An agreement with the second largest electric utility group in North America for a five-year term that is expected to generate ~NZ$2m in total subscription revenue, or an additive NZ$0.4m ARR.
ikeGPS Group Limited (ASX/NZX:IKE) or IKE, today announces that:
+ It has entered into a five year agreement with the second largest electric utility in the U.S., upgrading them from IKE’s legacy product to its new PoleForeman structural analysis platform + The initial purchase order is for the first year of the agreement, for ~NZ$0.4m. + This customer serves approximately eight million customers in the southern U.S. region. + Specifically + Over the coming period, this commitment means over 650 engineers at this electric utility will use IKE Poleforeman’s advanced capabilities for structural analysis and the design of distribution assets, to meet grid resiliency and network capacity targets over the coming decades. + This upsell signifies a more then ten-fold increase in annual recurring revenue from this customer. + An expected consequence of this Standards decision at the utility is that additional engineering companies and communications groups, working across this utility’s network, will also adopt IKE PoleForeman.
This contract follows recent announcements including that:
- IKE had also signed a ~NZ$3.7m subscription contract with a Fortune 150 Company and one of the ten largest Investor-Owned Utilities in the U.S., upgrading them from IKE’s legacy product to its new PoleForeman structural analysis platform. Over the coming five years, this long-term customer commitment means that over 1,000 engineers at this utility will use IKE Poleforeman’s advanced capabilities. - IKE had also signed a NZ$0.8m three-year subscription deal with a Fortune 500 Company that serves approximately four million customers on the east coast of the U.S. Since launching the IKE PoleForeman product late in 2023, more than 30 enterprise customers in the U.S. have signed onto the platform representing total contract value expected to exceed ~NZ$7.5m from this new product, that will be recognized over the coming periods as subscription revenue.
New customer wins have included flipping one of the ten largest utilities in North America from a competitor. IKE anticipates winning further significant contracts with tier-1 customers in the short and medium term.
Source: https://www.nzx.com/
Boston, Massachusetts — February 29, 2024
VoxPop, the voice-to-text platform that bridges the gap between listeners and broadcasters, is expanding its operations in the United States with the appointment of Gabe Bullard as Director of Editorial Strategy and Jon Peck as Director of U.S. Sales and Marketing.
VoxPop is an engagement platform developed by journalists and used by NPR’s 1A, WBUR’s On Point, Maine Public/Maine Calling, and shows around the world. It allows listeners to send high-quality audio of questions, comments, and interview responses to the shows they follow, and it gives producers the tools to put those comments into shows seamlessly. With these new appointments, VoxPop is prepared to work with more U.S.-based programs.
“Social media is becoming less reliable and more fragmented. Journalists are one algorithm change away from losing their audiences. We’re hoping to help radio shows and podcasts establish and hold onto a valuable connection with their listeners” says Bullard, who implemented VoxPop into the editorial workflow of NPR’s 1A.
The VoxPop Advantage
Crystal-Clear Audio: VoxPop optimizes audio recorded on users’ smartphones and produces high-quality recordings—no more crackling phone lines or glitchy video call audio.
Efficient Production: VoxPop transcribes listener submissions as soon as they’re filed; and presents the text to producers for easy review fast and accurately enough to rely on during live broadcasts.
Audience Connection: VoxPop connects a show with its listeners through a dedicated app, strengthening a direct relationship that transcends social media apps.
Accessibility: VoxPop encourages people to share their perspectives, regardless of background, language, or location, and without the need to register a social media account or compose a response.
Enhanced Editorial: By turning listeners into contributors, VoxPop adds new perspectives and voices to shows.
“In an era dominated by screens and text, human voices are a potent force for connection,” Peck says. “The spoken word resonates. ”
About VoxPop
New Zealand-based Kinga Voxpop Ltd “VoxPop”, is at the forefront of audio innovation, working with syndicated NPR shows such as WAMU’s 1A and WBUR’s On Point. Its mission: to amplify voices, empower communities around trusted information sources, and redefine how we engage with speech and sound. With assistance from the Google News Initiative (GNI) VoxPop is helping small newspapers transition to digital subscription models. In NZ, it has built a prototype Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) with Community Access Media Alliance (CAMA) station Radio Hawke’s Bay, and in Maryland, USA, is helping Springsong Museum gather oral history about legendary U.S. author, Rachel Carson.
About Gabe Bullard and Jon Peck
Gabe Bullard is an award-winning journalist with years of experience in audio production and public media. He has been a reporter, editor, strategist, and manager at Louisville Public Media, National Geographic, WAMU and NPR’s 1A, and WBUR and NPR’s Here & Now. Gabe was a Nieman Journalism Fellow in the 2015 class and holds an MA in Literature, Culture, and Technology. In his role at VoxPop, Gabe will advise newsrooms and shows on how to incorporate the app into their editorial workflow, how to structure prompts for listener responses, and how to more deeply engage with contributing listeners.
Jonathan Peck, MBA, brings a wealth of experience in multimedia marketing strategies to his role as Director of US Sales and Marketing at VoxPop. With a track record at WBUR Boston, WAMU 88.5 (Washington DC) and PRX in launching and scaling major media properties, Jonathan specializes in enhancing audience engagement and driving revenue growth across diverse platforms. His expertise in data analysis, digital marketing, and brand building aligns with his passion for empowering broadcasters, creators, and communities to amplify human voices and foster meaningful conversations in order to make the world a better place for his kids.
Source: https://www.voxpop.nz/
We’re excited to announce that we have raised $20.5 million AUD in Series A funding led by Silicon-Valley based firms Altos Ventures and Footwork.
Uh huh, you read that right. We’re taking Tracksuit to the world and powering the future of brand marketing! This funding marks our second external investment, taking Tracksuit to a valuation of $142.9 million AUD and achieving $9.5 million ARR in just under three years.
Some absolutely legendary investors, Lenny Rachitsky (ex-Airbnb and Founder of Lenny’s Newsletter), Allbirds Co-Founder Tim Brown and frank body Co-Founder Bree Johnson also participated in the round.
We’ll be using the funding to continue to power the best brand tracking solution in the market that delivers unbeatable value for our customers, while supercharging our growth into the US and UK market.
“Our goal with Tracksuit was to improve upon the traditional market research model by making it much easier to understand and way more affordable — reshaping the future of marketing and market research,” Tracksuit’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO Connor Archbold says.
“We’ve built our platform on best-in-class methodology, and this strategic funding further validates our ambition to be the common language to measure, understand, and communicate the value of brand.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time at Tracksuit where we’re moving from experimentation to building and scaling. We’re over the moon to have the support and belief of our incredible investors, as we continue to help the most exciting brands today become the iconic brands of tomorrow.”
“The funding, along with our partnership with the Altos Ventures team, speeds up our plans to democratize brand marketing data and market research,” Tracksuit’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO Matthew Herbert says.
“It underscores the demise of growth-at-all-costs strategies and lifts the importance of full funnel and top-of-funnel marketing. By helping brands know what marketing efforts are working and how to discuss brand health with their teams, Tracksuit is putting them back in control of their brand-building success."
We are incredibly grateful to have the backing of world-class brand builders and experts in scaling companies as we move into our next phase of growth in 2024.
Attracting customers like frank body and Willow and Blake Co-Founder Bree Johnson to come on board as an investor, as well as incredible individuals in the tech industry like Lenny Rachitsky and Allbirds Co-Founder Tim Brown, is testament to Tracksuit’s mission of building the future of brand marketing.
“Across the thousands of startup decks I've looked at, I've almost never seen a growth trajectory like the growth Tracksuit has seen,” Lenny says.
"Understanding brand health was a big driver of strategy at Airbnb (such as what are levels of awareness and consideration by market, compared to competitors, etc). Though I wasn't driving this work, my sense is that the teams would have killed for a tool like this."
"It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Tracksuit,” Bree says. “Having used the technology at frank body and experiencing first hand the impact it had on our business it was a no brainer to invest in their team and their vision. I feel very honoured to come along for the ride and look forward to seeing Tracksuit change the way people view brand and marketing."
We’re also bringing in additional deep expertise and guidance to our board as we focus on expansion into the US and UK in 2024.
Altos’ Anthony Lee will be joining Blackbird General Partner Samantha Wong on Tracksuit’s board, while Footwork’s Co-Founder and General Partner Mike Smith will join as board observer. Mike Smith is the former COO of Walmart.com and Stitch Fix. Marketing legend Mark Ritson also joins the ranks as a formal advisor.
"Our partner Nikhil was lucky enough to invest in Canva in their seed round a decade ago, and since then Tracksuit is the most special culture we've heard about 'down under', Mike says. “The business has exceptional signs of product-market fit — not just as a company based in New Zealand, but compared to others around the world."
Anthony echoes this, saying Altos invests in global companies with the potential for long-term, sustainable growth.
“Tracksuit has created a simple, beautiful solution to a very real problem, and we’ve heard from many customers who love the product. We were impressed by their early traction across four markets, all while being super efficient and maintaining a bootstrapped mindset,” he says.
“We’re excited now to see US companies adopting Tracksuit’s affordable, always-on solution to track the growth of their brands and empower their marketing teams to make data-driven decisions.”
Since Tracksuit’s launch in early 2021, we’ve grown to more than 60 full-time employees and are now tracking over 4000 brands across five geographies: New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Tracksuit’s growth is a direct reflection of marketing becoming more measured and valued worldwide. After a period when many businesses over-indexed into performance marketing during the digital advertising revolution, brand marketing is back. Sustainable brand building is the future, not growth at all costs.
We exist to serve our community of marketers and agencies worldwide by elevating the work they do and proving their impact. If we’re growing, our customers are also growing – it’s a beautiful, reciprocal relationship. Consider our product a love letter to those who have felt undervalued, misunderstood and not properly seen or recognised for their contribution to business growth.
We’re stoked to be the chosen brand tracking solution for more than 400 consumer brands and are lucky enough to count some of the world’s best brand leaders as customers, such as Athletic Brewing Company Chief Marketing Officer Andrew Katz.
“Tracksuit is an invaluable tool for any marketer looking to gauge the effectiveness of their investments. It’s helped us keep a pulse on consumer awareness of Athletic, and understand if what we’re doing is working,” Andrew says.
“Because Tracksuit is ‘always on,’ we can continuously monitor and understand the health of our brand in real time. Its intuitive and user-friendly interface ensures that key stakeholders can readily access and interpret the data.”
Goodman Fielder Senior Insights Manager Kay Bramley says Tracksuit provides her team with real-time tracking, is simple to use and is cost effective.
“Being ‘hands on’ makes our team closer to our brands. The Tracksuit team is very innovative and have been receptive to our suggestions for improvement, while the platform has been optimised based on feedback. It’s made brand health tracking accessible for everyone, and is a tool we can use every day.”
There’s a lot on our radar, so we’ll keep this short.
Having access to data is great. But knowing what to do with the data is even better. Our product roadmap is geared towards providing marketers and agencies with actionable insights that make their jobs easier.
We’re building on our existing functionality to:
Beyond that, we’re expanding our surveying capabilities to help our customers in the US unlock new levels of regional granularity to support their strategic growth conversations. We’re also planning some next-level integrations so we can serve our data up in the tools marketers and agencies are already using every day.
Our total funding to date now sits at around $27.9 million AUD with existing investors Blackbird, Icehouse Ventures, Ascential and Shasta Ventures also participating in the series A round.
If you’re interested in joining us on this journey, check out our open roles! If the role you’re looking for isn’t listed, still reach out – we love chatting to talented humans about future opportunities.
We are beyond thrilled to be setting out on our next chapter of growth. A huge thank you to our customers and our investors who are backing our mission to build the future of brand marketing. Onwards!
New Zealand is set to see a new fast food restaurant coming to its shores in April, with the brand promising customers will 'love that chicken'.
US fried chicken outlet Popeyes is set to open a store in Auckland's Takanini, with 10 more store locations planned to open in quick succession by the end of 2024.
It promises to create more than 150 jobs and is expected to bring approximately $25 million in investment over the next several years.
The Takanini store will boast a multi-million-dollar fitout across 300 square metres.
Sharn Phillips, Head of Marketing at Popeyes - New Zealand, said in a statement: “We are thrilled to finally share the good news and let Kiwis know; the Chicken Sandwich that broke the internet will finally be ready for Kiwis to try themselves.
"Our vision is to bring the heart and soul of our world-renowned recipes to Kiwis through passionate teams and tasty food. We cannot wait to see the reaction come opening day.”
Popeyes has over 4,300 stores worldwide, in countries like the UK, the US, France, Poland, Czech Republic, Indonesia and South Korea.
The chain's Louisiana-style menu features chicken burgers (chicken sandwiches), fried chicken, chicken tenders, chicken wings, mash and cajun gravy, mac and cheese, and biscuits (a loose equivalent to a savoury scone).
James Mclauchlan, General Manager of Popeyes - New Zealand, said the team "cannot wait" to open its doors.
“We cannot wait to open our doors and share the iconic Popeyes experience and incredible chicken that makes this brand so recognisable the world over. With the Takanini location announced and construction already underway, we are finally ready to get to work and find our team, who share a deep love for fried chicken, enriched by our team culture.”
Source: https://www.1news.co.nz/
Twelve Kiwi ventures are a step closer to securing partnerships and a slice of around NZ$80 billion invested every year in cleantech startups after returning from Cleantech Trek USA.
The globally ambitious Kiwi cleantech ventures connected with corporates and investors at networking events in Silicon Valley and at the 2024 Cleantech Forum North America, in San Diego, as part of a New Zealand Cleantech Mission led by Callaghan Innovation last month.
Cleantech Mission Lead Phil Anderson says the ventures, at various stages from pre-revenue to growth, are developing solutions to global challenges in areas like renewable energy, clean water, waste-to-value, carbon capture, fusion and carbon-free concrete.
“With the next wave of unicorns – start-ups valued at $1billion – likely to include plenty of companies addressing global issues like climate change and environmental degradation, there’s a huge economic opportunity for our globally focused Kiwi cleantech startups.
Aotearoa New Zealand has a rich history of developing and piloting innovation before scaling offshore. With success stories including the likes of carbon recycling trailblazer Lanzatech, and the Kiwi cleantech founders who have attracted investment, including from the likes of IKEA and Khosla Ventures, we have some tangible momentum to lean into.
“At the New Zealand pitch and networking sessions it was clear that the corporates and investors gathered were impressed with the quality of the Kiwi innovators involved, and that this group of startups is, like those who have gone before, positioned for global acceleration.
Phil Anderson says while the economic opportunity is great there are still challenges to overcome before more Kiwi cleantech startups can succeed in global markets.
“We have world-class people and technology but in many cases we just don’t have the market size or growth capital needed for our cleantech startups to reach their potential in global markets. That’s why it’s vital for founders to seek out international connections.
“For US-based entities it’s much easier to partner with or invest in local technologies and talent. They need to see something very special and believe strongly in a founding team before wanting to work with a Kiwi cleantech venture.
Phil Anderson says having a number of capable and passionate female founders there was a highlight, as was supporting ventures from across the motu, including those from Auckland, Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington, Christchurch and Southland.
“Having representation from our local deep tech venture capital funds Outset Ventures, Pacific Channel and Quidnet Ventures showed offshore investors the potential for strong local VC partnerships,” he says.
Nilo CEO Glen Willoughby says there was, "huge value for us because we have just opened our series A capital raise. We met with all the strategic investors we wanted to connect with and others we weren't aware of as well. We also had some excellent strategic conversations at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and with US-based Kiwi cleantech founders.”
Bspkl CEO Christina Houlihan says, “The journey in the US has been nothing short of amazing, providing valuable connections with inspiring individuals and uncovering insightful stories. The wealth of knowledge gained about navigating investment pitches in the USA has been invaluable. I’m grateful for the opportunities and excited about what lies ahead.”
Cetogenix CEO Trevor Stuthridge says the Cleantech Trek was “an incredibly valuable enabler for international outreach and ecosystem engagement. Cetogenix was privileged to participate and proud to be in such inspiring company.”
New Zealand Climate Tech For the World, a Cleantech Group report commissioned by Callaghan Innovation, found that New Zealand cleantech innovators raised 95% less investment than those in small advanced economies on average between 2011 and 2021.
Recent data showing a big increase in New Zealand cleantech investment in 2023, with venture and growth investment worth over $NZ390 million compared to around NZ$80 million in 2022, shows the sector is heading in the right direction, says Phil Anderson.
New Zealand Climate Tech For the World recommended that this country take a co-ordinated approach to supporting cleantech innovators with global ambitions.
“Cleantech Trek USA is an example of efficient and aligned collaboration from across Aotearoa New Zealand’s agencies to support participating ventures.
“Callaghan Innovation would like to thank Cleantech Mission partners, including NZTE, Auckland Unlimited, Are Ake, and Uniservices for their incredible support and expertise.
“Building the profile of the New Zealand cleantech startup ecosystem is a marathon, not a sprint. We look forward to working with our cleantech ventures and our partners going forward,” says Phil Anderson.
CleantechTrek USA
Aspiring Materials: Carbon Capture
Creating materials to cut down global industrial CO2 emissions.
Bspkl: Hydrogen Innovation
Developing catalyst-coated membrane solutions to overcome catalyst supply challenges and manufacturing bottlenecks.
Cetogenix: Waste to Value
Delivering a climate tech platform that unlocks the hidden potential for organic waste-to-renewables value addition through proprietary deconstruction, separation and fermentation.
EnPot: Energy Efficiency
Technology to enable smelters to flex their power usage creating a virtual battery, supporting the adoption of renewable energy.
Geo40: Sustainable Mineral Recovery
Enabling critical minerals such as lithium and silica to be extracted from underground fluids at scale.
Hydroxsys: Water Treatment
Solving wastewater and sustainability challenges for food and industrial processors, using new membrane filtration technology.
Neocrete: Decarbonising Concrete
Neocrete replaces cement with nano-activated volcanic ash, creating low-carbon, high-performing concrete, at no extra cost.
Nilo: Waste to value
Transforming plastic waste into high-value industrial products, with a current focus on wood panel board adhesives and eco-concrete.
Openstar Technologies: Fusion Energy
On a mission to deliver clean, abundant, and available fusion energy to the world.
Sleaktek Biopolymer
Sleak™️ is a completely natural 100% plant derived hot melt compound used to make adhesives, sealants and plastic film substitutes.
Vortex Power Systems: Waste to value
Using low grade waste heat recovered from thermal processes in industry, Vortex Power Systems technology generates and controls a freestanding atmospheric buoyancy vortex, and harnesses its power using a vortex turbine to create clean electricity.
Zincovery: Waste to Value
Low temperature reactor technology to convert zinc ferrite compounds into any form so it can be recycled.
Find out more about CleanTech Trek USA ventures.
Source: https://www.callaghaninnovation.govt.nz/
The TikTok effect has helped a burgeoning Kiwi fragrance house land a $24 million deal with US retail giants Walmart and Target.
Entrepreneurs Grant Taylor and Renee Lee founded Maison&Muse in 2021 with the aim of creating luxury home fragrance products without the high-end price tag.
After going viral on TikTok last year, the brand’s wild vanilla and caramel scented Marylin candle became the top-selling candle in Australia.
On the back of that success, Maison&Muse will hit the shelves in 3400 Walmart and Target stores across the United States next month.
Breaking into the US market had always been the “north star” for the business, Lee said, and when the opportunity to meet with the global retail giants came up, she and Taylor jumped at it.
Lee, who was 25 weeks pregnant when she flew to the US to meet with executives, said the face-to-face contact was instrumental in landing the deal, which could be a “game-changer” for the business.
While their success started with a scented candle, it’s not just homes the business is hoping to refresh. First to launch Stateside will be its car fragrance range.
“There are 96 million cars in the US registered to women,” Lee said.
“However up until now the mainstream car fragrance market has either masculine or very colourful, childish designs.”
That left a gap in the market, which Lee and Taylor, along with their soon-to-be-stockists hope to fill.
Target and Walmart will also offer a range of Maison&Muse cleaning products, including spray cleaners and dishwashing liquid.
Taylor and Lee are also responsible for three other brands created under their start-up, Moxx Brands, including climate-positive liquid hair care brand Everblue.
Moxx Brands products are sold in more than 6000 stores in four countries.
Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/
AFT Pharmaceuticals (NZX: AFT, ASX: AFP) announces Maxigesic IV®, the patented intravenous form of its family of pain relief medicines, has today been launched in the US by its licensee Hikma Pharmaceuticals.
The launch of the medicine, under the brand Combogesic IV®, is the first patented, New Zealand developed medicine with clinical studies in the world’s largest healthcare market. The first commercial sale of the medicine in the US is expected in the coming weeks, a milestone that will trigger a US$6 million licensee fee to AFT and its development partner Belgium’s Hyloris Pharmaceuticals.
AFT expects its share of this license fee to accrue in the current financial year (estimated at around NZ$6 million).1
The company is currently in its usual month-end preparation and review of progress and projections for FY2024 (being for the year ending 31 March 2024) and expects to update the market on its FY2024 guidance within a fortnight once this process is completed.
“The launch of Maxigesic IV in the US, the world’s largest market for pain relief2, is a significant achievement for AFT,” said AFT Co-Founder and Managing Director Dr Hartley Atkinson.
“We are delighted with the speed with which our partner Hikma, a leading supplier of injectable medicines in the US and around the world, has brought the medicine to market post-approval and the opportunity it shares with us on the potential of the medicine.
“Maxigesic IV represents a significant innovation for the management of pain. It offers effective pain relief and importantly offers clinicians an alternative to opioid analgesics.
“The launch also represents a beachhead for the commercialisation of Maxigesic in the US and potentially our broader portfolio of medicines. Our next goal is the finalization of plans to launch Maxigesic Rapid, a prescription-only tablet. We have been working on setting up AFT representation in North America in order to support commercialisation with identified partners.
Hikma President of Injectables Dr Bill Larkins said: “The approval of Combogesic® IV is an important step in providing hospitals and health care providers in the US with an alternative treatment option for managing patients’ pain.
“This is another example of how we continue to expand our portfolio of critical medicines and we are pleased to make this important new treatment option available for patients, helping to put better health within reach, every day.”
Hikma’s announcement of the launch of Maxigesic IV is attached to this announcement.
Maxigesic IV is licensed in over 100 countries and marketed in over 20. It offers a unique combination of 1,000 mg of acetaminophen (paracetamol) and 300 mg of ibuprofen. This combination of medicines with different mechanisms of action in a single formulation provides:
In a Phase 3 clinical trial, Maxigesic IV provided more than double the pain relief than that of acetaminophen (paracetamol) IV or ibuprofen IV alone.2 Time to meaningful pain relief was shorter in the Maxigesic IV group than that in the Ibuprofen IV or placebo groups. Maxigesic IV also allowed for superior analgesia efficacy.2
Released for and on behalf of AFT Pharmaceuticals limited by Malcolm Tubby, Chief Financial Officer.
https://www.aftpharm.com/
Vista Group and The Boxoffice Company have entered for the first time into a multi-year strategic partnership. The new partnership leverages Vista Cloud and Boxoffice’s Boost solutions to empower cinema exhibitors to attract and retain moviegoers, enhance ticket and F&B ordering, and maximize operational efficiency and returns. The Boxoffice Company and Vista Group formalized years of cooperation under this partnership, with Vista now providing Boxoffice access to Vista Cloud integrations to develop web, mobile and kiosk channels, and to extract showtimes data on behalf of joint exhibition clients. The Boxoffice Company sold over a half billion dollars in ticket sales for exhibitors last year, helping the top global cinema circuits grow their businesses with the company’s Boost product, an integrated platform of digital marketing and ecommerce solutions. Exhibitors attending Vista Group’s ‘Connected Future’ client conference in Auckland, New Zealand on 12-15 February will learn more about the benefits of the companies’ new partnership.
“Our clients are always our focus. Under our Lumos product suite, Vista Group continues to offer cloud-hosted digital mobile, web and kiosk channels,” says Stuart Dickinson, Vista Group’s chief executive officer. “However, we recognize that our clients have varying requirements. We are committed to giving clients flexibility by making our API integrations available to great partners like The Boxoffice Company to deliver awesome digital experiences and confidently handle billions of moviegoer transactions via our modern APIs and proactively-scaled transaction pipeline.”
“We are joining forces with Vista to help exhibitors take their digital presence to the next level with new SaaS technology, tools, and platforms shared by our companies,” says Stan Ruszkowski, president of The Boxoffice Company. “We will continue to super-serve our more than 200 theater chains to help cinemas of all sizes maximize revenues and customer engagement.”
“Technology is essential to optimizing the cinema experience, and The Boxoffice Company represents a significant technology partner for Vista,” continued Dickinson. “Together, we can empower the moviegoing experience with best-in-class digital experiences so more people can enjoy the magic of the movies. We look forward to working together to increase digital engagement among film fans.”
“We are excited to work together with Vista to meet customers’ challenges, and to bring solutions that increase sales and meet our mutual goals in years to come,” added Marine Suttle, the chief product officer of The Boxoffice Company. “This new partnership will help our companies support advanced capabilities to bring greater value to our customers and help them grow their business. The first opportunity we will be tackling jointly is Open Tabs for cinemas that offer Food & Beverage ordering. We’re very excited to bring this feature to our customers.”
Source: https://www.boxofficepro.com/
On behalf of the United States of America, I send my best wishes to the people of Aotearoa New Zealand as you commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6.
Our relationship is one of mutual trust, common values, and unwavering friendship. We work together to protect our natural environment, champion our diversity and cultures, and ensure a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
Our ties continued to deepen in 2021. I was honored to host Foreign Minister Mahuta at the Department of State during her visit to Washington, D.C., in November 2021. The United States joined the Christchurch Call to Action to combat online violent extremism, and New Zealand signed the Artemis Accords with NASA, which aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. We maintained a mutually beneficial security relationship – from enhancing interoperability through the visit of the USS Howard to disaster assistance provided by the USS Sampson. Most recently, the United States and New Zealand worked together to provide humanitarian assistance to Tonga after the volcanic eruptions and tsunami waves.
We continue to stand together and do the mahi – work – as we face global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. As we look forward to another year of cooperation, I am reminded of the te reo Māori phrase – he waka eke noa – we’re all in this together.
Source: https://www.state.gov/
A Pāpāmoa skincare business says its website traffic has gone “through the roof” and “amazing” sales numbers were generated after American socialite Kourtney Kardashian shared two of its products on her website.
On January 23, Kardashian shared on her website Poosh a list of what she packed in her hospital bag after giving birth to she and Travis Barker’s first child together. Kardashian shared the link to Poosh’s Instagram account.
The list included local start-up company Pure Mama’s signature belly oil and nipple butter.
Pure Mama founder and chief executive Lara Henderson said she became “a little bit emotional” after she discovered Kardashian had shared her products.
“It was quite a humbling moment to go, ‘Two and a half years ago, this tiny little business had just started, and now we’re kind of edging on the fringes of being a really big global brand,” the mother of two said.
“That’s our ambition, and moments like this really make it feel like it’s achievable.”
It follows Pure Mama announcing its new partnership last year with Mecca - Australasia’s largest prestige beauty retailer, with more than 100 stores in Australia and New Zealand.
Henderson said Kardashian announced her pregnancy last year and posted an Instagram story asking for recommendations for pregnancy skincare.
“She screenshotted the recommendations that came through and Pure Mama came out as the most popular answer.”
Henderson said Kardashian, who has 224 million followers on her personal Instagram and 4.8m on her website Poosh’s Instagram, shared it on her social media.
“The uptake from someone who has over 200m followers ... our website traffic just went crazy.”
Henderson said she then sent Kardashian some Pure Mama products last year.
After Kardashian gave birth in November and had not posted anything about Pure Mama, Henderson said she thought the “ship had sailed”.
However, last week, Henderson’s sister and co-founder of Pure Mama, Yasmin, alerted her to a post on Kardashian’s website which linked two of Pure Mama’s products.
“As a small business owner, you take a lot of risks ... For something as big as this to come off was just an incredible reward for our business and our team and the brand.
“It was just amazing to get both products featured on there.”
Henderson said sales had been “amazing” and website traffic “went through the roof” following Kardashian’s post.
“For us to be able to have someone like her attached to our brand, not in a commercial sense but in a genuine sense, is just really powerful, and it’s something you can highlight as a brand for quite a long time to come.
“It’s not about ... a Kardashian mentioning our product. It’s someone who cares deeply about the quality of product and what goes on their skin.”
Henderson said American podcast host Amanda Hirsch also shared the Pure Mama products last week, “so we got another huge hit out of that”.
“She’s very close with that whole celebrity scene in the States, so that was another win - last week, we were just buzzing.”
Henderson said she posted the news on her social media and received “hundreds” of messages of support and congratulations.
“To have those people kind of cheering you on in the background is really cool as well.”
Henderson said Pure Mama was due to launch its products in America in March or April and was “already in talks with retailers”.
“The US is our next big market, so this could not have come at a better time.”
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.
Source: www.nzherald.co.nz
© American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand Inc • Site by HighlandCreative.com.au
