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ACCURATE FRANCHISING, INC. NAMED A TOP FRANCHISE SUPPLIER BY ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE

Accurate Franchising, Inc.

Accurate Franchising, Inc. , is a franchise management company that specializes in helping businesses expand through franchising. The brand is proud to announce that they recently ranked in Entrepreneur magazine’s third annual list of the Top Franchise Suppliers. This list recognizes top companies that provide services and support to franchisors and franchisees in ten categories: Accounting, Banking/Financing, Franchise Broker/Referral Networks, Franchise Consulting/Development, Legal Services, Marketing, Merchant Services, Other Technology Services, Public Relations, and Real Estate Services. Accurate Franchising was ranked # 15 in the Franchise Consulting/Development category. “We are honored to be recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine for our dedication to helping companies franchise their business and creating a custom business plan to match their desired level of success,” said Tipton Shonkwiler, Accurate Franchising Brand President. "Now more than ever franchisors and franchisees need service providers they can rely on to help them build and run their businesses as efficiently as possible," says Entrepreneur's editor in chief, Jason Feifer. "We at Entrepreneur are proud to help by presenting this list of the most trusted suppliers in the industry." To determine who the Top Franchise Suppliers are, Entrepreneur surveyed more than 700 franchisors to find out which service providers they and their franchisees use, and what their satisfaction is with the quality, cost, and value of those suppliers’ services. Each supplier was scored based on the results of this survey. Accurate Franchising’s position on the ranking illustrates its position as a trusted service provider in the franchise community. To view the full ranking, visit entrepreneur.com/franchise/top-franchise-suppliers . The list can also be seen in the September 2020 issue of Entrepreneur . About Accurate Franchising, Inc. Accurate Franchising is the only franchise development consulting firm that actually owns and operates its own franchise brands. The company has first-hand experience with franchising, giving it an intimate understanding of what a franchisor needs to succeed. Accurate works with clients to help their franchises grow and thrive, while also working with its sister companies—Signarama, Venture X, and others—to keep those franchise brands strong. Accurate franchising has worked with more than 200 brands in over 80 countries. For more information, visit AccurateFranchising.com . Contact Details Brittny Fuchs +1 561-812-6032 bfuchs@ufgcorp.com Company Website https://www.accuratefranchising.com/

September 02, 2020 08:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Global Business Ethics Survey: Top managers twice as likely to experience pressure to bend the rules in organizations.

Ethics & Compliance Initiative

Employees are twice as likely to experience pressure if they are top-management than compared to line-level employees, according to the Ethics & Compliance Initiative’s ™ (ECI) latest Global Business Ethics Survey Report ™ (GBES) . The data suggest that the higher up the “totem pole” an employee is, the more likely they are to experience pressure to bend the rules. Overall, about 1 in 5 employees experience pressure to bend the rules. Pressure to bend the rules, as defined by the GBES report , can be caused by meeting performance goals, attempting to save one's own and others' jobs, supervisory pressure, advancing one's career or financial interests, and demands from people who support or invest in the organization. According to the data, of those that experience pressure, 30% are top management employees, 25% are middle management, 22% are first-line supervisors and 17% are individual contributors. The first 2020 report of ECI’s premier, longitudinal study on global workplace behavior, published four times per year, also found that when top management show a strong commitment to ethical leadership and organizational values, their employees are 3X less likely to experience pressure. “The data continue to suggest that high-pressure environments are not only stressful for employees, but they can actually cause a negative ROI when it comes to ethical behavior,” said Patricia Harned, CEO of ECI. “Expanding KPIs and stretching financial goals may result in a short-term gain, but the long-term consequences to the organization is a net negative.” Other Findings and Key Indicators of Pressure The report found that employees experiencing pressure was linked with the prevalence of observing various types of misconduct found in organizations across the globe, all of which were about twice as likely to occur in pressure environments versus non-pressure environments. Employees are twice as likely to observe misconduct in organizations where they feel pressure to compromise ethics standards. “As companies around the globe respond to the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the important research in ECI’s Global Business Ethics Survey (GBES) report presents a timely and accurate overview of pressure in the workplace,” said Michele M. Brown, SVP, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer and Deputy General Counsel, Leidos. “These findings provide best practices to balance organizational change while upholding the highest ethical standards. Leidos is proud to support ECI research, which is helping the member community build and maintain strong ethical cultures.” Download the latest GBES report at ethics.org/gbes Methodology The 2019 GBES is the 15th iteration of the GBES (formerly the National Business Ethics Survey). In 2019, the GBES surveyed over 18,000 employees in 18 countries (approximately 1,000 employees per country). ECI established the survey questions and sampling methodology. About the Ethics & Compliance Initiative The Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI) is a non-profit organization that empowers organizations to build and sustain high-quality ethics and compliance programs. The organization provides research and a best practice community, as well as certification opportunities for ethics & compliance professionals. Through its membership, ECI represents entities across nearly every industry, located in 37 countries on six continents each dedicated to promoting the highest levels of integrity. Visit www.ethics.org to find out more about our research, membership or funding the GBES. The GBES is made possible with the support of its funders: Google, Boeing, Eli Lilly & Company, Altria, BP, GE, KPMG, Pacific Gas & Electric, L'€™ORÉAL, Leidos, University of Arkansas and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Contact Details Brad Fulton +1 210-278-4809 brad@ethics.org Company Website https://www.ethics.org

August 31, 2020 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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2020 Exposes Challenges With Many Corporate Public Relations Programs

W2 Communications

This year has been a rollercoaster for most businesses. How do you market and sell products and services, while factoring in global context and your consumer’s preoccupation with the events of the day? You not only need to remain aware, but sensitive, to the challenges many are facing. Since mid-March, we’ve heard a lot of businesses say they need PR partners who are architected for the flexibility necessary in today’s environment. It may sound counterintuitive for the dynamic communications business, yet we constantly hear about PR programs stalling because firms were not nimble enough to responsibly and creatively tap into the current media atmosphere. The latest W2 Communications blog outlines not only the challenges facing organizations and their media relations efforts, but also provides some strategic guidance for evaluating and pivoting your programs for success. For more details, visit: https://w2comm.com/media-relations-2020-the-real-reason-your-programs-are-falling-short/ About W2 Communications W2 Communications is an integrated marketing and communications firm offering public relations, content development, digital marketing and creative services. The company provides creative communications programs that build brands, elevate awareness, drive engagement and inspire action. With offices located in the Washington, D.C. area and in San Francisco, W2 Communications supports clients around the world. The team works tirelessly to deliver premium services and has been honored with multiple awards and recognition in the areas of public relations, web development, video production and content development. W2 Communications’ podcast “ Inside the Media Minds ” features in-depth interviews with today’s top reporters, giving listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a reporter, while also discussing the top trending stories. The company also hosts its CYBERTACOS cybersecurity networking events throughout the United States. To learn more about W2 Communications, visit www.w2comm.com , or engage with us on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . For the latest insights on the communications industry, follow the company blog at https://w2comm.com/blog/ . Contact Details Christy Pittman +1 703-877-8108 christy@w2comm.com Company Website https://w2comm.com/

August 26, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Uyghurs for Sale

21Wilberforce

Seventy-five years after the Holocaust concentration and labor camps are still in existence. Today the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is interning more than one million Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps – striping them of their fundamental rights to peacefully practice their faith. Now new information has surfaced showing that not only is the Communist Party oppressing Uyghur Muslims, they are profiting from them – and worse – Americans are at risk of being duped into paying for it . Groups working on international religious freedom issues have now added their voice to a coalition of civil society organizations and trade unions calling for fair labor practices. Spearheaded by 21Wilberforce and other organizations working through the International Religious Freedom Roundtable , religious freedom advocates are asking Congress to quickly pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (H.R.6210 / S.3471). This legislation would make it more difficult for products produced by people enslaved by the CCP because of their faith to enter Western markets . “We commend Congressman McGovern (D-MA) and Senator Rubio (R-FL) for their bipartisan efforts to confront this horrific exploitation of people because of their religion,” said Randel Everett, President of 21Wilberforce. “One hundred fifty (150) organizations and experts of different beliefs and ideologies have come together to ask Congress to pass this important legislation.” 21Wilberforce encourages Americans to reach out to their representatives in Congress and ask them to enlist more co-sponsors, give speeches, and make statements in support of stopping the Chinese Communist Party from exploiting and profiting from religious discrimination and slavery. Citizens can make a difference by using and sharing a free online tool that directly connects Americans with their elected representatives. Dr. Everett noted that “Our namesake, William Wilberforce, was a man of faith who stood up to free people who were enslaved based on their race. Today we stand up to free those enslaved for their faith.” 21Wilberforce is a Christian human rights organization dedicated to defending the universal rights of religion, belief, and conscience for all people. Our vision is to empower people to collaboratively support persecuted communities, challenge repression, and expand freedom of religion and belief globally. Contact Details Lou Ann Sabatier +1 703-216-2941 Lsabatier@21Wilberforce.org Company Website https://21Wilberforce.org

August 26, 2020 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Mykolas Rambus joins Quaero as President

Quaero

Quaero , a leading Customer Data Platform (CDP) company that powers customer experiences (CX) for large, sophisticated enterprises, today announced that Mykolas Rambus has joined the company as President. He will report directly to Quaero’s founder and CEO, Naras Eechambadi, and join the Board of Directors. “I’m absolutely thrilled to welcome Mykolas to Quaero,” said Naras Eechambadi. “He is the rare entrepreneurial leader who has been both a CEO and CIO, and regardless of role or industry has devoted tremendous attention to uncovering new ways to manage and monetize customer data. Given his experience, I’m certain Mykolas is going to bring many exciting new ideas to our clients—and our entire team—as we continue on our mission. I’m excited that he has joined Quaero, just as I’m incredibly grateful for the tremendous commitment our entire team demonstrates in support of our clients every day.” Mykolas joins Quaero after serving as General Manager, Data-Driven Marketing at Equifax (NYSE: EFX), where he played a key role in shaping how Equifax analyzes data on over 800 million consumers in 24 countries. Earlier in his career, Mykolas was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of two successful business-to-business firms—Lobby7 (acquired by Nuance Communications, NASDAQ: NUAN) and Wealth-X (acquired by Euromoney Institutional Investor, LON: ERM). A veteran technology and data expert, he has served as Chief Information Officer for W.P. Carey (NYSE: WPC) and subsequently in the same role for Forbes Media. Mykolas is an MIT alum who majored in Information Technology and Operations Research. Mykolas added “Today’s most sophisticated enterprises knit together customer profiles from thousands of distinct sources to power their customer experience. In every case that task is made more effective and efficient with a scalable and adaptive CDP platform. While most corporations are still in the early innings of learning about CDPs, Quaero has already built a compelling next generation enterprise solution. Everyone I’ve spoken to has told me how much they love the entire experience of working with Quaero, and I am incredibly excited to be joining the team.” Michael Harrison, Managing Partner at the Winterberry Group, a specialized management consultancy with deep experience in advertising, marketing, data, technology and commerce, said “I have worked with Mykolas and have been impressed with his leadership, and his ability to define corporate strategy while translating it into actionable plans for the organization. Mykolas is unique in the ability to turn complex technical issues into digestible topics for his team. In particular, Quaero will benefit significantly from his knowledge of financial services and the data ecosystem.” Mark Leiter, former global Chief Strategy Officer at Nielsen and Quaero Board member representing Pereg Ventures—a New York City based venture capital firm—remarked, “I’ve had the great privilege and pleasure of knowing Mykolas for twenty years, and have watched him take on every leadership role with tremendous passion. I know he will have a huge impact in his new role as Quaero’s President and look forward to working with him.” About Quaero Quaero’s Customer Data Platform (CDP) helps large, sophisticated enterprises deliver outstanding personalized customer experiences (CX) by making it much easier to manage and analyze massive quantities of customer information. Quaero currently operates the world’s largest CDP implementation that serves more than a billion consumers globally. Quaero’s distinctive platform, delivered either in the cloud or on-premise, provides clients with key connective tissue that bridges multiple organizations —marketing, sales, service, support, operations, technology— as they seek to constantly improve the total customer experience. Quaero is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. To learn more about the company and how it creates value for customers, please visit Quaero . About Pereg Ventures Headquartered in New York City, Pereg Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage B2B information services firms. Our portfolio companies typically leverage big data and apply advanced analytics, algorithms, machine learning and artificial intelligence to extract proprietary insights from huge amounts of consumer information. We provide Seed, Series A and Series B financing to our venture portfolio, and our LP group includes two strategic limited partners: Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) and Tata Group (NYSE: TTM). Contact Details Zachary Van Doren +1 415-412-0450 press@quaero.com Company Website https://www.quaero.com/

August 25, 2020 03:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Game-Changing Artificial Intelligence Solution by PhotoShelter to Revolutionize Social Media Workflow

PhotoShelter

Contact Details John Seibels +1 212-206-0808 jseibels@photoshelter.com Company Website https://www.photoshelter.com/

August 20, 2020 08:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Focused Image Completes Brand Projects for Three Fast-Growing Government Technology Leaders

Focused Image

Focused Image Inc., a leading communications agency specializing in branding, public relations and digital marketing, today celebrated the completion of three new brand launches for clients that are fast-growing leaders in the government services and technology market. Axiologic Solutions provides strategically focused systems engineering and information technology solutions that solve the most challenging problems for the defense, intelligence and government communities. Over the past few years, Axiologic has more than doubled its growth. With this rapid expansion came the need for the company to expand its growing brand image. Focused Image supported this need by developing a message, tagline and image platform to elevate the Axiologic brand, increase its positive perception, and position the business for future growth. InterImage provides creative IT modernization solutions for defense, law enforcement, transportation, federal civilian and commercial entities. Focused Image worked to develop a message and image platform to heighten the InterImage brand, increasing its positive perception and positioning the business for future growth, with a key focus on the company’s growing robotic process automation offerings. VTG , previously known as the VT Group, provides C4ISR modernization and sustainment solutions for our nation’s most critical platforms and systems. As VTG’s capabilities began to expand into technology, networks and C5ISR markets, the company sought to rebrand itself to reach markets that align with its new business offerings and areas of expertise. To address this challenge, Focused Image developed a refreshed message, image and contemporary identity that align with VTG’s new strategic positioning, mission, values, strategy, leadership, business model, markets and capabilities. “This is an important time to be serving the needs of our nation, and our clients are all playing important roles in federal IT modernization, advancing technologies to help federal agencies better achieve their missions,” said Toby Eckhardt, CEO and chief creative officer of Focused Image . “We are extremely honored to have the opportunity to help them clarify their capabilities and tell their stories, and to do so in a way that sets them apart from their competition in a highly competitive mid-tier marketplace. Having worked with so many clients over the past several decades that are leaders in federal technology, aerospace and defense, we are able to quickly develop the strongest path forward for these brands as they evolve to the next level of success.” Focused Image has been a leading creative firm in the Greater Washington region for over 35 years, specializing in company and product branding for over two decades. More than 75% of the companies Focused Image has rebranded are within the government services market. For more information, contact Matt Marsden at mmarsden@focusedimage.com . About Focused Image Inc. Focused Image Inc. is an award-winning marketing communications agency that specializes in branding, public relations and digital marketing. The agency is recognized as one of the top advertising agencies in the Greater Washington area and is well respected as a leading authority on branding in the GovCon industry. Focused Image was founded more than 35 years ago by Toby Eckhardt, a national expert on branding and communications. The firm helps clients — from fast-growing technology startups to emerging mid-tier government services leaders to Fortune 500 companies — build brands, launch new products and bolster positive visibility through strategically based creative communications concepts and programs that deliver results. Learn more at www.focusedimage.com and follow Focused Image on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . Contact Details Kristina Messner +1 703-678-6023 kmessner@focusedimage.com Company Website https://www.focusedimage.com/

August 19, 2020 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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HearMeCheer Lands New Agreement with Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls to Provide Live Fan Crowd Noise in Upcoming Broadcasts

HearMeCheer

HearMeCheer , the innovative and timely audio broadcast app that collects live fan noise and streams it into live sports television broadcasts, today announced a new agreement with the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer to provide live crowd noise for upcoming Red Bulls matches. As the New York Red Bulls (RBNY) return to action, the club will utilize the HearMeCheer app to live stream actual fan noise, sounds, and reactions during their upcoming home games. “Supporters are at the center of our matchday experience at Red Bull Arena,” said Christina Giunta-Quarino, the Red Bulls Senior Director of Field Marketing and Community Relations. “As we continue to prioritize health and safety, HearMeCheer gives Red Bulls fans an opportunity to add their voice to the matchday atmosphere at Red Bull Arena, supporting our team and making their voices heard from home.” Used to great acclaim and success this summer on recent live ESPN broadcasts of Top Rank Boxing , HearMeCheer has also been successfully implemented in recent live sports telecasts in Taiwan, Japan, and the U.S, including the first live testing of HearMeCheer earlier this year with the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan. As live pro sports return to American television this month, COVID-19 social distancing guidelines preclude fans actually being in the stands in most states. HearMeCheer’s patented technology allows fans watching the games at home to cheer into the microphones in their smartphones, tablets and computers and be heard live inside stadiums, arenas, ballparks as well as on radio and television. Elias Andersen, the 20-year-old founder and Chief Executive Officer of Toronto-based ChampTrax , developed HearMeCheer in March and April in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic and its far-reaching impact on the sports world. “We are thrilled that the Red Bulls are putting HearMeCheer into the homes of their fans, and using it for their game broadcasts this summer,” Andersen said. “We’ve been building our company to provide real-time sports analytics over the past two years, but the COVID-19 pandemic and overall sports shutdown gave us an opportunity to reinvent our business and create the HearMeCheer app. We found a market where fans have been underserved for a long time, and that’s watching from home.” HearMeCheer takes audio from fans watching at home and aggregates the sounds into one audio stream, which is provided to broadcasters and to feeds in ballparks, stadiums, and arenas. The sound from fans is converted into crowd noise using low-latency algorithms. Andersen and his growing company believe HearMeCheer is a software platform that can increase fan engagement, with options on the platform for live trivia games and predictive exercises where fans can be asked what will happen next. With a Facebook sign-in, fans can listen and watch with a group of friends in other homes. Previously an Electrical Engineering major at the University of Toronto, Andersen decided to leave college this past January to devote his attention to ChampTrax full-time. While pitching Major League Baseball teams the young company’s sports analytics platform at spring training sites in Arizona this past March, the pivot to develop HearMeCheer happened while Andersen was on an airplane returning to Toronto as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sports world. About the New York Red Bulls: The New York Red Bulls are one of 26 teams in Major League Soccer (MLS). RBNY, one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, have competed in the league since its founding in 1996. The Red Bulls play home matches at Red Bull Arena (RBA) in Harrison, New Jersey. The three-time MLS Supporters' Shield Winners are owned by the Austrian beverage company Red Bull for which the team is named. The New York Red Bulls offer one of the nation's premier youth soccer development programs, from local soccer partnerships across New York and New Jersey to Regional Development Schools and the Red Bulls Academy teams. Additional information is available at http://www.NewYorkRedBulls.com . About HearMeCheer: HearMeCheer is an innovative fan engagement platform developed by the team at ChampTrax. The Toronto-based company has created an app that allows sports fans at home to actively engage with their favorite teams playing in ballparks, arenas, and stadiums around the world. HearMeCheer collects live fan noise, cheers, sounds and reactions into a live audio stream that is used by sports teams, leagues, and broadcasters in live game coverage. Additional information is available at http://www.HearMeCheer.com . Contact Details Jim DeLorenzo, Jim DeLorenzo Public Relations +1 215-266-5943 jim@jhdenterprises.com Company Website http://www.jhdenterprises.com

August 18, 2020 01:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Marketing Insights: Is Instagram Reels Right for Businesses?

W2 Communications

W2 Communications, a strategic, integrated marketing communications firm, shares its thoughts on the new Instagram Reels feature – a way for users to create short 15-second clips to share on their personal feeds and to the Instagram Explore page – and why businesses should keep an eye out for its evolution. This new capability has strong similarities to TikTok, which creates loops videos up to 60 seconds long. With its popularity, Instagram is in a position to take potential market share with Reels. Check out the full blog post here . Questions about Instagram Reels or have other social media inquiries? Contact the W2 Communications social media team at creative@w2comm.com. About W2 Communications W2 Communications is an integrated marketing and communications firm offering public relations, content development, digital marketing and creative services. The company provides creative communications programs that build brands, elevate awareness, drive engagement and inspire action. With offices located in the Washington, D.C. area and in San Francisco, W2 Communications supports clients around the world. The team works tirelessly to deliver premium services and has been honored with multiple awards and recognition in the areas of public relations, web development, video production and content development. W2 Communications' podcast " Inside the Media Minds " features in-depth interviews with today's top reporters, giving listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a reporter, while also discussing the top trending stories. The company also hosts its CYBERTACOS cybersecurity networking events throughout the United States. To learn more about W2 Communications, visit www.w2comm.com , or engage with us on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . For the latest insights on the communications industry, follow the company blog at https://w2comm.com/blog/ . Contact Details Christy Pittman +1 703-877-8108 christy@w2comm.com

August 17, 2020 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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