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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Airbus partners with Boeing. This is not a fiction but rather the reality since the last Summit Aviation held in Geneva in late March. On this occasion, the two rivals always have also announced their association with the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer to develop the use of biofuels. The day before, Airbus had announced to produce research-based biofuel … eucalyptus. A plant that will join other plants already used as a fuel, such as camelina, jatropha, algae, or even coconut. "We conduct research to develop sustainable aviation. So we decided, in collaboration with the airline Virgin Australia, to establish a sustainable chain of biofuel production in Eucalyptus in Australia for use in aeronautics, "said Frederic Eychenne, project manager new energy Airbus.  

Grown on arid land, the mallee, a species of eucalyptus, will be harvested and crushed every three to six years. The resulting biomass is then converted into hydrocarbon fuel can be used for airplanes. Through a pyrolysis process, the mallee is then transformed. "Overall, this is to burn biomass without oxygen (through a chemical process), to extract a basic product that will eventually be processed to obtain biofuel. He will then have to mix it with kerosene 'fossil' of 50% up to use it. Indeed, the chemical composition of biofuels does not currently use 100% for aircraft "Frederick develops Eychenne.

Boeing converges in the same direction Airbus

For its part, Boeing also aims to accelerate the commercialization of environmentally friendly fuels, accounting for 1,500 passenger flights on biofuel made during the last two years. Richard Mills, spokesman for Boeing on issues of biofuels in Europe, said: "Today, biofuels reduce carbon emissions in partnership with airlines. Overall, governments are beginning to express their interest and support efforts, which is essential to help us achieve our goal: that flights 1% biofuel use on average by 2015. "…. ….

The aircraft manufacturer is also studying, as part of its research program, the possibilities of using alcohol as fuel.

Biofuels more expensive than kerosene, lack of industry

Philippe Novelli, project manager at ONERA, the French aerospace equivalent of NASA, has also led the European study SWAFEA (Sustainable Way for Alternative Fuel and Energy Aviation), on the issue of biofuels in aviation paperless payday loans. He said by 2020, the processes under development are expected to be pure biofuels for aviation. Philippe Novelli adds: "To date, due to the lack of real industrial production, airlines pay biofuels about four times more expensive than kerosene. The prospects for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, however, are considerable: up to 85% for the best performing sectors such as BTL (Biomass to Liquid) produced from lignocellulose. "However, the obtaining of significant emission reductions of greenhouse gas emissions requires precautions regarding the conditions of biomass production, as outlined in the specialist ONERA.

Fuels in search of a certification

To date, there are two processes for receiving the seal of biofuels aviation authorities, ASTM International and the FAA: hydrotreated vegetable oils and synthetic fuels from biomass. Eucalyptus does not yet part of this approach where aircraft manufacturers support new biofuel for approval.

Side of engine (Saffron, Rolls Royce, General Electric or Pratt & Whitney), there is to date no formal terms of biofuels, in the sense that they are compatible with existing systems. Indeed, all biofuels are "drop-in", that is to say fully compatible with conventional reservoirs, which does not necessitate the development of new types of engines.

Steadily over the last ten years, civil aviation accounts for 2.7% of global carbon emissions, far behind the automotive industry, which accounts for 52%. The challenge is to meet the requirements set by the EU to all transport, including the requirement to use a minimum of 10% biofuels by 2020.

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After the United States, Canada, Britain and Japan, Google is embarking on movie rentals in France. "Several hundred feature films from major Hollywood studios and French are available for rent today," said Google France Thursday on his blog.

The films include new releases available at 3.99 euros in high definition and VF, such as Drive, Tintin and The Year of the State, and feature films catalog at 2.99 euros (3.99 euros HD) as The Jerk, Pirates of the Caribbean and Inside Man. These films come from partnerships with EuropaCorp, M6 Video / SND, Europe Disney, NBC Universal and Sony Pictures. The lease is for one month, and the reading must be completed within 48 hours.

Play Google, reply to iTunes

Movie rentals enrich Google under "Movies" from YouTube No teletrack payday loans. They are also the new Google platform Play, launched in early March, which integrates the Android application store (eg Android Market) and could accommodate the service Google Music at its launch in France.

With "Play", Google seems to replicate the strategy of Apple's iTunes. The films are not only readable from a computer, but also from within the application "Google Movies Play 'on the shelves, and Android smartphones (but not television). Sign of the importance of Google Play, a link to the new service appears in this week since the navigation bar of Google, along with research, Google Maps and Google +.

Users are indeed more likely to make purchases from the shelf but it's mostly e-commerce, according to a survey conducted by Orange. And if they plébiscitent reading news on this screen pleasant, that finds her diary, they are not necessarily willing to pay. In the U.S., only 14% of users have an application fee information, the survey conducted in the fall by the Pew Research Center Center among 1200 users. Only 21% would be willing to pay $ 5 a month to access their preferred source of information on shelf.

In France, the time spent reading newspaper articles increased by 75% for tablet users. The tablet has changed the online consumer and has particular evening.

"63% of these same consumers prefer the traditional players in the information, having a strong brand, aggregators like Google News," according to a study by the agency Starcom and BBC.com. But only 2% of households are equipped … And it is especially the magazines that have taken their game from the start by providing copies of pay. Newspapers rely surf craze enhance their subscription offer which allows to find the newspaper on all media.

"Buy simple and painless"

In addition to revenue from advertising, some also hope to sell their content on the tablet. "People are willing to spend as long as the act of purchase is simple and painless, around € 0 my credit score.10 article," said William Multrier, which launched YouMag, an aggregator of content by topic, iPad . "The economy of the media on the net is made of small numbers." Ad rates have fallen "but the production costs of essays pure player more," Sire Cédric assumes, of Webedia. Clearly, traditional media will survive after a diet, tablets or not.

Especially as intermediaries try to capture this market. Several aggregators have joined the race. They propose a new reading experience. Flipboard, for example, appears as the contents recovered a magazine on social networks. But the media are wary of these intermediaries that undermine the unity of the mark (before they bought a newspaper and not an article or section). Moreover, "they are only useful for more widely distributed paid content. Otherwise, on the free items, they cannibalize our advertising revenue, "says does one group within the French ePresse Premium.

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Antoine Frérot, CEO of Veolia, has again scored points in the guerrilla who opposes Proglio, former CEO of the environment and current president of EDF. Thursday, the Board of Directors of Veolia was held in the absence of Proglio. The meeting, which took place in calm, devoted to a marked shift in the balance of power between the two men at the expense of Proglio, and in favor of Mr. Frérot.

Esther Koplowitz and Jean-Francois Dehecq, two directors of Proglio relatives, should leave the Board in effect at the expiration of their term at the general meeting on May 16, 2012. The banker at Lazard, George Ralli, hitherto independent director and be close to Proglio, will he, the representative of Groupama, in place of Jean Azema, arrived five months ago the management of the mutual insurer .  

"Engendering the board"

Finally, Serge Michel, the fourth director whose term will soon expire, is the only one to be renewed as it is. 85 years old and named, like all other board members when Proglio was CEO of Veolia, this connoisseur of Veolia always follows the group and its executives very closely.

Antoine Frérot wanted, according to a close, "feminize the board and introduce other adminirtrateurs present and ready to engage in the conduct of Veolia Environnement." Two women, Maryse Aulagnon, founding president of the Affine group, specializing in commercial real estate, and Nathalie Rachou, manager of Topiary Finance, should come to the board at the general meeting, as well as the general manager of the automotive Valeo, Jacques Aschenbroich. Finally, Augustin de Romanet, who recently retired head of the Deposit, Veolia's largest shareholder with 9.2% stake, will be replaced by chief financial officer of the public group, Olivier Mareuse.

Of seventeen directors, only three or four belong, after the meeting, the clan of personalities hostile to Mr. Frérot. The risk of a challenge after the elections, the leadership of this group which the State is not a shareholder, seems to go away.

In February, Proglio had sought to evict his ex-Dolphin Executive Officer of Veolia. He had found the boards of other voices to challenge the implementation of the recovery plan of the group. But the prospect of arrival of former Minister of Ecology Jean-Louis Borloo, opportunely announced in early March, killed the project in the bud. Better, Mr. Frérot then received its directors affirmed its support radical strategy, focused on an overall cost reduction, debt and group activities to local services. Although some have yet to see "how the restructuring is taking place," investors and financial analysts have welcomed the decision of the board. The stock has gained 1.08% Thursday. Worst performance of the CAC 40 in 2011, he returned 43% since January 1. What, again, release the pressure on the group.

The salary, all countries are not on the same wavelength. The annual survey of international recruitment firm Robert Walters (*) shows the differences. In 2011, it was better to work in Germany or Brazil in the UK.

Germany, China, Brazil, Australia have indeed seen increased hiring and salaries of managers. The United Kingdom registered a decrease in compensation of 10%. In France, the pay increase was zero. The observation conceals extremes.

"In the first quarter, experienced managers have benefited from the carrier dynamics and wage inflation, making up two years of stagnation, and that in all trades and all sectors, says Antoine Morgaut, CEO Continental Europe and Latin America by Robert Walters. September marked the return of uncertainty. Recruitments were maintained in a market where demand frameworks has become structural, but overall the catch was interrupted. "

Premium experts

Only to take their game, the experts benefited from strong market demand shortage. Some, such as actuaries, consolidators, internal auditors, risk managers in banking, compliance officers, … SAP specialists have seen their wages increase to 25%. In middle management growth reached 10% on average. "Every year the valuation of experts working on niche markets is increasing," says Antoine Morgaut.

Meanwhile, salary ranges have tightened over the 10 years of experience and senior management, although with few peaks. A qualified actuary in 2011 (7 to 12 years of experience) for example has won between 75 and 115K € (**), a bank compliance officer (over 12 years experience) € 80 to 150K, a manager program in real estate from 60 to 110K € (6-10 years experience).

In 2012 the uncertainties, companies should be ungenerous earlier this year. Salaries will follow inflation, the bonus will be measured, rarely more than 15%, and very individualized, "because we can not afford to lose excellent employees or pass very good profiles," says Antoine Morgaut. Overall, the variable will range between 5% and 30%.

Results which are crippling the morale of the French managers: 48% now feel a loss of purchasing power. And comparing global employment should not give them a smile. According to a range of functions held by Robert Walters, France is down-banding, just ahead of Spain. The gap with Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium reached 20% to 30%. The DRH China and Australia, the Brazilian financial controllers are placed at the top and widen the gap.

"Sedimentation of frustration is high among French executives. At the slightest tremor positive they monnayeront shortage. The most spoiled in the coming years will undoubtedly experts, "said Antoine Morgaut.

* Salary Survey 2012 Study

Variable ** Figures out

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Asian markets exhibit beautiful colors on Monday morning. At the close, the Nikkei in Tokyo gained 1.05% to 8603.70 points, while the Japanese government reported this morning with a GDP increase of 1.5% in the third quarter, supported by a rebound in exports and consumption. Japan is thus related to growth after three quarters of recession. The action Olympus, down from the revelation of corporate scandals, also rebounded to 17.39% on hopes of non-radiation title

In China, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong ahead of 2.27% to 19,571.36 points and the Shanghai composite index of 1.82% to 2526.15 points.Securities Want Want China Holdings Ltd (7.85% to 7.56 Hong Kong dollars) and Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holging Corp (1 paydayloan.91% to 21.30 Hong Kong dollars) will be integrated into the index Hang Seng early December.

The markets also monitor developments in euro area at the front of the sovereign debt crisis. In Italy, former European Commissioner Mario Monti has been appointed new Prime Minister last night and must form a new government who will redressser the country's finances.

Tokyo ready to increase its aid to Europe

Japan has also said this weekend be prepared to increase its financial aid to Europe when the European countries have expressed their willingness to fight against their debt problem with a united front.

Chinese Internet giant seeks U.S. partner to buy Yahoo!. Jack Ma, Alibaba's boss, could have drafted the announcement, before leaving to meet U.S. investors, including investment funds. A process as much financial and political. When in early October, Jack Ma had mentioned a possible interest in Yahoo!, it sparked an initial outcry in the United States. Elected officials from all sides had expressed concern at the idea of ​​an American portal pass under the Chinese flag. Finding local allies, Alibaba would silence some of those critics. The risk exists of the U.S. authorities seize record and block the ambitions of the Chinese giant.

However, both companies know each other well. Six years ago, Yahoo! has given its China operations to Alibaba Group, paid him a billion dollars in exchange for 40% stake in Chinese.Since then, the U.S. has seen its value plunge and Chinese flew. The market capitalization of Yahoo! – $ 20 billion – equivalent to almost exactly the estimates of the value of its stake in Alibaba Group, says the Wall Street Journal same day payday loans. The holding company is not quoted, unlike any of its subsidiaries, alibaba.com, whose capitalization is evolving in the region of 3.5 billion dollars to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Growth potential

Jerry Yang, founder of Yahoo!, for its part considers that his company still has a real potential for growth alone. This, even though the group has still not recovered from CEO to preside over its destiny after landing Carol Bartz in September.

The Chinese group is not the only one with views of Yahoo!. The investment fund Silver Lake, a Canadian pension fund and Microsoft are likely to file a joint bid.These speculations benefit under Yahoo! who won nearly 25% since the beginning of the month to return to the threshold of $ 16 a share on the New York Stock Exchange.

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