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☆ Cheers! Spirits like gin, vodka, overtake beer's U.S. market share
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Jessica Dinapoli | Thomson Reuters | New York-Based Reporter Covering U.S. Consumer Products Spanning Paper Towels To Packaged Food | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Spirits like whiskey, cognac and tequila, a celebrity favorite, have surpassed beer's U.S. market share for the first time due to price hikes and high-end cocktail trends, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. U.S. sales for spirits totaled $37.58 billion last year, while beers like Anheuser-Busch inbev SA's (ABI.BR) Bud Lite tallied $37.46 billion, according to data compiled by the Distilled Spirits Council. Spirits' market share was 42.1%, while beer's was 41.9%, according to the data. Tequila and ready-to-drink canned cocktails including Constellation Brands Inc's (STZ.N) Fresca vodka spritz were among the fastest-growing types of spirits, the Distilled Spirits Council said. "The 'premiumization' trend, where people look at distilled spirits as an affordable luxury, is affirmed by these numbers," said Chris Swonger, CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council.

☆ Siemens stock takes off on guidance upgrade, earnings beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Siemens reported better-than-expected quarterly profit at its industrial business late on Wednesday and raised its full-year sales and profit guidance. Siemens was also working through a record 102 billion euro ($110 billion) order backlog that will generate around 40 billion euros in revenue in the next three quarters, the company said. Siemens' business year starts in October. Busch said many countries had launched investment programmes in areas such as semiconductors, or to combat climate change with green technologies. "This is a stellar start to the year," said JP Morgan analyst Andrew Wilson, who said he expected the stock to perform strongly.

☆ How Budweiser Tackled a Beer-Free World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Katie Deighton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

In the end, the brewer found a way to navigate the World Cup beer-free and roll with the media attention that the alcohol ban generated. Soccer’s 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar ran from Nov. 20 to Dec. 18. World Cup sponsors Kia and Adidas similarly maintained their reputational scores, according to the Morning Consult data. Budweiser doesn’t pay a reported $75 million for the official beer sponsorship of the World Cup just to serve beer at stadiums. But the ban on alcoholic Budweiser undermined the impetus for being at the World Cup, Mr. Marcondes said.

☆ Super Bowl ads lean on stars, humor to grab attention
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Musician Ozzy Osbourne takes part in a Super Bowl ad for Workday, in this undated handout photo provided by Workday. Big-name celebrities are not uncommon in Super Bowl ads. A 30-second Super Bowl spot this year sold for a little over $7 million, according to a person familiar with the ad sales. “Advertisers want people talking about their brand, and not just during the 30 to 60 seconds of (Super Bowl) air time,” Rucker said. Some stars will poke fun at themselves or their careers in Super Bowl ads.

☆ Inflation Reduction Act is a positive because it supports green tech, Siemens CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailInflation Reduction Act is a positive because it supports green tech, Siemens CEO saysSiemens CEO Roland Busch discusses what he says is the company's strongest start to a fiscal year.

☆ Earthquakes Stand to Deepen Turkey’s Economic Struggles
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

What’s New for Super Bowl 2023? More Booze Ads Share Spotlight With BudFor the past 33 years, Anheuser-Busch InBev was the only company permitted to advertise alcohol at the Super Bowl. But this year things are different. WSJ advertising editor Suzanne Vranica breaks down what to watch for from both old and new brands. Photo Illustration: Alexander Hotz/WSJ

☆ Watch: Kim Jong Un and Daughter Attend Military Parade in North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Turkey, Syria Quake Survivors Bury Victims as Rescuers Recover Bodies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Siemens raises sales and profit outlook after strong start to 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Chief Executive Roland Busch said the company had made its strongest ever start to a financial year, helped by its working through an order backlog which stood at a record 102 billion euros. Smart Infrastructure - which makes products to automate and control buildings - also raised its sales and profit margin guidance. During the October to December period, Siemens said its revenue had increased 8% to 18.1 billion euros, matching estimates. Shareholders' net profit fell to 1.48 billion euros, in line with forecasts. Fellow industrial automation company Rockwell Automation last month reported a 9.9% increase in first quarter organic sales, and raised its sales growth outlook.

☆ Turkey, Syria Quake Survivors Endure Cold, Search for Food
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Buying a Super Bowl can be a big risk because it's a big investment months ahead of the game. Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes said during the company's January earnings call that its brand Crown Royal will run its first Super Bowl ad this year. Anheuser-Busch's move is an indication that the sky-high price of running a Super Bowl ad is getting harder for companies to justify. Bookings typically happen in May, said one ad agency exec who's purchased many Super Bowl ads for clients, including this year. Super Bowl ad slots sold briskly for both Fox this year and NBC last year.

☆ Twitter's ailing ad business offered a glimmer of hope as it lures big Super Bowl advertisers to platform on gameday weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Super Bowl could be the most lucrative day for Twitter's ad business since Elon Musk's takeover. A handful of Super Bowl advertisers are poised to spend on Twitter on gameday weekend later this month, handing the beleaguered social media giant's ad business a much-needed boost, according to industry sources. A promoted trend costs $700,000 during the Super Bowl, compared to $100,000 on an ordinary day, Ad Age first reported. Upfront Super Bowl bookings on Twitter are still lower than in previous years, according to people familiar with the matter. To be sure, many big Super Bowl advertisers have no plans to appear on Twitter this time around.

☆ A side hustle that 'feels like a paid vacation': These 20-somethings make money ice skating through Europe and Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Lila Werner, second from right, was paid about $5,700 for seven weeks of travel and ice skating in Belgium and Saudi Arabia this winter. But there's a downside to being an international ice skater: Werner says she'll return with very little remaining from her paycheck. Other contracted ice skaters who quit their jobs and performed abroad during the holiday didn't earn much money — but they got to travel essentially for free. "This almost feels like a paid vacation," Werner says. Werner, for example, still paid rent on her one-bedroom apartment while she traveled.

☆ Budweiser looks to younger generation in Super Bowl ad
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Hip hop record producer Metro Boomin participates in an ad for Budweiser in this undated handout. Budweiser/Handout via REUTERSJan 31 (Reuters) - Budweiser is aiming to appeal to younger beer drinkers with a Super Bowl commercial that features actor Kevin Bacon and hip hop record producer Metro Boomin, and brings back the beer brand's classic tagline, "This Bud's for you." Budweiser resurrected the tagline "This Bud's for you" by showcasing real people who embody qualities such as grit and determination, said Kristina Punwani, head of marketing for Budweiser USA. Metro Boomin, who is from St. Louis, Missouri, where Budweiser parent company Anheuser-Busch (ABI.BR) is based, takes the fourth beer in the ad while in a music studio. Budweiser will utilize hip hop and music throughout the year as it focuses on younger consumers, Punwani said.

☆ For Super Bowl Ad, Coors Light Brewer Taps Into Online Sports-Betting Appetite
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Suzanne Vranica | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An ad from Molson Coors announcing that it is teaming up with online sports-betting company DraftKings. Molson Coors Beverage Co. is seizing on the popularity of online sports betting to generate buzz during Super Bowl LVII, as the maker of Coors Light and Miller Lite returns to the big game after a 33-year hiatus. The Chicago-based company had long been kept out of the Super Bowl because rival Anheuser-Busch InBev NV had exclusive rights to be the sole alcohol brand to be featured during the game, which it gave up last year. In anticipation of its return, Molson recently ran print, online and outdoor ads asking consumers which of its two light beers—Miller Lite or Coors Light—deserves the brewer’s coveted Super Bowl spot.

Jan 27 (Reuters) - Rick Astley has sued the rapper Yung Gravy over a song that borrowed heavily from the British singer's signature "Never Gonna Give You Up," claiming that the new song illegally used an impersonator who imitated Astley's distinctive baritone. "In an effort to capitalize off of the immense popularity and goodwill of Mr. Astley, defendants ... conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley's voice," the complaint said. Among the defendants are Yung Gravy, whose real name is Matthew Hauri, and his record label, Universal Music Group's (UMG.AS) Republic Records. Universal and a representative for Yung Gravy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The song saw resurgent popularity about two decades later through the "Rickroll" internet meme, where it unexpectedly interrupts unrelated content.

☆ Tesla plans $3.6 bln Nevada expansion to make Semi truck, battery cells
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The cell plant would be able to make enough batteries for 2 million light-duty vehicles annually, including batteries using the 4680-type cell. The 4680 is key to Tesla meeting a goal of halving battery costs and ramping up battery production nearly 100-fold by 2030. Panasonic currently supplies cells to the gigafactory, and Tesla assembles them into battery packs there. Tesla has struggled to ramp up production of the 4680 at its factories in Fremont, California, and Austin, Texas. The EV maker aimed to produce 50,000 Semis in 2024, Musk said on a post-earnings call in October.

☆ Tesla invests $3.6 bln to expand Nevada complex with two factories
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) said on Tuesday it would invest more than $3.6 billion to expand its Nevada manufacturing complex with two new factories, including the first facility to mass produce its long-delayed Semi electric truck. The 18-wheeler truck has a range of 500 miles on a single charge and can carry 81,000 pounds including the cargo. Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm said in November that Tesla might produce 100 Semis in 2022, but the company did not disclose any figure in its fourth-quarter production report. The EV maker aims to produce 50,000 of the trucks in 2024, Musk had said on a post-earnings call in October. Reporting by Akash Sriram and Aditya Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Natural Light is tapping into nostalgia with its new can design
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Natural Light’s new cans will soon look a lot like their old ones. Drinkers will soon notice a retro-inspired makeover that mirrors the budget beer brand’s 1979 design, featuring a throwback logo, crest and colors. Left is the old design and the right is the "new" design hitting shelves in February. Natural Light sales have held “steady,” Stowe said, but noted “we definitely have room to grow.”For Natural Light to do that, the Anheuser-Busch (BUD)-owned brand is “widening its aperture,” Stowe said. “Natural Light’s decision could be in efforts to go the opposite way, and reach the less competitive audience of older adults,” she said.

☆ Another Tesla Semi was spotted apparently broken down on the side of the road
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Images of another Tesla Semi on the side of the road are making the rounds on Twitter. Since Tesla started delivering its long-awaited Class 8 electric truck to customers last month, several of the vehicles have been spotted on the side of the road, apparently broken down. The sightings have called into question the reliability of Tesla's new electric semi, which started production at the company's Nevada manufacturing facility in October after years of delays. Yet another apparently stranded Tesla Semi was making the rounds on Twitter Thursday. Following Guillen's departure and a series of supply chain issues, Tesla pushed back the start of Semi production to 2022.

☆ Bud Light and Budweiser are getting a makeovers at this year’s Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The latter, he said, “broke through” during the Super Bowl, but “needs time and commitment” to grow. In recent years, customers have been increasingly choosing premium or Mexican lagers, putting Bud Light out of favor with some beer drinkers. Garbe said the beer is the company’s “number 1 growth engine” and is soon set to overtake Bud Light in sales. Fox, which will broadcast Super Bowl LVII, is reportedly charging $7 million for a 30-second spot during the February 12 game in Glendale, Arizona. Liquor giant Diageo (DEO) is making its Super Bowl debut this year with an ad for Crown Royal whisky.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., on Tuesday announced his campaign for the Senate seat held by GOP Sen. Mike Braun, who decided against running for re-election in 2024 and will run for Indiana governor instead. Banks, a staunch ally of former President Trump, is the first candidate to enter the Senate race. Mitch Daniels if he jumps into the Senate race. Banks’ Senate campaign is endorsed by Rep. Larry Buschon, R-Ind., Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., state Rep. Michelle Davis and state Sen. Justin Busch. After Pelosi rejected Banks and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, McCarthy ultimately withdrew all five names.

☆ The company Walgreens uses to target shoppers with ads on digital cooler doors is expanding its screens to more in-store locations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Cooler Screens, which provides in-store ad screens on cooler doors, has detailed expansion plans. Cooler Screens, the company that provides "smart" digital advertising screens on refrigerator doors in Kroger, Walgreens, and Circle K locations, said Tuesday that plans are underway to extend its network to more screens at different areas inside stores. Cooler Screens currently offers a digital merchandising platform that brightly displays the products that sit inside a retailer's cooler units and additional advertising space. A slide from a Cooler Screens ad sales pitch deck, showcasing its plans for additional in-store billboards. Cooler Screens has raised more than $100 million in funding from investors including Verizon Ventures, Microsoft's M12 venture fund, and GreatPoint Ventures.

☆ Sweden locates rare earth deposits as Europe races against China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The beginning of the end of Europe’s dependency on China for precious rare earth materials may lie buried deep under the rugged reaches of northern Sweden, well above the Arctic Circle. Sweden’s iron-ore miner LKAB said Thursday it has identified “significant deposits” in Lapland of rare earth elements that are essential for the manufacture of smartphones, electric vehicles and wind turbines. The government-owned company that mines iron ore at Kiruna, almost 600 miles north of Stockholm, said there are more than 1 million tons of rare earth oxides. They are especially vital to the fast-growing field of green energy, feeding wind turbines and electric car engines. is lagging well behind competitors on the market, getting around 98% of its rare earth minerals from China, with none of them mined in Europe.

☆ Sweden finds the largest rare earth deposit in Europe. It could help cut dependence on China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Swedish mining company LKAB says it has found Europe’s largest deposit of rare earth oxides in the country’s north, a discovery that could reduce the continent’s reliance on China for the critical resource. Rare earth minerals play a key role in generating clean energy and producing electric vehicles and consumer electronics. No rare earth elements are currently being mined in Europe, leaving it dependent on imports. The company added that the region’s dependence on China for rare earth minerals increases the vulnerability of European industry. Given its importance in the tech industry, rare earths have become one of the main fronts in the US-China competition as well.

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