The controversy could not come at a worse. On the eve of the IPO of Facebook, advertisers have begun to question the effectiveness of ads on Facebook. These are the basic economic model of social network, which is preparing to raise more than $ 16 billion in stock.

The automaker General Motors has announced it was stopping its advertising spending on Facebook, said the Wall Street Journal. This is a budget of 10 million that will evaporate from the platform. GM plans to continue to promote its brands on Facebook, but particularly by exploiting its free services, like his fan page.

It was a risk contemplated by Facebook as a preparatory document for the IPO, filed with the policeman American markets. But it could weigh on growth prospects of Facebook, if other advertisers were to make the same choice.

But a few hours after GM's announcement, another U.S. auto giant has responded, defending the ads on Facebook. "All that matters is performance. Our Facebook ads work when they are combined, strategically, with attractive content and innovation, "the group said Ford on Twitter.

The marketing director of Ford, interviewed by Forbes magazine, believes that we should not "be considered as a simple Facebook ad network," which is broadcast on the same banner ads elsewhere. Before conceding that "it is still early days and measurement criteria are not set to 100%."  

Other observers have called on advertisers to be cautious before max out General Motors: "We do not know why GM commercials have been no results," said Tom Skotidas and founder of an agency marketing to social networks.

One explanation could be introduced by the recent change in its presentation of Facebook pages and profiles, with the launch of the Journal ("Timeline"). The counseling agencies that had established communication strategies based on Facebook tabs and landing pages have in fact seen their recommendations become obsolete overnight.

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Between austerity and growth, Spain and Portugal chose austerity. The two countries have had the opportunity on Wednesday to position themselves on the subject after the election in France of Francois Hollande. Met yesterday in Porto at the twenty-fifth summit Iberian, the two heads of executive kept intact their desire to fulfill their goals of rigor.

The Spaniard Mariano Rajoy and the Portuguese Pedro Passos Coelho spoke with one voice. Asked about the possibility of surrendering to 2014 – instead of 2013 – the target of increasing the public deficit below 3% of GDP, the Spanish prime minister responded without ambiguity. "The debate is not how to relax the requirements, but how to respect our commitments," said Rajoy. "Do not spend what we do not have is a good policy, he said. Spain signed the pact budget and considers it to be maintained. "

Structural reforms

Passos Coelho has said the same direction. Portugal depends on the conditions of a European aid plan, said the Prime Minister, and "if it fails to meet its objectives, it will engage with a new plan that will be more expensive, longer and more expensive socio-economic terms. Nobody wants that. "

The design of the growth of the two leaders did not have much to do with the defenders of the stimulus. "We run growth policies in Europe and in our country, argued the Spanish head of government. We adopt structural reforms that take effect in the medium and long term. "

Since taking office four months ago, Rajoy flexibilized labor law, encouraged bank mergers and generalized rigor. Passos Coelho also expressed the way forward: "We can not grow if the debt is unsustainable, he thought. Fiscal restraint is the first step of a return to growth. "

Only concession to the stimulus, the role given to the European Investment Bank. "We defend the idea of ​​reinforcing the EIB to take into account SMEs and micro-businesses," said Passos Coelho well.

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The scene is legendary: Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, eye to eye, to say goodbye. Then a detail: the famous American actor wears a trench coat of the British brand Burberry. It is this image of one of the last minutes of the film Casablanca, released in 1942, which is causing a standoff between the brand and the heirs of Humphrey Bogart.

They have filed a complaint this week against Burberry, alleging that it had used this image without their consent on Twitter and in the timeline of the brand on Facebook. "Burberry needed the permission of Bogart representatives to use the name of Humphrey Bogart," said the lawyer of the heirs, Michael O. Crain. The specific brand, meanwhile, have been contacted at least three times since last month by the heirs of the actor, who made a "significant financial request."

For Stephen Bogart, son of famous actor, Burberry has acted in a "disrespectful and incredibly disappointing cash advance no faxing." "They apparently believe that a shoe manufacturer has the right to make a commercial with Brad Pitt because he wears them when he made his mark jogging, (…) without asking, let alone obtain their permission." , is outraged he.

Burberry wants "to illustrate his story"

But Burberry defends itself and file its own complaint against the legatees of Bogart. She claims to have obtained permission to use the photo agency Corbis. Moreover, the image was not published in a context of "sale of goods," argued the brand, but "was intended to illustrate the long history, meaning and influence of Burberry clothes on society." Facebook page of Burberry and other rub shoulders with famous wore trench brand, like Robert Mitchum in Hang me high and short, George C. Scott Patton and Meryl Streep in Kramer against Kramer.

What are the main beneficiaries of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and how do they perceive? The information is all there is to public. The Ministry of Agriculture has indeed publish on its website the names of beneficiaries and the amount of aid they received for the period 16 October 2010 to October 15, 2011. A bond required by the European Commission in March 2008 in the interests of transparency and legitimacy of the main EU budget. France, which is the largest producer of EU agricultural and therefore the largest recipient of aid, receives a budget of nearly EUR 10 billion. This fee is in two forms. The largest portion, nearly 8.5 billion euros, is awarded through direct aids per hectare (single premium rights or DPU). They fall under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF). To this must be added indirect support related to the development of dependent territories of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). An envelope that reaches 1.3 billion euros.

For a year, and for the sake of "respect for private life", the only data with regard to individual farmers but more the corporate structures of the type EARL (farm limited liability) or GAEC (farming groups in common ). They also relate to producer organizations, agribusinesses, communities, not to mention charitable organizations or associations.

Chief among the beneficiaries of the CAP, we find the poultry group Doux Breton which collects about $ 54 million of EU agricultural subsidies. "These are export refunds for chicken, it says the Department of Agriculture. Aid to offset the costs of production and processing higher in France than its international competitors on historical markets of the Middle East. The position of Brussels is to reduce them. "Second Beneficiary: Regional Committee for the conversion of vineyards in the Languedoc for more than 32 million euros. "They are restructuring aid which are managed collectively and are then redistributed to growers," says one rue de Varenne.

Modernization and research

On the third place, the Sugar Reunion (31 million) of Tereos. "They relate to specific incentives for overseas departments to maintain the historical purchase price of sugarcane paid to producers after the entry into force of the common market organization in 2006, says one in 29 million Tereos.Plus are redistributed to farmers, the rest is reinvested in modernizing the industry and research. "followed by the French Federation of Food Banks (30 million) under the European program to help more poor (PEAD). Finally, France Luzerne, cooperative of the Marne, receives 23 million euros of aid related to dehydrated alfalfa. "They are paid directly to producers in 2012," says one to the Department of Agriculture.

]]> http://hastingsjaycees.org/cap-list-of-top-recipients-released/feed/ 0 http://hastingsjaycees.org/murdoch-unfit-to-lead-an-international-group/ http://hastingsjaycees.org/murdoch-unfit-to-lead-an-international-group/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 13:32:08 +0000 admin http://hastingsjaycees.org/murdoch-unfit-to-lead-an-international-group/  

From our correspondent in London

Rupert Murdoch and his son James are roundly scolded by a British parliamentary committee responsible for a report on the scandal of the late plays of the tabloid News of the World. Rupert Murdoch "is not fit to lead a large international group," concludes the report, released Tuesday. The board deems "surprising" the allegations of Murdoch, father and son under which they would not have been in practice courtant espionage on a large scale in force in their newspapers. "Rupert Murdoch closed his eyes and demonstrated a willful blindness to what was happening in their societies and publications," the whips 121-page report, the culmination of nine months of hearings. MEPs also say that the News of the World and its publisher News International deliberately "misled the committee about the true nature and extent of the investigations they claimed to have carried on wiretapping."

Several leaders of the media group, are also the subject of harsh criticism. His ex-CEO Les Hinton is considered an "accomplice" of concealment of practices in the home. The parliamentary committee has, however, divided on the report's findings, adopted by six votes against four. Conservative members refused to accept the judgment against Rupert Murdoch's ability to manage. Labour MP Tom Watson, spearheading the investigation, has firmly told the opposite: "News International has conducted a cover-up scale of its illegal actions. Its top leaders have lied to parliament repeatedly. And the two men at the head, Rupert and James Murdoch, should now respond to these facts. They have corrupted our country to shame our police and our parliament. They lied, cheated, practiced blackmail and intimidation. "

David Cameron called

The report leaves the House of Commons to decide on possible sanctions, which could involve the convening of Rupert Murdoch for a public apology. It is an embarrassment media mogul facing some of its shareholders, especially Americans, tired of the damage inflicted by News Corp. in this case. The report could also weigh negatively in the review by Ofcom, the regulator of the British media, the legitimacy of the group to manage the BSkyB satellite TV bouquet, whose license could be withdrawn.

Finally, the parliamentary report increases the pressure on David Cameron, who was summoned Monday to the House of Commons where he justified his support for his culture minister Jeremy Hunt challenged for its proximity to the leaders of the Murdoch group in reviewing the file BSkyB. Tom Watson claimed that the Prime Minister and his predecessors Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, the court submit to their email exchanges with the leaders of the Murdoch group.

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The misfortune of one is the happiness of others! The soaring oil bill burden on household budgets Western made the fortune of the Gulf countries. The Institute of International Finance (IIF) evokes that an increase of over 19% in one year the amount of net foreign assets of the wealthy Gulf states this year. In 2012, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, and should show net foreign assets of 1900 billion against $ 1.6 trillion of assets held in late 2011. And the outbreak of the assets of these countries should increase to 2140 billion at the end of 2012, provides for the IIF, provided that oil prices and production levels remain unchanged.  

These Gulf countries should also make record oil revenues of 572 billion this year, against 538 billion in 2011, according to estimates by the financial organization. Their nominal GDP added totaled 1.4 trillion dollars last year, posting an annual increase of 31%. Their sum is expected to reach 1.5 trillion dollars at the end of this year, still provides the IIF.

The six monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are indeed the prime beneficiaries of record oil prices since they own 40% of global oil reserves and 25% of those of natural gas. These oil-producing countries have spare capacity in oil production from 2.5 million to 3 million barrels per day (bpd), indicates the financial organization.

But these natural assets are not everything. The institute suggests the existence of risks detrimental to the growth of the Gulf and especially the impact Arab Spring or tensions over Iran. The institute plans to capitalize on a growth rate of the six countries of 4.9% this year and 4.2% in 2013 against 6.9% in 2011.

While Germany has recovered its investment before the crisis of 2008, the French business leaders remain on the defensive. According to a study by the credit insurer Euler Hermes from 1684 businesses for the periods May 2011-September 2011 and November 2011-January 2012, a third of companies have stopped their investment in the second half of 2011. Small companies doing less than 4 million, including retail trade, are particularly affected. The lack of visibility is the main reason. "A fog effect resulted in a sharp decline in investment decisions and the quality of investment deteriorates," said Ludovic Subran, chief economist at Euler Hermes.

All sectors have reacted the same way. "45% of service companies have decided to halt their investments regardless of their size. Conversely, the food industry – particularly large – were able to hold their own game: + 8% investment rate compared to the average of other sectors. This can be explained by the fact that they export more, "says Ludovic Subran.

Uncertainty on taxation

The gloom has also dictated the attitude of two thirds of enterprises which increased their capital spending last year compared to 2010. They did so because they had invested in the first half and could no longer freeze spending in the second half.

The trend remains the same for this year. Only a quarter of French companies expected to increase their investment spending. Wait-they do not invest in new markets or improve their research, but to renew their equipment or to retrofit. "Companies are very concerned," says Ludovic Sénécaut, France region responsible Euler Hermes. It is true that business prospects are not encouraging. Euler Hermes is forecasting growth of 0.4% this year. Uncertainties about the evolution of taxation in the aftermath of the presidential election are high. "Our growth will suffer austerity plans of other countries as well as historic highs in terms of savings and unemployment impacting the consumer," says Ludovic Sénécaut. The credit insurer expects a 4% increase in business failures expected to affect 63,500 businesses.

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It was too dry in southern Europe. Particularly in Portugal, where the month of February was the driest in 80 years, and Spain. "The disturbances do not pass. (…) We are witnessing an upsurge in forest fires and streams experiencing flow rates up to 80% below normal, "noted recently The Weather Channel. "No improvement, or real return of rain is expected," worries do we, as the drought could lead to "catastrophic harvest."

Red indicates a severe drought.