Sales & Marketing news

• Bitcoin just set yet another record high

  12-12-2017 20:03 via feedproxy.google.com
  Bitcoin reached another record high of $17,580.77 per coin on Tuesday.
  The gains were fueled in part by the launch of bitcoin futures trading on Sunday. 
  The cryptocurrency has exploded in popularity, with a major proportion of its gains coming in the last three months. 
  Even lesser-known cryptocurrencies — like litecoin — have seen a surge in popularity. 
  Bitcoin is up 1600% so far this year. You can watch Bitcoin's price move in real-time here>>
  SEE ALSO:
  
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• Rand Paul says he will vote against budget bill that adds to deficit — after voting for deficit-hiking tax bill

  12-12-2017 19:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  Sen. Rand Paul announced in a video on Twitter that he will vote against any government funding legislation.
  A funding bill must be passed before December 22 — or the federal government will partially shut down.
  Paul said he is still a "yes" on the GOP tax bill despite official analyses showing that it would add more than $1 trillion to the federal deficit.Sen. Rand Paul announced Tuesday that he will reject any government funding legislation in the coming weeks.
  Current funding, in the f
  
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• Republicans are hurtling toward passing their massive tax plan — but it could still 'hit a serious snag'

  12-12-2017 19:08 via feedproxy.google.com
  The Republican tax bill is being ironed out by a conference committee to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the plan.
  The members of the conference committee have not come to a solution on major discrepancies between the two plans.
  Despite the issues, GOP leaders are still targeting a deadline of December 22 to pass the final compromise bill.Republicans are setting an aggressive timeline to pass the final, compromise version of the their massive tax overhaul. Now, the
  
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• Coinbase halts ether and litecoin trading as cryptocurrency market approaches $500 billion

  12-12-2017 18:44 via feedproxy.google.com
  Coinbase, the popular cryptocurrency trading platform, blocked users Tuesday from buying red-hot litecoin and ether. 
  Investors poured into the two red-hot digital currencies Tuesday morning, pushing them both to new heights.Litecoin hit a record of $312 on Tuesday, while ether soared over to more than $600 for the first time.
  The cryptocurrency market is gunning for $500 billion. 
   
  Cryptomania has propelled two lesser-known cryptocurrencies to record highs Tuesday, forcing one
  
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• Vanguard, the fund giant with nearly $5 trillion in assets, is using blockchain to underpin its mutual funds

  12-12-2017 18:32 via feedproxy.google.com
  Vanguard, the $5 trillion mutual fund manager, announced on Monday it's using the blockchain to simplify how it updates the index data underpinning its mutual funds. 
  Blockchain is the distributed ledger technology underpinning cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ether. Vanguard is moving to use blockchain to simplify how it updates index data underlying mutual funds, executives said on Monday, an important sign of confidence for the new financial technology.
  Closely-held Vangua
  
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• BlackRock's $1.7 trillion bond chief says don't fear the Fed

  12-12-2017 18:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  Rick Rieder, who oversees $1.7 trillion as the global chief investment officer of fixed income at BlackRock, says market fears over Federal Reserve tightening are overblown.
  He thinks that central banks are "maniacally focused" on not stirring up volatility.As recently as two months ago, uncertainty around the Federal Reserve was among the market's biggest fears.
  Of particular concern has been the unprecedented unwinding of the Fed's massive balance sheet, which is a reversal of the central ban
  
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• Ed Pilkington: Connection is the secret sauce for effective working

  12-12-2017 18:20
  As a graduate I was told that in business no-one does anything alone. Collaboration is essential in all we do. For many of us our role is to bring together complementary skills to deliver brilliant work. We need to get people to collaborate. Yet collaboration is a word that can be overused. Collaboration isn’t just a cross-functional workshop – it is much deeper than that.
  At the heart of collaboration has to be connection. We spend a lot of our time talking about how best to connect
  
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• Ethereum soars above $600 after a group of big banks announce a new project on its blockchain

  12-12-2017 17:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  Ether, the second largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, soared past $600 a token Tuesday.
  Ether was trading up 20% at $616 at 10:35 a.m. ET, according to data from Markets Insider. 
  The record comes a day after a group of banks led by UBS announced a data quality control project on Ethereum's blockchain.Ethereum's blockchain, unlike bitcoin's, can support layered on applications and facilitates so-called smart-contracts. 
   
  Cryptomania is sweeping Wall Street and it's
  
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• 1930s Germany shows us that bad tax policy can magnify Washington's worst problem by 1,000

  12-12-2017 17:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  New economic research shows that bad tax policy was instrumental in bringing about the rise of the Nazi Party in 1933.
  Austerity measures implemented by an incompetent Weimar government had the unintended consequence of radicalizing German voters.
  The U.S. is not Weimar Germany, but GOP policies — starting with the Tax Cut and Jobs Act and continuing on with cuts to social programs that may follow — in an already polarized environment could have the same unintended consequences.
  Doi
  
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• Tesla is rallying after Pepsi places an order for 100 Semis (TSLA)

  12-12-2017 17:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  Tesla just received another big preorder for its Semi truck, putting the total number of preorders at around 267, according to Reuters' Eric Johnson.
  Truck buyers could be ordering trucks years before they are available in order to get a spot at the front of the line.
  Tesla is trading higher after the news, track the stock in real time here.Tesla shares are trading higher by 2.28% at $336.93 on Tuesday after the company received an order from PepsiCo for 100 of its new Semis.
  The order is
  
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• BANK OF AMERICA: The bull market has plenty of 'gas in the tank'

  12-12-2017 17:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  The S&P 500 could hit 3,000 by the end of 2018, Bank of America Merrill Lynch's technical team says.
  They say the chart for 2018 looks a lot like 2014, when the S&P gained 11%.
  Oppenheimer's John Stoltzfus also recently set his 2018 target for the S&P 500 at 3,000.The S&P 500 has come a long way since the depths of the Great Recession. After bottoming at 666 in March 2008, the benchmark index has rallied 300% to a record high of 2,665. A decent chunk of those gains have come in
  
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• Seize users’ attention with experiences they can’t find anywhere else

  12-12-2017 16:40
  As the jury for the Effective Content Strategy category of the WARC Awards is announced, Lucy Aitken interviews John Dokes, CMO, AccuWeather and the jury...
  
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• Marketoonist on retail in the age of Amazon

  12-12-2017 16:27
  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 retail in the age of Amazon appeared first on Marketing Week.
  
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• How Direct Line improved young drivers’ behaviour on a shoestring budget

  12-12-2017 16:20
  Being brave is the best way to create change, according to insurer Direct Line, which set out to reframe what good driving looks like for young people, all on a shoestring advertising budget.
  The campaign centred on Shotgun, an app targeted at male first-time drivers aged between 17 and 19, which went live at the beginning of the year with an ad budget of just £70,000 – far smaller than the insurer’s usual spend. The aim? To reduce the number of road deaths that occur during so
  
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• Pepsi just placed an order for 100 Tesla Semis — here are all the companies buying the electric truck (TSLA, PEP, WMT, BUD, SYY, R, JBHT)

  12-12-2017 16:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  Pepsi has ordered 100 Tesla Semis.
  Pepsi joins major companies like Walmart and Anheuser-Busch as early customers for Tesla's new electric trucks.
  Some were skeptical of Tesla's ability to break into the trucking industry.Tesla just added another major client to its Semi pre-order list, as Pepsi has reserved 100 of Tesla's electric trucks, according to Reuters. Pepsi's order is the largest known order yet, as it represents over one-third of an estimated 267 reserved trucks so far.
  The order is
  
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• Disney and 21st Century Fox are climbing as report says a deal for assets is coming Thursday (FOXA, DIS)

  12-12-2017 15:49 via feedproxy.google.com
  Disney and Fox are all set to announce the sale of Fox's entertainment assets to Disney later this week, CNBC's David Faber reports.
  The news sent shares of both the companies higher.
  Watch the price of Fox move in real time on Markets Insider.Reports that 21st Century Fox is expected to announce the sale of its entertainment business to Disney on Thursday have sent shares of both companies higher. Disney shares are trading up 0.18% at $107.02 on Tuesday while those of 21st Century Fox are
  
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• Litecoin creator issues stern warning after the cryptocurrency doubles in a single day

  12-12-2017 15:38 via feedproxy.google.com
  Litecoin, a smaller cousin of bitcoin, has seen its value more than double in just one day. 
  Litecoin creator Charlie Lee tweeted a sobering warning to those not prepared to lose their entire investment.
  Still, Litecoin fans on Reddit were preparing celebrations, some of which seem fairly risky. Cryptocurrencies have exploded since bitcoin futures began trading in Chicago over the weekend.
  Litecoin, the fifth-largest coin by market-cap, has seen its value more than double since Sunday
  
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• America's small businesses haven't been this pumped up since the 'roaring Reagan economy'

  12-12-2017 15:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  The NFIB's measure of small business optimism reached its highest level in 34 years in November.
  A handful of more specific indexes also climbed to record or near-record levels.A measure of US small business optimism hit its highest level since 1983 last month, according to a National Federation of Independent Business survey released Tuesday.
  The index gained 3.7 points in November, a big jump from the near-record performance seen in the previous month, NFIB data showed. In addition, eight of
  
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• Think like a scammer: How to protect your brand from ad fraud

  12-12-2017 15:00
  Fraud is a big problem and the only way we’re going to solve it is by becoming realistic about marketers’ response to fraudsters, argues Richard Kahn. As long as fraudsters are at work, we have to work harder.Ad...
  
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• Over 1 million children and pregnant women are on the brink of losing health insurance — and Congress hasn't done anything about it

  12-12-2017 14:36 via feedproxy.google.com
  If Congress doesn't reauthorize funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), at least 1.2 million children could lose healthcare coverage.
  A handful of states are expected to run out of money by early next year.Medical officials in those states are beginning to send termination notices to families as they prepare for the worst.Even if Congress does restore CHIP money, the delay in funding will have already cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  Late night host Jimmy Kim
  
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• A $200 billion quant fund says one of the biggest market concerns over GOP tax reform is a myth

  12-12-2017 12:03 via feedproxy.google.com
  AQR Capital Management, a quantitative-focused hedge fund overseeing $208 billion, seeks to dispell the four biggest myths associated with corporate share repurchases.
  The firm argues that companies using cash to repurchase stock doesn't hinder economic growth, as has been suggested in recent weeks.
  One of the arguments against the GOP plan has been that companies will use excess capital to simply buy back their own shares.To hear detractors of the GOP tax bill tell it, the plan as currently pr
  
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• A $200 billion quant fund says one of the biggest concerns about how companies will spend their tax savings is overblown

  12-12-2017 12:03 via feedproxy.google.com
  AQR Capital Management, a quantitative-focused hedge fund overseeing $208 billion, seeks to dispel what it sees as the four biggest myths associated with corporate share repurchases.
  The firm argues that companies using cash to repurchase stock doesn't hinder economic growth, as has been suggested in recent weeks.
  One of the arguments against Republicans' proposed tax cuts has been that companies will use excess capital to simply buy back their own shares.To hear detractors of Republicans' tax
  
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• Brits flock to Aldi in the run up to Christmas

  12-12-2017 11:36
  Aldi reclaimed its crown as Britain’s fastest growing supermarket during the 12 weeks to 3 December, according to the latest data from Kantar Worldpanel.
  The German discounter grew sales by 15.1% year on year, ahead of Lidl’s 14.5% sales growth. In comparison, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons grew sales at far slower rates of 2.5%, 2%, 1.4% and 1.2% respectively. Each of the big four also lost market share, with the data strongly indicating Brits are readying themselves f
  
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• Experience – a brand’s best gift this Christmas

  12-12-2017 11:00
  Heather Dansie, associate research director at Publicis Media, discusses why experience is core to a Christmas strategy and what brands can do to truly embrace the festive season.Every year, the familiar phrase pops up around this...
  
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• Where are all the Sipp sales? UK pension hotspots mapped - Money Marketing

  12-12-2017 10:28
  Money Marketing
  Where are all the Sipp sales? UK pension hotspots mapped
  Money Marketing
  Money Marketing has tracked down the data to show you how Sipp sales have taken off since the pension freedoms, and which postcodes are buying the most. Click here for more from Money Marketing on Pensions. By Money Marketing 12th December 2017 ...
  
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• Online display drives ROI

  12-12-2017 08:00
  LONDON: Click-through rates for online display ads may be negligible but they still form a useful function in raising consumer awareness and, for FMCG brands, in driving sales both in-store and online.A year-long research project saw nine brands...
  
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• MORGAN STANLEY: 3 things could slow red-hot FAANG stocks in 2018

  12-12-2017 02:52 via feedproxy.google.com
  FAANG stocks could be a victim of their own success in 2018, says Morgan Stanley.
  The outperformance of the tech-focused group could leave it vulnerable to some trend reversals that could weigh on performance, according to the firm.All good things must come to an end. Which is why Morgan Stanley has already started brainstorming about what could derail torrid gains for scorching-hot tech stocks.
  The FAANG group — which consists of Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google — has cr
  
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• UK programmatic ad spend to surpass £3bn in 2017

  12-12-2017 01:01
  How UK programmatic ad spend will rise over the next two years in £bnBy the end of 2017, UK advertisers will have spent £3.39bn on programmatic advertising, up 23.5% compared to last year, according to a new report from eMarketer.
  Programmatic spend now represents 79% of all UK digital display ad spend, with this proportion expected to reach 84.5% by 2019. Predictably, mobile continues to be a major growth driver, accounting for 78% of total programmatic digital display ad spend in
  
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• WARC Awards: Innovation judges announced

  12-12-2017 01:00
  GLOBAL: Senior executives from US Bank, Northwell Health and Campari are among the judges being announced today for the Effective Innovation category in the 2018 Warc Awards initiative, a global search for next-generation marketing effectiveness. ...
  
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• US sports rights to be worth $23bn by 2021

  12-12-2017 01:00
  NEW YORK: Despite younger consumers moving away from traditional sports broadcasting, and tech giants edging in on broadcasters’ traditional territory, sports rights will only continue to grow.This is according to PwC’s
  
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• Majority of consumers would withhold data despite benefit

  12-12-2017 01:00
  LONDON: Consumers are unaware of their rights under forthcoming GDPR legislation, as a survey shows that 70% have not heard of the new regulation amid widespread distrust of companies holding individuals’ data.While the majority of consumers...
  
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• Live streaming gets around Vietnam's ad rules

  12-12-2017 01:00
  HO CHI MINH CITY: Influencer marketing and social media are already big in Southeast Asia so the use of live video streaming is a logical next step, but in Vietnam there are concerns that this approach is sidestepping rules on both advertising and...
  
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• China's bike sharers face mergers

  12-12-2017 01:00
  BEIJING: Following last month’s bankruptcy of China’s third-largest bike-sharing company, there is growing speculation that two or more of the remaining major players may be forced to merge to have any chance of becoming profitable. ...
  
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• ANA's Liodice assesses digital progress

  12-12-2017 01:00
  NEW YORK: Marketers are making “select areas of progress” in tackling the problems facing the digital ecosystem, but room for further change remains, according to Bob Liodice, President/CEO of the Association of National Advertisers...
  
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• SEC head Jay Clayton weighs in on cryptocurrency mania

  12-12-2017 00:07 via feedproxy.google.com
  SEC chairman Jay Clayton weighed in on the crypto-mania sweeping Wall Street in a statement Monday.
  Clayton warned investors about threats associated with cryptocurrencies and ICOs, a crypto-based fundraising method.Jay Clayton, the chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Committee, weighed in on the crypto-mania sweeping Wall Street in a statement Monday.
  "The world's social media platforms and financial markets are abuzz about cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings," Clayton said. "Th
  
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