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Photo: US Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones shaves with eos ultra moisturizing shave cream.
A new beauty products company, eos(TM) "the evolution of smooth", today announced an exclusive partnership with Olympic Hurdler Lolo Jones. Launched in May 2008, eos' ultra moisturizing shave cream hurdled into Lolo's Olympic beauty routine.
In support of Lolo's on and off-track feats, eos is donating a portion of their sales during the Olympics to a charity near and dear to the Olympic Medalist hopeful's heart: Embrace Iowa - 2008 Disaster Fund. As an Iowan native, Lolo feels strongly about giving back to her home state, and has already done so by donating her prize money from the Olympic Trials to Iowan victims who desperately needed help because of flooding and other endured hardships.
For every bottle of eos ultra moisturizing shave cream sold on Drugstore.com between August 8, 2008 and August 24, 2008, eos will donate $1 to Embrace Iowa. Additionally, if Lolo medals in the Olympics, eos will donate a multiple of her time - if Lolo wins the Gold, eos will donate $1,000 per second, if she wins the Silver, eos will donate $500 per second, or if she wins the Bronze, eos will donate $100 per second - to Embrace Iowa. Embrace Iowa receives contributions from individuals, business and organizations to benefit Iowans who have experienced significant hardships as a result of the storms and floods of 2008, as well as promotes private sector contributions from Iowans and seeks funds outside of Iowa.
"My legs can help me win the Olympics, but being able to use them to help those suffering in my home state means more to me than winning a medal," says Lolo, "eos helps keeps my legs in medal-shape, by leaving them smooth, moisturized and glowing."
According to the company, "eos ultra moisturizing shave cream delivers a closer shave and leaves skin smooth long after shaving. The rich cream formula features a unique blend of natural ingredients including aloe, oat and shea butter to soothe and soften the skin, so women can now shave wet or dry. Antioxidant vitamins C + E are added to help skin look radiant and healthy, and its non-foaming formula does not contain harsh detergents that can dry out the skin. eos is packaged in a sleek, ergonomic bottle made of soft-touch, recyclable plastic that won't leave a rust ring in the shower. eos is available in three fresh, modern fragrances - Pomegranate Raspberry, Island Blue and Vanilla Bliss."
Based in New York City, eos Products LLC is a new company that makes "innovative and stylish beauty products to meet the needs of the modern woman". The company's first product, eos ultra moisturizing shave cream, is available in select Target stores, Wegmans, and on drugstore.com. In Canada, eos is available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart.
Source: eos Products LLC
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:41 AM | View the original post
Photo: Ad agencies are analyzing the Olympians.
Photo: Top U.S. Olympian Natalie Coughlin signing a multi-year endorsement deal with swimwear brand leader Speedo(R).
Brands and their advertising agencies are carefully watching the Olympic Games in Beijing to see which athletes are capturing the attention and hearts of consumers.
According to Scott Sanford, a senior client director for Dallas-based Davie Brown Talent, to be effective as a celebrity endorser, athletes need to be familiar to consumers, though familiarity alone doesn't guarantee influence.
"Being recognizable is just the start," said Sanford, whose agency created the Davie Brown Index (DBI) to quantify celebrities' ability to influence consumer behavior. "Are they likeable? Trustworthy? Influential? Do consumers find them to be aspirational? Do people sit up and pay attention when they come on TV? Awareness is a good first step, but there are other attributes that are more powerful when it comes to motivating consumers."
Photo: Panasonic and former Olympians: Al Oerter, four-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist and abstract artist, poses in front of the "Art of the Olympians" logo projected on the News Astrovision by Panasonic in New York's Times Square (Tuesday, November 28, 2006). Oerter, along with eight other athlete artists were in New York to help spotlight the "Art of the Olympians" traveling exhibit of sculpture, paintings, drawings, and photography by 14 Olympians representing 7 countries. Exhibit was shown at a variety of venues including the United Nations. Oerter won gold medals in the discus throw in '56, '60, '64, and '68. (Source: PANASONIC)
Photo: PowerBar signed an endorsement contract to be the exclusive energy bar sponsor to U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.
Sanford analyzed several U.S. Olympians who, based on their performances in Beijing to date, are likely to land endorsement deals after the 2008 Summer Games conclude:
• Michael Phelps (swimming): "He was an obvious choice even before the Games and he's lived up to the expectations thus far. Even before the Games began, he was among the best-known U.S. Olympians. From an endorsement perspective, what's not to like? For starters, he's a winner. In fact, he'll likely earn an unprecedented tenth Gold Medal today. The phrase 'golden boy' certainly applies here. Phelps is exactly what marketers are looking for in an Olympic athlete: Focused but still fun; authentic; hard-working; handsome. His reaction -- sans cap and goggles -- as teammate Jason Lesak made his way down the homestretch in Sunday's relay was priceless. It's an image we'll see for years to come."
• Natalie Coughlin (swimming): "Natalie's spent a lot of time on the medal stand, which has kept her in the spotlight. Off of it, her personality has really shone through. I think she's connected with many Americans. She handles herself wonderfully in press interviews. And her good looks don't hurt either from an endorsement perspective."
• Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin (gymnastics): "In terms of marketing potential, I'd say they're on equal footing right now. They have good energy and terrific smiles; good personalities. Nastia is the veteran; Shawn is newly dominant in the sport. They complement each other. With the U.S. team and China the clear favorites, there's a good storyline in place. Although they both have several sponsorship deals in place already, success tonight could push up their stock."
• Dara Torres (swimming): "Dara's been a major story because of her age. The 'Supermom' image makes her unique -- it sets her apart from all of the other great athletes at the Games and gives her a strong hook or identity. It's what's fueled the buzz around her, which is one reason she's known by about a quarter of U.S. consumers. Those who know her tend to find her likeable and trustworthy. Endorsers are drawn to that. A Gold in the 50 meters would enhance her marketability, but she's in good shape as it is."
• Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh (beach volleyball): "As demonstrated by celebrity-athletes like Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, and Michael Phelps, dominance -- when done right -- is extremely marketable. Misty and Kerri do it right. Their ability to work as a team is appealing to brands. Their sport is more fun than many of the more traditional Olympic sports, which appeals to a younger audience. They've also gotten a lot of TV time, so they're familiar to a lot of U.S. consumers. Of course, that's no accident. NBC has clearly recognized their appeal."
• Jason Lesak (swimming): "His remarkable come-from-behind performance on Monday morning may not win him a slew of endorsement deals, but I wouldn't be surprised if he picks up some because of it. At 32, his success ensures him of a post-Games career in some capacity whether it's as a broadcaster or motivational speaker."
• The U.S. Men's Gymnastics Team: "Collectively, I think they may have some marketability, especially if the U.S. women do well tonight. It would've helped their cause, collectively and individually, if they could've held on to the second position last night and won the Silver. Regardless, they did something in the team competition that no one would have believed possible as they overcame injuries to two key teammates, including former Gold medalist Paul Hamm. That's the kind of inspirational, against-all-odds, unscripted Olympic story that appeals to Americans and our values. It's also what makes the Games, and sports in general, appealing to brands. The 1980 Hockey Team, Mary Lou Retton, Kerri Strug -- these are the stories that really captivate an audience and provide a platform for creating instant and sustained marketability."
Sanford added that a number of other U.S. Olympians, including track, boxing, and wrestling athletes, could develop into strong endorsers over the next several days and into the medal rounds.
Source: Davie Brown Talent
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:56 AM | View the original post
Sir Richard Branson, the President of Virgin Atlantic Airways, has written to both US Presidential candidates warning that a proposed alliance between British Airways and American Airlines would severely damage competition on major transatlantic routes and leave consumers worse off.
In his letter to Senators Barack Obama and John McCain, Sir Richard says that "airlines everywhere are struggling with the current price of oil, but the solution to their problems should not lie in an anti-competitive agreement, which will inevitably lead to less competition and higher fares."
BA and American Airlines, who together with Iberia would have nearly half of all takeoff and landing slots at London's Heathrow airport, are expected to file an application this week for permission to fix prices and timetables, and share revenues and frequent flyer details, on their route networks.
The two airlines have tried twice before to gain permission to bring together their operations and, on both occasions, every regulator that examined the alliance raised serious concerns about the anti-competitive nature of the proposal.
Senator Obama represents Illinois, a state where many workers are employed by American Airlines at Chicago O'Hare airport.
Photo: Sir Richard Branson spins at the 2007 Virgin Mobile USA Art Auction in New York City.
Sir Richard writes in the letter: "BA and AA will argue that their alliance is now acceptable because the competitive environment has changed with the Open Skies accord on UK-US routes. This is a complete red herring. Open Skies (which is only a temporary accord as it may be unwound in 2010) has not significantly increased competition on UK/London-US routes." Open Skies hasn't reduced ticket prices, either.
Against the background of high oil prices, Sir Richard writes: "Neither is the current economic slowdown a justification for waiving through any application. The job of the regulators is to assess the long-term impact of the alliance on competition, not to provide special protection from the immediate challenges of the economic cycle, with which every other airline has to deal with."
The key issue for the competition authorities is the market dominance that a combined BA/AA will have in individual markets. There are six Heathrow routes on which BA and AA overlap and where competition would be reduced.
BA/AA would have dominant market shares on the following routes to and from Heathrow in terms of capacity:
• JFK - 63%
• Chicago - 66%
• Boston - 82%
• Miami - 72%
• Los Angeles - 49%
• Dallas Fort Worth - 100%
In the letter Sir Richard explained that "BA/AA would have a combination of high frequencies and a transatlantic network that could not be replicated by any other airline/alliance, and which would make it impossible for other carriers to compete for time-sensitive corporate or business travelers."
Sir Richard also highlighted the fact that Heathrow being full, another major airport is limiting access: "We now have a similar situation at New York airports, with government imposed restrictions. The Heathrow-New York JFK route is by far the most important transatlantic market, accounting for over 25% of the total Heathrow/US market."
Virgin Atlantic will be launching a major lobbying and advertising campaign in due course telling the regulators and the consumers that "BA/AA and Iberia alliance is dangerous and it should be blocked".
Source: Virgin Atlantic Airways
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:36 PM | View the original post
Photo: U.S. Postage Stamp on 2008 Olympic Games
Photo: The United States Postal Service delivers 212 billion pieces of mail to over 144 million homes, businesses and Post Office boxes every year. It handles more than 44% of the world's mail volume--delivering more mail to more addresses and to a larger geographic area than any other postal administration in the world.
Although Elvis remains king as the single most popular stamp subject of all time with an estimated 124.1 million collected, Mickey Mouse and his friends rule as the most popular stamp series with 211.5 million collected. Originally scheduled to be introduced as three sets during a three-year period, the fifth and final debut for the Art of Disney series took place Aug. 7 in front of the Sleeping Beauty castle in Disneyland when the Postal Service dedicated the Art of Disney: Imagination stamps. The 42-cent first-class commemorative stamps went on sale nationwide that day.
"The Art of Disney stamps have connected many Americans with friendship, celebration, romance, magic and now imagination through the mail," said U.S. Postal Service Chief of Staff Mike Spates, who joined Mickey and his friends in dedicating the stamps. "It's easy to add an imaginative touch to cards and letters with these beautiful stamps. We want to thank the many Disney characters for helping the Postal Service commemorate Walt Disney throughout the years."
Spates said 125 million Art of Disney: Imagination stamps were printed and are available in sheets of 20 and include four stamp designs:
• Mickey Mouse as Steamboat Willie. Walt Disney once said that Mickey was "created for the purposes of laughter." From the moment Walt Disney first imagined him, Mickey has been a happy reminder that a little laughter goes a long way; it's hard to imagine the world without his familiar smile.
• Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and her helpers Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty. Everyone dreams of living "happily ever after," but not everyone has such enchanting helpers as Princess Aurora's tiny guardians, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. Despite their delightfully dithery ways, the good fairies protect the princess and help her find the true love she has always imagined.
• Pongo and one of his pups from 101 Dalmatians. Imagining a dog's emotional life requires a brilliant creative leap, but 101 Dalmatians gives us a unique dog's eye view of the world. In the loving bonds between Pongo and his pups, we see our own human ties brought to life -- spot on.
• Mowgli and Baloo from The Jungle Book. Who could imagine a jungle as jazzy as in The Jungle Book -- or a more free-wheeling, upbeat buddy than Baloo? His lighthearted relationship with Mowgli reminds us that friendship and laughter really are among the "bare necessities of life. "
Spates added the series has proven to be popular with both stamp collectors and Disney enthusiasts.
"After the success of the first two Art of Disney sets with 47.7 million Friendship stamps collected in 2004 and 52.8 million Celebration stamps in 2005, we sat down with the Disney team to explore the possibility of extending the series. We feel the Art of Disney: Imagination stamps will finish the series as a cherished collectible."
The Postal Service randomly surveys approximately 10,000 customers four times annually to gauge the number of stamps collected. Spates said 57.2 million Romance stamps were collected in 2006 and 53.8 million Magic stamps in 2007.
The Disney relationship with the U.S. Postal Service began in the summer of 1918 when Walt Disney sorted and delivered mail in the Chicago Post Office. Next, Mickey Mouse worked for the Post Office when he starred in the 1933 animated short "Mail Pilot." The achievements of Walt Disney were first recognized on a stamp in 1968. On the stamp, a parade of children, hand-in-hand, appear from a tiny castle to surround a portrait of Walt Disney. The children, representing many nations of the world, are garbed in national costumes.
Source: U.S. Postal Service
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:43 PM | View the original post
World-Famous Icon Displays Flags of the World With Its Iconic Tower Lights.
The Empire State Building (ESB) announced today that it will celebrate the countries competing in this year's Olympics by lighting each of the four sides of its famed tower -- north, south, east and west -- the colors of participating countries' flags each night throughout the summer games. This marks the first time ESB has split the tower's sides with four separate country's lights in its history.
For the 17 nights of the games, the monumental lightings will honor the top 66 countries participating in the Olympics, based on the number of athletes attending from each country.
"The Empire State Building is honoring the athletes that have trained and worked their entire lives to make it to this international stage of competition where unity, athleticism and sportsmanship are revered," said James Connors, General Manager for the Empire State Building. "We are proud that the Empire State Building can be a part of this international celebration and hope that its tower lights are another source of pride for the athletes and their countries taking part in the summer games."
For 17 straight nights, the ESB electricians will be working around the clock to change the 182 floodlights that will make the world-famous ESB tower glow in each country's colors. A typical color change takes six electricians, six hours; the country lightings will require a team of electricians, each dedicated to one side of the building -- north, south, east or west -- to change the lights. Each team will manually fit the colored plastic gels over the floodlights to create the appropriate color combination for that day's four countries being honored.
In the spirit of unity and teamwork, the ESB is also working with each country's Consulate to spread the news, and giving citizens from each respected country a chance to experience the national pride that goes along with having their national colors lit up prominently on the Empire State Building and in the New York City skyline.
Empire State Building Country Lighting Schedule:
• Colors are listed from bottom to top.
August 8, 2008 (Friday)
North: Red, White, Blue - France
West: Red, Blue, White - Great Britain
South: Red, Red, Green - Portugal
East: Green, White, Orange - India
August 9, 2008 (Saturday)
North: Red, White, Blue - Czech Republic
West: Red, Blue, White - Russia
South: Red, White, Green - Italy
East: Green, White, Green - Nigeria
August 10, 2008 (Sunday)
North: Red, White, Blue - Chinese Taipei
West: Red, Red, White - Poland
South: Red, White, Green - Mexico
East: Green, White, Red - Hungary
August 11, 2008 (Monday)
North: Blue, White, Red - Croatia
West: White, Red, White - Japan
South: Green, Yellow, Green - South Africa
East: Black, White, Red - Egypt
August 12, 2008 (Tuesday)
North: Blue, White, Red - Netherlands
West: Blue, Red, White - New Zealand
South: Green, Yellow, Blue - Brazil
East: Red, Yellow, Blue - Romania
August 13, 2008 (Wednesday)
North: Blue, White, Red - Cuba
West: Blue, Red, White - Slovenia
South: Yellow, Yellow, Blue - Ukraine
East: Red, Yellow, Red - Spain
August 14, 2008 (Thursday)
North: Red, White, Red - Denmark
West: Blue, Red, White - Australia
South: Blue, Yellow, Blue - Kazakhstan
East: Yellow, Red, Black - Germany
August 15, 2008 (Friday)
North: Red, White, Red - Austria
West: Red, Green, White - Belarus
South: Blue, Yellow, Blue - Sweden
East: White, Blue, Red - South Korea
August 16, 2008 (Saturday)
North: Red, White, Red - Canada
West: Red, Green, White - Bulgaria
South: Blue, White, Blue - Greece
East: White, Blue, Red - Serbia
[The final list will be available on August 9, 2008]
In 1976, colored lighting was first introduced in the Empire State Building as the tower was lit in red, white and blue to celebrate the American Bicentennial. The Empire State Building's tower lights are internationally recognized and are illuminated to commemorate holidays, events and causes that are of importance to New Yorkers, Americans and citizens of the world.
Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building is the "World's Most Famous Office Building." With new investments in infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world.
Source: Empire State Building
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:16 AM | View the original post
Five Siemens Velaro trains are to start running between the two Olympic sports venues from August 1 onwards. China Rail ordered a total of 60 Velaro trains. Three of them have been built in Krefeld in Germany, while the other 57 units are being built at Tangshan Locomotive & Rolling Stock Works in Tangshan. The above two pictures show the Velaro CN on the high-speed route near Beijing.
The Velaro high-speed train is fast, economical and safe for the environment. The Velaro is considered the most successful high-speed train in the world. By 2008, over 160 trains based on this platform will be operating all over the world, including the ICE 3 in Germany, the Velaro E in Spain, the Velaro CN in China and the Velaro RUS in Russia. According to Siemens, not only does the Velaro minimize operating and maintenance costs, but emissions are also extremely low in relation to the high transport capacity. In addition, low energy consumption and the use of environmentally friendly materials help save valuable natural resources. The Velaro is also the fastest series-produced train in the world. In September 2006, the Velaro reached the world record speed of 404 km/h.
Source: Siemens AG
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:48 PM | View the original post
To Be Integrated With New Transatlantic Subsidiary OpenSkies.
British Airways announced yesterday (July 25, 2008) that it has completed the purchase of French airline L'Avion, which will be integrated with British Airways' new subsidiary OpenSkies. This agreement was initially announced on July 2, 2008. Full integration of L'Avion with OpenSkies is slated for early 2009.
OpenSkies recently launched daily flights between Paris Orly Airport and New York John F. Kennedy Airport. L'Avion operates two Boeing 757 aircraft between Paris Orly and Newark Airport. The combined airline will operate up to three daily flights between Paris Orly and the New York area using Boeing 757 aircraft.
"We are very pleased about the completion of this deal and excited to begin the integration process," said Dale Moss, Managing Director of OpenSkies. "This is an ideal combination of two companies that share a focus on delivering an unparalleled experience on the transatlantic journey. With L'Avion providing increased access to Paris-Orly, greater scale and a deep and talented employee base -- coupled with the backing of British Airways -- we will present an even stronger and more vibrant competitive choice across the Atlantic."
"Together, our combined companies will offer a compelling premium value proposition for travelers on the New York - Paris route," said Marc Rochet, Chief Executive Officer of L'Avion. "Our two airlines are a natural fit, with a collective commitment to providing memorable customer service on each and every flight. We look forward to working closely with our OpenSkies colleagues as we continue to build a premier transatlantic airline."
Upon integration of the two airlines, customers can expect to experience benefits that will further improve the Paris - New York offering, including an increased schedule and BA Executive Club privileges. OpenSkies and L'Avion currently operate a codeshare with L'Avion selling seats on OpenSkies flights.
L'Avion has accommodated more than 65,000 customers since its start on January 3rd, 2007. L'Avion is the first French airline that offers all business class service at affordable prices to travelers. L'Avion operates two Boeing 757-200 with 90 Business Class seats only. L'Avion flies between Paris-Orly and New York- Newark twice daily, 5 times a week.
With no more than 82 passengers on each flight, OpenSkies features three cabins: BIZ, a business class service featuring the only fully lie-flat beds on the Paris - New York route; PREM+, a completely new service category featuring reclining seats with a 52" pitch; and ECONOMY, featuring a cabin containing only thirty seats.
OpenSkies will initially fly between Paris - Orly Airport and New York - JFK Airport. Other European destinations being considered for the airline include Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Milan. The airline will offer guests innovative features onboard, including lie-flat beds in business class, personal entertainment units with 50+ hours of programming, and fresh and healthy meal service. Backed by British Airways, OpenSkies is the first airline created as a result of the Open Skies agreement, which allows airlines to fly between any U.S. and E.U. destination.
Source: OpenSkies
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:20 PM | View the original post
comScore M:Metrics Reports Mobile Map Use Grows 82 Percent in United States, 49 Percent in Europe.
As families hit the road this summer, more will be turning to the mobile device for turn-by-turn directions.
Photo: Nokia 6110 Navigator
The use of mobile maps is increasingly popular in the United States and Europe, with 8 percent of American mobile subscribers and 3 percent of European subscribers accessing maps from the mobile phone in the three-month period ending May 2008, this was reported today by comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCOR) , a leader in measuring the digital world. This represents a growth rate of 82 percent and 49 percent in the number of users, respectively. According to the comScore M:Metrics Benchmark Study, the iPhone is the leading device used to access maps in the United States, and in Europe, the device trails the Nokia N95 and N70.
"The mobile phone as a personal navigation device makes tremendous sense," observed Mark Donovan, senior analyst, comScore. "With the influx of devices, such as the iPhone with GPS, entering the market, Nokia's purchase of NAVTEQ and the growing popularity of downloadable navigation applications, you don't need a map to see where this sector is going."
According to comScore, 73 percent of mobile subscribers accessing maps are doing so via the browser in the U.S., and in Europe, 57 percent. Less than a third of Americans and Europeans are using a downloaded application, which allows even feature phones, with less computing power and often smaller screens, to better render graphic-rich maps and directions. Despite the ubiquity of SMS usage in Europe, the penetration of consumers accessing maps and directions via SMS is 24 percent; only one percentage point higher than it is in the United States.
Photo: Nokia N95 with GPS
The vast majority of mobile map users are seeking driving directions, even in Europe, where public transportation and non-vehicular options are more popular.
While mobile access to maps has surged, online access to maps using the PC shows more modest gains in the United States and Western Europe. In the United Kingdom, which posted the highest growth in mobile access to maps at 72 percent, online access via the PC dipped from 45 percent penetration in May 2007 to 41 percent in May 2008. In the U.S., the increase in the number of users accessing maps from a mobile device far outpaced the increase in the number of people who accessed maps via the PC.
Acquired by comScore, Inc. in May 2008, M:Metrics is an authoritative source of data on mobile usage. Using its proprietary on-device metering technology and one of the world's largest monthly surveys of mobile users, M:Metrics provides data on actual mobile content consumption by applying trusted media measurement methodologies to the mobile market. According to comScore, M:Metrics services are used by more than 180 clients, including global leaders in the mobile, advertising, technology and consumer goods industries such as Verizon, Vodafone, Microsoft, RIM, FOX, CBS, BBC, BMW, Samsung, Palm, Qualcomm, Ericsson, O&M, and JWT.
Source: comScore, Inc.
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:46 AM | View the original post
Print Media Needs to Develop Strong Blogger Relationships.
Photo: A Professional Blogger
Rapid acceleration of blog and blogger mentions in top mainstream print publications emphasizes the importance of proper blogger relations.
Cision, the leading provider of media research, distribution, monitoring and analysis services, today released figures that clearly demonstrate the growing influence of blogs in the mainstream print media. A study of the top 20 national magazines and newspapers shows that over the last 5 years, the number of times blogs and bloggers are mentioned in articles has increased more than 16-fold.
Photo: A College Blogger
Cision discovered that the top 20 national magazines and newspapers mentioned blogs and bloggers 13,066 times in the one-year period ending June 30, 2008. That compares to only 795 times in 2004 and 2,179 times in 2005.
"This stunning growth in blogger influence magnifies the importance of employing common sense when contacting bloggers," said Peter Granat, Cision Executive Vice President. "Knowing the blogger and his/her focus is the critical element in a successful blog relations campaign. While many blogs are highly visible in their own right, the growing influence with the mainstream media elevates their importance."
Photo: Newspaper Readers
Photo: A Magazine Reader
"As stories with origins in the blogosphere begin to spill into magazines and newspapers, the benefits of developing relationships with bloggers continue to grow," Granat said.
Photo: A Journalist using Blogs for information
Other recent research confirms the growing reach of the blog. Brodeur Partners, a leading public relations and communications firm, noted in a January survey that 57 percent of 178 journalists contacted said they read blogs at least two to three times per week, while 18 percent said they spend at least one hour per day reading them. The PRWeek/PR Newswire Media Survey revealed that nearly 40 percent of the participating journalists employ blogs to find topics for stories, 30 percent use them to find experts, and nearly 58 percent use them to measure sentiment.
Photo: Man at Newspaper Stand
Publications included in the Cision research are:
• Arizona Republic
• BusinessWeek
• Chicago Tribune
• Cosmopolitan
• Dallas Morning News
• Entertainment Weekly
• Esquire
• Financial Times
• Houston Chronicle
• InStyle
• Los Angeles Times
• Money
• Newsweek
• New York Times
• People
• Time
• USA Today
• Vanity Fair
• Wall Street Journal
• Washington Post
Cision provides integrated services and software solutions for reputation and campaign management, media monitoring and research of media contacts. Cision operates in the US, UK, Sweden, Canada, Germany, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Portugal, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and China, and has partners in another 125 countries.
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:39 AM | View the original post
Photos: Sneak Peek from Beijing: New Satellite Images of National Stadium and Aquatics Center captured by DigitalGlobe. (Photo Credit: DigitalGlobe Inc.)
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:02 AM | View the original post
Small Cars and Hybrids Lead the Automotive Environmental Index Top 30.
Photo: Smart Fortwo
According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Alternative Powertrain Study released today, while most automotive manufacturers have shifted production to focus on smaller vehicles, nearly 70 percent of consumers say they want manufacturers to invest more in existing and emerging powertrain technologies.
Photo: Lexus RX Hybrid
Now in its third year, the Alternative Powertrain Study examines the reasons why consumers consider or avoid alternative powertrain vehicles, such as hybrid, flex fuel and clean diesel fuel models. The study includes the Automotive Environmental Index, which combines U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publicly available information related to fuel economy, air pollution and greenhouse gases for 2008 model-year vehicles and J.D. Power and Associates' voice of the customer data related to stated fuel economy. Feedback from verified vehicle owners is also used to help determine the relative importance of these environmental factors.
Photo: 2008 Nissan Sentra
The study finds that more than 80 percent of consumers believe that the United States is currently faced with an energy crisis. Only 18 percent of these consumers believe this issue can be addressed by focusing on small vehicle production with better fuel economy. Approximately 30 percent of consumers believe that auto manufacturers should continue to produce a comparable vehicle lineup with a focus on hybrid-electric, clean diesel and flexible fuel vehicles, while an additional 39 percent believe manufacturers should focus on developing emerging technologies not currently available in the market, such as fuel cell and electric vehicles.
Photo: 2009 Honda Fit Sport
Photo: 2009 Ford Focus RS
"Nearly 80 percent of consumers believe that gas prices will continue to rise, which will have a significant effect on the vehicles they will consider," said Mike Marshall, director of automotive emerging technologies at J.D. Power and Associates. "However, some consumers still want more than small cars to choose from in the auto market. They still want their SUVs and pickup trucks, except with better fuel economy and more environmentally friendly."
The study also finds that the percentage of consumers who are considering a hybrid-electric vehicle is up from 50 percent in 2007 to 62 percent in 2008. Consideration for flexible fuel (E85) capable vehicles -- which are designed to run on gasoline or a blend of up to 85 percent ethanol -- has decreased slightly from 2007 (47% vs. 43% in 2008), while consideration for clean diesel demonstrated the most notable decline from 23 percent in 2007 to only 16 percent in 2008. The drop in consideration for diesel technology may be attributed to the substantial increase in the relative price of diesel since 2007.
Photo: 2009 Saturn Astra XR 3-door
Photo: 2009 Pontiac G5 GT
Among the top 30 models in the Automotive Environmental Index, Toyota has the highest number of vehicles (6), followed by Chevrolet, Honda and Nissan with three models each. Additionally, eight models in the Automotive Environmental Index top 30 are hybrid-electric vehicles. They are:
Ford Escape Hybrid
Nissan Altima Hybrid
Honda Civic Hybrid
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Lexus RX 400h
Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Mercury Mariner Hybrid
Toyota Prius
Photo: 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Coupe
Photo: 2008 Chevrolet Aveo LT
The remaining models in the Top 30 Automotive Environmental Index are:
Chevrolet Aveo
Hyundai Accent
Nissan Sentra
Smart Fortwo Coupe
Chevrolet Aveo5
Hyundai Elantra
Nissan Versa
Toyota Corolla
Chevrolet Cobalt
Kia Rio
Pontiac G5
Toyota Matrix
Ford Focus
Kia Spectra
Pontiac Vibe
Toyota Yaris
Honda Civic
MINI Cooper
Saturn Astra
Honda Fit
MINI Cooper S
Smart Fortwo Convertible
The 2008 Alternative Powertrain Study includes responses from more than 4,000 consumers who plan to purchase a new vehicle within the next two years. The web-based study was fielded in May and June 2008. The voice of the customer components of the Automotive Environmental Index are derived from the 2008 Alternative Powertrain Study and the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Initial Quality Study.
Source: J.D. Power and Associates
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:06 AM | View the original post
U.S. Internet users viewed more than 12 billion online videos during the month of May 2008, representing an increase of 45 percent versus year ago. This was disclosed today by comScore (NASDAQ:SCOR) through its Video Metrix service.
In May, Google Sites once again ranked as the top U.S. video property with 4.2 billion videos viewed (representing a 35 percent share of all videos viewed), with YouTube.com accounting for more than 98 percent of all videos viewed at the property. Fox Interactive Media ranked second with 778 million videos (6.4 percent), gaining 1.3 share points versus April. Yahoo! Sites ranked third with 347 million (2.9 percent), followed by Microsoft Sites with 246 million (2.0 percent). Hulu.com, a joint venture of NBC and Fox featuring full-length broadcast TV programs, debuted in the tenth position with 88 million videos being viewed (0.7 percent).
Top U.S. Online Video Properties by Videos Viewed
(May 2008)
Total U.S. -- Home/Work/University Locations
(Source: comScore Video Metrix)
Property ------------------ Videos (000) ----- Share (%) of Videos
Total Internet ----------------- 12,086,273 ---------- 100.0
Google Sites -------------------- 4,205,700 ------------ 34.8
Fox Interactive ------------------- 778,168 -------------- 6.4
Yahoo! Sites ---------------------- 346,825 -------------- 2.9
Microsoft Sites -------------------- 245,899 -------------- 2.0
Viacom Digital -------------------- 206,047 -------------- 1.7
Time Warner [Excl. AOL] -------- 145,113 -------------- 1.2
ABC.COM -------------------------- 126,589 -------------- 1.0
Disney Online ----------------------107,876 -------------- 0.9
AOL LLC -----------------------------104,681 ------------- 0.9
HULU.COM --------------------------- 88,284 ------------- 0.7
[Rankings based on video content sites; excludes video server networks. Online video includes both streaming and progressive download video.]
Nearly 142 million U.S. Internet users watched an average of 85 videos per viewer in May 2008. Google Sites also attracted the most viewers (83.8 million), who watched an average of 50 videos per person. Fox Interactive attracted the second most viewers (60.8 million), followed by Yahoo! Sites (40.2 million) and Microsoft Sites (29.5 million).
Top U.S. Online Video Properties by Unique Viewers
(May 2008)
Total U.S. -- Home/Work/University Locations
(Source: comScore Video Metrix)
Property --------- Unique Viewers (000) -- Average Videos per Viewer
Total Internet ----------------------141,657 --------- 85.3
Google Sites ------------------------- 83,828 --------- 50.2
Fox Interactive ---------------------- 60,760 --------- 12.8
Yahoo! Sites ------------------------- 40,197 ----------- 8.6
Microsoft Sites ----------------------- 29,471 ----------- 8.3
Time Warner [Excl. AOL] ----------- 24,612 ----------- 5.9
AOL LLC ------------------------------ 21,670 ----------- 4.8
Viacom Digital ----------------------- 21,260 ----------- 9.7
Disney Online ------------------------12,385 ----------- 8.7
ESPN ----------------------------------- 8,425 ----------- 8.9
ABC.COM ------------------------------ 7,747 ---------- 16.3
[Rankings based on video content sites; excludes video server networks. Online video includes both streaming and progressive download video.]
Other notable findings from May 2008 include:
• 74 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video.
• The average online video viewer watched 228 minutes of video.
• 82.2 million viewers watched 4.1 billion videos on YouTube.com
(50.4 videos per viewer).
• 54.8 million viewers watched 703 million videos on MySpace.com
(12.8 videos per viewer).
• 6.8 million viewers watched 88 million videos on Hulu.com
(13.0 videos per viewer).
• The duration of the average online video was 2.7 minutes.
Source: comScore, Inc.
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:27 AM | View the original post
Beijing Olympics and Upcoming Epic Adventure Starring Brendan Fraser and Jet Li Receive Joint Promotion with Innovative Co-Branded Feature.
NBC Universal announced that it has assembled all of its family units to promote two enormous August events in China -- the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the next chapter in the blockbuster Mummy adventure series. According to NBC, this is to be done through a co-branded spot that represents "the most comprehensive synergistic effort ever mounted by NBC Universal". The piece features settings and characters from "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" and athletes seamlessly blended in sequences in which the action from the film transforms into Olympic events. It premiered on July 1 on all NBC networks and will run throughout August.
The NBC announcement says that "THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR" hits theaters worldwide on August 1, and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games coverage begins on NBC on August 8. The blockbuster global Mummy franchise takes a turn as the action shifts to Asia for the next chapter in the adventure series, "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor". Brendan Fraser returns as explorer Rick O'Connell to combat the resurrected Han Emperor (Jet Li) in an epic that races from the catacombs of ancient China to the neon-lit streets of post-war Shanghai and high into the spectacular Himalayas. Rick is joined in this all-new adventure by son Alex (newcomer Luke Ford), wife Evelyn (Maria Bello) and her brother, Jonathan (John Hannah). And this time, the O'Connells must stop a mummy awoken from a 2,000-year-old curse who threatens to plunge the world into his merciless, unending service.
Doomed by a double-crossing sorceress (Michelle Yeoh) to spend eternity in suspended animation, China's ruthless Dragon Emperor and his 10,000 warriors have laid forgotten for eons, entombed in clay as a vast, silent terra cotta army. But when dashing adventurer Alex O'Connell is tricked into awakening the ruler from eternal slumber, the reckless young archaeologist must seek the help of the only people who know more than he does about taking down the undead: his parents.
As the monarch roars back to life, our heroes find his quest for world domination has only intensified over the millennia. Striding the Far East with unimaginable supernatural powers, the Emperor Mummy will rouse his legion as an unstoppable, otherworldly force...unless the O'Connells can stop him first. Now, in "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor", the trademark thrills and visually spectacular action of the Mummy series will be redefined for a new generation.
"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" is helmed by director Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious, xXx) and written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (Spider-Man 2, television's Smallville). Reprising their roles as producers in the series are Bob Ducsay, Sean Daniel, Stephen Sommers and James Jacks.
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios. Universal Studios is part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBC, "America's Olympic Network," owns the exclusive U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games, television's most powerful property, through 2012, which includes Beijing in 2008, Vancouver in 2010 and London in 2012. The 2008 Olympic Games from Beijing, China, will represent the 11th Olympics broadcast by NBC, a record for the most Olympic broadcasts by any network. From August 8-24, 2008, NBC Universal will present an unprecedented 3,600 hours of coverage, highlighted by NBC in primetime with live swimming, gymnastics and beach volleyball and more than 2,200 hours of live streaming video for the first time on NBCOlympics.com. In August 2004, 203 million viewers watched as the networks of NBC Universal -- NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo, Telemundo, and NBC's HD affiliates -- offered a then record 1,210 hours of Olympic coverage from Athens.
Source: Universal Pictures
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:35 AM | View the original post
Foundation to be established to provide royalty-free open platform and accelerate innovation.
Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and NTT DOCOMO have just announced in London their intent to unite Symbian OSTM, S60, UIQ and MOAP(S) to create one open mobile software platform. Together with AT&T, LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Vodafone they plan to establish the Symbian Foundation to extend the appeal of this unified software platform. Membership of this non-profit Foundation will be open to all organizations. This initiative is supported by current shareholders and management of Symbian Limited, who have been actively involved in its development. Plans for the Foundation have already received wide support from other industry leaders.
To enable the Foundation, Nokia announced plans to acquire the remaining shares of Symbian Limited that Nokia does not already own and then contribute the Symbian and S60 software to the Foundation. Sony Ericsson and Motorola announced their intention to contribute technology from UIQ and DOCOMO has also indicated its willingness to contribute its MOAP(S) assets. From these contributions, the Foundation will provide a unified platform with common UI framework. A full platform will be available for all Foundation members under a royalty-free license, from the Foundation's first day of operations.
Contributions from Foundation members through open collaboration will be integrated to further enhance the platform. The Foundation will make selected components available as open source at launch. It will then work to establish the most complete mobile software offering available in open source. This will be made available over the next two years and is intended to be released under Eclipse Public License (EPL) 1.0.
The Foundation's platform will build on the leading open mobile software platform, with more than 200 million phones, across 235 models, already shipped by multiple vendors and tens of thousands of third- party applications already available for Symbian OS-based devices.
"Ten years ago, Symbian was established by far sighted players to offer an advanced open operating system and software skills to the whole mobile industry", said Nigel Clifford, CEO of Symbian. "Our vision is to become the most widely used software platform on the planet and indeed today Symbian OS leads its market by any measure. Today's announcement is a bold new step to achieve that vision by embracing a complete and proven platform, offered in an open way, designed to stimulate innovation which is at the heart of everything we do."
"Establishing the Foundation is one of the biggest contributions to an open community ever made," said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO of Nokia. "Nokia is a strong supporter of open platforms and technologies as they give the freedom to build, maintain and evolve applications and services across device segments and offer by far the largest ecosystem, enabling rapid innovation. Today's announcement is a major milestone in our devices software strategy."
"The complete, consistent platform that the Foundation plans to provide will allow manufacturers to focus on their unique differentiation at a device level" said Dick Komiyama, President of Sony Ericsson. "Sony Ericsson believes that the unified Symbian Foundation platform will greatly simplify the world for handset manufacturers, operators and developers, enabling greater innovation in services and applications to the benefit of consumers everywhere."
"Motorola has long been a leader and advocate of open software for mobile platforms. We're excited to be joining Nokia, Sony Ericsson, NTT DOCOMO and others in leading this open source effort to form the new Symbian Foundation and unite the Symbian ecosystem," said Alain Mutricy, Senior Vice President, Platforms & Technology Office, Motorola Mobile Devices. "Also, Motorola, together with Sony Ericsson, will be contributing UIQ technology to the Foundation and will work with UIQ as they are refocusing as an important supplier in the new Symbian ecosystem. This will be a great addition, as the Foundation will be able to leverage UIQ's unique experience, which includes expertise in touch technology."
"DOCOMO welcomes this development and we look forward to moving our Symbian based devices and service onto the Foundation platform. We are also willing to contribute our MOAP(S) assets to the Foundation. This is a very positive step in further increasing the adoption of the Symbian software and creating an even more open, consistent and complete platform. The Foundation software will enable us to enjoy the benefits of a global platform in bringing new, leading-edge services to the Japanese market. It will increase efficiency and help us provide our wide customer base with the most advanced mobile experiences." said Toshio Miki, Associate Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Communication Device Development Department of NTT DOCOMO.
"Mobile phones have turned into sophisticated multimedia computers and smart phones continue to grow in popularity," said Kris Rinne, Senior Vice President of Architecture and Planning at AT&T. "The Symbian Foundation will reduce fragmentation in the industry and holds the promise of incorporating leading technology and the most mature software into a unified platform for the entire industry. This will create an environment that will encourage and enable developers to build compelling applications that will positively affect our customers' lives and support AT&T in offering its differentiated services to consumers."
"Joining the Symbian Foundation is an ideal opportunity for LG to broaden our commitment to providing our customers with the best possible mobile experience" said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "We believe that open mobile platforms will contribute to advance the mobile industry. At LG we will play a leading role in creating a better mobile environment, working with the Symbian Foundation to provide our customers with smart new features based on this open platform."
"Samsung Electronics is committed to Symbian as one of the future platforms for our mobile devices and believes that establishing the Foundation is a visionary move in positioning the platform as a proven open platform for future development. We are delighted to be playing a significant role in that future by joining the Foundation board. We have already used Symbian and S60 software successfully to deliver appealing devices and see these steps making the platform even more attractive for bringing the latest technologies and services to the market" said Dr. Do Hun Kwon, VP & Managing Director, Samsung Electronics Research Institute.
"ST sees strong consumer demand, across all segments, for a richer multimedia experience," said Monica de Virgiliis, General Manager of the Wireless Multimedia Division, STMicroelectronics. "This new foundation synchronizes and harmonizes the mainstream software approach to address this need and makes the software widely available. We anticipate this will fuel the growth of multimedia-capable devices and we are excited about being able to leverage our long-standing leadership in consumer digital multimedia to satisfy more and more consumers."
"TI has long supported open platforms, and we are excited about the formation of the Symbian Foundation. We believe the new structure will remove barriers to innovation in the mobile industry by providing a common platform on which exciting next-generation applications and services can be built," said Greg Delagi, senior vice president of TI's Wireless Business Unit. "Manufacturers can get a head-start on development with TI's proven OMAP-based Symbian S60 software development platform. Combined with the Foundation's open collaboration model, this will allow more developers to harness the performance and multimedia capabilities of the OMAP family to accelerate improvements in the mobile user experience."
"Vodafone believes this is a significant step in driving mobile innovation for the Internet as well as creating a richer mobile experience for our customers" said Jens Schulte-Bockum, Vodafone's Global Director of Terminals. "We have been challenging the industry to reduce complexity and focus on fewer operating systems. This step will help to drive even faster innovation, as well as enable operators to accelerate time-to-market for compelling and varied new services."
"Fujitsu is pleased to be one of the first supporters of plans for the Symbian Foundation," said Hideyuki Saso, president of the Mobile Phones Unit at Fujitsu Limited. "Fujitsu has long been an innovator in the development of handsets based on the Symbian OS, launching our development efforts in 2001 and commercializing the world's first Symbian OS-based 3G smartphone in 2003. Over the past seven years, we've brought a broad range of innovative, high-performance Symbian smartphones to market while collaborating with NTT DOCOMO on the development of MOAP(S). As a handset vendor, Fujitsu looks forward to supporting the development of the unified Foundation platform, and to developing future products based on the platform."
"This new initiative brings together the rare combination of a proven software operating system and an open source model, creating a unique platform to drive innovation in the mobile handset," said Scott Bibaud, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Mobile Platforms Group, Broadcom. "Broadcom's participation in the Symbian Foundation is consistent with our goals of enabling differentiated software solutions while providing a time-to-market advantage with our advanced mobile platform products."
Foundation members share the vision that the Foundation will unify the software platform, supercharge innovation and accelerate the availability of new services and compelling experiences for consumers and business users around the world. The combined platform is already one of the most advanced and widely used mobile platforms, making it highly attractive for all ecosystem partners, including developers, mobile operators, content and service providers and device manufacturers.
The Foundation is expected to start operating during the first half of 2009, subject to the closing of the acquisition of Symbian Ltd by Nokia.
Symbian is a software licensing company that develops and licenses Symbian OS, the market-leading open operating system for mobile phones. Symbian licenses Symbian OS to the world's leading handset manufacturers. Symbian has its headquarters in London, United Kingdom, with offices in the United States, United Kingdom, India, China, Korea, and Japan.
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:00 AM | View the original post
Advertising celebrates America's strong voice of support for Team USA.
Bank of America, the Official Bank Sponsor of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, has announced the debut of its U.S. Olympic-themed advertising campaign.
The multimedia campaign rallies support for Team USA(TM) through the company's signature Olympic-themed programs -- America's Cheer(TM) and U.S. Olympic Team Banking -- and includes a new national television commercial, as well as print, radio, online and point-of-sale advertisements.
"Unlike any other sporting event in the world, the Olympic Games are the only time when an entire nation cheers for one team," said Anne Saunders, Brand and Advertising executive, Bank of America. "Our new campaign captures the passion and spirit with which Americans everywhere are cheering on the extraordinary athletes who will represent the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games."
Created by BBDO New York, the campaign features images of Americans showcasing their spirited expressions of patriotic support for Team USA, with a voiceover that enlists America to "cheer your head off with America's Cheer dot-com and the U.S. Olympic Team will hear you all the way to China."
In addition to America's Cheer, the new campaign promotes U.S. Olympic Team Banking only available at Bank of America. The suite of U.S. Olympic Team-branded checks and Visa(R) Check Cards and credit cards enable customers to support America's Olympic athletes with every purchase with their card, while earning special rewards.
Photo: An image from Bank of America's U.S. Olympic-Themed TV commercial.
Bank of America's new campaign makes its debut on June 21 in conjunction with NBC's coverage of the U.S. National Team Trials for Diving. Thereafter, the new campaign will continue to run leading up to and during NBC's national broadcast of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and on NBC affiliates around the country in Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C.
America's Cheer: America's Cheer is Bank of America's grassroots campaign that provides an opportunity for all Americans to cheer on the nation's finest athletes as they prepare to compete at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Whether it's an energetic video or audio recording, heartfelt letter or inspiring photo, America's Cheer invites the entire country to express their support for Team USA(TM) through the act of cheering.
Photo: Soccer Spectators looking at a Large TV Screen
To upload a cheer, individuals or groups can visit http://www.americascheer.com/. Cheers can also be recorded by visiting the America's Cheer(TM) mobile tour which is currently visiting 19 cities and 26 events, traveling 27,000 miles before its final stop in Detroit, Mich., on Aug. 24, 2008, a date that coincides with the Closing Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games.
U.S. Olympic Team Banking: In recognition of what the U.S. Olympic Team means to its customers, Bank of America has developed U.S. Olympic Team Banking, a new suite of Team USA-branded checks and Visa(R) Check Cards and credit cards that enables customers to support America's Olympic athletes with every purchase with their card, while earning special rewards for themselves. With every U.S. Olympic Team credit card purchase, customers can earn points to redeem WorldPoints(R) rewards for cash, airline tickets, hotel stays and for Bank of America U.S. Olympic Team merchandise, memorabilia and exclusive experiences. Customers can also generate contributions to the U.S. Olympic Team when they open a new U.S. Olympic Team checking account and with every U.S. Olympic Team Visa Check Card or credit card purchase at no additional cost to themselves. (One may visit http://www.bankofamerica.com/olympics to sign-up or to learn more about the many features and benefits of U.S. Olympic Team Banking.)
Bank of America's U.S. Olympic Team Sponsorship: Bank of America is widely recognized as a major corporate sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team, creating opportunities for the nation's best athletes to represent the United States in world-class competition. Bank of America's earliest known involvement with the U.S. Olympic Movement dates back to 1921, when the bank provided leadership and financing for the Los Angeles Coliseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games. In 1992, Bank of America signed on as an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team that competed in Barcelona, Spain, and has supported every U.S. Olympic Team since, including the American athletes who will compete in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries and has relationships with 99 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 83 percent of the Fortune Global 500.
Source: Bank of America
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:13 AM | View the original post
The Henkel Beach Volleyball Grand Slam Tournament 2008 will be held in Paris from June 16-22. This year is the fourth time the Beach Volleyball Grand Slam Tournament will be held in the French capital. And for the third time, Henkel is the main sponsor of the event, and will present its corporate brand name and seven product brands: Fa, Mir, Le Chat, Pattex, SuperGlue, Loctite and Schwarzkopf.
More than 200 matches will take place on the grounds of the "Champs de Mars," against the fantastic backdrop of the Eiffel Tower. The arena has a capacity exceeding 6,500 spectators, who will be able to experience world-class beach volleyball free of charge. The best 130 teams from 40 countries will travel to Paris to pit their skills against each other. For the athletes, the tournament is important in terms of the qualification for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in August. The winners will not only qualify for the Summer Olympics, but also earn 600,000 euros in prize money. Accordingly, the Beach Volleyball Grand Slam Tournament in Paris ranks among the most lucrative beach volleyball competitions worldwide.
As the main sponsor, Henkel also offers fans a diverse range of fringe events. These include instructions given by Le Chat on maintaining health at the same level as top athletes, the opportunity to relax in the wellness zone hosted by Fa, or a visit to the Henkel Cafe.
Beach volleyball attained the status of an Olympic sport in 1996. Since the 1980s, the game has emerged as a highly popular sporting event, which appeals to a large audience. In addition to the playing surface, the main difference compared to indoor volleyball is the number of players on the team. In beach volleyball, each team consists of two players, not six as is the case with its indoor counterpart.
Henkel has been sponsoring national and international sports events for many years. Besides the Beach Volleyball Grand Slam tournaments in Paris and Klagenfurt, Austria, Henkel has also been involved with the Ice Hockey World Championship in Canada and the World Handball Championship in Germany last year.
Henkel, headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, has about 55,000 employees worldwide and counts among the most internationally recognized German-based companies in the global marketplace. People in approximately 125 countries around the world use the brands and technologies from Henkel. Henkel is organized into three globally operating business sectors: Laundry & Home Care, Cosmetics & Toiletries, and Adhesive Technologies.
Source: Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:19 AM | View the original post
Consumer Feedback Alerts Auto Designers to Possible Color Trends.
Photo: Suzuki XL7 -- White.
Photo: 2008 Honda Accord EX-L V-6 Sedan. White cars, such as this, remain the top color choice for consumers.
Although white, silver and black dominate the global mass auto market, car enthusiasts around the world are leaning toward various treatments of blue, according to leading auto industry designers and a global team of DuPont (NYSE:DD) color designers.
Photo: Ford Fusion 2008 -- Black.
"This year, we thought it would be interesting to ask car and color designers in mid year about automobile buyers' color preferences," said Karen Surcina, color marketing and technology manager -- DuPont Automotive Systems. For the last 55 years, the DuPont Global Automotive Color Popularity Report has provided a year-end, data-based snapshot of mass market car color preferences. DuPont is one of the world's largest global suppliers of paints and coatings to new car manufacturers and the automobile collision repair industry.
Asia Pacific: Emily Hung, DuPont color designer for the Asia Pacific region, says dark blue metallic is popular and is being fine-tuned for that region. Candy whites and tri-coat pearl finishes also are extremely popular, confirming the 2007 DuPont Global survey finding that white had overtaken silver as the most popular color in Asia and North America. Luxury car buyers in Asia-Pacific countries continue to favor black and mid-tone metallic grays while champagne is favored over light silver in medium-size cars.
"In India and China, the booming economies are reflected in the wide range of colors offered to attract young buyers to compact cars," Hung said.
Europe: Blue is the most important chromatic color in Europe, with 12 percent of the market, reports Elke Dirks, DuPont color designer for Europe. Chromatic colors are those with hue, unlike white, grey and black.
"Black, which overtook silver in popularity in Europe last year, is seen as a trendy newcomer there and could double in volume," Dirks said. Long-term, she predicts, European consumers will ask for a more colorful and individualistic palette from car makers. At the moment, though, preferences are highly influenced by ecological concepts, with demand growing for light, pure and sophisticated looks.
Photo: 2007 Chevrolet Aveo Hatchback (Venezuela) -- Yellow.
Latin America: Wolstano Marin, DuPont color designer for Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, says the "achromatic range," including white, silver, gray and black, dominates consumer preference in that area of Latin America. While green led the chromatic colors for several years, "blue now seems to be the most popular in that family," he said. Personal preference, fashion and resale value seem to be the major factors contributing to car color choice in the region.
Photo: Chrysler Aspen 2008 -- Blue.
North America: Blue also plays a role in American tastes, says Nancy Lockhart, DuPont color designer for North America. She sees lighter blues emerging with a reddish accent representing a clean, fresh trend. Medium and dark shades of blue are more greenish, evoking a modern feel.
White tri-coats such as pearls are chosen by buyers for their luxurious, yet unpretentious presentation. Oranges and golds are also important and reddish gold is an emerging influence, she said.
"While current economic conditions in North America are not being felt in car color choices, people are clearly being influenced by the 'green' movement, with natural versions of bold colors taking hold," Lockhart said. "For example, copper seems to be replacing flashier gold finishes and royal blues will give way to lighter, cleaner and more water-like blues. Even white will change, with ultra whites and yellowish whites giving way to cleaner versions."
"White seems to be the most prominent color on the road and on everyone's mind in design," said Mollie Engel, senior color designer for Kia Design Center America. "It is the new luxury color and it is also ecological. The lighter the colors we use, the less 'solar gain' is encouraged, and that means less gas we use to cool our cars."
Photo: 2009 SATURN ASTRA XR 3-DOOR -- Red.
Economic uncertainty in North America seems to be influencing people to return to basics such as white and red, according to Engel, "but they are new versions of these common color spaces." While Engel doesn't see car buyers moving toward blue, she sees a growing importance of "olive greens" as well as earth tones such as dark grey, bronze and dark browns as "part of this new, classically modern palette."
Auto Manufacturer Perspectives: Christopher Webb, General Motors lead color and trend designer, interior and exterior, says "customers are embracing color again," with brown, orange and blue selling well. Webb seeks first-hand color preference information from consumers by interacting with car enthusiasts at auto shows around the United States. He has also done several GM blogs on color.
GM takes consumer input seriously. Several years ago, Webb polled Corvette Car Club members to find out which color they would most like to see on their vehicles. Their request for orange came at a time when an "orange trend" was developing in other areas of product design. The result was a color, developed with DuPont, called "Atomic Orange."
"Blue will continue to be strong in the marketplace along with a growing trend in natural and authentic colors," said Jim Parker, senior manager, color and trim design, Chrysler LLC. "The 2009 Dodge Ram will be offered in several new colors like Deep Water Blue Pearl and Austin Tan Pearl, which will accentuate its distinctive, bold design and reflect these color trends."
Photo: Jeep Wrangler 2008 -- Green.
Although he has not yet seen any economy-related trends in consumer color choices, consumer buying tends to lean toward more conservative choices during economic downturns. Regardless of the economy, says Parker, Chrysler(R), Dodge(R) and Jeep(R) offer a wide variety of color choices, allowing consumers to express their own personalities.
Aftermarket Color Choices: Aftermarket color choices, such as those selected for custom cars and high-end restorations, are also highly individualistic, but don't conform to color trends seen in the new car market, according to Janine Little, marketing manager for the DuPont(TM) Hot Hues(TM) line of automotive finishes.
Some colors are more expensive than others because of the pigments needed to produce the right color - mostly in the red and silver ranges, Little said. "But to these enthusiasts, spending more on the perfect color for your car is a sacrifice worth enduring. They are also willing to pay for the newest coatings technologies, such as special metallic flakes and candy colors, to differentiate their vehicles and give them personality."
The 2007 DuPont Global Color Popularity Report, released in December, tracked color across vehicle segment, and also reported by geographic region, the only report of its kind to do so. The report remains the industry's authoritative standard for analyzing and predicting vehicle color trends based on consumer choices. The annual DuPont study is a benchmark for the automotive industry. Its influence reaches beyond the automotive segment to other industries including home furnishings, consumer electronics and fashion. The 2008 DuPont Global Color Popularity Report will be issued later this year.
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:49 AM | View the original post
Photo © Oskar Kihlborg. Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006
Photo © Oskar Kihlborg. Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006
Photo © Oskar Kihlborg. Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006
The Volvo Ocean Race has confirmed Fan Pier in Boston as the sole North American stopover when the race visits the US East Coast port city in April-May 2009.
Spanning some 37,000 nautical miles, stopping in 11 ports around the world and taking nine months to complete, the Volvo Ocean Race is the world's premier global race for professional racing crews.
Agreement between race organizers to bring the race to Fan Pier has been backed by the city of Boston and has been made possible by the efforts of the local developer Joe Fallon, who is working closely with city officials to ensure a successful, world-class event at the coveted waterfront location - Fan Pier.
The entire stopover facility including berthing for the seven-boat fleet, race village, entertainment complex and haul-out area will be accommodated on a five-acre Volvo Ocean Race zone within the development site.
Two weeks of festivals and local events are planned for the beginning of May 2009, to celebrate the arrival and departure of the Volvo Ocean Race, Boston's maritime history and the sport of sailing.
The Fallon Company is owner and developer of the large-scale, 21-acre Fan Pier site. Fallon's plans for the area include a five-star hotel, offices, designer boutiques, restaurants and luxury condominiums with 360-degree views of the Boston skyline and harbour.
Fan Pier also brings to life new public parks, a Harbor Walk, a state-of-the-art marina and the internationally acclaimed Institute of Contemporary Art. It is a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly area, and as the newest neighborhood in the city of Boston is the ideal spot to welcome the Volvo Ocean Race to Boston.
The visit of the Volvo race, Fallon says, will bring heightened awareness to Boston's waterfront, Fan Pier, extreme ocean racing and the sport of sailing in general. "I'm extremely proud and excited that Fan Pier and the city of Boston will join world-class ports like Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Singapore and Stockholm as hosts of the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race," Fallon said.
"Fan Pier represents the best of Boston's ability to bring new global events with international audiences to historic Boston Harbour," said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "We believe this race will showcase Boston and the waterfront as a global destination to residents and tourists alike."
Photo: © Oskar Kihlborg. Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006
Photo: © Rick Tomlinson. Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006
Boston is the only North American port stopover for the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race. PUMA, which headquarters its North American operations in the greater Boston area, has entered the race with their boat il mostro representing the U.S. The boat is skippered by Ken Read who has strong ties to the greater Boston area.
At the completion of its stopover at Fan Pier, the re-start of the race continues onto its next port stopover, Galway, Ireland.
The Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 will be the 10th running of this ocean marathon. Starting from Alicante in Spain, on 4 October 2008, it will, for the first time, take in Kochi, India, Singapore and Qingdao, China before finishing in St Petersburg, Russia.
Source: Volvo Ocean Race, Volvo Car Corporation
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:36 AM | View the original post
After her critically-acclaimed performance in Dreamgirls, Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson makes her long-awaited foray into the music scene with "Spotlight," her official first single from her self-titled debut album, set for release in September on Arista Records. "Spotlight" impacts radio June 9 and will be digitally available at iTunes on June 10. An all-star team of writers and producers have been assembled to contribute their talents to Hudson's highly-anticipated debut album, including Timbaland, Robin Thicke, The Underdogs, Diane Warren, Tricky Stewart and more.
"I'm beyond ecstatic about my new album," says Hudson. "I think people will be pleasantly surprised, because it shows a side of my work that no one has heard before. This album has a huge variety of sounds and one of my favorite songs is 'Spotlight' because it has this great infectious groove. This is completely new territory for me and I can't wait for people to hear it."
Source: Arista Records
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:59 AM | View the original post
"Toby Keith 35 Biggest Hits" spans the singer, songwriter, entertainer, and multi-platinum performer's entire career. This new release of Toby Keith's latest hits collection is in two discs that are filled with smash singles.
Released on his own Show Dog Nashville label and Universal Music Enterprises, "35 Biggest Hits" opens with his first No. 1 hit, 1993's "Should've Been A Cowboy," and runs all the way through his 2006 chart-topper "A Little Too Late." In between, the compilation serves up favorites including "Who's That Man" (1994), "How Do You Like Me Now ?!" (1999), "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" (2002), "Who's Your Daddy?" (2002), "I Love This Bar" (2003), "American Soldier" (2003) and "As Good I Once Was" (2005). Incidentally, Keith is currently filming the major motion picture "Beer For My Horses" (which is the same title as his 2002 hit that will also be included) in New Mexico.
The hits collection is punctuated by a new single, "She's A Hottie," that is roaring up the charts. And with the two-disc set's availability, music fans will have the chance to see some of the high points of a career. Keith has sold more than 30 million albums, he's been deluged with critical praise and peer approval in the form of awards, and he's consistently been one of the top-drawing live performers. A track listing is below.
Toby Keith 35 Biggest Hits
Disc One:
1. Should've Been A Cowboy
2. He Ain't Worth Missing
3. A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action
4. Wish I Didn't Know Now
5. Who's That Man
6. Upstairs Downtown
7. You Ain't Much Fun
8. Big Ol' Truck
9. Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine On You
10. A Woman's Touch
11. Me Too
12. We Were In Love
13. I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying
14. Dream Walkin'
15. Getcha Some
16. How Do You Like Me Now ?!
17. Country Comes To Town
18. You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This
Disc Two:
1. I'm Just Talkin' About Tonight
2. I Wanna Talk About Me
3. My List
4. Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)
5. Who's Your Daddy?
6. Beer For My Horses
7. I Love This Bar
8. American Soldier
9. Whiskey Girl
10. Stays In Mexico
11. Mockingbird
12. Honkytonk U
13. As Good As I Once Was
14. Big Blue Note
15. Get Drunk And Be Somebody
16. A Little Too Late
17. She's A Hottie
Source: Universal Music Enterprises
|GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:13 AM | View the original post
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