Sales & Marketing news

• Farmers in Mexico's avocado heartland are relying on vigilantes to protect their 'green gold'

  06-12-2017 23:36 via feedproxy.google.com
  The Mexican state of Michoacan is a hub for avocado production, and its fortunes have risen as demand for the crop has increased.
  But the state has long been a hotbed for organized-crime groups, who have preyed on legitimate businesses, like agriculture.
  One municipality there has set up its own police force, which it says keeps the cartels at bay.Global demand for avocados has grown considerably in recent years, and Mexican farmers have been a major beneficiary, declaring the crop "green gold.
  
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• It's looking like Trump's Obamacare meddling could cause serious problems for the healthcare market

  06-12-2017 23:18 via feedproxy.google.com
  Enrollment on the federally run Affordable Care Act exchanges is outpacing 2016.
  But it's projected to fall short overall because of a shorter time window for people to enroll.
  Other actions from the Trump administration will likely lead to fewer Americans signing up for coverage.
  Experts say this will likely lead to higher insurance premiums.Sign-ups for next year on the federally run Affordable Care Act insurance markets are crushing their pace from last year. But darker clouds loom on the ho
  
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• 2 ways the Disney-Fox deal could concentrate an intense amount of power in the media world

  06-12-2017 22:57 via feedproxy.google.com
  Disney is close to buying a bunch of assets from 21st Century Fox, according to CNBC.
  Such a deal could mean Disney ends up owning 30%-40% of the domestic box office, and 60% of Hulu.
  The potential deal could likely face scrutiny from the DOJ.On Tuesday, CNBC reported that Disney was close to a deal to buy large chunks of 21st Century Fox. Such a deal could lead to quite a concentration of power in media.
  CNBC reported that Disney could pick up “Fox's Nat Geo, Star, regional spo
  
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• Citi is dropping after warning the Senate GOP tax bill could cost it $20 billion (C)

  06-12-2017 22:33 via feedproxy.google.com
  Citigroup fell 1.4% Wednesday after CFO John Gerspach warned at an investor conference that the GOP's Senate tax bill could cost the bank $20 billion. 
  The hit would stem from Citi writing down deferred tax assets, a charge analysts had previously estimated at only $12 billion, according to a Bloomberg report.
  Shares opened the day at $76.30 and fell to $75.44 at the closing bell.
  Join the conversation about this story »NOW WATCH: Cryptocurrency is the next step in the digitizat
  
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• Lululemon beats on earnings and raises its guidance (LULU)

  06-12-2017 22:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  Lululemon beat on both the top and bottom lines.
  The company raised its full-year 2017 adjusted earnings per share guidance.
  Shares climbed more than 7% on the results.
   
  Lululemon shares climbed more than 7% in after-hours trading on Wednesday after the company reported better than expected top and bottom line results and raised its guidance.
  The athletic-apparel retailer earned an adjusted $0.56 a share, handily beating the $0.52 that Wall Street analysts surveyed by Bloomberg were
  
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• This timeline paints the clearest picture we have yet of Russia's meddling in the US election — and how the Trump campaign reacted

  06-12-2017 22:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  A flood of revelations over the past months have raised new questions about President Donald Trump and his campaign's connections to Russia.
  Several of Trump's closest associates — like former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, former adviser Rick Gates, former national-security adviser Michael Flynn, senior adviser Jared Kushner, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions — have been roped into the Russia investigations being conducted by Congress
  
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• STOCKS STAY PUT: Here's what you need to know

  06-12-2017 22:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  Stocks swung between green and red Wednesday, finishing largely unchanged after oil took a tumble and the threat of a possible government shutdown if no government spending deal is reached this week. 
  Here’s the scoreboard:
  S&P 500: 2,629.27 (-0.01%)
  Dow: 24,142.01 (-0.16%)
  Nasdaq: 6,776.38 (+0.23%)
  Oil: $55.89 (-2.73%)
  10-year treasury bond: 2.35% (-0.83)
  UnitedHealth Group Inc said it would buy kidney care services provider DaVita Inc's medical unit for about $4.9 billion
  
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• Disney CEO Bob Iger will reportedly stay on past 2019 if his company acquires Fox's TV assets (DIS)

  06-12-2017 21:55 via feedproxy.google.com
  Disney CEO Bob Iger could stay on past the end of his contract in July 2019 if his company buys 21st Century Fox's TV assets, the Wall Street Journal says.
  Iger would help integrate Fox's assets into Disney's portfolio.
  James Murdoch has been floated as a possible successor to Iger if a deal is reached with Fox.
   
  Disney CEO Bob Iger will stay with the company past 2019 if a deal can be worked out for 21st Century Fox's TV assets, according to the Wall Street Journal's Ben Fritz. Iger woul
  
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• Experts are starting to find massive errors in the GOP tax bill after it went through Congress at lightning speed

  06-12-2017 21:49 via feedproxy.google.com
  Republicans in the House and Senate passed their versions of the tax bill at breakneck speed.
  Experts are now finding errors and loopholes in those versions.
  Members of a conference committee have been tasked with solving these issues and writing a compromise bill.As Republicans hurtle toward making their massive tax plan into law, experts are starting to find a slew of errors they say are most likely the result of a rushed process.
  Republicans have argued that the plan is the culmination of ye
  
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• Bitcoin blows past $13,000 for the first time

  06-12-2017 20:41 via feedproxy.google.com
   
  Bitcoin, the scorching-hot cryptocurrency, broke through $13,000 a coin for the first time Wednesday. 
  The new milestone comes less than a day after it hit $12,000. 
  The price of bitcoin is up more than 1,180% year-to-date, according to data from Markets Insider. 
   
  Bitcoin, the red-hot cryptocurrency, continued its jaw-dropping tear Wednesday, soaring above $13,000 per coin for the first time. 
  The new high comes less than a day after it broke through $12,000, wh
  
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• Aetna wants to create a 'Genius Bar' at CVS, and it could forever change the way Americans access healthcare (CVS)

  06-12-2017 20:41 via feedproxy.google.com
  CVS Health and Aetna's $69 billion merger would create an entirely new healthcare company, one that contains an insurer, pharmacy, and a company that negotiates prescription drug costs, among other businesses. 
  The deal would put a lot more of the healthcare system under CVS's oversight and change the way people access their healthcare. 
  It might mean, for instance, that a lot more healthcare happens outside a traditional doctor's office.CVS Health's $69 billion merger with the health
  
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• A small New York City chain is siphoning off hungry burrito eaters as Chipotle struggles (CMG)

  06-12-2017 20:22 via feedproxy.google.com
  Leo Kremer and his brother Oliver founded Dos Toros in 2009.
  The chain has 13 restaurants in NYC and just began expanding in Chicago, with its eye on more cities. On Sixth Avenue in New York City, one of Manhattan’s busiest thoroughfares, there’s a small burrito restaurant just down the block from its biggest competitor — Chipotle Mexican Grill. If you were distracted even for a moment, you could walk right by without even noticing the nondescript facade. 
  That
  
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• WALL STREET: More blockbuster mergers are coming

  06-12-2017 20:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  Firms across Wall Street are forecasting an upswing in corporate mergers and acquisitions activity in 2018 amid clarity around the GOP tax plan and robust cash levels.
  Merger activity is already accelerating into the end of 2017, with CVS' recently announced acquisition of Aetna the most recent example.If you're a fan of the corporate mega-mergers that keep getting announced, there's a good chance you're going to love 2018. At least that's the wisdom being touted by banks across Wall Street.
  Bu
  
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• Trump says a government shutdown 'could happen' as negotiations get testy

  06-12-2017 18:56 via feedproxy.google.com
  President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a government shutdown "could happen."
  Trump blamed Democrats for a possible shutdown.
  Trump suggested the biggest sticking point was Democratic insistence that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in legislation to avert a shutdown.President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a government shutdown "could happen," two days before the deadline to pass a funding bill.
  Trump said the main threat to a shutdown is Democrats' insistence on
  
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• Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway rakes in $295 million from UnitedHealthcare's deal with Davita (DVA, UNH)

  06-12-2017 18:38 via feedproxy.google.com
  Shares of Davita, a kidney care service provider, jumped 12.52% to $68.50 on Wednesday after UnitedHealth Group said it would buy the company's medical unit for $4.9 billion.
  Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is the largest shareholder in Davita, according to data from Bloomberg. The company owns about 38 million shares, or about 21% of the total outstanding shares. Berkshire raked in about $295 million on Wednesday after DaVita's shares moved higher following the news. The gains are only on
  
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• Republican leaders are scrambling to appease hardline conservatives to avoid a government shutdown

  06-12-2017 18:20 via feedproxy.google.com
  Congressional negotiations on legislation to avoid a government shutdown have hit stumbling blocks in recent days.
  The conservative House Freedom Caucus has grown frustrated with GOP leadership's plan for the negotiations.
  Congress is facing a Friday deadline to avoid a shutdown.Congressional negotiations on averting a partial shutdown of the federal government are starting to look a lot more difficult.
  The conservative House Freedom Caucus is threatening to hold up a short-term extension of th
  
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• RBC: 21st Century Fox will keep going up as Disney acquisition talks simmer (DIS, FOXA)

  06-12-2017 18:20 via feedproxy.google.com
  Disney is reportedly in talks to buy 21st Century Fox's TV assets.
  RBC analyst Steven Cahall breaks down the potential details of the deal and thinks 21st Century Fox will spin off the assets Disney isn't interested in.
  21st Century Fox could grind higher as the details of the deal are worked out and announced, Cahall said.
  Watch 21st Century Fox's stock price change in real time here.It's looking like Disney could be the eventual buyer of 21st Century Fox's entertainment and TV business,
  
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• Iceland says celebrity-driven ads are now a ‘thing of the past’

  06-12-2017 18:09
  When you think of Iceland, it’s hard not to conjure up images of Kerry Katona and Peter Andre clutching shopping bags, thanks to the brand’s celebrity-driven approach to advertising in recent years.
  However, it’s not a road the retailer plans to go down again anytime soon, according to new marketing director Mel Matson, who took up the role 10 months ago. She says the frozen foods brand now has a huge opportunity to establish itself as “retail’s best kept secret&rdq
  
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• The Marketing Academy reveals its 2018 fellows

  06-12-2017 17:51
  Top marketers from brands such as The Walt Disney Company, The Wall Street Journal and Coca-Cola are among 19 marketing leaders who have been chosen to take part in The Marketing Academy’s prestigious Fellowship programme next year.
  The nine-month programme is designed to provide a pathway for talented CMOs and marketing bosses by arming them with the essential skills required to transition into board and CEO roles.
  Not-for-profit organisation, The Marketing Academy, developed the programm
  
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• Mars’s CMO on driving growth and the evolution of evidence-based marketing

  06-12-2017 15:20
  Andrew Clarke is on a mission to make Mars a place where marketers can be brave in what he describes as a “difficult and disruptive” time for the industry.
  He believes more businesses should trust their marketers to produce the right work while putting a bigger focus on diversity, something which has been evident in the work Maltesers and Snickers have delivered in recent months.
  Clarke stepped into his role since last year, following the departure of Mars’ global CMO Bruce McC
  
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• 2017 year in review: Vote for your favourite campaign

  06-12-2017 13:00
  For a recap on all the campaigns visit 2017 year in review: Campaigns of the year
  The post 2017 year in review: Vote for your favourite campaign appeared first on Marketing Week.
  
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• Supernormal stimulus

  06-12-2017 11:00
  Humans have only experienced modernity as a blip – for the rest of our existence, the natural world was the basis of all our stimulus. Rapid changes in the way we live, not least in the last 20 years have brought supernormal stimuli,...
  
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• British Army takes Grand Prix at DMA Awards

  06-12-2017 07:00
  LONDON: A campaign from the British Army and Karmarama, has won the Grand Prix at the DMA Awards, having incorporated new technology into its strategy to accurately target those most likely to apply.The awards were revealed during a gala evening...
  
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• Majority of Christmas toy catalogues play to gender stereotypes, study finds

  06-12-2017 02:00
  With the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) introducing new rules to crackdown on gender stereotypes in advertising and the likes of Unilever making bold changes to improve the way women are portrayed in its ads, the marketing industry has shown it is open to change.
  However, a new study from Let Toys Be Toys, shows this year’s Christmas catalogues are still a long way from avoiding gender stereotyping children.
  Having reviewed toy catalogues from brands including Argos, Toys R Us, Smyt
  
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• BMW ad banned for making ‘misleading’ environmental claims

  06-12-2017 01:01
  BMW has had an ad promoting its i3 electric model banned after the ASA found it to contain ‘misleading’ environmental claims.
  The video post, which appeared on Facebook back in May, included the claim “Having driven petrol guzzling cars before, I realised that it is now time to switch to an electric car. With zero emissions, the i3 really is a clean car and helps to give back to the environment” in its voiceover.
  However, the ASA said the car brand falsely claimed the i3
  
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• WARC Media Awards: Partnerships & Sponsorships shortlist

  06-12-2017 01:00
  GLOBAL: Campaigns from Land Rover, LEGO and Stella Artois are among the 19 papers that have been shortlisted in the Effective Use of Partnerships & Sponsorships category in the 2017 WARC Media Awards.“It’s been an inspiring...
  
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• Pritchard: mass one-to-one marketing is coming

  06-12-2017 01:00
  GLOBAL: Procter& Gamble is planning to increase investment in what Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, calls one-to-one marketing at scale.In an exclusive interview with WARC, Pritchard said he was encouraged by the progress on media...
  
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• 'Pester power' grows up

  06-12-2017 01:00
  SYDNEY: Children are more influential than ever in their parent’s purchase decisions as gender roles and relationships change in families, new research shows.“It’s not ‘pester power’ anymore,” according to...
  
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• Patagonia takes on Trump

  06-12-2017 01:00
  VENTURA, CA: Patagonia, the outdoor clothing retailer, intends to take legal action to block US President Donald Trump’s decision to reduce the size of national monuments in Utah and Nevada by up to 85%, a stance that may endear it to some...
  
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• Facebook earmarks a 'few billion dollars' for live sports

  06-12-2017 01:00
  MENLO PARK, CA.: Facebook has demonstrated its interest in streaming live sports following an unsuccessful $600m bid for the rights to broadcast cricket matches in India, as the social network interviews candidates for a sports rights negotiator. ...
  
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