Friday, February 19, 2010 at 03:35PM 
Fortunately, CEOs around the world do not share the waffling confidence among consumers in the United States. Of the 1,100 executives from 52 countries polled by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for their 13th annual "Global CEO Survey", almost 40 percent expect to add people in 2010. Only 25 percent expect further reductions in force.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 05:53PM 
News Web sites are starting to look a lot less like newspapers and a lot more like television.
MSNBC's Web site streams a report from “Nightly News,” NBC's evening newscast. featuring the anchor Brian Williams.
CNN.com and ESPN.com are featuring video much more prominently on their home pages, often prompting visitors to press play before they begin to read. Even The Wall Street Journal has moved its video player front and center with a twice-a-day live newscast on WSJ.com.
A major reason is commercial. At a time when other categories of advertising dollars are shrinking, video ads are booming. News sites are adding more video inventory to keep pace with the demands of advertisers, and benefiting from the higher cost-per-thousands, or C.P.M.’s, that ads on those videos command.
The attention to video mirrors changes in how consumers are experiencing news. Major events — be it the presidential election or the death of Michael Jackson — bring a surge in video stream viewings by new users, and each time some of them stick around.
“Every watershed event leaves video more popular than before,” said Charles W. Tillinghast, the president of MSNBC.com, a joint venture between NBC Universal and Microsoft.
K. C. Estenson, the general manager of CNN.com, a unit of Time Warner, said that “people are using the Internet in a different way now.” He added, “With broadband penetration becoming ubiquitous and more and more sites having this easy capability, people are expecting video to be there.”
Media companies typically do not break out figures for video advertising, and certainly the video revenue pales next to search and display advertising. But the growth has spurred investment and interest in video production.
Among Web sites operated by newspapers, The New York Times, Gannett and Tribune each reach more than a million viewers a month with video streams, comScore says. The home page of The Times sometimes streams live video of events; it carried a news conference Friday about the shootings Thursday at Fort Hood, Tex.
But video can be costly to produce, hindering some sites’ efforts to expand and leading people like Mr. Tillinghast to predict that access to television film (like a bounty of NBC News video) is an advantage.
Beyond news sites, video is now the fastest-growing segment of the Internet advertising market. Digital video amounted to $477 million in revenue in the first half of 2009, up 38 percent from the same time period in 2008, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
With an estimated $5 billion in revenue in the first half of 2009, search remains the dominant segment of online advertising, but it is expected to grow only marginally this year.
Augmenting the increase in video spending is the growing acceptance of pre-roll — the once-derided ads that appear before a video plays.
“It actually works really well,” said Brian Quinn, the vice president and general manager of digital ad sales for The Journal’s digital network. A 15-second pre-roll “followed by two to five minutes of high-quality content is a fair-value exchange,” Mr. Quinn said.
Analysts say they expect the flow of online advertising dollars to video to continue. The research firm eMarketer projects 35 to 45 percent growth for the segment for each of the next five years, topping out at $5.2 billion in 2014. (Even then, it would hardly rival search advertising, which is projected to be a $16 billion business.)
In the five-year outlook it released last month, eMarketer said that video ads would be the “main channel” for major advertisers seeking to increase their online spending. Already, ads for companies like Johnson & Johnson and Unilever pop up often on sites like MSNBC.com.
“More and more advertisers are starting to play in the online video space,” said Jeremy Steinberg, the vice president of digital sales and business development for the Fox News Channel.
News sites account for only a small portion of the 25 billion video streams counted by comScore on an average month. The firm reported almost 500 million video streams in its news and information category in September — still a substantial figure. Most of the streams occurred on MSNBC.com (162 million, according to comScore) and CNN.com (148 million).
Advertising dollars have not always kept pace with the growing view counts, but Mr. Quinn said video was currently the strongest ad format for WSJ.com.
“I wish we had more, since we’re sold out,” Mr. Quinn said.
In September the site introduced “The News Hub,” a live Webcast from The Journal’s newsroom at 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. each weekday. When “Hub” is shown live on the WSJ.com home page, it includes a sponsorship mention and a companion display ad. When it is replayed, it includes a pre-roll ad. Sponsorships are sold monthly, with Charles Schwab being the current one.
The rate card for WSJ.com lists pre-rolls for a $75 C.P.M. before advertiser discounts. Mr. Quinn said the C.P.M. was around $50 last fall.
FoxNews.com, which like WSJ.com is a unit of the News Corporation, now sells sponsorships of its daytime Web show, “Strategy Room.”
When the show had its debut in its current form earlier this year, it included only an occasional remnant pre-roll ad. This month, as viewership increased, the show started to include TV-style commercial breaks and advertiser logos in the corner of the video screen. Fox says the 9 a.m.-to-5 p.m. show gets an average of 35,000 streams per weekday.
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Web executives say some clients think of online video as an extension of TV, and others think of it as an enhancement — one that allows for interactive messages and instant feedback from viewers. They acknowledge that the medium is still in many ways immature. Sites continue to disagree about the legitimacy of “autoplay,” a setting that starts videos automatically when a Web page loads, increasing the number of streams without necessarily knowing that the Web user is watching.
Web executives say that ads next to dispatches from Afghanistan normally cannot draw the same C.P.M.’s as lighter fare. MSNBC.com has found success with lifestyle segments that are sold as a package between TV and the Web. Last month it introduced TodayMoms, a section for mothers sponsored by Wal-Mart with a TV connection on the “Today” show.
Monday, December 28, 2009 at 01:07PM Your list of accomplishments in 2009!
This time of year many of us our thinking of the year ahead and the goals we would like to reach in the coming year. A very wise man shared with me some time ago a good practice to get into and I am pleased to share this with you.
Make A List
Start planning 2010 by looking at 2009 and making a list of your accomplishments for 2009 to assist you at making 2010 even better! Here is a list of possible items to ask yourself.
1. What new skills did I develop to make my business better in 2009?
2. What was the best investment of time I made in 2009?
3. What was the best investment in money that I made in 2009?
4. What improvements did I make within my detailing skills in 2009?
5. What did I learn about myself in 2009?
6. What did I learn about my business in 2009?
7. What did I do to improve my health in 2009?
8. What was my proudest accomplishment in 2009?
9. What personal relationships did I strengthen in 2009?
10. What would I have done differently in 2009 if I could change it now?
The above takes very little time and I encourage you to make this investment within yourself and take the time to reflect on 2009 so that it can help you in 2010!
All the best to you all,
Renny
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 at 01:30PM G550 For The Holidays?
Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 01:07PM Desire to see a real professional auto detailer? Check out the link below that will lead you to Auto Detailing TV!
Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 11:16AM I will swear to my death that business, any business will succeed at higher levels when four KEY factors within the business are within its foundation.
Many of us have these factors built into our DNA but the most important keys all of us need to develop. This post is all about your planning and I am not talking about the upcoming year, I talking about your plans for five years down the road!
All of us have had clutter in our life at one point or another and right now many have some serious troubles and are facing some very real hardships. Others are in very strong positions for success and with a little planning will be realizing dreams over and over again but no matter what you current situation, if you don't plan and dream, where will you be in five years.
Ask Yourself...Were Do I Desire To Be In Life In Five Years?
When you think of your future, think of the items below!
Passion & A Dream
~ Passion is the genesis of genius. ~Anothony Robbins
Your Education Starts Now
Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. ~Albert Einstein
A Good Plan For YOU!
"A good plan executed today is better then a perfect plan executed at some indefinite point in the future." ~Gen. George Patton
Desire To Own Your Time
Where will you be in five years?
Do more then think about the above question...Take Action On Tomorrows Dreams Today!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 10:58AM Car stuff, from gadgets to models, for the auto enthusiast on your holiday shopping list.
If you’re still agonizing over Christmas presents for friends or family, here’s a fun fact: there are 22 million cars and trucks on Canadian roads so chances are you know someone who owns one.
That means whether your loved one or BFF treats their ride as an object of unnatural affection or merely a transportation appliance, there’s probably an automotive gift for them.
“A lot of people are commuting and they’re spending hours and hours in their car,” says Joanne Elson, spokeswoman for Canadian Tire, which recently issued its Christmas catalogue.
“So a lot of these products are really a great gift idea. They’re not always something that you’d buy for yourself.”
Electronic gadgets are a good place to start.
“We’re seeing a lot of provinces now rolling out the hands-free legislation,” says Elson, referring to the half-dozen provinces that so far have banned hands-on mobile phone use in cars.
“So a lot of the Bluetooth products have become really popular, especially this year.”
Phones equipped with Bluetooth wireless technology can link to a variety of devices that allow voice-enabled hands-free dialling and talking without necessarily wearing an earpiece.
Canadian Tire’s catalogue includes units that clip to the sun visor and one that displays numbers in the rear-view mirror. Electronics and mobile phone retailers, as well as some car audio shops, are other good sources.
A lot of newer cars come with audio systems capable of handling iPods or other digital music players but the aftermarket offers some options for older cars.
The easiest setups involve small units that plug into the car’s power outlet and use an FM signal to send the music to the car’s FM radio on an unused frequency. These cost around $100 at electronics stores such as Future Shop but the sound quality is limited to the radio’s abilities and can be subject to interference.
Hard-wiring an iPod adapter with an auxiliary input or USB connection into, say, the glove compartment, is a better bet. Kits are available that use either the FM radio or an input on the system that allows the driver to control the iPod using the car stereo’s controls.
These can cost up to several hundred dollars for hardware and installation and it’s best to research the type of stereo in the vehicle before buying anything. Car audio shops are the best source of information for this.
Navigation systems are becoming ubiquitous and affordable but finding the right combination of features and map coverage takes some research.
It’s worthwhile checking websites such as cnet.com for reviews (that goes for other car electronics, too). Prices are in U.S. dollars but give some idea of the range. Then it’s an easy step to find Canadian retailers carrying the one you’ll wrap up for under the tree.
As people carry more stuff in their vehicles, car organizers and storage systems have become more sophisticated. There are bins and bags that fit in trunks or attach to seats. Canadian Tire’s catalogue even features an inflatable roof rack.
Getting a cleaning appliance for Christmas is usually a relationship-ender but who wouldn’t appreciate a powerful hand vacuum cleaner that can suck the dog hair out of the back-seat upholstery?
Guys probably won’t turn their noses up at a pressure washer — though finding stores that stock them during the winter may be a challenge.
Another approach is a gift certificate from a reputable auto-detailing shop, essentially a spa day for one’s wheels.
Beyond such practical gifts, there’s a trove of things for people who just love cars — models, books, videos and memorabilia.
Ted Wilkinson turned a love of things automotive into a small business, eventually opening Wilkinson’s Automobilia in Vancouver in 1988.
It’s a mecca for people looking for scale models of their favourite vehicles, books, old car brochures, classic Dinky and Corgi toys, shop manuals and other stuff. The little store gets crowded around Christmas.
“It’s the busiest time of the year, that’s for sure,” says Wilkinson.
The store has had an online presence for a decade and its site — eautomobilia.com — was recently revamped to make it easier for customers to search its stock of 20,000 items.
“Just about all automotive enthusiasts are very particular,” says Ted. “We have to carry so much different stuff.”
One regular customer buys nothing but the latest Corvette model for her husband’s collection.
Fanatics follow the release dates for models of their favoured car marques very closely.
Wilkinson is awaiting a new 1:18 scale model of the 1958 Testa Rossa ($350) from CMC, whose highly detailed models are designed in Germany and hand-built in China.
“We’re supposedly going to get that just before Christmas, so that will be a big seller for us,” says Ted.
If the price is a little too rich, model makers offer something for almost every budget.
Books, too, can range in price, from “Throttle,” a reproduction by Rodders Journal of a set of magazines from the dawn of the hot-rod era in the 1940s ($49.95), to “Lancia: 70 Years of Trailblazing,” a lavish history of the defunct Italian marque with a DVD included for $154.95.
Speaking of DVDs, no suggestion list would be complete without some great car movies: “Bullitt” (Steve McQueen, a green Mustang, a Dodge Charger and San Francisco’s hills), “Vanishing Point” (a man on a quest in a Dodge Challenger), the original “Italian Job” (Michael Caine, Minis racing through storm drains) and John Frankenheimer’s lavish “Grand Prix” (thrilling non-CGI racing scenes on real tracks like Monaco and Monza overlaid with a soap-opera plot). That’s just a few.
Speaking of racing, a web search turns up plenty of race-related items from videos to clothing and related swag that a dedicated fan will appreciate.
Don’t overlook your local car dealership as a source of giftware. The parts counter often features items from models to key chains and caps featuring your giftee’s favourite brand.
Car magazines market a variety of things from T-shirts to framed or unframed photo reprints. Road and Track, for instance, has an archive dating back more than half a century.
Stocking stuffers? Travel mugs, model-specific key fobs, little LED flashlights for the glove box, electronic tire-pressure gauges, gift subscriptions to car magazines.
Steve Mertl
VANCOUVER — The Canadian Press
Published on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 4:57PM EST
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Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 02:15PM Message To Renny Doyle From A Few Professional Detailers!
