Latest news with #Budweiser


Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Ruby Walsh: Has the Curragh given up on making Derby weekend an event?
There is very little future in the past. Dreaming about the glory days of the Irish Derby when Budweiser was the title sponsor and the traffic onto the Curragh plains trailed for miles toward Newbridge and Monasterevin is gone. The old enclosure is confined to history as well, and the great white elephant that now stands as a beautiful backdrop for travellers on the M7 is what we have. This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in Take us with you this summer. Annual €130€65 Best value Monthly €12€6 / month


Wales Online
13 hours ago
- Wales Online
This burglar robbed the wrong flat, the last thing he heard was 'get the f*** out'
This burglar robbed the wrong flat, the last thing he heard was 'get the f*** out' Michael Parker was punched, hit with a bottle of Bud, and thrown out of the back door. Michael Parker (Image: South Wales Police ) A burglar caught going through his victim's fridge was beaten up, hit with a beer bottle, and thrown out of the flat, a court has heard. Michael Parker - who has more than 150 previous offences on his record - was arrested a matter of days after the raid when he attended court on unrelated matters. A judge at Swansea Crown Court said it must have been a terrifying experience for the victim to find a hooded man in his kitchen, and he said immediate custody was inevitable in the case. Parker's advocate said his 46-year-old client can remember little or nothing about the events of the night due to the amount of Valium he had consumed. Harry Dickens, prosecuting, told the court that at around 6.30pm on February 24 this year a man was sat on the sofa in his flat in Mount Pleasant, Swansea, when he heard a "rustling noise" coming from the kitchen. The homeowner went to investigate and found Parker - his face obscured by two hoods - rifling through his fridge. The court heard the homeowner told the intruder to "get the f***" out of my property" before punching him in the face. Parker responded by grabbing the victim and throwing "wild punches" in his direction and two men began "grappling" before going to the floor taking various kitchen items with them. The court heard Parker "tried to fight his way to his feet" and made for a bottle of Budweiser beer which had fallen to the floor but the homeowner got it first and used it to strike, causing the bottle to smash. The fight continued with the defendant throwing punches but the victim managed drag him to the back door and throw him out, locking the door behind him. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter Article continues below The prosecutor said Parker made off and victim called 999 to report the incident. The defendant was identified after CCTV footage was recovered which showed him making his way down Mount Pleasant hill and past the Albert Hall as he made good his escape. The court heard the defendant was arrested at Swansea Magistrates Court on February 28 after attending the court for an unrelated matter. In his interview he gave officers a prepared statement denying the burglary. Michael Parker, of Talley Road, Penlan, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to commit grievous bodily harm (GBH) when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 74 previous convictions for 158 offences including seven for domestic and commercial burglaries, one of which was burglary with intent to commit GBH from 1996. At the time of the Mount Pleasant fridge raid he was subject to a suspended sentence for assaulting emergency workers and racially aggravated assault. Article continues below Stuart John, for Parker, said the defendant has little or no recollection of the events of the evening because of the "substantial quantity" of Valium he had taken. He said his client has experienced mental health problems all his life and drug misuse problems since adolescence, and said Parker could not explain why he had taken so much Valium on the day in question as he felt he had been making progress in the community. Judge Paul Thomas KC said on a dark February evening the defendant, with his face effectively masked, had entered his victim's home in what must have been a terrifying incident for the homeowner. He said he had read about the defendant's mental health issues and about the significant degree of support he was receiving from organisations including The Wallich but he said Parker's previous offences and the court's duty to protect the public meant a sentence of immediate custody was unavoidable. With a one-quarter discount for his guilty plea Parker was sentenced to three years in prison for the burglary; the judge activated three months of the previously imposed eight-month suspended sentence to run consecutively making an overall sentence of three years and three months in prison. The defendant will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
Business Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
Data is changing shareholder capitalism
IF AMERICA'S CEOs have learned one lesson over the last half decade, it's this: Avoid politics. It is the right lesson – as usual, Milton Friedman was correct, the primary purpose of a business should be to increase its profits – but the rapidly changing nature of the economy calls for an update: Avoid politics whenever possible, but never when necessary. The recent history of corporate activism is instructive. Just before the pandemic, the chief executives of 181 of the largest US corporations signed a pledge to 'lead their companies for the benefit of all stakeholders', not just shareholders. They essentially promised to pursue a better world beyond profits. It did not go well. After several prominent instances of companies or executives getting burned for taking political stances – just ask Budweiser or Elon Musk – most companies now just stick to business or at least stay silent. But as data and data analysis become more valuable commodities, neutrality and apoliticism will become harder to maintain. Perhaps Friedman's shareholder capitalism no longer makes sense in the modern economy – especially if your business is working with data. And especially if your software aids the military or helps governments monitor their citizens. Two recent books illustrate how there is no such thing as neutral values when it comes to data. One is critical of Meta, alleging it used its data to assist the Chinese government in monitoring and censoring its users. That decision surely increased profits – China is a huge market – but was it ethical? It is one thing to sell sneakers in China, quite another to sell data. Either you assist the Chinese government in its efforts, or you don't. Another book, by Palantir co-founder and CEO Alex Karp and corporate affairs chief Nicholas Zamiska, argues that more companies need to be explicit about how their values should guide their work. Palantir, a data analytics company that is known (some might say notorious) for its contracts with the Pentagon and ICE, was co-founded by tech entrepreneur and libertarian donor Peter Thiel. Karp, meanwhile, has said that he agrees with progressives on most issues. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Politics aside, on its website Palantir says it was 'founded to help Western democracies and open societies harness data to protect citizens without compromising civil liberties'. It would be naive to take that statement at face value. Yet, even expressing these principles carries risks. Google also grew up as a values-driven company, with its (since discarded) slogan of 'Don't Be Evil'. Its employees took that to heart when they refused to work on a contract with the Department of Defence in 2018. The US$229 million contract went to Palantir instead, four years later. Was that a case of values paying off, or values aligning with profits? Google's old mission statement has become a bit of a punchline, and it's worth asking why. For one, it was never clear what 'evil' meant. Is it evil to help US special forces wage war, or is it evil to stay neutral in a fight against the Taliban? Again, regardless of what you think of Palantir's values, they are clear – so unlike Google, Palantir tends to attract employees who agree with its values. Another requirement for corporate mission statements is that they be related to the corporation's product. There's no need for a beermaker, for example, to take a political stance. One of the more grating aspects of Silicon Valley culture in recent years is how sanctimonious every tech startup became about its work, even if it is just another version of Groupon. There are other risks to a value-driven strategy. Karp argues that founder-led companies do better. Google is no longer run by its founders. Perhaps if it were, 'evil' would have been better defined. Palantir may one day face the same issue. It may be clear to Karp and his advisory board what Palantir should do when there is a conflict between morals and profits. But he won't be the CEO forever. How do values change under his successor, and the one after that? All of which raises the larger question: If the most valuable commodity in the world is the ability to analyse and interpret data, is shareholder capitalism now out of date? It isn't – but the Friedman doctrine is in need of an update. The goal should be to have a clear corporate mission that is consistent with what it does and can transcend successive generations of CEOs. The mission may be as simple as, 'We sell beer and hope to make money'; there is no reason to say, 'We make beer and try to save the world'. If a company is involved in data or weapons, it may require delving into some geopolitics, because there is no such thing as neutrality in that line of work. That's why Palantir makes a point of saying it stands for Western values, but you won't find anything on its website about its view of transgender athletes in women's sports. As the world economy enters the artificial intelligence era, and as more defence technology is developed in the private sector, companies like Palantir and Facebook will become more important, and ones like Budweiser and Nike less. That means some big companies will find it harder to avoid politics completely – and will have to consider their positions carefully. BLOOMBERG


Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Data Is Changing Shareholder Capitalism
If America's CEOs have learned one lesson over the last half decade, it's this: Avoid politics. It is the right lesson — as usual, Milton Friedman was correct, the primary purpose of a business should be to increase its profits — but the rapidly changing nature of the economy calls for an update: Avoid politics whenever possible, but never when necessary. The recent history of corporate activism is instructive. Just before the pandemic, the chief executives of 181 of the largest US corporations signed a pledge to 'lead their companies for the benefit of all stakeholders,' not just shareholders. They essentially promised to pursue a better world beyond profits. It did not go well. After several prominent instances of companies or executives getting burned for taking political stances — just ask Budweiser or Elon Musk — most companies now just stick to business or at least stay silent.


Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
French K.I.S.S
In a noisy world, can simplicity be the loudest voice? Amid today's relentless clutter, a quiet paradox emerged at last week's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity , where the biggest winners all shared one powerful trait — simplicity. 'If the works that won big at Cannes are any indication, simplicity is emerging as the holy grail for brands,' says Pallavi Chakravarti , founder and CCO, Fundamental, citing standout pieces like Budweiser's 'One Second Ads', KitKat's digital detox billboard, Tecate's 'Gulf of Mexico Bar' and Vaseline's 'Verified'. Marketers see this 'Keep It Simple, Stupid' — or K.I.S.S — trend as a response to today's media overload. 'There's an incredible amount of noise out there. The more layered the message, the harder it is to interpret or appreciate,' says Sumit Virmani , global chief marketing officer, Infosys. Harshad Rajadhyaksha, CCO at Ogilvy India, echoes this sentiment. 'In an increasingly layered, multi-screened and attention-challenged world, the value of simplicity is greater than ever,' he says. Achieving such clarity is far from easy, he warns. 'Brilliant simplicity takes work. But when done right, it always delivers the goods.' Lose the din Some brands have nailed this balance, proving that subtle and impactful messaging doesn't need loud pronouncements. KitKat's campaign by VML is a prime example. Their iconic line, 'Have a Break, Have a KitKat', was reimagined through billboards showing people absorbed in their device, with a barely-there KitKat wrapper or logo quietly urging a pause. No overt branding or lengthy explanations, just quiet, powerful storytelling. Marketers call it 'a masterclass in subtlety and impact'. 'The campaign celebrated the consumer's intelligence, trusting them to understand the message without being spoon-fed. It's a prime example of creativity cutting through the noise to make a lasting impression,' says Harsh Kapadia , CCO, Grey India. Stella Artois's 'Claustrobars' campaign by Grey took a similar approach. The beer brand captured a universally relatable experience — the mini-odyssey of navigating a crowded bar, carefully shielding your drink from spills and bumps. With almost cinematic realism, the ads showcased those uncomfortable yet triumphant moments: A slight grimace and an unwavering focus on the glass. The message was clear and powerful: 'Worth It'. Again, no massive logos or walls of text — just confident, understated advertising that didn't find the need to overexplain itself. The result? A campaign that struck a chord with viewers and prompted them to say: 'I feel you.' 'This kind of confidence in messaging is crucial. It makes advertising less ignorable and more impactful,' says Kapadia. 'In a country as diverse as India, where visual identity can transcend language barriers, such powerful visual advertising holds immense potential.' Loud and clear Budweiser's one-second ad, which won the Grand Prix in the audio segment at Cannes, is touted as another example of simple yet brilliant execution. The brand tapped into a sharp musical insight: True music lovers can identify a song from its very first beat. This became the basis of a bold and innovative idea — an 'unskippable' audio challenge where they aired commercials that played just the opening second of well-known songs. 'To expect sustained, undistracted focus, especially on digital, is to hope in vain,' says Shubhranshu Singh , global CMO for commercial vehicles at Tata Motors. 'Short-form content needs to be simple to be digested quickly. But when it's relevant, emotionally engaging or rewarding, it can still hold attention — even deepen it.' Virmani adds that social media has only intensified the challenge. 'Brands need to communicate value in seconds, often without sound, across screens. And complex brand messages simply don't translate.' And that's why Budweiser resonated with marketers and agency folks. Cause and effect A 'simply' powerful idea can also exceed its true purpose. Take German grocery chain Penny's 'Penny Price Packs', which converted its packaging into a prominent pricing display. Icaro Doria, Print jury president at Cannes Lions , described it as a seamless blend of print, publishing, packaging, price and positioning — all rolled into one. 'Creativity doesn't have to try too hard or be too clever to be 'award worthy',' says Mithila Saraf , CEO, Famous Innovations. 'The best work is universally appealing and profound in its commitment to a single-minded promise.' Until a few years ago, purpose-driven creativity with measurable impact set the tone. In 2023, winners such as Renault's 'Plug-Inn' (France), a peer-to-peer charging app, and Apple's 'Relax, It's iPhone – R.I.P. Leon' (USA), a humourous take on iPhone's 'unsend' feature, highlighted everyday anxieties in a relatable way. But in 2024, brand rulebooks were tossed aside. Coca-Cola's 'Recycle Me' (Print and Publishing Grand Prix) distorted its iconic logo on crushed cans to drive home a recycling message. Meanwhile, Coors Light turned a baseball-damaged billboard into commemorative cans with 'Coors Lights Out', showcasing agile moment marketing. Kapadia hopes Indian advertising can raise the game and embrace this simplicity that respects and celebrates consumer intelligence. 'On the one hand, we say our consumers are smart, yet we often try to over-explain or lean heavily on celebrity voices. Simple ideas break through everything else and make it memorable.' But Chakravarti points out the fundamental truth: 'We appreciate, applaud and felicitate simplicity more than we practise it. In the real world, agencies struggle to distil the chaos of briefs into clarity. [It's] Strange, but true.'