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Freelance Creative Jobs Thrive Despite AI Surge

FREELANCER.COM

New data released today by Freelancer.com (ASX: FLN) (OTCQX: FLNCF), the world’s largest freelancing marketplace by number of users and jobs posted, shows an incoming startup boom amongst an unprecedented surge in freelance creative design and AI job growth. The Fast 50 Q1 2023 Index, the world’s largest forward indicator of freelance job trends, analyzes over 304,000 jobs posted to Freelancer.com between January and March 2023. The index finds that jobs for T-Shirt Design (up 33.1%, from 1,403 to 1,868), Covers & Packaging Design (up 27.3%, from 1,128 to 1,436), and Corporate Identity Design (up 24.2%, from 2,474 to 3,073) were the three fastest growing job types by total percentage growth when compared to Q4 2022. These were followed by Product Design (up 22.9%, 1,214 to 1,493) and 3D Design (up 22%, from 5,027 to 6,135) jobs. Design skills with the largest job counts on the platform also grew significantly this quarter. There were a whopping 7,495 extra Graphic Design jobs in Q1 (up 12.1%, from 61,709 to 69,204), followed by an additional 6,731 Logo Design jobs (up 20.4%, from 32,963 to 39,694) and 5,902 extra jobs requiring skills in Photoshop (up 15.4%, from 38,224 to 44,126). Design is both the most in-demand and the highest paying skill on Freelancer.com, as found in the Freelancing in 2022 Report. These types of jobs, particularly logo design, packaging design and t-shirt creation, are typically the starting point for many founders launching a new business. The sudden influx of design, eCommerce and marketing jobs are a key indicator of a boom in startups. Simultaneously, jobs requiring skills in Artificial Intelligence were the seventh fastest growing skill on Freelancer.com (up 20.62% in Q1 2023 from 1,038 to 1,252). Jobs demanding Generative AI skills, such as ChatGPT, Dall-E, Midjourney and Chatbots, grew by more than 325% from 286 in Q4 2022 to 1,216 in Q1 2023. “While many speculate whether AI will take design jobs, our latest data shows that this is certainly not the case. Design jobs are the most popular job type on the platform and continue to grow despite advances in hyper-realistic generative AI tools,” said Matt Barrie, Chief Executive at Freelancer.com. “What’s more interesting in this data is zooming out and looking at the main trend: the startup boom. The most in-demand jobs on the platform for this quarter are all related to the launch of new businesses. New logo, website and branding jobs. In fact, there were 75 extra logo design jobs posted each day last quarter, which could suggest the launch of 75 new businesses.” The data also shows an increase in Digital Marketing (up 12.8%, from 1,524 to 1,720) and Videography (up 14.2%, from 2,716 to 3,102) jobs which also suggests businesses are focusing more on their online marketing and content creation strategies to amplify their brands. Fastest Falling Jobs of Q1 2023 While design jobs dominated the fastest growing, the jobs that were in less demand in this quarter are related to tech, development and writing. Software Development, which was ranked as the fastest growing job in Q2 2022, began to decline this quarter and was down by 34.4% (from 2,001 to 1,311). Similarly, programming related jobs which were one of the fastest growing skills in Q4 2022 also declined this quarter by 20.9% (from 5,899 to 4,665). Demand for these types of jobs surged last year as many tech employees were laid off globally. However, the new data suggests demand is beginning to stabilize and return to pre-mass layoffs levels. Seasonality also plays into employers moving away from specific types of jobs quarter-to-quarter. Report Writing, Technical Writing, Research Writing and Business Plans were ranked as the fastest growing jobs in Q4 2022 as many employers traditionally turn to freelance support to help prepare end of year reports and 2023 plans. These types of jobs naturally reduce in the first quarter of the year. Fast 50 Q1 2023 - Data Analysis Startup Boom Fuels Creative Design Job Growth Historically, more businesses are started during a recession. Economic downturns have led to the creation of some of the world’s most well known brands, such as Microsoft, Uber and Burger King, just to name a few. Only a few years ago, the world witnessed this trend playing out as COVID sparked a startup boom, which saw a 24 percent increase in new business applications in the United States alone. According to the latest US Census Business Formation Statistics, the number of new business applications is beginning to grow in 2023 by an increase of 451,752, an increase of 4.5 percent compared to February 2023. Data from the latest Freelancer Fast 50 Index suggests there’s a sudden increase in the number of new businesses and startups being launched globally. The fastest growing skills, such as T-Shirt, Covers & Packaging, and Corporate Identity Design, as well as the growth of major jobs such as Logo Design, are all usually posted by founders at the starting point for a new business or venture. T-Shirt Design jobs, as an example, are growing as people hire freelancers to create t-shirts with their business logo as a way of promoting a brand or creating business uniforms. An uptick in Covers and Packaging Design jobs are the result of businesses turning to freelancers for new product labels and marketing brochures. Growth in website building jobs, such as Shopify (up 20.5%, from 2,302 to 2,775), Shopify Templates (up 16.1%, from 1,392 to 1,617) and eCommerce (up 15.5%, from 4,212 to 4,866), also support the rise of new businesses last quarter. Almost three quarters of the fastest growing jobs (72%) posted on Freelancer.com in the last quarter required skills in creative design or marketing. Serial entrepreneur Davuud Ghani, who recently founded Pivitt, a creative and branding support agency based in the United Kingdom, is just one example of how founders are turning to freelancers to support the growth of their business in 2023. “As a start-up, agility is our advantage over mature businesses with similar service offerings. It’s becoming easier for businesses to locate and leverage global talent, with platforms such as Freelancer.com. We are able to really finetune the skills needed on a project basis to drive excellence through our service offering to our partners, keeping us competitive in the market. That’s what our model is built from and has allowed us to secure partnerships with the likes of BMW & MINI,” said Davuud Ghani, founder of Pivitt. Generative AI Jobs Triple In Last Quarter Advancements in artificial intelligent and generative AI are impacting almost every faucet of business and creativity. Powerful AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Dall-E and Midjourney, are becoming smarter and more sophisticated by month, resulting in rapid leaps in capabilities and applications. In the first quarter of 2023, Open AI released GPT-4, introducing a more powerful and intelligent version of the application which could exhibit human level performance on several benchmarks. In the AI image generation space, research lab Midjourney also released the alpha iteration of its 5th version which allowed users to create photorealistic generations. Growing interest for AI is represented clearly in the Fast 50 Q1 2023 data which ranks jobs for Artificial Intelligence as the seventh fastest growing job on the platform, growing by 20.6% up to 1,252 jobs in total. Many projects posted in the first quarter aim to harness AI text generators or automate mass image generation, while some look for freelance experts who can help create their own AI models and applications. Generative AI skills (ChatGPT, Dall-E, Midjourney, Chatbots) grew the fastest over the quarter, recording a total percentage increase of 325% from 286 last quarter to 1,216 in Q1 2023. In total, there were 5,262 jobs requiring skills in AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, TensorFlow, ChatGPT and Dall-E. Digital Marketing & Content Creation Popularity of content marketing is growing amongst businesses. Major success stories, such as Netflix’s Drive to Survive series or Spotify’s Wrapped, are pushing businesses and marketers towards incorporating content marketing within their strategies. It’s a trend that was identified in the Fast 50 Q3 2022 Index and is continuing in Q1 2023. Videography (up 14.21%, from to 3,102), Digital Marketing (up 12.86% to 1,720), YouTube (up 11.30% to 1,576), and Video Production (up 10.25% to 5,401) were all in-demand skills last quarter. This finding suggests that businesses are increasingly focusing on online marketing and content creation strategies to reach their target audiences. While YouTube remains as the main platform people are turning to freelancers for support, employer interest in TikTok video creation is also growing, increasing by 25% in Q1 2023, from 405 projects in Q4 2022 to 507 total jobs Q1 2023. Product Design Jobs Apart from design projects specific to branding and new business ventures, the number of 3D Design, Product Design and general Design collectively grew over Q1 2023. ##### Freelancer Fast 50 The Freelancer Fast 50 index is the world’s largest forward indicator of trends in online jobs related to industries, technologies, products, and companies. The data is based on 304,000 jobs posted to the Freelancer platform between January 1 to March 31 2023. Fast 50 Quarterly Index – Q1 2023 About Freelancer Freelancer.com is the world's largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by total number of users and projects posted. More than 64 million registered users have posted over 22.3 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 mzitko@freelancer.com

April 21, 2023 08:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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LUX stands with female athletes and challenges sports media to "Change The Angle"

LUX

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 20 April 2023 - Unilever's global beauty brand, LUX, is rallying people once more to stand up against everyday sexism. This time it is calling out the objectification of women’s bodies in sport, highlighting how the media zeroes in on female intimate body areas rather than focus on their sporting prowess. At South Africa’s highly anticipated Durban Open Women’s Beach Volleyball tournament this week, female athletes sported QR code on precisely those areas the cameras tend to focus on. Upon scanning, these ‘viewers’ were directed to a short film – ‘ Hey Camera’, which calls on those behind the cameras to end the blatant objectification of women and, instead, focus on their strengths. Bringing this campaign to live, LUX partnered with one of South Africa’s leading broadcaster, The South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC Sport, which has an audience of 19.7 million in South Africa to livestream the event on 15th and 16th of April. LUX’s #ChangeTheAngle campaign aims to get broadcasters and photographers reconsidering their portrayal of women in sport. The integrated campaign has also been pulled through online, social and PR channels with thousands of generated content via influencers, celebrities, athletes and media such as Gsport4girls, 2 times olympic gold medal Caster Semenya, Cricket commentator Kass Naidoo, Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi. LUX understands the need to stop objectification of women as it can lead to more serious forms of sexism. According to its research, women are 10 times more likely to be objectified than men. While this objectification is rife across society, the brand saw that sports was the perfect, attention-grabbing example to call this out. Men in sports are frequently portrayed as strong role models who are at the top of their game. On the contrary, women's body parts are what receive the most attention, with cameras zooming into their breasts or exposed butt cheeks. LUX believes this objectification can diminish female achievements and also undermine confidence. The #ChangeTheAngle campaign aims to create a sense of urgency among people to call out what are increasingly unacceptable behaviours in real time and put pressure on broadcasters to change the camera gaze by sharing 6 guidelines for them to adhere to while filming women in sport. “Women in sports are 10 times more likely to be objectified by camera angles that focus on certain body parts compared to their male counterparts. When we found out that this is also an issue for top female athletes who have achieved incredible things, we knew we had to act,” Severine Vauleon, Global Brand Vice President of LUX says, “This doesn’t only devalue the female athletes’ professional performance and achievements, but also perpetuates the objectification issue many women face every day. At LUX, we believe that beauty should be a source of strength, and that the focus should be on celebrating the beauty of their strength, skills and achievements in sport.” “This is a bold and powerful move for a beauty brand like LUX to take, and it makes me even prouder to be a part of the LUX family. I am hoping to see the change that we need in the sports fraternity so that women athletes are celebrated for the amazing talent that they have rather than being objectified in a sexual manner. I encourage everyone to do what they can to participate and push media in South Africa and across the world to #Change the Angle” Says Zozibini Tunzi former Miss Universe. “This initiative is part of our Positive Beauty mission, which is at the heart of our Beauty, Wellness and Personal Care category, championing progressive commitments and actions for our brands into a new era of beauty which is equitable and inclusive. LUX is one of South Africa’s most iconic heritage brands representing women, earning itself a heartfelt voice to challenge stereotypes by supporting woman in different aspects of their lives. A woman’s beauty is inclusive of her strength, her capabilities and her talent. LUX #ChangeTheAngle”, amplifies the voices of women in sport and their strength on the field or on the court.” - Sphelele Mjadu Unilever Beauty, Wellbeing & Personal Care Senior PR Lead for Africa. Hinoti Joshi, Global Business Lead, from Wunderman Thompson, Singapore, who spearheaded the campaign says, “The media and broadcasters have the power to change the sexist portrayal of women. We are actively calling them out so that they can recognise the flaws in this antiquated practice and become change agents to end everyday sexism.” Watch the film here: https://youtu.be/nNhekoeNh2g Contact Details Media Contact Paula Fisher, Director paula.fisher@ogilvy.com Media Contact Priya Veeriah, Senior PR Manager priya.veeriah@ogilvy.com

April 20, 2023 02:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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News Release

AMPD Ventures discusses the future of its digital content and media services with emergence of Web3

AMPD Ventures Inc

AMPD Ventures CEO James Hursthouse joins Natalie Stoberman from the Proactive studio to share his vision for the next chapter of AMPD and its subsidiary Departure Lounge. Hursthouse highlights the transition from media viewed on screens to digital content experienced through technologies such as virtual reality. Hursthouse also adds how his long-standing involvement in 3D immersive digital environments and how that experience is shaping AMPD's approach to generating revenue from this sector. Contact Details Proactive Investors +1 604-688-8158 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

April 19, 2023 12:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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News Release

Women’s Soccer Sensation, Kaila Novak, and NBA Rising Star, Jonathan Kuminga, sign with sports management firm-A&A Management

Full Scope PR

Collegiate soccer phenom and TikTok star, Kaila Novak, along with NBA Forward for the Golden State Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga, will join the many athletes on sports management firm, A&A Management. The firm’s impressive roster, includes two-time winning Super Bowl champion, Travis Kelce, Point Guard for the LA Clippers, Bones Hyland, wide receiver and defensive cornerback for the Cleveland Browns Donovan Peoples-Jones and Denzel Ward, and recently retired NFL veteran, Joe Haden. With their hands-on method, A&A Management tailored their business model around enterprising talent to mirror the multifaceted business needs of each individual athlete. This allows their clients to effectively capitalize on the 360º scope of their brand image in an evolving market. Collegiate soccer phenom and TikTok star, Kaila Novak, is turning heads in the world of sports and social media with an impressive social platform reaching over + 1.75M followers to date. Reflective of her vibrant ambition and while at UCLA, Kaila received accolades such as First Touch Football Women’s NCAA All-Canadian freshmen attacker of the year while simultaneously pursuing a degree in neuroscience at UCLA. As of 2023, Kaila has represented 17 Canadian woman’s national teams in multiple tournaments including the CONCACAF U-17 Championship and FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. With her objective to be uplifting and create impact, she is loved for her crazy food reviews, the vulnerable insight she shares around her dating life, as well as her articulate nature to create global change. Dedicated athlete Jonathan Kuminga, is a 6’7” power forward with the Golden State Warriors and was widely considered one of the top high school basketball players in the country before making the jump to the professional ranks. In the 2021 NBA draft, he was selected as a 1 st round 7 th pick by the Golden State Warriors, winning the NBA Championships with his team in his first year in the league. and went on to score his career high of 26 points against the Toronto Raptors. With an equally intense passion for fashion, the NBA rising star launched his own brand “Kuminga,” inspired by his cultural roots as a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “We are excited to have Kaila and Jonathan join the A&A Roster - they embody the energy, innovation, and skill we believe make stand out athletes. We look forward to supporting them on their continued track toward success across the sports world and beyond. They are break out stars who have a lot to share, and we are honored to be a part of that journey with them” says A&A Management founders, Aaron & André Eanes Kaila’s upcoming plans are focused on going pro, having her own talk show, and continuing to connect with fans by bringing authentic positivity to their own lives. Kuminga is looking forward to continued success in the NBA as well as his entrepreneurial pursuits off the court. About A&A Management A&A Management, a Cleveland-based sports and entertainment agency led by executives and brotherly duo Aaron and André Eanes. Founded in 2012, A&A Management is a diversified management collective providing a curated 360º approach for each client. With a hands-on method of representation, the agency views its clients as entrepreneurs and has tailored its business model around enterprising talent, mirroring their multi-faceted business needs in an ever-evolving cultural landscape. Fueled by data and analytics to further advance clients in developing their brands, the firm has a deep understanding of the unique opportunities available for clients to fully capitalize on their image, content production, marketing, brand partnerships, equity investment strategies, and community impact. This approach has proven successful with their wide range of clients, including Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Champion TE, Travis Kelce, Cleveland Browns All-Pro CB, Denzel Ward, WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, 2022 Rising All-Star and 2nd Team All-Rookie NBA breakout, Bones Hyland and All-Pro CB Joe Haden to name a few. President and Chief Business Officer André Eanes leads A&A by overseeing day-to-day operations, evaluating the success of the organization and maintaining awareness of the competitive landscape. As President of A&A Management, Aaron lends his expertise within the marketing and advertising realm with exceptional service and personal attention, being passionate about providing clients the opportunity to build a lasting legacy, throughout one’s career and into retirement. Contact Details Full Scope PR Pia Malihi aamanagement@fullscopepr.com

April 19, 2023 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Ben Patterson announced as President of Artist & Label Services, Downtown Music

Downtown Music Holdings

Today, Downtown Music, the business and professional services division under Downtown Music Holdings, announced the promotion of Ben Patterson to President of the newly-coined Artist & Label Services division. The Artist & Label Services division was born from Downtown’s distribution arm, DashGo, and is integral to the company’s core mission to empower artists and build an equitable music ecosystem. Downtown Artist & Label Services will provide a home to and roll up the impressive repertoire of artists and labels previously serviced by DashGo and Downtown Music Services. As President, Patterson will lead the charge in guiding independent artists and recording labels through the complexities of the music industry today. Los Angeles-based Patterson is an industry veteran who values the role of the artist and has spent his 20+ year career helping artists share their music with the world on their own terms. He previously served in senior roles at The Firm and GMG Entertainment, and founded DashGo in 2004, with the artist and label-centric distribution company later acquired by Downtown in 2019. Since then he has served as Chief Operating Officer of Downtown Music Services, the combined publishing and distribution service that served as the precursor to Downtown Music. Under his management, Downtown Music Services’ distribution business revenues grew 250% year over year with hit releases from artists including Cheat Codes, Los Tucanes De Tijuana, and TV Girl, and labels such as Avex USA's label "Selene," Nataniel Cano's label "Los CT," and New 11. Patterson’s unique focus on thriving genres such as Musica Mexicana and LoFi, and his ability to spot trends and break artists from short-form video platforms and support artists and labels globally, have been key to Downtown’s recent success. The company’s work with Musica Mexicana-pioneers Kartel Music saw marque artist Luis R Conriquez develop from seventy thousand monthly listeners to nearly fourteen million on Spotify and in 2022 Patterson’s team along with Zach Hancock from Downtown Studios launched an Atmos mixing studio for Downtown clients. Having already expanded the worldwide distribution business in South America and the UK, Patterson will continue to grow the scope of services to new genres and markets while providing high-touch support for marquee artists and labels. Adding to its already robust service offerings, Artist & Label Services continues to expand into new areas such as high-touch project management, short-form video strategy, social media, creative and digital advertising worldwide. Formed in August 2022 and led by President, Pieter van Rijn, Downtown Music was the first step towards creating a clear market proposition that combines technology and an extensive range of music services under three core pillars - Publishing, Artist & Label Services, and Distribution. In September 2022, Van Rijn’s successor, Christiaan Kroner, was announced as President of FUGA, Downtown Music’s B2B Distribution services company, and then in March 2023, Emily Stephenson was promoted to President of publishing, Downtown Music. With today’s announcement, Patterson completes the leadership team of Downtown Music’s core services. President of Downtown Music, Pieter van Rijn, said, “At Downtown, we empower artists, creators and those businesses who represent them. We honor the value that artists bring into the world. Through his experience and affinity, Ben understands and respects the role of the artist and knows how to navigate through the unique challenges that they face today. There is no better person than Ben to lead the Artist & Label Services division, and I can’t wait to see how his leadership and passion benefit the incredible artists and labels we represent.”’ Said Ben Patterson, President, of Downtown Artist & Label Services, ”Artist independence has been the central driver of my career, and empowering artists is at the core of everything we do at Downtown. With a global team focused on artists’ success during the lifetime of their projects, the Artist and Label Services division enables artists to succeed on every platform and build a listening fanbase to sustain careers. I’m excited to continue my tenure at Downtown Music surrounded by colleagues that share the same vision and embrace the opportunity to support more artists and their teams at all stages of their careers.” Downtown Music Holdings CEO Andrew Bergman adds, “With Ben’s move, we have completed a series of changes that we commenced two years ago, firmly establishing Downtown as the premier provider of distribution, publishing, artist, label and related services to the broader industry. We’re extremely fortunate to have Ben and the rest of the leadership team that guides this division and I am excited to see how they continue to grow and evolve.” About Downtown Downtown is the world's leading music services company with over 2 million clients in over 145 countries with a catalog of over 38 million music assets in a wide variety of genres and languages. Downtown's service offerings support creators and businesses in all facets of the music industry including music creation, distribution, marketing, royalty collection, financing, accounting and payment services. Downtown clients can choose to opt-in for only the services they need, in any territory they want, for as long as they want, without having to give up ownership or control of their work. Contact Details Kite Hill PR Alexandra Morrison downtownmusic@kitehillpr.com

April 18, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Sustainable Startup Iced Tea Brand Ryl™ Tea Announces Morgan Wallen as Investor and Brand Ambassador Ahead of Large-Scale Company Expansion

Full Scope PR

Ryl™ Tea is pleased to announce Country music star Morgan Wallen has signed on as an investor and brand ambassador in the first iced tea brand to align classic southern iced tea taste with healthy, functional attributes of homemade steeped tea. Wallen felt an organic connection to Ryl™ Tea due to the brand’s nostalgic Southern taste profile – giving Wallen a taste of his East Tennessee roots in a can. “I’ve loved sweet tea since I was a kid,” says Wallen. “I remember drinking it out of a pitcher on a hot summer day in my Mamaw Boots’ kitchen. A good iced tea brings back very happy memories for me, so when I found Ryl™ Tea I knew I had something special that I wanted to share.” After learning more about Ryl’s™ health conscious and sustainable mission statement and tasting iterations of the product ahead of its launch in January, Wallen was on board with plans already underway to develop new products in the coming months. Ryl™ is a zero-sugar iced tea product with no artificial ingredients, filled with their proprietary “ polyphenol technology ”, all while delivering the traditional great taste of sweetened iced tea that is usually filled with loads of sugar or artificial ingredients. “When I’m on tour, I train daily so I can bring everything I have to the stage, so finding Ryl™, an iced tea with no sugar and with no artificial ingredients, has been awesome. I can’t wait to do more with them,” Wallen adds, teasing what’s brewing in the future. Ryl™ Tea is available in major grocery chains across the Northeast, including Wegmans, Shoprite and Whole Foods Market. In its first year, the brand is focused on expanding the product in the continental United States, launching nationwide with Sprouts Farmers Market last month and moving quickly to partner with retailers and distributors who are aligned with bringing clean and functional options to legacy categories like iced tea. Consumers can find Ryl™ Tea nationwide in stores and via drinkryl.com. Wallen’s investment joins Ryl™’s founder and seasoned beverage industry executive Blodin Ukella; established food & beverage industry director Leigh Feuerstein; and digital marketing executives of Get Engaged Media Cam Fordham, Alex Dermer and Ben Hiott, who will play a key role in keeping Ryl Tea’s community excited and informed within culture. ABOUT THE RYL COMPANY™: Launched in January 2023, The RYL Company™ is a Gen-Z & Millennial non-alcoholic beverage company focused on offering wellness focused products in traditionally indulgence forward beverage occasions. Their first product line is Ryl Tea, the first iced tea product line to bring together the delicious attributes of iced tea with the health benefits of homemade steeped tea. The Ryl Company produces all of their products in 100% recyclable aluminum packaging and uses no artificial ingredients in their products, making them the perfect items for the growing number of health conscious and environmentally responsible Gen-Z and Millennial consumers. Contact Details Full Scope PR Pia Malihi pia@fullscopepr.com Essential Broadcast Media Ebie McFarland ebie@ebmediapr.com

April 17, 2023 01:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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As He Pretends Anheuser-Busch is an American Company, CEO Brendan Whitworth Fails Leadership Test

National Legal & Policy Center

Anheuser-Busch has finally addressed the controversy that has embroiled the company since April 1 when it centered a Bud Light promotion around transgender “influencer” Dylan Mulvaney. Only problem is, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth released a statement Friday addressing the issue by not addressing it, accomplishing nothing but to underscore his own helplessness and guaranteeing that the conflagration will continue. Whitworth’s statement asserted that “we never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people.” But nowhere could he even say what the “discussion” is about, as if the topic was too hot to even mention. He doesn’t say it was a mistake for a beer company to promote transgenderism, nor does he defend the ad campaign. It is as if he had to say something if only to quiet his coterie of underlings and PR consultants who were no doubt urging him to say something. He took the faintest stab possible to assuage consumers who might most object to the promotion by saluting “military, first responders, sports fans and hard-working Americans everywhere.” But he could not state the obvious about why all these great people might object to Dylan Mulvaney, namely that men cannot become women, and that it is a folly for anyone, much less a beer company, to advance this lie. Unfortunate for Whitworth, he is handcuffed by the company’s long association with activists who would turn on him as quickly and eagerly as they have accepted his company’s support and money over the years. Anheuser-Busch gets a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign so-called Corporate Equality Index, and the company promotes gender ideology in its internal training programs. Whitworth fails the leadership test. It’s easy to lay claim to effective institutional management when all the choices are good. Real leadership becomes evident, however, when the choices are bad. But maybe we shouldn’t be so hard on poor Whitworth because his authority as CEO is not what is seems. Whitworth, whose actual title is “CEO North American Zone,” proudly reports that Anheuser-Busch was “founded in America’s heartland more than 165 years ago,” but he does not mention that the company was sold to the multinational InBev in 2008. The company is now known as Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA/NV, and is incorporated and headquartered in Belgium. In addition, CEO Michael Doukeris is a Brazilian citizen. According the company’s website, nine of its 12 directors are appointed by something called “Stichting Anheuser-Busch InBev,” which it describes as “a foundation organised under the laws of the Netherlands, which represents an important part of the interests of the Belgian founding families of the Company and the interests of the Brazilian families previously shareholders of AmBev.” So, Whitworth’s real bosses are a group of ultrarich Europeans and South Americans, who will ultimately act in what they perceive to be their own interests, not those of American beer drinkers. These plutocrats attempt to keep the attention off their wealth by buying off the activists who might challenge it. That is why the company panders to, and bankrolls, a host of woke causes worldwide. Like Unilever, another Europe-based multinational whose American subsidiary Ben & Jerry’s plunged it into controversy (when it ended ice cream sales in the disputed territories of Israel), Anheuser-Busch InBev abets social and political causes that undermine the cultural values and economic interests of the consumers they purport to serve. National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) sponsors the Corporate Integrity Project. When Anheuser-Busch was still an independent company, NLPC filed a series of shareholder proposals seeking disclosure of its financial support for political and social activist groups. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

April 17, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Knox Wire Announces the Launch of Trustless Gold-Backed Currency

Knox Wire

The new product enables governments, corporations and financial institutions to hedge against the instability of the financial system while at the same time keeping funds extremely liquid. Holding the precious metals backed currency provides an entity with the security of physical metals while being able to instantly convert and send cross-border payments to over 20,000 institutions in nearly 200 countries. This trustless system will provide users with a secure way to store and send wealth without relying on a potentially vulnerable banking system for storage, settlement or redemption. With this new launch, Knox Wire continues its mission of providing an alternative financial infrastructure to send real-time cross border payments. The Launch of a Gold-Backed Currency with a Trustless Mechanism Knox Wire's new gold-backed currency operates on a trustless mechanism, providing reliable value stability as the metals backing PMBC will not be held by the company, but regional, redemptive trusts located globally. These trusts will be in centralized locations in North America, Europe and Asia. They ensure that no entity is solely reliant on Knox Wire, a potentially vulnerable financial system, or any single company, for redemption. This trustless mechanism can provide users with peace of mind that their assets are always backed one to one, and always accessible. Setting a New Standard in Financial Security The issue with traditional gold backed currencies is that gold can be prone to volatility on its own. The way PMBC will work to counteract this volatility is by backing each PMBC with one gram of gold, one gram of platinum and one gram of palladium. Reducing potential volatility by distributing any potential market risk between three of the strongest performing precious metals. PMBC offers substantial benefits to traditional options, including; immediate liquidity, trustless redeemability, distributed backing, and the security of Knox Wire’s immutable, distributed ledger. When combined with the services of Knox Wire, PMBC is a solution that sets a new standard for the usability of precious metals. About Knox Wire Knox Wire is a real-time gross settlement network that combines financial messaging and cross-border payments with local payouts to over 20,000 Financial Institutions (FIs) in nearly 200 countries. More details about Knox Wire are available on the project's website and on the social media pages listed below. Twitter | Facebook Contact Details Knox Wire Josh Huchinson Josh@knoxwire.com Company Website https://knoxwire.com/

April 16, 2023 05:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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LunaOne Announces Campaign to Burn Nearly 90% of Total XLN Supply

Luna One

The campaign kicked off on April 10th, 2023, with the burning of one billion XLN in addition to revealing plans to burn 100% of the company’s XLN, which is nearly 90% of the total supply. LunaOne, a leading Web3 project harnessing virtual technology to create a premier entertainment multiverse, is proud to announce its XLN Burn Campaign, incorporating a further deflationary mechanism that rewards holders and encourages long-term investment. LunaOne seeks to leverage the burning of nearly 90% of the total XLN supply and the resulting scarcity to increase token value, making it more attractive to investors before the big launch. Burning tokens combats inflation and typically increases the value of token holdings—encouraging long-term investment and reducing short-term speculation or volatility. To strengthen community engagement at significant milestones, LunaOne has scheduled multiple burns within Q2, including 750,000,000 XLN on April 26th, May 10th, May 24th, and June 7th. The final burn amount will be determined June 21st, 2023. The final burn amount will be determined based on several factors including staked XLN, rewards for holders, contest payouts, promotions, and completing KYC for some XLN holders. The XLN Burn Campaign will not impact any relaunch plans, but rather provide significant benefits for the LunaOne multiverse and its holders. XLN will then become a hyper-deflationary token utilizing a deflationary utilization system. About LunaOne LunaOne is a hyper-realistic open-world concept with a focus on impactive gaming, education, work, and social life. The main mission of the LunaOne project is to lay the foundation for a global meta-infrastructure creating an enhanced ability to earn, study, play, and attend superior entertainment events—all powered by XLN. Website: www.lunaone.com Contact Details LunaOne Cory Cozad Info@lunaone.com

April 15, 2023 12:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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