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But persistent inflation and skimpier incomes, coupled with high input costs, will make it a tough year for conscious consumers and the companies that serve them. Take plant-based meat substitutes. They produce 30%-90% fewer emissions than their animal-derived counterparts, but a pound of the stuff costs shoppers twice as much, according to the Good Food Institute, a think tank. The price of U.S. pea protein isolate – a key ingredient in many meat substitutes – rose 10% between April 2021 and November 2022, according to Mintec Benchmark Prices. That would edge meat substitutes closer to their goal of one day costing the same, or less, than their animal-based equivalents.

☆ How personal injury lawyers took over your TV
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Drive down any highway in America or turn on the TV for 10 minutes and you’ll probably see an advertisement for a personal injury lawyer. Call this lawyer to get compensated now,” a typical ad for a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney goes. Many personal injury lawyers advertise aggressively because of competition and the unusual business model many practices have adopted. John Morgan runs Morgan & Morgan, the largest personal injury law firm in America. Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee, so they get paid only if they negotiate a settlement for a client or win a case at trial.

☆ Chinese consumers wary of splurging after Beijing relaxes COVID strictures
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Casey Hall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"On the other hand, we don't know who is safe, we don't know who has the coronavirus. "Moving from isolation facility quarantine to home quarantine will not increase retail sales significantly," said Iris Pang, chief economist for greater China at ING. A spa at a mall in downtown Beijing that resumed business on Friday said most staff had returned but customers were far fewer. Luca Solca, a luxury analyst with Bernstein, said the end of the curbs was good news for the luxury industry, heavily dependent on Chinese spending. "My base-case scenario is that the softening should prompt Chinese consumers to go back to enjoying life and spending money – benefiting, among others, top luxury brands," he said.

☆ Disney+ streaming service launches with major advertisers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 8 (Reuters) - The ad-supported version of the Disney+ service launched Thursday, attracting major advertisers from different sectors, bringing in new revenue as Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) strives to push its streaming business into profitability. The company is under pressure to turn a profit on its streaming business, which posted a $1.5 billon loss in the company's most recent quarter. The company's other streaming services, Hulu and ESPN+, already have commercials. A $3-a-month price increase also took effect Dec. 8, bringing the price for the ad-free version of Disney+ to $10.99. Other streaming services, such as HBO Max, Paramount+ and Peacock, also offer ad-supported versions of their streaming services, emulating the business model that has long supported the television business.

☆ Crypto advertising is under fire after the FTX implosion, but firms like Binance, Grayscale, and OKX are pouring money into marketing to win back consumer trust
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | Reed Alexander | Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The bitcoin crash and FTX implosion massively dented the crypto advertising boom. But fewer crypto advertisers can also create an advantage for those still trying to get their messages to consumers. And Dinu added that crypto companies' efforts to advertise to restore trust could persist "well beyond" the next six months. Some crypto companies are still launching splashy campaigns, similar to crypto ad campaigns from the beginning of the year. "Crypto companies have to stop talking about themselves and start talking about how cryptocurrency or blockchain fits into normal people's lives."

☆ Britain's grocery inflation falls for first time in 21 months -Kantar
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - British grocery inflation edged lower in November, a first decline in nearly two years, but remained near record highs, providing little relief for consumers ahead of the key Christmas trading period, industry data showed on Tuesday. Market researcher Kantar said grocery inflation in the four weeks to Nov. 27 was 14.6%, down 0.1 percentage points from October's record high, marking the first fall in 21 months. Prices are rising fastest in markets such as milk, dog food and butter, said Kantar. It said grocery sales rose 5.9% year-on-year in the 12 weeks to Nov. 27, masking a drop in volumes once inflation is accounted for. Kantar said its data did not indicate a significant boost to sales from the soccer World Cup, which started Nov. 20.

☆ People are turning to fish heads, protein shakes, and unsold food apps to save money on groceries
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

An app that offers unsold food saw a 100% month-on-month rise in the first half of the year. Jenny Holden, who runs a PR firm in Staffordshire, told Insider that she's started having a pea protein shake for dinner once a week. More Brits are buying unsold food through appsToo Good To Go lets users buy unsold food for one-third of the price. One user of such unsold food apps is Penny Moyses, the founder of the Clean and Tidy Home Show, which offers household budgeting tips. The energy price cap has been extended by one year, but will increase by £500 ($613) from April 2023.

☆ Crypto firms like Binance, Grayscale, and OKX are pouring money into marketing to regain trust and save their companies from the fallout of the FTX implosion
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | Reed Alexander | Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

☆ US consumer confidence falls to lowest level since July
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Minneapolis CNN Business —US consumer confidence fell in November as inflation and economic uncertainty continued to loom large and potentially dampen holiday shopping plans. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index measured 100.2 for the month, lower than the downwardly revised 102.2 in October. The index is at its lowest level since July, when it fell to 95.7 amid spiking gas prices and worsening inflation. “If we had a combination of higher prices and higher unemployment at the same time, I think we’d be seeing a very different consumer than what we see right now,” he said. While consumer confidence has fallen, it still remains relatively resilient; but it is unlikely to last, said Chris Rupkey, chief economist of FwdBonds LLC, in a note on Tuesday.

☆ How FTX's implosion put crypto news sites like CoinDesk, The Block, and Decrypt in the spotlight as they work to fend off an ad slump and conspiracy theories about their coverage
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Reed Alexander | Steven Perlberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Crypto news sites like CoinDesk, The Block, and Decrypt have dominated coverage of the FTX implosion. Now, crypto media staffers are wondering whether more dominoes falling from FTX could further hurt the industry or cripple their ad revenues. "We cover the good, the bad and the ugly," Dan Roberts, the editor-in-chief of Decrypt, told Insider. "In general, I think these things are good for crypto media," he said. Stacy-Marie Ishmael, the managing editor for Bloomberg's crypto team, likened burgeoning crypto coverage to 1990s coverage of the Internet.

☆ Almost one in five Germans dipping into savings to get by - poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Nearly one in five people in Germany have had to draw on their savings to cover everyday costs as rising inflation cuts into their purchasing power, a survey by the Kantar polling institute published on Tuesday found. According to the survey of 2,000 people, 19.4% of respondents said they were using their savings to get by. By contrast, 57.4% of respondents said they could manage without having to dip into savings. German consumer prices, harmonised to compare with other European Union countries, were up 11.6% on the year in October. Reporting by Klaus Lauer, Writing by Miranda Murray, Editing by Maria Sheahan and Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The story of Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX implosion put crypto news sites like CoinDesk and The Block on the map. Inside their plan to fend off an ad slump and conspiracy theories — and keep winning.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Reed Alexander | Steven Perlberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Now, crypto media staffers are wondering whether more dominoes falling from FTX could further hurt the industry or cripple their ad revenues. Crypto media kicks into overdriveRoberts said Decrypt's traffic doubled during the first week of the FTX saga. "In general, I think these things are good for crypto media," he said. Stacy-Marie Ishmael, the managing editor for Bloomberg's crypto team, likened burgeoning crypto coverage to 1990s coverage of the Internet. "It's now a situation where the crypto media has egg on their face.

☆ Christmas shopping comes early for Britons in grip of cost crunch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies 30% of Britons began Christmas shopping before mid-OctFigure last year was 18% - NielsenIQ survey findsBudgets stretched by inflationLONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - More Britons began their Christmas shopping early this year as they navigate a worsening cost-of-living squeeze by budgeting their spending, market research group NielsenIQ said. Nielsen said sales growth at British supermarkets picked-up over the last month on a value basis, masking a drop in volumes once inflation is accounted for. It said growth was 5.3% in the four weeks to Nov. 5 year-on-year, having increased 4.7% in last month's data set. NielsenIQ said that crisps and snacks and soft drinks were the only two categories to see volume growth in the four week period with growth of 2.9% and 0.6% respectively. General merchandise volume sales fell 7.6%, it said.

☆ British grocery inflation hit record 14.7% in October -Kantar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( James Davey | Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Too early to call peak of inflation, Kantar saysBritons face 682-pound jump in annual grocery billSales of cheapest-value own-label ranges soarDiscounters Aldi, Lidl are fastest growing grocersLONDON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - British grocery inflation hit 14.7% in October, another new record, and it is still too early to call the ceiling, market researcher Kantar said on Tuesday. It said UK consumers would face a 682-pound ($785) jump in their annual grocery bill if they continued to buy the same items. Kantar said 27% of UK households reported that they are struggling financially - double the proportion it recorded last November. Kantar said grocery sales rose by 5.2% on a value basis in the 12 weeks to Oct. 30 year-on-year - masking a drop in volumes once inflation is accounted for. Sales of own-label goods, which are generally cheaper than branded goods, jumped 10.3% over the four weeks to Oct. 30, while sales of branded goods rose 0.4%.

☆ TikTok Hires Former NBA CMO as Its New Marketing Chief
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Katie Deighton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

ByteDance Inc.’s TikTok named the National Basketball Association’s former top marketer, Kate Jhaveri, as its global head of marketing as the video-sharing platform aims to continue its growth. Ms. Jhaveri will oversee the social-media platform’s consumer and brand marketing, reporting to Vanessa Pappas, TikTok’s chief operating officer, the spokeswoman said. Ms. Jhaveri also will head up TikTok’s marketing to content creators on the platform, and will work closely with Sofia Hernandez, TikTok’s global head of business marketing. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | CMO Today CMO Today delivers the most important news of the day for media and marketing professionals. Ms. Jhaveri had been chief marketing officer of the NBA from 2019 until August this year.

Markets had started the week with a "risk-on" tone, which some analysts attributed to hopes that China could relax its strict COVID-19 lockdown measures. But the move showed signs of losing momentum on Tuesday as Asian stocks saw only small gains. The yuan weakened against the dollar and Chinese stocks slipped as COVID-19 cases rose. European stocks indexes opened in the red, then became mixed. "The market is wanting to cling to any positive news and a market positive Midterm result could mean another risk positive day," RBC said.

☆ Six in ten Britons will spend less at Christmas -Deloitte survey
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Six in ten Britons believe they will have less money to spend over the Christmas period than last year, according to a survey published on Monday, adding to evidence that a thrifty festive season beckons. The survey from Deloitte found 38% plan to switch to cheaper brands or stores to seek out gifts, and for Christmas Day dinner 35% plan to do at least part of their shop at a discount supermarket. "Consumers are entering the festive season with budgets under more pressure this year, and it is not surprising that almost all are considering affordability and adapting their typical Christmas spending habits in one way or another," Oliver Vernon-Harcourt, head of retail at Deloitte, said. With inflation at a 40-year high of 10.1%, interest rates rising and consumer confidence close to the gloomiest on record, Britons have cut their spending. Deloitte's findings chimed with surveys last month from Kantar and Accenture, which both showed Britons planning to cut festive spending this year.

☆ The midterms are moments away, and these 9 behind-the-scenes agencies are helping politicians get elected, with control of Congress at stake
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Political midterm ad spending is expected to hit a record high of $9.7 billionA new crop of digital-first firms is competing with traditional ad agencies for that money. Here are 9 of the most notable firms working for top GOP and Democratic candidates and organizations. Political advertising is reaching unprecedented levels for a midterm election. An August report from analytics firm AdImpact projected that political ad spending would reach $9.7 billion this year, beating the previous $9 billion record set in 2020. Kantar CMAG has forecast that $8.4 billion political ad dollars will be spent this year.

But the new era at Twitter could also be an opportunity for the company to redefine its brand for the better. But it remains unclear what Twitter under Mr. Musk will actually be, Mr. Calkins said. Twitter before Mr. Musk weathered a number of controversies that rattled some advertisers and users. But this is a potential inflection point for Twitter, Mr. Miller said. “I think the brand is irrevocably damaged, actually, unless and until Musk finds somebody else to run Twitter,” Mr. Kwittken said.

As recently as August, Lachlan Murdoch described sports betting as "a huge opportunity" for Fox Sports, telling Wall Street it would fuel viewer engagement. The sports betting app Fox Bet is available in four states, with just 0.2% share of the U.S. market, according to researcher Vixio. A free version called Fox Bet Super 6 has attracted some 6 million users whom Fox hopes to eventually convert to gamblers. The growth of Fox Bet has stagnated since market-leading FanDuel's owner, Flutter Entertainment Plc (FLTRF.L), acquired Stars Group in 2020. The matter is the subject of an arbitration case and Lachlan Murdoch told investors a decision is expected imminently.

☆ British furniture retailer Made.com fails as consumer squeeze bites
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - British online furniture retailer Made.com (MADE.L) said it would appoint administrators after it ran out of cash, becoming one of the first retailers to fail as a result of the squeeze on household budgets this year. The group said on Tuesday it intended to appoint administrators after talks to find a buyer failed. The online retailer grew during the pandemic when shoppers stuck at home in lockdowns spent money on sofas, coffee tables, lamps and the other items it sold, and it listed in London in June 2021. But this year, Britain's economy has tanked, and retailers across the board are now bracing for a difficult period. Made.com said its shares had been suspended from trading and would in due course be cancelled.

☆ Analysis: European retailers are on investors' naughty lists this Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

On stock markets, the European retail sector (.SXRP) has lost 40% of its value so far this year, more than twice the hit on the broader regional share index (.STOXX). Yet, JPMorgan and other strategists say the worst is yet to come for consumers and retailers alike. European retailersSURGING COSTSHigher energy bills and wages and elevated freight and fabric prices have pushed up costs for euro zone companies by more than 40% this year, according to Eurostat data. "A lot of these retailers are running with elevated inventory levels, in order to clear that you'd expect a lot more promotions and discounting. "Our exposure to retailers has remained highly selective all year," he said, adding that he prefers discount retailers, which could benefit from consumers trading down.

☆ As Maine’s winters shorten, tiny ticks threaten state’s mighty moose
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Lauren Owens Lambert | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

“We’ve seen that areas with lower moose density tend to have healthier moose with fewer ticks,” said state Moose Biologist Lee Kantar, who is running the study. Maine's moose population is currently the largest of all the lower 48 states at over 60,000 animals, according to state figures, thanks to an ideal habitat and careful management of the annual moose hunt. Kantar is now leading research to test whether thinning the moose population through increased hunting can help. It is unclear, he said, what an ideal moose population would be for Maine but he hopes the study will help answer that. Each year, the Maine moose hunt draws around 50,000 applications in a lottery for the 2,000 to 3,000 moose permits typically issued.

AS THE PANDEMIC settled in to stay, smartwatch sales boomed. According to a report from international research firm Kantar, 15% of Americans now wear smartwatches, up from under 12% in mid 2020. It is no longer enough for a smartwatch to have a heart-rate monitor, step counter and basic apps. The latest smartwatches are equipped to accompany you everywhere from the deep sea to deep REM sleep. Here, a guide to some of the most powerful features a discerning buyer should expect.

☆ Half of Britons to spend less this Christmas - Kantar
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Half of Britons plan to spend less on Christmas this year as a cost of living crisis, amid surging food and energy costs, curtails their purchasing power, market researcher Kantar said on Monday. It said one in three shoppers who expects to spend less plans to cut gift budgets for close friends and family by over 25 pounds ($28.30) per person. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterA survey published last week showed consumer confidence remained close to a record low as households responded to the combination of high inflation and Britain's chaotic politics. Kantar said 37% of UK consumers are struggling with their financial situation, while 47% are worried about Christmas. ($1 = 0.8834 pounds)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by James Davey Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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