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☆ Elon Musk's X sues Twitch in lawsuit alleging advertisers conspired to boycott the platform
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementX has added Twitch as a defendant in a suit accusing advertisers of colluding to withhold ad spend. Ad revenue on X has plummeted since Elon Musk acquired the platform in 2022. Elon Musk's X is suing Twitch, alleging that the Amazon-owned video streaming platform and other companies illegally conspired to boycott advertising on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Twitch, X, and the WFA didn't immediately respond to requests for comment made by Business Insider outside normal US business hours. Musk's own behavior on and off the platform — including famously telling advertisers who boycotted X to "go fuck yourself" — hasn't encouraged advertisers to place their budgets there, either.

Persons: Elon Musk, Elon Musk's, Twitch, Stephan Loerke, it's, Ørsted, Twitch —, X's, hasn't, Jim Jordan, Donald Trump's, Abraham Yousef, Yousef Organizations: Global Alliance of Responsible Media, Elon, Twitter, Federation, WFA, Business, Unilever, CVS Health, Twitch, Google, Committee, WPP, Diageo, Tower Locations: Texas, Ohio

☆ PayPal just opened a new ad business. The exec leading it unpacks the plan to link advertisers with its trove of transaction data.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

PayPal is set to launch an ad business, starting in the US. AdvertisementPayPal is set to announce the official launch of PayPal Ads on Thursday. This new advertising business looks to help marketers tap into data on the billions of transactions that take place across its payments platforms. Users can opt-out of their data being shared with advertisers, PayPal said. Advertisement"Mastercard already has a data business," Webster said.

Persons: —, Mark Grether, Uber's, Grether, JiYoung Kim, Lyft, It's, Alex Chriss, Diego Scotti, Robert Webster, Webster, Dunn, Bradstreet Organizations: PayPal, Service, Business, Amazon, Walmart, Nordstrom, Ticketmaster, Chriss, Verizon, TAU Marketing Solutions, Mastercard Locations: York, Germany, Experian

☆ There's tons of hiring activity in media ad sales right now, but there's a catch
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Lucia Moses | Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

While it might look like there's a flurry of advertising hiring, industry insiders say the reality is more sobering. AdvertisementLegacy media companies have sharply cut staff in recent years, including sales, and those jobs aren't coming back. Disney has said it plans to automate half its ad sales. "The number of good job opportunities are few and far between because the large media companies are not hiring as quickly. "Ad sales is no longer ad sales," said Gary Stolkin, global CEO of The Talent Business, a global executive search firm specializing in the creative industries.

Persons: —, they've, Jean, Paul Colaco, aren't, Dave Morgan, Lisa Valentino, David Lawenda, David Zaslav, David Ellison's, Christopher Vollmer, Simon Francis, Peter Naylor, Brian Lesser, Lesser, WPP's, Roku, Harry Kargman, Kargman, Krishan Bhatia, Gary Stolkin, Stolkin, who's Organizations: Service, Netflix, Business, Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros, NBA, Companies, MediaLink, TV, Media, Flock Associates, Progressive, Mobile, The Talent Locations: Teads, NBCUniversal

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ How Group Black's $500 million promise to Black-owned media unraveled
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Lucia Moses | Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Montaque cofounded Group Black in 2021 with the goal of directing $500 million in advertising money to Black-owned media in its first 18 months. With the pledge, Group Black laid out a plan to steer money to Black media owners and acquire media companies. Bough, Group Black's chief strategy officer, was a former Mondelēz and PepsiCo marketer who presented the CNBC reality show "Cleveland Hustles." Various outlets reported that Group Black mounted bids for media companies including the Sports Illustrated publisher Arena Group, the Paramount-owned BET, Vice Media, and Vox Media. Seven former employees described Montaque as an energetic leader but said he was ultimately ineffective in executing Group Black's mission.

Persons: Travis Montaque, Weeks, Montaque, Bonin, Black, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Richelieu Dennis, Dennis, Ursula M, Burns, Randy Brooke, Ursula Burns, Seth Kaufman, Moët Hennessy, Gamble, Ziff Davis, offsites, Gamble —, Spokespeople, Derrick Johnson, Lionel Hahn, Todd Brown, It's, Christopher Kenna, I'm, Samantha Skey, Black's Travis Montaque, Arturo Holmes, Vivek Shah, Bough, Sheila Marmon, Media's Refinery29, Erika Goldring, Richelieu Dennis who's, Kirk McDonald, GroupM Organizations: Black, Cannes Lions, Business, Black's, SHE, Cola, Walmart, PepsiCo, CNBC, Xerox, Getty, Moët Hennessy North America, Procter, Gamble, NAACP, Urban Edge Network, Corporate America, Association of National Advertisers's Alliance, Inclusive, Multicultural, Diversity Media, Penske Media Corp, Zeta, Fox, Everyday Health, Sports, Arena Group, Paramount, BET, Vice Media, Vox Media, Galore Media, Mirror, Marmon, Media Locations: GroupM, America, Soho, Manhattan, Santa Monica, Cannes

☆ Media network Group Black faces a leadership in flux
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

All in all, Group Black said it planned to deploy $500 million in Black-owned media by the end of 2022. Some brands have provided updates on their commitments since, but gains by Black-owned media companies have been uneven overall. Group Black's idea was to help steer ad dollars to its member companies and use some of the ad dollars to buy stakes in media companies. It listed among its founding member companies Essence, which is part of Dennis' company, Sundial Media; podcast company Pod Digital Media; and lifestyle media company She Media. Various outlets also reported that Group Black sought to acquire stakes in media companies including Sports Illustrated publisher Arena Group and Vox Media.

Persons: —, Travis Montaque, Montaque, Montaque hasn't, Kerel Cooper, Dan Bisgeier, Delida Costin, Mike Owen, Ryan Robertson, Marchelle Wright, Ashley Banks, Cooper, Holler, Richelieu Dennis, Bonin, Black, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ursula Burns, Fortune, Seth Kaufman, Moët Hennessy, Dennis Organizations: Service, Business, Black, Xerox, Moët Hennessy North America ., Media, Pod Digital Media, Sports, Arena, Vox Media Locations: Black

☆ 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

☆ Advertisers boost spending at retailers such as Walmart and Amazon as TV shrinks
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Global retail media ad spending is expected to more than double from $114.18 billion in 2023 to $233.89 billion in 2027, according to eMarketer. Retail media is expected to represent a larger percentage of digital advertising spending, which has begun to eclipse traditional media spending, growing from 18.9% of that segment in 2023 to 25.7% in 2027, according to eMarketer. "What we hear from brands most directly is they no longer wake up with a recipe to buy X amount of TV, X amount of social, X amount of digital. GSTV screens reach 115 million viewers per month across 49 states. "It's the new TV for mass reach advertising," said Mark Boidman, head of media and entertainment investment banking at Solomon Partners.

Persons: Sean McCaffrey, McCaffrey, Mark Boidman Organizations: Television, Facebook, Walmart, Kroger, WPP, Global, Brands, Solomon Partners Locations: eMarketer, It's

☆ Meta Platforms gets billions from China without headaches many U.S. companies face there
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

As many American companies struggle to navigate the world's second-largest economy, Meta Platforms has found itself raking in billions of dollars from China without the direct challenges of doing business there. The influx in spending from Chinese ecommerce advertisers has been a "significant positive" for Meta, said Rohit Kulkarni, analyst at Roth MKM covering internet companies. Many American companies doing business in China have battled similar challenges as the post-Covid recovery there has progressed slower than expected. Meta has said it has a "diverse advertiser base" of Chinese companies. The concern is that as more Chinese advertisers target American consumers through Meta's platforms, that could drive up the price of ads for everyone.

Persons: Temu, Rohit Kulkarni, Roth, Meta's, Piper Sandler, Tom Champion, Estee Lauder, Meta, Susan Li, Shein, Kate Scott, Dawkins, —, Roth's Kulkarni, Piper Sandler's, they're, Josh Silverman, we're, Piper, doesn't, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, Kenzo Tribouillard Organizations: Club, Super, U.S, Meta, Apple, Facebook, Tencent, Holdings, Nasdaq, CNBC, Wall Street, Google, European Commission, AFP, Getty Locations: China, Ireland, Shanghai, Singapore, U.S, Meta, Brussels

☆ Ad insiders are buzzing about industry power broker Michael Kassan's messy split with UTA and what it means for the future of MediaLink
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

After falling out with Kassan, UTA may think twice about buying another agency. The media and ad industry will be watching to see what, if any, leadership changes UTA makes at MediaLink. The end of the ad industry schmoozefest? One industry veteran said they saw Kassan's exit as an opportunity to change how ad industry consultants operate and charge for services. At the center of the dispute between UTA and Kassan is the MediaLink founder's $950,000 annual expense account.

Persons: Michael Kassan, MediaLink, Kassan, Jeremy Zimmer, Kassan wasn't, Vianney Tisseau, headhunting, Jon Miller, Sanford Michelman, Michelman, Robinson, Ethan Miller, Julian Jacobs, David Anderson, WME, Kassan's, Wenda Harris Millard, wasn't, what's, There's, Lou Paskalis, Marc Sternberg's, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Mariah Carey, Tom Brady, Rob Norman, WPP's Organizations: UTA, Cannes Lions, Consumer, Business, Los Angeles Superior Court, Los, Judicial, Mediation Services, Variety Cannes Lions Studio, Integrated Media, Getty, Talent, Accenture, General Motors, Netflix, JUV Consulting, Madison, Endeavor, Writers Guild of America, Zimmer, Western Initiative Media Worldwide, Interpublic Group, Bank of America, AJL, Marc Sternberg's Brand, Kassan, Southwest, NFL Locations: MediaLink, Cannes, France, Madison, Droga5, Hollywood, Kassan, California, South, Austin

☆ New ads business will launch on Philips Smart TVs to take on Samsung and LG in the $33 billion connected-TV ad market
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA new connected-TV ads business is set to launch on Philips Smart TVs in the coming weeks to rival competing solutions from LG, Vizio, and Samsung, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The new offering is from TP Vision, a consumer electronics company that operates the Philips Smart TV brand in Europe and other countries outside the US. TitanOS will operate as a standalone business unit from TP Vision, a separate person familiar with the matter said. AdvertisementIn the highly competitive connected-TV ads market, scale will be crucial to the success of Titan Ads. AdvertisementAs one TV ad buyer put it, "The last thing we need is more hardware fragmentation initiatives.

Persons: —, Janko Roettegers, TPV, Ampere, Richard Broughton Organizations: Service, Philips Smart, LG, Samsung, Business, TP, Philips Smart TV, Philips TV, TitanOS, TP Vision, Philips, Pocket Media, Titan, Ampere Analysis, Sony, Netflix, YouTube Locations: Europe, Americas

☆ Why Netflix, Disney, and other Hollywood companies are flocking to CES this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Advertising and marketing pros made up 7% of CES' attendees in 2023, per CES. Look for topics like the creator economy and the rise of artificial intelligence to dominate the conversation for advertisers, Kassan added. And Roku, which is closing in on its search for a new ad sales head, is sending a large contingent. The cost advertisers pay for streaming ads is expected to decline as platforms release more inventory, particularly with Amazon unleashing ads on Prime Video. Advertisers also have more options with the fast-growing FASTs (free, ad-supported streaming TV channels), which primarily offer older TV shows and movies.

Persons: David Benioff, Weiss, Alexander Woo, Amy Reinhard, execs, It's, who'll, Patrick Pannett, Michael Kassan, Evan Spiegel, Kassan, — that's, Rita Ferro, NBCUniversal's Mark Marshall, NBCU's Peacock, NBCUniversal, Peacock, NBCU, Tanner Elton, Amy McDevitt, Ludacris, Jon Steinlauf, GroupM Organizations: Netflix, CES, Business, Consumer Technology Association, Madison Avenue, Walmart, Disney, Nexstar Media Group, Nvidia, Paramount, CTA, Tech, NBC, Bravo, Amazon Ads, Warner Bros, Magna, CTV, Hulu, Intelligence, Prime Video Locations: Las Vegas, Peacock

☆ Will 2024 bring good tidings to media and telecom companies? That's unlikely
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-19 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Still, legacy media companies including Disney, Paramount Global, Warner Bros. Since the "Great Netflix Correction" of 2022, there isn't a unifying growth narrative for media and entertainment companies. Disney, Paramount Global and NBCUniversal have all pegged 2025 as their flagship streaming services' first full year of profitability. Beyond financial metrics, several executives privately acknowledged morale has become an increasing concern at legacy media companies. One executive noted he's increasingly hearing from peers that running media and entertainment companies just isn't as fun as it was five or 10 years ago.

Persons: Corey Martin, Granderson Des Rochers, Martin, Jerome Powell, Liu Jie, Shari Redstone, David A, CNBC Shari Redstone, Biden, Sinclair, Lina Khan, Joe Biden, Khan, There's, John Harrison, Brian Roberts, Drew Angerer, Donald Trump, Trump, David Zaslav, Michael M, Disney, Nelson Peltz, Jay Rasulo, Bob Iger, he's, LightShed's Rich Greenfield Organizations: Universal Studios, Warner Bros . Discovery, Disney, Paramount Global, Comcast, Granderson, U.S, Federal, Washington , D.C, Xinhua News Agency, Getty, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Allen, Co . Media, Technology Conference, Grogan, CNBC, Trump, Nexstar, Gray Television, Federal Trade, Verizon, Mobile, NBCUniversal, CBS, NBC, EY, Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, Trump's Department, Justice, Time Warner, Republican, Democratic, Netflix, Cable, Warner Bros, New York Times, Santiago, Getty Images Media, Management, Paramount Locations: Washington ,, United States, Sun Valley , Idaho, Tegna, Europe, U.S, EY Americas, New York City

☆ Global Advertising Growth Is Expected to Slow in 2024, Excluding Elections Spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Megan Graham | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A digital billboard in New York. By 2028, spending on digital advertising will be larger than spending on the entire advertising industry was in 2022, GroupM said. Photo: Richard B. Levine/Zuma PressThe growth in global ad spending is poised to slow in 2024 to 5.3%, excluding U.S. political advertising, according to a new forecast from media investment group GroupM. That would mark a deceleration from the 5.8% increase that GroupM anticipates for this year, the forecast said.

Persons: GroupM, Richard B, Levine Organizations: Zuma Locations: New York

☆ Inside WPP's multiyear plan to transform its giant media buying business GroupM
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

While GroupM always had country-level P&Ls, it previously let its individual agencies — EssenceMediaCom, Wavemaker, MSix&Partners, and Mindshare — be responsible for their own budgets. This move is the latest in Juhl's plan to make these different media agencies follow similar business practices across all of the markets in which GroupM operates. Under Juhl, GroupM centralized media delivery within a unit called Nexus and centralized all of GroupM's data and technology within a unit called Choreograph. Juhl said that despite the push to streamline its business, GroupM's individual agency brands will continue to operate as separate entities rather than a homogenous media group. WPP said last month it will reveal more details about its plans to simplify GroupM at its Capital Markets Day in January.

Persons: Christian Juhl, GroupM, Juhl, —, Publicis, EssenceMediaCom, Mindshare, Kirk McDonald Organizations: Business, Ls, MSix, Partners, Groupe, Unilever, North America, WPP Locations: GroupM, China

☆ Kirk McDonald, North America CEO of WPP's GroupM, will leave the company. Read the internal email about his departure.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kirk McDonald, the North America CEO of WPP's media buying division GroupM, is set to leave the company, GroupM confirmed on Monday. Mindshare Global CEO Adam Gerhart will take on additional duties as GroupM North America CEO while the company searches for a permanent replacement, Juhl wrote. "He has also been a valuable partner to me and the global GroupM leadership community more broadly." Under McDonald's leadership, GroupM North America has sought to implement a "responsible investment strategy." He has also been a valuable partner to me and the global GroupM leadership community more broadly.

Persons: Kirk McDonald, GroupM, Christian Juhl, McDonald, Adam Gerhart, Juhl, Kirk, Mark Read, Read, Mark Read's bounceback, we've, Kirk McDonald's, I'm, Adam, He's, Christian Organizations: North America, GroupM Global, Mindshare, North, America, WPP, Adobe, GroupM, AT, Time Inc, CNET, Pacific Islanders, Mindshare's Global, GroupM North, Global, NA Locations: Canada, North America, GroupM, America, American, GroupM North America, New York

☆ 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

☆ WPP Fires Employee Detained in China, Launches Investigation Into Bribery Charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Patience Haggin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

GroupM is an ad-buying unit of WPP. Photo: Toby Melville/REUTERSWPP said it terminated the executive currently detained in China on charges of bribery and is conducting its own investigation into the matter. On Saturday, the Shanghai police’s economic crimes investigation division said that three suspects at an unnamed advertising company had been detained on criminal charges of accepting bribes as nonpublic officials. That statement referred to one current and two former employees of GroupM, an ad-buying unit of WPP, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

Persons: Toby Melville Organizations: WPP, Street Locations: China, Shanghai

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

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