RSS channelhttp://worldsfactory.net/myrssPublicis Said to Consider Bid for Control of Samsung Ad Agency - Bloomberghttp://worldsfactory.net/news/130116_publicis_said_to_consider_bid_for_control_of_samsung_ad_agency__bloombergWed, 13 Jan 2016 11:06:11 +0000

Publicis Groupe SA is weighing a bid for a controlling stake in Samsung Group’s advertising agency Cheil Worldwide Inc., people with knowledge of the matter said.

The French company is considering a tender offer for about a 30 percent stake in Seoul-based Cheil Worldwide, which would make it the single largest shareholder, one of the people said. Any deal would probably see Samsung Group keep a significant holding in Cheil Worldwide, which has a market value of $1.9 billion, the person said, asking not to be identified as the information is private.

Publicis, which owns ad agencies including Leo Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi, has struggled since a merger with Omnicom Group Inc. unraveled in May 2014. Last month, it lost most of the North American media business for Procter & Gamble Co., the world’s largest advertiser, as well as L’Oreal SA’s North American media planning and buying.

“Publicis has been distracted with acquisitions, while the main issue for them is defending and winning accounts,” Alex Wisch, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence, said by phone Wednesday. “It’s not the right timing or strategy at this stage.”

Consolidation Push

Shares of Publicis were little changed at 11:49 a.m. Wednesday in Paris. The benchmark CAC 40 index rose 1.7 percent.

The French company wants to structure the potential transaction to ensure Cheil Worldwide continues handling Samsung Group advertising, according to the people. Samsung Electronics Co., the maker of Galaxy smartphones, spent 2.73 trillion won ($2.3 billion) on advertising globally in the nine months through September 2015, according to a regulatory filing, which didn’t specify which agencies the expenditure benefited.

The deliberations are at an early stage, and Paris-based Publicis may decide against making an offer, the people said.

Cementing Control

Samsung Electronics and engineering affiliate Samsung C&T Corp. own about 25 percent of Cheil Worldwide, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Representatives for Publicis and Samsung Group declined to comment, while a spokeswoman for Cheil Worldwide said she’s not aware of the issue.

In September, Samsung Group completed a merger of its de-facto holding company Cheil Industries Inc. and Samsung C&T, with the merged entity keeping the Samsung C&T name. The deal helped the founding Lee family cement control by allowing the group to strengthen its cross-ownership structure since the merged affiliates had stakes in other companies.

Publicis unveiled a new management structure in December designed to drive revenue. That followed the company’s decision to cut its full-year sales forecast in October, saying it recorded no growth the month before as clients canceled and postponed campaigns.

]>Samsung's Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow beta for the Galaxy S6 series limits the ... - Phone Arenahttp://worldsfactory.net/news/130116_samsungs_android_601_marshmallow_beta_for_the_galaxy_s6_series_limits_the___phone_arenaWed, 13 Jan 2016 11:06:11 +0000Given the broadth of the beta program, it's not surprising to see bits of information regarding the upcoming software update already starting to surface online, which allows us to keep tabs on the planned modifications. Interestingly, it looks like Samsung is going to limit the page scrolling speed in the upcoming update, for the better or worse.

Limiting the page scrolling speed is a trick that Apple has been using on its iPhone series for a few years now. Since the speed at which you can reach new elements on a page is lowered, the processor has more time to do the computing work required to display these elements, significantly reducing what users perceive as lags, stutters, or artifacts. The obvious downside of limiting the page scrolling speed is that users will have to put more energy in flexing their fingers before reaching the bottom of a very long page.

On a final note, given that the 2015 Galaxy J series gave birth to several size variants, it is likely Samsung will have at least one other installment this year as well. The question is what size it/they may be, as this J1 is now larger than its progenitor: so too would a Galaxy J5 be as well? Only time will tell!

We’re interested to hear what you think! Does the Galaxy J1 (2016) look like a winner? Would you be interested in seeing this design language used on more Samsung devices in the coming months? Does the two-tone front remind you of a different product? Please leave your comments below and tell us!

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