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☆ PR pros call fallout of Lively-Baldoni saga a 'black eye' for the industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-27 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Crisis management experts say tough tactics are part of the game but warned against going too far. "A crisis management person is hired to make sure all the assets are protected," a veteran crisis management publicist told BI. Unlike regular publicists, who "don't want to get their hands dirty," crisis PR firms are trained for this very purpose. Related stories"It's not frowned upon, just amateurish," the veteran crisis management publicist said. "It does give the industry a black eye, and I think it should be a cautionary tale," a prominent industry figure who runs a crisis management firm told BI.

Persons: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Baldoni, Jennifer Abel, Melissa Nathan, Molly McPherson, Lively, Charly Triballeau, They're, Abel, Nathan, Nathan's, Ryle Kincaid, Lily Bloom, Nicole Rivelli, Baldoni's, Bryan Freedman, Ryan Reynolds, didn't, Nathan Congleton, Stephanie Jones, Jones Organizations: BI, PR, Getty Images Hollywood, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Hollywood, Agency Group, TAG, NBC, Getty Locations: AFP

☆ All the key players in the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni saga, from the actors to their publicists and lawyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-25 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Blake Lively filed a complaint against Justin Baldoni alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. AdvertisementSpeculation over tensions among the film's actors began brewing over the summer, when costars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni did not interact with each other during the press tour. But a recent bombshell legal complaint from Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and using social manipulation to tarnish her reputation. She is suing costar Baldoni, publicists Abel and Nathan, Baldoni's company Wayfarer Studios, Wayfarer Studios CEO Jamey Heath, Wayfarer's cofounder Steve Sarowitz, and Jed Wallace, a contractor. He is representing Baldoni, Nathan, Abel, and their respective companies.

Persons: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Baldoni's, Stephanie Jones, Lively, costars Blake Lively, Colleen Hoover, publicists, Jennifer Abel, Baldoni, Melissa Nathan, Jones, Blake Lively Blake Lively, Jeff Spicer, Lily Bloom, publicists Abel, Nathan, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Jed Wallace, — Manatt, Willkie Farr, Gallagher, Hudson, Stephanie Roeser, Catherine Rose Noble, Manatt, Phillips, Michael Gottlieb, Kristin Bender, Justin Baldoni Justin Baldoni, Nathan Congleton, Ryle Kincaid, Bryan Freedman, Bryan Freedman Bryan Freedman, Matt Winkelmeyer, Freedman, who's, Don Lemon, Tucker Carlson, Abel, Melissa Nathan Nathan, Johnny Depp, Drake, Jennifer Abel Abel, Stephanie Jones Jones, she's, Jonesworks, Kristin Tahler Tahler, Quinn Emanuel, Tahler Organizations: Getty, Sony Pictures, Wayfarer Studios, Wayfarer, New York Times, Phelps, Phillips, NBC, Hollywood, The Agency Group, RWA Communications, Baldoni Locations: Baldoni

Nathan is also named as a defendant in Jones’ complaint, along with Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios. Several of Abel’s text messages and emails, which the suit said were obtained via a subpoena of Jonesworks, were cited heavily in Lively’s complaint. The film “It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of the popular Colleen Hoover novel, was released in theaters in August. In the days since Lively’s complaint was filed, many in Hollywood — including the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA and Sony Pictures Entertainment, the studio behind “It Ends With Us” — have issued their support for Lively. He has not publicly addressed Lively’s complaint or Jones’ lawsuit.

Persons: Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively, Stephanie Jones, Jonesworks, Baldoni’s, Jennifer Abel, Jones, Abel, Lively, Baldoni, Melissa Nathan, Nathan, ” Jones, Colleen Hoover, Lily Bloom, Ryle Kincaid, Baldoni “, ” Nathan, “, Nathan “, ” Bryan Freedman, Wayfarer, didn’t, Freedman, Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s, ”, Jamey Heath, Jones ’ Organizations: New York Supreme, The New York Times, California Civil Rights Department, Wayfarer Studios, Jonesworks, “, The Agency Group, SAG, Sony Pictures Entertainment, WME Locations: New York, Baldoni, Hollywood

☆ What to know about the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni drama: Legal complaint, PR accusations and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-24 | by ( Doha Madani | Doha Madani Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. Pronouns | She Her. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +13 min

An attorney for Baldoni called the allegations “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious” and accused Lively of trying to salvage her reputation. In the film, Lively portrays heroine Lily Bloom, while Baldoni plays her abusive romantic partner, Ryle Kincaid. He shared resources for those experiencing domestic violence in his personal social media posts, in addition to his interviews. Lively alleged that she was the subject of repeated sexual harassment from Baldoni while she was working on the film. Amber Heard criticized the destructive nature of social media in a response to a request for comment on Lively’s filing.

Persons: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Lively, Baldoni, ”, Colleen Hoover, Hoover, Jenny Slate, Lily Bloom, Ryle Kincaid, Slate, Allysa Kincaid, Lily’s, Isabela Ferrer, Dave Benett, Ryan Reynolds, Betty Buzz, Blake Brown, ostracizing, NBC’s, Jamey Heath, Heath, “ Mr, Ms, “, ‘ I’m, Mr, Lively’s, Wayfarer, Melissa Nathan’s, Nathan, Jennifer Abel, Abel, ” Blake Lively, Nicole Rivelli, Sony Pictures Nathan, William Morris, Ari Emanuel, WME, Bryan Freedman, ” Freedman, Lively Lively, ” Alexis Bledel, Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, Blake, Liz Plank, Plank, ” “, Amber Heard, Johnny Depp, Heard, Depp, ’ ” Heard Organizations: California Civil Rights Department, Wayfarer Studios, Getty, The New York Times, Baldoni, NBC, The Agency Group, Sony Pictures, Sony, William Morris Endeavor, Endeavor, Times, “ Locations: TikTok, London, Baldoni, Hoover, Heath

☆ Taylor Swift and Hailey Bieber appear in Blake Lively's complaint against Justin Baldoni. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-22 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lively's complaint said Baldoni and his team conspired to damage her reputation. AdvertisementBryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, said Lively's complaint was a "desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation." Baldoni and his team considered leveraging backlash around Swift and the 'weaponization of feminism,' the complaint saysBlake Lively's complaint included a reference to Taylor Swift. Related storiesThe complaint says Baldoni used a social media post about Bieber and bullying as an example strategyBlake Lively's complaint alluded to Hailey Bieber. According to the complaint, Baldoni sent a text message to his publicist, Abel, in early August.

Persons: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Taylor Swift, Hailey Bieber, Baldoni, Lively, Melissa Nathan, Jennifer Abel, Nathan, Swift, Bieber, Bryan Freedman, Blake Lively's, Andreas Rentz, Ryan Reynolds, Blake, Karwai Tang, Abel Organizations: Wayfarer Studios, The Agency Group, Baldoni, Kansas City Chiefs, The New York Times, Business

☆ After the Omnicom-IPG merger, these are the ad M&A deals industry insiders think could be next
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Lucia Moses | Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ad industry insiders say the Omnicom takeover of Interpublic Group could kick off more M&A. The US ad industry has barely grown over the past few years. AdvertisementSome industry insiders think the Omnicom-IPG tie-up is just the start of a massive reordering of the $70 billion ad agency industry and that it's only a matter of time before other holding companies are forced to acquire or be acquired as they look to bulk up. Private equity has been circlingThe big holding companies could also be a target for private-equity giants. Industry insiders have speculated for months that WPP, which once ranked as No.

Persons: William Ritchie, Ritchie, Andreas Roell, Mark Read, Arthur, Sadoun, Tom Triscari, WPP's, Publicis, Omnicom, Havas, Mark Penn's Stagwell, Bill Koenigsberg, Martin Sorrell, David Morgan, Kepler, Blackstone, who's, Tata, Jay Friedman, They're Organizations: Interpublic, Insiders, WPP, Private, Accenture, Google, WY Partners, FGS, Evros, Publicis Groupe, Lemonade Projects, Vivendi, Horizon Media, Capital, Horizon, Temasek, Apollo, KKR, Industry, IBM, Tata Consultancy Services, Droga5, Goodway Locations: US, London

☆ China is studying sanctions on Russia to figure out how to handle them if it invades Taiwan, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-02 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementChina is studying the effects of Western sanctions on Russia to prepare for any invasion of Taiwan. China is closely monitoring the effects of Western sanctions on Russia in order to prepare for a possible invasion of Taiwan, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Alexander Gabuev, the director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told the Journal that Russia is serving as a "sandbox" for China for how sanctions operate and how they should handle them. AdvertisementEven so, Russia's economy has been heavily impacted by the ongoing conflict and the Western sanctions imposed on it. Advertisement"Essentially, the experience of the last three years substantially reduced the fear of large authoritarian states with respect to Western sanctions, and this is very concerning," he said, adding that China-Russia economic cooperation would make any future Western sanctions against China less effective.

Persons: Alexander Gabuev, Alexander Libman, Libman Organizations: Street Journal, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Free University of Berlin Locations: China, Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Moscow, Beijing, India, Turkey, USSR

☆ WPP's former dealmaker is joining investment bank Canaccord Genuity — a sign advertising M&A could heat up
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-23 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Canaccord Genuity is hiring the former WPP dealmaker Lance Maerov to work on ad and media M&A. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe Canadian investment bank Canaccord Genuity is hiring a former top dealmaker at the advertising giant WPP for its advertising and media mergers-and-acquisitions practice, Business Insider can exclusively reveal. Canaccord Genuity didn't respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Lance Maerov, —, Genuity, It's, IPG, Martin Sorrell, Maerov, Sorrell, Mark Read, Andrew Scott, Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein Organizations: WPP, Service, Madison, Mars United Commerce, Publicis Groupe, Verve, Jun, Epsilon, Street, Nike, Tata Consultancy Services, Street Journal, Real Media, Weinstein Co, Vice Media Locations: British

☆ Advertisers are scrutinizing the value of AI tools as some early efforts fall flat
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Lucia Moses | Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementTwo years after OpenAI's ChatGPT and other chatbots launched, the advertising community's excitement over generative AI has come down to earth. The shift was evident at New York's Advertising Week, a four-day gathering this week that organizers expected 17,000 to attend. Last year, a Salesforce survey showed about three-quarters of marketers were or planned to use generative AI. Though enthusiasm about AI was tempered in the industry at this year's Advertising Week, there wasn't a widespread abandonment of the tech. Adtech company LiveRamp announced a pair of AI partnerships to help marketers find the right AI company for a given problem.

Persons: —, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Ashwin Navin, there's, Andrew Lipsman, I'm, Zaid Al, Qassab, He's, Let's, Samba's Navin, That's, NBCU, DoubleVerify, Nick Fairbairn, Joshua Nafman, it's, Nafman, Fairbairn, LiveRamp, Scott Howe, Howe Organizations: Publicis, WPP, Service, New, Samba, WPP —, Saatchi, Business, Google, Advertising, Media, Diageo

☆ The Global Alliance for Responsible Media is 'discontinuing' after Elon Musk's X filed an antitrust lawsuit against it
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe advertising trade group The World Federation of Advertisers told its members on Thursday that it was "discontinuing" activities for its Global Alliance for Responsible Media initiative following an antitrust lawsuit filed by Elon Musk's X against the company earlier this week. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. AdvertisementRepresentatives for the WFA and GARM didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. The platform's lawsuit alleged that after Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, GARM persuaded top brands not to advertise on it. The Committee has been investigating whether GARM members illegally colluded to demonetize conservative platforms and voices.

Persons: —, Elon Musk's, Stephan Loerke, Loerke, GARM, colluded, Ørsted, GARM didn't, Linda Yaccarino, wasn't, Musk, Jim Jordan, Russell Dye, Rumble, X didn't Organizations: Service, Federation, Global Alliance, Responsible Media, WFA, Business, Twitter, Unilever, Mars, CVS, WPP Locations: Texas, US, Ohio

☆ Elon Musk has a weak case against advertisers — but he's playing the long game
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Read previewOn Tuesday, Elon Musk's X fulfilled his promise to sue advertisers over their boycotting of the platform. GARM creates frameworks to provide common definitions around areas like hate speech and misinformation; it's voluntary whether advertisers use them. It doesn't rank platforms on these issues, and its role isn't to advise advertisers on where to spend their dollars. US advertisers are also protected by the First Amendment to spend or not spend on whichever media platforms they please. If the X suit moves into the discovery phase, there could be a whole lot more.

Persons: —, Elon Musk's X, X, Ørsted, Musk, Ruben Schreurs, Ørsted didn't, GARM, Jim Jordan, colluded, WPP's GroupM, Rob Rakowitz, Rumble, Jamie Barnard, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Win McNamee, Jordan, Brian Wieser, Wieser Organizations: Service, Federation, Global Alliance of Responsible Media, Twitter, Unilever, Mars, CVS, Business, WFA, Republican, Procter, Gamble, WPP's, Committee, Verizon, Chanel, PepsiCo, WPP, Media, Madison Locations: Texas, Ohio

☆ An intensifying Republican-led legal campaign alleging big advertisers colluded to defund conservative media is rankling the ad industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Judiciary Committee's probe has sought documents related to discussions about advertising on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast. GARM and its members developed a "brand safety floor and suitability framework" for the industry to adopt. Jordan and the House Judiciary Committee issued wide-ranging subpoenas to both GARM and the WFA last year as part of the probe. The CEOs were also told to preserve all existing and future records related to their companies' work with GARM. Advertisement"GARM's members and board members are senior advertisers," a marketing executive close to GARM said.

Persons: —, Jim Jordan, GARM, Sherman, Jordan, Ørsted, Joe Rogan, Elon, Vivian Zink, Ørsted didn't, Rob Rakowitz, Unilever —, Breitbart, Joe Rogan's, Ben Shapiro, Michael Brochstein, Jim Jordan's, Lou Paskalis, Ad Fontes Media's Paskalis, Paskalis Organizations: Service, Global Alliance, Responsible Media, Business, Spotify, Syfy, NBCU, Getty, World Federation, YouTube, WFA, Diageo, GroupM, Procter, Gamble, Unilever, Steer Team, Fox News, Daily, Republican, Federalist, US Department of State, Ad Fontes Media Locations: Ohio, GARM, Jordan, Texas

☆ Mark Penn's Stagwell Group is on the hunt for adtech as the ad company continues its acquisition spree
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Stagwell Group, the advertising agency holding group operated by Mark Penn, a former advisor to Bill and Hillary Clinton, is actively looking to buy adtech companies as it continues to grow through acquisitions. Penn's theory is that by bringing such adtech in-house, Stagwell can offer more self-service software to advertisers who want it while also shrinking those clients' ad prices and expanding its own margins. Challenger brand Stagwell is competing for bigger contractsPenn founded Stagwell Group in 2015 with $250 million in funding from investors, including former Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer. Stagwell recently made a near-$700-million bid for S4 Capital, another challenger ad company founded by longtime WPP CEO Martin Sorrell, The Wall Street Journal reported. Publicis Groupe has the biggest market capitalization of the largest holding companies, at $28.2 billion, while Stagwell is trading at around $1.6 billion.

Persons: Mark Penn, Bill, Hillary Clinton, Penn, we're, Stagwell, Penn didn't, Ana Milicevic, Milicevic, Brian Wieser, Wieser, Steve Ballmer, Sunny, GALE, Allison, Martin Sorrell, they're Organizations: Stagwell, Penn, Business, Google, Harris Poll, Next Partners, Sparrow, Madison, Challenger, Stagwell Group, Microsoft, MDC Partners, WPP, Publicis Groupe, Veritas, S4 Capital, Street Journal, S4, EMEA Locations: adtech, London

☆ Publicis just laid down the gauntlet on the ad industry by pledging to invest more than $300 million in AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In an hour long video presentation, Publicis execs laid down the AI gauntlet to its competitors as Madison Avenue reckons with how AI technology will transform — and challenge — the ad business. It bought first-party data platform Epsilon in a $4.4 billion 2019 acquisition. "We're in such a fantastic position to leverage AI better than our competition," said Carla Serrano, Publicis Groupe global chief strategy officer in an interview. "There's no such thing as AI without great data and we have connected, proprietary data, and we're a platform company," she added. Publicis said it plans to invest 100 million euros, around $109 million, in building the AI platform in 2024.

Persons: Groupe, execs, Publicis, CoreAI, Sapient, Carla Serrano, Serrano, Michael Farmer Organizations: Business, Madison, reckons, Microsoft, Labs, Epsilon, WPP, Havas, Publicis Groupe, Google, Tech

☆ White House works on new measures to counter Islamophobia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The launch of the anti-Islamophobia effort has been expected for months. "Today's announcement is the latest step... to establish an interagency group to increase and better coordinate U.S. government efforts to counter Islamophobia, antisemitism, and related forms of bias and discrimination within the United States," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. Thirty-seven percent said they now identify as Democrats, 32% as Republicans and 31% as independents. The poll is the latest evidence that Biden's campaign for a second term in office is rapidly losing Muslim and Arab American support over his staunch support of Israel. Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Rod NickelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Donald Trump, Jarrett Renshaw, Rod Nickel Organizations: Recreation Center, Wadea, Hamas, Domestic, Council, National Security Council, Arab American Institute, Republican, Israel, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Illinois, American

☆ Retailers urge Congress to crack down on theft, as industry ramps up lobbying effort
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Courtney Reagan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"[Organized retail crime] has to be dealt with in a comprehensive way. The retail lobby group dubbed its event "Fight Retail Crime Day." Representatives from more than 30 retailers joined a major industry lobbying group on Capitol Hill on Thursday, as they ramped up pressure to pass a law that backers say will curb retail theft. Organized retail crime is different from shoplifting. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act was reintroduced earlier this year.

Persons: Sen, Chuck Grassley, Matthew Shay, William Blair, Scott McBride, McBride, Dina Titus Organizations: Capitol, National Retail Federation, Retailers, Department of Homeland Security, American Eagle Outfitters, Walgreens Locations: Iowa, Washington

☆ WPP slashes outlook again as China slowdown adds to tech woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Branding signage for WPP, the largest global advertising and public relations agency at their offices in London, Britain, July 17, 2019. "But I do think in the long run that will correct itself and those companies will become drivers of growth." Read said it was also a tougher quarter in China, where consumer spending had not returned as expected. Analysts at Citi said it was striking that the step down was "not necessarily caused by an intensification of the pressures in the second quarter but by a broadening of pressure". WPP said this month it would merge Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R to create the industry's largest creative agency.

Persons: Toby Melville, Mark Read, Read, Wunderman Thompson, Paul Sandle, William James, Jason Neely Organizations: WPP, REUTERS, Tech, Technology, Citi, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, China, GroupM, United States

☆ Insiders question WPP CEO Mark Read's bounceback plan after chaotic period of mergers, account losses, and a stock market slump
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

"OMD and Publicis are winning all the meaningful pitches," said a former WPP agency executive, referring to competitors Omnicom and Publicis Groupe. Further, GroupM is just one of the many parts of WPP's business that Read needs to fix. Insiders describe a whirlwind of change but confusion about the bigger visionA current WPP agency executive said they were frustrated by what they described as a vacuum of information about the bigger strategy for WPP. Getty Images"It feels like something bigger has to happen now," said a current WPP agency executive. The ongoing pitch for Volkswagen's $4 billion global media business underscores the tremendous amount of resources needed to win the proposal, and the huge prize at stake.

Persons: Christian Juhl, San, GroupM, Publicis, Kirk McDonald, McDonald didn't, Ogilvy, it's, Thomas Singlehurst, Juhl, Mark Read's, It's, Read, Martin Sorrell, AKQA, Sard, Wunderman Thompson, J.Walter Thompson, Joanne Wilson, Andrew Scott, Roberto Quarta, Angela Ahrendts, Craig Barritt, —, haven't, Clark, Arthur Sadoun, WPP's Read, Michael Farmer Organizations: WPP, Publicis, L'Oreal, Omnicom Media Group, Pfizer, North, GroupM, Verizon, Discovery, Adobe, Citigroup, Shanghai, reined, AKQA Group, Finsbury Glover, Partners, Young, Rubicam, London Stock Exchange, Brexit, Getty, Burberry, Apple, The New School Industry, VW, Groupe, Epsilon Locations: San Francisco, China, EssenceMediaCom, Kansas, Kansas City, New York, Mayfair , London, New York City

☆ China's crackdown on Foxconn, one of Apple's biggest suppliers, shows Beijing is willing to sacrifice its economy for political power
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

China has launched investigations into Taiwan's Foxconn over its land use in mainland China. AdvertisementAdvertisementEven Foxconn, China's largest private-sector employer, isn't immune from Beijing's whims. Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, is a huge contributor to China's employment and economic growth. Given how important Foxconn is to China's economy, it's a sign that Beijing is willing to make some sacrifices in its economy for political reasons, Liu said. China's economy is in tattersChina's economy has struggled to recover after nearly three years of on-off COVID-19 lockdowns.

Persons: —, Terry Gou, Foxconn, William Lai, KMT's Hou Yu, Ko Wen, Anna Ashton, Lai, China —, Gabriel Wildau, Zhu Fenglian, Dongshu Liu, Liu, they've, Insider's Linette Lopez, Xi, Lee Miller, Lopez, Liu Pengyu Organizations: Service, Hai Precision Industry, Apple, Democratic Progressive Party, ih, Taiwan People's Party, Eurasia Group, Gzero Media, KMT, Teneo Holdings, Bloomberg, Foxconn, Taiwan Affairs Office, City University of Hong, WPP, DC Locations: China, Beijing, Taiwan —, Taiwan, Taipei, New York, City University of Hong Kong, tatters, Washington, Foxconn

☆ China is a stormy place to do business right now after shock exec arrests and Foxconn probes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

That follows shock arrests and allegations of bribery at the Shanghai offices of US agency GroupM. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementAdvertisementChilling effectThe probes and arrests are likely to further chill foreign business activity in China. Outwardly, China's leaders have emphasized the country is open to foreign investment. "Both Chinese investment overseas and foreign investment in China have boosted friendship, cooperation, confidence, and hope," said Chinese Premier Xi Jinping earlier this month at a summit on the country's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

Persons: —, Foxconn, Bain, Mintz, Steve Tsang, it's, Xi, Dan Harris, Terry Gou, Gou, Tim Cook, Cook, Wang Wentao, Apple, GroupM Organizations: Apple, Foxconn, GroupM, Service, WPP, Financial Times, FBI, SOAS China Institute, New York Times, Chinese Communist Party, Huawei Locations: China, Shanghai, Taiwan, Beijing, New York, Seattle

☆ WPP fires executive detained in China on suspicion of bribery
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Advertising giant WPP says it has fired an executive detained in China on suspicion of bribery. Last week, news emerged that the Chinese police had raided the Shanghai office of advertising agency GroupM, owned by WPP. WPP said Tuesday it had fired an executive detained in China on suspicion of bribery. The police didn’t name the company, but the Financial Times and Chinese state media linked it to GroupM. The announcement came a month after police questioned employees at the Shanghai office of top consultancy Bain.

Persons: ”, Terry Gou, wouldn’t, Mintz Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, WPP, CNN, Reuters, Shanghai, Financial Times, drugmaker Astellas Pharma, China, Mintz Group, Bain Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing

☆ China arrested an executive and two former employees at a major US ad agency, claiming they accepted bribes, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese authorities raided the Shanghai offices of GroupM, Reuters reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementThree people linked to the major ad agency GroupM have been detained by police in Shanghai, according to Reuters and The Wall Street Journal. Chinese authorities raided the Shanghai campus of WPP — the conglomerate which owns GroupM — on Friday, according to Reuters. A month before that, Chinese authorities raided the Beijing offices of Mintz Group, the American corporate due diligence firm. Five employees were detained, according to Reuters.

Persons: Patrick Xu, Bain, Mintz Organizations: Reuters, Morning, Street, Financial Times, Shanghai, WPP, Insider Intelligence, Mintz Group, Beijing Municipal Bureau, Statistics, Associated Press Locations: Shanghai, GroupM, China, Beijing

☆ Apple iPhone maker Foxconn being investigated in China as founder runs for Taiwan presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —Taiwan’s Foxconn, one of Apple’s largest suppliers, is being investigated by authorities in China, according to state media. Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, has iPhone factories in Guangdong and Henan, including the world’s largest in the city of Zhengzhou. The company’s listed unit in Shanghai, Foxconn Industrial Internet, plummeted by its daily limit of 10% on Monday. Terry Gou, Foxconn founder, announces bid for Taiwan presidency during a press event in Taipei on August 28. The crackdown came despite repeated calls from Chinese leaders to welcome more foreign investment to boost the country’s slowing economy.

Persons: Taiwan’s, Terry Gou, won’t, Foxconn, “, ”, Brock Silvers, Gou, Hai, ” Gou, Ann Wang, Lai Ching, — Hou Yu, Ko Wen, Zhang Wensheng, ” Zhang, Silvers Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Global Times, CNN, Hai Precision Industry, Foxconn Technology, WPP, drugmaker Astellas Pharma, Kaiyuan, “, Apple, Communist, Taiwan, Democratic People’s Party, ih, Kuomintang, Taiwan People’s Party, Beijing, China’s Xiamen University, Financial Times, Shanghai, Economic Observer Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Henan, Hubei, Zhengzhou, Shanghai, Taipei, Taiwan

Branding signage for WPP, the largest global advertising and public relations agency at their offices in London, Britain, July 17, 2019. The fourth, GroupM China’s CEO and country managing director for WPP China, Patrick Xu, was questioned by police but not detained, the person said. An employee stationed in the closest police precinct to WPP's Shanghai office said police could not comment. "As our fourth largest market globally, China will continue to play a crucial role in WPP's long-term growth strategy. Police visited U.S. management consultancy Bain & Co's Shanghai office in April, then in May, state TV aired a program showing a raid of consultancy Capvision Partners' offices.

Persons: Toby Melville, GroupM, Patrick Xu, Xu, Mark Read, Mintz, Capvision, Bain, Casey, Laurie Chen, Alison Williams Organizations: WPP, REUTERS, Rights, WPP China, Financial Times, Outdoor Holdings, SEC, Police, Bain, Co's, TV, Capvision Partners, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Shanghai, China, Beijing, Co's Shanghai

Branding signage for WPP, the largest global advertising and public relations agency at their offices in London, Britain, July 17, 2019. The fourth, GroupM China’s CEO and country managing director for WPP China, Patrick Xu, was questioned by police but not detained, the person said. Calls to GroupM's office in Shanghai to seek comment went unanswered and Xu did not immediately respond to an email requesting a response. An employee stationed in the closest police precinct to WPP's Shanghai office said police could not comment. Police visited U.S. management consultancy Bain & Co's Shanghai office in April, then in May, state TV aired a program showing a raid of consultancy Capvision Partners' offices.

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