Sales & Marketing news

• Apple just reportedly bought a startup that specializes in helping companies build voice apps

  15-02-2019 23:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  Apple has acquired Pullstring, a startup that helps customers publish voice apps, according to Axios.
  The acquisition could be part of an effort by Apple to catch up to Amazon, the current leader in the voice assistant space.
  Pullstring was last valued at $163.57 million, according to PitchBook, but the terms of the deal were not specified in the report. Apple has acquired Pullstring, a company that helps companies publish voice apps for platforms like Amazon's Alexa and the Google Assistan
  
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• Atlassian is 'rewriting the playbook' in cloud software, and customers love it so much it could raise prices without anyone complaining, says analyst (TEAM)

  15-02-2019 23:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  After Atlassian reported blockbuster earnings last quarter, BTIG analyst Joel Fishbein says customers now see Atlassian's products as "must-haves."
  If Atlassian raised its prices by 7-15%, customers likely wouldn't complain that much because its software products are seen as essential for companies.
  The demand for products for software developers will only grow, Fishbein says, and Atlassian's acquisition of Opsgenie make a splash in the IT space as well.If Atlassian, the $25 billion Aussie softw
  
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• The maker of Barbie is plunging after announcing its earnings will be weaker than expected this year (MAT)

  15-02-2019 21:38 via feedproxy.google.com
  Mattel on Friday said that its first-quarter gross revenue will be lower year-over-year.
  The toymaker also posted disappointing guidance for its full-year adjusted EBITDA.
  The company said in October that its business and the whole toy industry suffered from President Donald Trump's tariffs against China.
  Watch Mattel trade live.
  Mattel, the second-largest toymaker behind Hasbro, said Friday that its earnings will be weaker than investors had expected this year. Shares dropped 16.97% to $14.02 a
  
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• Major airlines are adding non-binary gender options for boarding passes

  15-02-2019 21:22 via feedproxy.google.com
  Major US airlines plan to offer non-binary gender options for boarding passes later this year. 
  The move was announced by trade group Airlines for America on Friday, The Daily Beast reported. 
  Delta also said it was adding the option in an unrelated bid for inclusivity. Non-binary gender designations have been slowly making their way to some state IDs — and may finally be coming to airline ticketing.
  Airlines for America, the trade group that represents major domestic airlin
  
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• Amazon's HQ2 decision is caught in a political firestorm, its CEO is tabloid fodder, its guidance was weak — and its stock hasn't budged. Here's why. (AMZN)

  15-02-2019 20:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  Despite a maelstrom of events surrounding Amazon in recent weeks, its stock's reaction has been relatively muted.
  In interviews with Markets Insider, analysts attributed the stock's lack of action to investors choosing to ignore what they see as "noise," and focusing on the company's fundamentals. 
  Follow Amazon's stock here on Markets Insider.
  If an Amazon shareholder had fallen into a deep sleep for the last month or so and woke up this week, they might check on their investment and figur
  
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• Facebook moderators are in revolt over 'inhumane' working conditions that they say erodes their 'sense of humanity' (FB)

  15-02-2019 20:12 via feedproxy.google.com
  Some of Facebook's content moderators are in revolt over 'Big Brother'-style rules.
  In an open letter to Facebook employees, moderators from Austin, Texas complained about draconian working conditions that are eroding trust in the company.
  The letter highlights the gulf in working conditions between Facebook's well-compensated, full-time employees and its legions of contractor content moderators.
  Workers are unable to use their phones, leave the property during breaks, have visitors, or talk to
  
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• Spending's slumping, manufacturing's slowing, and delinquencies are rising. Warning signs for the US economy are piling up.

  15-02-2019 19:21 via feedproxy.google.com
  There are lots of red flags for the US economy right now. Retail sales collapsed by the most since 2009 in December, while American manufacturing is in danger of entering a recession this year.
  American household debt just hit a new record high, meanwhile. And a record 7 million Americans have stopped paying their car loans.
  To be sure, the US economy added 304,000 jobs in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, significantly more than economists had expected.
  But economists and ma
  
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• Here are Warren Buffett's biggest investments (AAPL, JPM, KO, BK, BAC, WFC, AXP, USB, MCO, DAL)

  15-02-2019 17:58 via feedproxy.google.com
  Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway on Thursday disclosed its holdings of publicly traded companies at the end of the fourth quarter.
  Berkshire cut its stake in Apple during the quarter, but the stock was still the firm's biggest holding.
  The firm also boosted its stake in JPMorgan.
  Below are Berkshire's most valuable investments at the end of the fourth quarter, in ascending order of the market value of its positions.
  Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway just disclosed its holdings of publicly t
  
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• CHARLIE MUNGER ON HQ2: 'Driving the rich people out is pretty dumb if you're a state or a city' (AMZN)

  15-02-2019 17:56 via feedproxy.google.com
  Charlie Munger, the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, weighed in on Amazon's decision to cancel its plan to bring a second headquarters to New York City.
  He told CNBC in an interview on Thursday that states like New York that he says are "driving the rich people out" are "pretty dumb."
  Amazon's surprise announcement on Thursday sparked a debate across the political spectrum over whether the decision was a victory or a loss.
  Follow Amazon's share price here on Markets Insider. 
  Charlie Mu
  
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• American manufacturing is in danger of entering a mild recession this year

  15-02-2019 17:20 via feedproxy.google.com
  US industrial production fell 0.6% in January, compared with expectations for a slight increase. 
  Manufacturing activity showed particular weakness, dragged down by falling motor vehicle output.
  The sector is expected to continue to decline, economists say, potentially entering a mild recession this year.
  A measure of factory output unexpectedly fell at the start of the year, raising concerns that the sector could be headed for a downturn.
  Industrial production declined 0.6% in January from
  
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• Suncor Energy is rallying after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway disclosed a $300 million stake (SU)

  15-02-2019 16:16 via feedproxy.google.com
  Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway disclosed on Thursday that it amassed a $300 million stake in Suncor Energy in the fourth quarter.
  The Canadian oil and gas producer missed on both the top and bottom lines in the fourth quarter.
  Berkshire also added StoneCo and Red Hat to its portfolio in the time period. 
  Watch Suncor Energy, StoneCo and Red Hat trade live.
  Suncor Energy was up 3.10% to $33.56 apiece on Friday after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway on Thursday disclosed that it bough
  
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• Tesla challenger Rivian just announced a $700 million investment led by Amazon (AMZN)

  15-02-2019 15:48 via feedproxy.google.com
  Rivian has announced that Amazon would lead a $700 million investment round in the truck- and SUV-focused electric-vehicle startup.
  Rivian has been seen as a rival to Tesla in the pickup segment; Tesla has yet to unveil a pickup.
  Reports had circulated that General Motors would join Amazon in the investment, but Rivian's announcement did not mention GM participation.On Friday, the truck- and SUV-focused electric-vehicle maker Rivian announced a $700 million investment round led by Amazon.
  "This
  
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• Canopy Growth is rallying after beating on revenue, thanks to huge legal-marijuana sales in Canada (CGC)

  15-02-2019 15:02 via feedproxy.google.com
  Cannabis producer Canopy Growth reported third-quarter revenue that beat the Wall Street consensus estimate.
  But its adjusted EBITDA loss was worse than expected.
  It was the first time the company posted financial results since Canada officially legalized the full use of marijuana in October. 
  Watch Canopy Growth trade live.
  Shares of Canopy Growth were up 5.57% to $48.69 apiece early Friday after the company reported third-quarter revenue that topped Wall Street's expectation. 
  The ca
  
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• Fernando Machado: ‘Engage the hearts, minds and stomachs’

  15-02-2019 15:00
  Fernando Machado, Burger King’s CMO, is chairing the Effective Use of Brand Purpose in this year’s WARC Awards. Here, Lucy Aitken asks him about Burger King’s relationship with brand purpose and the ongoing backlash that...
  
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• New Goldman Sachs research suggests companies are better off skipping IPOs and staying private — a rare development that's preceded both the financial crisis and tech bubble

  15-02-2019 14:05 via feedproxy.google.com
  In a sweeping new report on the state of venture capital, Goldman Sachs analysts revealed new findings about the performance of private and public markets.
  The firm found that — over the last two years — the biggest newly public companies would've created more value for themselves by staying private, because the actual value they've earned in the public market has significantly lagged.
  In other words, it may have paid to stay private between 2017 and 2018.
  This dynamic is historicall
  
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• Under Armour, Pernod, Benefit: 5 things that mattered this week and why

  15-02-2019 13:18
  Under Armour on doing more with less
  There’s no doubt Adidas and Nike dominate the sportswear space leaving little room for other brands to carve out their niche. Which is why Under Armour is looking to make its marketing dollars stretch further as it faces relentless competition from industry giants and declining sales in North America.
  The American company plans to be a “louder brand” and turn each marketing dollar “into three”, according to its chief operating o
  
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• RAF challenges sexist stereotypes with provocative ad juxtaposing clichéd ad slogans with front line combat

  15-02-2019 11:17
  The Royal Air Force (RAF) is launching a thought-provoking campaign, ‘Women should be defined by actions, not clichés’, challenging sexist stereotypes and the clichéd portrayal of women in advertising.
  Developed by RAF’s creative agency Engine, the campaign mocks the gender stereotypes that frequently appear in mainstream advertising, juxtaposing them with the RAF’s own talent serving in front line roles.
  Those stereotypes include phrases such as: 
  
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• ‘There’s no such thing as a digital team’: Co-op Bank rethinks marketing as it launches business campaign

  15-02-2019 11:00
  Co-op Bank is launching a business banking campaign that will use data to specifically target SMEs across catch-up TV and social media as it looks to extract the best value out of its investment and cut-through in a competitive market.
  The campaign, ‘The bottom line is…’, aims to raise awareness of Co-op Bank’s business offering through creative that features a variety of its own customers, including retailers, education organisations, co-operatives and charities. Creat
  
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• Rapport report on OOH Spend: Just follow the money

  15-02-2019 10:55
  A new report finds that OOH is the only traditional media segment to see consistent ad revenue growth, writes Rapport's Paul Sambrook. This piece takes us through some of the study’s insights.
  
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• Walled gardens, social media impede marketing-mix models

  15-02-2019 01:00
  Marketing-mix models face a variety of challenges in achieving true accuracy, including the prevalence of walled gardens and the challenges posed by social media, a paper in the Journal of Advertising Research (JAR) has argued.The study, entitled...
  
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• Verizon looks beyond CTRs to 'redefine' native

  15-02-2019 01:00
  With banner ad blindness at an all-time high, there is great potential for native ads to deliver a better experience for consumers and more effective results for advertisers – and Verizon is responding accordingly.Anita Caras, director of...
  
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• Japan develops completely unstaffed convenience stores

  15-02-2019 01:00
  Entirely unstaffed convenience stores have become a realistic possibility in Japan after the country’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced the success of a pilot project that involved many of Japan’s leading...
  
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• Indonesian e-payments market heats up

  15-02-2019 01:00
  Indonesia’s rapidly growing e-payments market is currently dominated by Go-Jek and Ovo, which is part-owned by Singapore-based Grab, but now a number of state-owned enterprises are joining forces to launch their own mobile payment service. ...
  
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• Ikea tests furniture sales on third-party websites

  15-02-2019 01:00
  Ikea, the world’s largest furniture retailer, is finalising details on its first test of selling on third-party e-commerce sites, such as Amazon or China’s Alibaba, as part of a wider transformation plan.If the Swedish company goes...
  
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• Google earmarks $13bn for data and office expansion

  15-02-2019 01:00
  Google, the technology and media giant, has announced plans to invest at least $13bn this year on data centers and offices across the US, in a move that potentially could make it harder for rivals and agencies to recruit and retain digital talent. ...
  
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