ERM announces new leadership appointments globally and APAC to strengthen growth momentum

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Asia and Australia & New Zealand form twin strategic growth regions for APAC

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 6 October 2022 – ERM, the world’s largest pure play sustainability consultancy, has announced several senior appointments to strengthen its Asia Pacific and global leadership team and accelerate its business growth across markets.

Leadership changes in Asia Pacific

ERM will reorganize its regional business in Asia Pacific into Asia and Australia & New Zealand (ANZ). There are currently over 1,100 employees across 13 offices in its Asia Pacific network.

With the new structural change, the Asia operations will be helmed by Nat Vanitchyangkul, who moved up as Regional CEO for Asia from his previous role as Business Unit Managing Partner for South and Southeast Asia. Michael Gaggin continues to lead ERM’s business as ANZ Business Unit Managing Partner.

Liew Wei Chee takes on the role of Business Unit Managing Partner for South and Southeast Asia and reports to Nat. Additionally, Mark Errington, the incumbent Asia Pacific Regional CEO moves to his new role as Chairman and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) lead for Asia Pacific.

The new structure represents a strategic alignment of ERM’s business to harness the region’s growth potential and provides opportunities to deepen its services and solutions for clients in these markets.

Mr Vanitchyangkul, Regional CEO for Asia, ERM, said: “Collectively, the Asia Pacific is one of the fastest growing regions for ERM, expanding between 20 to 25 per cent annually. With this new team structure, we are well poised for growth to meet the intensifying need from organizations and governments to engage in sustainability across people, operations, and supply chains to track financial and ESG-related metrics. The opportunities for ERM in Asia will also move in tandem with the momentum of ESG transition in key growth sectors such as technology, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, financing, transportation and logistics and renewable energy, to cite a few.”

Growth agenda alignment

At ERM’s global headquarters in London, Jaideep Das has been appointed as Global Leader of Services and Innovation, responsible for evolving ERM’s service lines to meet changing client needs with a particular focus on tech enablement. James Stacey becomes ERM’s Global Leader of Clients and Sectors, working to maximize the firm’s competitive position and open up new market opportunities.

Sabine Hoefnagel has taken on a new role as Global Leader of Sustainability and Risk, helping to ensure that ERM’s own risk management and sustainability commitments are aligned with initiatives designed to build ERM’s brand in the market as the number one global sustainability consulting firm.

New roles across digital, partnerships and acquisitions

ERM has also created new roles to support its growth agenda and respond to evolving market demands. Thomas Achhorner has joined the firm as Head of Digital Products and Data Analytics, with responsibility for driving ERM’s ESG product development activities to meet clients’ increasing needs for tech-enabled capabilities and digital solutions. Thomas will also oversee strategic developments around ERM’s data assets and platforms in collaboration with technology industry partners.

Kushal Mashru has joined as Head of Strategic Partnerships and will focus on maximizing ERM’s partner ecosystem. Kushal will work closely with Thomas and ERM’s broader leadership team to drive value from existing relationships as well as generate new opportunities to collaborate with digital enterprises, technology providers, clients and firms operating within ERM’s competitive landscape.

ERM has welcomed Samer Ghosn as the firm’s new Head of Corporate Development, with responsibility for the execution of its acquisition strategy. Samer will also work with ERM’s ecosystem to target new Joint Ventures and investments.

Driving talent development with new Chief People Officer

Ellis Griffith has joined as ERM’s new Chief People Officer to further establish the firm as the leading destination for sustainability consulting talent and create new opportunities for the company’s 7,500+ people. Previously at McKinsey & Company, Ellis will also play a leading role in ensuring that ERM’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is embedded across the business.

Tom Reichert, ERM Group CEO, said: “I am delighted to announce these new appointments that will help to accelerate ERM’s growth journey as we partner with clients to navigate this constantly evolving market.

“Our depth of technical knowledge combined with strategic transformation capabilities sets ERM apart. These new appointments will help us to maximize these strengths, drive innovation and ultimately increase our impact through the services we offer and the opportunities we provide to our people.

“This is a really exciting time for the company as we work with our clients and the wider ecosystem to shape a sustainable future with the world’s leading organizations.”

Hashtag: #ERM

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About ERM:

ERM is the business of sustainability.

As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, ERM partners with the world’s leading organizations, creating innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunities for future generations.

ERM’s diverse team of 7,500+ world-class experts in over 170 offices across 39 countries supports clients across the breadth of their organizations to operationalize sustainability. Through ERM’s deep technical expertise, clients are well-positioned to address their environmental, health, safety, risk, and social issues. ERM calls this capability its “boots to boardroom” approach – a comprehensive service model that allows ERM to develop strategic and technical solutions that advance objectives on the ground or at the executive level. For more information, please visit .

Africa’s Business Heroes Announces Top 10 Finalists For 2022

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Africa’s Business Heroes Announces Top 10 Finalists For 2022

The Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition 2022 , a philanthropic initiative sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy which is now in its fourth edition, has announced this year’s top 10 finalists following an intense round of semi-finale business pitches and judging held on September 30 at the Kigali Convention Centre.

The top 10 finalists include (in alphabetical order, by country):

The result was announced at a Gala Dinner on October 1 to an audience of around 100 attendees from all over the African continent, consisting of current and past ABH participants, judges, investors and other key stakeholders in Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape.

These top 10 finalists will take the stage at the competition’s grand finale in November 2022 for their final pitch to win a share of a US$1.5 million prize pool. The winner of the first prize will walk home with a US$300,000 grant to fuel their further business growth.

The 10 entrepreneurs were selected through multiple stages of interviews and evaluation from over 21,000 applications across all 54 African nations. They hail from eight African countries including Cameron, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania. Their start-ups have been drawn from a wide variety of industries including agriculture, consulting, energy, environmental protection, healthcare, information & communication technology (ICT), and retail.

These outstanding entrepreneurs share a common trait of having a deep commitment to creating a positive impact on their communities, such as empowering disadvantaged groups, increasing access to digital commerce for businesses in Africa and leveraging technology to improve agricultural efficiency for small-holder farmers.

“ABH remains steadfast in its efforts to identify, support and shine a spotlight on African entrepreneurs that are driving positive growth for their communities. Now in the fourth year of the ABH competition, we are impressed with the increasing diversity of our participants and the impact they are making especially in supporting post-pandemic economic recovery. These top 10 finalists are sources of inspiration for other entrepreneurs in Africa,” says Jason Pau, Executive Director of International Programs, Jack Ma Foundation. “We wish all of them the very best of luck for the final pitch in November.”

“Entrepreneurship is a huge driver for social and economic development in Africa. The ABH Prize Competition provides a platform for outstanding start-ups to showcase targeted solutions that tackle problems in an impactful, competitive, sustainable and value-adding way. This year’s Heroes – as with other years – continued to demonstrate the resilience, passion, imagination, and traction that we need in our entrepreneurs here in Africa,” says Birame Sock, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kwely Inc, one of the judges in the semi-finale round.

Along with the unveiling of the top 10 finalists in this year’s competition, ABH has also announced its launch of a local team in Kigali to better serve and engage its growing African entrepreneur community of over 100,000 members.

“As ABH enters its fourth year, we are humbled by the incredible support from African entrepreneurs and key stakeholders which has made it possible for our ABH community to reach its current scale,” says Zahra Baitie-Boateng, Head of Partnerships & Programs at Africa’s Business Heroes Prize Competition. “Now with our base in Kigali, a city brimming with vitality and innovation, we are closer than ever to the African entrepreneurs that we serve and better positioned to help create a cohesive local start-up community leveraging our global network and experience. We are particularly excited to be based at Norrsken House, which is home to a vibrant ecosystem of incubators, accelerators and start-ups. We believe being a part of Norrsken will help strengthen our efforts to collaborate with key stakeholders in Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

The ABH Prize Competition aims to identify, support and empower entrepreneurial talent from across Africa. The official competition slogan “It’s African Time” is a bold call to action to all African entrepreneurs who are challenging stereotypes associated with “African time” – creating local impact and building a better, more inclusive future through their businesses.

For more information on the 2022 ABH Prize Competition top 10 finalists, please visit the ABH official website (www.AfricaBusinessHeroes.org). Follow ABH on Twitter (https://bit.ly/3CqDNUf), LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/3yfWkB7), Instagram (https://bit.ly/3fuWNsE) or Facebook (https://bit.ly/3fzFKFT) to join these dynamic and inspiring entrepreneurs as they get ready for the next round of judging and the grand finale.

Four Reasons Why SMEs Are Taking To Cloud

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Four Reasons Why SMEs Are Taking To Cloud

In the midst of a period of ongoing disruption, SMEs are increasingly turning to the cloud to help evolve their business models, achieve greater efficiency, and drive innovation. 

 

According to Jade Michael, Head of Public Cloud at SAP Africa, the impact of the pandemic has left many SMEs operating under constrained conditions. “The ripple effects of the pandemic and the global economic slowdown have disrupted SMEs’ growth plans, with many now seeking new tools and technologies to drive innovation and ensure continued growth.”

 

A 2021 Gartner CEO Survey found that technology-related change was the second-most important priority for CEOs, behind only growth.

 

“What many SMEs are realising is that achieving growth in an ever-evolving business environment is impossible without innovation, and in today’s market, innovation requires an optimal technology mix,” explains Michael. “Companies that strive to maintain their position will simply be overtaken by those who can unlock the advantages of technology and innovation, beating them in product development, customer acquisition and growth.”

 

A platform for innovation, growth

Cloud has been identified as the platform for innovation for millions of businesses around the world. One recent report predicts that cloud adoption could drive more than $1-trillion in new value by the end of the decade, with business innovation and optimisation the key enablers.

 

“There is a clear advantage to moving quickly and for SMEs to get ahead of competitors by accelerating their cloud adoption,” says Michael. “Early adopters will realise greater value and returns than their less nimble peers, capturing a disproportionate share of the total value from cloud adoption. Much like compound interest in an investment portfolio, early cloud adoption can drive exponentially greater lifetime value and deliver far greater returns to the business.”

 

For SMEs, the public cloud offers the quickest route to adoption and can help realise returns faster, as the cloud vendor provides everything needed to build systems and processes in the cloud without SMEs having to invest in the hardware, software and skills needed to build their own cloud platforms.

 

“A public cloud solution can be the quickest route to access greater elasticity, cost-effectiveness and the latest technologies,” explains Michael. “A public cloud platform is also one of the key pillars of a broader business technology platform that includes strong integration and extension capabilities, easing the introduction of new services and innovations to SMEs’ technology mix.”
Unlocking four key cloud benefits

Michael adds that SMEs facing widespread disruption and uncertainty are turning to technology to help bring greater transparency over business operations and drive process efficiency.

 

“Enterprise resource planning solutions have become increasingly available to SMEs over the past few years, after decades of driving process efficiency and innovation in the enterprise space. SMEs are leveraging the power of cloud ERP to create new business models, transform existing business operations, and achieve greater efficiency across all spheres of the business.”

 

According to Michael, SMEs that are moving to take advantage of the cloud and cloud ERP are enjoying four key benefits, namely:

 

1 Greater agility – “The pandemic and ongoing global crises have created a sense of urgency for a cloud platform that is accessible anytime, anywhere. This helps SMEs address the dramatic changes needed in their business, while also boosting operational efficiency and helping the business achieve a sense of normalcy more quickly.”

 

2 Access to new technologies – “To improve planning and drive greater operational efficiency, SMEs increasingly need access to automation and analytics tools. Automation and artificial intelligence can take over repetitive or low-value tasks to free up precious internal resources, while advanced analytics bring data to the fingertips of SME decision-makers. Cloud ERP solutions enable SMEs to implement new technologies more quickly and scale technologies depending on the business needs.”

 

3 Better integration with networks, partners – “SMEs lack the resources and access to networks of their enterprise peers. This makes it vital for SMEs to ensure they can integrate with partner ecosystems, developer networks and other specialists, as these networks and ecosystems can greatly improve their scale and reach. Using a cloud-based ERP can directly connect SMEs with an ecosystem of likeminded partners and suppliers, providing access to additional skills and capabilities.”

 

4 Customisation and standardisation – “One of the greatest costs that SMEs incur during digital transformation efforts is in customising solutions to perfectly suit the SME’s needs. The growing adoption of cloud solutions has given rise to a multitude of templates that cover various business processes and applications across all industries. By using cloud services, SMEs can access these templates to drive down costs while still improving operational efficiencies and growing the business. For those that need specific solutions not covered by templates, an agile ERP with modular applications can help SMEs design and implement process improvements to quickly respond to changes in the market.”

Nestlé Launches NESCAFÉ Plan 2030 To Help Drive Regenerative Agriculture

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Nestlé Launches NESCAFÉ Plan 2030 To Help Drive Regenerative Agriculture

Nestlé’s  largest coffee brand and one of the world’s favorite coffees, outlined today its extensive plan to help make coffee farming more sustainable: the NESCAFÉ Plan 2030.

The brand is working with coffee farmers to help them transition to regenerative agriculture while accelerating its decade of work (https://bit.ly/3E9QCol) under the NESCAFÉ Plan.

The brand is investing over one billion Swiss francs by 2030 in the NESCAFÉ Plan 2030. This investment builds on the existing NESCAFÉ Plan as the brand expands its sustainability work (https://bit.ly/3yeQBf4). It is supported by Nestlé’s regenerative agriculture financing following the Group’s commitment to accelerate the transition to a regenerative food system (https://bit.ly/3fzWVqW) and ambition to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions (https://bit.ly/2kiYa1y).

“Climate change is putting coffee-growing areas under pressure,” said David Rennie, Head of Nestlé Coffee Brands. “Building on 10 years’ experience of the NESCAFÉ Plan, we’re accelerating our work to help tackle climate change and address social and economic challenges in the NESCAFÉ value chains.”

Rising temperatures will reduce the area suitable for growing coffee by up to 50% by 2050[1]. At the same time, around 125 million people depend on coffee for their livelihoods[2] and an estimated 80% of coffee-farming families live at or below the poverty line[3]. Action is needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of coffee.

“As the world’s leading coffee brand, NESCAFÉ aims to have a real impact on coffee farming globally,” said Philipp Navratil, Head of Nestlé’s Coffee Strategic Business Unit. “We want coffee farmers to thrive as much as we want coffee to have a positive impact on the environment. Our actions can help drive change throughout the coffee industry.”

Supporting farmers’ transition to regenerative coffee farming 

Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming that aims to improve soil health and fertility – as well as protect water resources and biodiversity. Healthier soils are more resilient to the impacts of climate change and can increase yields, helping improve farmers’ livelihoods.

NESCAFÉ will provide farmers with training, technical assistance and high-yielding coffee plantlets to help them transition to regenerative coffee farming practices. Some examples of regenerative agriculture practices include the following:

  • Planting cover crops helps to protect the soil. It also helps add biomass to the soil, which can increase soil organic matter and thus soil carbon sequestration.
  • Incorporating organic fertilizers contributes to soil fertility, which is essential for good soil health.
  • Increasing the use of agroforestry and intercropping contributes to biodiversity preservation.
  • Pruning existing coffee trees or replacing them with disease and climate-change resistant varieties, will help rejuvenate coffee plots and increase yields for farmers.

Focusing on origins from where NESCAFÉ sources 90% of its coffee  

NESCAFÉ will be working with coffee farmers to test, learn and assess the effectiveness of multiple regenerative agriculture practices. This will be done with a focus on seven key origins, from where the brand sources 90% of its coffee: Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia and Honduras.

NESCAFÉ aims to achieve:

  • 100% responsibly sourced coffee by 2025 (https://bit.ly/3SV3Lpw)
  • 20% of coffee sourced from regenerative agricultural methods by 2025 and 50% by 2030 as part of Nestlé’s ambition for its key ingredients  (https://bit.ly/3CoEKfN)

Piloting a financial support scheme in Mexico, Côte d’Ivoire and Indonesia to accelerate the transition to regenerative agriculture

NESCAFÉ is committed to supporting farmers who take on the risks and costs associated with the move to regenerative agriculture. It will provide programs that aim to help farmers improve their income as a result of that transition. In Mexico, Côte d’Ivoire and Indonesia, NESCAFÉ will pilot a financial support scheme to help farmers accelerate the transition to regenerative agriculture. Through this scheme, NESCAFÉ, together with coffee farmers, will test and learn the best approach in each country. These could include measures such as:

  • conditional cash incentives for adopting regenerative agriculture practices
  • income protection using weather insurance
  • greater access to credit lines for farmers

NESCAFÉ will track the progress and assess the results of its field programs with coffee farmers through its Monitoring and Evaluation partnership with the Rainforest Alliance. Its efforts will be complemented by new and expertise-focused partnerships, like the one with Sustainable Food Lab for topics related to coffee farmers’ income assessment, strategy and progress tracking.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions also by capturing and storing more carbon in the soil

Regenerative agriculture also contributes to drawing down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why regenerative agriculture is a key part of Nestlé’s Zero Net roadmap. NESCAFÉ aims to contribute to Nestlé’s Zero Net commitment (https://bit.ly/2kiYa1y) to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reach zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It will work with farmers, suppliers and partners to help protect agricultural lands, enhance biodiversity and help prevent deforestation. The brand intends to help farmers plant more than 20 million trees at or near their coffee farms.

In Central and West Africa Region, Nestlé is the leader in pure soluble coffee. Over the last 10 years, the NESCAFÉ plan has been developing a coffee industry where everyone can thrive. We have supported over 22,000 coffee farmers with capacity building and technical assistance. We have also promoted youth employment through our entrepreneurship program, MYOWBU which currently benefits over 5,000 young people with pushcarts and shoulder kits.

What does the NESCAFÉ Plan 2030 mean for coffee farmers in our region for the future? For Mauricio Alarcón, Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Central & West Africa, the NESCAFÉ Plan will continue to help improve livelihoods and make coffee farming more sustainable. “With income diversification, human rights and child protection among others, we will work closely with farmers more than ever to improve livelihoods in communities, while advancing efforts to safeguard the environment for generations to come”.

Going forward by building on a strong foundation

Today’s announcement builds on NESCAFÉ’s sustainability efforts in coffee production. Since 2010, the brand has invested in sustainability through the NESCAFÉ Plan (https://bit.ly/3ybFvXU) and has made significant progress:

  • Responsibly sourced coffee: 82% of NESCAFÉ’s coffee was responsibly sourced in 2021
  • Coffee plantlets: 250 million new coffee plantlets distributed to farmers since 2010
  • Monitoring and evaluation: impact assessment in partnership with the Rainforest Alliance across 14 countries
  • Greenhouse gas emissions: 46% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in our soluble coffee factories (2020 vs. 2010, per tonne of product)
  • Water usage: 53% less water withdrawal in our soluble coffee factories (2020 vs 2010, per tonne of product)

[1] Inter-American Development Bank (https://bit.ly/3SF9srW)

[2] Fairtrade Foundation (https://bit.ly/3SwhzHd)

[3] TechnoServe (https://bit.ly/3rpaaxi)

BREAKING: OPEC+ Announces 2 Million-barrel Production Cut Per Day

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BREAKING: OPEC+ Announces 2 Million-barrel Production Cut Per Day

OPEC+ has agreed to cut its collective output limit by 2 million barrels a day, stoking tensions with the US as the cartel seeks to halt a slide in oil prices caused by the weakening global economy.

This cut recommendation was crucial as they seek to stop a slide in oil prices triggered by the weakening global economy.

According to delegates, the recommendation from the group’s Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee will be discussed by ministers later on Wednesday (today) before they make a final policy decision.

If the full meeting of OPEC+ ratifies the proposal, it would have a lesser effect on global supply than the headline number suggests because several countries are already pumping well below their quotas.

According to Bloomberg, that means they would already be in compliance with their new restrictions without having to reduce production.

A reduction of 2 million barrels a day in the group’s output target, shared pro rata, would require just eight countries to reduce actual production and would deliver an accurate cut of only 880,000 barrels a day, according to Bloomberg calculations based on September output figures.

It would still be the biggest OPEC+ production cut since 2020, a move that risks adding another shock to a global economy already battling inflation driven by high energy costs.

Choosing Top Online Sports Betting Sites In Nigeria: Factors To Consider

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Choosing Top Online Sports Betting Sites In Nigeria: Factors To Consider

According to recent estimates, there are 60 million betting clients in Nigeria today, making Nigerian betting sites a lucrative business. With more than 40 betting sites in Nigeria, including domestic and foreign operators, getting an actual number of all the operators in the country is not easy.

Are you a Nigerian punter looking to wager on your favourite sport but don’t know where to start or what to look out for before betting? With so many betting sites, you can quickly lose time searching for the best ones to try out. Wagering at an ideal sports betting site is vital since it impacts your betting experience.
Playing at top reliable bookmaking sites enhances your chances of winning or finding high odds. But you risk losing your hard-earned funds if you gamble with scam operators. So, what are the factors to consider while choosing a reliable betting site in Nigeria? Here are a few most essential tips to consider:

Check their licensing information

Sports betting is still not permitted everywhere despite being a globally popular pastime. Therefore, you must be familiar with the laws and norms governing betting in your area to prevent awkward circumstances.
When placing a wager in Nigeria, make sure the bookmaker is legitimate. Verify their possession of the appropriate permits and the authority that issued them. If such data is lacking, it won’t hurt to explore elsewhere.

Good Reputation

Even if you find a safe and reputable betting site, you can never be sure that it will live up to your expectations. Many operators also make significant marketing investments to position themselves as the best choice.

Although the above might be the case, you should find out what other people or gamers think. Look for trustworthy sources, like forums where players discuss their experiences with online sportsbooks or expert advice.

Reviews are essential for pointing up warning signs that could go unnoticed, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t conduct your research.

Look at their sportsbook and odds.

As a punter wagering from Nigeria, when looking for an ideal sports betting site, you should also ensure to check their sportsbook. Can you wager on several other sporting events besides football only? If you find that a bookmaker you are playing with offers a limited number of games or sporting events that you don’t know much about, you can always look for other bookies since they are many.

Furthermore, the best bookie is the one that gives you the chance to wager on plenty of betting options to choose those you are familiar with at all. If a site offers you plenty of sports to choose from and many betting options, you may want to register with them. Don’t forget to play at betting sites that offer high odds too.

Available payment options

Before placing real money bets at any bookmaking site in Nigeria, you must first fund your betting account. As you choose a betting site to try your luck with, ensure they offer several safe and convenient banking options.

If the options are limited, you may not find a convenient one. Always ensure that the betting options are in plenty. Along with this, make sure your potential bookmaking site supports payment options where it’s free to deposit and withdraw your wins.

Available bonuses and promotions

Online bookmakers use a variety of strategies to draw in new clients and retain current ones. Among the best are bonuses and promotions. Although the operators’ bonus and promotion possibilities differ, they all provide welcome incentives, mostly in free bets, to encourage newcomers to open an account and begin playing.

Once more, choose bookmakers that reward devoted customers with enticing bonuses, promotions, and VIP programs.

Site Security

Wagering online is always risky. Today, you can be surprised to find your personal and financial information at the hands of unauthorised persons. As you choose a betting site to place your bets with, ensure they have proper mechanisms to protect their customers’ data.

Reliable betting sites use encryption technology such as 256-bit encryption to keep customer information safe from hackers. Additionally, an ideal betting site is the one that allows you to read their privacy policy regarding how they use their customers’ data and any other information.

Attentive customer support

At some point during your online sports betting journey in Nigeria, you may encounter some difficulties that will require urgent attention. When choosing a sports betting site in Nigeria, ensure they offer several efficient channels of reaching their support reps.

You should be able to contact the customer support reps via live chat, telephone, email address, and even through social media handles. If you find the support reps unfriendly, uninformed, and slow when responding to customer queries, head elsewhere.

Clickatell Research Finds Travelers Embrace Mobile Messaging And Payments With Travel Brands

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Clickatell Research Finds Travelers Embrace Mobile Messaging And Payments With Travel Brands

Clickatell  the CPaaS innovator and Chat Commerce leader, revealed the results of its latest Chat Commerce Trends Report: Travel Edition, which uncovers new insights about how today’s consumers want to communicate and make purchases with hotels, airlines and rental car companies in mobile messaging conversations.

The survey, which fielded responses from over 1,000 US participants, found 87% of consumers prefer to use mobile messaging to communicate with travel companies.

To deeply understand how consumers communicate with travel brands, Clickatell’s new research found widespread demand for personal and convenient customer experiences through messaging conversations, such as 92% of participants would like to use mobile messaging to interact with hotels, 89% would like to use mobile messaging to interact with airlines, and 85% would like to use mobile messaging to interact with rental car companies. Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X also all place mobile messaging as their top method of communication with travel brands, showcasing that younger generations are the most inclined to interact with brands via mobile.

The report also highlights that travel companies are missing out on a unique application of the mobile messaging experience: payments. In fact, 73% of consumers indicated that they have never made a purchase via an SMS payment link. However, with 77% of consumers saying they’re willing to use a mobile payment link with travel brands, there is a major opportunity for airlines, hotels and rental car companies to enhance the travel experience and allow consumers to browse, purchase and track their travel plans all on their mobile phones. 81% of consumers would likely make a purchase via a payment link with any type of travel company, with hotel reservations topping the list (58%).

Additional key findings include:

  • Airlines:
    • 48% want mobile communications from travel companies at the time of booking, and 63% said within 24 hours.
    • Consumers would most like to receive a message on the day of their trip with important information, with 60% of consumers wanting to receive a notification of any last-minute changes to their flight itinerary.
    • 48% of consumers would like to book a flight reservation with an airline via mobile messaging

 

  • Hotels:
    • Consumers would prefer to use mobile messaging with hotels (92%) vs. airlines (89%).
    • For hotels, receiving a mobile message that your room is ready and requesting early or late check-in is the highest preference among consumers (58% want a notification that their room is ready and 41% want to be notified to upgrade their room).
    • Hotel reservations and room upgrades are the highest preference for using a chat payment link – 58% would like to book a reservation, 47% want to upgrade their room.

 

  • Rental cars:
    • 54% of consumers would like to receive a message on the day of their trip with important car rental information, and 50% of consumers want to receive a notification of any last-minute changes.

 

  • Payments:
    • 71% of consumers indicated that they are more willing to make a purchase with a travel company through a payment link only after chatting with a live agent or automated bot.

 

  • General travel:
    • 27% prefer mobile messaging to communicate with a travel company (the highest of any category), while only 8% prefer to communicate with a travel company on website chat.
    • 48% of consumers would expect mobile messages to begin at the time of booking, 63% would expect mobile messages to begin 24 hours before their trip.
    • 80% of consumers say it is more convenient to use a travel desk via mobile messaging compared to other channels.
    • iPhone users are more compelled to use mobile messaging with travel companies compared to Android users.

“By enabling communications and purchases for their customers in chat, Clickatell has opened the doors to convenience and personalization across travel brands,” said Pieter de Villiers, CEO and co-founder of Clickatell. “The data shows that there is an opportunity for travel brands to deliver services to their customers easily and conveniently via mobile messaging, which consumers desire and demand. Perhaps now more than ever, consumer loyalty is up for grabs and travel brands need to capitalize on every touchpoint.”

To view the Chat Commerce Trends Report: Travel Edition 2022 infographic see here (https://bit.ly/3RRoERz) and for the full report see here (https://bit.ly/3RCBpiF). If you are interested in learning more about how Clickatell is enabling some of the world’s largest travel brands to deliver personalized mobile messaging, please visit https://bit.ly/3rCp6YR.

Braintree Entrenches African Retail, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods With Repeat Awards

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Braintree Entrenches African Retail, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods With Repeat Awards

Braintree , a trusted Microsoft Gold Certified Partner powered by Vivica Holdings, has been named as an LS Retail Diamond and LS One Platinum partner for 2022, entrenching the company as an expert in providing digital solutions to the retail and FMCG sectors across Africa.

LS Retail is a leading global provider of all-in-one business management software solutions for retail and hospitality companies. The LS Retail partner ecosystem has grown steadily over the last two decades, offering scalable solutions to manage the complex operational requirements of retailers. Certified LS Retail partners are experts in retail.

“We are delighted to have won two awards, which is unique as we are the only partner worldwide to implement both the LS Central and LS One – retail solutions. Braintree has secured LS Retail Diamond Partner Status four years in a row, as well as the Platinum Partner award for two consecutive years. These prestigious awards are testament to our strength in retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors,” says Avril Howes, Strategic Head for SMC at Braintree.

The Diamond Partner status, the highest achievement for an LS Retail partner, is awarded to companies that exhibit extraordinary dedication to the LS Retail solutions by solving complex problems together and securing unparalleled revenue growth success during the previous year.

In addition, Diamond Partners are invited to serve on the company’s Partner Advisory Council. Braintree interacts directly with LS Retail’s management team, and leading partners globally, and actively participate in the refinement of the LS Central and LS One Retail Solutions. 2022 marks the second year that Braintree has had the honour of serving on the council.

“Our performance over the past year was driven through securing major accounts with multinational brands that we are helping to expand throughout the continent. We are also pushing the boundaries of what these solutions can do, forcing us to innovate in the way we implement solutions.

“We applaud the dedication of our staff, who ensured that customers were fully satisfied. The breadth of our team has helped deliver results while providing a high level of service and support to our customers,” says Howes.

Braintree’s services include customisation, localisation, project management and technical support for Retail and Microsoft Business Central. LS Central extends Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, an all-in-one ERP which complements the LS Retail offerings to offer a comprehensive retail system. LS One is a retail-only system that is ERP agnostic and can be integrated into a customer’s system of choice (https://bit.ly/3V5XYyY).

“Congratulations to all our Partner Award winners for always raising the bar higher. We are very proud of your success and thankful for your dedication and commitment to LS Retail,” says Peter Vach, Vice President for Partner Operations at LS Retail. “Our partner ecosystem is one of the main reasons for our success – but even more importantly, it is a community. It is a pleasure to have such professional, competent, collaborative people in our ecosystem.”

Nigeria’s 62nd Independence Day On Twitter

Brand Spur
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Nigeria’s 62nd Independence Day On Twitter

On Saturday, October 1, Nigeria celebrated her 62nd Independence Day with a range of reactions from Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora.

 

People across the world took to social media platforms like Twitter to celebrate the day and remember the labours of National heroes, past and present. This year’s independence anniversary had a different air to it and all the reactions were captured on Twitter.

Trending Voices and Hashtags 

The Independence Day conversations on Twitter began with Nigerians providing hilarious commentary on trending videos of paratroopers from the Nigerian military training ahead of October 1st. The anniversary celebration was an eye-catching event which featured parades by Security Services and a wonderful display by the students at the Nigerian Military School, Zaria.

As festivities and celebrations kicked into full gear, Twitter was awash with hashtags like #HappyIndependenceDayNigeria, which trended in the early hours of the day, and #NigeriaAt62, which trended through the day. Many people tagged their posts with the hashtags; a lot of which were creatively themed photos and videos which showed off their pride in Nigerian greens and whites. In this Tweet, former #BBNaija S7 housemate Beauty, was one of many who showed off their Independence Day style on the TL.

 

Live Coverage on Twitter 

There were a ton of Tweets from The Eagle Square in Abuja, where the Federal Government held the official Independence Day ceremony. News outlets like Punch were among those who put out Tweets showing off the colourful range of dignitaries in attendance, as well as this Thread with highlights from the address by President Muhammadu Buhari to the nation.

 

Other media outlets also shared snippets of the anniversary celebration on Twitter. Channels TV posted pictures, highlighting the beauty and glam of the celebrations. Bashir Ahmad, Special Assistant on Digital Communications to President Mohammad Buhari, also posted videos from Eagle Square.

The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo commemorated the day by Tweeting a photo of himself looking at a framed wall of past leaders – the Tweet received a lot of attention and sparked much conversation on Twitter.

 

The feeling of patriotism is always at an all-time high on Independence Day. To show their undying love for Nigeria, celebrities took to Twitter to celebrate with their fans on Independence Day, and to post pictures and videos in the symbolic colours of the Nigerian flag. Artists such as Tiwa Savage were among those who celebrated the motherland.

 

Others like Mohammad Jammal, Don Jazzy, ex-big brother Naija star Mercy and Ahmed Musa put out celebratory Tweets, and a wonderful video by Maria, also an ex-Big Brother Naija star, had #TwitterNaija in a frenzy.

International support and other highlights

Other highlights which absolutely delighted Nigerians on Twitter were the celebratory Tweets from popular football clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Everton, and others commemorating the national day. There were messages of solidarity from other nations, including Saudi Arabia & Greece. The Nigerian embassy in Greece Tweeted congratulations to all Nigerians home and abroad on the anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence.

 

Finally, #TwitterNaija summed it up nicely with the “The flag, The face” trend, showcasing the beauty of Nigerians all around the world.

 

 

UK-Fintech Ebury Enrols In Amazon’s Payment Service Provider Program

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UK-Fintech Ebury Enrols In Amazon’s Payment Service Provider Program

Ebury, a global fintech, is delighted to announce that it has become a member of Amazon’s Payment Service Provider Program (the Program) meaning that sellers using Amazon sites can continue to collect payments in different regions and currencies through Ebury’s platform.

The Program was introduced by Amazon earlier in 2021 as part of its continued efforts to be the safest and most trusted store in the world for customers and Sellers.

Amazon marketplace sellers can now use Ebury’s cross-border platform services which provide local collection accounts in 10 currencies to help them receive funds in their local currency from Amazon.

These FX capabilities also allow businesses to repatriate funds successfully, while Ebury’s forward capabilities help mitigate FX risk for both sellers and their suppliers, achieving price stability and security.

Fernando Pierri, Chief Commercial Officer at Ebury, said: “Ebury’s enrollment in the Payment Services Provider Program is great news for Ebury as well as Amazon e-sellers who are looking to use Ebury’s platform.

“Ebury offers outstanding currency options in its collection services with our forward capabilities helping our clients hedge their FX risk exposures. In tandem with our team of specialists and innovative tech platform, these capabilities give e-commerce businesses the confidence to invest in their international operations, even at times of macroeconomic volatility, and achieve success.”

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