Sales & Marketing news

• The co-founder of $725 million cloud startup Mesosphere is stepping aside as CEO to make way for a Symantec veteran

  13-12-2018 23:56 via feedproxy.google.com
  Mesosphere, most recently valued at $725 million in a funding round this year, is getting a new CEO.
  Founder Florian Leibert is stepping aside to make way for Mike Fey, most recently COO of Symantec.
  Leibert had previously announced his intention to find his own replacement.
  Fey sees a lot of opportunity in bringing Mesosphere's software to larger customers, to help them manage their server and cloud infrastructure. 
  Fey says he was first intrigued by Mesosphere's all-star roster of investo
  
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• Trump is failing to achieve one of the biggest goals of his trade war, and he only has himself to blame

  13-12-2018 23:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  President Donald Trump wanted to use tariffs to help bring down the trade deficit with China.
  The US-China trade deficit hit a record high in the month of October.
  According to economists from Goldman Sachs, Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods are actually making the trade deficit worse.One of the President Donald Trump's biggest goals for the trade war was to reduce the US's trade deficit with China. But according to Goldman Sachs, the president is only making it worse.
  The most recent trade repor
  
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• Bitcoin slumps after bomb threats that were emailed across the US demanded it for ransom

  13-12-2018 22:34 via feedproxy.google.com
  The New York Police Department said the bomb threats that have been reported around the country Thursday afternoon were emailed by someone demanding bitcoin.
  Following the news, bitcoin slumped to fresh lows, down more than 6%.
  Bitcoin has lost half of its value since November 14.
  Watch Bitcoin trade live.
  Bitcoin was down more than 6% to near $3,300 a coin after the New York Police Department said that bomb threats that have been emailed around the country Thursday afternoon were made by someon
  
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• Startup founders are skeptical about the future of cryptocurrency, but that hasn't stopped them from investing in it anyway

  13-12-2018 22:29 via feedproxy.google.com
  Cryptocurrency had reached 35 million users as of September 2018, reflective of the trend of people becoming increasingly familiar with blockchain technology and digital currencies like bitcoin, ethereum, and tether.
  Although individuals are investing more in the technology, it's not burgeoning as much on the business and industry level.
  A recent survey of hundreds of startup founders found that while 40 percent of them personally own cryptocurrency, only 13 percent saw cryptocurrency or blockch
  
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• Stocks end mixed and oil rallies

  13-12-2018 22:12 via feedproxy.google.com
  Wall Street closed mixed Thursday amid trade hopes and economic growth concerns.
  The S&P 500 shed 4.6% last week, the most since March.
  Watch the major US indexes trade in real time here.
  Stocks were mixed Thursday as investors weighed optimism for thawing trade tensions between the US and China against concerns about the possibility of slowing economic growth around the world.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%, or around 70 points. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.4%, and the S&P 500
  
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• Australia's anti-encryption law is so unpopular, there was only 1 comment in support and 342 against — and now the head of its spy agency is defending the law (AAPL, MSFT, FB)

  13-12-2018 22:12 via feedproxy.google.com
  The Australian government has passed a law that forces tech companies to give law enforcement access to encrypted messages. 
  The law is widely disliked by the technology industry, especially Apple, because security experts believe that so-called "backdoors" weaken security for everyone, not just criminals.
  The Economist highlights that of 343 comments Australian parliament received about the law, only one was in favor.
  An Australian spy official issued a comment to "correct the record" on W
  
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• BlackRock and Microsoft want to make retirement investing as easy as ordering an Uber

  13-12-2018 21:49 via feedproxy.google.com
  BlackRock and Microsoft are teaming up to build retirement tools for individual investors, a growing market as employers move away from pensions. 
  The partners will launch an unnamed product, still in development, next year for companies to offer to their employees.
  About 40% of Americans said they are not confident they will have enough money in retirement. BlackRock is inking its biggest technology alliance yet, aiming to help Americans save for retirement.
  The firm is working with M
  
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• Short seller Jim Chanos just revealed how he's playing Trump's trade war with China (WYNN, LVS)

  13-12-2018 21:13 via feedproxy.google.com
  Short seller Jim Chanos told CNBC on Thursday that he is betting against the US casino giants that rely heavily on their presence in Macau.
  Shares of Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts, and Las Vegas Sands all fell.
  The three casino giants account for half the gaming revenue in Macau, and need Beijing and Washington to stay on good terms, according to Bloomberg.
  Wynn Resorts's CEO warned last month that its Macau operations have seen a notable slowdown amid the ongoing trade war between the US and China.
  
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• Robinhood's options trading stopped working, and customers are furious over the money they say they lost

  13-12-2018 20:07 via feedproxy.google.com
  Robinhood faced significant outages with its options trading services Wednesday.
  Some Robinhood customers attempting to access options trading Wednesday morning received a message stating "Account Deactivated" and were directed to the company's support email address without given further explanation of the issue. 
  Users turned to social media to voice their anger.
  "The majority of affected accounts have had their trading ability restored, and we’re working to restore access for the ot
  
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• Legendary economist Ed Yardeni gave a presentation to Trump's top economic advisers at the White House — here's what he told them

  13-12-2018 19:58 via feedproxy.google.com
  Veteran economist and president of Yardeni Research, Ed Yardeni, addressed President Donald Trump's economic advisers at a White House lunch this week. He told Business Insider what he said.
  Yardeni said Trump did not attend the meeting, which was arranged by Larry Kudlow, director of the White House's National Economic Council.
  Among the main themes the economist addressed were US-China trade tensions and volatility in the stock market.
  Veteran economist and strategist Ed Yardeni shared his per
  
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• Lyft just made a big hire that confirms the company's ambitions extend well beyond cars

  13-12-2018 19:32 via feedproxy.google.com
  Lyft has hired bicycle and transit activist Caroline Samponaro as its new head of policy for bikes, scooters, and transportation. 
  She'll work alongside former US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx to help convince riders to ditch cars. 
  In an interview with Business Insider, she explained why the switch from non-profit activism to a multi-billion dollar made sense right now. On the surface, Caroline Samponaro’s resume looks a bit at odds with a potentially $20 billion co
  
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• Under Armour's 'show me' story needs to prove itself next year, Morgan Stanley says (UAA)

  13-12-2018 19:14 via feedproxy.google.com
  Under Armour posted disappointing fiscal 2019 guidance at its investor day on Wednesday.
  The guidance reflected that the company is trying to protect the brand and grow it gradually, CEO Kevin Plank said in an interview with CNBC on Thursday.
  The 2019 guidance "appears appropriately conservative, but UAA needs to show investors next year numbers are achievable," Lauren Cassel, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, said in a note out Thursday.
  Watch Under Armour trade live.Under Armour really needs to pr
  
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• Chinese tech giant Huawei reportedly has a secretive research lab at its headquarters nicknamed the 'White House'

  13-12-2018 18:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  Huawei has been thrust into the news recently due to the arrest of one of its top executives, and the effect it could have on US-China relations and the ongoing trade war.
  But amid the scandal, the massive company — which produces more smartphones than Apple — hasn't halted production of consumer products and other tech out of its headquarters in Shenzhen, China, Bloomberg reports.
  Bloomberg got a rare look inside Huawei's campus, and learned that the company's research lab is nickna
  
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• Trump's trade war with China is the biggest threat to the US economy in 2019, and it's making economists the most worried they've been in years

  13-12-2018 18:24 via feedproxy.google.com
  President Donald Trump's trade war with China was the top 2019 concern cited recently by US economists.
  Eighty-five percent of economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal also said risks for the US economy were tilted toward the downside, the most in at least three years.
  Only four economists agreed with Trump's suggestion that the Federal Reserve was the biggest threat to the economy.Some of the US's top economists are the most worried they've been in years about the country's economy.
  Accor
  
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• A former Harley-Davidson executive is attempting one of the biggest challenges in the business — establish a new motorcycle brand in the US (HOG)

  13-12-2018 17:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  Royal Enfield has been steadily expanding in the US since 2015.
  It now has 90 dealerships.
  The India-based company is selling simple, throwback bikes that are smaller and cheaper than Harley-Davidson's American classics.
  Rod Copes cut his teeth as an executive at Harley-Davidson, the motorcycle company synonymous with two-wheel, freedom-seeking American-ness.
  But now he's leading North American operations for Royal Enfield, a manufacturer that was born in 1901 and sells immensely popular bikes i
  
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• Investors are blowing the next recession out of proportion — here's why they shouldn't be worried about an economic meltdown

  13-12-2018 17:43 via feedproxy.google.com
  One of the biggest risks to the stock market is the fear of a recession, much more so than a recession itself.
  There are warning signs of an economic slowdown, but there's a strong case that a recession could still be several years away.
  One of the biggest risks to the stock market is the fear of a recession, much more so than a recession itself.
  The big picture: Yes there will be a recession, but it's almost certainly not going to be another catastrophic financial crisis, like 2008. It co
  
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• Vote for your campaign of 2018: The semi-final

  13-12-2018 17:27
  Thanks to your votes we now have our top four campaigns, which we have randomly drawn against each other to create two head-to-head battles. Vote now to make sure your favourite makes it to the final.
  For a recap on all the campaigns click on the links below:
  The best marketing campaigns of 2018: Part 1
  The best marketing campaigns of 2018: Part 2
  2018 marketing year in review
  The post Vote for your campaign of 2018: The semi-final appeared first on Marketing Week.
  
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• Wall Street’s top 8 investors told us what they're betting on in 2019

  13-12-2018 17:08 via feedproxy.google.com
  In 2018 the stock market rediscovered volatility.
  After 2017 saw traditional measures of price swings locked at record lows, swift market gyrations were again the status quo.
  For those observing this price action at ground level, it was a tumultuous whirlwind, marked by two separate corrections that came months apart.
  But for a select group of money managers, 2018 was a year for the ages. Some of them saw turbulence coming and planned accordingly, while some employed long-term st
  
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• French automaker Renault is standing by its CEO after he was accused of financial crimes in Japan

  13-12-2018 17:04 via feedproxy.google.com
  Carlos Ghosn, head of one of the world's largest automaker alliances, was arrested in Japan last month on suspicion of financial crimes.
  Renault's board of directors said Thursday he will remain chairman and CEO until a further review is completed. Carlos Ghosn will remain CEO of the Renault for the time-being, the French automaker's board of directors said Thursday.
  The affirmation comes after Ghosn was indicted and arrested in Japan on accusations of spending company money for personal us
  
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• Twitter's stock is leaving the competition in the dust — and its chart points to even more gains (TWTR, FB, SNAP, IAC, SPOT)

  13-12-2018 16:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  Twitter's stock is having a stellar year, and a look at its chart suggests the rally isn't over.
  Twitter should continue higher in the near-term, one analyst said.
  With the stock up over 50% this year, it's competing with its 2017 performance for the biggest annual gain since going public.
  Watch Twitter trade live.Twitter is beating out the rest of the social-media space this year, and it's not even close.
  Shares are up 50% with just two weeks left in 2018, handily outperforming global social pe
  
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• Twitter's stock is leaving the competition in the dust — and its chart could be pointing to even more gains (TWTR, FB, SNAP, IAC, SPOT)

  13-12-2018 16:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  Twitter's stock is having a stellar year, and a look at its chart suggests the rally isn't over.
  Twitter should continue higher in the near-term, one analyst said.
  With the stock up over 50% this year, it's competing with its 2017 performance for the biggest annual gain since going public.
  Watch Twitter trade live.Twitter is beating out the rest of the social-media space this year, and it's not even close.
  Shares are up 50% with just two weeks left in 2018, handily outperforming global social pe
  
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• Elon Musk apparently has a heightened sense of smell, which means people can’t wear perfume or cologne in job interviews (TSLA)

  13-12-2018 16:18 via feedproxy.google.com
  Tesla CEO Elon Musk apparently has a quite sensitive nose, according to WIRED.
  The billionaire once complained the smell from a heating vat of silicon could kill people. 
  Job candidates have even been told to avoid strong perfumes or colognes, the magazine said. Job candidates at Tesla are told to avoid strong-smelling perfume when meeting CEO Elon Musk, according to a new profile in WIRED.In another instance, Musk said the vapors from a vat of liquid silicon — which smelled like
  
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• General Electric is soaring after JPMorgan upgrades it for the first time in 2 1/2 years (GE)

  13-12-2018 15:22 via feedproxy.google.com
  The JPMorgan analyst Stephen Tusa, a long-term bear on General Electric, gave a rare upgrade on the stock's rating Thursday.
  Tusa said the iconic industrial giant had a more "balanced risk reward at current levels."
  On Thursday, GE said its digital unit would sell a majority stake in ServiceMax, a software provider, to the technology-focused private-equity firm Silver Lake.
  Watch General Electric trade live.
  General Electric surged as much as 12.7% to $7.52 a share before Thursday's opening bell
  
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• Coca-Cola Great Britain appoints new marketing director

  13-12-2018 14:02
  Coca-Cola Great Britain has appointed company veteran Paul Grace as marketing director.
  Grace has spent 21 years with the company across both European and UK roles, most recently as sales director at distributor Coca-Cola Europe Partners. Grace does not have a typical marketing background having previously held roles such as commercial controller, innovation controller and shopper marketing controller.
  In his new role, he will be responsible for the development of the company’s marketing
  
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• CFOs are sounding the alarm on the US economy — most expect a recession by the end of 2020

  13-12-2018 13:06 via feedproxy.google.com
  Nearly half of CFOs surveyed see a recession even earlier than 2020, saying they expect one by the end of 2019.
  CFOs have become pessimistic in most regions of the world, says the Duke CFO Global Business Outlook.
  Next year, CFOs expect "sub-3%" growth for the US economy, with capital spending and employment growth of about 3 percent.Some 82% of chief financial officers say they see a recession beginning by the end of 2020, while nearly half see it even earlier, by the end of 2019.
  That's accord
  
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• Tanya Joseph: If influencers are authentic they’ll back your brand for free

  13-12-2018 13:00
  It is the time of year when Christmas lists start appearing around the house, left not very subtly so we can feign excitement and surprise on the big day but guarantee actual delight. The lists provide a window into the world of the ‘young person’ – a glimpse at what they most desire – and, when viewed over successive years, are revealing.
  It is fascinating to see which items make a cameo appearance (remember loom bands?) and those which appear year after year (games, cl
  
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• Why Sainsbury’s isn’t waiting for ‘big silver bullets’ to drive business transformation

  13-12-2018 12:52
  It is easy to forget just how big a business Sainsbury’s is. It has more than 1,400 stores nationwide, it owns Argos’s entire estate – 1,000 of which sit inside its supermarkets – offers its own banking service and has a loyalty scheme with more than 16 million members.
  That’s a lot of customers, whether they are down the milk aisle or not, and with that comes a huge amount of data that the company admits it hasn’t leveraged to its full advantage until recent
  
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• 10 things you need to know before the opening bell (SPY, SPX, QQQ, DIA, AAPL, UAA)

  13-12-2018 12:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  Here is what you need to know.We just got the first concrete sign that the trade truce between Trump and Xi is working. China followed through on its promise to start buying US soybeans again, purchasing more than 500,000 tons of the legume, according to Reuters.
  China escalates the Huawei fight. The Chinese government has detained a second Canadian citizen, escalating a diplomatic spat that began with Canada detaining Huawei CFO Meng Wenzhou.
  'You can't tariff your way out out of a trade defic
  
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• The 'yellow vest' protests may be over, but the damage to France will rumble on

  13-12-2018 12:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  France's economy has taken a hit after weeks of yellow vest protests have caused issues across the country.
  French President Emmanuel Macron faces a vote of no confidence in the national assembly Thursday. 
  Macron has offered concessions to quell the protests, but the country might breach the EU's budget deficit ceiling next year without new spending cuts. Weeks of protests by yellow vests in France have touched a nerve of discontent — among the people, investors, and French poli
  
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• 'You can't tariff your way out out of a trade deficit': Here's why China's exports to the US have held up in the face of Trump's trade war

  13-12-2018 12:03 via feedproxy.google.com
  Growth of Chinese imports targeted by tariffs has fallen sharply in recent months.
  But the US-China trade deficit has held at a record high.
  Trade balances are influenced by a combination of factors, including foreign exchange rates, the strength of an economy, and how much a country borrows from abroad.
  Washington and Beijing have placed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of each other's products, leading certain imports to an expected slowdown on each side. But even as China lose
  
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• The stock market's 'death cross' is particularly bad news this time around, Bank of America says

  13-12-2018 12:01 via feedproxy.google.com
  The dreaded technical 'death cross' has formed in the S&P 500.
  A death cross occurs when the 200-day moving average falls below the 50-day moving average. 
  The S&P 500 experienced a death cross earlier this month, and a new report from Bank of America's technical analysts explains why this time could be especially painful for investors.
  "The effects of an S&P 500 Death Cross became amplified when the 5-period slope of the 200 day [moving average] was negative," the analysts wrot
  
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• We spoke with Wall Street's 8 best-performing fund managers of 2018 to find out how they crushed the market — and what opportunities they're pursuing for 2019

  13-12-2018 11:57 via feedproxy.google.com
  Business Insider spoke with the eight best-performing large-cap fund managers of the year, based on a trailing one-year basis through the end of October 2018.
  The fund managers outlined which thematic and single-stock strategies paid off for them this year, and laid out their top trades and ideas for 2019.In 2018 the stock market rediscovered volatility.
  After 2017 saw traditional measures of price swings locked at record lows, swift market gyrations were again the status quo.
  For those observin
  
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• We interviewed Wall Street's 8 top-performing investors to get their best ideas for 2019

  13-12-2018 11:57 via feedproxy.google.com
  Business Insider spoke with the eight best-performing large-cap fund managers of the year, based on a trailing one-year basis through the end of October 2018.
  The fund managers outlined which thematic and single-stock strategies paid off for them this year, and laid out their top trades and ideas for 2019.In 2018 the stock market rediscovered volatility.
  After 2017 saw traditional measures of price swings locked at record lows, swift market gyrations were again the status quo.
  For those observin
  
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• Asian markets are welcoming China's concessions on Trump's trade war

  13-12-2018 11:16 via feedproxy.google.com
  Asian markets bounced after China was said to have promised to buy $180 million worth of US soybeans, easing market tensions of an escalating trade war with the US.
  The pound is up from 20-month lows after British Prime Minister Theresa May won support from her party in Parliament.
  The European Central Bank's president, Mario Draghi, is scheduled to speak later Thursday to give an update on euro-area monetary policy, including growth and inflation projections.A menu of factors affected stock mar
  
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• Revolut secures European banking licence and is eyeing Asia and America next

  13-12-2018 10:51 via feedproxy.google.com
  UK fintech Revolut has secured its European banking license and can begin operations in 2019. 
  The company is expanding into Asia Pacific and North America next year. 
  Founded in 2015, Revolut can now start accepting direct deposits of customers salaries' and will offer personal and business loans. Formed just three years ago Revolut already has 3.2 million customers and it looks set to gain more after gaining a European banking license.
  Valued at $1.7 billion and attracting inves
  
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• UK renewables startup Octopus is teaming with a Silicon Valley firm in a smart energy push

  13-12-2018 09:44 via feedproxy.google.com
  Octopus Energy will team up with a Silicon Valley tech company to make renewable energy cheaper.
  Customers can turn off heating during peak price times, control their energy usage remotely, or charge electric vehicles more cheaply.Octopus Energy, a UK renewable energy company backed by £7 billion ($8.8 billion) fund Octopus Capital, is set to announce an integration with If This Then That (IFTTT) to enable customers to automatically adjust energy usage based on changes in price.
  Based in S
  
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• How LADbible uses its ‘fun tone of voice’ to drive social empowerment

  13-12-2018 08:30
  An outdoor campaign promoting LADbible’s UOKM8? initiative.It’s fair to say that the past six years have been a transformative period for the LADbible Group. The company has gone from a single Facebook page to become the world’s largest social media publisher with a combined audience of more than 120 million people globally.
  The group currently boasts 11 brands spanning food and sport to gaming, entertainment and gossip, which together clock up 5.2 billion video views and 207 m
  
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• Keith Weed on his biggest success: We proved the business case for sustainability

  13-12-2018 08:00
  When Keith Weed started at Unilever in 1983 he had no idea he would eventually become marketing chief at the world’s second largest advertiser, responsible for iconic brands such as Dove and Ben & Jerry’s, and a budget in the billions of pounds.
  “To be honest, I never imagined I would be at any company this long,” he tells Marketing Week.
  But he found the company provided him with opportunity after opportunity, and 35 years on he is the longest-serving member of the
  
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• Team Sky leaves 'sponsorship template'

  13-12-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  Sky’s decision to end its ownership and sponsorship of cycle road-racing’s Team Sky after the 2019 season opens a major new opportunity for a brand with deep pockets.Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s group chief executive,
  
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• Insights from the WARC Marketer's Toolkit 2019 launch

  13-12-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  Ownership over the whole brand experience and the data that stems from it is a big theme in the WARC Marketer’s Toolkit 2019; at its launch in London yesterday, experts gathered to share perspectives and insight on the strategic landscape in...
  
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• India's endorsement pool deepens

  13-12-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  India’s changing media landscape – with broadcasters and publishers responding to demand for local language content – is being mirrored in the influencer market as brands make greater use of regional stars.Brands in India value...
  
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• Hotels become destinations for nomads and locals seeking wifi

  13-12-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  Hotels are increasingly creating lobbies and common spaces that are destinations for guests and locals seeking a quiet place to meet, sit, and increasingly, work.This is
  
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• Chinese SUV brands grow in global estimation

  13-12-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  Chinese SUV brands have long been perceived as less safe and less desirable than Western brands, but a new study finds that, thanks to technological integration and more premium marketing, they are shaking off prejudice.This is according to a
  
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• The cofounder of a $1.9 billion design startup explains why his company is 'training' for an IPO that may never happen

  13-12-2018 00:13 via feedproxy.google.com
  On Tuesday, design platform InVision announced it has raised $115 million in series F funding. 
  This year, the seven-year-old company will cross $100 million in annual recurring revenue, and CEO Clark Valberg says the secret is that the product has spread through the word of mouth in the design community.
  InVision has no plans to go public as of now, but Valberg wants the company to work to become fit enough for larger markets.
  "I think of IPO readiness as a business fitness, even if we nev
  
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