iWorld
FameBox launches American Swan ‘Beauty & the Blogger’
MUMBAI: FameBox, a multi-channel talent platform on digital media, has announced the launch of American Swan ‘Beauty & the Blogger’, a web reality show where glamour meets social media.
The reality show will feature eight shortlisted fashion models and the country’s top bloggers who join forces for a unique multi round contest. The show will be initiated through a three-day event scheduled from 13 to 15 May 2014 at an exclusive resort. This is followed by a grand finale which will be viewed on the FameBox Fashion channel on YouTube. The winners will be chosen basis the social media buzz and influence they generate.
Beauty & the Blogger comes close on the heels of an extremely innovative and successful concept of ‘FameBox WebChef’, India’s first web reality show, that created a stir among online food enthusiasts. The property has garnered 2 million plus views with 3.5 million watch minutes, 40 k + likes and 5k + shares.
Indian VJ, Actress and Singer Anusha Dandekar, who is part of jury team, said, “As online presence takes over the world, I am really happy to be a part of the first ever web reality show, American Swan Beauty and the Blogger. Not only will it be fun and edgy it will also give an opportunity to push young fashion talent onto bigger runaways and maybe even become blogging beauties!”
Cyrus Sahukar will be hosting the show. He commented, “With a bevy of beauties and the brainiest bloggers, American Swan Beauty & the Blogger has all the makings of a web and social media super hit. I am looking forward to hosting this innovative web reality show and having lots of fun along with the millions of viewers who cannot wait for the action to start!”
Malini Agarwal aka MissMalini will act as a mentor for the contesting bloggers. She says, “When an engaging idea meets an intelligent ambassador, that is what makes waves on social media. American Swan Beauty & the Blogger has both ingredients in abundance. I am really happy to guide some of the country’s smartest bloggers as they showcase their best for this unique web reality show.”
On the hunt for India’s much admired team for beauty and blogger, FameBox director Dhruvank Vaidya said, “Fashion and beauty has made a major impact on social media so far and needless to say this category is much engaging. With Beauty & the Blogger, we aim to provide a platform to the rising fashion enthusiasts who can experience the power of social media and become Webstars in the domain they follow so closely.”
The winning fashion model will be the face of American Swan whereas the winning blogger shall be its social media brand ambassador. Additionally, the winning pair will also get the chance to host their own exclusive channel on the FameBox network. Besides this, there will also be a cash prizes and merchandise from American Swan, Lakme and Tresemme.
iWorld
Snapchat parent Snap cuts 16 per cent of workforce in AI-driven restructuring
The Snapchat parent is axing around 1,000 jobs and closing 300 open roles to save $500m, as artificial intelligence makes smaller teams the new normal
CALIFORNIA: Snap is snapping. The Snapchat parent has confirmed plans to cut around 1,000 employees, roughly 16 per cent of its full-time workforce, as it bets that artificial intelligence can do what headcount once required. Shares jumped more than 10 per cent in premarket trading on the news, a brisk vote of confidence from a market that has watched the stock shed about 31 per cent this year.
The restructuring, which also closes more than 300 open roles, follows pressure from activist investor Irenic Capital Management, which holds an economic interest of about 2.5 per cent in the company and has been loudly pushing Snap to tighten its portfolio and lift performance. The firm got what it asked for, and then some.
Chief executive Evan Spiegel told employees the cuts would reduce annualised expenses by more than $500m by the second half of the year. The company expects to incur charges of between $95m and $130m related to the layoffs, mostly severance, with the bulk landing in the second quarter. Staff in Snap’s North America team were asked to work from home on the day of the announcement.
The financial backdrop is not without bright spots. Snap expects first-quarter revenue to rise around 12 per cent to approximately $1.53 billion, broadly in line with analyst estimates. Adjusted core profit for the January to March quarter is forecast at about $233m, comfortably ahead of Wall Street’s expectation of $186.8m.
The harder question surrounds Specs, Snap’s augmented reality smart glasses subsidiary, which Irenic has urged the company to spin off or shut down entirely. The unit has absorbed more than $3.5 billion in investment and burns through approximately $500m in cash annually. Snap is pressing ahead regardless, with a consumer product expected later this year, even as Meta leads the market in the segment.
Spiegel is betting that leaner teams, smarter machines and a consumer AR play can restore Snap’s credibility with investors who have run out of patience. The redundancy notices have gone out. The harder restructuring, the one that requires a hit product rather than a headcount reduction, is still very much pending.
