PowerTalk

Fellow Investor,

This week’s PowerTalk interview is with Patrick Sweeney, President and CEO of dwinQ, a social media product placement company.  He’s also the author of RFID for Dummies and a frequent speaker on technology’s impact on business and life.

Be it Facebook (FB), Instagram, LinkedIn (LNKD), Google+ (GOOG), Twitter, Pinterest or any other one you can name, social media is changing how we communicate and interact with family, friends, co-workers, products and brands. It’s making for some big business.  Research firm BIA/Kelsey forecasts U.S. social media ad revenues to reach $9.2 billion in 2016, up from $4.6 billion in 2012 - that’s a compound annual growth rate of 19.2%. Impressive but again that’s just in the U.S and social media is part of a global shift in behavior that is  a cornerstone of my Always On, Always Connected PowerTrend.

Patrick explains how dwinQ is showing companies like Disney, Cadbury, Vail Resorts, and Heineken how to leverage social media to build their brands and enhance their customers’ experiences.  He also shares his perspective on a number of companies being impacted by social media - companies like Costco (COST) and Amazon.com (AMZN) as well as Facebook (FB) and talks on the multiplier benefit associated with sponsored events and social media marketing. 

It’s a fascinating look at how social media and technology are combining to change the way companies do business. 

Direct download: 01-23-13_DWINQPOWERTALK.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:43pm EDT

Fellow Investor,

This week’s PowerTalk interview is with Keith Bliss, Senior Vice President at Cuttone and Company, one of the largest floor brokers on the NYSE.   Keith is an old friend of mine, and he shares what he sees from the trading floor these days.  He starts the conversation off by saying 2013 is shaping up to deliver a lot more of the same for investors as 2012 – mixed economic signals, political battles and all.

We also cover why the U.S. equity markets are still the best place to put your money, how to put ETFs to work for you, the risks investors face in 2013, the looming debt ceiling crisis and how you could be affected if Washington doesn’t get a deal in place, taxes, unemployment and more!

Finally, we take a look at the potential threats that Keith believes could derail the markets and the economy in 2013, including energy costs, politics and currency wars. 

 

Sincerely,

Chris Versace

Direct download: 01-18-13_BLISSPOWERTALK.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:42pm EDT

Direct download: 01-09-13_VISAPOWERTALK.mp3
Category:Consumer -- posted at: 10:16am EDT

Fellow Investor,
This week I’m talking with Greg Martin from General Motors. Greg’s an Executive Director of Communications Strategy and News Operations as well as an easy person to talk to. He reminds us that while the auto industry may appear simple, there are many layers to it from manufacturing the cars, competing with Ford, Chrysler and others to dealing with car dealerships and the end consumer. 
Over the next while, we talk about those things as well as the rebound in auto demand, the auto bailout and issues that caused the company to be called Government Motors; how the company has remade itself over the last few years and what lies ahead given a significant portfolio overhaul and several new technologies. 
In some ways, it’s a nice follow up to my talk with Gary Shapiro of the Cosumer Electronics Associatin because Greg confirmed that auto and consumer electronics will be a big deal at the upcoming consumer electronics show. He even mentioned that GM is working with Apple (AAPL) and its Siri voice interface.
It’s a insight ful talk and Greg Martin was a pleasure to talk with. Hopefully we’ll be able to talk again in several months to follow up on GM product. revamp and a number of other things.
Direct download: 12-26-12_GENERALMOTORSPOWERTALK.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:11am EDT