DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Media OutReach – 26 May 2022 – Bybit’s World Series of Trading (WSOT) has been blazing a trail in competitive digital assets trading, and this year is no exception with registrations set to open on May 26, 2022. Players will compete in the world’s largest crypto trading tournament for a share of the record-breaking prize pool consisting of up to 8 million USDT, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other perks and giveaways. To champion crypto as a force for empowerment for girls’ education, through the flagship event, Bybit will be donating $400,000 in Bitcoin to UNICEF.
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Stanbic IBTC continued to champion the job creation drive in Nigeria through initiatives such as its graduate trainee programme and various entrepreneurial programmes, which had created job opportunities for Nigerians.
Dr Demola Sogunle, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC commented on the financial institutions’ role as a job provider in Nigeria. He said the financial services provider was always at the forefront in bridging Nigeria’s unemployment deficit through its various programmes and provided necessary tools for its graduands to navigate through the 21st century job environment.
“As a financial institution that placed much value on job creation, Stanbic IBTC continued to provide various employment opportunities geared at bridging the nation’s unemployment gap. Through our various graduate trainee programmes, we had ushered successful candidates out of the despair of unemployment and economic instability. Unemployment figure released by the National Bureau of Statistics was quite high, at 33.3 per cent.” Demola said.
“Graduates under our trainee programmes were exposed to seasoned subject experts in artificial intelligence and machine learning, financial management, data, cloud and blockchain technology. Stanbic IBTC has enabled numerous graduates to be prepared for the future,” he added.
The Chief Executive noted that Stanbic IBTC would continue to provide opportunities for Nigerians to achieve their dreams and contribute to bridging the nation’s unemployment deficit.
“At Stanbic IBTC, we strongly believe in the dreams and aspirations of every Nigerian and we remain committed to providing avenues for fulfilling these aspirations,” Demola said.
Funke Amobi, Country Head, People and Culture, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC commented on the role Stanbic IBTC played in bridging Nigeria’s unemployment deficit. She said the financial services provider had taken the lead to provide job opportunities for Nigerian youths despite the economic challenges that plagued business organisations.
“The importance of job opportunities cannot be overemphasised in Nigeria. As a corporate entity, we have lived up to these responsibilities, and have provided opportunities to Nigerians through our trainee programmes. Also, our entrepreneurial programmes are geared at equipping beneficiaries with the required skills to run successful businesses, and thus enhancing employment generation. ,” Funke said.
She further assured Nigerians that the organisation would continue to provide opportunities for citizens to achieve their aspirations.
Evolution Fresh is a California-based producer of primarily organic, cold-pressed juice and smoothie products.
Private equity firm Butterfly specialises in the food sector with a particular focus on high-growth, on-trend categories. Evolution Fresh will join Butterfly’s brand portfolio which includes Chosen Foods, MaryRuth Organics, Orgain, and Pete and Gerry’s Organics.
Hans Melotte, Starbucks executive vice president of global channel development, said: “Evolution Fresh has grown steadily over the last several years as a result of our partners’ hard work and commitment to the brand. We feel there is a great runway and opportunity to take Evolution Fresh to the next level and Bolthouse Farms’ considerable experience and success in the premium beverage category will allow the brand to continue growing.”
He continued: “Bolthouse Farms shares the same values and commitment to putting people first in everything they do, which affirms for us that we have found the right opportunity for Evolution Fresh”.
Starbucks acquired Evolution Fresh in 2011 for $30 million. Starbucks stores within the US will continue to sell Evolution Fresh products.
The transaction, which is for an undisclosed amount, is expected to close later in 2022.
General Mills has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Helper and Suddenly Salad businesses to Kelso & Company portfolio company, Eagle Family Foods Group, for approximately $610 million.
Helper and Suddenly Salad products are sold under the Betty Crocker brand and include boxed instant meals and side dishes.
The acquisition creates three diversified platforms within Eagle Foods – snacks, baking, and meals and sides.
Jon Nudi, General Mills group president, North America retail, commented: “With this divestiture, we are continuing to reshape our portfolio and advance our accelerate strategy. This transaction improves our North America retail segment’s growth profile and allows us to increase our focus on brands and categories where we have the best opportunities to drive profitable growth.”
Bernard Kreilmann, CEO of Eagle Foods, said: “We are builders of brands, categories and people. The Helper and Suddenly Salad brands, with strong heritage and high consumer awareness, are a perfect fit for what Eagle does best – investing in, innovating and revitalising brands to drive growth and nurture them to reach their full potential.”
The proposed transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2023 and is subject to regulatory approval.
Digital technology has become a foundational element for all industries, but retail is facing several challenges that have brought it to the fore. The industry has been reshaped by a number of factors—including the rise of e-commerce and omnichannel, changing customer behavior and hype personalization, and growing supply chain complexity—all of which have been accelerated by the pandemic.
These shifts have heightened the pressure on retailers’ bottom line: over the past five years, margins have been shrinking by two to three percentage points per year, or even by as much as five to six percentage points, depending on the vertical.
A robust tech foundation can give retailers the capabilities to boost performance across the board, but to date, most organizations haven’t made sufficient progress and are missing opportunities as a result. Only a few retailers have built true omnichannel offerings, harnessed data at scale, and implemented agile ways of working throughout their organizations.
To reverse the negative trajectory of recent years, bold action is needed: retailers must undertake a radical transformation of their tech function—both its architecture and its operating model.
This finding upholds the idea that technology will be a core driver of next-generation retail growth and will fuel omnichannel customer experience, smart offerings, and lean operations, as well as emerging business models such as data monetization. Retailers can follow a five-step action plan to assess the maturity of their IT landscape and their underlying organization and operating model. With these insights, retailers can then make the right strategic investments in technology to supercharge their performance.
Payoneer, the commerce technology company powering payments and growth for the new global economy, today appointed John Caplan co-Chief Executive Officer and Director alongside current CEO Scott Galit, effective immediately.
Galit and Caplan will lead the firm as co-CEOs during a transition period through the end of 2023 when Caplan will take the helm as CEO and Galit will continue in a strategic role.
Caplan will use his deep experience working with global companies to drive Payoneer’s growth at scale, expand the company’s suite of products, and serve customers who are scaling businesses in today’s digital economy, all in close collaboration with Galit.
Caplan will assume leadership over the business organization and core corporate functions. Galit will continue to oversee Payoneer’s regulated activities and lead the delivery functions that underpin the business.
“I have known John professionally for several years and have great admiration and respect for his accomplishments and his values. We share a vision of how the digital world is transforming global commerce, how SMBs have a bigger role to play, and how today’s great companies must be built around customer and employee centricity,” stated Scott Galit. “The opportunities in front of Payoneer and our customers are vast. The Board of Directors and I believe the next decade will require transformational leadership to match those opportunities. I am excited to partner with John as Payoneer continues to build a platform tailor-fit for the new global economy.”
Caplan is an executive, investor and entrepreneur with a track record of scaling companies in the digital economy. Most recently, he was President of North America and Europe at Alibaba.com, the cross-border B2B business unit of Alibaba Group. In this role, he helped lead its transformation into one of Alibaba Group’s fastest-growing and most profitable business units. Caplan joined Alibaba’s team in 2017 following its acquisition of OpenSky, an SMB software platform he founded in 2009, which empowered e-commerce SMBs to optimize their distribution across marketplaces.
“I am delighted to welcome John to Payoneer. He is an inspiring leader and experienced company-builder,” said Avi Zeevi, Chairman of Payoneer. “Payoneer is a global brand trusted by millions of businesses in over 190 countries and territories worldwide. The Board is confident John and Scott will be a great team that will leverage Payoneer’s assets and current momentum to lead us into our next chapter of growth.”
“I’m thrilled to be joining Payoneer,” added John Caplan. “Payoneer has robust financials, an industry-leading portfolio of services, a large and growing global customer base and a trusted partnership ecosystem that cannot be easily replicated. We have the can-do spirit, capability, trusted brand, talented and diverse global team to engage and serve businesses worldwide, and in doing so create shareholder value for many years to come.”
“This is the time for us to be even bolder as we continue to build. I am honoured to partner with Scott and the Payoneer team to do just that, carrying on the company’s mission of bringing a universe of opportunities to businesses of any size, anywhere in the world.”
“Payoneer’s customers are the heartbeat of the entrepreneurial global economy. When they do well, local communities thrive.”
In celebration of its 10 years of existence, First Katalyst Marketing Limited, a leading Below-the-line agency, is set to mark the milestone with a thought leadership session tagged “The Marketing Conclave” holding on June 2, 2022.
The Managing Director of the First Katalyst Marketing Limited, Soji Odedina disclosed these to journalists at a press briefing held Tuesday, May 24 in Ikeja, Lagos.
Soji said the initiatives are aimed at giving back to society and the marketing landscape. He added that it will honour its staff at its award and party slated to hold June 2.
He explained that the launch of Marketing Conclave to hold at D’Podium Event Centre has “Marketing into the Future” as its theme, and Professor Chris Ogbechie, Dean of Lagos Business School is billed as the speaker to deliver the keynote address.
“Top executives from both client and agency sides in the integrated marketing communications industry will also speak at the event on two different subthemes; “Advertising Regulations in The Age Of New Media”, and “Below The Line, Above The Line, Where Is The Line?”
‘The Marketing Conclave’ media briefing
He emphasized that The Marketing Conclave is part of his agency’s contributions to the growth of the marketing industry and plans are in the pipeline to make the event an annual memorable event.
Odedina explain further: “The Marketing Conclave is our 10th-anniversary gift to the marketing community in Africa. As a platform, it is designed to bring practitioners together to discuss matters arising with respect to theory and practice.
“Professor Chris Ogbechie, Dean Lagos Business School will deliver the 2022 keynote address and be inducted into Nigeria’s Marketing Hall of Fame as the man who pioneered BTL/Experiential Marketing practice in West Africa with his Contact Marketing Services Ltd set up in 1991.,” he said.
He added, “The event will kick off with an exciting exhibition of our Clients’ Brands before we kick off with The Conclave. A long list of distinguished panelists has been assembled to include Tunji Olugbodi, Steve Babaeko, Emmanuel Agu, Kenny Salami, Tunji Adeyinka, and a host of others. Of course, Brand Communicator is our media partner. We promise an unforgettable experience.”
Brand Spur Nigeria reports that First Katalyst Marketing had also evolved into a Group over the years, with subsidiaries such as FK Digital, Image Target – Outdoor, SSB Africa, and FK Foods. Meanwhile, each sister company has its management team and runs on its own steam.
Currently, the agency has a presence in Ghana and plans to expand to other African countries soon. “But today I am Happy to announce that our Ghana office is fully operational with Akosa Agbu, a Nigerian with 21 years of experience working in Ghana as an expatriate, as our Country Director. We are going to continue our expansion along that corridor with a focus on Cote D’Ivoire and Cameroon. Our Clients need our services in those markets.”
It also has manage some of the leading brands in the country and the continent such as Guinness/Diageo, MTN, Fan Milk/Danone, Kimberly Clarke, PZ, Lafarge, Godrej, Saro Africa, Chi Limited – A Coca-Cola Company among others.
As part of the celebration, the organisation is also embarking on a charity project in its decision to give back to the society. It has also secured the permission of the relevant authorities to renovate the sickbay of the Adeniyi Jones Pry School at Akora, Lagos as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Brand Spur Nigeria reports that the Glo NIN campaign currently being aired on some TV stations and social media platforms was neither submitted nor approved for exposure by the Advertising Standards Panels (ASP), the statutory body charged with the responsibility of ensuring that advertisements conform with the prevailing laws of the federation as well as the code of ethics of advertising in Nigeria.
In letter written to Globacom Limited, other media station, APCON ordered the advert be brought down to stop further exposure of the advertisement/commercial on all media platforms (broadcast and social media).
See letter below;
Recall APCON earlier in the week emphasized on the drastic measure to be imposed on unlicensed digital advertisers.
Speaking to newsmen on Monday, May 23, 2022, APCON Registrar/ Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo stated that in the bid to drastically reduce the unethical digital advert practices in Nigeria, the Corporate Licensing agency is making moves with the support of the Nigerian Police Force and the National Assembly to regulate the digital media space.
Dr Lekan’s said, “There is a lot going on in the digital media space and its high-time we make moves to regulate them. Following several petitions of activities of people operating in the digital media space, the National Assembly has passed a resolution directing APCON to take responsibility for the digital media space, not withstanding the ongoing APCON law review.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 26 May 2022 – As the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has continued for over two years, a fast and accurate antibody detection method can help assess the antibody content of the human body, as well as provide reference data for healthcare departments to formulate appropriate vaccination measures. In the long run, the antibody content data can also contribute to epidemiological studies and vaccine development. In view of this, a research team from the Department of Applied Physics of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has successfully developed an ultrasensitive and portable COVID-19 antibody detection sensor based on organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) technology. Fast and easy-to-use, the sensor is designed for testing the antibody levels of people who have either received vaccination or have been infected with the virus.
The COVID-19 antibody detection sensor developed by the PolyU research team comes with an array of advantages – it is highly sensitive, portable, rapid, easy-to-use and low-cost.
The COVID-19 antibody detection sensor developed by the PolyU research team comes with an array of advantages – it is highly sensitive, portable, rapid, easy-to-use and low-cost. The testing procedure is very simple. First, turn on the sensor and connect it to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. Then, drop 10uL of a saliva (or serum) sample on the transistor test area to allow the antibody-antigen reaction. Wait for five minutes, then extract the saliva sample and add an electrolyte drop on the test area. Press the button on the smartphone app to start the test. After about 20 seconds, the app will display the antibody content level of the saliva sample.
The whole detection process takes less than six minutes and the cost per test is only about HK$10.
The antibody detection sensor can test the concentration of antibodies from lower than 10fM to higher than 100nM. The detection limit satisfies the needs of exquisite analytical sensitivity for saliva.
Principal Investigator of the study, Professor Feng YAN, Professor of the Department of Applied Physics at PolyU, said, “Our research team developed a novel technology by applying voltage pulses on the gate of the sliced transistor to accelerate the incubation process resulting in a significant decrease in the overall detection time. Since the detection process is non-invasive, using only saliva instead of blood, self-sampling is highly possible. Moreover, the operation and result reading are very simple with the use of a smartphone, and hence the sensor is suitable for instant detection and large-scale screening scenarios.”
The next plan of the research team is to apply for funding for clinical studies in collaboration with different medical and testing institutions. The research team expects that the novel device can be commercialised as soon as practicable and applied for antibody detection of other viruses, helping to fight diseases and making contributions to epidemiological studies and vaccine development.
5-day “Bonaqua® Green Market Fair” Promotes Sustainability
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 26 May 2022 – Bonaqua®, the leading bottled water brand[1], is bringing its first individual sale label-less bottled water anywhere in the world to shelves across all channels in Hong Kong. The potentially game-changing design uses fewer packaging materials and improves bottle recyclability.
Mr. Tim Warwick
Bonaqua’s First Individual Sale Label-less Bottled Water Anywhere in the World
The locally produced Bonaqua® Mineralized Water uses 100% rPET for production, and makes its bottle 52.8%[2] lighter than the conventional PET bottle. Using laser incising technology to highlight product information on the bottle and having a bottle cap (also smaller than the conventional bottle cap) with a sales barcode enables individual sale of the products. The design and the products’ broader availability allows more Hong Kong consumers to participate in building a world without waste. The effort echoes Bonaqua®’s commitment to sustainable solutions and inspiring more consumers to adopt sustainable lifestyles.
New Green Community Program Is About to Start
Bonaqua® is committed to promoting sustainable development throughout the years, e.g. conducting community sustainability awareness campaigns, e.g., the ‘Power of Less’ campaign. This year, partnering with its bottling partner Swire Coca-Cola Hong Kong, Bonaqua® will contribute HK$ 2 million for piloting a community packaging waste recovery program aiming to collect and recycle used bottles or cans in a more efficient approach.
Green Market Fair Promotes Sustainable Lifestyles
Bonaqua® is delighted to present the inaugural Green Market Fair, to be held at the Steam Hub on the first floor of Central Market from 26 to 30 May 2022. It will feature a series of exhibits and various workshops, allowing visitors to practice recycling and sustainable living. Four Eco workshops, curated by local artists to highlight the potential use of sustainable materials in handicraft, art, and fashion.
“As Hong Kong’s most popular bottled water brand, it’s a bold move for Bonaqua® to pilot the launch of its individual sale label-less bottled water anywhere in the world. We are indeed championing a potentially game-changing form of future packaging. By making the Bonaqua label-less bottled water available to a broader range of customers, we would like to invite more consumers to take part in building a world without waste. By going label-less, Bonaqua is enhabling the ‘Power of Less’,” says Tim Warwick, Vice President of Operations for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and Mongolia at The Coca-Cola Company.
“As Coca-Cola’s bottling partner, we will continue to leverage our expertise and develop new manufacturing technologies so as to offer consumers even more eco-friendly beverage choices. We weave sustainability into the fabric of our endeavors, including design, sourcing, production and delivery. It is our mission to contribute to a more sustainable way of living,” says Connie Yeung, Director and General Manager of Swire Coca-Cola HK.
To learn more about the Bonaqua® label-less mineralized water, customers can contact the Swire Coca-Cola Hong Kong customer service hotline at +852 2210 3888. They can also purchase the products via the current distribution channels and Swire Coca-Cola HK eShop (www.swirecocacolahk.com) and enjoy complimentary local delivery service when they spend a specific amount.
Details of “Bonaqua® Green Market Fair”
Dates:
26 – 30 May 2022
Time:
10 am – 8 pm
Location :
Steam Hub, 1/F of Central Market
Free workshops :
“Art Print Drawstring Bags”
26 May, 4 to 5 pm
28 May, 12 to 1 pm
29 May, 12 to 1 pm
“Multi-Purpose Water Bottle Holders”
26 May, 6 to 7 pm
27 May, 12 to 1 pm
30 May, 12 to 1 pm
“Graffiti Art T-shirts”
27 May, 4 to 5 pm
30 May, 4 to 5 pm
“Eco-Friendly Double-Sided Shoulder Bags”
28 May, 4 to 6 pm
29 May, 4 to 6 pm
Registration :
Walk-in applications at the event venue are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
[1] 1 Nielsen MarketTrack Service data shows that Bonaqua® was ranked first in Sales Volume (Litre) in the Packaged Water category for the 15-year period ending November 2021 for Total Supermarkets, CVS, Drug Stores, Provision Stores and Soft Drink Outlets in Hong Kong.
[2] Bonaqua®’s 500 ml bottle weighs 11.8g, which is lighter than the typical PET bottle found in the market, which weighs 18 – 32g. (Source: New Life Plastics Ltd – https://www.nlplastics.com.hk/pet-hdpe/)
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries. In Hong Kong, the company has a portfolio covering sparkling, sweetened and unsweetened tea, juice, sports drink, water, enhanced hydration beverages, etc. We have 15 brands offering 70 different variants such as “Coca-Cola”, “Coca-Cola No Sugar”, “Coke Plus”, “Sprite”, “Fanta”, “Schweppes”, “OOHA”, “Bonaqua” Mineralized Water, “Authentic Tea House”, “Minute Maid”, “Minute Maid Qoo”, “Glaceau vitaminwater”, “Yeung Gwong”, “Aquarius”, “Healthworks”, and “Kochakaden” CRAFTEA”. We are constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. Learn more at https://www.coca-colacompany.com/ and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
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