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Social Media Winners of the Champions League Final

BetXpert

BetXpert has collected data for which players in the Champions League final that got the highest number of new followers across Instagram and Twitter. Continue reading to figure out which 10 players won the Champions League Social Media challenge. The Champions League season has just ended, with Real Madrid’s Vini Jr. scoring the only goal in the final match against Liverpool. Even though Vinicius Jr. scored the deciding goal, it was in fact their goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, being awarded the Man of the Match. Getting to the final was sometimes hard, with French striker Benzema getting a lot of attention during the playoffs. Benzema didn’t only play a big part of getting Real Madrid to the final; he also won the battle on the two Social Media platforms, Instagram, and Twitter. Data collected by BetXpert is showing the number of new followers gained on the two platforms, by every player, in the final. Firstly, we collected data directly after the respective semi-finals had been played on 3rd and 4th May. Thereafter, we collected data directly after the final, and then again after 12 hours had passed. We did this to see what a Champions League final and the players’ performance does when it comes to followers in social media. Performing well in the Champions League final will significantly increase the number of new followers, as shown below. Karim Benzema won the Instagram battle Benzema had the biggest increase in new followers on Instagram. He received a total of 2.8 million new followers from right before the semi-final and directly after the final. 12 hours later he had gained an additional 200.000 followers. Karim Benzema went from having 50.6 million followers on Instagram on May 4th to having 53.4 million after the final. This is an increase of 5,5%. Benzema is not the only one who could smile after seeing the number of followers gained after the final. See the list of the top 10 players who received the highest number of new followers on Instagram below. Benzema won the Twitter battle On Twitter Benzema went from having 15.2 million to 15.7 million followers after the final. That half a million new followers is only an increase of 3,3%. These are the players who got the highest number of new followers on Twitter between the Champions League semi-final and final. Instagram and Twitter combined As Benzema is the player with the highest number of new followers on both Instagram and Twitter, he is also the one winning the Social Media battle overall. The player with the highest number of followers overall is Marcelo, but he couldn’t get close to Benzema. However, which other players had success over the course? The table below shows us that especially Vini Jr. and and Rodrygo also received many followers. The two managers The team is more than the players, and with that in mind there is others that can happily look at what getting their team to the Champions League final can bring from social media. Read Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti went from having 7.4 million followers on Instagram to 7.8 million. On Twitter he went from 2.8 million to 2.9 million. Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is not that interested in social media, which is why we do not have any numbers on him. On the other hand, we have the numbers for his club. Liverpool’s official Instagram account went from having 37.7 million followers to 38.7 million. On Twitter they went from 20.4 million to 20.6 million new followers. Some good results from Liverpool, even though Real Madrid is unbeatable on social media. Los Blancos started with 115 million followers on Instagram and 41.4 million on Twitter, to now 118 million and 42 million. Social Media is a gold mine For players that have a lot of followers on social media, it can be worth more than having the upper hand on your teammates. There are big amounts of money if you have enough followers. This is easy to see when Cristiano Ronaldo playing in Manchester United has 446 million followers on Instagram. They say he can pocket about 1.5 million GBP for a sponsored post. This amount of money is not what the players in the 2022 Champions League final is earning, but you can be sure the top 10 players in this article can smile whenever they post something sponsored on their accounts. Contact Details BetXpert Christer Johansen +47 929 75 226 christer.johansen@raketech.com

May 30, 2022 03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Why Influencer Marketing is Taking Over Online Advertising

TCM DIGITAL

TCM has launched NinjaInfluence, an all-in-one Influencer Marketing AI SaaS platform that provides an affordable yet powerful use of influencer marketing that enables eCommerce businesses to deal with increased ad costs and reduced marketing budgets due to unstable market sentiment. On Tuesday, May 24th, The Snap Company announced it will miss its projections due to decreased ad spending. The announcement triggered a spiral effect for most ad-driven super techs, such as Google and Facebook. This came as no surprise given the current environment, along with rising ad prices and macro headwinds likely to extend to every region of digital advertising. An article published by CNBC earlier this week states, “Social media companies were already having a rough year from the cutback in digital ad spending caused by rising inflation, supply chain challenges, and the war in Ukraine. Forecasts for the second quarter called for meager growth at best, and stock prices were getting hammered.” Following Snap’s disclosure, JMP Securities analysts shared, “Macro headwinds likely extend to all digital advertising.” They added that brand budgets, and especially digital ones, “are more at risk of being reduced as companies tighten ad budgets,” while direct response ads, or those that encourage viewers to take immediate action, are “more connected to consumer spend, particularly eCommerce.” Read the full CNBC article here. The eCommerce space is seeking alternative means to cut down advertising spending amid rising costs of social media ads in an environment that's highly volatile. Even now while ad costs rise, eCommerce has seen a massive uptick since the start of the pandemic, expected to total $5.55 trillion in 2022 and to grow by almost $11 trillion between 2021 and 2025. This increase can also be attributed to the effect of influenceres/online creators. An authentic and engaging presence online is critical to being disruptive in a saturated marketed experience. People want to be wowed, connect to something, and belong to a community. Enter influencers, a person valued by the audience much more than the classic pop-up ad. With such dedicated followings, you can shorten the sales cycle by standing apart from your competition. A strong brand doesn’t only optimize performance marketing in the short term but also makes it a source of sustainable growth. Stronger brands draw more organic acquisitions, retain more customers, and command higher sales. As the digital space becomes more crowded, brand identity and brand awareness will only become more crucial. When time is a critical commodity,one needs to be fast, agile, and ahead of its competitors. One needs to focus on brand equity and improve upon one's brand loyalty while maintaining one's ad spend. While inflationary pressure affects purchasing decisions, brands must strengthen their community reach and customer relationships. After spending over eight years operating within the eCommerce space both as an eCommerce seller and as a leading aggregator, we have experienced community creation, aptly named influencer marketing, first hand. But how do you go about finding the right influencers? Even if you do find the right influencers, how would you manage them, monetize, measure performance, and still be able to attend one's eCommerce business? Welcome to the solution of NinjaInfluence, TCM’s disruptive influencer marketing platform. With our dynamic and elastic AI search engine, we have curated a database of over 140 million influencers for you to filter and pinpoint the perfect brand representative. Each will be the champion brand ambassador and increase sales. Within the platform, you can conduct research, outreach, and campaign management along with tracking your real-time sales and social metrics. Even making payments to your influencers are just a click away using NinjaInfluence. You do not have to take the journey alone. Our team of Influencer Managers is here to oversee the entire process, from discovering and identifying the right influencer, to outreach and sending customized messages all the way to managing your entire marketing influencers funnel, your own dedicated Influencers Manager. With the assistance of the Influencer Manager, negotiate everything from partnership terms to campaign management as they set up eCommerce coupons, tracking links for sales, and social engagement. On June 1st at 9:00 am ET, the Ninjainfluence team will be conducting a live webinar. We invite you to join our live demonstration and roundtable discussion as we tackle the alternative means of online advertising and how to best engage with Influencers for the maximum outcome. To save your seat, click to register and write "Save my seat for the upcoming webinar." About NinjaInfluence NinjaInfluence is an influencer marketing software that supports users in easily managing their strategies and communicating with influencers/creators. Following up on its predecessor, NinjaOutreach, it provides access to over 140 million influencers across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter. In addition to its established search engine, NinjaInfluence offers a multitude of features such as eCommerce integration, full analytics dashboards, smart search manager, internal payment platform, related profile recommendation engine and a consolidated CRM-like workspace. Scalable and effective through its use of powerful big data technology, NinjaInfluence searches through millions of creators to intelligently identify qualified influencer leads, and enable the launch of influencer campaigns with traceable ROI. For more information, a free trial, or to subscribe to NinjaInfluence, visit https://NinjaInfluence.com/. Contact Details Gabi Bar +1 845-709-8324 gabi@tcmdigital.com Company Website https://ninjainfluence.com/

May 27, 2022 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

FinancialMarkets.media, formerly FXStreet’s Marketing team, will participate at the iFXExpo in Limassol, Cyprus from 7th-9th June

FMM

- The iFXExpo will be the first event this year in which the company will participate to present its new brand - The brand will be exhibiting all its services and products at booth 161 - FinancialMarkets. media continues being part of FXStreet financial group, and operates as its exclusive media agency. - The aim of this new agency is to offer the best-in-class services, whilst increasing the business opportunities of their clients across a wider publisher and financial institutions network. FinancialMarkets. media is the new independent media agency specializing in the financial markets that was launched in February 2022 and is managed by the former FXStreet Marketing and Traders team. With the aim of introducing and presenting the new brand to the markets, the company will participate in several exhibitions and workshops throughout this year, and the iFXExpo in Limassol- Cyprus, the world’s first and largest financial Fintech B2B exhibition, is the first on the 2022 calendar. The launching of FinancialMarkets. media was prompted by the growth of the company’s network of publishers in the last years, demanding specialization in order to keep on offering top-notch services to all its already existing clients. With the decision more focus can be placed on expanding its reach in the market reaching more institutions and publishers for the Forex, Cryptos, Stock and Commodities markets, as well as banks and hedge funds. “ FinancialMarkets. media continues to be part of the FXStreet group, and it operates as its exclusive media agency. However, we are an independent media agency inside the group. The aim of this FXStreet spin-off business is to offer the best-in-class services, whilst increasing the business opportunities to our clients, where all parties will have more options on where to invest their budget, more advertising placements to accommodate the different business models, needs and marketing objectives”. Sergi López Tomàs, previous CMO to FXStreet.com and now CEO at FinancialMarkets. media, commented. About their presence at the Cyprus iFXExpo this coming June, Mr López Tomàs also commented, “w e are committed to participating in all these types of events and exhibitions, as we aim to expand our reach to new audiences by introducing all of our media services and marketing solutions to new markets and businesses, aiming to not only to help them to execute profitable investments but will also maximize them ”. In the same way, the company also emphasizes the importance of human relations and honesty in all their business transactions. “ Our daily work is to continue guiding financial institutions and publishers in an honest way so that our clients can invest in the right media according to their needs and budgets. Participating in these kinds of face-to-face events allows us to be closer to our clients and partners and boost this human interaction that we think should never be lost in business and it is critical to creating trustworthy, solid and long-term relationships '' added Carolina Bracale, Marketing and Communications Manager of FinancialMarkets. media. After all, more than 20 years of success in online advertising for the finance market, are not in vain. The team of experts of FinancialMarkets. media know the market, granting better pricing and campaign management control, always taking care of both, clients and publishers. “Programmatic advertising is OK but it still fails to understand the needs of the players and that is where my team makes a big difference. We are humans behind the machines who happen to be experts in Marketing and Trading the markets.”, concluded Sergi López Tomàs. The company will be exhibiting all its services and products at the iFXExpo in Limassol, Cyprus at booth 161. To know more about Financial Markets. media visit the new website: www.financialmarkets.media. Contact Details Financial Markets Media Carolina Olenka carolina@financialmarkets.media

May 25, 2022 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Ripken Baseball Expands Programming in Pigeon Forge

Ripken Baseball

Ripken Baseball, the leader in youth sports events, announced they are gaining access to four additional fields in the City of Pigeon Forge. As one of the most sought-after youth sports complexes in the country, Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge will be able to host teams from around the country on 10 total fields, including access to the newly renovated fields at Pigeon Forge’s Wear Farm City Park. The park’s four fields will be completely upgraded and reimagined prior to the start of the 2023 season. Similar to the original six fields at Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge which opened in 2016, each field at Wear Farm City Park will become a youth replica of famous Major League Baseball parks of the past and present. Residents of Pigeon Forge will benefit from the renovations as Wear Farm City Park will continue to host tournaments throughout the year on state-of-the-art artificial turf that closely replicates real grass. “Every year, our teams and their families take home countless fond memories of the Pigeon Forge area when they participate in The Ripken Experience™,” said Cal Ripken, Jr., who co-founded Ripken Baseball with his brother Bill Ripken. “The views are unbelievable and the feeling you have when you experience our complex is special. The demand to play here is through the roof. This is an exciting opportunity to expand and welcome even more baseball families to Pigeon Forge.” Wear Farm City Park’s four fields will be transformed into youth replicas of the following big league stadiums: St. Louis’ Busch Stadium, Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium, Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium, and Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. The $3 million renovation project will begin this summer. “Pigeon Forge’s partnership with Ripken Baseball is a successful one, as demonstrated by the annual increase in demand for the ball fields and the direct impact on our city’s tourism industry due to the many families who visit,” said Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene Teaster. “The upgrades to Wear Farm City Park are a win-win for The Ripken Experience™ and our Pigeon Forge residents as these fields bring vast improvements for everyone to enjoy.” Pigeon Forge residents and local youth teams will enjoy the renovations immediately following completion. The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge’s access to Wear Farm City Park applies primarily to daytime hours during the summer season, allowing the four baseball fields to remain available for Pigeon Forge residents during evenings, weekends, and most Fridays. The addition of artificial turf provides longer days during the winter months (November through early March), earlier year-round start times, and quicker turnaround during the event of rain. Wear Farm City Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The park, which also has soccer and youth football facilities, will continue to host youth baseball leagues. The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge hosts more than 1,000 teams annually from over 30 states, traveling from as far away as California, Alaska, and overseas. Players’ families, many of whom are first-time visitors to Pigeon Forge, have a significant impact on the Pigeon Forge economy. A 2018 economic impact study attributed $33.8 million in visitor spending to The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge during the facility’s nine-month season that year. The appeal of Pigeon Forge as a family vacation destination was a major reason the city built the $22.5 million complex and contracted with Ripken Baseball to operate it. During seven seasons of operations, the facility has solidified Pigeon Forge as a major sports tourism destination. In addition, research indicates that 99 percent of those who visit the facility reside outside of Sevier County. Tournament participants, coaches, and their families contribute to the local economy through overnight lodging stays ticket purchases to area attractions, restaurant dining, and other purchases. Pigeon Forge is located in Sevier County just six miles from the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Since opening its doors in March 2016, more than 5,000 youth baseball teams and 250 high school softball teams have taken to the six fields at The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge. In total, more than 75,000 players and coaches have traveled to play ball on fields that offer unobstructed views of the Great Smoky Mountains, with an additional 1,000 teams expected to travel to the complex for competition in 2022. The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge is located on a ridge above Pigeon Forge. Each field borrows its design inspiration from current and former ballparks highlighting the professional player progression from the Minor to Major Leagues, including Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. The others are Calfee Park in Pulaski, Va., the oldest park in the Appalachian League; Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., known as “Little Fenway”; Engel Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn., a filming location for the “42” movie about Jackie Robinson; BB&T Ballpark in Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, N.M. The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge hosts tournaments nine months out of the year and offers year-round branded events in its 14,000-square-foot clubhouse. Tournaments are free to spectators, and parking is free at the complex. Visitor information about Pigeon Forge is available online at MyPigeonForge.com and toll-free at 800-251-9100. To learn more about Ripken Baseball and for The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge, visit RipkenBaseball.com. Cal Ripken, Jr. headshot and The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge facility images are available here. Photo credit: The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge About Ripken Baseball Ripken Baseball brings teammates, coaches, and families together through its Big-League Experiences, while teaching the values of the game, and how to play it the right way – the Ripken Way. Recently expanding the best experience in youth sports to satellite locations through Ripken Select Tournaments, Ripken Baseball continues to innovate the game through tournaments, camps, clinics, and spring training at their state-of-the-art baseball and softball facilities – The Ripken Experience™ Aberdeen (Maryland), The Ripken Experience™ Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), and The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge (Tennessee). # # # Contact Details Eric Nemeth +1 602-502-2793 nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://www.ripkenbaseball.com/

May 25, 2022 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Kivvit Wins Five Awards At The American Association Of Political Consultants’ Pollie Awards

Kivvit

Kivvit won five awards at the American Association of Political Consultants’ Pollie Awards for its impactful work with the State of New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) in creating a COVID-19 public awareness campaign, and its work for the ELM Action Fund Independent Expenditure on an environmental and climate advocacy platform for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s mayoral race. The awards come on the heels of Kivvit winning four of the most prestigious awards in North America at PRovoke’s SABRE 2022 award ceremony earlier this month, including Best in Show. Campaigns & Elections also named Kivvit Public Affairs Firm of the Year for the third consecutive year at its Reed Awards, as well as 11 other awards across TV (English and Spanish language), online video, use of AR, and more. There were over 1,100 entries and over 200 firms competing for Pollie Awards this year, with only 11% of entries earning Gold. Kivvit’s work won the following Pollie Awards across categories: "Bold Plan" for ELM Action Fund Independent Expenditure & Mayor Michelle Wu Gold Award for AAPC North Best Digital Independent Expenditure for Local/Municipal/Mayoral COVID-19 Public Awareness Campaign for NJ Department of Health Gold Award for Best Television Campaign, Public Affairs/Issue Advocacy Division Silver Award for Best in Show, Public Affairs/Issue Advocacy Division Silver Award for Best Radio Campaign, Public Affairs/Issue Advocacy Division Bronze Award for Best Data Analytics Solution Click here to view the full list of the 2022 AAPC Pollie winners. Kivvit’s Chief Brand Strategist, Stephan Miller, was also honored as one of the 40 best and brightest professionals under 40 years old. Candidates were evaluated on their role as a strategic consultant in the industry, along with leadership and professional accomplishments in political consulting. “AAPC is pleased to recognize Stephan Miller as a member of our 2022 class of 40 Under 40 for their outstanding achievements,” said AAPC President Becki Donatelli. “Each year, this award recognizes 40 rising stars in American political consulting who have made a real difference in campaigns.” Click here to view the full list of the 2022 “40 Under 40” winners. Hosted by the only bipartisan, nonprofit organization for political professionals, the Pollie Awards set the standard for excellence in the political communications and public affairs industries. Over 250 judges evaluate entries based on creativity, production value, and effectiveness. About Kivvit Kivvit is one of the largest and fastest-growing independent strategic communications and public affairs firms in the United States, with over 130 professionals across six offices in Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. Kivvit has earned over 60 awards and recognitions in the past 5 years, including Public Affairs of the Year (Reed Awards), Digital Agency of the Year (PRovoke SABRE North America), Most Innovative Agency (Bulldog Stars of PR Awards), and a Best Agency to Work For (PRovoke). Kivvit also leads O'Dwyer's national rankings of independent communications firms across multiple categories, including #1 for Real Estate Finance & Development, #2 for Energy and Non-Profit, #4 for Purpose and Corporate Social Responsibility. To learn more and see what we do, visit www.Kivvit.com and follow us @TeamKivvit. Contact Details Zach Silber +1 212-929-0669 zsilber@kivvit.com Company Website https://www.kivvit.com/

May 24, 2022 10:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Metaverse UGC platform BUD raises $36.8M Series B

BUD

BUD, a metaverse user-generated platform, announces its $36.8M Series B round led by Sequoia Capital India with participation from ClearVue Partners, NetEase and Northern Light Venture Capital. Existing investors GGV Capital, Qiming Venture Partners and Source Code Capital also participated in the round. Founded in 2019 by former Snap engineers, Risa Feng and Shawn Lin, Singapore-headquartered BUD is a leading global metaverse UGC platform encouraging users to create and share 3D interactive experiences with its easy-to-use creation tools. To date, over 15 million 3D experiences and assets have been created on the platform and user-generated 3D assets have been traded more than 150 million times. Since its global launch in November 2021, BUD skyrocketed to the list of top 10 social apps in more than 38 countries around the world including North America, Southeast Asia and South America. With the right mix of technology and art, BUD greatly fulfills Gen Z's desire for entertainment, creation and sharing. It is becoming a preferred platform for Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha to socialize in 3D immersive worlds. In addition to customizing unique avatars, users can also create and explore millions of experiences ranging from hangout places to battle royale games. The mobile-native creation tools require no prior coding knowledge. Without providing any preset 3D templates, BUD allows creators to build 3D experiences from scratch by using geometric modules and interactive props. Apart from adding texts, pictures, music and videos to enrich experiences, lighting and sky-box can be adjusted as well to create an immersive environment. Many aesthetic scenes and interactive experiences in BUD can look like they are created using professional PC software by professionals but they are actually all created by users on their mobile devices.. BUD’s users are young and digital natives, most of whom are teenage girls who likely do not have any coding experience but are creative and love self-expression. BUD is a virtual platform for them to showcase this creativity and get to know others with similar interests. The company intends to use the fresh funding to further develop its creation tools, grow its global user base and roll out web3 products for its metaverse ecosystem. The company has revealed clear plans to launch its own NFT marketplace. "The media of the next era will not be limited to familiar forms like text, pictures or videos, but will turn to more immersive and interactive formats. BUD is such a user-generated platform for the 3D world where everyone, not just hard-core gamers or professionals, has the chance to create and share whatever they want," shared Risa, CEO and co-founder at BUD. Graduated from Cornell with a degree in Computer Science, Risa joined Snapchat’s AR Division in 2017 and worked on frontier Lens experiences prior to founding BUD. "While BUD makes 3D content creation possible for mainstream gen-z consumers, we will continue to bring blockchain to mainstream consumers and allow our creators to truly own and monetize their creations," said Shawn, co-founder at BUD. Prior to founding BUD, Shawn spent three years at Snap, working on its performance optimization, developer framework and user growth. “BUD is establishing itself as a social destination for GenZ while uniquely enabling ownership of content in the metaverse. Millions of users are creating content on BUD and sharing their creations on social media, aiding the inherent virality of the BUD platform. We are impressed by the passion with which the founders have built BUD, and are excited about their future plans for localisation and growth.” Aakash Kapoor, VP, Sequoia India. “The immersive and interactive experience created by BUD users brings happiness to GenZ around the world. We’re excited for the progress BUD has made and look forward to the launch of its new web3 products.” said Jenny Lee, managing partner at GGV Capital. “With the immersive 3D experience of the product and explosive growth among GenZ users around the world, BUD is rapidly growing as a leading UGC platform in the emerging metaverse,” said William Chen, Founding Managing Partner of ClearVue Partners. "We are excited to work with this innovative team and to bring together our resources and experience in the global consumer, media, and entertainment industries.” About BUD BUD is a leading global metaverse UGC platform encouraging users to create and share 3D interactive experiences with its easy-to-use creation tools. Former Snap engineers Risa Feng and Shawn Lin founded BUD in 2019, and have grown the firm into a team of more than 100 people strong. It is expected to reach 200 employees by the end of this year. Headquartered in Singapore, BUD will have localization teams across the world. To date, over 15 million 3D experiences and assets have been created on the platform and user-generated 3D assets have been traded more than 150 million times. Since its global launch in November 2021, BUD skyrocketed to the list of top 10 social apps in more than 38 countries around the world including North America, Southeast Asia and South America. BUD has become a digital social hub where millions of people come to create, play and hangout. Contact Details BUD Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmoood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.joinbudapp.com/

May 23, 2022 02:09 PM Pacific Daylight Time

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Second-Generation Minuteman Press Franchisees in Cupey and San Juan, Puerto Rico Continue Family Legacies for 27 Years and Counting

Minuteman Press International Inc

For Frances Torruellas and Tere Quiñones, owning a business runs in the family. Frances is the co-owner of her Minuteman Press franchise in Cupey, working alongside her father Juan A. Torruellas. Tere is the owner of Minuteman Press located in Hato Rey, San Juan. Both family-run franchises opened in 1995, and both Frances and Tere are proud to carry on their family legacies for 27 years and counting. Father & Daughter Team Juan Arturo & Frances Torruellas Make a Dynamic Team for Minuteman Press in Cupey Minuteman Press in Cupey, Puerto Rico, first opened in July of 1995. Juan A. Torruellas originally began looking to own a business in 1994, and he found the right fit with Minuteman Press. Juan reflects, “I was very determined to have my own business but had not defined what it would be. The year 1994 was the beginning of my journey seeking what type of business I would like to operate; I was sure that it would not be a food business but I did want a service-based business. For the past twenty years prior, I held managerial positions in finance and administration which helped me in that process. I was convinced after my participation in a franchise show in Miami, Florida, that my business would be Minuteman Press.” After several meetings with Minuteman Press representatives in Puerto Rico, Juan officially signed his agreement and entered training. Juan says, “On July 1, 1995, our presses started running. Like all beginnings, we went out day by day to present our innovative services in the printing business. By following the training and advice from Minuteman Press, we raised a bank of loyal customers, many of whom continue with us after 27 years.” In order to sustain their success and longevity, Juan talks about the need to adapt. He says, “We have recognized the need to evolve according to the needs of our customers, which is why in recent years the ‘printing on demand’ concept has been a priority in our operation, as well as offering a range of promotional products that meet the market needs.” He proudly adds, “Over the years, we have been recognized by Minuteman Press International for reaching monthly sales volumes of $250,000, as well as receiving their Customer Service Award, Top Quality Award and Top Appearance Award.” “Our philosophy has always been to treat the client honestly, to offer guidance on the best alternatives in terms of cost without affecting the quality of the product, and to have integrated services available to improve the image of each client.” -Juan A. Torruellas, owner, Minuteman Press, Cupey, Puerto Rico Second Generation in Sight Frances Torruellas first joined the team of Minuteman Press in Cupey in 2005, worked her way up from customer service to manager, and then became owner in 2018. Juan shares, “My daughter Frances Ivette joined the Minuteman Press team in the customer service area in the year 2005, a year after she attended the training in Farmingdale, where she was able to gain a broader perspective about our business. In a short time, Frances dominated the operation and became our manager. As her interest for the business kept growing, she became owner in 2018.” He adds, “I am so proud of the job she has done, and this truly is a family business.” When asked for his final reflections on operating his business, Juan says, “We must give an important and warm mention to now-retired RVP Jeff Robey, who supported us for many years. Jeff is truly special and was instrumental to our growth.” Juan concludes, “We are proud to represent a franchise in Minuteman Press International that has maintained its relevance and prestigious name throughout all of our years in this exciting and ever-changing industry.” Tere Quiñones Shares Insights on Running the Family Business and Carrying On Her Father’s Legacy as Owner of Minuteman Press in Hato Rey, San Juan Minuteman Press in Hato Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico first opened in April of 1995. At that time, Tere Quiñones was in college and her father ran the family business. Tere says, “After I graduated from college and began to work on my Master’s degree, I helped my father out at the shop. Little by little, I learned every aspect of the business and fell in love with it. Never did I think that I would continue his legacy, and in some ways, I believe that Minuteman Press chose me.” As Tere reflects on her family’s 27 years in business, she shares the following three keys to the success and longevity of Minuteman Press in San Juan: “ 1. It’s very important to maintain an excellent group of employees, where we all feel like family. A comfortable working environment is important. If there is a good and happy staff, the daily workload feels easier. 2. Honesty. Always be honest to clients about the job request, whether it’s possible or not to meet their deadlines. That way they will always know that what you are telling them about any specifics of the job will be the truth. 3. Quality. Maintain the same printing quality, go that extra mile and make sure that even with changes in technology/machinery the quality remains the same. If there is a slight change in the quality, always contact the client beforehand let them know. Avoid surprises to your clients.” When asked about the various ways Minuteman Press in San Juan has grown, Tere shares, “Three ways we have grown over the years are by adding promotional products, doing email marketing campaigns targeting specific industries, and direct referrals from happy clients.” She continues, “Our key growth areas right now are wide format printing, hotel collaterals, and parking signage for companies. We also do a lot of Every Door Direct Mail as well as printing for schools. There is always going to be a need for printing; you just have to find what your customers are looking for.” “Our community is mixed between small businesses, schools, and seniors. We have a potpourri of walk-ins that makes every day different. Our clients have different needs and degrees of knowledge. Being able to assist them all and provide products and solutions is very satisfying.” - Tere Quiñones, Minuteman Press, San Juan, Puerto Rico Speaking of community, Minuteman Press in San Juan also stands out by making their center a place of learning. Tere says, “We have a copy center that is open to teachers and students, with special prices and offerings. It’s a nice resource for them and a great way to educate them about what we do.” Tere also appreciates the support she has received over the years. She says, “Minuteman Press International has always been present in assisting in all situations. Having a group of people that are always willing to advise us and help is definitely an advantage.” As she reflects further on the rewards of owning a business, Tere says, “The biggest reward of owning a business is having the ability to do something that you love. I also appreciate the flexibility because it’s much easier to be there for family activities and events than if you were working for someone else.” She concludes, “If you love what you do and work hard, the rest just seems to fall into place.” Minuteman Press in Cupey is located at Winston Churchill Avenue #138, Crown Hill, Cupey, PR 00926. For more information, visit their website: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/pr/cupey/ Minuteman Press in San Juan is located at Ave. Americo Miranda #1503, San Juan, PR 00921. For more information, visit their website: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/pr/san-juan20/ Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

May 23, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Schools Procure Maple Hotspots to Bridge the Homework Gap

Maple

Maple, a provider of reliable, remote online access for students, announced its fully portable and pocket-sized Internet connectivity solutions, powered by StratusX, are being deployed to thousands of students to narrow the Homework Gap in the United States. Many school systems continue to work with Maple to procure CIPA compliant mobile internet hotspots using funding from the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF). Maple leaders are encouraging schools to utilize an extension of the ECF application process (with a waiver request) to secure the funding necessary to provide students with the safe and reliable online access they need. Leading education organizations continue to work collaboratively with the public sector and private enterprise to solve these [connectivity] issues and get technology into the hands of students. The National School Boards Association has prioritized promoting digital equity and closing the Homework Gap. One of the organization’s core policy objectives is “…eliminating broadband infrastructure gaps and investing in students and families without adequate high-speed broadband and/or Internet devices...” “Without equal access to education and online resources, students in underserved, minority, lower-income, and rural communities are adversely affected,” stated Michael Kadisha, Chief Executive of Maple. “Teachers assign homework requiring access to the Internet, and students need it to learn. This is a necessity, not a luxury. It is a profound issue of fundamental fairness facing our society today and determines access to opportunities down the road.” “Access to a good education is one of the most important issues of our time, and the most pressing within it is closing the Homework Gap,” Kadisha continued. “While we are encouraged by the thousands of students, educators, families, and communities that will benefit from our technology, there is still much to do. We are looking to partner with more schools to utilize the ECF program to request 100% funding for student connectivity needs.” Maple leaders are currently working with schools that missed the May 13 deadline to utilize the Emergency Connectivity Fund extension. Waivers are available, but schools must act quickly. There is a 30-day window remaining to submit funding applications. “Working together, we will eliminate inequities and close the Homework Gap as we reliably connect students and educators from anywhere,” Kadisha continued. Many schools have already worked with Maple to procure hotspots for thousands of students utilizing the ECF application process. Education leaders chose to work with Maple based on superior technology and the company’s commitment to bridging solutions for education. Maple and its leadership have a proven history of philanthropy, advocating for education, and serving students. Maple’s parent company developed Treedom, a leading service-based scholarship platform. Through these initiatives, Maple recognized that while students wanted to access their educational resources, they had no or poor connectivity at home. “The stories of entire families relying on one caregiver’s cell phone or public WiFi to complete assignments is troubling. While the loss of learning and economic opportunity is measurable, the inequity for students who only want a fair shot to learn is not. We remain committed to addressing this injustice,” Kadisha said. Maple hotspots eliminate the frustration associated with slow or ‘spotty’ service. Students in areas that struggle with broadband access, when utilizing Maple technology, can reliably access the Internet securely whenever and wherever they want. Devices switch between mobile carrier networks to provide the best possible signal. This benefit prevents disruptions that may arise with any carrier resulting from weather or technical issues. With Maple connections, the Internet is always available for students. About Maple Maple provides trusted technology solutions for schools, libraries, students, and educators that close the digital divide by delivering high-quality internet access and valuable educational experiences to students. Please visit https://www.mapleconnect.co/. ### For more information or to schedule an interview with a Maple spokesperson, contact Dan Rene of kglobal at daniel.rene@kglobal.com or 202-329-8357. Contact Details Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 daniel.rene@kglobal.com Company Website https://www.mapleconnect.co/

May 20, 2022 10:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Retention Cloud Leader CleverTap Acquires Leanplum

CleverTap

CleverTap, the world’s No.1 retention cloud, today announced it has signed definitive agreements to fully acquire San Francisco based Leanplum, a leading multi-channel customer engagement platform, for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition will make CleverTap a truly global company with development centers and customer-facing and success teams across North America, Europe, Latin America, India, South East Asia and the Middle East. Combining the product stack of the two organizations, this acquisition will enhance CleverTap’s capabilities and take its total customer base to over 1200 customers in more than 100 countries around the world. The deal is expected to close in Q2 of 2022. Together CleverTap and Leanplum will work with digital brands to help increase their users’ engagement, retention and lifetime value by making every user experience hyper-personalized, relevant and contextual at scale in real time. As more businesses become digital-first, brands need to serve their users with delightful moments where they are, when they want and on their preferred channel. CleverTap and Leanplum will now bring real-time hyper-personalization, A/B testing and increased scalability to its omnichannel engagement, analytics and segmentation product lines. As a result, growth and marketing teams globally will now be able to utilize the only end-to-end user engagement and retention cloud platform, enabling them to break down user communication silos and increase the overall lifetime value of each user. “We are seeing a seismic shift in the marketing technology landscape,” says Sunil Thomas, CleverTap Co-founder and Executive Chairman. “Users today demand to be treated as individuals, and this has forced brands to change how they engage with them. CleverTap and Leanplum have both purposely built for a mobile-centric omnichannel world.” The acquisition, he says, combines platforms and teams to deliver the best behavior analytics, segmentation, and engagement tools that will enable digital brands to build valuable, long-term relationships with their users. “Our combined strength will be a game-changing force for user engagement, retention and monetization, creating tremendous value for our customers. I am very excited to welcome Leanplum to the CleverTap family.” “When we started Leanplum, our vision was to meet customers' real-time needs at the cutting edge of technology,” says Momchil Kyurkchiev, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Leanplum. “We have succeeded in that, but as the market has matured, to fully meet the increasing demands put on brands today, we needed to bring in the best analytics, segmentation, and engagement tools, to help our customers build valuable, long-term relationships with their customers. This is why joining forces with CleverTap makes the most sense, and I am excited about the combined capabilities we will now bring to Leanplum customers worldwide.” “I am looking forward to the journey with Leanplum. This coming together with Leanplum marks a monumental moment across the marketing technology landscape,” says Sidharth Malik, CleverTap Chief Executive Officer. “This bridges the gap created by multiple martech tools and customer data platforms and will meet the growing needs of user-obsessed digital brands in a much more efficient way. Our ‘better together’ vision is about integrating our cumulative strengths around people, process and technology to cement our position as the global leader in the user engagement and retention space. Joining forces allows us to bring advanced product and technology capabilities as brands strive to do live segmentation, anticipate user intentions and actions, automate and deploy real-time campaigns for the highest possible conversions, all from one single dashboard.” About CleverTap CleverTap is the modern, integrated retention cloud that empowers digital consumer brands to increase customer retention and lifetime value. For brands that understand and value user retention, CleverTap drives context and individualization with the help of a unified and deep data layer, AI/ML powered insights and automation. Customers around the world representing over 10,000 apps, including Vodafone Idea, SonyLIV, Daimler, Gojek, Carousell, and Premier League, trust CleverTap to achieve their retention and engagement goals, growing their long term revenue. Backed by leading venture capital firms including Sequoia India, Tiger Global Management, and Accel, the company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with offices in Mumbai, Singapore, and Dubai. For more information, visit clevertap.com or follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements in this press release may represent CleverTap’s belief in connection with future events and may be forward-looking statements, or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. CleverTap cautions that such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties that could amount in the actual result being absolutely different from the results anticipated by the statements mentioned in the press release. Factors such as the development of general economic conditions affecting our business, future market conditions, our ability to maintain cost advantages, uncertainty with respect to earnings, corporate actions, client concentration, reduced demand, liability or damages in our service contracts, unusual catastrophic loss events, war, political instability, changes in government policies or laws, legal restrictions impacting our business, impact of pandemic, epidemic, any natural calamity and other factors that are naturally beyond our control, changes in the capital markets and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different, from those anticipated by such statements. CleverTap does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or updated or revised status of such statements. Therefore, in no case whatsoever will CleverTap and its affiliate companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or any related damages. Contact Details Sony Shetty sony@clevertap.com Company Website https://clevertap.com/

May 19, 2022 08:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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