Sales & Marketing news

• Tesla is burning through cash — and it could become a problem (TSLA, GM)

  01-11-2017 23:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  Tesla spent $1 billion in the third quarter.
  General Motors also spent $1 billion in the quarter.
  As a new carmaker, Tesla could make more off the cash it is spending than a legacy carmaker, but for now, its cash burn is a challenge.Tesla had a horrible third quarter, posting the worst loss in its history as a public company. 
  Of course, nobody expected a good quarter, and in October the carmaker's stock had already slid significantly from its 2017 peak of almost $400 a share.
  Ov
  
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• House Republicans are considering making their giant corporate tax cut temporary

  01-11-2017 23:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  The House Republican tax bill is slated to be released on Thursday.
  One of the remaining questions is whether the biggest cuts will be permanent or temporary.
  According to reports, the huge slash of the corporate tax rate will not last outside of ten years due to budgetary rules.Republican leaders' soon-to-be-released tax bill is shaping up, but there are still big questions that remain.
  One of the biggest issues in the tax bill that is still up in the air is how long some of the biggest tax cu
  
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• Tiny startup Trip.com has been acquired by Chinese travel giant Ctrip – a move that could shake up the travel industry (CTRP)

  01-11-2017 23:29 via feedproxy.google.com
  In a move that sends a subtle signal to US travel titans Expedia and Priceline, Chinese travel giant Ctrip has bought a tiny US startup called Trip.com.
  Trip.com was founded in 2010 by former Myspace exec Travis Katz and employs 25 people in Palo Alto, California.
  The purchase indicates the global ambitions of Ctrip to move into Western markets.
  Chinese travel giant Ctrip has made an interesting step into the US travel market by buying a small Palo Alto, California, startup known as T
  
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• The rocky start for the Republican tax reform bill is a troubling sign of things to come

  01-11-2017 23:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  House Republicans delayed the rollout of their tax reform bill from Wednesday to Thursday — less than 24 hours before it was set to be released.
  The delay was forced by key differences in the GOP conference that could not be resolved in time.
  The turmoil and delay could be a concerning sign for Republican leaders.House Republicans were forced to push back the rollout of their long-awaited tax reform legislation from its originally scheduled Wednesday release to Thursday, in
  
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• Tesla missed big time on earnings, but the company's core business is in good shape (TSLA)

  01-11-2017 23:18 via feedproxy.google.com
  Tesla posted its largest-ever quarterly loss.
  But the carmaker is on track to max-out deliveries on its most expensive vehicles.
  If it can sustain demand for the Model S and Model X, it will have a reliable revenue stream.Tesla reported third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, and they were a miss.
  More than a miss, they were also the largest quarterly loss in the carmaker's history as a public company.
  The stock got clobbered after hours, down over 4% to $307 after declining 3% duri
  
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• Mark Zuckerberg on Russian election meddling: 'What they did is wrong and we're not going to stand for it' (FB)

  01-11-2017 22:35 via feedproxy.google.com
  Facebook's CEO says Russia-linked efforts to meddle in the US presidential election using its service were "wrong"
  He vowed to double staff working on safety and security this year
  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the company's Q3 earnings call on Thursday by training his fire on Russia, warning that efforts by some in the country to influence the US presidential election using Facebook would not go unanswered.
  "What they did is wrong and we are not going to stand for it," Zuck
  
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• Inside the New York City offices of $45 billion hedge-fund firm Two Sigma

  01-11-2017 22:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  What do you picture when you imagine a hedge-fund office? A noisy trading floor full of hedge-fund guys in fleece vests?
  Two Sigma, a $45 billion hedge-fund firm that uses advanced technologies to find investment opportunities, is a little different. The firm, which says it has seen head count grow by more than 400% in the past seven years, is as much a technology company as it is a finance company, analyzing over 10,000 data sources to find patterns in markets.
  That approach seems to have paid
  
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• Facebook quietly updated two key numbers about its user base (FB)

  01-11-2017 22:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  Facebook quietly increased its number of estimated duplicate accounts from 6% to 10%.
  Estimated fake accounts were raised to 2-3% from 1%.
  The updated estimates will affect Facebook's tool for advertisers.Hidden within Facebook's blockbuster third-quarter earnings on Wednesday are two important numbers the company quietly updated.
  10% of Facebook's 2.07 billion monthly users are now estimated to be duplicate accounts, up from 6% estimated previously. The social network's number of fake accounts
  
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• Sears is starting Black Friday early this year — and the entire store is on sale

  01-11-2017 22:24 via feedproxy.google.com
  Sears has announced its Black Friday plans, which means instituting deep discounts. Some items will be up to 50% off. 
  This comes amid other holiday plans, like bringing back its famous Wish Book.
  The company is still searching for a turnaround as it struggles.
   
  Sears is trying to make a splash this holiday.
  On Wednesday, the retailer began putting its entire store on sale, CNBC reported. Discounts range from 10-50% at Sears stores and 10-40% at Kmart stores. Each category of th
  
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• Trump's tax plan could lead to billions of dollars flooding back to the US — here's what you need to know

  01-11-2017 22:12 via feedproxy.google.com
  The Trump administration and congressional Republicans are expected to come out with a bill to overhaul the US tax code on Thursday. Among other changes, the bill is expected to include a one-time repatriation tax.
  The repatriation tax is designed to to incentivize US-based companies that do business overseas to bring their profits back stateside.
  Once that cash is back in the US, companies can do several things, including reinvesting in their businesses or stock buybacks.
   
  The Trump
  
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• Bitcoin is skyrocketing because 2 of the biggest exchange groups in the world are launching bitcoin futures — here's what that means

  01-11-2017 21:39 via feedproxy.google.com
  CME Group, a leading marketplace for derivatives which handles 3 billion contracts worth about $1 quadrillion annually, is set to roll out bitcoin futures by the fourth quarter.
  A bitcoin future will allow investors to bet on the future price of bitcoin without having to actually hold the coin itself.
  It could bring more Wall Street firms into bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. 
  Just when you thought you finally got your head around bitcoin, along comes a new bitcoin-linked fina
  
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• We just got a super smart and simple explanation of what a bitcoin fork actually is

  01-11-2017 21:02 via feedproxy.google.com
  Bitcoin split in two in August when the digital currency officially forked creating Bitcoin Cash. Bitcoin gold was created when bitcoin forked again in October. And now the SegWit2x fork is looming. Meanwhile, bitcoin continues to hit new record highs. 
  We asked Nolan Bauerle, the director of research at CoinDesk, to come in to help explain what exactly happens when a cryptocurrency splits and whether it undermines the strength of the coin. Following is a transcript of t
  
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• Disney's requirements for the new 'Star Wars' movie have angered some movie theaters (DIS)

  01-11-2017 21:02 via feedproxy.google.com
  Disney is requiring movie theaters that show "The Last Jedi" hand over 65% of ticket sale revenue, and play it in their largest auditoriums for at least four weeks.
  Some small independent theaters are deciding not to show it.
   
  When you are the king of the mountain, you can declare some unusual terms — and that's exactly what Disney is doing when it comes to releasing "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," some theater owners said. 
  Even though Disney releases, including its "Star Wars" mo
  
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• Tesla posts big loss, cuts Model X and Model S production to catch up on Model 3 (TSLA)

  01-11-2017 20:52 via feedproxy.google.com
  Tesla on Wednesday reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss, the largest in its history.
  In its third-quarter earnings report, the company said it would cut production of its Model S and Model X vehicles to redeploy resources toward the Model 3. In October, CEO Elon Musk described the newest vehicle as being "deep in production hell."
  Tesla's negative free cash flow swelled to $1.4 billion, more than analysts had expected.Tesla on Wednesday reported the largest quarterly loss in its histor
  
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• Facebook crushes Q3 earnings but warns that future profit will slow (FB)

  01-11-2017 20:51 via feedproxy.google.com
  Facebook beat Wall Street's expectations for the third quarter and reported its best earnings ever.
  But CEO Mark Zuckerberg warned, "We're investing so much in security that it will impact our profitability."
  Facebook plans to add 10,000 more employees to aid its safety and security efforts by the end of 2018.Facebook blew past Wall Street's third-quarter financial targets on Wednesday but cautioned that future profitability will be impacted by increased investments aro
  
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• Fast-growing startup Trouva promotes an ‘independent retail future’ with debut TV ad

  01-11-2017 15:11
  Trouva, the online ecommerce platform for independent retailers, is hoping its inaugural TV ad campaign will give boutiques the same exposure as retail’s global heavyweights.
  The online marketplace, which was named one of Marketing Week’s 100 Disruptive Brands in 2017 and has grown by 1,509% over the past 18 months, beat off stiff competition from 200 fellow startups to win a fully funded TV campaign created by media agency All Response Media.
  Debuting today (1 November) on
  
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• Fast-growing startup Trouva promotes an ‘independent future’ with debut TV ad

  01-11-2017 15:11
  Trouva, the online ecommerce platform for independent retailers, is hoping its inaugural TV ad campaign will give boutiques the same exposure as retail’s global heavyweights.
  The online marketplace, which was named one of Marketing Week’s 100 Disruptive Brands in 2017 and has grown by 1,509% over the past 18 months, beat off stiff competition from 200 fellow startups to win a fully funded TV campaign created by media agency All Response Media.
  Debuting today (1 November) on
  
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• Mark Ritson: Burberry has a big brand challenge to replace Christopher Bailey

  01-11-2017 14:25
  In any large company the two most important people are usually the chief executive (CEO) and chief financial officer (CFO). The two work together, often on a daily basis, to run almost all aspects of the executive operation. That is true across almost every business sector, with the notable exception of luxury brands.
  For luxury goods companies there is still the CEO or president at the head of the company, but the number two is not the man or woman who runs finance. Rather, it’s the pers
  
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• The Marketing Week Christmas blog 2017

  01-11-2017 14:07
  1 November, 11am – Vodafone tells the story of a festive romance
  Vodafone has brought back actor Martin Freeman to star in a series of short films that will appear across TV, digital and social that take a “fresh” look at a festive romance.
  ‘A Christmas Love Story’, created by WPP Team Red, sees Freeman meeting a mysterious woman on the train and bonding over their love of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. A series of problems, such as a lack of pay-as-you-
  
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• John Lewis teaser and Amazon’s singing boxes – The Marketing Week Christmas blog 2017

  01-11-2017 14:07
  #UnderTheBed7 November – Is this a teaser for the John Lewis Christmas ad?
  Speculation is mounting that a short video clip doing the rounds on social media is a teaser for this year’s John Lewis Christmas campaign. The four-second video shows a pair of eyes and uses the hashtag #UnderTheBed. It was tweeted from a Twitter account set up back in October that doesn’t follow any other accounts.
  The John Lewis Christmas ad is expected to be unveiled this week. SV
  6 November –
  
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• John Lewis Christmas ad spoiler – The Marketing Week Christmas blog 2017

  01-11-2017 14:07
  9 November – John Lewis accidentally puts star of its ad on sale earlyJohn Lewis is always keen to keep its Christmas ad under wraps until its launch but it seems it has let the cat out of the bag early this year. A £20 toy that looks a lot like the monster that has been teased on social media with the hashtag #underthebed appeared in its Canary Wharf store.
  A city worker spotted the toys, telling The Sun “it had to be the character from the adverts”. The John Lewis Chri
  
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• Coke makes Zero the star of its festive campaign – The Marketing Week Christmas blog 2017

  01-11-2017 14:07
  7 November – Coca-Cola reveals further details of its Christmas celebrationsWhile Coca-Cola had previously revealed that it was bringing back its ‘Holidays are coming’ campaign as well as the Christmas truck tour, new details have emerged of what else we can expect from the soft drinks giant.
  This year, the campaign also extends to packaging with limited edition packs featuring the image of Father Christmas enjoying a bottle of Coca-Cola. The marketing campaign is the biggest
  
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• Currys PC World kicks off Christmas ad season as worries swirl over festive spending

  01-11-2017 08:45
  Currys PC World is putting £6m behind its Christmas campaign as it looks to put its brand front and mind this festive season and convince cautious consumers to spend.
  The ‘Get it right’ campaign, created by AMV BBDO, shows three videos in which real Currys PC World employees have been given products to test at home, featuring items from Apple, Bose and LG.
  One ad shows a mum and dad declaring a ‘tech free’ Christmas to their shocked children, before proudly sho
  
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• Why the UK’s oldest brands continue to prosper

  01-11-2017 07:00
  Age is a defining characteristic of the UK’s most valuable brands. On average British brands are 100-years-old, compared to their global counterparts at 67 years, according to BrandZ’s first ranking of the UK’s top 50 most valuable brands. 
  Many companies in the top 50 are far older than that, such as Lloyds Banking Group which was established in 1765 (16th), Cadbury in 1824 (17th) and Boots in 1849 (34th).
  Twentieth century brands such as Mini (33rd) and Burberr
  
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• Why the UK’s oldest brands are still prospering

  01-11-2017 07:00
  Age is a defining characteristic of the UK’s most valuable brands. On average British brands are 100-years-old, compared to their global counterparts at 67 years, according to BrandZ’s first ranking of the UK’s top 50 most valuable brands. 
  Many brands in the top 50 are far older than that, such as Lloyds Banking Group which was established in 1765 (16th), Cadbury in 1824 (17th) and Boots in 1849 (34th).
  Twentieth century brands such as Mini (33rd) and Burberry (
  
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• The UK’s 50 most valuable brands must innovate to survive globally

  01-11-2017 07:00
  Entering the precarious world of post-Brexit Britain, homegrown brands will need to stay ahead of the global pack in order to survive. British brands are, however, less healthy and innovative than their global counterparts according to new BrandZ research by Kantar Millward Brown.
  BrandZ’s first ranking of the UK’s top 50 most valuable brands does not include a single pure-play tech business, whereas 47% of the global top 50 are technology businesses. The British ranking is skewed he
  
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• Revealed: The UK’s 50 most valuable brands and why they must innovate to survive globally

  01-11-2017 07:00
  Entering the precarious world of post-Brexit Britain, homegrown brands will need to stay ahead of the global pack in order to survive. British brands are, however, less healthy and innovative than their global counterparts according to new BrandZ research by Kantar Millward Brown.
  BrandZ’s first ranking of the UK’s top 50 most valuable brands does not include a single pure-play tech business, whereas 47% of the global top 50 are technology businesses. The British ranking is skewed he
  
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• Ones to watch: The UK brands with the most potential for future growth

  01-11-2017 07:00
  Dyson is Britain’s ‘healthiest’ brand in terms of purpose, innovation, communications, brand experience and love, according to Kantar Millward Brown’s first UK BrandZ study.
  The tech and home appliances company, which comes 32nd in the overall list of the UK’s top 50 most valuable brands, leads the way in separate ranking of Britain’s most healthy brands, an indicator of potential for future growth.
  Positioned just behind Dyson in terms of brand health are the
  
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• Peugeot ad banned for condoning dangerous driving by showing man reading text

  01-11-2017 01:16
  Peugeot has been rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for a TV ad that showed a man reading a text message while driving, which it says is in breach of the legal requirements of the Highway Code.
  The ad, which aired in July, showed a man driving through city streets when he was sent a text from a woman at a party saying “I’m bored without you!” which he read on the car’s built-in screen on its dashboard. The driver appeared to react to the text by raising o
  
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• Who's eating WPP's lunch?

  01-11-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  LONDON: Sir Martin Sorrell is less concerned about the impact of the digital duopoly and the incursion of consultants into agency space than the impact of “distortions” caused by the low cost of capital.In a
  
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• Tech giants offer 'Band-Aids'

  01-11-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  WASHINGTON DC: Representatives from Facebook, Google and Twitter have expressed contrition at how their platforms were used to spread misinformation during the 2016 presidential election and promised to do better in future.Appearing in front of a...
  
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• Strategy is deciding what not to do

  01-11-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  Brands would do well to take a leaf out of the Apple playbook and aim for a much simpler strategy, says Tim Williams, and offers a step-by-step guide on how to do just that.Upon his return to the company he founded, Steve Jobs'...
  
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• PR evolves in Southeast Asia

  01-11-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  SINGAPORE:Changing demographics and behaviours influenced by digital technologies are reshaping PR practices in Southeast Asia, where, anecdotal evidence suggests, PR practices can be markedly different from those in western countries. ...
  
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• MediaCom Mexico wins at FOMLA Awards

  01-11-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  MIAMI, FL: MediaCom Mexico claimed the prize for “Campaign of the Year” at the 2017 Festival of Media LatAm Awards, thanks to its “Hotel of Legends” program for Cerveza Victoria, the beer brand.Some 56 prizes were handed...
  
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• Managing the digital duopoly

  01-11-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  LONDON: The digital advertising duopoly of Facebook and Google is unlikely to be seriously challenged in the near future so marketers and agencies are simply going to have to think long and hard about how they manage relationships with the two, a...
  
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• IPG restates zero-tolerance policy

  01-11-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  NEW YORK: Amid daily revelations of instances of sexual harassment in the worlds of advertising, politics and entertainment, IPG boss Michael Roth has restated the agency holding company’s policy on this issue.“Know that IPG has a...
  
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• 'Hinglish' powers voice tech in India

  01-11-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  NEW DELHI:US tech giants have turned to Hinglish – a blend of Hindi and English – to power the virtual assistants and smart speakers they are launching in India.Amazon, which is due to ship its Echo speakers in the country this week,...
  
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• Disney's new retail formula

  01-11-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  LOS ANGELES: Disney, the entertainment giant, is testing a new prototype retail store in an attempt to “immerse guests in the brand like never before”.Michael White, SVP/Chief Technology Officer at Disney Consumer Products and...
  
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• Content marketing for India's changing times

  01-11-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  NEW DELHI:Content marketing offers brands the chance to humanise themselves and make themselves relevant to Indian consumers on a personal level, according to a senior agency executive.Speaking at the India Affiliate Summit 2017 in New Delhi,...
  
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• Canadians value brand authenticity

  01-11-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  TORONTO: Canadian consumers consider authenticity to be a key factor in purchase decisions, but companies in Canada lag in delivering on this key element according to a new report.The 2017 Authentic 100 Index, an annual international study...
  
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• Being well liked

  01-11-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  Studies suggest that likability is the key driver of advertising efficacy, outperforming all other measures as a predictive metric, so argues Faris Yakob, why don’t more brands aim for being liked – a much more realistic goal than...
  
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