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Heineken indicated its negotiations with European retailers have been “tougher than usual”, as it looks to remain firm on its pricing strategy. Taking a firm stance on pricing is necessary to fuel growth in the beer category, was Heineken’s message to investors today (16 April). During the brand’s first quarter of 2025, ending 31 March, consolidated volumes fell 4.9% year-on-year in Europe. While the company sold less beer than it did during the same period last year, it grew price-mix by 1.4%, meaning it increased prices versus the year prior. Speaking to investors during Heineken’s first quarter results call, CFO…

X experienced a “significant decrease” in performance in 2023, as spend fell from large brand advertisers concerned about content moderation and brand safety. X’s UK business experienced a “significant decrease” in performance in 2023, following Elon Musk’s purchase of the company in late 2022, the company has revealed. Revenue fell by 66.3% year-on-year, dropping from £205.3m in 2022 to £69.1m in 2023, while profit for the financial year decreased to £1.2m from £5.6m. The downturn was triggered by a reduction in advertising spend from large brand advertisers concerned about content moderation and brand safety, according to accounts filed this week…

The road to legalizing land-based casinos in Brazil has faced several delays, with the controversial bill PL 2,234/2022 still awaiting a full vote in the Brazilian Senate. Despite being approved by the Justice and Citizenship Committee in June of the previous year, the bill has seen repeated postponements. However, Senator Irajá, a key proponent of the bill, remains optimistic that it will eventually be passed.Senator Irajá’s Confidence Amid DelaysSenator Irajá has expressed confidence that the legalization of land-based casinos is essential for Brazil’s tourism and economic growth. She noted that after multiple public hearings and discussions, the bill is now…

Allowing marketing to take control of product has led to Verizon Business producing stronger output, better tailored to its customers’ needs. Verizon Business’s top marketer believes that bringing product under marketing’s remit has helped the business become more “customer-centric” and empowered the business to be more successful. Iris Meijer joined the mobile communications giant in 2021 as CMO, but in January 2024, her role was expanded to include responsibility for product as the CEO of the B2B arm of the business wanted the company to move towards being a “customer powerhouse”. “As marketers, we understand the customer, we have a…

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has opened an investigation into sports prediction markets operating without a license in the state. These platforms, which allow users to place financial stakes on the outcome of sporting events, have raised red flags over the lack of consumer safeguards and regulatory oversight.In an announcement made on April 11, the MGCB expressed that these services—though often presented as trading platforms—fall under the category of sports betting under Michigan law. The regulator emphasized that bypassing the state’s regulatory framework exposes users to considerable risks, including fraud, data breaches, and misuse of personal information.Entertainment or Investment?…

Many consumers feel their area is unrepresented in advertising More than one in three people (35%) feel their local area is not represented in advertising at all, according to research from GroupM. Meanwhile, just 6% of people feel their area is well represented. Only a fifth (20%) feel that advertisers successfully incorporate local references in their advertising. This feeling of poor representation is particularly acute among regions likely to feel under depicted in media anyway. Less than a third of people in Scotland (32%) and under a quarter in Wales (24%) say brands use appropriate local dialect, terminology and humour…

The United Arab Emirates continues shaping its commercial gaming and lottery market, issuing fresh vendor licences and securing new partnerships to support regulatory compliance and secure operations. Novomatic and EQL Games have become the latest recipients of vendor licences from the UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), while the national lottery operator, The Game LLC, has formalised a partnership with Xpoint for location-based player verification.Novomatic Enters UAE’s Land-Based Gaming SectorNovomatic, the Austria-headquartered gaming technology provider, has obtained a commercial gaming vendor licence from the GCGRA. The licence allows Novomatic to operate within the UAE’s land-based casino environment, which is…

A quarter of marketers rate their recent recruitment process as negative, according to Marketing Week’s 2025 Career & Salary Survey. Recruitment challenges continue to define many marketers’ job hunting experiences, with an excessive number of interview stages and a lack of communication cited as major issues. A quarter (24.9%) of marketers say their recent hiring process was either adequate, bad or very bad, according to Marketing Week’s 2025 Career & Salary Survey. While this means 75.1% had a good or very good experience, it still shows a significant chunk of marketers have faced difficult hurdles during recent experiences.   One of…

Rising geopolitical tensions between China and the United States are casting a shadow over Macau’s economic prospects for 2025, as experts caution that retaliatory tariff measures are likely to have indirect but far-reaching consequences for the city’s tourism and gaming sectors.Trade Conflict Clouds Economic ConfidenceThe latest round of tit-for-tat trade measures has seen China impose tariffs of up to 84% on US imports, prompting US President Donald Trump to respond with an even steeper 125% tariff on goods from China. While Macau’s direct trade with the US is minimal—imports amounted to just over MOP$7 billion last year and exports around…

The Thai government has postponed a parliamentary debate on a controversial bill seeking to legalize casinos in the country. Initially scheduled for Wednesday, the debate on the Integrated Entertainment Business Bill will instead be postponed to a later session amid mounting opposition from various civil, religious, and political groups. This delay comes as the government focuses on urgent matters such as the aftermath of a recent earthquake and the economic impact of a US-imposed 36% tariff on Thai products.Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra confirmed the delay, explaining that the government’s immediate priority is to address the ongoing crisis. “We will not…