Industry News

Kate Schneider June 13, 2012 news.com.au THE days of travellers being slugged excessive fees just for using a credit or debit card to book a flight may soon be over. The Reserve Bank of Australia has decided to limit card surcharges to the reasonable cost of the merchant accepting the card. The varied standards, which will come into force on 1 January 2013, will essentially fix a $700 million-a-year credit card rip-off of its own creation by capping the surcharges. The move comes after Qantas hit out at claims it rakes in approximately $100 every year from card charges for flight bookings. Most consumers pay an average surcharge of nearly 2 per cent to use their cards for purchases, while merchants pay 1 per cent, however Qantas applies a flat fee that can add 8 per cent to a flight to Tamworth or Fiji. The RBA said the reasonable cost…

June 12, 2012 The Age NATIONAL Party senator John Williams plans to crank up his lobbying of the federal government to change legislation to curb the power of the two big supermarket chains after meeting some key independent grocery, liquor and service station operators. Williams said yesterday he had also met an expert in supermarket competition, Professor Frank Zumbo, to work out a game plan to rebalance the power of the two chains. “I met Zumbo on Sunday to discuss some of the issues and I plan to hold a few more meetings with the independents and meet with the ACCC [Australian Competition and Consumer Commission] so that we can get some action from the regulator and government,” he said. “What is happening in some industries, such as the dairy industry, needs to be stopped before too much damage is done.” Williams’ campaign comes as the Master Grocers Australia lobby…

Joe Kefauver Jun 08, 2012 CSNews When it comes to brand marketing, perhaps no city in the country has done a better job of promoting itself than Las Vegas. The iconic tagline, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” has become part of our American lexicon and has been used, modified and mimicked by millions of Americans. It aptly conjures up the notion of the art of the possible, a town with no limits, that anything could (and probably will) happen. In this town, you are free to come as you are and do what you want. By contrast, another major American city is creating a new brand awareness for itself, but in a way that should give all of us — business owners, customers and citizens — a great deal of heartburn. Under an unstated but potentially equally defining tagline, New York City is essentially saying to the rest…

Deakin University is searching for charities, foundations and volunteer-based organisations with a burning issue to participate in the 2012 WOFIE (Workshop for Innovation and Entrepreneurship) program, which has as its theme Developing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Not- For-Profit (NFP) sector. The program which originated in Denmark’s’ Aalborg University, takes place over five consecutive days (5th-9th November) and involves interdisciplinary teams of postgraduate students finding solutions to real organisational challenges. WOFIE Project Manager at Deakin University’s Graduate School of Business, Steve Ogden Barnes, said not-for-profit organisations were a key part of society providing a range of support services across all facets of life. “The SES, Salvation Army, CFA, RSPCA and Red Cross are very familiar to us all, and there are many, many others out there, all relying on limited funds and volunteers to get their particular job done,” he said. “While they all have a different mission, they may…

Clare Kermond June 14, 2012 The Age Children are being bombarded by messages for unhealthy food as brands use sports sponsorship to slip through regulatory loopholes, according to new research. A study into the effect of food and drink companies sponsoring sports has sounded alarms about the links between this lucrative arm of marketing and children’s unhealthy eating habits. According to the Australian study, most children (65 per cent) can correctly name at least one sponsor of their favourite sports team or athlete; many (39 per cent) felt good about sponsors because of this link; and many (41 per cent), especially boys, were more likely to buy a sponsor’s products. The Australian study, a collaboration between the University of Sydney and the Cancer Council of New South Wales, noted that the two main industry codes for marketing food to children, by the Australian Food and Grocery Council and the Australian…