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Supply Chain Success Prompts ToolsGroup-Lãberit Partnership to Expand into LATAM

ToolsGroup

ToolsGroup, a global leader in retail and supply chain planning and optimization software, and Lãberit, one of Spain’s leading IT companies dedicated to consulting, development, and maintenance of digital solutions for diverse industries worldwide, are proud to announce that together, they are providing award-winning supply chain solutions to Spain and Latin America. The partnership began in 2021, as ToolsGroup explored more avenues for leveraging its powerful AI-driven supply chain planning solutions. In the wake of disruption, interest in probabilistic forecasting and ToolsGroup’s acclaimed solutions began skyrocketing, spurring the search for additional resources to support the company’s increasing scope. At the same time, Lãberit had begun expanding its consulting services to organizations throughout the supply chain sector. The two companies recognized the tremendous potential for a partnership that could meet the increased demand for supply chain solutions across Europe and Latin America. Soon after, ToolsGroup’s probabilistic Demand Planning & Forecasting became the foundation of Lãberit’s Supply Chain & Industry 4.0 offering. The ToolsGroup and Lãberit partnership is already benefiting a large company dedicated to supplying products, services, and solutions to the ceramics and glass sector, supporting them in achieving efficient demand planning and inventory optimization with an end-to-end supply chain solution. With a growing joint customer base and business continuing to develop, Lãberit and ToolsGroup are excited to expand their offering into Spain and Latin America, continuing their close collaboration and delivering supply chain excellence across multiple regions. “For us at Lãberit, the collaboration between our two companies is strategically significant, as we seek to find the most suitable solutions for the entire logistics process. Leveraging cutting-edge technological tools, such as machine learning-based supply chain planning, is paramount in effectively managing uncertainties and optimizing costs across various aspects, including inventory, freight, obsolescence, and potential sales losses,” said Juan Jiménez, Industry Director at Lãberit. “At ToolsGroup, our partnerships are a driving force behind growth and customer success,” said Mauro Adorno, VP of Global Alliances. “We’re excited to see our relationship with Lãberit develop and prosper, powering supply chain transformation and bringing real-world value to customers worldwide.” Want to learn more about how the ToolsGroup Partner Program is transforming supply chains around the globe? Find out more here. About Lãberit Lãberit is a leading company in the software development and technological solutions industry in our country. With a strong focus on innovation and quality, we prioritize the human aspect of our workforce, spread across offices in major cities in Spain and Latin America. Our expertise extends to various sectors, including public administration, banking, insurance, telecommunications and media, energy and utilities, industry, and healthcare. We are also expanding our presence in Latin America, Africa, the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, reflecting our growing interests in these countries. About ToolsGroup ToolsGroup’s innovative AI-powered solutions enable retailers, distributors, and manufacturers to navigate through supply chain uncertainty. Our retail and supply chain planning suites empower a new level of intelligent decision making and unlock powerful business improvements in forecast accuracy, service levels, and inventory - delighting customers and achieving financial and ESG KPIs. Stay in touch with ToolsGroup on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, or visit www.toolsgroup.com. Contact Details Meir Kahtan +1 917-864-0800 mkahtan@rcn.com Company Website https://www.toolsgroup.com

July 25, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Evite Collaborates with Lisa Frank on Party Invitations and Greeting Cards

Evite

Evite, the world’s leading digital invitation platform, today announced its partnership with Lisa Frank to launch an assortment of premium invitations and greeting cards incorporating her distinctive designs. The offering will feature Lisa Frank’s recognizable patterns including leopard print, rainbows, hearts and stars, as well as her signature characters like unicorns, puppies, kittens, aliens and tigers. Lisa Frank is cherished among millennials who view the whimsical brand as a staple of their childhoods, while newly presenting to Gen-Z audiences as a fresh, multi-faceted lifestyle brand that is as current as ever. The designs will be available for all users who are inspired to throw colorful and vibrant celebrations including birthdays and bachelorette parties. They’ll also be available for kids’ birthday parties and any other celebration full of rainbows, animals and bold patterns. “Lisa Frank is such an iconic and beloved brand and not only do its designs hold a special place in the hearts of so many, but its graphics and signature style fit so naturally with invitations across a range of party themes,” said David Yeom, CEO of Evite. “We’re thrilled to be working with Lisa Frank and excited to offer these bright, lively designs to our customers.” “Any party planner looking to throw a vibrant, joyful celebration will have an invitation to match through our partnership with Evite,” said Forrest Green, Head of Brand at Lisa Frank. “Our brand’s dedicated fans can use this collection to jumpstart their next event!” Last year, Evite also collaborated with Disney to launch a collection of invitations based on the most popular characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. Evite also recently launched Sesame Street invitations and will soon be launching more collaborations as the company looks to add key characters and brands to its invitation and greeting card offerings. To learn more about the Lisa Frank partnership, please visit www.evite.com. About Evite Evite is the world's leading digital invitation platform focused on bringing people together face-to-face. With thousands of free and premium customizable designs which can be sent by email or text message, Evite makes celebrating face-to-face easier and more memorable for its 120+ million annual users. Launched in 1998, the company has sent nearly three billion invitations over its history and drives billions of dollars in party-related purchases. Evite is headquartered in Los Angeles. Visit www.evite.com to start planning, get inspired or download the Evite app. About Lisa Frank Lisa Frank is beloved around the globe for its whimsical character world and colorful lifestyle aesthetic. For over four decades, Lisa Frank has spread happiness and joy with millions of fantastic products. Contact Details North 6th Agency for Evite Julia Calabrese +1 215-460-6327 evite@n6a.com

July 24, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Miss Universe continues to broaden its unique "pageant-platform-product" ecosystem with the launch of Miss Universe Skincare catering to diverse consumers worldwide

JKN Global Media Public Company Limited

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach - 24 July 2023 - The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) introduces Miss Universe Skincare, catering to the diverse and multicultural skincare needs of people from around the world. Born from the powerful mantra of "Every Moment, Beautifully Confident," Miss Universe Skincare embraces the mission of the Miss Universe brand to uplift, empower, and inspire women to embrace their truest selves. Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, CEO of JKN Global Group PCL said, "MUO's mission is to elevate the human spirit, encouraging people worldwide to live their best lives. Driven by our unique pageant-platform-product strategy, MUO is now evolving into a platform that impresses people worldwide with inspirational stories. Now, supported by JKN Global Group's extensive distribution network, the MUO platform has finally produced a range of premium products for the Miss Universe brand, with the goal of becoming part of worldwide consumers' everyday life." "For an impressive 72 years, Miss Universe has been an unwavering champion of beauty. It is our privilege and pride to collaborate with two key partners who shares our vision of celebrating diverse women around the world – Olivia Quido, a famous beauty expert with over 20 years of experience in skincare; and Raul Rocha, a prominent veteran entrepreneur with diverse business portfolios, to create Miss Universe Skincare that is blessed with all ingredients to live up with Miss Universe brand's true and original spirit," added Anne. Olivia Quido, CEO and Founder of O Skin Med Spa and O Skincare, said, "I'm thrilled to work with Miss Universe to introduce a collection of high-performance skincare products, containing the most sought-after ingredients from all around the world. We draw inspiration from the seven best natural ingredients from the seven continents, known as MU7C+ (Miss Universe Seven Continents Plus), coupled with a series of advanced ingredients that cater to different skin needs. Our ultimate goal is to bring a universal skincare solution to everyone who is looking to have younger, glowing, radiant skin, and this product line will be ideal for users of all ages and lifestyles." Born from meticulous research, every product in the Miss Universe Skincare line addresses the diverse skincare needs of global consumers. Enhanced with cutting-edge MU7C+ technology and carefully selected, premium-grade ingredients, Miss Universe Skincare products benefit users of all ages, providing universal solutions to issues like hyperpigmentation, discoloration, and acne. Raul Rocha, Board President & Chief Executive Officer of Legacy Holding Group, and partner of Miss Universe Skincare & Spa, said, "The Miss Universe brand is one of the most competitive and famous names in the beauty industry worldwide. There is no skincare product in the world other than Miss Universe Skincare that can bring two important factors - a high-quality product line-up and worldwide name recognition - like the Miss Universe brand." Miss Universe Skincare will become the official skincare brand of the Miss Universe pageant, and all contestants will be brand advocates with exclusive access to the entire Miss Universe Skincare line, as well as rejuvenating facial and skin treatments at Miss Universe Skincare & Spa, which is set to open in Miami, USA, this year. Miss Universe Skincare is a complete array of high-performance, results-driven skincare products, expertly designed to unlock the inner beauty and confidence within each individual. Each of the products will be enhanced with the MU7C+, Cosmetic Drone Technology, and Functional Peptides that are targeted for each specific application. The Miss Universe Skincare collection consists of 9 products: Fresh Face Milky Cleanser, Bright Lights Toner, Dewlight Glow Daily Moisturizer, Golden Glow Face Serum, In the Spotlight Sunscreen, Satin & Silk Micro Exfoliant Powder, Diamond Glow Mask, Light Up Eye Cream, and Dream Big Night Cream. The following MU7C+ ingredients used in Miss Universe Skincare products are sustainably sourced from the seven continents of the world: -Asian Tea Olive (Southeast Asia) – multipotent infusion to help reverse senescent changes targeting millennials and young consumers. -Baobab Extract (Africa) – firming and moisturizing; the oldest tree is in Namibia, known to be about 1,275 years old and called the "Tree of Life." -AFA (North America) – moisturizer and skin repair actives from Aphanizomenon-flos-aquae (AFA), known as the pristine Klamath Lake blue-green algae in the Pacific Northwest. -Acai Fruit Extract (South America)– super fruit extract rich in Omega 3,6, and 9; antioxidant and moisturizer. -Lichen Extract (Antarctica) – anti-inflammatory properties rich in Usnic Acid. -Snow Algae (Europe) – extracted from red snow algae from the Swiss Alps, which has been found to slow down the skin aging process. -Eucalyptus Extract (Australia) – promotes relaxation and skin conditioning. Miss Universe Skincare is MUO's second branded commercial line, shortly following the successful launch of M*U Beverage, which includes M*U NØR Natural Alkaline Mineral Water and M*U functional beverages. The new skincare line will be officially unveiled at the 72nd MISS UNIVERSE competition in El Salvador in November 2023, after which the products will be available for purchase on https://missuniverseskincare.com. JKN Global Media Public Company Limited MUO is owned by JKN Global Group Public Company Limited, a major media, content, and commerce holding company (Stock Exchange of Thailand: JKN).JKN Global and its subsidiaries provide services and distribute copyrighted content sourced from around the globe, including TV shows, documentaries, and feature films. JKN's content has driven phenomenal ratings on various television stations, including their digital TV channel JKN18. The company also has several goods and product lines. JKN stands for Jakapong Network, derived from the name of Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip. As JKN Global Group increases their footprint as a major provider of news and entertainment content in Southeast Asia, they are proud to own the Miss Universe Organization and to help empower the next generation of women leaders. About The Miss Universe Organization The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) exists to advocate for a future forged by women and good for all. It is a global community that supports women to realize their goals through experiences that build self-confidence and create opportunities for success. Their programs provide an international platform to affect positive change through influential humanitarian and professional efforts for 10,000 women who participate annually. The delegates and titleholders are leaders and role models in their communities; they develop personal and professional goals, and inspire others to do the same. To learn more, visit www.missuniverse.com. Contact Details Onravee Tangmeesang +66 64 546 3624 natty@jknglobalgroup.com

July 24, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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This Asset Class Historically Popular With Ultra Wealthy Investors Has Long Been Overlooked By The Masses – One Company Is Changing That

Vint

By James Wells, Benzinga When it comes to investing, the focus is often directed toward assets like stocks and bonds. However, as investors seek greater diversification and portfolio resilience, alternative investments have gained in popularity. Real estate, gold, and the digital gold of our era, Bitcoin, have all claimed their rightful place in the investment landscape. Nevertheless, despite the growth of alternative asset investing, wine and spirits have long been overlooked. This is in large part due to the steep learning curve of wine investing, which involves challenging details such as valuing specific producers or vintages, or securing allocations from coveted producers. However, with the advent of investing platforms like Vint, wine investing is becoming more accessible. Much like a fine wine that needs time to reveal its true character, these assets have been quietly delivering consistent returns. Alternative Assets Don't Correlate With Traditional Markets The core advantage of alternative assets is their lack of correlation with traditional markets. This means that when stocks and bonds are underperforming, alternative assets like wine and spirits can still thrive. Alternative assets play a key role as a hedge against inflation, while providing exposure to lucrative niches and industries. Take the last two years for example. In the US, inflation has been sky-high due to the overheating caused by Covid-19 relief. However, despite the escalating cost of living, the potential value of fine wine, attributable to its limited availability, may also rise, offering a safeguard against the eroding effects of inflation. Wine And Spirits As An Asset Class Wine and spirits have historically proven to be a robust asset class. They have shown resilience in times of economic downturn and have consistently delivered impressive returns irrespective of market conditions. Like other solid alternative assets like real estate or gold, wine and spirits elevate the risk-adjusted returns of the classic “60/40” portfolio. The following tables compare the returns of hypothetical portfolios, one with a classic 60-30 allocation to stocks and bonds with a 5% allocation each to commodities and real estate, and another with a 5% wine & whiskey, over a 20-year time period. Portfolio Without Wine (2004 - 2023): Source - Vint 2023 Portfolio With Wine (2004 - 2023): Source - Vint 2023 Exposure to a basket of fine wine assets – represented here by the Liv-ex 1000 – a 5% allocation to this asset helped boost portfolio returns by roughly 20% over the past 20 years. The Case For Wine And Spirits There are several advantages to investing in wine and spirits: The Slow Pour: Consistent Returns from Wine Fine wine, the silent performer of the investment world, has been steadily filling investors' glasses with robust returns. Over the past 15 years, this alternative asset investment has yielded a 13.6% annualized return, surpassing the performance of many global equities. Put simply, this implies that investors have the potential to double their investment in a span of roughly six to seven years. Low Correlation With Traditional Markets Like real estate, gold, bitcoin, fine wine and spirits offer a low correlation with traditional assets. This makes them an exceptional addition to a diversified portfolio. Low Volatility A unique property of wine is that the longer you hold it, the less volatile its price becomes. This is a byproduct of a supply and demand imbalance. Namely, as each bottle is savored, the remaining ones become rarer, and their value increases. It's a testament to the law of supply and demand, a principle as timeless as the art of winemaking itself. This makes wine and spirits a great choice for risk-averse investors. Real Assets Investing in wine and spirits is more than a financial endeavor; it's a journey through history. Each bottle is a real asset, a tangible piece of history, a work of art, and, most importantly, a testament to the craftsmanship of its creators. This characteristic alone differentiates wine from several other asset classes such as cryptocurrencies and equities. Vint: A New Era Of Wine & Spirits Investing Vint is a pioneering platform that makes investing in wine and spirits accessible to everyone. Here a some of the core ways Vint is pushing the envelope for the wine and spirits asset class: Collections Curated by Experts Navigating the world of wine and spirits can be as complex as understanding the nuances of a fine Bordeaux. That's where Vint comes in. Vint offers expertly curated collections, simplifying the investment process for investors at all ends of the spectrum. This allows investors to leverage diversified and unique collections based on market data and trends. Securitized Wine & Spirits Vint is the world’s first self-directed and transparent wine and spirits investment platform. They securitize world-class assets, creating opportunities in a historically inaccessible asset class. This innovative approach brings portfolio efficiency and offerings qualified under the SEC’s REG-A+ framework. The Future is Bottled As the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds blur, it's easy to overlook the tangible, timeless investments like fine wine and spirits. Investing in wine and spirits isn't a privilege reserved for the wealthy but a lucrative opportunity now open to all. With Vint, investors can uncork the potential of these assets, savoring the taste of diversification, resilience, and impressive returns. Founded in 2019, Vint set out to financialize fine wine and spirits and create a new asset class. Vint received SEC qualification in 2021, thereby creating the first fully-transparent, efficient platform for wine, spirits, and futures collection investing. Vint offers expert-curated, thematic collections of fine wine & spirits to institutional, accredited, and non-accredited investors. Since launching, Vint has securitized and offered over $6M worth of assets. Through Q3 2022, Vint has generated returns of 28.3% for asset exits on a net annualized basis since inception. Vint is backed by leading investors Montage Ventures, MS&AD Ventures, Goat Rodeo Capital, Fintech Ventures & Slow Ventures. To learn more about Vint, visit Vint.co. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Brady Weller Brady@vint.co Company Website https://vint.co/

July 21, 2023 09:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time

With ToolsGroup’s AI-Powered Planning, Legami Delivers Customer-Centric Service While Driving Business Growth

ToolsGroup

ToolsGroup, a global leader in supply chain and retail planning and optimization software, is thrilled to announce it has been selected by Legami, the Italian consumer goods company, to support its supply chain enhancement initiatives for heightened customer satisfaction and business performance through greater forecast accuracy and more nimble inventory management. Legami provides a wide array of products, including stationery, journals, calendars, greeting cards, personal care items, and travel and technology accessories. Its network encompasses a range of channels, including more than 40 brick-and-mortar boutiques, 17 shop-in-shops, an ecommerce site, and 10,000 authorized sellers and strategic partnerships with retail chains worldwide. Legami is proud to deliver more than 4,000 quality products to customers across 70 countries. To achieve a customer-centric supply chain, Legami searched for a planning solution that could reduce its network-wide inventory while maintaining and increasing service levels and business performance. This led to its selection of ToolsGroup Service Optimizer 99+ (SO99+). This automated, AI-powered solution includes Demand Planning & Forecasting and Inventory Optimization. With built-in probabilistic forecasting, it interprets demand signals for improved forecast accuracy, supporting demand-driven inventory planning and more granular control of stock levels. This minimizes inventory, reducing the environmental impact of production and transportation, and positions stock optimally to support both customer satisfaction and financial KPIs. “In today’s fluctuating market, competitive organizations are the ones achieving the optimal balance of resources that satisfies customer demand while propelling business growth," said ToolsGroup CEO, Inna Kuznetsova. “ToolGroup’s AI-driven dynamic planning delivers the demand-sensitive inventory management that helps companies identify and realize untapped business potential. We’re thrilled to partner with Legami to power better, faster planning decisions that lower working capital investments, widen margins, and guarantee a superior customer experience.” Learn more about how ToolsGroup’s solutions help consumer goods companies – like Melitta– increase forecast accuracy and profitability HERE. About Legami Legami (www.legami.com) is an Italian company active in the consumer goods industry, with a wide and varied offering that covers multiple sectors: Stationery, Diaries and Calendars, Greeting Cards, Lifestyle, Beauty, Hi-Tech, Travel and Accessories. With a strong emphasis on innovation, aesthetics, materials and production processes, the pillars of Legami’s corporate philosophy are passion, ethics, transparency, integrity, and respect for people and the environment. The creative soul and heart of Legami are in Italy, where all the products are designed and where the majority of the company’s 300+ employees work. Legami has a global network presence: more than 40 small boutiques owned in Italy, the eCommerce channel www.legami.com, 17 shops-in-shops, over 400 corners, 10,000 authorized sellers and strategic partnerships with the most important bookshops and chains in the world. About ToolsGroup ToolsGroup’s innovative AI-powered solutions enable retailers, distributors, and manufacturers to navigate through supply chain uncertainty. Our retail and supply chain planning suites empower a new level of intelligent decision making and unlock powerful business improvements in forecast accuracy, service levels, and inventory - delighting customers and achieving financial and ESG KPIs. Stay in touch with ToolsGroup on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, or visit www.toolsgroup.com. Contact Details Meir Kahtan +1 917-864-0800 mkahtan@rcn.com Company Website https://www.toolsgroup.com

July 20, 2023 10:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

ToolsGroup Launches Dynamic Fulfillment for Real-Time Order Fulfillment Optimization

ToolsGroup

ToolsGroup, a global leader in retail and supply chain planning and optimization software, today announced the launch of Dynamic Fulfillment, a new addition to the JustEnough® retail planning and execution suite. This capability enhances a retailer’s OMS with optimized fulfillment plan throughout omnichannel and ship-from-store networks, reducing costs, improving profits, and ensuring more satisfied customers. “The Dynamic Fulfillment solution from ToolsGroup helps us use data to make smarter, faster decisions to create an even better experience for our customers,” said Paul Kisicki, VP of IT at Zumiez. “The fulfillment optimization logic helps us generate operational efficiencies like reducing split rates and shipping costs while better serving the needs of our customers.” Unlike traditional, rule-based approaches, Dynamic Fulfillment evaluates every fulfillment option and simultaneously optimizes based on costs, margins, resources, and customer SLAs. Dynamic Fulfillment leverages real-time inventory, demand, and operational signals captured by ToolsGroup’s unique dynamic data unification platform, which provides a digital supply chain twin for optimal sourcing decisions. By integrating Dynamic Fulfillment into their existing order management systems, retailers realize benefits immediately upon adoption. Core Benefits of Dynamic Fulfillment: · Reduce actual cost-to-serve by minimizing shipping and labor costs · Increase margins by avoiding forecasted markdowns in stores · Maximize profitability while meeting customer SLAs · Integrate seamlessly with any OMS through API-powered composable architecture · Power faster, more accurate decision-making with real-time data on inventory · Customers report up to 5% reduction in shipping costs and up to 2% margin improvement "Omnichannel fulfillment introduces new complexity into sourcing decisions. The increased size of the fulfillment network – from a handful of centralized fulfillment centers to hundreds of stores – makes it difficult to evaluate every possible option at the time an order is placed," said Inna Kuznetsova, CEO of ToolsGroup. "Our Dynamic Fulfillment solution analyzes hundreds of thousands of fulfillment permutations in real-time and optimizes based on multiple variables, considerably reducing shipping costs and delivering significant margin improvements." Dynamic Fulfillment integrates with the rest of the ToolsGroup JustEnough® solution to deliver unparalleled value and results to retailers around the world. With over 400 customers located in 45 countries, ToolsGroup enables intelligent decision making at the speed of business that transforms retail merchandising and supply chain planning. Customers report a 5% improvement in revenue growth and up to 25% increase in planning efficiency, on top of double-digit reductions in lost sales. Built-in automation cuts the planning workload by up to 90% and helps companies reduce waste by 10-30%. For more information about Dynamic Fulfillment, read our blog on our new release and register for our upcoming webinar. About ToolsGroup ToolsGroup’s innovative AI-powered solutions enable retailers, distributors, and manufacturers to navigate through supply chain uncertainty. Our retail and supply chain planning suites empower a new level of intelligent decision making and unlock powerful business improvements in forecast accuracy, service levels, and inventory - delighting customers and achieving financial and ESG KPIs. Stay in touch with ToolsGroup on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, or visit www.toolsgroup.com. Contact Details Meir Kahtan +1 917-864-0800 mkahtan@rcn.com Company Website https://www.toolsgroup.com

July 20, 2023 07:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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‘AI Can’t Replace Creativity’ finds Freelancer.com’s latest job trends report

FREELANCER.COM

Freelancer.com (ASX: FLN) (OTCQX: FLNCF), the world’s largest freelancing marketplace by number of users and jobs posted, today released new figures revealing a surge in freelance creative writing jobs, growth in business marketing activities, and an increase in on-site photography and videography gigs. The Fast 50 Q2 2023 report, a quarterly dataset ranking the fastest growing and falling jobs on the platform, analyzed over 280,000 jobs posted to Freelancer.com between April and June 2023. According to the data, the fastest growing freelance jobs by percentage growth in Q2 2023 were: 1. Creative Writing - up 58% (from 1,868 to 2,961 jobs) 2. User Interface Design - up 52% (from 2,017 to 3,075 jobs) 3. Twitter Marketing - up 41% from (1,650 to 2,334 jobs) 4. Photography - up 40% from (2,101 to 2,945 jobs) 5. Writing (Microsoft Word) - up 38% (from 3,175 to 4,401 jobs) While the world debates whether AI will take human jobs or not, and therefore dramatically hit the labor indexes, the latest figures reviewed by Freelancer.com’s data science team revealed interest for freelance writing jobs are increasing on the platform over the last quarter. Other writing related skills also saw growth across the quarter, including Copy Typing (up 31.2%, 4,867 to 6,389 jobs) and Ghostwriting (up 22.8%, 5,212 to 6,404 jobs). Other jobs which have been deemed as ‘at risk’ of being automated by AI, such as data entry, have also seen an increase over the quarter. Projects for Data Processing were up 21% (from 9,076 to 11,024 jobs) and projects requiring Excel as a skill also saw a 15% increase (from 13,246 to 15,301 total job postings). “AI can’t replace creativity yet. While workers and businesses are benefiting from productivity gains offered by generative AI, the data suggests that the technology in its current form isn’t able to replace creative work. We saw a similar trend occur in the first quarter of the year, as creative design jobs were flourishing despite interest for generative AI tripling,” said Matt Barrie, Chief Executive at Freelancer.com. The Fast 50 Q2 2023 report also reveals an increase in businesses investing heavily in freelance marketing support. This trend comes off the back of an unprecedented rise in jobs usually associated with the creation of new businesses and new ventures as found in the Fast 50 Q1 2023 report. In addition to Twitter Marketing ranking as the third fastest growing job, growth also surged for the following marketing skills: ● Search Engine Marketing (SEO) - up 26% (from 1,840 to 2,328 jobs) ● Sales - up 23% (from 2,614 to 3,233 jobs) ● Marketing - up 19% (from 8,269 to 9,867 jobs) ● Social Media Marketing - up 16% (from 6,524 to 7,574 jobs) ● Facebook Marketing - up 14% (from 5,602 to 6,410 jobs) Marketing jobs are some of the highest earning on the platform per project. Projects seeking SEO experts typically pay US$2,231 per project. General marketing jobs on average pay US$1,422 per project, while Social Media Marketing pays $584 per project. Local jobs, which is where employers hiring freelancers in their local area to do service or physical-based jobs, are growing across the platform by 37%, from 2,122 to 2,905 total projects. The two key drivers for growth for these types of jobs relate to Photography and Videography which are up by 40% (from 2,101 to 2,945) and 32% (from 3,095 to 4,097), respectively. On average, projects for Videography attract US$70 per hour. Fastest Falling Jobs of Q2 2023 The most significant declining trend observed in the Q2 2023 report shows that employers are easing their interest for tech and IT related skills. The Fast 50 report for Q3 2022 highlighted significant growth in a number of highly specialized and niche tech skills, such as software development, android app development, programming, and others. The catalyst for demand being global mass layoffs and hiring freezes across the tech sector towards the end of 2022. The latest Fast 50 Q2 2023 data shows interest for niche tech skills is beginning to slow down, with software development (down 28%, from 1,308 to 942), API (down 26%, from 1,516 to 1,109), iOS Development (down 26%, from 1,220 to 894) and Microsoft SQL Server (down 25%, from 1,309 to 975) all decreasing over the last quarter. Easing of these types of skills also aligns with Layoff.fyi’s tech layoff tracker also showing a reduction in the number of layoffs occurring globally. Fast 50 Q1 2023 - Data Analysis Relief For Writers As Data Suggests AI Can’t Replace Creativity The main trend from the Freelancer.com Fast 50 Q2 2023 report shows freelance writing jobs, specifically those seeking journalists and editors, increasing on the platform over the last quarter. Despite having access to freely available generative AI tools, employers are turning to on-demand freelancers to help write creative content for their websites and blogs. Creative Writing jobs were the number one fastest growing job on Freelancer.com in Q2, growing 58% from 1,868 to 2,961 jobs posted. Other writing related skills, such as Writing (Microsoft Word) (up 38.6%, 3,175 to 4,401 jobs), Copy Typing (up 31.2%, 4,867 to 6,389 jobs) and Ghostwriting (up 22.8%, 5,212 to 6,404 jobs), also saw an increase over the quarter. Interestingly, other skills which experts predict will be overtaken by AI are also increasing on the freelancing platform. Data processing grew by 21%, from 9,076 to 11,024 in Q2. Jobs with Excel as a key skill also increased by 15.5%, from 13,246 to 15,301 jobs. Data entry recently ranked as the World’s Most Boring Job in Freelancer.com ’s global survey measuring attitudes towards work. Data entry is also one of the most popular jobs that employers tend to delegate to on-demand freelancers. Businesses Focus On Growth, Following Startup Boom, By Investing In Marketing Jobs seeking Sales experts grew 23.6% and Business Analysis increased by 21.4% over the last quarter. This is another indication that businesses are focusing heavily on growth and strategy alongside promotion. In Q1 2023, Freelancer.com observed an unprecedented rise in jobs usually associated with the creation of new businesses and new ventures. This was apparent with projects for logo design, corporate identity design and eCommerce all growing simultaneously and aligning with new business formation statistics released by the US Census. While there isn’t data supporting another rise in new businesses in Q2 2023, what Freelancer.com is seeing is businesses now doubling down on marketing, sales and social media efforts to increase business. This aligns with global trends of big consumer brands, such as ones reported in Australia, slashing their marketing spend and look towards more self-driven or low budget or organic marketing efforts. Twitter Marketing, which ranks third in the most in-demand skills for Q2 2023 after growing 41% over the quarter, is growing to become a popular option for businesses looking for social media support. Social Media Marketing as a skill increased by 16% and Facebook Marketing increased by 14%. Marketing, as a skill generally, is up 19.3%, growing from 8,269 to 9,867 total jobs in Q2. Classic marketing tactics such as Search Engine Marketing (SEO) and Web Search grew by 26% and 21%, respectively. SEO and Web Search are both budget friendly ways for businesses to maintain a competitive advantage in search engines results. A similar trend was observed in the Q3 2022 as many tech companies began mass layoffs and cut Search Engine Marketing spend as a way to reduce marketing spend. As a result, Freelancer.com observed growth in SEO related projects or social media marketing as both are cost effective marketing strategies. Jobs seeking Sales experts grew 23.6% and Business Analysis increased by 21.4% over the last quarter. This is another indication that businesses are focusing heavily on growth and strategy alongside promotion. Demand For Tech Jobs Slows Down As Layoffs Reduce Worldwide Freelancer.com is beginning to see interest for niche tech and IT related skills reduce on the platform. A sudden surge in technology related skills was observed all throughout 2022, however, was largely apparent in the Fast 50 report for Q3 2022 which saw a significant increase in jobs relating to niche IT-related projects all being driven by a surge in tech layoffs. The latest figures from the Fast 50 report for Q2 2023 shows interest is beginning to slow down as 16 of the top 25 fastest falling jobs are related to tech, which are the same jobs which climbed heavily towards the end of last year. Software Development, which had sustained growth quarter-on-quarter throughout 2022, saw a decline of 28% from 1,308 to 942 jobs. Projects requiring API as a skill are down 26% (from 1,516 to 1,109) and iOS Development jobs are also down 26% (from 1,220 to 894). Location-Based Photography & Videography Jobs Are Booming Local Jobs are a specific type of job which are location based and are specific to a location. These jobs are typically service or physical jobs, such as local pick up, delivery, photography, gardening or cleaning services. This quarter saw Local Jobs grow by 37%, from 2,122 to 2,905. The two key drivers for growth for these types of jobs relate to Photography and Videography which are up by 40% (from 2,101 to 2,945) and 32% (from 3,095 to 4,097), respectively. Visual content will always be in-demand for any business, regardless of size. Whether it’s capturing an event or shooting footage to use for ads, real-life imagery will always be an important part of promoting businesses. ##### Freelancer Fast 50 The Freelancer Fast 50 report is the world’s largest forward indicator of trends in online jobs related to industries, technologies, products, and companies. The data is based on 280,000 jobs posted to the Freelancer platform between April 1 to June 30 2023. Fast 50 Q2 2023 Data About Freelancer Freelancer.com is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by total number of users and projects posted. More than 67 million registered users have posted over 22.7 million projects and contests to date in over 2,000 areas as diverse as website development, logo design, marketing, copywriting, aerospace engineering and manufacturing. Freelancer also owns Escrow.com and Loadshift. Freelancer Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker ASX:FLN and is quoted on OTCQX Best Market under the ticker FLNCF. Contact Details Freelancer.com Marko Zitko +61 404 574 830 marko@freelancer.com

July 19, 2023 12:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time

BELLAMI Launches World's First Professional Grade Hair Extension Care Collection

BELLAMI

Today, BELLAMI, the global leader in hair extensions’ billion dollar industry, announces the launch of BELLAMI Professional Hair Care, the world’s first professional-grade hair extension care collection for in-salon and at-home use. In collaboration with its network of renowned hair stylists, who have close to a million hair extension installs under their belts, BELLAMI developed uniquely formulated, clinically proven extension-driven hair care solutions, designed to double the lifetime of hair extensions, protecting the investment of a growing customer-base, while strengthening the health and integrity of natural hair. “There is beauty in innovation,” says John Costanza, Group Vice President of Beauty Industry Group leading the charge for BELLAMI. “We know hair better than any brand on the market. This isn’t just a hair care line that happens to work with extensions. We spent the last three years collaborating with industry professionals, chemists and BELLAMI educators, who work with hair every single day, to perfect the formulas and deliver a comprehensive solution-oriented approach to hair and extension treatment in-salon and at-home.” BELLAMI’s professional and at-home collections are infused with first of its kind H-2™ and proprietary Vita-Seal™ complexes. Unlike other bond-building technologies, the brand’s revolutionary H-2™ Complex contains both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, rather than just one, which allows formulas to target different areas of damage and achieve maximum results. The hydrophilic portion balances and reconstructs the hydrogen and ionic bonds fundamental to hair structure, creating a smooth and even surface. The hydrophobic component replenishes lipids stripped from the hair during coloring or heat styling. BELLAMI’s at-home formulas complement the brand’s professional line by offering salon-quality maintenance to protect hair from UV exposure and thermal damage. Each product is designed to seal in the professional H-2™Complex while BELLAMI’s proprietary vitamin-rich Vita-Seal™Complex locks in nutrients to preserve the hair’s integrity and prevent future breakage, while improving the overall condition and appearance of hair with continued use. BELLAMI Professional Hair Care launches with ten professional products, exclusively available in-salon, and eight at-home products which are now available at Bellamihair.com and rolling out to retailers come fall. The collections incorporate clarifying and moisturizing shampoos and conditioners, a scalp detox, treatment masks and a bond fusion system that reduces breakage by up to 63% and tangling by up to 89% (TRI Princeton). All products are paraben-free, sulfate-free, cruelty-free and inclusively formulated for all hair types and textures. Refill pouches are available for shampoos and conditioners and all aluminum and plastic components are recyclable. ABOUT BELLAMI Founded in 2012 by Nikki Eslami and Julius Salerno, BELLAMI is a global leader of high end, luxurious, ethically sourced and sustainably produced full-cuticle 100% Human Remy hair enhancement solutions for consumers and salon professionals. As the largest hair extensions brand in the world, collaborating with certified hair stylists, BELLAMI offers a full range of clip-in extensions and the four pro hair extension methods - Wefts, Tape-Ins, K-Tips, I-Tips. It is the only brand to have complete control over the sourcing and international manufacturing process, ensuring that all products are ethically sourced and sustainably produced. BELLAMI's hair enhancement solutions and hair care are available via its e-commerce platform and company-owned stores, the BELLAMI Beauty Bars. BELLAMI is headquartered in Chatsworth, California. ABOUT BEAUTY INDUSTRY GROUP Established in 2004, Beauty Industry Group is an industry leader for professionally installed and DIY hair extensions and related beauty products. Beauty Industry Group's professional products are sold in more than 1,200 stores throughout North America and its collective brands service more than 30,000 salons across over 165 countries. Beauty Industry Group has offices in 6 countries and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT. Contact Details Rell Marketing & Communications Linsey Tilbor Rubin +1 732-991-5294 ltilbor@rellmc.com Company Website https://www.bellamihair.com/

July 19, 2023 08:16 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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HIBBETT HOSTS CLIPS & KICKS BACK TO SCHOOL APPRECIATION EVENT WITH FREE HAIRCUTS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES IN NORTH MESA

Hibbett, Inc.

As summer vacation draws to a close and the new school year approaches, Hibbett and Jordan Brand announce an action packed Clips & Kicks Back to School appreciation event and celebration on Sunday July 23 rd from 12pm to 5pm in North Mesa. Hibbett wants to make the back to school prep a little easier with some free stuff for families, while they are getting their back to school shopping done. The public is invited to stop by the Hibbett store located at 1925 West Craig Rd., N. Las Vegas, NV 89032 on Sunday, July 23 rd from 12pm to 5pm to join the fun. “The Vegas community has been extremely welcoming and we wanted to host our popular Clips & Kicks event to give back to local families, as they get ready for the new school year,” said Ramiro Rios, Hibbett, District Manager. “It will be a really fun event and we are grateful to our partners at Jordan for helping us put this together.” Each year, Hibbett hosts special back to school events across the country to show appreciation to local families in their community who may be stretched with back to school expenses. Hibbett hires professional barbers and brings them onsite to provide free professional children’s haircuts for attendees. There is a party atmosphere to get kids pumped up about the new school year with their fresh new cuts and free school supplies. Throughout the day there is music, special promotions, giveaways, light refreshments and much more. Children of all ages are welcome to get free haircuts and school supplies on a first-come, first-serve basis, while supplies last. About Hibbett, Inc. Hibbett, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a leading athletic-inspired fashion retailer with 1143 Hibbett and City Gear specialty stores, located in 36 states nationwide. Hibbett has a rich history of convenient locations, personalized customer service and access to coveted footwear, apparel and equipment from top brands like Nike, Jordan, and adidas. Consumers can browse styles, find new releases, shop looks and make purchases online or in their nearest store by visiting www.hibbett.com. Follow us @hibbettsports and @citygear on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Contact Details Wendy Yellin pr@hibbett.com Company Website https://www.Hibbett.com

July 18, 2023 11:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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HIBBETT HOSTS CLIPS & KICKS BACK TO SCHOOL APPRECIATION EVENT WITH FREE HAIRCUTS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES IN NORTH MESA