The 10 Things In Advertising You Need To Know Today | ||
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1. Here are the 10 worst ads of 2014. Check out these howlers from the likes of Unilever, Paddy Power and Nippon Airlines. 2. Arby’s has made an entire ad apologizing to Pepsi. The fast food chain had a contractual agreement to feature Pepsi in at least two commercials a year, but Arby’s recently realized it forgot to fulfill the obligation in 2014. 3. In 2015 the UK will become the first country where half of ad spend goes on digital media. Media agency GroupM predicts that the next countries to follow will be Sweden, Denmark, Australia and Norway. 4. AOL has acquired Vidible, a startup that helps publishers extend the reach of their videos to other websites, for an estimated $50 million. It means AOL now has an automated system that allows video owners to sell their content to websites that want video inventory, adding to its video advertising platforms like Adapt.tv and ONE. 5. Tumblr’s agency development lead Ari Levine has joined digital agency VaynerMedia, AdAge reports. Levine’s hire is part of a wider plan to rapidly grow the business from 400 to 1,000 employees. 6. Digiday has conducted an extensive investigation into Google’s display advertising dominance. Some media buyers have been reporting that Google is trying to coerce them into using DoubleClick Bid Manager — the company’s demand-side platform — and its DoubleClick Ad Exchange in conjunction, or else ad impressions won’t count toward satisfying the agencies’ upfront buying agreements with Google. 7. Emirates’ vice president Gary Chapman has revealed why the brand really pulled out of its FIFA World Cup sponsorship. Arabian Business reports that Chapman said sponsorship of World Cups of any sport do not create “bang for your buck.” 8. Big car brands are backing out of the Super Bowl, Forbes reports. Car marques usually comprise the largest advertising category during the big game, but so far brands like Volkswagen, Jaguar and Lincoln have all said they won’t be paying the required $4 million for a 30-second spot this time around. 9. YouTube is the most popular site among tweens, according to research from KidSay, the WSJ’s CMO Today reports. Some 93% of kids aged between eight and 11-years-old say they use YouTube and 69% say they have an account, despite the site’s over-13 age restriction. 10. Going viral is not just for videos and memes. NPR explores how, recently, audio clips are becoming hugely popular online — a trend that could open up interesting marketing opportunities for brands. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Good morning! Here is what you need to know before your first meeting of the day: Oil Is Slipping Again After Yesterday's Rally | ||
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Oil prices are dipping a little after a significant rally during US trading hours yesterday. Brent crude rose by more than $1 on early Tuesday morning, peaking at $72.96 at 9 a.m. GMT. It has slowed down since, and it is currently trading at $72.15 (-0.54%). Here it is a little earlier
Yesterday Brent crude had risen by up to $5.22, up from a trough of $67.72 to $72.94 in just a day, gaining back some ground after several sessions in which the price tumbled, following the OPEC decision not to cut production on 27 November. The WTI crude index also fell to its lowest level since 2009, but yesterday WTI rallied during US trading hours. This morning WTI is trading at $68.31, down 1% from its daily peak at $69, but still a good $5 higher than the depth sit was trading early Monday.
Business Insider's Myles Udland noted that some volatility should be expected when the price is adjusting so much: "While the price of oil went straight down over the last two days, it isn't going to straight down over a period of weeks or months. So, some bounces are to be expected." Oil has lost a third of its value since a slide in prices began this summer. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Russia Is Falling Into A Recession | ||
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Russia's Economy Ministry has downgraded its growth forecast for the country in 2015 from 1.2% growth to a 0.8% decline. In other words, the country is falling into a recession. The net amount of foreign capital expected to flow out of the country in 2014 has been revised sharply upwards to $125 billion (up from $100 billion), while the projection of net outflows for next year has also been increased from $50 billion to $90 billion. Independent Russian news agency Interfax reports Deputy Economic Development Minister Alexei Vedev as saying that the downgrade reflects the decrease in the forecast average price of Urals crude next year from $100 a barrel to $80 a barrel. Russia relies on the oil and gas sector for 10% of its GDP and around 50% of its government budget. However, since June global oil prices have been in free fall with Brent falling from a June high of around $115 a barrel to just over $72 a barrel on Tuesday. The majority of forecasters now suggest that it will remain under $100 a barrel through 2016. This story is being updated. Click here to refresh. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Players struggling with Hughes death as Test series rescheduled | ||
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Sydney (AFP) - Australia skipper Michael Clarke will be one of the pallbearers and will lead tributes at the funeral of his close friend Phillip Hughes on Wednesday, Cricket Australia announced. As the funeral details were revealed Tuesday, chief executive James Sutherland said it was too early to say which players would be mentally ready to face the hastily rescheduled Tests against India. The opening clash between the teams was due to start on Thursday at the Gabba in Brisbane but was put off following Hughes death last week, with many fellow players left emotionally shattered. The funeral in Hughes' hometown of Macksville on Wednesday will be attended by the Australian Test squad as well as past and present luminaries of the game including Mark Taylor, Sir Richard Hadlee, Brian Lara, Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri, Shane Warne, Mike Hussey, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath. Prime Minister Tony Abbott is also due to attend the service at which Clarke, who was by Hughes' bedside as he lay stricken in a Sydney hospital, will speak in tribute and join family members and fellow Australia batsman Aaron Finch as a pallbearers. Hughes died last Thursday from bleeding on the brain, two days after being knocked unconscious by a bouncer in Sydney, throwing the cricketing world into mourning. Given the funeral on Wednesday, Cricket Australia late Monday amended the Test dates after lengthy talks with the Board of Control for Cricket in India and other stakeholders. Instead of starting on Friday, December 12 -- as the second Adelaide Test was originally scheduled -- it will now begin on December 9 and be the opening match of the series. "There is nothing perfect about what we have come up with here but we appreciate everyone's support and understanding in these tragic and extraordinary circumstances," Sutherland said. The second Test will be played in Brisbane from December 17-21 with the traditional Boxing Day clash in Melbourne remaining unchanged, while the Sydney Test has been pushed back three days and will now start on January 6.
- Harris doubts -
Whether the players will be ready for the Adelaide Test remains to be seen. David Warner, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin and Nathan Lyon were all on the field when Hughes was hit while captain Michael Clarke was a close friend and his emotions have been raw. "Any player that is not comfortable or doesn't feel right, or there is medical advice to suggest they're not quite right, then we will obviously understand that," Sutherland said. Veteran bowler Ryan Harris said he was not sure whether he would take the field in Adelaide. "I am still thinking about it -- I'm not sure," he told reporters of his availability, but he added that returning to cricket helped him when he lost his mother to lung cancer in 2006. "Every individual is different. I have lost my mother before and I was pushed to play for my father and my brother and it probably helped." Cricket Australia announced late Tuesday that two games in the one-day international tri-series between Australia, England and India had been swapped. The changes move forward the ODI between Australia and England in Sydney two days to January 16 while the ODI between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will be on January 18 instead of two days earlier. A two-day tour match has also been organised in Adelaide for India against a Cricket Australia XI. The game, starting Thursday, is meant to help the Indians prepare for the first Test. The tragedy has deeply shaken the world cricket community, particularly in Australia where the sport is considered the national game. Flags have been flown at half mast and bats left outside front doors as a mark of respect. Hughes died after his vertebral artery split when hit by the ball, leading to massive bleeding in his brain. It was a freak injury with only 100 cases ever reported and only one as a result of a cricket ball.
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10 Things In Tech You Need To Know Today | ||
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Good morning! It's a rainy day here in London. Again. Here's the tech news you need to know today. 1. Uber has hired Goldman Sachs to raise money. The new funding could see the company valued at $40 billion. 2. Samsung's CEO will keep his job despite the company's financial woes. Profits have fallen 60%. 3. Obama is pushing to roll out body cameras for police across the US. He wants Congress to authorize $75 million for the devices. 4. The FBI is warning that hackers are using malicious software to attack US companies. This follows the giant hack on Sony Pictures last week. 5. Steve Jobs' emails and video deposition will play a key part in Apple's upcoming iPod antitrust case. Apple could have to pay $350 million in damages. 6. Nintendo has filed a patent to bring Game Boy games to iPhones. The company could just be protecting its IP. 7. Microsoft officially announced that it has acquired email app Acompli. It accidentally revealed the acquisition last week. 8. Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak will star in a new reality TV show about gadgets. The show is called "The Woz." 9. The Russian memorial to Steve Jobs that was torn down after Tim Cook came out as gay is up for sale. It's priced at around $95,000. 10. Microsoft is abandoning Clip Art in favor of Bing Images. It helps find creative commons images. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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