UK marketing slump continues after Covid-19 sparks record decline October 22, 2020 British companies reported another “drastic” cut in marketing budgets in the third quarter after the outbreak of coronavirus sparked the largest ever decline in spend. The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted a sharp drop in ad spend across all formats, with negative sentiment leading marketers to slash budgets. A net balance of -41.0 per cent of [...]
Ant Group gets final approval for world’s biggest stock market float October 21, 2020 China’s Ant Group today won the final nod from regulators for its $35bn (£26.6bn) initial public offering, clearing the way for what could be the largest-ever stock market debut. The fintech giant, which is backed by Chinese ecommerce group Alibaba, today won approval from the country’s top securities watchdog for its registration in Shanghai. Ant [...]
Ericsson boosted by margin growth as China 5G tensions mount October 21, 2020 Ericsson today reported better-than-expected earnings for the third quarter as higher margins and the rollout of 5G in China helped boost trading. Shares in the Swedish telecoms group were up more than seven per cent today as its strategy of improving profitability saw gross margins hit their highest level in 14 years. Adjusted revenue grew [...]
Tiktok expands hate speech policy as watchdog launches crackdown October 21, 2020 Tiktok has vowed to do more to remove harmful content as the media watchdog launches a crackdown on video-sharing platforms. In a blog post published today, the viral video app said it was expanding its policy to take into account coded language and symbols used to spread hateful ideologies. Tiktok already removes content related to [...]
Live music industry warns of 170,000 job losses by end of year October 21, 2020 The UK’s live music industry has warned it will suffer 170,000 job losses before the end of the year if the government fails to offer further support. LIVE, which represents the sector, said the country’s live music workforce was facing a “cliff edge” as the furlough scheme comes to an end at the end of [...]
Saudi crown prince sued over murder of Jamal Khashoggi October 20, 2020 The fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi and a US human rights group have filed a lawsuit against Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman over the journalist’s murder in 2018. The lawsuit, filed in Washington D.C., alleges that Khashoggi was tortured, murdered and dismembered on the orders of prince Mohammed. The crown prince is named alongside more [...]
Google hits back at ‘deeply flawed’ US Justice Department lawsuit October 20, 2020 Google has hit back at a major antitrust lawsuit filed by the US Justice Department, branding it “deeply flawed” and warning that consumers would be negatively affected if the government wins its case. US officials today filed a lawsuit against the tech giant accusing it of breaking the law by using its market power to [...]
Netflix earnings: Is the streamer’s pandemic party coming to an end? October 20, 2020 Netflix will be in the spotlight after the bell this evening as it publishes its earnings for the third quarter. The streaming giant has had a bumper 2020 so far as millions of people have turned to home entertainment during the coronavirus pandemic. But as competition from rivals heats up and the impact of halted [...]
Top English clubs and JP Morgan ‘in talks’ over $6bn European super league October 20, 2020 US banking giant JP Morgan and top-flight English clubs are said to be in talks over a game-changing $6bn (£4.6bn) plot to launch a new Fifa-backed European football league.
Linkedin launches Stories feature in bid to lure in brands October 20, 2020 Linkedin has become the latest social media platform to roll out a Stories feature as it looks to bolster its offering for brands. The professional networking site has rolled out a new function that will allow users to publish photos and videos up to 20 seconds long using the mobile app. The company said the [...]