So I just talked about getting a loan…

But what about Cash Advances? The benefit of going with a complete loan company? Well if you have bad credit, debit issues or just need/want a payday or personal load, company’s like Payday Loan is a great way to accomplish getting money with no hassle.

Just as I talked about before, even though I don’t need a load just quite yet it is always good to look into future business opportunity’s. I want to make sure that my credit score and debit is on track, so that in the future when I am ready to open my awesome bar in Santa Monica I can just get that loan direct with no problems.

Many people rack up loads of debit to credit card company’s. I know when I turned 21 and hit the bars and clubs, drink were flowing freely. But there is a price to pay latter on down the road! With maybe $20K in debit, one might have to consolidate to make payments easier.

What am I saying, go take out a loan, and party like a rock star!

Jay-Z quit as president of Def Jam Recordings because he wanted more money.

The ‘99 Problems’ rapper left the music label after realizing he makes more money as an “artist and entrepreneur” than as a record executive, and will now focus on opening more nightclubs and his own “chic” hotel.

A source told the New York Post newspaper: “Jay just didn’t have time to be president of Def Jam. It wasn’t making him as much money as his other projects. He makes more from being a recording artist and entrepreneur.

“He is focusing on opening more of his 40/40 clubs to go with the ones already open in New York and New Jersey.

“He opened the Las Vegas club on New Year’s Eve (31.12.07) and next up are clubs in Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, London and Houston.

“He’s also looking for hotel space in New York. He wants to open a chic, boutique hotel called The Jay.”

The 38-year-old star is now reported to be on the verge of signing a lucrative deal with computer company Apple to become head of their hip-hop division.

Last year, Jay-Z was named the second highest earning musician in the world by US magazine Forbes, with annual earnings of $83 million.

His other business interests include a stake in the New Jersey Nets basketball team.

In 2007, he sold his Rocawear clothing line for a massive $204 million.

Bacardi may stir up Martini play with 42 Below
5 Nov, 2007, 0043 hrs IST,Boby Kurian & Ratna Bhushan, TNN

BANGALORE / NEW DELHI: Bacardi may stir up Martini action in India. The world’s largest family-controlled spirits giant is likely to consider uncorking the flamboyant Italian vermouth brand even though timing of a possible launch is not known.

Bermuda-based Bacardi counts Martini & Rossi, made famous for vermouth varieties like Rosso and Bianco, as part of its global drinks portfolio following a merger with the Italian company in the early 90s. The move comes even as the liquor behemoth is in the midst of revving up its India business after bringing in a new operational head Mahesh Madhavan, who previously spearheaded Bacardi’s Thailand unit.
Read the full story

White Rock Distilleries in Lewiston has quietly sold its Three Olives Vodka brand, which it successfully grew into a major player in the high-end vodka market, to a New York-based company.

White Rock sold Three Olives Vodka in the middle of October to Proximo Spirits Inc., a new company, according to a press release. White Rock first launched Three Olives in 1999, and as late as 2001, it was selling fewer than 50,000 cases. In 2006, the company surpassed the 600,000 case mark and expects to sell nearly a million cases in 2007, the press release said. In 2006, the company had revenue of $160 million. A sale price for Three Olives was not disclosed.

The sale means “we can now focus our efforts and marketing dollars on other brands that are in our portfolio, and new brands that are currently in development,” Paul Coulombe, White Rock’s president and CEO, said in the release. He added that the company expects “to develop another million case brand in the near future.”

Source: Mainbiz
By Mainebiz news staff (11/05/07)

November 05, 2007: 07:00 AM EST

Drinks Americas Holdings, Ltd. (OTCBB: DKAM), a leading developer and marketer of premium beverages that partners with renowned icons, announced today that it has entered into a contract to expand Trump Super Premium Vodka to Russia. The contract with Recolte, a Russian distributor, includes an annual minimum order from Recolte for 50,000 cases, valued at approximately $7.5 million. An initial 10,000 case order in excess of $1.5 million is expected to begin shipping in January of 2008.

As part of the agreement, Drinks Americas entered into a partnership with ILD B.V., a subsidiary of Wanders Distillery of Holland, and Recolte, a Russian venture led by Alexander Timofeev, former director general of Russia’s largest distillery Kristall and the founder of the company Trade Asset Management. Recolte will be Drinks Americas’ exclusive distributor in Russia. In 2005, the vodka market in Russia was $10.2 billion and is expected to double in size by 2009.

Donald Trump stated, “Expanding Trump Super Premium Vodka in Russia represents a tremendous achievement and is very exciting. Trump Vodka is made with the highest quality ingredients, and continues to demonstrate its overwhelming success. Being available in Russia, one of the world’s largest markets for high quality spirits, is a great opportunity. Consumers worldwide will clearly recognize Trump Super Premium Vodka as a luxury product synonymous with the very best of class.”

In late 2006, Drinks Americas launched Trump Super Premium Vodka, which has been one of the most successful spirits launches on record. The product is currently available in 47 states in the US and sold in duty free shops in the Caribbean and Canada.

Alexander Timofeev, Chairman and CEO of Recolte, stated, “We are extremely glad to have partnered with Drinks Americas and Trump Super Premium Vodka and we are looking forward to our long-term relationship. Mr. Trump is well known in Russia for his business acumen and high standards of luxury and quality. We trust that all the plans we have set together will come true as the Russian premium and super premium drinks market is developing rapidly.”
Read the full story

The UK market might have been inundated with a flood of vodkas from Russia and eastern Europe in recent years but it seems the Russian Standard brand, launched earlier this year by First Drinks Brands, has the financial muscle to make a real impact.

Bankrolled by multi-millionaire Russian Roustam Tariko, the vodka brand is now being supported by a £5m autumn marketing programme that includes advertising on the ITV network and satellite stations as well as magazine advertising in men’s and women’s titles.

Russian Standard, which is available in Original (RRP £11.99), Platinum (£14.49) and Imperia (£29.99) variants, is also due for further investment in 2008. The Original version, which has around a 10% price premium over market leader Smirnoff Red, already has listings with the major multiples, specialist off-licences and the cash and carry sector.

Chris Mason, managing director at First Drinks Brands, said vodka was still growing in a relatively flat spirits market. “We are working in a very tough market segment but we believe we have a real contender to drive the category forward,” he said.

Story from Talking Retail: http://www.talkingretail.com/7148

Just five years ago, Sean “P Diddy” Combs asked Busta Rhymes to “pass the Courvoisier”, but these days, it is all about the vodka.

The hip-hop mogul has inked a multi-year deal in which he will help develop the Ciroc brand - one of Diageo’s super-premium vodka lines - for a 50-50 share in the profits.

The agreement is the latest in which a celebrity is going beyond the typical role of endorser to share in a brand’s rise and fall.

Diageo said the agreement could be worth more than 100 million dollars (£48.8 million) for Combs and his company, Sean Combs Enterprises, over the course of the deal, depending on how well the brand performs.

“I will say that it is not an endorsement deal,” Combs said. “This is something that will have my daily attention.”

Combs said when Diageo first approached him, he considered introducing his own vodka line. But after looking through a portfolio of the company’s brands, the self-described vodka drinker was “blown away” by Ciroc, a vodka infused with French grapes.

Combs said he wanted to work with Diageo because the company understood “who I was and who I am”.

“I’m not just a celebrity endorser, I’m a brand builder,” he said. “I’m a luxury brand builder.”

Combs said he will be responsible for everything from marketing the brand to deciding where to sell it and will focus on attracting “movers and shakers” to the line. “They’re looking for something that tastes like their lifestyle,” he said. “It’s that trendsetter, that hipster, someone who’s looking for luxury and looking for something better.”

The music mogul, who has his own perfume and clothing line and serves as chief executive of record company Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment, said he will open a marketing office at his Manhattan headquarters so that he can devote time to the brand.

Source: The Press Association

Bacardi launches new “made to mix” advertising campaign

Source : Bacardi and Company

Bacardi rum will launch its second instalment of the global ‘Made to Mix’ advertising campaign – “Bass-Bins” supported by a £3m UK media investment from October to December.

The new creative is part of a global £15m annual investment package designed to showcase Bacardi Superior Rum’s fantastic versatility when mixed with orange juice, cranberry juice, ginger ale and soda & lime cordial.

“Bass-Bins” will launch terrestrially on October 19 during Channel 4’s My Name is Earl programme and follows a media schedule of prime-time viewing, designed to gain maximum exposure with the brand’s core audience of LDA – 29 year olds. A range of print executions and digital creative will also roll out globally across outdoor, print and online media to support the “Bass-Bins” creative.

“Bass-Bins” has been designed to encourage consumer adoption of Bacardi Superior Rum & cranberry juice. It follows Bacardi Superior Rum’s highly successful ‘Assimilate’ creative, which aired on UK television throughout summer and was designed to encourage consumers to try Bacardi Superior Rum with orange juice.

The “Bass-Bins” creative features two human figures - one male figure formed from Bacardi Superior Rum and one female figure formed from cranberry juice. As they dance together to a high-energy music track, they eventually combine to form a perfectly mixed Bacardi Superior Rum & cranberry juice drink.

“Bass-Bins” was directed by Alex Rutterford, whose previous work includes highly acclaimed music videos for Radiohead. A bespoke music track by ‘Freelance Hellraiser presents Lalula’ called Super Bajo, was also created specifically for the “Bass-Bins” advertisement.

Liam Newton, Director of Marketing for Bacardi Superior Rum, said: “Bass-Bins’ fresh and dynamic creative establishes Bacardi Superior Rum as a premium, credible and extremely versatile drink. It also embraces our core values of a free spirited and vibrant attitude to life in an innovative and highly creative way that we know will resonate with our core audience of LDA- 29 year olds, who have similar values.”

The ‘Made to Mix’ campaign encourages consumers to try Bacardi Superior Rums with orange juice, cranberry juice, ginger ale or soda & lime cordial.

Story from Talking Retail:
http://www.talkingretail.com/7088

The Swedish Government is expected to launch a formal sale process for V&S Group, the owner of Absolut vodka, next month, amid growing signs that it could become a one-horse race.

Analysts believe there is an increasing likelihood that Fortune Brands, the American owner of Jim Beam bourbon and Sauza tequila, could have the field to itself in the estimated €6 billion (£4.2 billion) auction, because of its strong ties with V&S.

Fortune controls the distribution rights to Absolut in the United States, the vodka’s biggest market, through its Future Brands joint venture with V&S. V&S owns 49 per cent of the joint venture and a 10 per cent stake in Fortune Brands itself.

One analyst said: “The only way the Swedish Government is going to get top dollar is to get a competitive auction going featuring all the big drinks groups, but as things stand, it isn’t a level playing field.”

Experts say that V&S’s share-holdings in Fortune Brands and its Future Brands distribution unit would present a barrier to any of its rivals buying V&S. “They would gain access to competitive information on Fortune Brands. That wouldn’t pass muster with the US competition authorities,” one said.

Another negative for peers such as Diageo and Bacardi is the string of secondary drinks brands owned by V&S, including Plymouth gin, Cruzan rum and Luksusova vodka. None is likely to be of much interest to potential bidding rivals. Furthermore, there is V&S’s 25 per cent interest in Maxxium Worldwide, a global marketing organisation co-owned with Fortune Brands, Rémy Cointreau and Edrington, the Scotch whisky maker. Merrill Lynch reckons that exiting Maxxium could cost €240 million.

Observers say that the Swedish Government risks a lower price if Fortune Brands is the only serious bidder.

One analyst said: “To get a top price it should split V&S in two and sell Absolut separately. It should also sell its 10 per cent stake in Fortune.”

Absolut sold 8.86 million cases last year, accounting for more than half the 15.88 million sold by V&S