• A crypto startup that vanished and changed its website to the word ‘penis’ allegedly stole the identities of its team

    Three blockchain experts linked to an illegitimate startup called Prodeum told Business Insider they have nothing to do with the organization and are victims of identity theft.
    The startup, Prodeum, raised $11 in an online fundraiser before disappearing on Sunday.
    Prodeum's website went blank late Sunday aside for the text "penis" in the upper-left corner. 
    Three blockchain experts linked to a bizarre cryptocurrency startup that sought to raise $6.5 million before vanishing have told B
  • A major change is coming to how tech stocks are traded, and investors face an avoidable risk (FB, AAPL, GOOGL, AMZN, NFLX)

    Starting in September, telecom, tech, media, and entertainment companies will be combined into one S&P 500 sector called Communication Services. 
    It's set to be the most crowded sector in the market, according to equity strategists at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. 
    Investors should buy currently underweight parts of the sector ahead of its formation and sell afterwards as a "rule of thumb."A new stock market sector will launch in September. 
    S&P Dow Jones Indices announce
  • The iced tea company that avoided de-listing by pivoting to blockchain may once again be at risk of being kicked off Nasdaq’s exchange

    Long Island Iced Tea quadrupled its stock price — and avoided being kicked off Nasdaq's stock exchange — in a single day by changing its name to Long Blockchain. 
    Without any actual cryptocurrency assets, the company is now back below a $35 million market cap, meaning it could get another warning. 
    The company is currently attempting to merge with a British brokerage. The Long Island Iced Tea Company needed a boost and it needed one quick.
    In October, the company was w
  • It looks like Republicans have given up on Obamacare repeal — for now

    Conservative groups connected to the powerful Koch brothers are declining to push for Obamacare repeal in 2018.
    The move is the latest sign Republicans are shifting their focus away from the healthcare law.Republicans in and out of Washington appear to be punting on a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, the law known as Obamacare, as they shift their focus to other priorities. 
    According to Axios' Caitlin Owens, conservative groups backed by the influential Koch brothers are turning their at
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  • And now it's clear how China will exploit Steve Wynn's moment of weakness

    Macau authorities are concerned about allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against the billionaire casino mogul Steve Wynn.
    Expect this concern to translate into cash extracted from Wynn's Macau properties, the crown jewels of his empire.The worst thing that could happen to Steve Wynn is most likely happening right at this moment.
    Over the weekend the Macau gaming regulator expressed concern over accusations of sexual misconduct against Wynn, the billionaire founder of Wynn Entertainment. Ac
  • CRYPTO INSIDER: A sea of red

    Welcome to Crypto Insider, Business Insider’s roundup of all the bitcoin and cryptocurrency news you need to know today. Sign up here to get this email delivered direct to your inbox.Most major cryptocurrencies were down slightly coming off the weekend, but there was one shining speck of green among the sea of red. Here are the current standings: Bitcoin (BTC): $11,248 (-4.1%)
    Ethereum (ETH): $1,171 (-4.7%)
    Ripple (XRP): $1.28 (-4.3%)
    Bitcoin C
  • Russell Parsons: Don’t put data before strategy

    You might call it a relentless desire for continuous improvement or an inability to leave the hell alone, but there is an obsession with redefining what marketers do and what they’re called.
    Unnecessary elongation or distortion of the 4Ps is commonplace, as is the monthly unveiling of new checklists that seek to define fundamental change while signalling the future, but are instead exercises in saying the same thing in different ways.
    Elsewhere, it seems for many that the marketing manager
  • Must-see sessions at Marketing Week Live and the Insight Show

    Marketing Week Live and its sister event the Insight Show are the live embodiment of Marketing Week. Running concurrently over two days, they are an annual means to bring to life the content we produce day in, day out. In 2018, we will do this in exciting new ways.
    On the all new Editor’s Stage, we will delve deep into some of the biggest challenges you face.
    From boosting the ROI of content marketing, to extracting more from less, to the challenge of nurturing the next generation of marke
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  • M&S, Lidl, Ryanair: Everything that matters this morning

    M&S to close unprofitable stores putting jobs at risk
    Following a tough Christmas, Marks and Spencer has revealed plans to close six unprofitable stores by April and boost food services.
    Another eight stores are also likely to close, as part of the struggling retailers’ transformation efforts which were announced back in 2016.
    However, M&S says it is trying to prevent any job losses and that some of its 468 staff will be moved to nearby stores if their branch were to close down.
    &l
  • Ford, Apple and Brewdog: Everything that matters this morning

    Apple prepares to shatter it’s own record for most profitable quarter in historyApple will announce the most profitable fiscal quarter in corporate history on Thursday, according to analysts. Forecasters are predicting the tech giant will beat its own record of $18bn with a net income of at least $19bn, when it announces its earnings.Thursday’s announcement is reporting sales from the three months leading up to December and is traditionally the company’s biggest fiscal quarter
  • Ford, Apple & Brewdog: Everything that matters this morning

    Apple prepares to shatter it’s own record for most profitable quarter in historyApple will announce the most profitable fiscal quarter in corporate history on Thursday, according to analysts. Forecasters are predicting the tech giant will beat its own record of $18bn with a net income of at least $19bn when it announces its earnings this week.Thursday’s announcement is reporting sales from the three months leading up to December and is traditionally the company’s biggest fiscal
  • Facebook, Amazon, VW: Everything that matters this morning

    Facebook bans cryptocurrency adverts
    Facebook is to block all advertising promoting cryptocurrency products and services.
    Under the new rules any advert encouraging users to buy Bitcoin tokens or get involved in an initial coin offering (ICO) for virtual currencies will be banned. An ICO encourages people to buy into new cryptocurrencies before they launch with the expectation that one day they will be worth a lot more money. Virtual currencies are, however, not regulated in the same way as the
  • Coca-Cola, Google, getting purpose wrong: Everything that matters this morning

    Coca-Cola looks to beat sugar tax with launch of three new brands
    Drinks giant Coca-Cola is prepping the launch of three new brands in the UK, as it looks to offer healthier, non-carbonated alternatives ahead of the sugar tax coming into force.
    UK boss Jon Woods said it would be the first time the business launches three brands in one year, but that it was a “sign of things to come” as it looks to battle sluggish sales growth in the soft drinks market.
    Coca-Cola announced at the begi
  • Alibaba, Apple, Birds Eye: Everything that matters this morning

    Alibaba sales soar to record high
    Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba saw revenues rise 56% year on year in the final quarter of 2017 to 83 billion Chiese yuan (£9bn) as it shrugged off concerns about rising competition and a wider market slowdown. Revenue at its core commerce division was up 57% to 72.3 billion yuan (£8bn), while cloud computing sales more than doubled to 3.6 billion yuan (£400m). The company has now increased its revenue guidance
    “Alibaba had another great
  • From commodity to lever for growth: The future of media

    It is only January and 2018 is already shaping up to be another big year for media. In the past week alone Asda, Shell and HSBC have put their media up for pitch, while Procter & Gamble has said it is reviewing its relationship with agencies. And at the start of the year Mars put its $1.4bn media account up for review.
    Conservative estimates suggest there is at least $10bn in media up for grabs at the moment, but what has prompted the widespread re-evaluation of what brands want from media?
  • Walmart and Rakuten form strategic alliance

    TOKYO: Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is joining forces with Rakuten, the biggest e-commerce operator in Japan, in a strategic alliance that effectively ramps up their challenge to Amazon in Japan and the US.The CEOs of both...
  • Is it time for an attention metric?

    GLOBAL:Consumer attention is an increasingly scarce commodity in a fragmented media landscape and marketers may have to look beyond simple viewability or OTS metrics to measure this aspect of consumer behaviour.Writing in the January issue of...
  • How H&R Block is using AI

    NEW YORK: H&R Block, the tax preparation company, is seeking to tap into the power of artificial intelligence (AI) while still making sure that its marketing messages have “soul”.Amy Hu, H&R Block’s VP/Interactive...
  • Google allows users to mute 'reminder ads'

    SAN FRANCISCO: Google has announced that it is rolling out a new tool that will enable users to exert more control over so-called “reminder ads” – those often annoying ads that follow users around the internet based on browsing...
  • Cartoon Network unveils first branded cruise ship

    SINGAPORE: A full-branded Cartoon Network cruise ship is scheduled to set sail in Asian waters later this year after US media giant Turner formed a partnership with Oceanic Group, a cruise management company.Turner already has several Cartoon...
  • BuzzFeed gains rare entry into China

    NEW YORK/BEIJING: BuzzFeed, the US online media firm best-known for its viral listicles and memes, is taking a significant step forward into the Chinese market.It has reached a content licensing agreement with Bytedance, a popular Chinese online...
  • Agencies face a tough year of scrutiny

    LONDON: It is almost exactly a year since Marc Pritchard, Procter & Gamble’s Chief Brand Officer, delivered his landmark speech demanding greater transparency in the digital supply chain, and it appears ongoing concern is prompting brands...

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