Sales & Marketing news

• Here's Trump's approval rating in every state

  24-07-2017 23:29 via feedproxy.google.com
  President Donald Trump has proven to be a divisive figure in his first six months in office, and Americans' views of how well he's doing his job vary widely across the country.
  On Monday, Gallup released estimates of Trump's job approval rating in each of the 50 states, based on a collection of over 81,000 survey results between the president's inauguration on January 20 and June 30.
  It's worth noting that the extended time interval, while necessary to ensure large enough sample sizes in ea
  
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• The $180 million conflict that kept Scaramucci out of the White House in January has only gotten shadier

  24-07-2017 23:24 via feedproxy.google.com
  Anthony Scaramucci is selling his fund of funds business to a Chinese conglomerate with ties to the government.The firm, the HNA Group, is facing an increasing number of questions at home and abroad, and the deal is subject to review by the US Treasury.The sale reportedly kept Scaramucci out of the White House in January because of the conflicts it raises.
  Let's not be naive. If I told you that a firm with ties to a sometimes adversarial foreign power was trying to overpay a Trump administratio
  
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• A $32 billion hedge fund bet its future on a 34-year old — and there is a $280 million pay package on the line

  24-07-2017 22:59 via feedproxy.google.com
  Och-Ziff Capital Management, the 23-year-old hedge fund founded by its namesake Dan Och, is bleeding money.
  The firm lost a third of its assets after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges last September. It agreed to pay a $412 million fine after a lengthy government investigation accused managers of paying bribes to government officials in several African countries.
  Now, with its stock still less than a fifth of pre-scandal highs, the $32 billion fund is turning to young blood in hopes of a ren
  
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• Alphabet rakes in a $26 billion quarter, but the stock is sliding (GOOG, GOOGL)

  24-07-2017 21:43 via feedproxy.google.com
  Google's parent company Alphabet beat expectations for its second-quarter earnings on the top and bottom lines, but investors who have bid up the stock nearly 30% this year wanted more and the shares in the company slid after the announcement.
  "I think people were hoping for a bigger beat on the top line, and we didn't get that," Ben Schachter, an analyst at Macquarie told Business Insider.
  The rising numbers of searches from smartphones in particular, which require Google to share ad
  
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• Facebook's cafeteria workers are demanding higher pay because they can't afford to live in Silicon Valley (FB)

  24-07-2017 21:32 via feedproxy.google.com
  Over 500 cafeteria workers at Facebook's Menlo Park, California headquarters have unionized and are demanding higher wages because they can't afford to live in Silicon Valley.
  The workers are employed by Flagship Facility Services, one of the contractors that Facebook uses to fill positions for roles like janitors and security personnel.
  San Francisco has been rated as the most expensive city in the world to rent property, and tech companies like Facebook with campuses outside of the city have
  
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• The Senate is planning to vote on a healthcare bill this week — we just don't know which one

  24-07-2017 20:16 via feedproxy.google.com
  The Senate's expected to vote on a health care bill this week, though which bill they will vote on is still unknown. 
  They've got three options:
  1) The Senate's plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (better known as Obamacare).
  2) A plan to strictly repeal Obamacare.
  3) The House of Representative's plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. 
  It'll start with a motion to proceed on Tuesday, that will open up 20 hours of debate before the Senate begins to vote.
  Here's how R
  
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• This chart shows a major shift in the way Americans eat

  24-07-2017 19:24 via feedproxy.google.com
  Americans like to eat out. A lot.
  In fact, the portion of food spending outside the home is estimated to have eclipsed the portion spent on food at home for the first time around 2014, according to data from the USDA.
  The trend can be seen in this chart, which was shared by a Bank of America Merrill Lynch team led by equity strategist Felix Tran.Spending on food away from home has been steadily increasing for decades, while spending on food at home has been going in reverse.
  The only b
  
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• Google CEO Sundar Pichai joins Alphabet's board (GOOG, GOOGL)

  24-07-2017 19:12 via feedproxy.google.com
  Google CEO Sundar Pichai has joined the board Google's parent company Alphabet, the company said Monday.
  Pichai is the 13th Alphabet board member.
  “Sundar has been doing a great job as Google’s CEO, driving strong growth, partnerships, and tremendous product innovation. I really enjoy working with him and I’m excited that he is joining the Alphabet board,” Alphabet CEO Larry Page said in a statement.
  Pichai has been a Google employee since 2004 and rapidly rose throu
  
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• Millennials are killing the beer industry

  24-07-2017 18:52 via feedproxy.google.com
  Millennials aren't drinking enough beer to keep brands afloat.
  According to CNBC, Goldman Sachs downgraded both Boston Beer Company and Constellation Brand on the data that younger consumers aren't drinking as much alcohol as older generations, and the ones who do prefer wine and spirits.
  "We view the shift in penetration and consumption trends as driven by a shift in preferences in the younger cohorts," chief analyst Freda Zhuo wrote.
  Beer penetration fell 1% from 2016 to 2017 in the US market,
  
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• Democrats are launching an attack on Wall Street dealmakers

  24-07-2017 18:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  As they aim to rebound from the 2016 election cycle, Congressional Democrats are training their sights on a new enemy: mega-mergers. 
  Democrats unveiled a new platform Monday that in part calls for a crack down on "corporate monopolies," blaming industry consolidation for stagnant wage growth, hiking consumer prices, and hampering small businesses' abilities to compete.
  In outlining its plan — which harkens back to the trust-busting days of the early-20th cent
  
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• Ford shifts to local advertising as it looks to become more ‘British-centric’

  24-07-2017 18:23
  Ford is changing its ads to become more Britain-focused in a bid to “dial up work that really resonates” with consumers.
  The car marque launched a new campaign in collaboration with its agency network GTB UK for the new Ford Fiesta model earlier this month, featuring British actor Keeley Hawes. The ad looks to tell the story of Britain’s day-to-day progress over the last 40 years, charting the time since the car first appeared on Britain’s roads.
  The spot cuts through a v
  
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• The IMF just downgraded the Trump economy

  24-07-2017 17:53 via feedproxy.google.com
  The International Monetary Fund has sharply revised its forecast for US economic growth in a direct indictment of Donald Trump’s presidency and lack of action on promised policy changes.
  The IMF downgraded its forecast for US gross domestic product growth to just 2.1% this year, down from 2.3% previously, and also cut its 2018 estimate to 2.1% from 2.5%.
  That revision is especially striking since it matched cuts not seen anywhere in the world other than two major emerging economies facing
  
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• BANK OF AMERICA: 'Beware of crowded stocks that miss' during the most impressive earnings season in 5 years

  24-07-2017 17:51 via feedproxy.google.com
  Only about a third of companies on the S&P 500 have reported earnings, and they are outpacing Wall Street's expectations so far.  
  "Overall, 68% of companies beat on EPS, 75% beat on sales and 53% beat on both — the highest proportion of top and bottom-line beats at this point during earnings season in over five years," a group of Bank of America Merrill Lynch equity strategists led by Savita Subramanian said in a note on Monday.
  Although there's always pressure to
  
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• Saga relaunches brand as it looks to shake off ‘old people’ image

  24-07-2017 17:25
  Saga is relaunching its brand, unveiling a new look and feel for the brand as well as its first ever strapline ‘Keep doing’ as it looks to evolve the business to ensure it remains relevant for today’s over 50s, rather than being seen as a brand for “old people”.
  The changes, which come into effect from today (24 July), include a new logo, font, colours and imagery. It starts with a new look for Saga Holidays, including new types of holiday aimed at people who want t
  
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• Unlock your creativity

  24-07-2017 17:22
  Marketing Week’s sister brand Creative Review is launching its first ever online learning programme, a six-part video-based course that has been designed to unlock creative potential
  It caters for all: client side, a creative or designer; those a few years into their career or a seasoned pro seeking to take their creative skills to the next level.
  Mastering Creativity’s carefully curated content is designed to increase your confidence in your creative abilities to enable you to gener
  
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• Channel 4 unveils first Great British Bake Off sponsors

  24-07-2017 11:10
  Channel 4 has unveiled Lyle’s Golden Syrup and Dr. Oetker will be the official broadcast sponsors for The Great British Bake Off, which is set to return to screens later this year.
  It is the first time the popular show will have brand sponsors, as it was previously broadcast by The BBC. The rights to the TV programme were bought last year by Channel 4 for £75m, leading to a backlash from outraged viewers on social media.
  The partnership with Lyle’s Golden Syrup follows its spon
  
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• Channel 4 unveils first ever sponsors of Great British Bake Off

  24-07-2017 11:10
  Channel 4 has unveiled Lyle’s Golden Syrup and Dr. Oetker will be the official broadcast sponsors for The Great British Bake Off, which is set to return to screens later this year.
  It is the first time the popular show will have brand sponsors, as it was previously broadcast by The BBC. The rights to the TV programme were bought last year by Channel 4 for £75m, leading to a backlash from outraged viewers on social media.
  The partnership with Lyle’s Golden Syrup follows its spon
  
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• Tesco, Alphabet, viewability: Everything that matters this morning

  24-07-2017 08:58
  Alphabet revenues soar but profits take a hit after Google’s EU fine
  Google’s parent company Alphabet saw revenues in the quarter to the end of June soar by 21% year on year to $26bn, with its ad business accounting for the vast majority of that turnover and suggesting that the brand safety issue has had little impact on the company.
  Profit was down 30% year on year to $3.5bn due to the £2.1bn fine issued by the European Union after it ruled Google had abused its market positio
  
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• Tesco, Alphabet, Jimmy Choo: Everything that matters this morning

  24-07-2017 08:58
  Alphabet revenues soar but profits take a hit after Google’s EU fine
  Google’s parent company Alphabet saw revenues in the quarter to the end of June soar by 21% year on year to $26bn, with its ad business accounting for the vast majority of that turnover and suggesting that the brand safety issue has had little impact on the company.
  Profit was down 30% year on year to $3.5bn due to the £2.1bn fine issued by the European Union after it ruled Google had abused its market positio
  
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• Sainsbury’s, Amazon, Virgin Atlantic: Everything that matters this morning

  24-07-2017 08:58
  Sainsbury’s extends GB Paralympics support to 2020
  Sainsbury’s has extended its sponsorship of the British Paralympic Association for the next four years, including both the PyeongChang 2018 and Tokyo 2020 Games.
  The supermarket giant became the first Paralympic-only sponsor of the team during the London 2012 Games, and has since partnered with ParalympicsGB at Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016.
  Tim Hollingsworth OBE, chief executive of the British Paralympic Association, said Sainsbury’
  
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• Facebook, electric cars, Brexit: Everything that matters this morning

  24-07-2017 08:58
  Facebook ad sales surge thanks to mobile
  Facebook has released yet another set of stellar numbers, beating all analysts’ expectations, as it announced $9.32bn (£7.01bn) revenues in Q2. Advertising revenues, which make up 98% of that figure, grew year on year by 47%, and net income by 71%.
  Mobile drove the lion’s share of Facebook’s sales in the quarter, accounting for 87% of advertising revenue, compared with 84% in the same period last year. Its monthly active users and
  
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• Boots, Apple, Lyft: Everything that matters this morning

  24-07-2017 08:58
  Boots apologises over contraception comments
  Boots has apologised over comments it made on the morning-after pill, after it said it was keeping the price high to avoid “incentivising inappropriate use”.
  The chain was urged to drop the price of the emergency contraceptive by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) but said it was afraid of a public backlash.
  The company has now apologised for its “poor choice of words” and has said it is looking for cheaper alternati
  
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• Amazon, The Guardian, TomTom: Everything that matters this morning

  24-07-2017 08:58
  New diesel and petrol cars face ban from 2040
  New diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned in the UK from 2040 in a bid to tackle air pollution, the government is set to announce.
  Ministers will also unveil a £255m fund to help councils tackle emissions from diesel vehicles, as part of a £3bn package of spending on air quality.
  The government will publish its clean air strategy later, favouring electric cars, before a High Court deadline.
  Campaigners said the measures were pro
  
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• How outdoor’s digital transformation is winning over advertisers

  24-07-2017 08:30
  An 8 Outdoor campaign for Land Rover at Heathrow Terminal 5Print experienced a whopping 10% fall to £1.1bn in UK ad spend in 2016. Direct mail also struggled, with an even steeper 10.4% fall to £1.71bn. TV, meanwhile, saw flat 0.2% growth to £5.27bn, which is forecast to turn into a 0.5% decline by the end of 2017, according to the AA/Warc’s annual Expenditure Report. Compare this to the 13.4% rise in internet ad revenues (£10.3bn) and the 45.4% increase in mo
  
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• Hack your commute: Take a different route

  24-07-2017 07:00
  This commute hack makes most sense if you drive, cycle or walk to work, but now is the time do it, as the school summer holidays mean lighter road traffic and the chance to take a more circuitous route without costing yourself too much time.
  Why bother? Well, there can’t be many among us who haven’t chastised themselves for not exploring their local area; for missing out on nooks, crannies or social venues that friends have raved about but have always remained mysteriously hidden.
  He
  
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• YouTube rolls out anti-terrorism initiative

  24-07-2017 02:00
  SAN FRANCISCO: Stung by criticism earlier this year that it wasn't doing enough to combat online extremism, YouTube has now launched software that redirects would-be jihadists to anti-hate videos aimed at debunking extremist narratives.The...
  
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• Top Chinese influencer recommends WeChat

  24-07-2017 02:00
  SHANGHAI/NEW YORK: WeChat and Weibo dominate the social media landscape in China, but for Becky Li, one of the country's top fashion bloggers and key opinion leaders (KOLs), WeChat is more effective because of its trust factor.Becky Li, whose real...
  
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• OCBC Bank taps design in CX makeover

  24-07-2017 02:00
  SINGAPORE: Concise and clear collateral design is at the heart of customer experience for financial brands, according to a senior executive at a major Singapore bank.OCBC Bank, the second largest financial group in South East Asia, has overhauled...
  
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• Nielsen uses neuro to track creative impact

  24-07-2017 02:00
  NEW YORK: Neuroscience can offer a range of powerful insights into creative effectiveness, as shown by an analysis of popular Super Bowl spots conducted by Nielsen Consumer Neuroscience.Dr Carl Marci, M.D., Chief Neuroscientist at Nielsen Consumer...
  
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• New Zealand's national brand appeals to Asians

  24-07-2017 02:00
  SINGAPORE: Exports from New Zealand to Singapore and other Asian markets have risen steadily over the past decade, leading a senior public relations executive to believe it is New Zealand's national brand itself that is driving much of the growth. ...
  
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• Copycat brands are stealing market share

  24-07-2017 02:00
  LONDON: Own-label "copycat" brands are taking business from leading brands by "preying" on shoppers' unconscious decision-making processes in noisy and confusing retail settings, neuroscience research suggests.Writing in the current issue of...
  
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• Brands need 'portfolio approach' to social

  24-07-2017 02:00
  CAMBRIDGE, MA: Brands need to adopt a portfolio approach to the material they post on social media, with a mix of emotional content and product information, to drive both engagement andpurchase, an academic has said.Kartik Hosanagar, Wharton...
  
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• 5.5bn people will use mobile devices by 2022

  24-07-2017 02:00
  GLOBAL: Two-thirds (66%) of the world's population, or more than 5.5bn people, are expected to be using mobile devices by 2022, according to a new global forecast.Research firm Forrester also said it expects the number of global
  
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