The agency won a total of 344 pitches around the world during the year, more than any other media network.
MediaCom was also the only agency to retain its place in the Top Five from 2019, demonstrating the long-term success of its new business efforts.
Nick Lawson, Global CEO, MediaCom commented:
“This is a huge achievement in a very tough year. Despite the fact that we haven’t been able to pitch face to face, we’ve found new ways to demonstrate how MediaCom’s People First philosophy and ability to see the bigger picture around all marketing activity can help our clients grow their business.”
MediaCom has been named as Adweek’s Global Media Agency of the Year for 2020, the second time the agency has picked up the prize in the last four years.
Judges cited the power of the agency’s People First philosophy – the foundation of MediaCom’s culture for the last 20 years – as pivotal to its success.
This accolade sits alongside the Network prizes MediaCom won at the Festival of Media Global Awards and Eurobest last year.
(From left): MediaCom global client president and P&G account lead Frances Ralston-Good, MediaCom Canada CEO and Global Belonging Council chair Kevin Johnson, MediaCom U.S. CEO Sasha Savic and global CEO Nick Lawson. | www.wordpress-1516176-5827464.cloudwaysapps.com
Nick Lawson, Global CEO commented:
“I believe that People First is what makes MediaCom different and successful. It defines our approach to our people, the way we work and how we identify opportunities for our clients. By focusing on the needs of our people, we have been able to consistently deliver more for brands and attract new advertisers to the MediaCom family.
I am hugely proud of our teams globally and the way each and every one of them has contributed to this success, despite the most difficult of circumstances over the past year.”
The new time-based plans will allow customers to stream their favourite YouTube videos for as low as N50 per hour.
Globacom stated that,
“the launched plans will add to our bouquet of innovative and affordable price offerings and allow more subscribers to access our products and services”.
The Glo YouTube time-based plans come in four price packs- N50 for 1 hour, N130 for 3 hours, N50 for 5 hours (Night) and N200 for 7 hours (Night).
A fair usage policy on each of the plans with fixed volume will be applied, the company stated.
“These new plans have been uniquely developed so that each price pack has a streaming time allocated to it. For example, on the N50 plan the customer can use the 1-hour streaming in sections of 10 minutes or 20 minutes, all within 1-day,”Globacom added.
The proceeds of the senior notes will be used by ENG for general-banking purposes, including providing the bank with stable medium-term funding.
The final rating is in line with the expected rating that Fitch assigned to the notes on February 10 2021.
KEY RATING DRIVERS
The senior notes’ rating is solely driven by ENG’s Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of ‘B-‘. This reflects Fitch’s view that the default of these senior unsecured obligations would reflect a default of ENG in accordance with Fitch’s rating definitions and the transaction documents described in the prospectus.
Fitch has given no consideration to the underlying transaction structure as it believes that the issuer’s ability to satisfy payments due on the notes will ultimately depend on ENG satisfying its senior unsecured payment obligations to the issuer under the transaction documents.
The Recovery Rating of ‘RR4’ reflects average recovery prospects in the event of a default based on country-specific factors.
ENG’s ‘B-‘ Long-Term IDR is driven by its intrinsic credit strength, as expressed by its Viability Rating (VR) of ‘b-‘. The VR reflects the constraint of Nigeria’s challenging operating environment, the bank’s very high impaired loan ratio, weak profitability and modest core capital buffers.
This is balanced by company profile strengths as well as a solid funding profile and good foreign-currency liquidity, supported by ordinary support from Ecobank Group as part of its inter-affiliate placement programme (IAP).
RATING SENSITIVITIES
Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to positive rating action/upgrade:
The notes’ rating would be upgraded if ENG’s Long-Term IDR was upgraded, which is not our base case given the Stable Outlook.
Upside to ENG’s IDR is limited at present was given the bank’s high impaired loan ratio and the ensuing pressure on other financial factors.
The upside is contingent on a material improvement in the bank’s operating income and profitability, with performance metrics more akin to that of larger banks in Nigeria. This will depend on volume growth and a sustained improvement in asset quality.
Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to negative rating action/downgrade:
The notes’ rating would be downgraded if ENG’s Long-Term IDR was downgraded, which is not our base case given the Stable Outlook. The IDR could be downgraded in case of a sharp increase in the net impaired loans/Fitch core capital (FCC) ratio, closer to its recent peak of around 50%, or a drop in the FCC ratio to below 10%.
ESG CONSIDERATIONS
Unless otherwise disclosed in this section, the highest level of ESG credit relevance is a score of ‘3’. This means ESG issues are credit-neutral or have only a minimal credit impact on the entity, either due to their nature or the way in which they are being managed by the entity.
BEST/WORST CASE RATING SCENARIO
International scale credit ratings of Financial Institutions and Covered Bond issuers have a best-case rating upgrade scenario (defined as the 99th percentile of rating transitions, measured in a positive direction) of three notches over a three-year rating horizon; and a worst-case rating downgrade scenario (defined as the 99th percentile of rating transitions, measured in a negative direction) of four notches over three years.
The complete span of best- and worst-case scenario credit ratings for all rating categories range from ‘AAA’ to ‘D’. Best- and worst-case scenario credit ratings are based on historical performance.
Many technology novices and experts alike are interested in the various features of Apple iPhone 12. Particularly this is because it’s a major redesign of the Apple smartphone, which only happens once every two or three years.
Some are just refinements, while others are brand new aspects of the technology that people are looking forward to. For a lot of users, this is the only kind of smartphone that they buy.
While it’s not a device that’s known for packing as much as possible, it definitely has some aspects worth mentioning. This yearly cycle brings some important changes to the overall design and screen sizes, including what’s available. It’s also more powerful with better camera technology, something that happens every year.
This is the latest mobile internet technology available today. It has some of the fastest speeds, even competing with some of the latest fibre optic technology with speeds up to 2 Gbp/s in some areas.
That’s incredible for people who share and download a lot of video content, which is becoming increasingly popular among messaging and social media apps. This isn’t the “enhanced 4G” network you may have heard about; it’s the real thing.
MagSafe on the Smartphone Device
One of the most innovative features of these devices is the use of MagSafe. Previously, it was a connector used by all the MacBook variants for power and battery charging.
It conveniently used a magnet, which doesn’t drag your device on the floor in case someone trips on the wire. While that feature currently isn’t on these notebooks anymore, it’s now available for the newest smartphones. It’s even more reliable than wireless charging.
Choosing the Right Size
This is the first time the company has made a mini product for a flagship model. Usually, such versions are made with affordability in mind, using hardware from the previous year.
Such is the case with the iPad mini, iPhone SE, and Apple Watch SE. While the SE model is still available, the 12 mini is also available for those that want something more powerful. People who prefer a smaller phone actually consider it a perfect size at a 5.4-inch.
Of course, there’s still the main 6.1-inch model for the iPhone 12 and Pro variant. Even though it’s quite a bit bigger than the mini, it’s perfect when dealing with video content, whether that’s streaming or editing for sharing.
If you want something even bigger, the Pro Max comes in a 6.7-inch size. That’s even a bit bigger than the previous Max model, making it an excellent choice if it’s the main device that you use every day.
In Conclusion
With so many valuable features of Apple iPhone 12, it’s no wonder that most users are looking to upgrade. This usually happens when there’s a major redesign of the product model.
The new technology includes more powerful processing, more powerful graphics, a better camera, and of course faster internet speeds. While the iPhone 11 still works well enough, users with an iPhone XS or even X should consider upgrading.
Ekocorp Plc insider Geoff Ohen Limited purchased 211,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated, December 31st, 2020. The stock was bought at an average cost of ₦6.00 per share, with a total value of ₦1,266,000.00
EkoCorp Plc provides hospital and medical care services in Nigeria through direct health and medical insurance carriers. These include medical practitioners, dieticians, diabetic nurse educators, foot care specialists and ophthalmologists.
Consultant services include general surgery, orthopaedic surgery, grammatology, otorhinolaryngology audiology and speech therapy, dental surgery, radiology, Physiotherapy, endoscopy, anaesthesia, obstetrics and gynaecology, radiotherapy and oncology. EkoCorp Plc offers immunological screening for thyroid antibodies, thyroid adrenal anti-nuclear antibodies and pediatric endocrinology services.
Other services address healthcare needs for ENT, dental, vision, auditory, dialysis, pathology, psychiatric and prostate screening and diagnostics. The company also provides extended cover protection for dread disease, medical complications as well as general life insurance cover.
A subsidiary of EkoCorp Plc manufactures a range of pharmaceutical preparations. The company’s head office is in Lagos, Nigeria.
The world’s largest toymaker, Hasbro, reported a double-digit surge in sales in 2020 tied to the spectacular performance of its Star Wars merchandise.
According to the research data analyzed and published by Sijoitusrahastot, the company posted an increase of 70% in its Star Wars merchandise sales. This was in spite of the fact that 2020 was the first year since 2014 that Disney did not have a Star Wars theatre release.
Overall, Hasbro’s holiday quarter revenue shot up by 4% year-over-year (YoY) to $1.7 billion, with a 27% uptick in the gaming segment and a 20% increase in the TV/film/entertainment segment. Sales in the US and Canada shot up by 16% during the period.
For its gaming segment, Magic: The Gathering was a significant variable in its record performance. It was the gaming brand’s best year ever in its 27-year history, as it shot up by 27% YoY to $581.2 million.
Hasbro’s eCommerce sales for the full year surpassed $1 billion and accounted for a 25% share of total revenue.
Hasbro has benefitted from its relationship with Disney for a while now. In 2019, it posted a 24% revenue increase to $1.22 billion for its partner brands. It attributed its stunning performance to strong sales of Star Wars, Frozen 2, Spider-Man and Avengers merchandise.
Photo by Michael Marais
Barbie Sales Shot Up by 19% in Q4 2020, 16% Full-Year 2020
For Mattel, Hasbro’s rival, Q4 2020 was the strongest quarter in 15 years for holiday sales.
Mattel’s sales for the period shot up by 10% to $1.63 billion, bringing the year’s total revenue to $4.58 billion, up by 2% YoY. The Q4 revenue figure outperformed analysts’ expectations of $1.58 billion according to Refinitiv.
Net income for the year amounted to $127 million, marking the first profitable year for the toymaker since 2016. Adjusted earnings per share rose (EPS) from 11 cents in Q4 2019 to 40 cents in Q4 2020.
Of all its product lines, Barbie had the strongest growth, reporting a 16% upsurge in sales for the full year. During the fourth quarter, Barbie sales rose by 19%. Hot Wheels was another top-performing category in Q4 2020, with sales shooting up by 13%.
For the first time in four years, the American Girl brand posted an increase in sales, jumping by 12% in Q4 2020. In Q4 2019, the brand had reported a 20% sales decline, which brought down the entire doll segment to a 6% YoY drop. In contrast, Q4 2020 saw doll sales spike by 13% YoY.
Mattel saw an uptick in Barbie sales particularly during H2 2020 as the easing of lockdown measures led to restocked toy stores. Though the company anticipates strong performance during the first half of 2021, it points out that comparison to H2 2020 could make that a challenge.
US Toy Industry Sales Soared by 16% to $25 Billion in 2020
Both Mattel and Hasbro were dealt a massive blow by the pandemic as both stocks plummeted by more than 50% during the March 2020 sell-off.
However, both have recovered significantly. From its lowest point, Mattel’s and Hasbro’s stock had gained more than 100% as of February 16, 2021.
The Q4 2020 and full-year results of the two toy giants were consistent with a report released by research firm NPD Group. According to the report, 2020 was a record year for the toy industry, with retail sales rising by 16% YoY in the US to reach $25.1 billion.
The growth was largely attributed to pandemic-related school closures and lockdowns, as well as disposable income diverted from other forms of entertainment to toys.
Sales growth for the period between January and mid-March 2020 was flat compared to a similar period in 2019. May 2020 was the strongest month as it saw sales grow by 38% YoY, followed by October 2020 which peaked at 33%. Online toy sales, in particular, grew remarkably, surging 75% YoY during the first nine months of the year.
The top five properties during the year were L.O.L Surprise!, Barbie, Star Wars, Pokemon and Marvel Universe. Cumulatively, the five accounted for 13% of all toy sales in 2020.
Top dollar growth sub-segments such as fashion dolls and accessories grew by 56% and sports toys shot up by 31%. Games posted a 29% upsurge, building sets by 26% and summer seasonal toys by 24%.
In 2020, according to data presented by Safe Betting Sites, YouTube’s top earner earned a staggering $29.5M and even more unbelievably, the top spot belongs to 9-year old Ryan Kaji.
Youtube – Hub for Talented Content Creators
Youtube is one of the most well-known and most visited websites in the world. The company was founded in February 2005 and has since become ubiquitous in the online world. In October that same year, Youtube introduced the ability to subscribe to different channels which made it a viable platform for content creators to showcase their talents.
By 2006, established music labels from Hollywood had begun to establish formal partnerships with “homegrown” Youtube talent. One of the biggest names to come out of Youtube’s talent pool is Canadian pop-singer, Justin Bieber. Youtube’s early success and potential attracted the likes of Google, which acquired Youtube in 2006.
In 2007 Youtube established its “Partner Program” which allowed Youtubers to monetize the videos they upload to Youtube. As of 2020, there are hundreds of thousands of channels hosted on Youtube with a plethora of creators and forms of content to choose from.
Nike has announced financial results for its second quarter ended on the 30th of November 2020. Revenue of the group in the period went up by 9%.
“Nike’s strong results during a dynamic environment show the power of staying on the offence. Fueled by compelling innovative product and global brand momentum, we continue to extend our leadership.
Our strategy is working, and we are excited about what’s ahead. Our second-quarter revenue performance was impacted by strong Nike brand digital growth of 84%, offset by lower revenue in our wholesale business and Nike-owned stores.
Nike Air Max | www.wordpress-1516176-5827464.cloudwaysapps.com
During the quarter, we experienced temporary door closures in geographies affected by rising COVID-19 cases; however, more than 90% of our owned stores are open today, with some operating on reduced hours.
We continue to experience year-over-year declines in physical retail traffic in North America, EMEA and APLA due to COVID-19 impacts and safety-related measures, partially offset by higher conversion rates”,commented John Donahoe, President and CEO.
Second Quarter Review
In the period under analysis, Nike group’s revenue increased by 9% to 11.2 billion US dollars compared to the prior year, up by 7% on a currency-neutral basis.
Revenue for the Nike brand were 10.7 billion US dollars, an increase of 8% compared to the prior year on a currency-neutral basis driven by strong double-digit growth in Nike Direct, as well as growth in Sportswear and the Jordan Brand, slightly offset by mid-single-digit declines in our wholesale business.
Converse
In the second quarter of the fiscal year, revenue for the Converse brand totalled 476 million US dollars, down by 4% on a currency-neutral basis, as double-digit growth in digital and growth in Asia were more than offset by declines in Europe and North America primarily due to tighter supply and strategic distribution shifts.
Net income reached 1.3 billion US dollars, up by 12% driven by strong revenue growth and lower selling and administrative expense, slightly offset by lower gross margin.
In the top 10 rankings of kids animated programming, based on the number of minutes the series was viewed on Netflix last year, three of them were anime series, according to The NPD Group.
Originating in Japan, anime uses a colourful yet simple graphic style to tell fantastic or futuristic stories. “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” “Naruto,” and “The Legend of Korra,” are examples of this popular style of animation in the 2020 top 10 Subscription Video Track ranking from NPD.
“The original ‘Avatar’ series ran for three seasons on Nickelodeon between 2005 and 2008, proving that even older TV shows can have tremendous staying power with younger audiences,” according to John Buffone, executive director and industry analyst at The NPD Group.
Nine of the top 10 series also had toys licensed from the original TV shows. “Johnny Test” was the only franchise on the list without any licensed toys in the market, possibly due to the fact that it originally aired back in 2005, although the series remains popular on Netflix.
“Whether on first-run series or those that have moved to subscription video services, popular TV shows for kids can add a powerful boost to licensed toy sales,” Buffone said.
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