Nollywood Magic at 2012 African Movie Academy Awards

Nigerians Report was at the 8th African Movies Academy Awards (AMAA) held in Lagos for the first time on Sunday April 22 at the Expo Hall of the Eko Hotel and Suites on Victoria Island, Lagos.

From the red carpet to the stage, it was a night of glitz and razzmatazz with the local paparazzi milling around the famous Nollywood stars.
Collins Talker of Galaxy TV asked me why I did not join the other celebrities on the red carpet. I said it was too rowdy for me. There was too much Nollywood magic that the stars from Hollywood were not even given space to be recognized as many Nollywood wannabes trampled on the red carpet.

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Oprah's OWN Network Set to Lose $142.9 Million

Will Oprah Winfrey lose her OWN Network? The latest reports suggest that with the loss of over $142.9 million dollars in advertising, it may be possible. The Oprah Winfrey Network revealed the figure, and the worst case scenario, is of course, Discovery putting an end to their joint-venture with OWN. The network debuted January 1 of last year, with 80 million homes tuning in, and it actually replaced the Discovery Health Channel. People love Oprah, so everyone figured her new primetime show, Oprah’s Next Chapter, would be a huge hit. SNL Kagan, the investment firm, revealed that there could be a “significant write-down” at OWN for the first quarter of the year. They cited the cancellation of Rosie O’Donnell’s talk show as an end to their attempt to increase ratings. Oprah fired Rosie this week, cancelling her talk show and laying off an additional 30 employees, including executives. There are reports that Oprah is searching for the next star to help save her network, find out who it is.

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What's the Best Advice You Received from Your Mom?

Tout Joins Jessica Alba, The Honest Company And SELF Magazine To Celebrate Mother's Day With #momknowsbest Contest

"What's The Best Advice You Received From Your Mom?"

SAN FRANCISCO, May 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Social media video sharing company Tout is teaming up with Jessica Alba, The Honest Company and SELF Magazine to celebrate Mother's Day. The #momknowsbest campaign will feature a Tout video (15 second video status update shared through Facebook and Twitter) by Jessica Alba with a special Mother's Day question, "What's the best advice you received from your mom?"

Fans and SELF readers will have the chance to win a valuable prize package by sending a video reply via Tout to Alba regarding the best advice they ever received from their mom and include the special hashtag #momknowsbest. Fans and readers can reply directly via webcams at www.Tout.com, through Tout's mobile application, on www.Facebook.com/TheHonestCompany and www.Self.com/health/mothers-day in addition to other promotional sites. Viewers can watch the entire stream of replies on the Tout widget on http://www.self.com and share their favorites to their Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest pages, as well as by email and SMS.

On May 14th, one winner will be selected by The Honest Company and SELF to win $500 worth of The Honest Company product and a Maya Brenner Designs necklace valued at $200, in addition to having their Tout featured on SELF.com. Additionally, for every response a donation will be made to Baby2Baby.

"My mom always told me 'You can do anything you set your mind to' and I continue to live by that advice," states Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-on-Chief. "At SELF we encourage our readers to strive for their goals and our moms give us the encouragement to guide us along the way. This Mother's Day is the perfect time to show our appreciation for how much they do for us and how they have helped shape our lives."

Christopher Gavigan, Chief Product Office of Honest.com stated, "We are so excited to be working with SELF and Tout. We've all learned so many important lessons from our mothers and it's time we shared them with the world. Post your videos, now! Happy Mothers Day."

Scott Epstein, Chief Marketing Officer of Tout stated, "Mothers are the pillars of our communities and Tout is excited to be working with Self.com to provide a cutting edge platform for families to share meaningful, inspirational and funny stories, memories and advice with the world."

About Tout
Headquartered in San Francisco, Tout is a social media technology company whose smartphone and webcam application enables real-time video status updates that can be shared instantly with friends, family or the whole world through Facebook, Twitter and personal contacts. Tout enables users to capture and share 15-second videos with 2-clicks. These updates are then shared in real-time directly from iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 2, Android smartphones, and on Tout.com. Tout is a technology spin-out of SRI (Stanford Research Institute), responsible for such innovations as voice recognition software SIRI on iPhones. Since launch, Tout has had 23 million visitors to its site, making it one of the fastest growing social media services. Visit www.tout.com or follow us on Facebook and on Twitter @ Tout.

About The Honest Company
The Honest Company was started by a mom and a dad who, like many modern parents, had become increasingly concerned about poorly regulated products laden with questionable chemical ingredients. But, the alternatives they found were often expensive, inaccessible, bland, or ineffective. In response to this clear need for something better, they created The Honest Company (Honest.com) to ensure that parents have access to non-toxic, ecofriendly, beautiful family products that don't break the bank. They offer a monthly subscription service of customized product bundles delivered directly to your front door and are launching with a product line that moms across country chose based on what they use everyday: diapers, wipes, baby bath and skin care, and home cleaning products.

About SELF
Reaching over 10 million readers and online users, SELF provides the information and inspiration to help every woman take charge of her life, reach her well-being goals and become her best SELF. SELF is the founder of the Pink Ribbon for breast cancer awareness and an ASME National Magazine Award winner for excellence in journalistic achievement in print and online. SELF is published by Conde Nast, home to some of the world's most celebrated media brands. For more information, visit www.Self.com.

SOURCE Tout

CONTACT: The Honest Company: Ashley King, Ashley@honest.com; or SELF: Lindsey Benoit, Lindsey_Benoit@condenast.com; or Tout: Stacy Freeman-Weitz, stacy.weitz@pmkbnc.com

Web Site: http://www.tout.com

Top Report

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
4 May 2012 15:58 APOLLO LIVE -- CENTRIC's New Talent Competition Series -- To Hold Auditions in New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Atlanta
15:11	EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT OF ECOWAS HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT
15:04	SOMMET EXTRAORDINAIRE DE LA CONFERENCE DES CHEFS D'ETAT ET DE GOUVERNEMENT DE LA CEDEAO
12:50	Maryland Summer Jazz Festival Welcomes International Jazz Stars in Eighth Exciting Season

10:38	Launch of Africa Human Development Report / Towards a Food Secure Future for Africa
10:07	Monarch Airlines to Expand Operations Across the Midlands
08:59	AU Human Rights Commission Passes a Resolution on Attacks against Journalists in Somalia

14:30 TEAM OF UN AGENCIES ON HIV & AIDS VISITS EAC

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on April employment numbers

Subaru Announces PUMA® as New Team Sponsor for Three-car Global RallyCross Championship Program.

GeoEye Proposes Acquisition Of DigitalGlobe; Combination Creates Increased Value For Customers And Shareholders

OREO Enters 100th Year Crossing the $2 Billion Mark; Plans to Reach $1 Billion in Developing Markets in 2012

Tout Joins Jessica Alba, The Honest Company And SELF Magazine To Celebrate Mother's Day With #momknowsbest Contest

Quarterly Earnings Reports

Mother's Day

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The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals

A Breakthrough Approach to Execution That Produces Superb Results Every Time! (PRNewsFoto/Franklin Covey)

4 May 2012 02:37 Africa/Lagos

New Book Released:



The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals
Franklin Covey Offers Breakthrough Approach to Execution That Produces Superb Results

SALT LAKE CITY, May 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- It is one thing to establish goals, but quite another thing to execute them. MBA programs focus heavily on strategy, but offer virtually no training in execution -- and it's execution that keeps leaders awake at night.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120503/NY00768 )

Coauthors Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, Jim Huling, and the Franklin Covey Company (NYSE: FC) have spent more than a decade studying why execution so often fails, what can be done to fix it, and what it takes to achieve Wildly Important Goals (WIGs). They have worked with more than 13,000 teams and 200,000 people in hundreds of organizations in every kind of industry, as well as in schools and in government agencies worldwide.

The result of their findings is an essential new book, THE 4 DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals, by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling (Free Press/April 24, 2012/$28.00 hardcover / www.4dxbook.com). The book provides a simple, repeatable, proven formula for achieving the goals you simply must reach. The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) allow leaders to effectively deal with the most difficult aspect of creating breakthrough results: executing a strategy that requires a change in behavior.

Underlying the 4 Disciplines is the concept of the Whirlwind -- the massive amount of energy necessary just to keep an operation going on a day-to-day basis. The Whirlwind is the real enemy of strategic execution. While a new strategy is important, the Whirlwind is urgent, and urgency wins out every time. THE 4 DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION shows how to separate Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) from the Whirlwind so that breakthrough results can be achieved, while still sustaining the urgent work necessary to keep the organization running.

Clayton Christensen, Professor, Harvard Business School and author of The Innovator's Dilemma, who wrote the forward for the book said, "The 4 Disciplines of Execution offers more than theories for making strategic organizational change. The authors explain not only the 'what' but also 'how' effective execution is achieved. They share numerous examples of companies that have done just that, not once, but over and over again. This is a book that every leader should read."

J. W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International, Inc., said, "Many of the foundational values of Marriott are embodied within The 4 Disciplines of Execution. By utilizing this process inside our organization, our leaders and teams have been able to set and achieve extraordinary goals, which have had a significant impact on making 'Our Guests' Experience' truly remarkable. Any organization can create these same kinds of breakthrough results if they apply the principles and processes taught in this book."

The 4 Disciplines of Execution are sequential and interdependent -- they must be done in order and done well to achieve breakthrough results. They are:

Focus on the Wildly Important. Give your best effort to those few goals that really matter instead of giving mediocre effort to dozens of goals.

Act on the Lead Measures. Carefully track the lead measures and let the lag measures take care of themselves.

Keep a Compelling Scoreboard. Make sure everybody knows the score at all times so they can tell if they are winning or not.

Create a Cadence of Accountability. Hold frequent, regular accountability sessions whose only purpose is to advance the Wildly Important Goals. These disciplines are deceptively simple to state, but they are not simplistic. They will profoundly change the way you approach your goals, and represent a major breakthrough in how to move teams and organizations forward. When done correctly, the 4 Disciplines of Execution lead to superb results every time.

For more information on The 4 Disciplines of Execution, visit www.4dxbook.com.

About The Authors

Chris McChesney is the Global Practice Leader of Execution for Franklin Covey Co. and one of the primary developers of The 4 Disciplines of Execution. For more than a decade, he has led Franklin Covey's ongoing design and development of these principles, as well as the consulting organization that has achieved extraordinary growth in many countries around the globe and impacted hundreds of organizations.

Sean Covey is Executive Vice President of Global Solutions and Partnerships for Franklin Covey Co. and oversees Franklin Covey's international operations in 141 countries around the globe. As the Chief Product Architect for Franklin Covey, Sean organized and directed the original teams that conceived and created The 4 Disciplines of Execution and has been an avid practitioner and promoter of the methodology ever since.

Jim Huling is the Managing Consultant for Franklin Covey's The 4 Disciplines of Execution. Jim's career spans more than three decades of corporate leadership, from Fortune 500 organizations to privately held companies, including serving as CEO of a company recognized as one of the "25 Best Companies to Work for in America." Prior to joining Franklin Covey, Jim was one of the first leaders to adopt The 4 Disciplines of Execution.

About The Franklin Covey Execution Practice
Franklin Covey Execution Practice provides practical processes to organizations and teams so they know what the wildly important goals of the organization are and how to achieve them, how to track success, and how to be accountable for creating extraordinary results.

About Franklin Covey Company
Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE: FC) is the global consulting and training leader in the areas of strategy execution, leadership, productivity, trust, customer loyalty, sales performance, education and individual effectiveness. Franklin Covey clients have included 90 percent of the Fortune 100, more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, thousands of small- and mid-sized businesses, as well as numerous government entities and educational institutions. Franklin Covey has more than 40 direct and licensee offices providing professional services in over 140 countries. For more information, visit www.franklincovey.com.

Contact: Debra Lund, 801-244-4474

SOURCE Franklin Covey

Web Site: http://www.4dxbook.com

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April U.S. Retail Sales

U.S. severe weather insurance losses approach USD1 billion in April

"AMERICAN IDOL" Top Five Compilation Album, Featuring Studio Versions Of Full Songs Performed On Wednesday's Show, Now Available On iTunes

Pepsi Announces Global Partnership with the Estate of Michael Jackson

Bankrate: Mortgage Rates Tumble to Another Record Low

Quarterly Earnings Reports

Mother's Day

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4 May 2012
12:14	Elster Reports 2012 First Quarter Results
11:30	Holiday Searches Soar as Brits Seek Their Seychelles Paradise
10:07	Monarch Airlines to Expand Operations Across the Midlands
08:59	AU Human Rights Commission Passes a Resolution on Attacks against Journalists in Somalia
08:00	IGT and Casino Campione Deliver Customized, Thrilling Player Experiences
07:17	CORRECTION - Narang Medical Limited: Narang Medical Limited Believes That Customer Satisfaction is the key to Success
06:46	CÔTE D'IVOIRE / BERT KOENDERS TAKES PART IN UN WEST AFRICA HEADS OF MISSION MEETING IN DAKAR
06:43	Aliens Group Wins 2 International Property Awards Asia Pacific 2012
3 May 2012
22:30	Statement by the Press Secretary on the President's Invitation to African Leaders to Join Camp David Summit
22:16	12TH MEETING OF THE PANEL OF THE WISE OF THE AFRICAN UNION / TUNIS, REPUBLIC OF TUNISIA 30 APRIL 2012
22:00	Orient-Express Hotels Reports First Quarter 2012 Results
22:00	Noble Corporation Provides Fleet Contract Status Update
21:35	$35 billion in Oil & Gas Deals Announced First Quarter 2012
21:18	Colordyne Names Delphax Technologies Master Distributor of High-Speed Color Production Class Printing System at drupa
21:05	SunPower Reports First Quarter 2012 Results
20:46	General Maritime Announces Confirmation of Plan of Reorganization
20:34	Oxfam America Expands Rural Resilience Initiative to West Africa with Support from the Rockefeller Foundation
18:30	Starz And Michael Bay Take To The High Seas For New Original Series "Black Sails"
18:30	New Orleans Hosts 2012 World Cultural Economic Forum
18:20	Dialogue for Action Africa to Convene Women's Issues Forum June 11, 2012

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FDI Into Africa Accelerates As Investor Perceptions Begin To Shift

3 May 2012 10:59 Africa/Lagos

FDI into Africa accelerates as investor perceptions begin to shift (Ernst & Young's second African Attractiveness Survey)

JOHANNESBURG, May 3, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ --

• FDI projects into Africa have more than doubled from 339 in 2003 to 857 in 2011

• Intra-African investment has grown exponentially increasing from 27 in 2003 to 145 in 2011 - 17% of all new FDI projects on the continent last year

• 60% of respondents say perception of Africa as a business location has improved over past 3 years and three quarters say attractiveness will improve further over next 3 years

• African GDP forecast to grow between 4 and 5% pa in next decade and FDI into Africa to reach US$150b by 2015

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/ernestyoung.jpg


Dowload the report: http://www.apo-mail.org/EY%202012%20Africa%20Attractiveness.pdf

Growing optimism and confidence among international and African investors has lead to significant inward investment into Africa over the last decade according to Ernst & Young's second African Attractiveness Survey (http://www.ey.com/za). The report combines an annual analysis of investment into Africa since 2003, with a survey of 505 global executives on their views about how and where investment will take place in the next decade and predicts that Africa is poised to enter the premier league of investment destinations.

There was strong growth in the number of new foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in Africa in 2011 with project numbers almost up to levels last seen in 2008. In the last decade Africa has seen an increase in inward investment from 339 new projects to the continent in 2003 to 857 in 2011 (an increase of 153%). Investment has come from across the world, with strong growth in project numbers from rapid-growth markets and developed markets alike with projects from the former increasing from 99 to 319 and developed markets projects from 240 to 538 since 2003. Intra-African investment has also been a key driver of this growth.

Among rapid growth markets, India has led the way as the fourth largest FDI investor by number of projects since 2003 with annual compound growth of 46% since 2007. China and the UAE remain prominent too, but there is high growth in investment from an increasingly diverse range of other rapid growth markets, with South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Turkey among those at the forefront.

At the same time, and despite the challenges they face, there has also been robust growth in investment into Africa from many developed markets. In the period from 2007 to 2011 UK project numbers have been up 27%, with the US and Germany also both increasing by 21%.

Mark Otty, Area Managing Partner Ernst & Young Europe, Middle East, India and Africa says, “With rapid-growth markets not only dominating investor attention and capital flows, but also playing an increasingly strategic role in defining the global economic agenda, the competition for global FDI is intensifying. African countries must position themselves appropriately in this shifting landscape to attract a greater proportion of the investment that will accelerate growth and development.”

Perception versus reality

Overall this year's survey paints a positive picture reflecting growing confidence in Africa's prospects. Sixty percent of survey respondents say that their perception of Africa as a place to do business has improved over the past three years. Looking forward 73% of respondents anticipate that Africa's attractiveness will improve over the next three years, while only 4% believe it will deteriorate.

Of those who believe that Africa's growth prospects in the near term are significantly positive, half have a dedicated Africa strategy in place, and 92% have an active business presence on the continent.

The survey results do, however, also highlight that there is stark difference in perception between those who already have a business presence in Africa and those who do not.

This perception gap is reflected in the fact that, despite the positive African growth story, and Ernst & Young forecasting that growth in the region will remain at a robust rate of four and five percent per annum in the next decade and that FDI into Africa to reach US$150b by 2015, the continent still only attracted 5.5% of global FDI projects in 2011.

While this is up from 4.5% last year and is, in fact, the highest proportion of global FDI that Africa has ever received, reservations remain amongst those who have not yet invested into the continent.

Ajen Sita, Managing Partner: Africa at Ernst & Young comments “Despite high optimism, high growth and high returns, the perception gap still exists and the African continent as a whole still attracts fewer FDI projects than India and far fewer than China. There is still clearly work to be done by Africans – government and private sector alike – to better articulate and “sell” the growth story and investment opportunity for foreign investors.”


Intra-African investment leads the way

A key theme highlighted in the report is the growing confidence, self-belief and commitment by Africans to move Africa forward, reflected in the substantial growth of intra-African investment. Between 2003 and 2011, there has been 23% annual compound growth in intra-African investment into new FDI projects. This growth has been accelerating, with the growth rate up by 42% since 2007.


Over a period in which the annual number of FDI projects into Africa has more than doubled – from 339 in 2003 to 857 in 2011 – intra-African investment has grown exponentially with project numbers increasing from 27 in 2003 to 145 in 2011. As a result, in 2011, intra-African investment accounted for 17% of all new FDI projects on the continent.


The growth in intra-African investment is being led by the respective regional powerhouses of Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. All three of these African economies are ranked among the top 20 investors into the rest of the continent between 2003 and 20011, and since 2007 the growth rate in investment from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa has been 78%, 73% and 65% respectively.


Ajen comments, “There has been a radical shift in mindset and positioning over the last decade, with Africans themselves increasingly leading from the front by providing African solutions to Africa's challenges. Clearly work still remains to be done, but pushing ahead with key initiatives such as regional integration and investment in infrastructure will ensure that Africa remains on a sustainable growth curve.”

Moving beyond dependence on commodities

Last year's African Attractiveness Survey highlighted the growing diversification of FDI as a key trend. This has continued this year with even greater levels of investment into less capital intensive sectors, resulting in a growing number of FDI projects in manufacturing, business services and sales, marketing and support highlighting the shift away from extractive activities on which Africa has historically been dependent.


Looking ahead

Africa remains high on the agenda of those looking to invest in foreign markets but despite the growth and progress a perception gap still remains. However, significant improvements in trade agreements, regional integration and an increased investment in infrastructure will push Africa into the top league of investment destinations.


Ajen comments, “In the midst of a global economy that is being reshaped, with growth and capital flows shifting from north to south and west to east, Africans have a unique opportunity to break the structural constraints that have marginalized the continent for decades, if not centuries.”


Distributed by African Press Organization on behalf of Ernst & Young.

CONTACT:


Bijal Tanna

EMEIA media relations

+44 (0) 20 7951 8837

btanna@uk.ey.com


Fathima Naidoo

Africa media relations

+27 11 772 3151

fathima.naidoo@za.ey.com


About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young (http://www.ey.com/za) is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 152,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organisation of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global Ernst & Young organisation that also does not provide any services to clients.

Following on from Ernst & Young's successful integration in 2008 of 87 countries into one area from across Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA), the firm has launched its Africa Business Center™ (ABC), which aims to enhance the effective and efficient links between its geographic reach and areas of expertise. The firm enjoys representation in 32 countries across Africa.

Source: Ernst & Young

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Megan Fox As The New Face of Sharper Image

3 May 2012 15:00 Africa/Lagos

Sharper Image Announces Actress Megan Fox As The New Face Of The Iconic Brand

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, May 3, 2012

NEW YORK, May 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sharper Image, best known for its innovative, tech-related products, announces today actress Megan Fox as the new face of the iconic brand. The brand released a photo as a sneak peek at Fox's first Sharper Image campaign, which will debut later this year.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120503/NY00367 )

Fox has starred in the blockbuster films Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen . She was most recently seen starring in the comedy Friends With Kids and later this year will star in the Universal comedy This Is 40 for director Judd Apatow.

In conjunction with the campaign launch, Sharper Image will also introduce a newly designed website, www.sharperimage.com.

Sharper Image products are built and designed around three core principles: quality, innovation and design. Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICON) purchased the Sharper Image brand in October 2011.

About Sharper Image:

Sharper Image is an iconic American brand. Founded in 1977, Sharper Image products are meant to be fun, unique and innovative. Sharper Image products span numerous lifestyle categories, including electronics, health, wellness, beauty, home, recreation fitness and travel, just to name a few. Sharper Image products are available for purchase in department and specialty stores, Sharper Image catalog and www.sharperimage.com.

Contact: Anny Shames, Public Relations Director, 212-730-0030, ashames@iconixbrand.com

SOURCE Sharper Image

Web Site: http://www.sharperimage.com

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Michael Jackson on 1 Billion Pepsi Cans for Live for Now

Michael Jackson on 1 Billion Pepsi Cans for Live for Now

Michael Jackson's iconic image to be featured on one billion Pepsi Cans in more than 20 countries with China as the first market for the mega launch Pepsi announced yesterday as it unveiled the global Live for Now campaign to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Michael Jackson's Multi-platinum Album, BAD.



See more details in the following news release.

PURCHASE, N.Y., May 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pepsi today announced an exclusive global partnership with the Estate of Michael Jackson as part of its new "Live for Now" campaign, which Pepsi fans around the world will experience in a variety of ways including an engaging retail campaign featuring one billion special edition Michael Jackson Bad 25 Pepsi cans, iconic music, epic live events and opportunities for fans to access special edition merchandise.

The partnership coincides with the 25th anniversary of Jackson's multi-platinum BAD album and record-breaking tour, around which the Michael Jackson Estate and Sony Music have celebratory projects underway.

To celebrate Jackson's incredible contribution to pop music, Pepsi, Sony Music and the Estate of Michael Jackson have teamed up to share new mixes of legendary Michael Jackson music from the BAD album with fans around the world, proving that the King of Pop is not only the world's most iconic artist from the 20th century but also influencing music in the 21st century as well.

Brad Jakeman, president, Global Enjoyment Brands, and chief creative officer, PepsiCo Global Beverages Group, said, "Pepsi has always been at the forefront of pop culture, helping to shape the music landscape. This unique global partnership, around such a legendary music milestone, invites Pepsi fans from around the world to experience Michael Jackson's music in an engaging and very NOW kind of way – it's a model example of how Pepsi's 'Live for Now' campaign can manifest itself in a way that resonates the world over."

Pepsi will feature iconic silhouette imagery of the King of Pop on cans with the launch of collectible limited edition can designs. Pepsi will also run contests in markets around the world giving fans the opportunity to win merchandise including, a limited number of jackets inspired by the original staff BAD tour jackets and tickets to Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil, the #1 touring show in North America.

"We are thrilled to bring Michael and Pepsi back together, as they were in 1988, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the BAD album and tour and to put Michael on one billion Pepsi cans – perhaps a Guinness record," commented John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson. Branca and McClain added, "We're excited to see it all come to life."

China and the United States will be among the first Pepsi markets to launch the exclusive Michael Jackson King of Pop activity in 2012, with approximately 20 additional markets in Asia, South America and Europe continuing the international roll-out throughout the rest of the year.

On May 5 in China, a 330ml limited edition can will be available at retail locations nationwide. In addition, from May 15 - June 14, 2012, fans will be encouraged to share photos of their valuable Jackson collections or original artwork celebrating him, for a chance to win tickets to Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil, as part of China's "In Honor of King of Pop MJ" promotion.

Later in May, the U.S. will launch a nationwide retail campaign including a limited edition 16oz. King of Pop Pepsi can, as well as initiate a retail, music-themed promotion.

Frank Cooper, chief marketing officer, Global Consumer Engagement, PepsiCo added, "Michael Jackson will always be the King of Pop, and his music has always inspired fans and artists alike. But, this partnership goes beyond nostalgia and will engage with consumers all around the world with iconic imagery on more than one billion Pepsi cans, digital content and epic, live events, so that they can continue to connect with Jackson's music and honor his legendary impact on entertainment."

Michael Jackson has a long standing relationship with Pepsi spanning more than 25 years. The legendary King of Pop starred in his first Pepsi campaign alongside his brothers in 1983, as part of the Pepsi 'New Generation' campaign followed by Pepsi's sponsorship of the epic BAD Tour and the iconic "Chase" commercials which served as the impetus for the current reunion. Pepsi also featured Jackson in the 'Music Icons' commercial that premiered during The X Factor in 2011.

Pepsi's new "Live for Now" campaign is a culmination of extensive global research demonstrating Pepsi fans' desire to capture the excitement of now and live each moment to the fullest. First launched in the U.S. last month, "Live for Now" will come to life through a breadth of global, pop-culture platforms, events and unique partnerships and will begin to roll out globally throughout 2012.



About PepsiCo

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

Follow PepsiCo:

• Twitter (@PepsiCo)
• Facebook
• PepsiCo Blogs
• PepsiCo Press Releases
• PepsiCo Multimedia
• PepsiCo Videos

SOURCE PepsiCo

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WIGS

2 May 2012 14:54 Africa/Lagos

Jon Avnet And Rodrigo Garcia Launch WIGS, A Digital Channel Featuring Original Series And Short Films Exploring Female Characters
Virginia Madsen, Stephen Moyer, Caitlin Gerard, Jennifer Garner, Alfred Molina, Julia Stiles, Sarah Paulson, and Jeanne Tripplehorn appear in the first three series. Filmmakers involved include Betty Thomas, Paul Brickman, Lesli Linka Glatter, Walter Salles, and Amy Lippman.
WIGS is a YouTube Original Channel Partner.

LOS ANGELES, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Filmmakers Jon Avnet (Black Swan, Fried Green Tomatoes, Risky Business) and Rodrigo Garcia (Albert Nobbs, In Treatment, Mother and Child) have joined forces to create and launch WIGS, an innovative digital channel producing high-end, original, scripted dramatic series and short films about the lives of women.

The Channel will be showcased at the YouTube "Brandcast" event on May 2nd. The first trailers for the channel and series are available now at www.youtube.com/wigs and www.watchwigs.com accessible worldwide in English and Spanish. WIGS will also feature documentaries, behind-the-scenes videos, and cutting-edge unscripted content, all starring female leads.

WIGS will have its world premier in coming weeks:

-The first WIGS series is "Jan," written and directed by Jon Avnet, debuting May 14th. The cast includes: Caitlin Gerard, Virginia Madsen, Stephen Moyer, Kyle Gallner, Laura Spencer, Iddo Goldberg and Jaime Murray.

-The first WIGS short film is "Serena," written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia. Jennifer Garner and Alfred Molina star.

-The second WIGS series is "Blue," written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia, with a cast including Julia Stiles, David Harbour, Uriah Shelton, Kathleen Quinlan, Sarah Paulson, and Jeanne Tripplehorn.

Over the coming months, WIGS will be releasing content produced with a renowned group of writers and filmmakers. Upcoming programming showcases actors including: Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Beals, Maura Tierney, Michael C. Hall, America Ferrera, Jason Isaacs, Allison Janney, Sarah Jones, Jane Kaczmarek, Troian Bellisario, Jena Malone, Rosanna Arquette, Philip Baker Hall, Lois Smith, Walton Goggins, Jimmy Wolk, Gary Cole, Tim DeKay, Jason Gedrick, Jason O'Mara, Kim Shaw, Melonie Diaz, Arielle Kebbel, Catherine O'Hara, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Marin Ireland, Melora Walters, Nancy Travis, Alison Pill and Dana Davis.

Other filmmakers creating shows for WIGS include: Ami Canaan Mann, Lee Krieger, Rose Troche, Patricia Cardoso, Kerry Conran, Leah Rachel, and Mattie Brickman. Authors include Scott Turow, Mitch Albom, and Neil LaBute. Thomas Newman composed the main and end title music.

"WIGS offers our writer, director, and actor friends and colleagues an enormous amount of freedom to tell stories that they connect with intimately," said Jon Avnet. "The excitement in the creative community surrounding the productions has been palpable. We hope and believe the audience will enjoy these very diverse voices that explore women of all ages, races, and beliefs."

"All of our shows and shorts combine high-end serialized content with great hooks and cliffhangers. They have edge; they're a little bit naughty. The shows are fun, comedic at times, moving at others, and always entertaining," remarked Rodrigo Garcia. "We want to hook people on great stories, great characters and create an addictive type of viewing experience where people are eager to see what's next."

Jake Avnet, WIGS Chief Operating Officer, said, "WIGS creates high-end content and offers it directly to consumers, allowing us to develop, produce, and distribute more efficiently. This is a groundbreaking time in digital entertainment, and we're excited to be on the forefront."

News Corp. Digital Media Group (NDM), a division of News Corporation, is the Marketing Partner for WIGS.

Jon Miller, Chief Digital Officer for News Corporation remarked, "It's groundbreaking to have talent of this caliber embrace a digital entertainment channel. We are thrilled to be supporting the Avnets and Rodrigo Garcia in this ambitious endeavor."


ABOUT JON AVNET
Jon Avnet has directed, written, and produced almost seventy films, television movies, and Broadway plays over the last 30 years, winning most of the major awards: Oscar's, Emmy's, Tony's, Peabody's, and the Humanitas. In 2010, Mr. Avnet executive produced Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman (Academy Award Winner) and directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Mr. Avnet co-wrote, directed, and/or produced: Fried Green Tomatoes (Jessica Tandy, Kathy Bates, Mary-Louise Parker), Up Close and Personal (Robert Redford, Michelle Pfeiffer), and most recently, Righteous Kill (Robert De Niro and Al Pacino).

For television, Mr. Avnet executive produced The Burning Bed (Farrah Fawcett); co-wrote with Paul Brickman, directed, and executive produced Uprising; directed and executive produced Boomtown (with Graham Yost), and The Starter Wife six-hour mini-series. Currently, Mr. Avnet directs Justified with Timothy Olyphant, adapted by Graham Yost from Elmore Leonard's, "Fire in the Hole."

On Broadway, he has produced History Boys, Spamalot, Pillowman, The Seafarer, and Inherit the Wind.

ABOUT RODRIGO GARCIA
Rodrigo Garcia's first film as writer and director, Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her, opened "Un Certain Regard" at the Cannes Film Festival 2000 and won the award for best film in that category.

Mr. Garcia's other credits as writer/director include: Ten Tiny Love Stories, Nine Lives (Winner Best Film Locarno Film Festival 2005), and Mother and Child (Annette Bening, Naomi Watts, Samuel Jackson).

Mr. Garcia's credits also include the pilots for HBO series Carnivale and Big Love. Additionally, he shot the pilot for, and was the executive producer and showrunner of, the first season of In Treatment.

Most recently, he directed Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Janet McTeer, Brendan Gleeson), which was nominated for three Academy Awards.

ABOUT WIGS
WIGS is a new digital channel, launched in May 2012 by Jon Avnet and Rodrigo Garcia featuring world-class talent in original series, short films, documentaries and other content exploring female characters. Dozens of scripted episodes will be premiering in the coming months. The channel can be found at www.youtube.com/wigs, www.youtube.com/wigsespanol, and www.watchwigs.com.

ABOUT YOUTUBE
Founded in February 2005, YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small.

PRESS CONTACTS
BeBe Lerner
(323) 822-4800
blerner@id-pr.com

Gillian Smith
(323) 822-4800
gsmith@id-pr.com

SOURCE WIGS


About WIGS

What happens when you're in love with your priest?

What happens when you keep a dark secret from your son?

What happens when your dream first job becomes a nightmare?

Created by filmmakers, Jon Avnet (Black Swan, Fried Green Tomatoes, Risky Business) and Rodrigo Garcia (Albert Nobbs, In Treatment, Mother and Child), WIGS is an innovative new YouTube channel producing high-end, original, scripted series, short films, and documentaries, all starring female leads.

WIGS will take you on an unpredictable, often outrageous journey into the lives, loves, and lies of our characters.

WIGS. Where It Gets Interesting.

New content every single weekday, beginning May 14, 2012.

For more information, please contact: info@watchwigs.com

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IBM Study Reveals Critical Shift in the Role of Chief Information Security Executives Globally

Source: Data from the IBM Center for Applied Insights study, "Finding a strategic voice: Insights from the 2012 IBM Chief Information Security Officer Assessment." (PRNewsFoto/IBM)

3 May 2012 13:00 Africa/Lagos


IBM Study Reveals Critical Shift in the Role of Chief Information Security Executives Globally

Analysis of 130+ interviews presents a new class of security chiefs; CISO role follows the evolution of CIO and CFO with more strategic organizational responsibilities

ARMONK, N.Y., May 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new IBM (NYSE: IBM) study reveals a clear evolution in information security organizations and their leaders with 25 percent of security chiefs surveyed shifting from a technology focus to strategic business leadership role.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120503/NY00157-a )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120503/NY00157-b )

In IBM's first study of senior security executives, its Center for Applied Insights interviewed more than 130 security leaders globally and discovered three types of leaders based on breach preparedness and overall security maturity. Representing about a quarter of those interviewed, the "Influencer" senior security executives typically influenced business strategies of their firms and were more confident and prepared than their peers—the "Protectors" and "Responders."

Overall, all security leaders today are under intense pressure, charged with protecting some of their firm's most valuable assets – money, customer data, intellectual property and brand. Nearly two-thirds of Chief Information Security Executives (CISOs) surveyed say their senior executives are paying more attention to security today than they were two years ago, with a series of high-profile hacking and data breaches convincing them of the key role that security has to play in the modern enterprise. More than half of respondents cited mobile security as a primary technology concern over the next two years. Nearly two-thirds of respondents expect information security spend to increase over the next two years and of those, 87 percent expect double-digit increases.

Rather than just reactively responding to security incidents, the CISO's role is shifting more towards intelligent and holistic risk management– from fire-fighting to anticipating and mitigating fires before they start. Several characteristics emerged as notable features among the mature security practices of "Influencers" in a variety of organizations:

Security seen as a business (versus technology) imperative : One of the chief attributes of a leading organization is having the attention of business leaders and their boards. Security is not an ad hoc topic, but rather a regular part of business discussions and, increasingly, the culture. In fact, 60 percent of the advanced organizations named security as a regular boardroom topic, compared to only 22 percent of the least advanced organizations. These leaders understand the need for more pervasive risk awareness – and are far more focused on enterprise-wide education, collaboration and communications. Forward-thinking security organizations are more likely to establish a security steering committee to encourage systemic approaches to security issues that span legal, business operations, finance, and human resources. Sixty-eight percent of advanced organizations had a risk committee, versus only 26 percent in the least advanced group.


Use of data-driven decision making and measurement: Leading organizations are twice as likely to use metrics to monitor progress, the assessment showed (59 percent v. 26 percent). Tracking user awareness, employee education, the ability to deal with future threats, and the integration of new technologies can help create a risk-aware culture. And automated monitoring of standardized metrics allows CISOs to dedicate more time to focusing on broader, more systemic risks.

Shared budgetary responsibility with the C-suite : The assessment showed that within most organizations, CIOs typically have control over the information security budget. However, among highly ranked organizations, investment authority lies with business leaders more often. In the most advanced organizations, CEOs were just as likely as CIOs to be steering information security budgets. Lower ranking organizations often lacked a dedicated budget line item altogether, indicating a more tactical, fragmented approach to security. Seventy-one percent of advanced organizations had a dedicated security budget line item compared to 27 percent of the least mature group.

"This data painted a profile of a new class of CISO leaders who are developing a strategic voice, and paving the way to a more proactive and integrated stance on information security," said David Jarvis, author of the report and senior consultant at the IBM Center for Applied Insights. "We see the path of the CISO is now maturing in a similar pattern to the CFO from the 1970s, the CIO from the 1980s – from a technical one to a strategic business enabler. This demonstrates how integral IT security has become to organizations."


Recommendations to Evolve the Security Role in an Enterprise
To create a more confident and capable security organization, IBM recognizes that security leaders must construct an action plan based on their current capabilities and most pressing needs. The report offers prescriptive advice from its findings on how organizations can move forward based on their current maturity level.

For example, those "Responders" in the earliest stage of security maturity can move beyond their tactical focus by establishing a dedicated security leadership role (like a CISO); assembling a security and risk committee measuring progress; and automating routine security processes to devote more time and resources to security innovation.

"Security in a hyper-connected era presents a new set of challenges, but these can be greatly eased by implementing innovative practices and adopting a more integrated, holistic approach," said Marc van Zadelhoff, an author of the report and vice president of Strategy, IBM Security Systems. "CISOs that prioritize these factors can help their organizations significantly improve business processes and achieve measurable success in their progress toward building a risk-aware culture that is agile and well-equipped to deal with future threats."

About the Assessment
The IBM Center for Applied Insights study, "Finding a strategic voice: Insights from the 2012 IBM Chief Information Security Officer Assessment," included organizations spanning a broad range of industries and seven countries. During the first quarter of 2012, the Center conducted double-blind interviews with 138 senior business and IT executives responsible for information security in their enterprises. Nearly 20 percent of the respondents lead information security in enterprises with more than 10,000 employees; 55 percent are in enterprises with 1,000 to 9,999 employees.

To access the full study, visit ibm.com/smarter/cai/security.

About IBM Security
IBM's security portfolio provides the security intelligence to help organizations holistically protect their people, data, applications and infrastructure. IBM offers solutions for identity and access management, security information and event management, database security, application development, risk management, endpoint management, network security and more. IBM operates the world's broadest security research and development organization and delivery organization. This comprises nine security operations centers, nine IBM Research centers, 11 software security development labs and an Institute for Advanced Security with chapters in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific. IBM monitors 13 billion security events per day in more than 130 countries and holds more than 3,000 security patents.

For more information on IBM security, please visit: www.ibm.com/security.


Contact:

Tod Freeman
IBM Media Relations
415-320-5893
tefreema@us.ibm.com

Colleen Haikes
IBM Media Relations
415-545-4003
chaikes@us.ibm.com

SOURCE IBM

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Alh. Bamanga Tukur Commends Princewill’s Donation of Media Centre to PDP

Alh. Bamanga Tukur

Alh. Bamanga Tukur commends Princewill’s donation of media centre to Peoples Democratic Party

~ By Nwaorgu Faustinus

The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alh. Bamanga Tukur has commended the donation of a media centre to the PDP Headquarter in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria by Prince Tonye Princewill.


Prince Tonye Princewill

Alh. Bamanga Tukur made the commendation when Prince Tonye Princewill alongside his company and associates donated a media centre to the party

Prince Tonye who is the leader of Princewill’s Political Associates and a Chieftain of the ruling party (PDP), in a press statement made available to the fourth Estate of the Realm by his image maker, Chief Chukwuemeka noted that Princewill organized his company, River Drill and some of his associates to donate a media centre to the PDP.

Below is a full version of the press release:

Prince Tonye Princewill the Leader of Princewill Political Associates (PPA) and a chieftain of PDP on the 2nd of May, 2012 added a new feather to his cap when he organised his company the River Drill Group and some of his associates to donate a media centre to his political party, Peoples Democratic Party.

The Prince in a short speech during the presentation read on his behalf by his head of Media, Chief Eze C Eze reiterated his belief in the capability of the present leadership of the party under the stewardship of Alh.Bamanga Tukur. According to the Prince, he was motivated to embark upon this project when he visited the Headquarters of the party during the period that Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo was Chairman and saw the pitiable condition under which the Press Corps covering the activities of the party were subjected to due to lack of adequate office accommodation. The Prince who is a Columnist with the Vanguard Newspapers and a close associate of most of the Journalists in Nigeria stated that as a fellow Journalist he would do everything humanly possible to ensure the comfort of men of the Press in Nigeria.

He pleaded with the new leadership of the party to recreate and reposition the party to greater heights and restore the confidence of Nigerians in the party by embarking on projects that will realign the party totally with the principles, ideals and vision of the founding fathers of the party. According to the Prince, “The acceptance of PDP and its perception by the public at the moment is too low, so drastic steps must be taken to restore the confidence of Nigerians in the party and stand it apart from Government. We all need to jointly recreate PDP to tally with the present democratic challenges! If we fail in this regard now that INEC has resolved to improve and better our electoral system, we might face a very different reality come 2015! The weakness of the opposition is down to a few recognised obstacles. They can be overcome“.

In his remarks after commissioning the project and taken a guided tour of the modern facilities/gadgets provided in the Centre with other members of the NWC of the party, the National Chairman of the party, His Excellency, Alh. Bamanga Tukur thanked the Prince and his associates for embarking on this lofty project within the few weeks of the election of the new National Working Committee of the party and urged other Nigerians to emulate the Prince and invest in the party as the main national party in Nigeria capable of taking the country to greater heights. He promised to take back the party to the people in tandem with the ideals and vision of its founding fathers.

Mr Obiorah Ifoh the Chairman of PDP Press Corps expressed pleasure and appreciation to the Prince for this great gesture and other projects he has embarked upon to lift the spirit of Journalists in Nigeria and assured him that his interest in this regard will not go unrewarded.

The event was witnessed by the National Chairman of PDP, Alh. Bamanga Tukur, and members of the National Working Committee of the party.

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