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DynAdmic’s semantic analytics lead contextual targeting to overtake the power of cookies

DynAdmic

As we watch the automated cookie age disappearing there isn’t a CMO who is not already planning for a “cookieless future,” with an eye for innovating what has previously been an arm’s length approach to ad placement. Whilst there remain a limited number of solutions that have a like for like replacement to the third-party cookie, we are seeing the leading media platform players innovating at speed to drive renewed power of contextual placement media. These teams, such as the global leader DynAdmic, believe that a shift away from cookies shouldn’t mean that the brands can no longer target their consumers in relevant and powerfully resonant occasions, and they are proving that the change may result in improved consumer attention. When asking CEO & founder of DynAdmic, a global leader in contextual media innovation, Stephane Bonjean, why their clients are choosing this approach to placement he offers that “our clients have seen contextual targeting yield increase attention at lower media costs as well drive greater brand impact and longer viewership and completion rates.” Contextual placement today bares very little resemblance to what we once knew. Whilst it used to simply mean placing ads adjacent to relevant content or searching for keywords, today the granular sophistication of the systems behind the contextual placements offers benefits in behavioral targeting that drill deep into the content that consumers are actively looking for. Content that is interest and mindset based. Fueled by AI and with the power to analyse billions of placements for relevance and connection every day, advertisers now have the opportunity to do far more than place their ad on a site and hope for results. “The ability to place branded content and ads exactly where consumers want to see them has a hugely effective impact on viewership and engagement and provides many of the efficiencies of personalised messaging delivery” continues Bonjean. Where this really gets interesting is when you begin to layer the sophistication of semantic recognition technology, such as that at DynAdmic, which allow videos to be placed within fine-tuned verbal and audio environments for direct relevance. DynAdmic’s intelligent systems leverage the power of semantic algorithms and analytics in media placement to allow for both nuance and scale by ensuring placement specificity across a wide global network allowing for significantly improved impact on sales, ROI and purchase intention. Many platforms have lagged in this space but DynAdmic has been a leader in this space since 2012, honing their intelligence and accuracy ever since. Their proprietary audio-recognition technology has been enabling their clients to analyse across formats by listening live to content, spoken voice and sound effects to overhaul the accuracy and response to advertising. The sophisticated approaches available can also allow marketers to specifically nominate environments which they want to include, and, importantly, the ones they want to exclude for safety reasons such as environments sharing hate speech, violence, hyper politicalism, racism, toxicity or stereotyping. It’s no surprise today that finding credible, trusted media partners is critical to all advertisers. “Our team at DynAdmic are reassuring the efficacy of the future of video placement and contextual efficiency because we believe that the path forward is not simply in first-party data, but in a refocusing on the brand and the media experience to meet the demands of the consumer where they are. This has to be in real-time and against consumer’s real interest sets” Bonjean closes. Find out more at http://us.dynadmic.com/ or directly with Lara Krumholz, Global VP Partnerships https://www.linkedin.com/in/larakrumholz?originalSubdomain=br DynAdmic curates digital video advertising inventory from the world’s leading websites by utilizing smart semantic targeting and activating brand safety and fraud security, while focusing on campaign performance metrics. They connect world-class advertisers with qualified audiences across Youtube, apps and the largest publishers reaching more than 450MM viewers globally and targeting viewers in real-time based on what they are about to watch by using their proprietary AI audio recognition technology. Their exclusive demand platform scans 20,000 pages per minute and scores every page according to brand safety, contextual relevance and qualified audience parameters. By leveraging a superior and owned code, the DynAdmic team can identify and target viewers’ real-time interest and prospective consumers from their audience catalogue in 60 languages across the world with a fraud rate of less than 1% according to Moat. DynAdmic is the only certified Google partner that connects the online with offline world with TV Sync, and has a 96% context relevance score as well as third-party verification from IAS. DynAdmic partners with the leading brands, agencies and publishers and is comprised of 130 people in 7 countries. Contact Details DynAdmic Corp. Lara Krumholz +55 11 94135-2008 lara@dynadmic.com Lara Krumholz +13477467971 Company Website http://us.dynadmic.com/

April 21, 2021 08:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cityneon Raises S$235 Million; Well Positioned for Next Growth Chapter

Cityneon

The global experience entertainment company gets a S$235 million shot in the arm, closes its private fund raising in April 2021 Investors both new and existing include Singapore’s Pavilion Capital, Seatown Holdings International and EDBI, Qatar’s Doha Venture Capital and financial institutions and family offices in Singapore and China These now join other existing Cityneon shareholders CITIC Capital, veteran entrepreneur and investor Mr. Johnson Ko, and Executive Chairman & Group CEO Mr. Ron Tan Funding comes just after the Group acquired multi-year licensing rights for James Cameron’s AVATAR touring exhibition, and two original artefacts IP on the ancient civilization Machu Picchu from Peru and Ramses the Great (Ramses II) from Egypt Investments position the Group well to bring experiences across the globe, targeting to launch six experiences in China and five in the U.S. by the end of 2021, with more in other parts of the world SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 21 April 2021 - Cityneon Holdings (“Cityneon”, the “Company”/collectively with its subsidiaries, the “Group”) raised S$235 million in the most recent round of private funding. The latest round of funding adds seasoned investors to Cityneon’s already strong stable of shareholders. This funding round was led by Singapore’s Pavilion Capital, Seatown Holdings International, EDBI, and Cityneon’s Executive Chairman & Group CEO, Mr. Ron Tan. EDBI and Pavilion Capital are existing shareholders of Cityneon whilst new investors include Seatown Holdings International, Qatar’s Doha Venture Capital, which will now own approximately 4 per cent of the Group, and other financial institutions and family offices in Singapore and China. These now join other existing Cityneon shareholders CITIC Capital, veteran entrepreneur and investor Mr. Johnson Ko, and Executive Chairman & Group CEO Mr. Ron Tan to form a new and strong shareholder base for the Group. Mr. Johnson Ko and Mr. Ron Tan remain as the largest shareholders of the company via their combined entity, West Knighton Limited. The Group is now well positioned for its next growth chapter and will use the proceeds for capital expenditure that includes building more of its various intellectual property (IP) exhibition sets, totaling 24 travelling and four semi-permanent sets under the Studio IP partnerships and three travelling sets under the original artefact IP partnerships by the end of 2022. Already, the Group just signed its fifth IP rights with Avatar from 20th Century Studios last year. Amidst the anticipation from Avatar fans worldwide, Cityneon will debut a multi-sensory Avatar exhibition in Chengdu, China in May 2021, ahead of the Avatar movie sequel which is slated for release in 2022. Avatar is the world’s top grossing film of all time after its successful re-release in China in March 2021. Avatar’s director James Cameron has announced that he will be producing four sequels with 20th Century Studios, with the first sequel slated for release next year. The Company also recently entered the original artefacts IPs space and will stage international exhibitions of the treasures of the ancient civilization Machu Picchu from Peru in Boca Raton, Florida and Pharaoh Ramses II from Egypt in Houston, Texas. These two experiences will start welcoming visitors in October and November 2021, respectively. Other IP rights that the Group holds include partnerships with Universal Studios for Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Marvel for Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., Lionsgate for The Hunger Games: The Exhibition and Hasbro for Transformers Autobot Alliance. All in, Cityneon holds the IP rights for five of the top 10 worldwide box office hits and two artefacts IP from Peru and Egypt. The Group expects to have six sets of its various IP rights travelling across China, and five travelling and permanent sets in the United States, with a few more in other parts of the globe. The Group will also be reopening experiences that were temporarily closed in 2020, aiming to provide visitors with a safe entertainment option. These include the Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. in Toronto, Canada that will be re-opening in May 2021; and the Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. exhibition in Lotte Mall in Seoul, Korea in April 2021; the same exhibition space which previously housed Jurassic World: The Exhibition, another IP experience exhibition by the Group in 2019. In the past month, the Group also witnessed record visitor numbers at their semi-permanent installations in Las Vegas, USA, signaling a strong comeback and demand for their immersive experiences, as they step into the 6th year of operations there. While there are exciting plans lined up, the Group is not resting on its laurels. More Hollywood IPs and artefact IPs can be expected, and there will be further announcements on new IP verticals in entertainment experiences that the Group is looking to enter. Mr. Ron Tan, Executive Chairman & Group CEO of Cityneon said, “It is exciting that the Company is going through such strategic expansion as one of the largest providers of exhibition entertainment experiences globally. The S$235 million funding round sets a solid foundation for us to invest in developing more of our entertainment experiences, to stage even more exhibitions of the five box office hits and two artefact IPs that we hold the rights to all over the world. I’m thankful that our strong investors base, now from Singapore, Hong Kong, China and the Middle East, have trust in our vision, and believe alongside us that this space of big ideas and big experiences will only grow.” By the end of this year, Cityneon will arguably be the largest provider of exhibition entertainment experiences internationally; with global footprints in more than 50 cities and welcoming 10 million unique visitors across the world by 2022. Cityneon Holdings With its global reach and international partnerships, Cityneon has the capability to serve its clients anywhere in the world. Cityneon was listed on the Mainboard of the Singapore Stock Exchange since 2005, and was privatized on February 2019 by West Knighton Limited, a company wholly owned by Cityneon’s Executive Chairman and Group CEO, Ron Tan, together with Hong Kong veteran entrepreneur and investor, Johnson Ko Chun Shun. Johnson is a capital markets veteran and has held controlling interests and directorships in many listed companies. In May 2019, Cityneon welcomed CITIC Capital as a new shareholder, who holds approximately 10% shares in Cityneon. CITIC Capital is part of CITIC Group, one of China’s largest conglomerates, and has over US$25b of assets under its management across 100 funds and investment products globally. Other institutional shareholders of the Group include EDBI - a Singapore government-linked global investor, and Pavilion Capital - a Singapore-based investment institution which focuses on private equity investments, that made strategic investments in August and October 2019 respectively, to support the Group's further expansion globally. For more information, please visit www.cityneongroup.com. Facebook | Youtube | LinkedIn | Instagram | Toutiao | Youku | Weibo Contact Details Cityneon Holdings Wong Yi Lin, Group Head, Corporate Relations +65 6571 6338 ir@cityneongroup.com

April 21, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

How 529 College Savings Plans Work by Jennifer Lang Financial Services

Jennifer Lang Financial Services, LLC

Contact Details Jennifer Lang Financial Services, LLC. Jennifer Lang +1 877-487-8926 mail@jenniferlangfinancialservices.com Company Website https://www.jenniferlangfinancialservices.com

April 20, 2021 10:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Refreshing Your Home (Inside & Out)

YourUpdateTV

Over the last year, the function of our homes has completely changed. These days, the home is where we spend our time, raise our families, work, study, exercise and so much more. With spring here, now is the perfect time to make some changes to help you refresh your home and love where you live. Recently, Angi Home Care Expert, Bailey Carson, teamed with YourUpdateTV on a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss easy ways to refresh your home this spring. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/0oEaIjRsFmg Whether you’re finally getting around to the home office, looking to redecorate for spring, or preparing the backyard for some outdoor entertainment, Angi has you covered. Here are some tips to get you started: It has been very easy for clutter to build up over the last year, so think about what items you want to donate, discard or keep, and then come up with permanent solutions to eliminate clutter moving forward. Shelving, cabinets, or simple baskets can help create a stress-free environment. Focus on the heart of the home: your kitchen. Improve flow and make your space more efficient by putting in an island, installing shelves in your pantry or simply adding bins and dowels to organize your cabinets. You can also give it all a new feel with a fresh coat of paint, modern backsplash or new hardware like cabinet handles. With spring here, everyone is ready to start spending more time outside. If you have an existing deck or patio, think about it giving it a good power wash or re-staining to get it ready for the season. If a deck or patio is still on your wish list, now is a great time to embark on that project. Just make sure you have the tools, talent and time to do it right – otherwise, it’s best to hire a pro! For more information, download the Angi app or visit Angi.com About Bailey Carson: Bailey Carson is a Home Expert and the Head of Book Now for ANGI Inc. and its brands including Angi, HomeAdvisor powered by Angi, and Handy. In this role, she oversees all aspects of Book Now services from product and operations to sales and marketing. She transitioned from her prior role as General Manager of Everyday Services for ANGI Inc. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

April 20, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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D8 Holdings to Accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin for Delta-8 THC Products

D8 Holdings, Inc.

D8 Holdings, Inc., the market leader in hemp-derived Delta-8 THC —today announced it will start accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin as payment methods on their site. “Our customers are early adopters, many of whom are heavily involved in the crypto market,” said Chris Duffield, CEO of D8. “With $2 trillion dollars sitting in crypto assets, and $45 billion parked in Dogecoin, the ability to accept crypto currency presents a big opportunity for our company.” D8.co will integrate Bitpay into their online platform, and all transactions will be settled in Doge. With the click of a button, customers can trade Doge for delta-8 gummies, delta-8 carts and delta-8 disposables as long as they are over 21 years of age. “Anyone paying with crypto will get a free pack of Delta-8 gummies as a bonus. We are looking long-term, and don’t plan on selling a single Doge,” concluded Duffield. About D8 Holdings Inc. The D8 Holdings team based in Colorado and Miami—with satellite offices in Las Vegas and Los Angeles—is an assembly of the top hemp and cannabis minds in the country. With backgrounds in extraction, chemistry, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and legal, the D8 Holdings team came together organically around this elusive, but extremely powerful molecule to create a new category of products. More info at www.d8.co. # # # Contact Details D8 Holdings Chris Duffield +1 424-333-2112 chris@d8.co

April 20, 2021 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CMMC Center of Excellence Announces Engagement Agreement with CICER ONE TECHNOLOGIES

Interoperability Clearinghouse

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Center of Excellence ( CMMC COE ), hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public-private partnership serving the public and private sectors for more than 15 years, is excited to announce a partnership with Cicer One Technologies, an innovative company with a suite of communications and data management and protection tools that are specifically designed to end 3rd party exposure of sensitive information, to protect CUI, intellectual property and sensitive financial, customer, and employee data. Decentralized Autonomous Edge Computing by Cicer One Technologies Inc provides turn-key compliance solutions for CMMC, NIST 800-171, ITAR and Federal or State level privacy requirements. Zero-trust, jurisdictionally controlled management of users, documents, and chat communications enables non-technical business owners the confidence and ease-of-use required to achieve compliance in a cost-effective manner. This unique partnership will extend efforts to identify and include proven capabilities within the CMMC COE Marketplace to improve cybersecurity protection and resilience for the global defense industrial base network of contractors, vendors, and suppliers. The executed Engagement Agreement establishes a collaborative engagement between Cicer One Technologies and the CMMC COE to partner in the furthering of their respective and complementary missions and objectives regarding the adoption, use, and expansion of CMMC based cybersecurity practices, risk management, and compliance for the DIB contractor, vendor, and supplier community of providers creating a broader CMMC ecosystem globally to improve security and resilience. Specific actions will include: The co-development of CMMC advisory services, cyber training and education programs to accelerate CMMC certification, increase cyber adoption and improve cyber protection & resilience. Co-sponsor symposiums, training programs and podcasts leveraging their combined cyber and IT expertise. Host regular working groups, with other partners, to enable collaboration and communications. Establish an independent Industry Cyber Security Advisory Council with peer organizations to advise and educate leaders across government and industry on the continued evolution and effectiveness of CMMC. The CMMC-COE ( http://cmmc-coe.org ) and Cicer One Technologies ( https://ciceronetech.com ) partnership will focus on bringing together the many disparate cyber and national security communities of interest to reduce complexity, improve awareness, and accelerate industry effort to become more cyber resilient against the growing threats from nation states and criminal enterprises. “We are excited to embark on this journey with Cicer”, said John Weiler, Chairman of the Board at CMMC Center of Excellence, “The foundation of CMMC starts with visibility into devices in the network and the risks they bring. This new partnership will further help advance the goals and objectives for improving the supply chain security and resilience for the US Department of Defense (DoD)”. Cicer One Technologies adds to the growing list of recognized technology providers contributing to the growth and advancement of the CMMC compliance knowledge base, product refinement, and education collateral. Together we share the responsibility to accurately disseminate knowledge and education thereby building cyber resiliency across the DIB supply chain. “This new partnership further enables important and critical discussions regarding cybersecurity and the protection of the DIB supply chain. We are excited to contribute in the development and education of policy, products, and services throughout the adoption of the CMMC protocol supporting contractors across the country,” said Robert Embleton, CEO. The CMMC-COE establishes both a Market Place and Knowledge Clearinghouse that will include resources that support the overall effort, including white papers; tutorials; recorded webcasts; presentations; and more that will help reduce the cost and burden on small and medium size contractors already struggling from the impact of COVID. For more information on the CMMC Center of Excellence, please visit http://cmmc-coe.org, email info@cmmc-coe.org or call 703-863-3766 For more information on Cicer One Technologies, please visit https://ciceronetech.com/ email info@ciceronetech.com or call 512-582-7009 About Us ---------- CMMC-COE.ORG is a unique non-profit public-private partnership, with a vision to accelerate Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMM) adoption, and reduce time & cost for security compliance for our partners by leveraging commercial best practices, CMMC standards, and innovative solutions for a measurable success. Our mission, focused on DOD mission objectives, cost containment and expeditious CMMC compliance, is to help the DIB improve cyber posture and resilience, and simplify its acquisition. The CMMC-COE is hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public/private partnership (P3) chartered in 2007 as an honest broker to reach outside the confines of the Federal IT advisories that lack dynamic reach into the Global IT Market, and dedicated to the adoption of commercial IT management standards of practice and innovations emanating from the Global IT market. Team IT-AAC has already demonstrated the value of its decade long investment, and provides a unique value to agencies seeking to achieve accelerate the transformation of legacy processes and systems. Our Just-in-Time SMEs apply an innovative suite of Technology Business Management and Agile Acquisition Processes needed to assure the business value of commercial IT. The Interoperability Clearinghouse (ICH), is the managing partner that make up the 24 NGO/SDO organizations that make up the IT-AAC. ICH provides the contract vehicles, clearances, and critical resources proven to guide sustainable, measurable and repeatable processes needed to drive better investment decisions as the speed of mission need, while aligning existing processes, methods and workforce with IT reform mandates contained in Clinger Cohen Act, FITARA, IT MGT Act, EO13838. Contact Details Bob Dix +1 703-975-6633 bob.dix@it-aac.org Company Website https://cmmc-coe.org

April 20, 2021 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

XA Network expands and appoints senior advisory board, as Southeast Asia digital economy races ahead

XA Network

The XA Network [the X denotes any tech firm with $1b+ valuation and the A refers to Alumni], the leading member-based investment network of executives from prominent tech firms in Southeast Asia, has today appointed an advisory board. The appointments signal the organisation's growth and reach, as the Southeast Asian digital economy proves resilient and is racing ahead at full velocity. John Wood (ex-Microsoft, Room To Read), Steve Chen (co-founder of YouTube), Maya Hari (Twitter) and David Thevenon (Balderton Capital, ex-Google) have been appointed to advisory board positions. They will work directly with the members as the organisation scales and will champion the new purpose - to be an organisation that fosters inclusive innovation for the benefit of start-ups across Southeast Asia. On his appointment, John Wood, advisory board member at XA Network commented: “I’m delighted to join this esteemed board to support and drive the ambitious community of investors. The XA Network brilliantly embodies Metcalfe's law – e.g., the value of a network rises exponentially as the number of users grows. I believe this generation of technology leaders, by working together to support the start-up ecosystem in Southeast Asia, will have an immense impact on the region. We are all very committed to the power of smart capital, intense mentoring and fuelling inclusive innovation. This approach resonates with me on many levels and I look forward to helping XA Network scale to the next level”. The XA Network is made up of 100 tech leaders from companies including Alibaba, Gojek, Grab, Google, Amazon, Netflix, YouTube amongst others. These investors offer an unmatched array of skills and counsel to their portfolio companies from engineering advice, product management, to marketing and partnership building experience. As a collective, this is embodied in their purpose to foster inclusive innovation beyond simply investing in start-ups. The XA Network exists to empower the tech community in Southeast Asia with its inclusive innovation approach. The Southeast Asia digital economy is forging new ground every year* and 2020 was no different, despite COVID-19. Over 70% of the region is now online, accounting for 400 million people (of a total population of 580 million). Digital adoption of consumer-service businesses increased as more people spent time online during lockdowns. HealthTech and EdTech based companies are earmarked to take-off in the coming years. Overall, the digital economy added USD $100 billion to the region and is poised to grow to over USD $300 billion by 2025. The XA Network portfolio businesses are making a positive impact across the region such as Indonesian startups, Sampingan who enable access to the gig economy and Bukukas who enable small businesses to digitize their operations. Meanwhile, Singapore-based mentor platform Tigerhall is connecting the world’s most successful people with young professionals. Nellie Wartoft, CEO at Tigerhall commented: "We raised $2m in 2020, it was a huge milestone for the company but we had a lot to do. The XA Network members are some of the absolute most supportive investors I've ever had on my cap table. They're never afraid of rolling up their sleeves and doing real work either, which is rare to find amongst investors. They feel much more like an extended team than just financial investors to me, and have been key to Tigerhall's success." The appointments come at an exciting time for XA Network as they achieved their first exit. Lomotif, Singapore’s video-sharing service, was acquired by a syndicate for US$125 million. The deal is said to be one of the biggest exits by a tech startup in Singapore in recent years. XA Network highlights (last 12 months) Membership base increased from 50 to 100 people in March 2021 XA Network portfolio includes 30 start-ups in a range of sectors including mobility, healthtech, foodtech, edtech, adtech, fintech, social commerce, proptech Portfolio companies have also gone on to raise $82m in follow-on capital Notes to the editor * e-Conomy SEA 2020 Report About the XA Network The XA Network [the X denotes any tech firm with $1b+ valuation and the A refers to Alumni] is an investment network comprising senior executives from prominent tech companies including Alibaba, Gojek, Grab, Google, Amazon, Netflix and Twitter amongst others. Its mission is to invest and empower early-stage companies across Southeast Asia through their inclusive innovation approach, by exposing these businesses to the wide array of skills in the network. Since 2018, they have made 30 investments and expanded their member base to 100 people. XA Network has invested in a wide variety of promising companies including Bukukas, Tigerhall, Sampingan, Neuron, and Infradigital as well as the Vertex Southeast Asia and India fund. Contact Details XA Network Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 press@xanetwork.co Company Website https://xanetwork.co/

April 19, 2021 08:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Minuteman Press Franchise Owner Joseph Lee Shows Print is Essential to Boosting Local Businesses in San Bernardino

Minuteman Press International Inc

Celebrating 5 years in business and overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic with 20% year-over-year sales growth to date in 2021, Joseph Lee has grown his Minuteman Press franchise in San Bernardino by providing essential printing and marketing services with a personal touch. “I always put myself in the customer’s shoes, and I am always sincere. I ask them, ‘What are you trying to accomplish?’ Then, I let them know how we can help them while also doing everything I can to save them time, stress, and money. I let them know how they can promote their business, and more importantly I listen and get to know them.” Joseph’s personal approach and empathy for his clients and community is especially refreshing at a time where local businesses need to work together as the local economy recovers from the pandemic. Joseph says, “Over the past year, whenever I reach out, our customers are very appreciative and glad we are still open and operating, and still growing. The reason I am growing and operating is because of them. No matter how many clients I have, I try to know them by their first names and what they do for a living. Providing a personal touch and showing you care, then proving it time and again, means everything.” “I get to know my clients as people, not just as customers. That has been the biggest key to our growth.” Joseph Lee, Owner, Minuteman Press in San Bernardino Print is Essential At the beginning of the pandemic, print was classified as an essential business, and with good reason. Joseph explains, “One of the first things I did was keep in contact with customers by letting them know I was operating. This included providing printing for other essential businesses like doctor’s offices, hospitals, and city organizations. I was following guidelines and told everyone I reached out to that we are open and I am here if there’s anything they needed. We printed everything from custom embroidered masks to help keep people safe to critical COVID-19 safety posters, and more.” Reflecting on the past year, Joseph continues, “During the pandemic, what I see is that paper materials and tangible items are here to stay. People might have missed the human connection this year, but print was and always will be there to keep us connected in a meaningful and powerful way.” Local Business Recovery Trending Upwards Today, Minuteman Press in San Bernardino is seeing more and more local businesses reopening and ordering more printing products and marketing services. Joseph says, “I think there was a point in time that printing might not have seemed like it was trending. However, the more you really look at it, printing is always trending and it’s not a passing fad. Today, I’m selling more business cards than before, more flyers than before (we are working on an order for 5,000 flyers that just came in), and more mailers than before (we are working on an order for 3,500 postcards that will be mailed out soon, which is actually seven versions of 500 postcards each).” He adds, “Our current growth has been a case of providing a little bit of everything that has worked together. For example, we have an envelope printer and envelope stuffer, with one client doing 10,000 mailers every quarter. We’ve enhanced our in-house wide format printing capabilities for banners. We’ve upgraded in all areas of printing, finishing, and bindery. This speeds up the process for us and meets our clients’ needs quicker. Ultimately, by investing in equipment, I am solidifying my base. My business has grown and is growing today. Even during the pandemic, we remained steady, and now we are already 20% ahead of last year.” “Our business has been servicing San Bernardino for 35 years and I have been the owner for 5 years. I know I can help by listening and seeing what our clients need. Whether it’s a fresh banner outside their shop or 10,000 mailers, I have positioned our business so that we never have to turn a client away for something we can’t do. I want to take care of everything no matter the industry. Local businesses, hospitals, engineers, we can do it all.” -Joseph Lee 3 Keys to Growth & Benefits of Franchising As part of the Minuteman Press franchise family, Joseph is able to utilize various resources to grow his business. He says, “The three keys for me have been following the Minuteman Press system, investing in Minuteman Press’ Internet marketing program, and simply talking to customers and generating word of mouth referrals. Nothing is more powerful or gratifying than gaining new business from customer recommendations. We’ve proven that the high quality and personal service we provide is what leaves the most lasting impression.” Another huge benefit of franchising with Minuteman Press is the support they provide to Joseph. He explains, “The reason I am with Minuteman Press is because I share their core values of what a business is supposed to be. I receive more than just support, instead I like to say I receive ‘kind’ support. Everyone is very honest and genuinely trying to help each other.” Joseph also attended the Minuteman Press International World Expo in 2019, where franchisees, vendors, corporate and regional teams all came together to share ideas, insights, and innovations. “I attended the World Expo and came back home to San Bernardino with so much knowledge and information. Two things that stuck with me were to become an expert on direct mail and to invest in areas such as large format printing, digital production, and digital bindery. I applied these concepts and it really helped me grow and better serve my clients.” “The corporate and regional support they provide and the relationships Minuteman Press International has built with me is huge. We all work together, from my Regional Vice President Dan Byers and the field team to the other owners I’ve had the pleasure of knowing over the past five years. What this all means is that I am in business for myself, but not by myself.” -Joseph Lee Entrepreneurship Runs in the Family For Joseph Lee, owning a business is a concept he learned from his family. He explains, “I grew up in Houston and was a pre-med student. My father owned a gas station business but he unfortunately passed away. My mother sold the business and then started a deli shop. Owning a business was something I was familiar with as was hard work.” He continues, “While I was still in Houston, I worked my up from part-time sales to VP Sales/Marketing for a cutlery company, where I even brought the business to South Korea. After I left that company, I bought and grew two copy centers in 1996 and 2000 before coming to San Bernardino.” “I sold the copy centers and moved to San Bernardino in 2005 when I landed the opportunity to work as COO & VP Sales/Marketing for another company. I have lived here for 16 years and bought my Minuteman Press franchise in 2016. I haven’t looked back since.” “Before I chose Minuteman Press, I looked at so many franchises: pizza parlors, nail salons, and other printing franchises. I looked at this opportunity and saw the greatest potential. I started turning the business around after two months and now it’s been five years of consistent growth.” As for the rewards of owning his franchise, Joseph says, “I don’t like people telling me what to do so the most rewarding thing is that I am the decision-maker. There are responsibilities but also the freedom to decide for yourself what you want to do. Also, I like to be proactive rather than reactive, and I have trained my employees to be the same way. I feel like we have been successful taking that approach to go above and beyond for our clients.” Advice for Others When asked what advice he would give to other aspiring business owners, Joseph answers, “For me, there are three keys to building a successful business: 1. Provide the highest quality; 2. Build rapport and develop personal relationships with clients while providing personal service; and 3. Have competitive pricing but don’t operate on price alone. Focus on those three things and that will really help spark long-term growth.” For more information about Minuteman Press in San Bernardino, visit https://www.sb.minutemanpress.com. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

April 19, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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The big move: A third of UK households to move home as COVID-19 set to change where Britons live

Romal Capital

Millions of us are set to move home permanently, as a consequence of the pandemic, citing remote working as the facilitator and quality of life as the ambition, according to new research by property developer Romal Capital. The national survey* of 2,000 households found that nearly a third (31%) are planning to change their living arrangements following successive lock-downs and remote-working experiences. This is a staggering increase as only between 4% to 5% of households, typically, move homes in any given year**. The need to move is slightly higher in the 25-34 years age category (32%) compared to slightly less in those over 60 (28%). One fifth (20%) will have aimed to move within the next three months. The ability to combine working from home and in the office in a hybrid working environment influenced more than a quarter of respondents (26%) to consider relocation. Remote working aside, over a quarter of those surveyed (26%) mentioned the need for suitable jobs in the local area. “We’re seeing a paradigm shift in how this country wants to live and work,” says Romal Capital’s CEO Greg Malouf. “Hybrid working options and lifestyle changes are two key elements driving this change in behaviour. Moreover, the temporary stamp duty holiday and the desire to cash-in on significant property price increases in 2021 have also empowered decision making. In fact, in the same period a 16% property price-hike in Liverpool alone, underlines this very bullish market. The current UK housing market simply does not match this new reality, and with these changing demands, there needs to be a country-wide rethink on meeting housing needs.” While still considering location, 29% said that a good standard of living will be the most important factor in deciding their future location. It seems however people do not want to go completely remote with almost a quarter of respondents (23%) citing road networks and connectivity as two important criteria, with areas perceived likely to increase in value (10%) and locations near hospitals (9%) closely following. People ranked Waterfront living, whether by the sea, lake or canal, as the top “X-factor” draw for their new living location followed by substantial green spaces and good community feel. Of these, over half (51%) of 35-44 year olds selected community feel in contrast to 41% of the over 60’s who opted for waterfront living (61%). Notes to the editor *Research findings based on a survey of 2,000 UK households carried out in April 2021 for Romal Capital by LMRMC (Market Research Society approved partner and ESOMAR corporate member). ** ONS, Families and households in the UK. About Romal Capital Romal Capital is an international award-winning property developer based in Liverpool. The team brings to the city over 60 years of combined property development experience from across Liverpool, and other major UK and international cities. Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.romalcapital.co.uk/

April 16, 2021 04:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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