Sales & Marketing news

• Apple has scrapped plans to release its AirPower wireless charging mat

  29-03-2019 20:29 via feedproxy.google.com
  Apple has canceled its AirPower charging mat because the product did not achieve the company's high standards, according to a statement from the company.
  The news comes after previous reports indicated Apple had run into production issues with the product.
  It's a rare move for Apple, which has delayed launches in the past but doesn't typically cancel announced products altogether. Apple has canceled plans to release its AirPower charging mat, the company told Business Insider in a statement
  
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• Lyft is deeply unprofitable — but that isn't stopping eager Wall Street investors (LYFT)

  29-03-2019 20:11 via feedproxy.google.com
  Lyft's losses are growing, and the company could be years from profitability. 
  That hasn't suppressed Wall Street's appetite for stock of the ride-hailing company, which went public on Friday. 
  The company's oversubscribed initial public offering was priced above its original window and spiked more than 20% in trading. 
  Wall Street analysts have yet to issue a sell rating for the stock, but all coverage is markedly bullish thus far. Lyft lost $911 million last year.
  That's mo
  
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• 'In a way, his reign was doomed to start': Wall Street analysts speculate on Wells Fargo's next move after CEO Tim Sloan's departure (WFC)

  29-03-2019 19:17 via feedproxy.google.com
  Wells Fargo announced Thursday that CEO Tim Sloan would leave his post effective immediately, and retire at the end of June. The announcement was met with mixed reactions on Wall Street. 
  Wells Fargo's board said it elected former general counsel Allen Parker as interim CEO and president, and would begin searching externally for a new leader.
  Deutsche Bank was the only bank to downgrade Wells Fargo shares, saying management-related uncertainty could impact the bank's bottom line.
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• Lyft jumps more than 10% in its historic trading debut — and is now valued at $27 billion (LYFT)

  29-03-2019 18:23 via feedproxy.google.com
  Lyft, the first ride-hailing company to hit the public market, began trading Friday on the Nasdaq stock exchange.
  Its shares opened at $87.24, jumping 21% from the $72 where they priced Thursday evening. That brought its valuation to just over $29 billion.
  Lyft shares gave back some gains in the afternoon, but the company still carries a market value of roughly $27 billion.
  Several Wall Street analysts are already bullish on the world's second-largest ride-share company.
  Watch Lyft trade li
  
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• Trying to persuade Americans to stop buying cars won't save Lyft from being wildly unprofitable (LYFT)

  29-03-2019 17:03 via feedproxy.google.com
  Lyft staged its much anticipated initial public offering on Friday.
  The ride-hailing service has been growing, but it's also losing money. Lots of money.
  To reverse the losses, Lyft needs to grow outside urban areas and persuade customers to stop owning personal cars.
  Americans in rural and suburban areas will never stop owning cars, so Lyft has no path toward profits via this route.At the end of trading on Friday, Lyft could be worth somewhere around $21 billion, after its much anticipated init
  
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• The founder of a $26.5 billion do-good investment firm just donated to oppose a new homeless center in San Francisco

  29-03-2019 16:58 via feedproxy.google.com
  Jerome "Jerry" Dodson founded Parnassus Investments, one of the biggest responsible-investing firms, which aim to do good while making money. 
  The San Francisco resident donated $1,000 this week to a new GoFundMe campaign aimed at blocking a proposed homeless center.
  Dodson's firm advocates corporate issues such as philanthropy and "community sensitivity." 
  Dodson's opposition to the specific homeless center comes from a belief that other locations would better serve the homeless, acco
  
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• Lyft's founders are set to make more than $1 billion in the company's IPO (LYFT)

  29-03-2019 16:45 via feedproxy.google.com
  Lyft's IPO is set to make many of its original investors very rich.
  Executives Logan Green and John Zimmer, who hold an outsize stake in the company they founded, could hold a combined stake of more than $1 billion at the IPO's expected prices.The long-awaited day is finally here: Lyft is going public.
  The ride-hailing company is set to begin trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange Friday with an initial price of $72 a share, or a total valuation of about $21 billion.
  That last-minute surge, fueled
  
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• The record breaking $74 billion BMS-Celgene takeover just got the green light from 2 key players

  29-03-2019 16:31 via feedproxy.google.com
  Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, two influential voices in corporate brawls, have come out in favor of Bristol-Myers Squibb's $74 billion takeover of the biotech Celgene.
  The deal has faced growing unhappiness from shareholders, especially the vocal activist Starboard.
  Investors are set to vote on the deal at an April 12 meeting, and the acquisition is likely to go through, the Jefferies analyst Michael Yee has said.Two key voices in corporate brawls have weighed in on the pha
  
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• Tesla’s director of growth and head of its referral program has left the company — here are all the key names who have departed in recent months (TSLA)

  29-03-2019 14:55 via feedproxy.google.com
  Tesla is known for its high rate of executive turnover, and the past year has been no different.
  During a year in which the automaker faced production and delivery issues, investigations from the federal government, and questions about the decision-making of CEO Elon Musk, departures from senior employees have added yet another challenge. 
  General counsel Dane Butswinkas is leaving the company after less than two months on the job. Tesla has seen a lot of senior employees leave in the
  
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• Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Marmite: 5 things that mattered this week and why

  29-03-2019 14:46
  Coca-Cola launches first Coke-branded energy drink
  In its latest move to become a total beverage company, Coca-Cola is extending its brand into energy drinks for the first time. Coca-Cola Energy will have different packaging, four times the amount of caffeine of ordinary Coke and launches in the UK in April with an integrated campaign to accompany its release.
  The new drink is pitched at 18- to 35-year-olds, with the brand clearly trying to pitch to the health conscious millennial, listing &lsq
  
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• Lyft is going public today. Here are all the tech startups that have taken steps toward going public in 2019 — and those rumored to be thinking about it.

  29-03-2019 14:37 via feedproxy.google.com
  This year was supposed to be the "year of unicorns," but market volatility and the 35-day government shutdown have caused some companies looking to go public to slow or delay their filing processes.
  Some companies, including dueling ride-hailing competitors Uber and Lyft, have been taking their first official steps toward IPOs despite an uncertain economic environment.
  Here are all the tech startups that have taken steps toward going public in 2019, as well as companies that are rumored to be ge
  
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• JPMorgan and Credit Suisse will get paid almost equal amounts for helping take Lyft public, and it's part of a growing trend for IPO fees (LYFT)

  29-03-2019 14:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  Lyft has closely guarded the economics of its initial public offering. The company still hasn't disclosed the fees it is paying its underwriters, who are represented by JPMorgan, Credit Suisse, and Jefferies.
  JPMorgan took a little over 30% of the overall underwriting fee, while Credit Suisse took a little under 30%, according to sources familiar with the fee structure.Lyft's public listing on Friday will be a big event for JPMorgan, as the bank celebrates its highest-profile lead-left initial p
  
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• Lyft is going public — here are the 15 biggest unicorns that still need to IPO

  29-03-2019 14:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  Lyft is set to debuted on the Nasdaq on Friday morning at a valuation of $21 billion.
  Here are the 15 biggest "unicorns," or private tech companies valued at over $1 billion.
  Ride-sharing app Lyft priced its initial public offering Thursday at $72 per share, giving the company a valuation of $21 billion.
  The company was known as a "unicorn" for being privately held and worth over $1 billion. To mark Lyft's IPO, we compiled a list of the 15 biggest unicorns, many of which are also contemplating t
  
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• Facebook secretly explored building bird-size drones to ferry data to people with bad internet connections (FB)

  29-03-2019 13:45 via feedproxy.google.com
  Facebook explored building bird-size drones to shuttle data for people in areas with slow internet connections.
  "Catalina" was a secret internal project in Facebook's Connectivity unit, the company's efforts to get people around the world online — and on Facebook.
  The tiny fixed-wing drones would be fitted with solid-state storage devices capable of storing data-intensive media like videos and photos.
  A Facebook representative said the project was ended a year ago.Facebook recently explore
  
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• M&S appoints ODD to lead clothing creative after splitting ad business

  29-03-2019 13:40
  Marks & Spencer’s clothing marketing has focused on its ‘Must-Haves’ campaignMarks & Spencer (M&S) has appointed ODD to lead the creative account for its clothing business after making the decision to split its ad business earlier this year.
  ODD was picked for its strong track record in clothing and fashion marketing. It has previously worked with brands including River Island, Dr. Martens, Primark and Levi’s.
  The agency is tasked with making M&S’s c
  
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• Rebalance your Investment – Please

  29-03-2019 13:00 via warc.com
  Investment in advertising continues to grow, but investment in measurement is lagging. Dan Hagen, Global Chief Strategy Officer, iProspect, considers how we fix this.
  
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• Lyft is IPOing with a 'golden opportunity' in a $1.2 trillion market, but it faces key risks

  29-03-2019 12:48 via feedproxy.google.com
  The ride-hailing app Lyft is set to price its initial public offering after Thursday's closing bell.
  Lyft is the clear No. 2 in the ride-hailing-app business, trailing Uber.
  The company has a "golden opportunity" but also faces four keys risks, according to the Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.
  The ride-hailing app Lyft is set to debut on the Nasdaq on Friday morning at a valuation of more than $20 billion.
  Ahead of the company's initial public offering, the Wedbush analyst Dan Ives put out a note sayin
  
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• 10 things you need to know before the opening bell (SPY, SPX, QQQ, DIA, LYFT, WFC)

  29-03-2019 12:01 via feedproxy.google.com
  Here is what you need to know. 'Constructive' trade talks between the US and China wrap up. ".@USTradeRep and I concluded constructive trade talks in Beijing," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tweeted Friday. "I look forward to welcoming China's Vice Premier Liu He to continue these important discussions in Washington next week. #USEmbassyChina."
  Theresa May seeks to avoid 3rd defeat on Brexit deal. Members of Parliament on Friday are set to vote on May's deal that covers the UK's with
  
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• READY FOR LYFT-OFF: Lyft to IPO on Friday at whopping $21 billion valuation (LYFT)

  29-03-2019 11:43 via feedproxy.google.com
  Lyft is ready to start trading on the Nasdaq early Friday under the ticker symbol LYFT.
  Lyft priced its IPO at $72 a share Thursday evening.
  This gives the company a valuation of about $21 billion.Lyft priced its initial public offering at $72 a share Thursday evening, the company announced, setting up the ride-hailing company to start trading its shares publicly on the Nasdaq early Friday.
  This puts Lyft's price at the high end of the range of $70 to $72 that the company disclosed Wednesday in
  
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• Here's how one expert says Trump's tax plan prevented a dreaded recession signal and overruled the latest yield-curve inversion

  29-03-2019 10:58 via feedproxy.google.com
  Jim Paulsen, the chief investment officer at Leuthold Group, explains how the fiscal easing that resulted from President Donald Trump's tax plan may have fended off a historically accurate recession signal.
  He also provides data to support the idea that fiscal policy has been a better recession indicator than the yield curve throughout history.The massive tax plan spearheaded by President Donald Trump has attracted its fair share of criticism for favoring the wealthy and spurring a rash of unpop
  
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• Oil set for strongest quarter in a decade on OPEC-led cuts and trade talk optimism

  29-03-2019 10:20 via feedproxy.google.com
  Oil set for its best quarter since 2009 as OPEC+ production cuts and trade talks boost sentiment. 
  US sanctions against Venezuela and Iran have helped WTI futures amid an improved outlook for supply. 
  A tweet from President Trump spiked prices last week but they have since recovered for a potential 31% Q1 gain. Global oil markets are set to post their best returns in a decade after OPEC led cuts and continued sanctions boost prices. 
  West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is set to po
  
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• ‘It’s not a marketing gimmick’: Mars on the power of purpose in a polarised world

  29-03-2019 08:00
  “I’ve got the best job in the world,” says Michele Oliver, global corporate brand and purpose director at Mars.
  “I work for a company I love. I work on stuff that really, deeply matters to me. I work at very senior levels of the business and it really matters to them. I’m a massive supporter of inclusion. I work flexibly; I get to take my son to school, I get to go to school events. I really feel blessed.”
  A year ago, Oliver was promoted from UK marketing bos
  
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• This VC says a shakeout is coming to enterprise software because titans like Oracle and Salesforce have 'account control' that no startup can match (CRM, ORCL)

  29-03-2019 01:14 via feedproxy.google.com
  The enterprise-software industry is likely to be hit with more consolidation in coming years, said Jai Das, the managing director of Sapphire Ventures.
  Sapphire specializes in investing in enterprise-software startups, and Das knows the industry well.
  Something called "account control" is going to spur the shakeout, he said, because the bigger, established companies have it and the nascent ones don't.
  Account control is the sway that big firms have over their customers, as Das explained it, and
  
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• Consumer confidence holds steady amid Brexit chaos

  29-03-2019 01:01
  Consumer confidence held steady in March despite growing uncertainty and confusion about a political solution to the Britain’s exit from the European Union and what impact that may have on the economy and consumers.
  According to GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index, overall confidence stayed at the same level in March compared with the previous month at -13. And people’s perceptions of their personal financial situation over the past 12 months has held steady at a score of zero, al
  
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• Unilever introduces tough new advertising standards

  29-03-2019 01:00 via warc.com
  Unilever, the consumer goods giant and second largest advertiser in the world, is launching a “trusted publishers” network with the aim of giving the company more control and visibility over where its ads are placed online.Global,...
  
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• TV needs a measurement update

  29-03-2019 01:00 via warc.com
  Television retains a key role in building brands, but it may need fresh measurement solutions to fully demonstrate its value, according to a paper in the Journal of Advertising Research (JAR).Artie Bulgrin, EVP of insights and strategy at...
  
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• Line expands into e-payments and fintech

  29-03-2019 01:00 via warc.com
  Line, the popular Asian messaging app, plans to expand into e-payments and other fintech services, according to the company’s founder, who is keen to avoid any sense of complacency as social media giants like Facebook begin to move into this...
  
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• IPL viewership and reach breaks records

  29-03-2019 01:00 via warc.com
  The 2019 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) got underway last weekend and preliminary data suggests that the world’s biggest cricket tournament has already set records for viewership and reach.Broadcaster Star India holds the media...
  
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• Innovative CMOs deliver superior business value

  29-03-2019 01:00 via warc.com
  A pioneering minority of chief marketing officers is driving transformational change at their organisations by prioritising great customer experience and innovation, according to a new global survey.Entitled
  
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• Formula One taps biometrics to inform viewing experience

  29-03-2019 01:00 via warc.com
  The Formula One circus moves to Bahrain this weekend, where the TV viewing experience is being informed by an innovative research method that captures the real-time emotional arousal of fans watching the action on screen.During last season’s...
  
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• Facebook charged over targeted ads for housing

  29-03-2019 01:00 via warc.com
  Facebook, the social media giant, has been charged for enabling housing advertisers to use targeting tools in order to effectively discriminate against users based on criteria such as their race, nationality and religion.The US Department of...
  
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