Sales & Marketing news

• A Tesla whistleblower says the electric car maker's security team is staffed with former members of a notorious group from Uber that allegedly spied on rivals (TSLA)

  16-08-2018 23:54 via feedproxy.google.com
  Some former members of a notorious security team at Uber are now allegedly employed by Tesla.
  They include Nick Gicinto, who reportedly is the new head of security at Tesla.
  At Uber, Gicinto allegedly led a team of former CIA case officers who hacked into rivals' computers and secretly recorded their conversations.
  At Tesla, Gicinto and his team allegedly spied on employees and hushed up a drug-trafficking investigation.
  The allegations about the Uber team working at Tesla were made by Karl Hans
  
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• Nvidia sinks after cutting its guidance (NVDA)

  16-08-2018 22:39 via feedproxy.google.com
  Nvidia topped Wall Street's earnings expectations on Thursday but cut its third-quarter revenue forecast. 
  The chipmaker now expects third-quarter revenue to be around $3.25 billion where the Street had previously expected $3.34 billion.
  Follow Nvidia's stock price in real-time here.
  Shares of Nvidia fell 6% in after-hours trading Thursday following a guidance cut from the chipmaker despite posting second-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street's expectations.
  Here are the key figures:
  Ear
  
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• AMC boasts more than 260,000 members for its movie-ticket subscription service, as MoviePass shakes up its plan (AMC)

  16-08-2018 22:05 via feedproxy.google.com
  AMC Theatres announced on Thursday that it now has 260,000 members in its AMC Stubs A-List movie-ticket subscription service.
  That makes up 4% of the chain's US attendance.As MoviePass tries desperately to scale back so only the "occasional moviegoer" will be attracted to the service, AMC Theatres continues to grab more willing takers for its own subscription program.
  AMC, the largest movie chain in the world, announced on Thursday that its movie-ticket subscription service, AMC Stubs A-Lis
  
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• Trump officials are using a bizarre new comparison to explain the US-China trade war

  16-08-2018 21:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  Two high-ranking Trump administration officials have recently compared Trump's trade war with China to a weight-loss program.
  "I liken it a little bit to going on a diet," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said July 31.
  Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said Trump's tariffs were "a little bit like weight loss."
  The officials said the short-term economic pain from the tariffs will yield gains in the future.
  It's unclear whether that is the case.
  Members of President Donald Trump's administration ha
  
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• Big brands like Facebook and Starbucks are going to take crypto to the next level, and they could leave some ICO projects in the dust

  16-08-2018 20:44 via feedproxy.google.com
  Crypto took off at the end of 2017, with bitcoin hitting $20,000 at the end of December. 
  In this oped, Bruce Elliott, president of ICOx Innovations, argues that big brands are just entering the space. This is what's going to take the nascent market to the next level, not small ICO projects. 
  If you would have asked me in January – when we helped Kodak launch KodakOne and KodackCoin – if both Starbucks and Facebook would let the world know this year that they have
  
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• Cybersecurity giant Symantec surges 10% after a $6 billion activist buys a stake (SYMC)

  16-08-2018 20:14 via feedproxy.google.com
  Shares of Symantec jumped as much as 10% to $20.50 Thursday after Starboard reported a stake in the cybersecurity giant.
  Starboard, which manages roughly $6 billion, has taken a 5.8% stake in Symantec and nominated five directors to the board.
  The stock surge recovers some of the price loss after Symantec fell sharply after bad earnings earlier this month.
  Follow Symantec's stock price in real-time here.
  Shares of Symantec surged as much as 10% to $20.50 Thursday on trading a
  
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• Walmart's massive surge just added billions to the Walton family's wealth — here's how much you'd have made if you invested $1,000 back in the day

  16-08-2018 19:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  Walmart is surging after crushing earnings estimates Thursday morning, adding about $12 billion to the wealth of the Walton family.
  An investment of $1,000 at the start of 1980 would be worth over $1.9 million today.
  Watch Walmart stock trade in real time here.
  Walmart's stock price is surging after the company announced better-than-expected earnings results Thursday morning. As a result, the Walton family — the descendants of the retail mega-giant's founder — gained about $12 billio
  
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• Walmart's surge just added $12 billion to the Walton family's wealth (WMT)

  16-08-2018 19:04 via feedproxy.google.com
  The Walton family still controls about 48% of Walmart, meaning their exorbitant wealth is innately tied to the company's stock price.
  Walmart's earnings surge on Tuesday netted Sam Walton's heirs a cool $11.6 billion. 
  Follow Walmart stock price in real-time here. 
  Walmart skyrocketed more than 10% Thursday following the grocer's earnings report that crushed analysts expectations, adding a cool $11.6 billion to the founding family's wealth.
  The richest family in the United States &mdas
  
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• The biggest tech companies are about to undergo a major reshuffling on the stock market — here’s what’s coming, and why it matters

  16-08-2018 18:57 via feedproxy.google.com
  MSCI and S&P are soon to make some changes to how tech companies are categorized on the S&P 500 for the first time since 1999.   
  On September 28, a new Communication Services sector will replace the current Telecoms sector, and will include some of the biggest stocks including Facebook and Netflix.It's only the second sector addition since 1999, and is a recognition of how consolidation has melded the telecom, media, and internet industries together.  
  Exchange-
  
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• MoviePass investors tell horror stories of watching their stakes drop over 99%, with some losing more than $100,000

  16-08-2018 18:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  Many investors in the parent company of MoviePass, Helios and Matheson Analytics, have seen their stakes dwindle over 99% in recent months, with some losing over $100,000.
  To fund massive MoviePass losses, Helios has flooded the market with new shares, diluting previous shareholders and sending the stock price plummeting.
  Helios is trading at about $0.05.
  When Ken, a retiree investor, logged into E-Trade in March to research a stock called Helios and Matheson Analytics, it looked like a killer d
  
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• Nvidia is slipping ahead of earnings (NVDA)

  16-08-2018 17:23 via feedproxy.google.com
  Shares of Nvidia dropped as much as 1.2% to $256 in trading Thursday ahead of earnings.
  Wall Street expects earnings per share of $1.85 f0r the chip maker's second quarter.
  UBS analysts said their field work had suggested a several-month delay beyond the original August plan of the Turing's launch.
  They have a target price of $285 and maintain a neutral rating on Nvidia.
  Shares of Nvidia slid as much as 1.2% to $256 in trading Thursday ahead of the chipmaker's secon
  
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• A new study found CEOs at America's biggest companies raked in $19 million on average last year, while workers' pay barely budged

  16-08-2018 17:16 via feedproxy.google.com
  A new report from the Economic Policy Institute showed the average CEO compensation at the US's 350 largest public companies grew to just under $19 million in 2017, up 17.6% from the year before.
  At the same time, compensation for the average US worker grew 0.3% in 2017.
  The ratio of CEO-to-worker compensation grew to 312-to-1 in 2017, up from a 58-to-1 ratio in 1989.
  The compensation for CEOs at the US's biggest public companies continued to surge in 2017, according to a new report, but the wor
  
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• Beer giants like Heineken and Constellation Brands are duking it out in the billion-dollar market for marijuana-infused drinks

  16-08-2018 16:14 via feedproxy.google.com
  Big beer companies are looking to develop marijuana-infused beverages as a way to revitalize their businesses.
  Constellation Brands, the third-largest beer company in the US, this week invested $4 billion in Canopy Growth, a Canadian marijuana cultivator, to develop marijuana-infused beverages and other products.
  And Lagunitas, Heineken's California-based brand, recently developed a hoppy, THC-infused sparkling water. And Molson Coors recently entered a joint venture to produce marijua
  
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• These are the countries most at risk if Turkey's lira crash spirals into a debt crisis

  16-08-2018 16:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  The collapse of the Turkish lira and the strong dollar have hit emerging market currencies globally.
  If the trend continues, countries may start to have trouble paying back dollar-denominated debts.
  Analysts say Argentina, Pakistan, South Africa, and Colombia are among those most at risk.LONDON — The collapse of the Turkish lira against the dollar is the focus of global markets but emerging market currencies are getting hammered across the board and there are concerns that the issue could
  
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• One of the world's largest ratings agencies on Brexit: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  16-08-2018 15:58 via feedproxy.google.com
  Fitch, one of the "Big Three" credit ratings agencies, believes Brexit is now too complicated to call.
  It has removed its base case, because "there is such a wide range of potential Brexit outcomes that no individual scenario has a high probability."
  The ratings agency also believes that the possibility of a no deal Brexit is rising.
  Follow all of Business Insider's Brexit coverage here.LONDON — Fitch, one of the "Big Three" credit ratings agencies, now believes that the manner of the UK's
  
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• A 3 a.m. bankruptcy filing, unpaid millions, and IHOb burgers: Inside the $23 million battle raging within Applebee's (DIN)

  16-08-2018 15:51 via feedproxy.google.com
  Applebee's parent company, Dine Brands, and its second-largest franchisee, RMH Holdings, are battling in court, with Dine Brands attempting to take control of dozens of the franchisee's restaurants.
  RMH controls more than 140 Applebee's locations and filed for bankruptcy in May, blaming Dine Brands' "ill-advised and value-destroying" decisions for struggling sales and millions of wasted dollars.
  The franchisee filed for bankruptcy at 3:30 a.m. on May 8, hours after Dine Brands' CEO issued an ult
  
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• More hands-on and faster-paced: Why young marketers are turning to sectors other than FMCG

  16-08-2018 15:48
  FMCG has always been thought of as the number one training ground for anyone looking for a solid start to career in marketing. However, as the world becomes more global and fast-paced does FMCG still provide the best place for marketeers to learn?
  No one is denying FMCG has a great deal to offer young marketers, but are there other sectors that can offer a different type of experience and additional skills? Tech, telecoms and finance are just some of the industries that have been heralded
  
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• JCPenney is tumbling after slashing its full-year guidance (JCP)

  16-08-2018 15:04 via feedproxy.google.com
  Shares of JCPenney dropped 25% in early trading Thursday after missing Wall Street's estimates.
  The reatiler also slashed its full-year guidance.
  "Inventory receipts continued to outpace total sales performance this quarter due to prior purchase commitments," said Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey Davis.
  Follow JCPenney's stock price in real-time here.
  Shares of JCPenney plunged as much as 25% in pre-market trading on Thursday following the retailer's second-quarter earnings re
  
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• Walmart is surging after earnings crush Wall Street expectations (WMT)

  16-08-2018 14:36 via feedproxy.google.com
  Walmart beat Wall Street's earnings expectations on Thursday, nearly doubling the forecasted same-store sales growth rate.
  E-commerce grew 40% over the same period a year ago.
  Shares rose more than 10% in early trading Thursday following the release.
  Follow Walmart's stock price in real-time here. 
  Shares of Walmart surged more than 10% in early trading Thursday after the US' largest grocer reported an uptick in same-store sales and digital orders that helped it top Wall Street’s expe
  
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• Renault marries German consistency with French creativity as the brand ‘grows up’

  16-08-2018 14:16
  Renault is going through that awkward transition from teenager to adult. While it had a clear positioning as a French brand in the 1990s and early 2000s, this has become more muddled as it looks to “grow up” and become a more global brand.
  For the last two-and-a-half years it has been the job of Bastien Schupp, vice president of brand strategy and marketing communications, to steer the French car manufacturer away from almost 120 years of ‘Frenchness’. That doesn’t
  
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• Mark Ritson: Byron Sharp is wrong – of course brand perceptions influence sales

  16-08-2018 14:00
  It’s fair to say no book has had more influence on marketing practice in the past decade than How Brands Grow. Professor Byron Sharp’s book is hardly a page turner, but inside its red cover exists a heady combination of insight, empiricism and contention.
  The book’s biggest and most debated claim is unquestionably its challenge on target segmentation and Sharp’s call for “sophisticated mass marketing” to replace it in most, if not all, cases. His assault on o
  
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• CMA launches investigation into transparency in influencer marketing

  16-08-2018 13:22
  The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into influencer marketing to gather more information on whether social media stars are being transparent about sponsored posts.
  As part of the investigation, the CMA has written to a range of celebrities and social media influencers to gain further insight into the inner workings that goes on behind these posts.
  Celebrities and influencers are increasingly becoming a key part of marketing strategy, with brands hoping they
  
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• CMA launches investigation into influencer marketing

  16-08-2018 13:22
  The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into influencer marketing to gather more information on whether social media stars are being transparent about sponsored posts.
  As part of the investigation, the CMA has written to a range of celebrities and social media influencers to gain further insight into the inner workings that goes on behind these posts.
  Celebrities and influencers are increasingly becoming a key part of marketing strategy, with brands hoping they
  
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• Emails show RBS bankers joked about destroying the US housing market before 2008

  16-08-2018 12:54 via feedproxy.google.com
  Emails released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) show RBS bankers joking about destroying the housing market before the 2008 crash.
  RBS’s chief credit officer described the products he was selling to investors as "total f****** garbage" loans with "fraud [that] was so rampant … [and] all random."
  The DOJ said the bank made "false and misleading representations" to sell more mortgage-backed securities, adding that senior executives "showed little regard for their misconduct and,
  
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• The legendary investor who predicted the past 2 bubbles breaks down how the 9-year bull market will end

  16-08-2018 12:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  Jeremy Grantham, the cofounder and chief investment strategist at the $71 billion Grantham, Mayo, & van Otterloo, has become a world-renowned market voice by calling the past two major financial bubbles.
  He was growing ever-convinced of a severe bubble burst earlier this year, until President Donald Trump's global trade-war escalation injected skepticism into the market, nipping a mounting crash in the bud.
  Grantham has now adjusted his market outlook to something far less immediately severe
  
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• Why the BBC taking on YouTube risks diverting attention from what really matters

  16-08-2018 12:00 via warc.com
  The BBC is in a difficult position, and to overcome its challenges it must take radical steps, argues the Beyond Collective’s Zaid Al-Zaidy.The BBC has a
  
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• How to develop a pricing strategy that will make the rest of the business listen

  16-08-2018 08:00
  The 4Ps of marketing are the building blocks of many a career in the industry, but unlike product, place and promotion, which are about creating value for the customer, the final P – price – is about getting value for the business.
  As a result, there is often debate about whether it should in fact be marketers’ responsibility, meaning it doesn’t always fall within marketers’ remit despite many wanting to take ownership of it.
  If marketing does not lead on pricing,
  
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• Next generation of marketers want job security over ‘cutting-edge’ brand experience

  16-08-2018 01:01
  The next generation of marketers are more likely to want to work at a multinational or established British firm than at an innovative startup, according to new research.
  The study, conducted by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), finds 64% of those aged 17 to 19 who left school or college in the past six months and are interested in a career in marketing would prefer to work for a multinational (36%) or an established British firm (28%). Just 11% of those questioned say they would choos
  
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