Justice Department Endorses T-Mobile Merger With Sprint https://ift.tt/2Y4gnCF The Justice Department Friday endorsed T-Mobile's $26 billion acquisition of Sprint, provided the companies divest some assets to satellite provider Dish Network. The proposed deal, which would position Dish to enter the wireless market, must be approved by a district court judge. The Justice Department's proposed settlement would require T-Mobile and Sprint to divest Sprint's pre-paid businesses, as well as some spectrum assets, to Dish. The deal also imposes conditions aimed at enabling Dish to compete for wireless customers. Among other terms, T-Mobile must allow its network to be used by Dish for seven years, during which time Dish will build its own network. advertisement advertisement The settlement could face a hurdle in federal court in New York, where attorneys general representing 13 states and the District of Columbia are suing to block the merger on antitrust grounds. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is leading the legal effort to prevent the deal, suggested Friday the lawsuit will continue. “I remain deeply concerned about the T-Mobile/Sprint megamerger & the irreparable harm it will cause to millions across the country,” she tweeted Friday afternoon. “Despite approval from the DOJ, the deal is bad for consumers, innovation and workers.” In May, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai blessed the transaction, arguing it will boost 5G deployment and lead to faster mobile broadband in rural parts of the country. Pai plans to circulate a draft order approving the merger to other commissioners. “The commitments made to the FCC by T-Mobile and Sprint to deploy a 5G network that would cover 99% of the American people, along with the measures outlined in the Department’s consent decree, will advance U.S. leadership in 5G and protect competition,” Pai stated Friday. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, one of two Democrats on the FCC, expressed concerns about the deal. “I remain skeptical that this combination is good for consumers, good for competition or good for the economy,” she stated Friday. “Before the FCC votes on this new deal, the public should have the opportunity to weigh in and comment. Too much here has been done behind closed doors.” As originally proposed, the deal would have left the country with just three major mobile carriers -- Verizon, AT&T and the newly merged T-Mobile/Sprint -- all roughly the same size. Consumer advocates opposed the original deal, arguing the consolidation would have lead to higher prices for consumers, poorer service and fewer incentives for the carriers to invest in their networks. While the Justice Department says the settlement will allow Dish to effectively become a fourth major wireless carrier, critics remain wary. “Sprint is a significantly stronger competitor today than a new fourth competitor could be for the foreseeable future,” Phillip Berenbroick, policy director at Public Knowledge stated Friday. “Consumers will face considerable harm if the marketplace does not develop as the DOJ envisions.” Avery Gardiner, a senior fellow at the watchdog Center for Democracy & Technology, stated the settlement “goes against decades”of legal principle. “The notion that Dish, which has talked of building a wireless network but has been sitting on valuable wireless spectrum for years without doing anything with it, will promptly restore competition is fanciful," she stated. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) adds the Justice Department could have ensured there were four wireless competitors by simply blocking the deal. “Instead, they chose a more complicated and uncertain path,” he stated. “I plan to closely monitor this deal because we must ensure consumers have at least four choices, not three, in the wireless marketplace.” Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH July 26, 2019 at 02:45PM
0 Comments
Apple Buying Intel's 5G Smartphone Modem Business For $1 Billion https://ift.tt/32TIdQU Apple has signed an agreement to acquire Intel’s smartphone modem business for $1 billion. As part of the deal, 2,200 Intel employees will join Apple, which will then hold more than 17,000 wireless technology patents. Intel will retain the ability to develop modems for non-smartphone applications, such as Internet of Things devices, personal computers and autonomous vehicles, according to the announcement. “We have long respected Apple and we’re confident they provide the right environment for this talented team and these important assets moving forward,” stated Intel CEO Bob Swan. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH July 26, 2019 at 10:10AM Starbucks Pressing Ahead With Store Openings, New Offerings https://ift.tt/2Mg9QxB Starbucks announced Q3 fiscal 2019 results yesterday that have Wall Street frothing with enthusiasm over president and CEO Kevin Johnson’s multi-pronged strategies to both expand the company's footprint and increase traffic into existing stores. “Starbucks raised its full-year earnings and revenue forecast Thursday after more customers returned to cafes in the U.S. and China for pricier drinks. Shares of the company jumped 6.5% in extended trading. The coffee chain’s stock, which has a market value of $110.2 billion, is up 41% so far this year,” CNBC’s Amelia Lucas reports. “Our two targeted long-term growth markets, the U.S. and China, performed extremely well across a number of measures as a result of our focus on enhancing the customer experience, driving new beverage innovation and accelerating the expansion of our digital customer relationships. Given the strong momentum across our business, we are raising our full-year financial outlook,” Johnson says in the release announcing the results. advertisement advertisement “Starbucks has been trying to make its menu more appealing by adding new beverages such as the Dragon drink and Cocoa Cloud Macchiato, while also expanding the delivery side of its business with new partnerships,” writes Reuter’s Nivedita Balu. (See story below for more on delivery options.) “The added food options and Nitro Cold brew, a rich coffee that has a foamy texture like beer, lured more customers to stores during lunch hours, which is typically the slowest time of the day, the company said. Those efforts led to a 3% growth in traffic in the second quarter,” Balu adds. “[Traffic is] an area where Starbucks has struggled,” Edward Jones analyst Brian Yarbrough tells Balu. “A lot of investors were asking: ‘When are you going to see a traffic increase?’ … This is a nice quarter on that standpoint.” Another of the Johnson strategies to “achieve growth at scale” that’s working is adding more stores. “In the third quarter, the company opened 442 net new stores, one third of them in China. It opened its 30,000th store this year, and closed out the quarter with over 30,600 stores,” Danielle Wiener-Bronner reports for CNN Business. But if you think that if you’ve seen one Starbucks store, you’ve seen them all -- think again. “While there are certain things you can expect at every store -- ethically sourced coffee, flavorful speciality drinks, great customer service and free wi-fi -- the company has worked to create unique locations offering one-of-a-kind experiences, from reserve roasteries and tasting rooms to Starbucks' first-ever coffee farm,” Newsweek’s Daniel Avery writes in the introduction to a piece titled “The 8 Most Beautiful Starbucks in the World.” Only one is in the U.S.: a 23,000-square-foot reserve roastery opened in Manhattan's Meatpacking District last December. “It's weird. Some people start at the beginning -- I start at the end,” Starbucks chief design officer Liz Muller tells Avery. “I want to know what will happen in a place, and how people will enjoy it, and then the colors and the textures starts forming. I’m thinking, ‘What can happen here? What is the feeling people must have when they walk in? How can this be different -- something that’s not already out there, something the world has not yet seen?'” The Seattle-based chain is not operating in a vacuum, of course. “Starbucks is facing tougher competition from smaller chains of upscale coffee shops and from Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., which is seeking to update its image and offerings, including the addition of imitation-sausage breakfast sandwiches with Beyond Meat Inc. patties. Abroad, Luckin Coffee Inc., a Chinese company that specializes in delivery and mobile ordering, said Monday that it had signed a partnership to open coffee shops in the Middle East and India,” Heather Haddon observes for The Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, it’s also working well with others. “The company has been introducing new products in partnership with Nestlé. The companies have launched lines of Starbucks coffee creamers and Nespresso pods through the alliance, in addition to adding menu items in cafes,” CNN’s Wiener-Bronner writes. Starbucks also increased U.S. membership in its loyalty program by 14% to 17.2 million during the quarter and gave members more flexibility in how to spend their points, according to the Associated Press. Around 42% of total U.S. spending came from loyalty members. Running for President in 2020 may not have been one of former chairman and CEO Howard Schultz’ better ideas, but it appears his decision to turn over the reins of the company to Johnson a few years ago was. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH July 26, 2019 at 07:36AM
https://ift.tt/2LJjCJ9
Expert Insight: Building A Loyal Community Around A Brand’s Values https://ift.tt/2JSwmuP PSFK sits down with Matt Blonder of Reebok to discover how the fitness brand is fostering connections among its most loyal fans through its Unlocked program, integrating into consumers' everyday lifestylesGet More Ideas With The PSFK Daily Newsletter Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ July 26, 2019 at 06:33AM
https://ift.tt/2Yfa7De
Digital Marketing News: Influencer Marketing Grows, Personalization In B2B, Facebook’s Shrinking Ad Size, LinkedIn’s Record Engagement & More https://ift.tt/2ybpIsL The post Digital Marketing News: Influencer Marketing Grows, Personalization In B2B, Facebook’s Shrinking Ad Size, LinkedIn’s Record Engagement & More appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®. Mobile Marketing via Hubspot https://ift.tt/2wiHYzh July 26, 2019 at 05:43AM Alphabet Increases Quarterly Ad Revenue To $32.6 Billion https://ift.tt/2MfYBoP Alphabet reported second-quarter 2019 earnings Thursday with revenue of $38.9 billion, up 19% compared with the year-ago quarter. "Our ongoing investments in compute capabilities and engineering talent reflect the compelling opportunities we see across the company," stated Ruth Porat, CFO of Alphabet and Google. Revenue from Google advertising came in at $32.6 billion for the quarter, up from $28 billion a year ago. Other revenue came in at $6.1 billion, up from $4.4 billion a year ago. Other bets came in at $162 million -- up from $145 million, respectively. Paid clicks on Google properties dropped to 6%, down from 28%. The cost per click fell 1% compared with 11% in the year-ago quarter. Impressions on Google network member properties came in flat compared with 11% in the year-ago quarter. Cost per impression on Google network member sites rose to 5%, compared with minus 1%, respectively. Google’s operating income rose to $10.2 billion, up from nearly $9 billion a year ago. The division did take an operating loss of $989 million, up from $732 million. advertisement advertisement "Even though we’re seeing advertising revenue rise this quarter, we’ve seen that even Alphabet isn’t immune to internet advertising growth slowing," wrote Gil Elbaz, CEO at Factual, in an email. "It’s becoming clearer that Alphabet will need to continue to differentiate itself as newer players grow more of the digital advertising market share, and increased scrutiny from regulators have the potential to impede Alphabet’s reign.” eMarketer Senior Forecasting Director Monica Peart agrees. “With a showing quite similar to Q1, Google’s second quarter earnings again display the moderating growth that has come to characterize 2019 for the company,” Peart said. Google will generate $103.73 billion in net digital ad revenue in 2019, taking a 31.1% share of the worldwide digital ad market, followed by Facebook at 20.2% of share, according to eMarketer. This year, per eMarketer, Google will remain the dominant player in worldwide search ad spending. The company will take 61.1% of the $141.21 billion search market worldwide. When it comes to display advertising, Google will own 10.1% of the $172.08 billion global display market in 2019, putting it at No. 3 in the world behind Facebook and Alibaba. This year in mobile also belongs to Google. It will take 35.4% of the $231.12 billion worldwide mobile ad market. Facebook, at No. 2, with a 27.1% share. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH July 25, 2019 at 04:01PM Pinterest Tool Lets Business Create Ad Campaigns From Mobile Devices https://ift.tt/2SD2l53 Pinterest rolls out a new feature this week that gives businesses the ability to more easily create and manage ad campaigns directly from their mobile devices. The new Mobile Ad Tools add to a growing number of self-service offerings Pinterest has launched over the past year. To use the new feature, brands will be expected to choose a Pin from their business profile, then select from automated or custom-targeting options. After that, they are encouraged to pick the duration and daily budget of their campaigns, complete billing information, and then publish the ad -- all from a mobile device. In early testing, Californian clothing brand Prana said its retargeting campaign on Pinterest saw a 12:1 return on ad spend, along with a 28% increase in site traffic. The platform has allowed them to grow and tell the broader story of their brand with boards about their sustainable production methods, fair trade, and recycled polyester. Earlier this year, Pinterest set its IPO at $1.2 billion. Last year, the company said it raked in about $755 million in revenue -- up 60%, year-over-year. The visual search engine boasts about 250 million active monthly users and more than 2 billion monthly searches. To date, the company says its community has saved 175 billion pins and created roughly 4 billion boards. advertisement advertisement Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH July 25, 2019 at 03:51PM New York City Lawmaker Proposes Location Privacy Bill https://ift.tt/2OzkVwD A New York City lawmaker this week proposed a bill that would prohibit phone carriers and mobile app developers from selling data about people's locations. The measure, introduced by Brooklyn City Council member Justin Brannan, provides for fines of $1,000 per violation, and also allows consumers to bring private lawsuits. It would only apply within New York City. “This is about protecting the people who don't know when they sign up for a new cell phone that they're basically signing away their right to privacy,” Brannan tells MediaPost. The proposed bill comes at a time of increasing efforts by states and cities to safeguard consumers' privacy. advertisement advertisement In January, the city of Los Angeles sued The Weather Channel for allegedly deceiving app users by collecting their precise geolocation data for ad-targeting purposes -- misleading app users into believing their location data will only be used to provide them with personalized weather-related information. Instead, according to the complaint, the app sells the data for ad-targeting purposes. Other efforts have aimed to protect privacy beyond location data. Last year, California passed a sweeping bill that allows consumers to learn what personal information about them is held by businesses, request deletion of that information, and opt out of its sale. And earlier this year, Maine passed legislation that prohibits broadband access providers -- like Charter, AT&T and Comcast -- from disclosing consumers' personal information without their explicit consent. Carriers' location data practices have been in the news since at least last May, when it emerged that an aggregator was selling location data to law enforcement authorities who lacked warrants. The carriers promised at the time to stop selling location information, but dragged their feet on following through: In January, the publication Motherboard reported that carriers were still selling customers' location data to third parties. Motherboard's article detailed how a reporter paid a “bounty hunter” $300 to track a phone's location to a neighborhood in Queens, New York. The carrier for that phone was T-Mobile, which shared the location data with the aggregator Zumigo, which in turn disclosed the data to Microbilt. Microbilt shared the information with a bounty hunter, who shared it with a bail industry source, according to Motherboard. The four major U.S. carriers are now all facing class-action lawsuits. In addition, earlier this month the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation filed suit against AT&T. The EFF argues that an existing national law, the Federal Communications Act, already prohibits carriers from selling customers' location data. Brannan's proposed bill would not apply only to carriers, but also to app developers, which are largely unregulated by the government. Currently, the voluntary industry organization Network Advertising Initiative prohibits members from using geolocation data without consumers' opt-in consent. That self-regulatory group said Thursday that precise location data should be protected, but at the national level. “Rather than creating a patchwork of divergent privacy regulations at the state and local level, the NAI urges Congress to incorporate this issue as part of a national privacy framework,” president and CEO Leigh Freund stated. For his part, Brannan agrees that a single nationwide law would be preferable, but says that in its absence New York City should move forward. “It's better to just have a federal policy that just covers everything, but we can't wait forever,” he says. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH July 25, 2019 at 02:53PM 31% Of U.S. Homes Lack A Broadband Connection: Study https://ift.tt/2Mgj64z Despite the widespread adoption of smart home devices, smart TVs and streaming media players, many U.S. homes still don’t have a broadband connection. Nearly a third (31%) of U.S. households, about 100 million consumers, do not have a broadband connection, based on a new study. The rollout of 5G speeds has the potential to change that, according to the NPD Group study, which is based on a combination of sales data, mobile phone activation data, broadband adoption data, consumer survey information and in-person interviews. “The so-called digital divide, between those that can or cannot make the best use of the Internet, can be clearly felt in rural markets where the lack of broadband impacts everything from entertainment to the educational system,” states Eddie Holt, president, NPD Connected Intelligence. “Even the state level data masks the underlying reality that in the most rural markets in America, less than 20% of households have a broadband connection.” Consumers in rural markets without broadband access tend to purchase DVDs due to lack of satisfactory streaming, but when broadband is delivered streaming becomes their main solution, according to the study. To get more smart homes, connection speeds will have to become more widespread, which is one of the promises of 5G. advertisement advertisement Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH July 25, 2019 at 01:36PM BBC News Webpages Move To Faster PWAs https://ift.tt/2GugAUZ BBC News is moving its features sites to progressive web apps (PWAs) for faster load times, a smoother flow between articles and improved ad layout. PWA technology combines the functionality of traditional web pages with a mobile app-like experience online — without having to download an app. It also includes features like offline reading capability. It also gives advertisers improved flexibility and increased viewability, according to BBC News senior vice president of sales, Tim Wastney. “PWAs respond quickly to user interactions, which helps create a fluid and responsive web experience,” he says. “The PWA's faster speed and cleaner design will allow for even greater interaction and engagement with our ad partners.” Studies have found 53% of users will abandon a site if it takes more than three seconds to load. The majority of the BBC feature sections’ readers are on mobile, per the company. advertisement advertisement Wastney told Adweek the changes will also lead to more ad dollars. The first vertical to be created in the PWA format is Worklife, a franchise that launched this week. It will focus on the balance of personal and professional lives, aimed at millennials. By next year, half of the global workforce will be millennials or younger. Worklife will also explore trends and themes like burnout, unconscious bias, the influencer economy and an exploration of how family life is changing. In August, Worklife will launch the "Generation Project," a three-month series. Each month will examine a different topic, such as the leadership role millennials are taking in the global workforce and how changing housing trends shape attitudes toward money, family and society. Worklife will also have special region-specific series and themes, starting with the Scandinavian work-life balance. Worklife is an evolution of BBC.com’s former vertical, BBC Capital, which grew its audience 15% from 2017 to 2018. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH July 25, 2019 at 01:36PM |
CategoriesArchives
April 2023
|