Internal Injuries In Car Accidents – They’re More Serious Than You Think!

August 28, 2020

The injuries in car accidents depend on the seriousness and impact of the collision. While you may notice the ones that are visible, there could be serious underlying ones as well. In fact, internal injuries are the more dangerous type and they can be deadly if you overlook them. Although they cannot be detected with an external assessment, your doctor would recommend the requisite diagnostic tests and start with the treatment immediately. Further, you also need to add them up to your compensation claim. Here are some key facts to understand about internal injuries in car accidents.

Types of internal injuries in car wrecks

When collisions happen suddenly, the occupants in the car are often slammed against the dashboard, windshield, airbags or steering wheel. Unsecured cargo and debris from the crash are also dangerous. These situations can cause minor and major internal injuries to the driver and passengers. Here are the most common ones sustained in road mishaps.

Broken ribs
Organ damage
Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
Ruptured spleen
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Internal Bleeding

Symptoms to be watchful about

It is clear that internal injuries can be severe and dangerous because they often involve vital organs. But they are easy to ignore because you see nothing on the surface. Experts at ChasenBoscolo recommend that you should be extra vigilant about some signs and get an immediate diagnosis. Not only does this approach enable quick and relevant treatment, but also adds strength to your personal injury claim. Here are the common signs of impact-related internal injuries:

Pain and tenderness in the affected areas, specifically in the abdomen or chest because it indicates potential damage to the underlying vital organs
Nausea, dizziness, and vomiting, which could be an indication of traumatic brain injury
Bruising, particularly if it is dark purple in color, as it indicates internal bleeding which could be potentially dangerous
Shock, accompanied by signs like weakness, rapid heart rate and lethargy, which could be associated with heavy blood loss

The perils of internal injuries

If you know the symptoms of internal injuries well enough, it would be relatively easy to get them diagnosed. While you may be tempted to self-evaluate your body if there are no visible problems, it always makes sense to get a complete medical check-up right after the mishap. They will perform the required tests such as x-ray, CT scan or angiography for a detailed examination of bones, tissues, and blood vessels.

Internal injuries can easily develop into serious, even life-threatening conditions unless they are treated quickly. Apart from the health implications, these injuries are a major concern from the compensation perspective. Treatment can be expensive and time-consuming and you wouldn’t want to miss out on their value while calculating a fair settlement. Knowing about them early gives you an advantage while filing your claim.

Being aware of your internal injuries is important because it can save you a lot of trouble. You wouldn’t want to settle your claim today, just to know that there are underlying problems that would require expensive treatment in the future.

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TikTok Goes the Clock On Trump Presidency

August 28, 2020

The United States is being ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. The country’s economy is in shambles. A constituency of the population refuses to take the recommended precautions to help combat the virus.

His chances of reelection when Americans go to the polls on Nov. 3rd seem to diminish by the day.

So what it is that causes sleepless nights for President Donald Trump?

Why TikTok, of course.

A video-sharing app developed and owned by Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok enables users to easily create viral sensations. It can also help to predict what videos users will prefer to watch via its complex artificial intelligence algorithms.

TikTok is the social media access tool of choice for Gen Z. People post short video clips to increase their popularity, some even buy TikTok views. Toksocial sells real followers for TikTok, which is one of the options. It’s also becoming a dominant presence in the music industry and a powerful tool to aid political causes.

ByteDance is currently rated the No. 1 tech startup in the world, valued at over $100 billion.

Drawing Trump’s Ire

In early August, Trump signed an executive order that states TikTok must be sold to a U.S. company by September 21st. Otherwise, he will ban it from the country.

The USA is currently the No. 1 market worldwide for TikTok. Losing access to America would be devastating for the company.

Trump cited national security as well as data privacy, noting the app’s ties to China. He believes it creates the potential for China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage.

In this instance, Trump may actually have a valid point. Under China’s 2017 national intelligence law, all Chinese firms are required to cooperate with government intelligence services when a request is made. In this instance, if the ruling Communist Party were to ask ByteDance to provide access to its U.S. user data for political reasons, the company would be unable to refuse. Declining to do so would put ByteDance at risk of not being able to maintain corporate operations on the Chinese mainland.

The company has denied providing any such access to the Chinese government and thus far, U.S. officials haven’t shown any proof that such data leaks are taking place.

Nonetheless, the U.S. Senate also unanimously approved a bill banning the use of TikTok on any government-issued devices.

Launching A Dangerous Game

By banning TikTok, Trump is also doing exactly what Americans are so quick to criticize oppressive governments like China for doing. That would be suppressing free speech.

He could also make it easy for other foreign nations to ban some of the giant U.S.-based tech firms on similar grounds.

Critics of Trump see this move as a trial balloon being launched by his administration to gauge the reaction to his bid to censor a form of free speech in the country.

If he can ban TikTok, why not Twitter or Facebook?

Both Microsoft and Twitter have been linked as potential suitors to purchase TikTok. Meanwhile, the owners of TikTok are expected to file a lawsuit this week against the Trump administration to fight the ban.

Revenge For Tulsa Fiasco

Trump tends to make everything about him and there’s also an opinion that the reason for his distaste of TikTok is that the app was used to embarrass his administration when he staged a June rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A TikTok user’s suggestion that people book phony reservations to the rally and then not show up went viral. On the eve of the rally, Trump’s campaign boasted of over a million applications for tickets. In reality, just 6,200 showed up to the 19,000-seat arena.

It’s likely that Trump had never heard of TikTok before that night.

The Clock Is Ticking

Instead of worrying about an app, Trump might be wiser to apply his time to his flailing reelection campaign. Currently, he trails Democrat Joe Biden by as much as 10 points in some polls. He’s also behind in virtually every swing state. Biden is the odds-on favorite in the politics betting markets to be the one sitting in the Oval Office after Jan. 20, 2021.

In truth, the tick tock Trump should be worried about is the clock winding down on his time in the White House.

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How Data Collection in Pharma Is Evolving

August 28, 2020

In 2020, Big Data is changing the way so many industries work. It’s disrupting the status quo and improving efficiencies and effectiveness in how companies do their business. Nowhere is this more evident than in the pharmaceutical industry. Data is being collected, tracked, and analyzed in every aspect of the industry with the help of Electronic batch record software. From the research being done to start the drug creation process to how it is used by the patient and every step in between, data is playing a large and ever-expanding role in how the industry functions. Here are three specific examples of how data collection in pharma is evolving.

Getting Products to Market Quicker

Creating a new drug and getting to market is a long and expensive process. From discovery to development to clinical trials, it currently can take years – along with billions of dollars – to go from realizing there is a need for a particular drug to getting it in the hands of the patients who need it. Today, data collection is helping speed this process up in multiple ways. This benefits patients, who get the drugs they need sooner, and pharma companies who save millions or billions by cutting down the development cycle time.

There are three main phases that a drug must go through before it becomes a viable treatment for the general public. First, there is a discovery phase where pharma companies find what types of drugs are needed and what compounds can be developed to create that type of drug. Next, there is the development phase where the companies create the drug, and finally, there are the clinical trials where the makers of the drug test it on a range of subjects. Only then can the drug be made available to those who need it.

To speed up the discovery process, pharma companies use technology to gather data from an incredible number of sources. Clinical trials, scientific publications, and patient data sets are scanned and predictive analytics are used to help scientists discover new drugs much faster than past methods. The development process is also being moved along through data as witnessed in Project Data Sphere. This data-sharing initiative involves pharma giants partnering to share data and use the latest in analytic technology to help develop new cancer drugs.

Once a drug is discovered and developed, it is time to test the drug with clinical trials. These trials can take a very long time and cost a lot of money, but the data gained in these trials is of the utmost importance to learn about a drug’s safety and effectiveness. Big data is helping speed up these trails in several ways, including identifying qualifying participants faster and more accurately, monitoring patients remotely, and analyzing the data faster.

Better Safety and Product Visibility

While creating drugs more quickly is important to both patients and pharma companies, the top priority for all involved is safety. Pharmaceutical drugs are meant to heal, but they can also cause serious harm, especially if they are not handled properly at any point in the lifecycle of the product. Being able to use data to better monitor everything from the raw materials in the manufacturing process to the final product’s transportation and storage before going to the end-user is very important for drug safety.

In order to ensure the safety of these drugs, better product visibility is key. This means that the more the safety and compliance division of the company can monitor the conditions that are happening around the drug, the better they can guarantee that product’s safety and effectiveness. One way to do this is through remote environmental monitoring using data loggers.

Data loggers are devices that monitor, record, and report on environmental conditions in a given space such as a laboratory, a warehouse, or even a temperature-controlled vehicle. They allow companies to monitor and create precise conditions in the entire supply chain so that quality can be ensured. Companies such as Dickson offer data loggers supported by centralized cloud-based remote monitoring systems that can track complex systems via a single interface. Monitoring by fewer people in a centralized location saves companies money and allows them to exert more centralized control over conditions throughout their vast supply chains.

These same remote monitoring technologies are also increasingly being used for health-related safety measures like a VOC water test, which ensures that volatile organic compounds in the environment or supply chain water sources do not compromise drug integrity or patient safety.

Deeper Insight to Patient Behavior

It makes sense that pharma companies are using data to create better outcomes for drugs in their pipeline. They use this data to improve everything from the very beginning of the process to the moment a doctor puts the drug in a patient’s hand. But can they also use data to help create better outcomes for patients once they are in control of the drug? The answer is yes. Big data’s effect on the pharma industry doesn’t stop at the door of the doctor’s office.

Remote monitoring of patient behavior, often through smartphone apps or newer inventions like smart pill bottles or even smart pills, allows pharma companies to gather information or provide solutions for patients in general or of a certain population or demographic. Collecting data about when and how people take their drugs allows manufacturers to come up with new and better ways to ensure their drugs are used correctly to create better patient outcomes.

These data-driven solutions can help on both sides of the pharmaceutical medication spectrum. On the one side, solutions can be implemented for people who are forgetting to take their medications and thereby reducing the effectiveness of their treatment, to better remind them and track dosages. Data can also help provide more efficient tracking of drugs to help prevent abuse and unauthorized use of drugs.

Conclusion

These are just three of the ways that data collection is evolving the pharma industry. There are many more, and as the technology around data collection and usage evolves even further, the ways that the pharma industry uses it will grow as well. As this evolution continues, both pharma companies and the patients they serve can rest assured that Big Data is helping create better outcomes for all involved.

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Should You Open A Business Abroad? What To Think About

August 28, 2020

Starting a business is always a big challenge. There are a lot of moving parts to deal with from government regulations to ever changing market conditions. And those are challenges even in a perfect world.

Some people decide to open businesses overseas and this increases the difficulty considerably. But, there must be a good reason for it otherwise nobody would do it. The truth is that for all of its difficulties, opening a business abroad can be quite rewarding. Both in financial terms and in terms of personal satisfaction.

What are these benefits? Let’s take a look at what you may be in store for when it comes to opening a business abroad.

Access a new market

In your home country, you have no doubt done the market research and found that there is a lot of competition for ever decreasing pieces of the pie. Which means that to stand out in your market will be very difficult. Chances are that your idea is nothing new and there is already an established company doing what your company promises.

Looking outside your country may show that the market is far more open to somebody else coming in 8and establishing themself. If your idea is good or you are looking to fill a gap in the market, then you can search around and find the right situation in other countries. Instead of trying to fit your business to the market, you just have to search for the market and go to it.

If you are unsure, then it may pay to be working abroad already in the country of choice so you can gain some insight into the area that you plan to operate in.

Government incentives

Many developing countries are eager for investors to open companies there. So to entice them there are a lot of incentives given. It may be a tax free status for a period, or there may even be cash giveaways to get you to decide to open there.

Looking around, you may find that a certain country ticks a lot of boxes for your business and it’s simply a matter of the incentives as to which country you should choose.

If you have a short list of suitable countries, then the decision can come down to who is offering the most for you to set up there.

Lower operational costs

If you live in a high cost of living country then chances are these costs are affecting your bottom line. High salaries, taxes and rents can take a major chunk out of your profit margins.

There are other countries that have a much lower cost of living which can also influence how much it costs to do business there. You may find yourself saving a lot of money in your rent or property costs. Plus, the salaries will likely be lower so you can save a lot in payroll.

This may sound exploitive if you are looking to take advantage of these factors to your own benefit, but the reality is that everybody wins in this scenario. Jobs are brought to an area that will revive the economy and improve the lives of the locals.

Large talent pool

In your home country, you likely have very low unemployment which means that it can be hard to recruit the right people. All the best workers seem to already be taken.

In other countries, there may be high unemployment with a highly educated young population. This translates into an embarrassment of riches when it comes to finding the right talent for your business.

You can take your pick of very motivated individuals who have the skills that you are looking for. They could be the very thing that helps bring your business to the next level all while keeping your operating costs low.

The downsides

Of course, the picture of opening a company in another country couldn’t be all rosy. There are going to be a lot of frustrations. Chief among them will likely be a maddening amount of bureaucracy. Many countries with a small economy and population often have a lot of government bureaucracy that involves a lot of paperwork and even more patience.

There will be language and even cultural differences that can make it very complicated to do even the most basic of operations. This is understood when you are looking to open a business abroad but can often be underestimated as to exactly how much of an obstacle they can be.

Conclusion

Every business is different and your goals may not line up with what your country of choice will be able to offer. It takes a lot of research to find the right country where you can base your operations and it may prove to be futile.

But, even if things seem too difficult, follow through and see if it is a possibility. It may be the very thing you needed to be able to find the success you crave.

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The Top 3 Ways To Monetize Your Blog

August 28, 2020

Many of us explore blogging for different reasons.

Most love the idea of blogging because, if done right, it provides a suitable job alternative. Some of us aren’t cut out for office life, sitting in a cubicle, reflecting on all the other things you could be doing.

So, you start a blog, and you work hard to build it up, but what do you do once you’ve reached a certain number of visitors every month?

You monetize.

This notion can get confusing and complicated for some people. It’s also why we’ve decided to highlight four different ways you can start making money off the blog you’ve poured so much energy into.

Let’s get into how you can start making money off your blog.

1. Write For Other Blogs in Your Niche

Do you remember how you chose a specific niche when you created your blog? Part of blogging is reaching out to others in the blogging community, especially those in your niche.

Once you start reaching out and forging relationships, you can look into guest blogging, with the added benefit of sliding in a link to your blog!

It’s all about traffic, and what better way to increase your traffic than writing different guest posts all over the internet that lead back home to your blog.

2. Sell Ebooks to Your Audience

Ebooks are becoming more popular, especially for small business owners who want to create an additional source of income.

They don’t have to be very long, and you don’t need a publisher to get it out on the market.

You can create an ebook about anything. Some of the more popular ebooks tend to revolve around self-help, marketing techniques for business owners, and other types of how-to guides.

Keep in mind, ebooks average around 10,000 words, and might be more of a commitment than you initially imagined. This is how many people get discouraged and end up stuck with their book collecting dust in a data file.

CBD hemp capsules are pretty convenient when it comes to managing the stress associated with writing a book. These capsules contain a substantial amount of CBD to get you through the better part of the day, plus they’re great for enhancing mood, focus, and concentration.

These are all the things you need to make your ebook dreams a reality.

3. Create Custom Content for Subscribers

This is a great way to generate money from your blog. Of course, this means more writing, but people are paying to read it because they love what you do.

We recently ran across a well-written blog that showcased a members-only subscription page which granted access to other blog posts, courses, and other things that were “off-limits” to regular readers.

If this option sparks your curiosity, take some time, and figure out what kind of content you’ll provide for your members. And get creative, try not to do what everyone else is doing. Most times, when you take the time to come up with an originalidea, it pays off.

Ready to Make it Happen?

If you’ve been blogging for a while, have a few thousand visitors every month, and a substantial amount of people on your email list—now is the time to make it happen.

After all, this is why you started your blog in the first place, right?

You have a passion, want to share it with the world, and see a few coins in the process. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make money doing what you love.

Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?

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Top 10 Branding Quotes by Industry Experts

August 27, 2020

From small businesses to large institutions, a brand is synonymous with identity. Like an individual must keep a positive reputation, businesses must keep a positive brand image. As Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, said, a brand is the identity of a business. Every little action taken daily affects the image and reputation of a brand. This demand can often lead to stress and anxiety. That’s why brands like Lazarus naturals exist to help brand managers manage the stress that comes with working to meet goals and targets.

For today’s businesses, it is crucial to create a strong brand that can stand out easily. Therefore, the branding process is essential in establishing the values that define a brand’s image in the marketplace. Top business leaders understand the importance of defining, creating, and maintaining a positive brand.

Every brand has goals and targets that must be met. But working so hard to achieve these goals and objectives can take a toll on productivity due to stress. Therefore, when working on a brand, it is also essential to be equipped with the resources to manage stress and stay healthy. Taking supplements, such as NuLeaf Naturals CBD oil , can significantly reduce the stress that comes with such workload.

Apart from supplements, exercise, relaxation techniques, yoga, and meditation are great ways to alleviate stress. It is also essential to eat healthy, well-balanced meals.

Knowing where to start when creating a new brand can be a challenge. However, one can always learn from those who have walked the same path. That is why we have selected the top ten branding quotes from industry leaders to get you started.

1. Marty Neumeier

“Branding is the process of connecting a good strategy with good creativity.”

It can never get this simple. Without creativity and a good strategy, it isn’t easy to forge an inspiring brand. You need creativity to set yourself apart from the crowd, but you also want to remain relevant.

Marty Neumeier is the author of “The Designful Company.” He is one of the best branding authors focusing on brand, innovation, design, and creativity. He is also the CEO Branding for Liquid Agency, which is a prominent branding agency.

2. Donald Miller

”What if the problem wasn’t the product? What if the problem was the way we talked about the product?”

This simply means that you might have a great product, but if you do not brand it in a way that connects with the customers, it might not sell. Donald Miller is the author of Building a StoryBrand. He is also a public speaker and the CEO of a marketing company known as StoryBrand.

3. Simon Sinek

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”

You can either manipulate human behavior or inspire it. Simon believes that it is better to inspire than manipulate it. When creating your brand, you should ask yourself, ‘why.’ This makes it easier to sell the brand.

It is not surprising that his most famous book is called “Start with Why.”

4. Seth Godin

A brand is a set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. Every customer has expectations when buying into a particular brand. If those expectations are not met, they are likely to seek alternatives elsewhere.

Often, you will hear customers complaining that a particular product no longer looks, feels, or tastes like it used to. This is because the brand has failed to live up to the expectations it has built over the years.

5. David Brier

“If you don’t give the market the story to talk about, they’ll define your brand’s story for you.”

Customers always want to know ‘why’ or the story behind the brand. If they find a vacuum, it is common for them to develop theories that may damage the brand. So, as a brand leader, you must define the story of your brand.

David Brier is a reputed branding expert who has helped many companies rise above the noise and defy branding’s challenges.

6. Jason Hartman

“Your personal brand is a promise to your clients… a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability.”

Jason Hartman is the author of “Become the Brand of Choice.” His emphasis here is the importance of a strong personal brand.

In reality, customers are very rigid. Customers do not like brands that have no identity and consistency. They want to get the same or better quality than they previously understood.Thats why they aim to sell the UK’s best CBD gummies.

7. Walter Landor

“Products are made in a factory, but brands are created in mind.”

Landor was not only a pioneer of branding but also an acclaimed brand designer. He is known for some of the consumer research and branding techniques used today.

Landor’s view cannot be further from the truth. You can create a brand or product, but you cannot determine the customers’ experience. It is upon you to deliver according to the expectations and desires of the customer.

8. Zig Ziglar

“If people like you, they will listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.”

People like to buy a brand they know and trust. This takes time, but once established, the odds will be in your favor.

Why are reviews, testimonials, and references important? Because they create trust.

9. Scott Bedbury

“A great brand is a story that is never completely told.”

While people like to identify with products that do not change, a brand should also be fluid. A great brand should be fluid and able to flow with the trends of the time. If the brand does not move with the wave, it might be left in the wake of new trends.

10. Ashley Friedlein

“Brand is the total of how someone perceives a particular organization. Branding is about shaping that perception.”

Branding is all about perception. Does it resonate with the interests of the customer? This is what shapes perception.

Conclusion

With the right tools and knowledge, brand design and management can be an easy process. You can borrow from industry leaders and adapt their strategies to help create a strong brand. However, it is essential to balance the work with reliable stress management techniques to avoid burnout. Eating healthy, taking supplements, and exercising are all beneficial in managing stress.

References:

https://designkiki.com/blog/top-20-quotes-that-explain-branding-and-its-importance/

https://sumizeit.com/quotes/building-a-storybrand

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/668292-people-don-t-buy-what-you-do-they-buy-why-you

https://seths.blog/2009/12/define-brand/

https://www.lucidpress.com/pages/resources/webinar/the-power-of-storytelling-for-brand-growth

https://www.azquotes.com/quote/858350

https://landor.com/the-essentials-of-branding

https://www.morganbusinesssales.com/post/design-a-stunning-blog

https://visuable.co/blog-visuable/10-best-branding-quotes

https://brandmarketingblog.com/articles/branding-definitions/what-is-a-brand/

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Securing Data On Your VM: What Does The U.S. Law Require?

August 27, 2020

Data security is a critical aspect of ensuring the seamless operation of businesses running on virtualized environments. Most organizations globally are embracing virtual technology due to its efficiency and high productivity. You no longer need to purchase numerous physical computers to run your business. Virtual machines operate with one physical host machine and multiple operating systems. While data security on VM is a challenge, it is paramount to prevent external attacks from harming your system. System administrators and IT professionals must understand the significance of implementing suitable security policies to enhance data security. With numerous external threats today, enterprises need to identify the source of the data breach with ease.

In this article, we shall delve into the importance of VM security and the U.S law requirements regarding VM data security.

It is crucial to protect your sensitive details since hackers can infiltrate your VM system without your knowledge. Below are general data protection requirements:

Data Classification

To efficiently protect sensitive information, you must know the storage location. It is a supreme rule that allows adequate data security and allows for amendments or data wiping.

Frequent Monitoring

You must report a data breach within 72 hours of discovery. Thus, administrators must conduct continuous monitoring to detect anomalies on malicious access to personal data.

Data Retention

What is the primary purpose of collecting personal data in your organization? System professionals must understand data retention rules – is it necessary to archive, or to erase? Retaining sensitive information must be in line with the company’s mandate.

Data Governance

Data security is a requirement by law; every individual has a right to data privacy. Thus, organizations must have a strict data governance law that safeguards the interests of employees. IT professionals should limit personal data access privileges to specific individuals in line with management roles and the continuity of business operations.

While data is a valuable tool in a virtualized environment, it is imperative to implement high-level security measures to prevent data breaches. Below are elements of data security that guide organizations in fulfilling data security guidelines:

Confidentiality

Sensitive data should remain confidential and free from public access. Only authorized persons can access sensitive company information. IT professionals and system administrators have the mandate to create metadata streams that classify content, monitor access activities and grant permission access to specific data. With a strict confidentiality policy, IT experts can identify anomalies, fix loopholes, and eliminate external threats in the virtualized environments.

Integrity

Data must be complete, current and accurate to enhance the quality. When you provide false information, it impacts the metadata stream of an enterprise and limits user access. Integrity enhances productivity since data groups match the users available and the output of business operations.

Availability

Data availability and access are fundamental aspects that impact on seamless business operations. However, when an external threat occurs, accessibility becomes challenging, and you might lose control of your system, resulting in severe data loss. Enterprises should have an efficient IT audit team that can regulate data access and track the causes of threats at any given point. With sufficient user data available, administrators can investigate and find out the person who accessed unauthorized information.

Data security is crucial in a virtualized environment, especially if the system is linked to the public cloud. Enterprises must adopt strict security measures to prevent malware infiltration and other external attacks from hackers. Government regulations assist enterprises in implementing sustainable solutions for data protection for longevity and stable business operations. Virtualization technology comes with numerous vulnerabilities due to data fluidity. Thus, administrators must improve data management strategies that impact of security control measures to protect data circulation on virtual machines. Your data is valuable; secure it with efficient backup strategies to prevent risks.

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It’s the brand, stupid: Why Donald Trump has a critical advantage in the upcoming Presidential election.

August 27, 2020

3FX23UBBV5EYTAQEOD43YKL6WQ — (Source: https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2019/06/trump-2020-campaign-launch-kicks-off-michigan-re-election-effort.html)

By Glyn Atwal and Maya Kaiser

Campaign activists are gearing up for one of the most aggressive and unpredictable election campaigns in modern US history. President Trump has in fact never stopped campaigning since his inauguration. His Twitter account (@realDonaldTrump) has become a personal campaign megaphone whose opinions are amplified to a global audience. Social media has essentially provided Donald Trump an effective platform not only to determine but dominate the political agenda.

Poll numbers continue to oscillate, which typifies erratic US voter sentiment. In the “coastal elite” regions, Donald Trump remains consistently unpopular. However, like the election that brought him to power four years ago, the 2020 election will not be won in the states of California or New York but in the so-called battleground or swing states. And there will be no room for error. In 2016, Donald Trump won the state of Wisconsin by a margin of just over 22,000 votes.

Hard issues in previous elections such as the state of the economy or how a President responded to a national or international crisis made it easier to predict voter intention. This election is different. These factors will of course matter, but it will be softer issues that rarely appear on the political spectrum that will make the subtle but significant difference. A salient soft issue which could potentially keep Donald Trump in the White House is Brand Trump.

The key asset that helped Donald Trump win the Republican nomination was the aura of the Trump personality.

Brand Trump

The key asset that helped Donald Trump win the Republican nomination was the aura of the Trump personality.[i] Trump came to the White House with a lifetime of experience in personal branding: his property developments featured the Trump name in ostentatious golden lettering; his various business ventures, from steaks to vodka, were all branded with the family name. Trump cultivated his personal brand with cameos in popular Hollywood movies — Home Alone 2 (1992), Zoolander (2001), Wall Street (2010). His autobiographical business book, The Art of the Deal, followed by the long-running Apprentice reality TV series, cemented the Trump brand: a brash, bold, successful businessman in charge of his own empire, the “You’re Fired” guy with household name recognition throughout the US.

Trump leveraged the power of his personal brand from the earliest days of his campaign to establish his credibility as a businessman to be reckoned with, a no-nonsense guy who gets things done. The power of his brand has helped to keep his reputation strong among his supporters, even as scandal after scandal has engulfed his administration.

In the past four years, Trump has consolidated his cult-like following within the Republican Party. The rise of Brand Trump provides an additional layer of protection against political attacks. With a few exceptions, notably Mitt Romney, the glue that holds the Party together is based on Donald Trump’s force of influence.

Trump has in fact followed the effective brand building techniques of the likes of McDonald’s, Starbucks and Apple. Brand Trump has established an emotional connection which sells not a tangible product or service but a brand ideology. Donald Trump’s playbook is centered on delivering meaning encapsulated in simplicity. We have outlined the effectiveness of Brand Trump according to how the brand is projected and perceived. The outcome is a level of trust in the promise of the brand which voters will choose either to reward or punish.

Brand Concept

Brand Trump is clearly recognizable through key branding codes: its Trumpian red (confidence), slogan (MAGA), brand story (maverick self-made billionaire disrupting the political establishment), and family associations (Ivanka Trump). The brand’s power derives in large part from its All-American associations: Trump has turned himself into a living symbol of core American values such as American patriotism, embracing the US flag and even the Confederate flag to punctuate speeches. Ideas surrounding his wealth, originally inherited from his father, are particularly telling: transforming him into a self-made man is a better embodiment of the “American dream”, the pursuit of wealth and happiness written into the US constitution.

Brand Language

It is also the brand’s assertive language, style and tone which exerts a distinctive sense of control and authority (tweets which end with repeated exclamation mark, coupled with capitalized words and emphatic repetition of key phrases). Trump’s repetitive way of speaking and writing, which writer Phillip Roth once derided as a “77-word vocabulary”, is actually an asset when it comes to Brand Trump, communicating clear values and sentiments: “tremendous,” “great”, “beautiful”, “nasty”, “loser,” and “sad!” are all instantly recognizable as Trump-speak. It is this consistency which has turned Donald Trump into one of the most iconic brands in modern society.

Brand Positioning

Brand Trump occupies a distinct place in the minds of the electorate. America First is not a new phenomenon, but it has been subsumed into Brand Trump. Highly symbolic political initiatives, from building the wall on the Mexican border to imposing tariffs on Chinese goods, have helped to underline a distinctive brand positioning. Brand Trump is binary. Brand Trump is not about compromise. The electorate is either with Brand Trump or against it. This is reinforced in how Donald Trump portrays the Democrats as left-wing extremists, the “radical left”. Trump’s messages are unequivocally on-brand, which helps to break through the clutter and create synergy.

Brand Segmentation

Brand Trump does not attempt to “be all things to all people”. It does however tailor micro-messages to important target segments, and this with great precision. He has repeatedly addressed the “suburbs”, a critical share of the electorate which Trump narrowly won in 2016. For example, Patricia and Mark McCloskey, who came to prominence as they were filmed waving a pistol and an AR-15-style rifle at Black Lives Matter protesters in the vicinity of their St. Louis home, were invited to speak at the Republican National Convention. The message was unequivocal: the suburban dream is under threat.

Segmentation is based according to special interests such as winning over evangelicals (e.g. pro-life stance) but also to state interests in battleground areas (e.g. support for oil and natural gas production in Pennsylvania). It is the ability to demonstrate relevance at a personal level which provides a greater incentive for voters to become advocates of Brand Trump. Trump has evinced a remarkable capacity to use broad forums — social media, rallies, television ads and appearances — to deliver messages that speak directly to targeted audiences, and may be missed or ignored by his other segments.

Brand Nostalgia

In stark contrast to Obama’s campaign slogan, “Yes We Can”, Brand Trump is not about exhibiting “hope”, “optimism” and “empowerment” in the quest of a better future, but looks at the past for inspiration. Trump’s vision, “Make America Great Again,” leverages nostalgia to evoke impressions of a bygone era that remains ill-defined. This is a common marketing technique used by brands from Pepsi to Gucci. Even the Brexit campaign evoked nostalgia with success. When Donald Trump commented on the Oscars at a rally, ““Can we get like ‘Gone with the Wind’ back please? ‘Sunset Boulevard,’ so many great movies”, he was essentially reinforcing the imaginary of conservative values in a better America.

This nostalgia is a powerful branding tool, positioned as it is against messages of hope for the future. It ties in with Trump’s promise to “drain the swamp”: it is as if he were saying that he is not like those other politicians who promise a future they cannot deliver. There is also an element of cross-branding: Trump references “great American companies” to bolster his own brand and tie it to the image of America as a powerful, economically dominant nation.

What makes Brand Trump stand out is the way it capitalizes on polarizing political issues such as Donald Trump’s supposed opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Brand Polarization

Many powerful brands exhibit a high degree of polarization.[ii] Brand Trump is no exception: his poll numbers show high valence, a large proportion of voters who either love or hate him.

Polarization can be a risky strategy in politics, where a contingent of enthusiastic voters may not make up for a larger proportion of the electorate put off by a candidate who refuses to seek compromise. Yet Brand Trump turned polarization to its advantage once before in 2016, galvanizing its brand base in swing states to win a victory in the electoral college.

What makes Brand Trump stand out is the way it capitalizes on polarizing political issues such as Donald Trump’s supposed opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement. The impact is to antagonize brand detractors and amplify a polarizing attribute. This may be seen as a high-risk strategy for any brand but in the case of Brand Trump, extreme polarization further differentiates the brand and helps to invigorate brand loyalists.

A key element of Trump’s capacity to benefit from polarization is the way this plays into the mechanisms of social media: Twitter and Facebook seek to “engage” social media users by showing them content that elicits stronger reactions (comments, debate, shares). Content which is loved moves up the feed. So does content which is hated. Brand Trump not only produces enormous volumes of content, sometimes dozens of tweets in a day — enough to rival the most enthusiastic community managers. It also has an uncanny knack for getting that content in front of viewers.

Brand Authenticity

In the 2020 election, Donald Trump will need to navigate Brand Trump through uncharted territory: an on-going pandemic, active protest movements, and double-digit unemployment. Strategists will be quick to dismiss Trump against a resurgent Joe Biden. Yet the power of Brand Trump should not be underestimated. The chances of a Donald Trump re-election will depend less on policy than to the extent the electorate continues to buy into Brand Trump – and whether Biden, on the other hand, can elicit similar enthusiasm. Switching brands is never easy and demands conviction. The perceived authenticity of Brand Trump will provide an additional barrier to competition.

Should Donald Trump fail to be reelected on November 3rd 2020, no-one should write off Brand Trump. Donald Jr. and Ivanka Trump are both active surrogates for their father, touring the US giving speeches in his support. The Trump family dynasty means a relaunch and revival of Brand Trump could potentially return with new vengeance.

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About the Authors

Glyn Atwal is Associate Professor at Burgundy School of Business, France. His teaching, research, and consultancy expertise focuses on brand management. Prior to academia, Glyn worked for Saatchi & Saatchi, Young & Rubicam, and Publicis.

Maya Kaiser is a digital anthropologist based at the Burgundy School of Business, France, whose research looks at influence and emotion in politics, marketing, and social media. She is currently writing a book on social transformations in China.

Endnotes

[i] Refer to Atwal, G. and Bryson, D. (2016) The Brand Trump, The World Financial Review, May-June: 18-19.

[ii] Refer to Luo, X. Wiles, M. and Raithel, S. (2013), Make the Most of a Polarizing Brand, Harvard Business Review, 91(11):29-31.

7 Realistic Ways to Make Money Online

August 27, 2020

The world is currently undergoing a once in a lifetime economic crisis as it copes with the fallout of a global pandemic. As millions of Canadians have hit the unemployment lines, many have already started searching for how to make money online. The nature of work has changed forever, and with the ability to work from home, you can find several opportunities to supplement your income online.

Virtual Assistant

Though COVID-19 has affected many businesses, others have been thriving. One example is the Canadian real estate industry, which is very active and presents a lot of opportunities for budding entrepreneurs. If you have spare time on your hands, working as a virtual assistant for real estate agents can be a lucrative side gig to earn extra money online.

You may have the skills to be a virtual assistant if you can complete some of the following tasks:

Schedule meetings/calls
Prepare written reports
Make follow-up and cold calls
Graphic design & layout
Proofread & edit content
Bookkeeping
Data entry
Edit & design video projects
Social media content creation & moderation
Process online orders

No-Deposit Free Spin Casino Bonuses

Many online casinos entice you to play their games with the use of no-deposit free spin bonuses. These bonuses allow you to win money at gambling websites like Casumo Casino Canada. By using the casinos’ bonuses, you can make money online, without risking any of your resources.

When someone asks Canadian gambling pioneer Lucas Goldberg how to earn money fast online, this is the method he describes as working best for him. Lucas is one of Canada’s most recognizable gambling experts and uses this tactic with every online casino offering these types of bonuses.

Online Surveys

There are many companies, government bodies, NGOs, and similar organizations that want and need your opinion. Online survey taking allows you to share your opinion about products, services, advertisements, and other various other topics. Surveys help these organizations make decisions and put a little money in your pocket for a few moments of your time!

Online survey companies like OpinionOutpost.ca help you make money online by paying you rewards every time you complete one of its partners’ surveys. You can receive paid rewards in your choice of Visa Rewards Cards, Amazon, iTunes, Indigo, and PayPal gift cards.

Work as a Delivery Driver

You’ve likely become very familiar with food delivery services such as UberEats and Skip The Dishes. Did you know these are also great ways to make money online? Okay, so you might have to step out the door, but these app powered roles allow you the flexibility to work when, where, and how you want.

If you have a car, scooter, or bike, you can sign up through these vendor services like UberEats in minutes. You’re provided in-app directions to help you navigate your city. Best of all, you’ll receive pay weekly and may also receive some cash tips along the way.

You may be eligible to sign up as a driver/rider if:

Car

The car must be a 2- or 4-door model built after 1999
21 years or older
Have a G class driver’s license and proof of eligibility to work in Canada

Bicycle

18 years or older
Eligible to work in Canada

Freelance on Fiverr

Do you have a marketable skill? If you’re looking at how to make extra money online, one of the best places to market your skills is Fiverr.com. Here, you can create freelance opportunities and quickly build your side gig. Fiverr takes a fee from your customer’s purchase for any service you wish to offer.

There is no limit (okay, so nothing illegal or of ill-repute) to the service you can provide including:

Creating animated videos
Voiceovers
Translation
Business plan writing
Ad-copy writing
Online coding lesson
Website development

Sell Your Stuff Online

Chances are, a trip to your closet or garage will reveal a few items you no longer use, and someone else may need. There are many online marketplaces where you can sell your photos or other unwanted items to make money online. Websites like eBay, Kijiji, and Craigslist allow you to list your items for sale easily.

Trade Cryptocurrencies

If you’ve logged onto the internet, turned on a phone, or talked to a friend at any point in the past five years, you’ve heard a lot of talk about cryptocurrencies. These popular alternative currencies are entirely digital and have become a fast-growing commodity in the global economy. There are several online trading platforms like BitBuy.ca where you can buy and sell cryptocurrencies and make a living online.

Conclusion

There are millions of people earning extra money fast using some of the above strategies. Your next step is to learn more about a topic that interests you and put that knowledge into practice. Join the growing digital economy and start making money extra money online.

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How to Get the Most Out of High-Yield Savings Accounts

August 26, 2020

Recent surveys and studies show that just twenty five percent of Americans have a high-yield savings account. So, for every ten people you know – not even three of them have high-yield savings. That means that three quarters of the American population is losing out on growing their savings by earning interest at rates much higher than traditional savings accounts. You do not need to put down a minimum amount to open all of the account types that will earn you money just by being in the right hands. In this article, we will take a more in depth look at getting the most out of your high-yield savings account. If there is ever a time in your life when it is imperative that you make an informed decision, it is when you select a high-yield savings account to open. The end game goal here is to earn the most interest whilst paying low to no fees. This is entirely possible, read on and I will gladly show you how…

Compounded Interest

Look for the high-yield savings accounts that offer you interest that is compounded daily. This interest earned annually can be up to twenty times higher than traditional savings options, giving you far more bang for your buck! You may be able to open a high-yield savings account with your current bank but often the highest rates are available from online banks only. There are quite a few savings products on the market so be sure to select the one that works best for you and your particular financial situations and financial needs.

Options

Look for an account option that will not leave you backed into a corner and having to choose between a rock and a hard place. Not all high-yield savings accounts require a minimum fixed deposit amount, it all depends on your selected option. Start from zero minimum deposit but remember that zero deposit equals zero interest earned. Be sure to check for these and other requirements before you open your account.

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned

Although you are fully able to withdraw from most high-yield savings account at ATM’s, online or through wire transfers, it is smarter to leave your savings untouched as much as you can to avoid losing out on money you could have earned had your funds remained untouched. Electronic transfers are easy to set up between your personal bank account and a high-yield savings account, even if they are opened through two different banks.

Banks with Benefits

In today’s digital age, options are available all around you. From digital to brick and mortar banks, look for the one with the best perks. Look for one that has a loyalty reward program for savers. Loyalty reward programs are based not only on the amount of money in your account but also rewards you for being with the bank for longer. The longer you have banked with them and the more you have in your account, the higher the reward tier gets.

FDIC Insurance

It is advisable to ensure your bank is a registered member of the FDIC, so your deposit account is insured to an amount of at least two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

Balance Your Financial Portfolio

A high-yield savings account is only to be one portion of your financial portfolio. Plan out how your high-yield savings account can complement your other savings or investment accounts to achieve the best results. That way you will have a better idea of how much cash you will need to keep liquid for your particular lifestyle or situation.

Minimum Balance

It is important to find out what the minimum amount is required to be held in your high-yield savings account, in order for it to remain open. These may also coincide with a monthly management fee. These minimum amounts and fees vary from one establishment to the next so do your homework before you try and open a high-yield savings account. Sometimes you can avoid fees by keeping your balance above a certain threshold.

Plans and Goals

Deciding how to best manage your high-yield savings account will depend a lot on what it is you want to use it for. Whether you are looking to save for a holiday, a large expense or simply short-term savings, draw out a plan for what it is you are looking to achieve and this will help you map out a timeline needed to achieve your goals. You earn more compound interest from a high-yield savings account so being able to do things like put a down-payment down on a house or helping to purchase a vehicle are just some of the reasons for opening an account.

End Result

The bottom line here is, it is always wise to save for a rainy day. It is even wiser to save for said rainy day faster than normal. Right now, is a great time to think about saving – especially if you still have a pay check coming in. Making use of a high-yield savings account is an effective and relatively easy way to save for the future. So if you have extra cash and you would like to build up a stash away fund, a high yield savings account allows you to earn compound interest whilst still giving you access to your funds in an emergency. Recent studies show that a disproportionate number of American citizens over the age of fifty-five do not have a retirement plan in place, a whopping twenty nine percent of them! Roughly seventy percent of Americans have less than one thousand dollars in savings, that is a phenomenal amount of people with not very much in terms of a back-up plan if something has to go wrong. After the initial deposit invested, you do not necessarily have to keep depositing large amounts to make having a high-yield savings account worthwhile – even if you only top up with one hundred dollars a month, that is still ample enough to make a long-term difference to your future. Take control of your finances and your future, today!

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