ºìÌÒÊÓƵ Blog Archive October 2022

Reflecting on the past couple of months, many headlines have emphasized the hyperinflation businesses and individuals are feeling around the world; however, many analysts have questioned if these price hikes are inflation or "". Headlines across Canada specifically are calling out grocery store chains for of their goods. With rising inflation, the majority of companies are steadily losing profit with the exception of  that are reporting high profits.

The World Series is one of the biggest American sporting events of the year. The games brought in an average of in the 2021 MLB World Series, with a high of in the series’ final game. The viewership ratings made a remarkable recovery from the 2020 COVID-19 World Series, where only tuned in to watch the World Series. During the first game of the 2020 World Series, they were only able to bring in , which is the lowest number of viewers ever for a World Series game. This was a significant decrease compared to 2019’s World Series, which brought in for the seventh game. It was projected that Game 7 brought in  in total advertisement revenue. Despite the fluctuating viewers, the World Series is undoubtedly the center of attention for baseball fans, as well as for companies looking to show off their brand. 

From November 20, 2022, to December 18, , all eyes will be on Qatar for the FIFA National World Cup. Whether you are viewing it from your TV, phone, or laptop, the tournament will be one of the most accessible world cups, as it will be televised on FOX, FS1, and Telemundo while also streaming on a variety of . The 2022 World cup is predicted to have  views which would surpass the 3.5 billion viewers from the 2018 Russia World Cup. This is the perfect opportunity for brands to capitalize on the World Cup and promote their .

The World Cup is making history in 2022! This year marks the first time in the of the World Cup that it is hosted by a . Qatar put in its while competing against Australia, South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. for the chance to host this prestigious event. Hosting sports events as globally recognized as the World Cup ensures economic benefits that will provide the nation with a great opportunity to not only capitalize on profit but also show off its unique culture and traditions throughout the event, resulting in progress for the nation of Qatar.

This is the first post in a -part blog series focused on the 2022 World Cup.

Four years ago, the global population tuned in to watch the 2018 World Cup. Now, only a month away, soccer fans anxiously await the 2022 World Cup. This year, thirty-two countries will compete in the most popular sport in the world in hopes of being crowned champion. With over fans worldwide and over  players across 200 countries, no other event reaches such a global audience.

As the TikTok app gains popularity among multiple age groups across the globe, information is spreading quickly and videos are going viral almost instantaneously. Growing like no other app, TikTok has been the world’s most since early 2020, providing another platform for businesses both big and small to influence users. One recent sensation is , a Chinese online retailer focused on clothing, accessories, shoes, bags, and other fashion items for all ages. Shein is known for cheap prices that appeal to the teenage eyes, which tend to be the most active on TikTok.

The anticipation around the growing electric vehicle market has consumers excited about the future of transportation, but this future may be approaching in a way we did not expect. With concerns around COVID-19 exposure on , many people started utilizing alternative methods of getting around, one of those methods being biking. A Dutch company in particular saw this phenomenon and has taken their to the next level, saying goodbye to the average bicycle and introducing electric bikes.

A new Ebola outbreak is occurring in Uganda. The  is believed to have started with one man in August of 2022 but has now spread to almost 50 people. This outbreak approaches as the Ugandan is still struggling to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several other African countries, such as Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan are starting to for Ebola symptoms to mitigate the spread.

Twitter is a United States-based company that is the  and the . However, throughout 2022, Twitter and , a well-known multi-billionaire for his Tesla and SpaceX companies, have had an on-and-off acquisition deal for Twitter. This deal’s repercussions could change how businesses can effectively digitally advertise their products on the platform.

A mega-city featuring flying cars, high-speed rail instead of roads, robot maids, a giant artificial moon, and a resort with multimillion-dollar palaces is the of the Saudi Arabian crown prince and prime minister, Muhammed Bin Salman (MBS). The project, called Neom, hopes to gain in investment with the ambitious goal of constructing a 106-mile-long carbon-neutral city with walls over 1,600 feet stretching from the Red Sea into the desert. Neom was announced back in 2017 and was originally planned to be completed by 2025, but due to the pandemic, only the of the project is projected to be completed by this time. If this sounds unrealistic, MBS himself has admitted that he would be satisfied if of his ambitious Neom plan is completed. Half of all planned construction is an optimistic estimate as Neom has  due to numerous challenges. The kingdom’s sovereign-wealth fund and finance ministry have already spent on initial infrastructure, planning, and consulting.  The country has contracted U.S.-based consulting firms from Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Co., and Oliver Wyman to aid with .

The Nord Stream pipelines are two large underwater pipelines connecting Russia and Germany. These pipelines were designed to export Russian oil and gas to Germany. The natural gas exported through Nord Stream accounted for of European energy that is supplied by Russia. As tension between Russia and Europe heightened, the amount of natural gas that Russian companies exported declined drastically. By early September, Nord Stream 1 was fully . The plans for the operation of Nord Stream 2, another pipeline that would export Russian gas, were by the German government earlier this year. The Nord Stream pipelines and the Russian oil they supply are critical to  such as Germany, Hungary, Greece, and many more.

Porsche’s recent initial public offering (IPO), valued at around billion, is one of the largest in European history. This IPO raised about  for Volkswagen which owns Porsche. The company offered  of Porsche’s preferred stock to investors, putting up about 12.5% of the entire company. This IPO is happening during a time that is seeing the market for IPOs drying up due to the volatility of the market.

On October 3rd, 2022, the Ukrainian forces made their biggest breakthrough yet. Their forces have their advance into Russian-held areas of the southern Kherson region, while Western officials downplay the likelihood of Russia using nuclear weapons in retaliation. Ukrainian troops announced the liberation of , while Moscow sought to prevent an encirclement of its forces in the east and south of the country. The Ukrainian soldiers waved their flag over and claimed the liberation of Starosillya, Arkhangelskoye, and Velyka Oleksandrivka.

One of the world’s most powerful groups of oil producers is the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, known as OPEC+. The organization has decided to impose drastic on oil production as a way to boost oil prices, despite pleas from the United States to pump more oil. On Wednesday, OPEC+ made the final decision to cut oil production by per day starting in November. 

Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm, has caused many American citizens to be forced out of their homes or has left no infrastructure for them to return to. The storm first struck the coast of Fort Myers before migrating toward the Carolinas, leaving communities demolished by wind and flooding, ultimately forcing businesses to shut down and leaving Florida with  in reconstruction. The damage caused so far has been introductory, but it is evident that the hurricane will be highly disruptive to Florida’s economy over the next ten days with power shortages, suspension of energy production, impact on  such as oranges, and flight cancellations.

India is currently undergoing extreme. To curb the effects of inflation, which are raising the prices of many food staples for Indian people, the Indian government is placing a ban on the exportation of broken rice, as well as imposing a hefty export duty on any overseas shipments of white and brown rice, which constitute roughly around  of India’s total global sales. Along with inflation, r is also contributing to the imposition of this ban.

As the world continues to resurrect itself amidst the pandemic, another tragedy has struck. Hurricane Ian, , has ravaged the state of Florida more than anyone expected. A few major in the area were warned of the destruction that the storm was expected to bring, including Miami, Fort Myers, Tampa, Atlanta, Jacksonville, and many more. Hurricane Ian caused extensive damage and flooding to the housing and infrastructure as it transformed from a tropical storm to a hurricane. On top of this, the entire eastern end of Cuba was hit, causing . With Hurricane Ian leaving its mark up the eastern coast to South Carolina, the wind damage alone is ranking this as the to hit the United States, tied alongside many others. The size and magnitude of the storm were intense compared to past storms, leaving Florida and bordering states expecting major effects on supply chain functions along the coast.