor in a blog post last month, then filed a lawsuit against the company claiming that it refused to honor its contract with the retailer.
  The conflict between the two companies has since been resolved, Sears said Monday. The retailer declined to provide any details on what kind of agreement was reached.
  In a May 15 blog post, Lampert said One World Technologies was trying to "embarrass" Sears and "take unfair advantage" of the retailer by ch
  
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• MARK CUBAN: Bitcoin is a 'bubble'

  06-06-2017 18:10 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Add billionaire Mark Cuban to those who are skeptical of bitcoin and the cryptocurrency universe. "I think it's in a bubble. I just don't know when or how much it corrects. When everyone is bragging about how easy they are making $=bubble," Cuban said in a tweetstorm on Tuesday. 
  Cuban's tweetstorm comes on the heels of bitcoin's latest record high near $2,900 a coin. The cryptocurrency has gained in 33 of the past 38 sessions, tacking on 144% over that time. It's up 200% so
  
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• Wall Street has been dead wrong on one of its biggest calls of the year

  06-06-2017 17:45 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The call up and down Wall Street was the same: Treasury yields would rise in 2017 as Donald Trump would bring inflation back to the US.Strategists and traders were betting that Trump's protectionist trade policy, tax cuts, deregulation, and massive infrastructure spending would spur growth and push prices higher.So yields on bonds would have to rise and bond prices — which move inversely to the yields — would therefore tumble.Shortly after the election, Bank of America's Michael Har
  
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• The value of gaining experience across sectors

  06-06-2017 17:39
  
  Annabel Venner began her career on the production floor at pharmaceuticals firm SmithKline Beecham (now part of GlaxoSmithKline). It was here that she got a taste for marketing and transferred to the marketing department to work on brands such as Night Nurse and Beechams powders.
  After being made redundant following a business restructure, Venner had a short stint as marketing analyst at British American Tobacco – a job she describes as her “least well
  
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• From biscuits to insurance: The value of gaining experience across sectors

  06-06-2017 17:39
  
  Annabel Venner began her career on the production floor at pharmaceuticals firm SmithKline Beecham (now part of GlaxoSmithKline). It was here that she got a taste for marketing and transferred to the marketing department to work on brands such as Night Nurse and Beechams powders.
  After being made redundant following a business restructure, Venner had a short stint as marketing analyst at British American Tobacco – a job she describes as her “least well t
  
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• A crucial stock market signal just got its most bullish reading of the year

  06-06-2017 17:34 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  US stocks may be hovering near record levels, but investors don't seem to be particularly worried about protecting the plentiful gains they've enjoyed.
  At least that's the signal being sent by the options market, which is more unhedged on the S&P 500 than at any point this year.
  The CBOE Equity Put/Call Ratio fell to 0.51 on Monday, the lowest since December 8, and 20% below the measure's current bull market average. A low reading implies that traders are making a small number of b
  
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• Tesla is trading at all time highs (TSLA)

  06-06-2017 17:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Tesla stock price just broke $354.00 and set an all-time record for the company.
  The electric car maker went public in 2011, and has risen 1212% since then. In 2017, it is up 64%.
  The company is ramping up production of its Model 3 car, set to be released at the end of this year, or early next. Trading of the company began Tuesday at $344.70.
  This news comes after Toyota announced it would be selling its entire stake in the company, which doesn't seem to have phased Tesla investors.
  Click here t
  
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• 10 US cities where everyone wants to live right now

  06-06-2017 17:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Austin is so hot right now — and no, we're not talking about the rising temperatures.
  According to new data compiled by realtor.com, the Texas capital is seeing an influx of newcomers from other cities, and the population is booming, making it the No. 1 most popular place to live in the US right now.
  If you've been keeping an eye on a number of other top cities lists, it should come as no surprise that so many people want to move to Austin — the city ranks No. 3 on the best
  
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• Apple stock could rise because of these 3 announcements from its biggest event of the year (AAPL)

  06-06-2017 16:54 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Apple's developer conference is often a gut-check for bullish investors, and the company seems to have passed the test this time.
  A note from Macquarie Research described Apple's World Wide Developer Conference as "solid, if unsurprising." The firm maintains its buy rating, saying Apple could jump about 4% to $160 from its current price of $153.93. Immediately following the conference, shares of the tech company were down about 1%.
  The note pointed to three of the bigges
  
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• Three hires former O2 and Harvey Nichols marketer as new CMO

  06-06-2017 16:47
  
  Three has hired former O2 and Harvey Nichols marketer Shadi Halliwell as its new CMO as it looks to establish the mobile operator as one of Britain’s best loved brands.
  Halliwell has extensive experience in the mobile space having spent more than 20 years at BT and O2, most recently as brand director. She joined Harvey Nichols three years ago as group creative and marketing director and was responsible for reinvigorating the brand through a focus on customer experience.
  READ MORE: Harvey N
  
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• The 10 biggest box-office bombs of 2017 so far

  06-06-2017 16:28 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  As we're halfway through 2017, we thought it would be a good time to look at the movies that pretty much no one has wanted to see in theaters so far this year.
  While movies like "Get Out," "Logan," "Beauty and the Beast," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," and "Wonder Woman" have all found love at the box office, there are some titles that were seeking major coin and Rotten Tomatoes "Fresh" ratings only to be playing in front of empty seats at the multiplex.
  From "Baywatch" to "Monster Trucks," t
  
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• GM shareholders shoot down David Einhorn's radical stock-split plan (GM)

  06-06-2017 16:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  At General Motors' annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday a radical plan from Greenlight Capital, a hedge fund overseen by David Einhorn, was voted down.
  Greenlight, which controls more than 3% of GM's shares, wanted to split the stock into two classes: dividend shares and "capital appreciation" shares.
  Over several months, Einhorn vigorously argued that his scheme would unlock billions in value for GM shareholders.
  The carmaker's stock has languished since its 2010 IPO, after a government b
  
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• Marketoonist on targeting generation z

  06-06-2017 15:49
  
  Tom Fishburne is founder of Marketoon Studios. Follow his work at marketoonist.com or on Twitter @tomfishburne
  See more of the Marketoonist here
  The post Marketoonist on targeting generation z appeared first on Marketing Week.
  
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• Marketoonist on targeting Gen Z

  06-06-2017 15:49
  
  Tom Fishburne is founder of Marketoon Studios. Follow his work at marketoonist.com or on Twitter @tomfishburne
  See more of the Marketoonist here
  The post Marketoonist on targeting Gen Z appeared first on Marketing Week.
  
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• Vodafone blocks ads from appearing on sites that promote hate speech or fake news

  06-06-2017 13:40
  
  Vodafone is blocking its advertising from appearing on websites that feature hate speech or ‘fake news’ as it looks to protect its reputation amid wider industry concerns about brand messages appearing alongside unsavoury content.
  The new rules mean Vodafone will move away from its previous blacklisting approach to instead adopt a whitelist. That will use content controls designed by its agency partner WPP, as well as Google and Facebook, with the aim of ensuring that Vodafone’
  
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• Vodafone block ads from appearing on sites that promote hate speech or fake news

  06-06-2017 13:40
  
  Vodafone is blocking its advertising from appearing on websites that feature hate speech or ‘fake news’ as it looks to protect its reputation amid wider industry concerns about brand messages appearing alongside unsavoury content.
  The move will see Vodafone adopt a “whitelist-based approach” that will use content controls designed by its agency partner WPP, as well as Google and Facebook. The aim is to ensure Vodafone’s ad are only served “within selected outl
  
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• Malaysia ecommerce expects 23% yearly growth until 2021

  06-06-2017 02:00
  
  KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's online retail market is forecast to grow 23% per year until 2021, largely down to electronics and media, according to a new report from management consultancy firm A.T. Kearney.The firm's Global Retail Development Index,...
  
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• How McDonald's Japan went from loss to profit in less than 3 years

  06-06-2017 02:00
  
  TOKYO: Following record losses, McDonald's Japan needed to understand its customers and rediscover what made the brand important to them. By adapting to consumer demands and strengthening the brand, McDonald's returned to profit.Sarah Casanova,...
  
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• Google, Apple, Microsoft most valuable brands

  06-06-2017 02:00
  
  GLOBAL: Consumer-focused tech brands that develop ecosystems, catering to many needs, take the top three positions in a survey of the world's most valuable brands, suggesting brands that offer simplicity in an increasingly complex world dominate. ...
  
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• For in-house agencies, talent is the #1 priority

  06-06-2017 02:00
  
  LONDON: In the wake of many big brands' implementation of in-house creative capabilities, Alex Thom, a management consultant who helped set up the BBC's in-house agency, has argued cost-saving ambitions are not enough; brands need a clear business...
  
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• CX is a top C-suite priority but lacks ownership

  06-06-2017 02:00
  
  GLOBAL: Delivering on customer experience is one of the top priorities for US and UK chief executives, a new survey reveals, but a third report confusion over who 'owns' the customer.According to figures from Calabrio, a software company working...
  
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• Chatbot tips from Activision

  06-06-2017 02:00
  
  AUSTIN, TX: Brands seeking to engage consumers with chatbots must consider factors such as their purpose, potential audiences and likely usage patterns to succeed, a leading executive from Activision, the games developer, has argued.Monte Lutz,...
  
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• UK brands fail to keep pace with the growth of the BrandZ top 100

  06-06-2017 01:01
  
  The combined value of UK’s top 13 brands has dropped by 4% over the past year, according to the latest data from Kantar Millward Brown’s BrandZ.
  Vodafone, which tops the UK ranking, has seen a 14% drop in brand value to $31.6bn. BT has seen a similar fall in its value, meaning it drops back into fourth place with a valuation of $16bn.
  BT has had a tough few months, after an accounting scandal in Italy wiped £8bn off the stock market value of the company, while the quality
  
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• Google reigns supreme as world’s most valuable brand

  06-06-2017 01:01
  
  After several years of snatching the prize from each other, Google has managed to fight off Apple to defend its position as the world’s most valuable brand in Kantar Millward Brown’s 2017 BrandZ ranking.
  The internet giant has extended its lead after achieving a 7% increase to $246bn, compared to Apple’s 3% rise to $235bn, meaning there is now a 4.4% value difference between to two global leaders. Last year it was far closer at 0.3%.
  Microsoft (third) and Facebook (fifth)
  
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• ‘Ecosystem’ brands are the clear winners in the BrandZ top 100

  06-06-2017 01:01
  
  Brands that make consumers’ lives easier by connecting a number of different aspects into one ecosystem are thriving and have the most potential for future growth, according to data from Kantar Millward Brown’s 2017 BrandZ ranking.
  Four of the top five brands in this year’s study – Google (1), Apple (2), Microsoft (3), Amazon (4) – are classed as ecosystem brands.
  Amazon was the top riser last year and is one of the highest climbers in 2017 having grown 41% &nd
  
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• Amazon enters the top 5 global brands for the first time as Adidas’s value soars

  06-06-2017 01:01
  
  Amazon was one of the fastest risers in this year’s Kantar Millward Brown BrandZ ranking, with its value up 41% and meaning it entered the top five for the first time.
  Adidas was the fastest riser, with a 58% increase to its brand value. Yet despite its considerable growth, the sportswear brand still failed to enter the top 100; it was valued at $8.3bn, just behind Nissan, the 100th biggest brand, at $11.3bn.
  The strides Adidas has made are notable though, particularly given it t
  
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