Getting attention online is harder than hitting gold in the desert. You NEED a way to stand out and this is IT! If you’re not using these “Trigger Reels” to grab attention, your competitors ARE. Can you afford to let them have all the fun and money? Stop wasting time, money and energy creating videos and content that people ignore…
Start using these ready-made “Trigger Reel” videos to grab attention and put people into an almost “hypnotic” state where they stop, listen and buy like you’ve never seen before. People just LOVE seeing their name in lights on the screen and with a personal message that feels like it’s made for them.But people aren’t happy…
Vidamaze instantly creates attention-grabbing videos that are scientifically proven to get BREAKTHROUGH results! We’re handing you 10 POWERFUL Trigger Reel templates that you can quickly customize, plug in and profit with today!
Showing people’s names, location and personal details on the screen… but in a way that gets maximum impact and creates an emotional “buzz” every time they watch. Our brand new video creation technology allows you to create 1-1 “intimate and personal” videos at scale and faster than ever before.
We’ve created 10 video templates in red hot niches ready for you to cash in with today! Each ready-made video has a true Hollywood look and feel that grabs attention and leaves viewers stunned! and they’re usually complicated, slow, buggy or produce videos that you’d be embarrassed to share with your mom… NEVERMIND the rest of the world!
We’re living in the world of Netflix, Disney+ and HIGH PRODUCTION MARKETING VIDEOS all over the internet. If your videos look like something your grandma slapped together on her dusty old Windows 98 PC… then you’re DEAD IN THE WATER. Luckily, Vidamaze creates “Hollywood-esque” videos that stun, amaze and leave jaws on the floor… with a 1-1 human touch that seals the deal.
Workers affected by layoffs are suddenly faced with many drastic changes all at once: the loss of livelihood, routine, and benefits (if the job offered them). They’re left to navigate separation agreements, severance packages, and unemployment benefits with little guidance. All this on top of the already arduous job search process.
Still, laid-off employees often have more power beyond what the company initially spells out upon eliminating your position. While Vox can’t offer financial or legal advice, there are general guidelines to help workers in transition. From negotiating severance packages to dealing with unemployment, here are some tips to help guide you through the days and weeks after a layoff.
What to do the week before layoffs are announced
Usually workers will have some warning about impending layoffs, either from official company communications or from office rumors, says Alison Green, creator of the work advice column Ask a Manager. Getting “laid off” means you lost your job due to no fault of your own — the company is cutting costs, restructuring, or shutting down completely. Full-time, part-time, and contract workers can all be subject to layoffs.
Unfortunately, part-time workers might not have the benefit of severance packages or any other “safety net,” says employment lawyer Christopher Davis, managing partner and owner of the law firm Working Solutions NYC. “If there’s a layoff or some sort of shift in the economy, they’re really not protected.”
Getting laid off is different from being fired, where the company is letting you go based on poor performance or violating company policy. Quitting is where you voluntarily leave the job. Federal law requires employers with 100 or more employees to give 60 days’ notice of a layoff affecting 50 or more full-time employees at a single site of employment. Part-time employees are also entitled to receive notice of a mass layoff or plant closing.
Each state may have its own guidelines regarding notice, and layoffs more broadly, says Davis. If your employer does not give proper notice under these laws, you may have legal recourse, Davis says, so you and your fellow laid-off co-workers can consult with an employment lawyer. You and your colleagues can ask for attorney recommendations from family and friends or search for local legal aid organizations that have taken on employment cases.
Davis also recommends doing some online searches and research of your own and making cold calls. Use any possible advance notice to your benefit, Green says. Read over your employee handbook and determine what items or files in your desk, workplace, or computer you want to take with you. You might want to download your email contacts, secure copies of your performance reviews, or make sure you have accounted for all of your pay stubs.
Double-check with workplace rules when copying any examples of your work; the company almost certainly owns that material. Green also recommends having a copy of the employee handbook accessible so you can reference policies and procedures during the separation process if necessary.
If you are enrolled in your company’s health insurance plan, make any necessary doctor appointments and refill prescriptions, Green says. “Try to get extra refills if you can do it,” she adds.
What to do the day you are laid off
Receiving news that your position has been eliminated can be shocking and upsetting. You may have gotten notice in a group call, in a one-on-one meeting, or over email. Before taking action, pause and review all of the information you have about the separation as outlined in those meetings, says Lauren McGoodwin, founder and CEO of the online job resource website Career Contessa.
Companies aren’t required to offer severance, but many do, and severance details may be a part of these documents. Each individual employer can decide whether to offer severance to part-time employees. “Take a moment to decompress,” she says. “Don’t sign anything right away. Don’t react to it.”
Now would be a good time to speak to your union representatives, if you’re a member of a union, before signing any agreements. “Often, they will have specific supports in place that you can access,” Green says. Read over your collective bargaining agreement’s layoff clause, which should outline the process for deciding which positions are eliminated and whether you could potentially be rehired.
Davis says sometimes employment lawyers will offer free consults to talk through any potential legal issues or to look over your severance agreement, but be sure to clarify any fees before taking a meeting. “There’s a lot of people that have legal claims and they just don’t know it,” Davis says, “especially among those who are disenfranchised and don’t have access to the systems in power.”
If the company has sent over a separation agreement document — which lays out the conditions of the layoff — pay attention to the deadline you have to accept. Very rarely will your employer require you to sign on the spot or object to you showing the document to a lawyer, Green says, and if they do, those are major red flags…Continue reading
Thousands of workers in the tech sector suddenly find themselves without a job. The industry continues to cite changing economic conditions as the reason. But each company has slightly different reasons for the layoffs. Plus, many companies are seeing an uneven distribution of layoffs across departments.
Which companies are laying off workers?
According to layoffs.fyi, over 760 tech companies have laid off employees in 2022. Some are letting go a handful of employees. Others, like Meta and Twitter TWTR0.0%, are laying off thousands of workers.
Let’s take a closer look at which companies are laying off workers and the reasons behind the decision.
Twitter
Since Elon Musk’s deal to purchase the company finally came through, Twitter has been making all kinds of waves in the media. After the deal closed, Musk quickly fired the top brass of the company.
But the layoffs didn’t stop with the former c-suite. Thousands more Twitter employees found out they were let go last week. The estimated cuts accounted for 50% of the company’s workforce, which means around 3,700 employees were laid off.
Musk tweeted that the layoffs were necessary because the company was losing at least $4 million per day. Although everyone was reportedly offered three months of severance pay, the widespread layoffs across the company were done in a confusing way.
Many former employees reportedly found out about their termination when they were locked out of their work email and Slack accounts. Some are reporting that Twitter may want to rehire some of the laid-off employees.
Lyft
Lyft recently announced that it would be laying off around 700 employees, which accounts for approximately 13% of its workforce.
In a memo to the company’s employees, Lyft’s leadership stated, “There are several challenges playing out across the economy. We’re facing a probable recession sometime in the next year and ride share insurance costs are going up.
We worked hard to bring down costs this summer: we slowed, then froze hiring; cut spending; and paused less-critical initiatives. Still, Lyft has to become leaner, which requires us to part with incredible team members.”
Based on the memo, it seems that the layoffs will be spread across all, or at least multiple, departments.
Stripe
Stripe, a payments company, announced plans to cut its workforce by 14% this week. The layoffs will impact more than 1,000 employees at the company.
Stripe’s CEO, Patrick Collison, said in the announcement that the layoffs were necessary due to leadership mistakes. Specifically, Collision said leadership was “much too optimistic about the internet economy’s near-term growth in 2022 and 2023 and underestimated both the likelihood and impact of a broader slowdown.”
He continued that, “We grew operating costs too quickly. Buoyed by the success we’re seeing in some of our new product areas, we allowed coordination costs to grow and operational inefficiencies to seep in.”
In contrast to some of the other companies facing a layoff, former employees of Stripe found clear information about how the change will impact their income. For example, affected Stripe employees can find the details of severance pay, healthcare, vesting and more easily available online.
But former employees of other companies are left with vague information about their employment situation. Most notably, some Twitter employees reportedly found out about being let go when they lost access to their company Slack channel and email account.
Chime
Chime, a fintech company, announced that it would be laying off around 160 workers, or 12% of its workforce. Although the company remains reportedly well capitalized, it seems that the cuts are being made in preparation for changing market dynamics.
Netflix
In June, Netflix let go of some 300 employees. That’s after letting go of around 150 employees in May. The decision to make a series of layoffs comes after the company saw its U.S. subscribers plummet by 200,000.
Coinbase
For those that follow the crypto markets, it might not come as a surprise that Coinbase is moving forward with layoffs in the face of depressed crypto prices. Due to the changing economic conditions, CEO Brian Armstrong, announced that the company would lay off 18% of the workforce.
In a memo, Armstrong pointed to several reasons for the changes to the workforce. Specifically, he said, “We appear to be entering a recession after a 10+ year economic boom. A recession could lead to another crypto winter and could last for an extended period.
In past crypto winters, trading revenue (our largest revenue source) has declined significantly. While it’s hard to predict the economy or the markets, we always plan for the worst so we can operate the business through any environment.” He also mentioned growing too quickly and down markets as a reason for cutting workers.
Zillow
With the housing market slowdown, Zillow announced layoffs of approximately 5% of its workforce, or 300 employees.
One of the major areas impacted is the company’s relatively new house flipping department. However, the company is still reportedly hiring in technology-related roles.
Meta
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is reportedly planning a large number of layoffs later this week. Although the number of employees to be laid off is uncertain, the company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently said in a conference call that he expects Meta to end 2023 “as either roughly the same size, or even a slightly smaller organization than we are today.”
As of November 10th, 13% of the workforce was laid off. With that, over 11,000 Meta employees now find themselves without a job.
The bottom line
With these tech layoffs coming in waves, investors must vigilantly protect their portfolios. As more companies announce layoffs, the stock of those companies respond to the changes. With so many companies announcing layoffs, it can be difficult for investors to stay on top of it all.
Luckily, you don’t have to keep track on your own. Instead, you can harness the power of artificial intelligence with the help of an investment kit through Q.ai.
With the Tech Rally Investment Kit, you can delegate the hassle of tracking your tech investments to a kit that auto-adjusts to your portfolio based on the market conditions and your personalized investment goals and risk tolerance.
Following in the footsteps of Netflix NFLX+8%, Disney, Amazon AMZN+3.5% and Instacart, Uber UBER+0.5% announced this week its intent to establish a corporate advertising division and the launch of Uber Journey Ads, which will allow brands to connect with consumers throughout the entire rideshare experience. The new business will join Uber Eats, which has been displaying in-app restaurant ads for two years.
Uber’s press release crowed about the potential to leverage its extensive first-party data across mobility and delivery interactions, presenting the world’s largest companies with a compelling opportunity to reach 122 million active users who make or order almost 2 billion trips per quarter on Uber’s platform.
At this scale, Uber’s new business does show promise in delivering much-needed high-margin revenue by selling targeted ads that exploit unique insights on customer lifetime travel behaviors and trip-specific destinations. Moreover, by controlling its own customer data and user app, Uber can sidestep Apple’s AAPL+2.7% and Google’s GOOG+0.9% growing restrictions on ad-tracking tactics.
But what about consumers? What makes Uber Journey Ads a good deal for them? Uber has always relied on convenience as its most compelling consumer value proposition, namely the ability to be whisked from any point A to B, at any time, with frictionless payment, all with the simple tap of a smartphone. While Uber initially was also cheaper — not just better — than traditional taxi service, over the past five years Uber has sharply raised prices, to the point where consumers now routinely pay premium prices for Uber’s service.
Uber’s rideshare trip growth has slowed from the heady era of price-subsidies, but there are still plenty of customers attracted by Uber’s convenience, and the company’s financial performance is actually better (or less bad, depending on your disposition) than it has ever been. But with in-app ads, Uber now expects rideshare customers to be comfortable with the need to continue paying premium prices, despite now being bombarded with what may be unwanted or possibly creepy ads. Remember, Uber knows who you are and where you’re going.
From a consumer perspective, Uber’s Journey Ads program would be analogous to Netflix announcing that they were introducing ads to everyone’s streaming feed, but keeping subscription prices the same. Uber’s new ad business chief, Mark Grether, claims that the addition of ads would ultimately make rides cheaper for consumers, but declined to say how much.
Really? Cheaper than what? Uber’s consumer pricing algorithms for ridesharing service are completely opaque to consumers. Fares used to be based on published rates per-mile and minute (similar to taxis), adjusted as necessary for supply/demand imbalances, expressed as an explicit “surge” multiple over base fares.
But in 2016, Uber switched to “Upfront Fares,” where the company abolished its rate card entirely, simply quoting passengers a flat fare at the time of a trip request, which passengers are free to accept or reject. In that respect, passengers may know upfront what any given trip will cost, but as to why prices can and do vary considerably from trip-to-trip, Uber isn’t upfront (as in transparent) at all.
Uber almost doubled its average rideshare prices nationwide between 2018 and 2021, and reports of extreme fare levels have increasingly surfaced, for example airport-to-city center Uber fares exceeding the passenger’s air fare.
Do large price swings from trip to trip simply reflect dynamically shifting surge conditions as always, or are different factors at play? Can different riders sometimes be charged different rates for exactly the same trip? If so, why? As passengers, we simply have no way to know what prices to expect when ordering an Uber rideshare service.
As such, Uber’s Journey Ad promise to reduce consumer rideshare fares by an unspecified amount sometime in the unspecified future rings hollow when compared to crystal clear price transparency in the streaming video market. For example, if you want to binge on Bridgerton to your heart’s content without pesky interruptions, Netflix’s standard monthly streaming rate is $15.49. If that price is a bridge too far, and you’re willing to accept ads, the monthly rate drops to $6.99, a 55% cut.
It’s also important to note that Uber’s mobility and delivery businesses are fundamentally different. Customers opening the Uber Eats app may not know exactly what restaurant to order from. That’s what makes ads on food apps (and Amazon.com for that matter) so devilishly effective. Most customers in these cases are definitely going to buy something, but can be influenced by ads in considering their alternative choices.
But for ridesharing, customers know precisely where they are going and why, so ads are far more likely to be viewed as an annoying distraction. That is, if they’re seen at all. It’s fair to assume that most customers don’t sit in their ridesharing vehicle staring at Uber’s app, as opposed to Netflix, where staring at a screen is the whole point of the service. As a result, Uber plans on hitting consumers with ads at all three journey stages — the waiting-for-pickup screen, enroute, and post-trip.
In fact, Uber plans to sell ad “blocks,” where advertisers willing to pay can gain exclusive access on display ads on Uber’s app at every journey stage. Consumers, this isn’t the way it used to be! For some customers of course, the final, and perhaps most concerning aspect of Uber Journey Ads is the potential creepiness of it all. To be sure, Uber has given strong assurances that it will not share or divulge personal information under its targeted ad program.
But regardless of the level of aggregation Uber may use in its algorithmic target market segmentation, there are four reasons for potential concern.
Advertisers always value (as in more ads at higher CPM rates) more granularity in targeting prospective customers, so there are natural incentives favoring targeting accuracy over consumer privacy
Location-specific tracking has always been a particularly sensitive privacy issue, which lies at the heart of Uber’s new mobility ad service
This sensitivity was clearly on display in the widespread moral outrage following revelations in 2014 that Uber employees freely accessed a “God View” program to track individual customer movements. To settle the ensuing embarrassing government investigation, Uber agreed to submit third-party audits of its privacy practices to the Federal Trade Commission for 20 years
As recently as last month, Uber suffered another serious data breach. A security engineer who corresponded with the person claiming responsibility for the hack reported, “They pretty much have full access to Uber; this is a total compromise, from what it looks like.” Such incidents add to lingering concerns with Uber’s trustworthiness and security in handling sensitive consumer data.
Uber has failed for years to create sufficient value to adequately reward all its stakeholders — consumers, drivers/couriers, restauranteurs, and company shareholders — forcing the company to play one off against another, in what has become a long-running pursuit of profitless growth.
The addition of Uber Journey Ads is a perfectly logical business initiative for a company under increasing pressure to produce attractive investor returns. But make no mistake about it:Uber’s advertising initiative is intended to extract value from consumers for the benefit of Uber’s shareholders and advertisers. Consumers, you’re being taken for a ride!
After a decade during which ultra-low interest rates and abundant market liquidity grew Uber and Lyft. into start-up giants and eventual IPOs, the rideshare model is under a great deal of stress.
Even with consumers bouncing back and ride numbers way up from pandemic lows, stocks of both companies are tanking after their latest earnings, and from wage inflation to unionization and gas prices, the current economy is not one that favors their business models.
In many respects, Uber and Lyft today are much more like big corporations than a reflection of any original definition of a local “rideshare” community, but one thing remains true: consumers do want alternatives to owning a car and traditional public transport options. Nearly 36% of U.S. adults say they have at one point used a ride-share app like Lyft and Uber, according to Pew Research.
If anything, the pressure on the top “rideshare” companies may leave room for additional models to make their case. Getaround is an example. Founded in 2009 and, along with Uber, an original CNBC Disruptor on the inaugural 2013 list, its mission has remained transitioning society away from every licensed driver in the world having a car: simply walk up to cars that are parked all over the street and tap an unlock button on your phone.
The IPO market may not be receptive right now, but its executive team and investors are betting that the concept will continue to grow.
“What’s happening in transportation is a slow moving kind of shift from ownership to access, and that’s building momentum over time,” said Elliot Kroo, CTO and co-founder of Getaround. “More and more people are looking at alternative transportation options, realizing that car ownership is very expensive.”
The pandemic and the related global supply chain issues, as well as robust consumer demand, have led to steep increases in prices of both new and used cars. Kroo said that while more people use car-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, more people are also thinking about getting rid of their cars.
The pandemic and the related global supply chain issues, as well as robust consumer demand, have led to steep increases in prices of both new and used cars. Kroo said that while more people use car-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, more people are also thinking about getting rid of their cars….To be continued…
LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 20: A sign is posted in front of Netflix headquarters (Photo by Justin ... [+] Getty Images
The thing about free TV is that, while it has ads, it’s … free. Netflix with ads, however, will not be free, the company announced today when it finally provided details about the long-anticipated ad-supported version of the most popular streaming long-form video platform on the planet.
The new Netflix tier is called Basic With Ads, and it’s launching in 12 countries in November for $6.99 US. Basic with Ads joins existing Basic, Standard, and Premium plans, and includes:
Almost all of Netflix in terms of shows, but not all
Some movies and TV shows won’t be available due to licensing restrictions
720P video quality, not 1080P or 4K
Permitted use on one device at a time (can be a phone, tablet, computer, or TV)
4-5 minutes of ads per hour which will play both before and during content
15-30 second unskippable ad units (you also can’t fast forward during ads)
Ads will be targeted by country and type of show you’re watching, but also what Netflix knows about you (for example: age, gender, location, and what you watch on Netflix)
Ads will not be shown on kids’ profiles
No ads will show during Netflix games
No ability to download shows for offline viewing, like on a flight or trip to the no-internet-here cabin
Genuine question: will the number of people watching on kids’ accounts grow as a means to avoid ads? I guess we’ll see. “We’re confident that with Netflix starting at $6.99 a month, we now have a price and plan for every fan,” Greg Peters, Netflix Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer said in a statement.
“While it’s still very early days, we’re pleased with the interest from both consumers and the advertising community — and couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead. As we learn from and improve the experience, we expect to launch in more countries over time.” It’s probably true that Netflix has a price and plan for most fans, but not all if you want good old-fashioned free TV.
Granted, that’s rare today given that most people pay either for cable, satellite, or streaming services — or some combination of those three — plus of course internet access fees. But some still get terrestrial TV for free: in the UK, for example, people can get 70 free-to-air standard channels, 15 HD channels and around 30 radio services over digital terrestrial TV. There are hundreds of TV stations still broadcasting over the air in the US as well.
For streamers or those considering it, $7 is not onerous, and probably neither is 4-5 minutes of ads per hour. And the ability to watch what you want when you want is also worth something. Of course, as we’ve seen with other media, the percentage of time and space allocated to advertising seems to inevitably creep upwards.
The question now is: will other streaming services like Disney+ and HBO Max start to follow suite with their own cheaper ad-supported services? Basic with Ads will be available in these countries at launch: Australia , Brazil , Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , Korea , Mexico , Spain , UK , USA.
What was once believed unthinkable is now a reality: Netflix with ads is here.The streaming giant unveiled “Basic with Ads,” its much anticipated ad-supported subscription plan, on Thursday. The new tier will cost $6.99 a month in the US and be available Nov. 3 in the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain and the UK.
The company said that “current plans and members will not be impacted” and that “Basic with Ads complements our existing ad-free Basic, Standard and Premium plans.” The new option will feature much of what’s available with Netflix’s current $9.99 a month Basic plan, but will include an average of four to five minutes of commercials per hour.
Those ads will be 15 or 30 seconds in length and will play before and during TV series and movies. Netflix (NFLX) noted that it will offer broad targeting capabilities by country and genre to help “advertisers reach the right audience — and ensure our ads are more relevant for consumers.”
“Advertisers will also be able to prevent their ads from appearing on content that might be inconsistent with their brand (e.g. sex, nudity or graphic violence),” Netflix said. The company said that it is working with ratings tracker Nielsen in the US in 2023 “to enable advertisers to understand how Netflix can reach their target audience.”
“While it’s still very early days, we’re pleased with the interest from both consumers and the advertising community — and couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead,” Netflix said. “As we learn from and improve the experience, we expect to launch in more countries over time.” In a first, Netflix’s ‘Knives Out’ sequel will play in theaters for a week
The debut of the ad-supported subscription plan is a momentous moment in Netflix 25-year history. CEO Reed Hastings said in April that the company was open to adding commercials to the service, sending shock waves through the media and advertising industries as Hastings had for years been adamant about not putting ads on the platform.
“We … are advertising free,” Netflix said in a letter to shareholders in 2019. “That remains a deep part of our brand proposition.” But after a nightmarish 2022, the platform can no longer stick to that approach. In April, Netflix disclosed that it lost subscribers for the first time in more than a decade. Following that news, the stock tumbled, and the company lost billions in market cap, hundreds of employees were laid off and doubts ran rampant about the platform’s future, raising questions about the viability of the entire streaming marketplace.
In July, Netflix announced that it will partner with Microsoft (MSFT) to enhance sales and technology for this new subscription plan. Ultimately, Netflix needs more revenue and ads is one way to achieve that. This doesn’t mean all subscribers will have to watch commercials since existing plans will stay ad-free, but there will now be a choice between a cheaper ad-supported plan and a premium one. Ultimately, the Netflix of the future is bound to look different than the Netflix users have come to know.
