On January 13, the Supreme Court issued its decisions on two controversial COVID vaccine mandates. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandate would require employers with 100 or more workers to be vaccinated against COVID or face weekly COVID tests and mask wearing in the workplace. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate would require employees providing health care to those receiving Medicare & Medicaid services to be vaccinated against COVID. In both cases, vaccination exemptions are possible. Related: Supreme Court Hearing Arguments About Biden’s Vaccine Mandate The court struck down the OSHA vaccine-or-test mandate on Thursday. Split along ideological lines, the vote was 6-3, with the conservative justices voting to invalidate the mandate. Highlighted in their decision, the majority opinion shared that “although Congress … [Read More...]
What Are the Legal Aspects of the Pfizer FDA Approval?
On August 23, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted final approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine. Previously the vaccine was available to the public under the FDA’s emergency use authorization. Pfizer-BioNTech is the first Covid-19 vaccine to receive full FDA approval. In late 2020, Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine was approved under the emergency use authorization. Because of the gravity of the public health emergency and ensuring vaccine access to as many Americans as possible, the Pfizer vaccine was granted emergency use. Under an emergency use authorization, the FDA “may allow the use of unapproved medical products, or unapproved uses of approved medical products in an emergency to diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions when certain statutory criteria have been met, including … [Read More...]
The Country’s Dilemma: Fake COVID-19 Card Use Is on the Rise
Since the pandemic’s start, more than 38-million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the U.S., and well over 600,000 Americans have died. The Delta variant is now wreaking havoc, with most victims being people who have not received a free COVID-19 vaccination. Because of these facts, it is clear, the chance of you being asked to show proof of the COVID-19 vaccine, i.e., the small white card with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stamp, is increasing with every passing day. Already several cities in the U.S., including New York City, San Francisco and New Orleans, consider such proof mandatory if you want to dine in a restaurant, workout in a gym or attend certain special events. However, with the mandate has come resistance, … [Read More...]
Can Schools Require COVID-19 Vaccines?
As Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was approved for those as young as 12, back to school could look similar to previous years. As millions of students return to school in the fall, there is discussion whether COVID vaccinations will be required. The short answer is it’s complicated. The long answer is it’s complicated and depends on where you live. Each state sets and enforces which vaccinations are required to attend daycare centers, private and public schools. All 50 states and Washington D.C. have a mandate that requires vaccines as children enter school. Exceptions to being vaccinated are made for several reasons. Medical exemptions are issued to those unable to receive vaccines due to medical reasons. In 44 states and Washington D.C., religious exemptions are permitted to those whose faith … [Read More...]
Expanding your affiliate programme globally: what you need to know
Over the last year, worldwide retail e-commerce sales grew by 27.6{da2ef7ff2781dfb5887db3e3a6cf03c7c894e23a27536de3f64bd799872794d1}. This growth is primarily due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, which forced brands to adopt e-commerce strategies and has driven buyers to shop online. The recent boost in globalisation has also generated opportunities for brands to engage with new audiences and grow reach across borders. Consumer demand, active affiliate partners and regional best practices are all important points to consider before embarking on a global expansion. In this post, we will share some unique considerations for brands looking to expand their affiliate programme globally. Table of contents: Growing your affiliate marketing programme globally Why affiliate marketing is the most efficient marketing channel to scale Doing business abroad: the defining elements Local or global: adapting… [Read More...]
2021 benchmark report of global affiliate programmes
It’s true when they say a year can make all the difference. Just one year ago, we were coming off a very strong January and February when things changed drastically in March due to the start of a global pandemic. However, economic conditions are improving dramatically in the U.S. and across the globe, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). The NRF expects national retail sales to grow between 6.5–8.2{da2ef7ff2781dfb5887db3e3a6cf03c7c894e23a27536de3f64bd799872794d1}, reaching more than $4.33 trillion in 2021. This forecast aligns with the revenue growth that Acceleration Partners’ clients have already seen in Q1 of 2021. This past quarter included a 21{da2ef7ff2781dfb5887db3e3a6cf03c7c894e23a27536de3f64bd799872794d1} revenue growth year-over-year (YoY), but a 86{da2ef7ff2781dfb5887db3e3a6cf03c7c894e23a27536de3f64bd799872794d1} decrease in clicks as consumers are converting and not just browsing like they were in 2020. High-level… [Read More...]
President Signs COVID-19 Relief Bill
On March 12, President Biden signed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill into law. This relief bill comes a year after the COVID-19 virus forced states into various stages of lockdown to reduce the spread of the virus. This law is the first major piece of legislation of President Biden’s presidency. While this bill focuses on providing COVID-19 relief to Americans, the bill’s main attribute is to stimulate the U.S. economy, which has been suffering and sluggish due to lockdowns and COVID-19. Stimulus Checks The bill provides a stimulus check of $1,400 per household member, including children, adults and adult dependents, such as seniors staying with children and college students. During the previous two rounds of stimulus, adult dependents were excluded from receiving this support but are … [Read More...]
Jail costs go up as crime goes down
Even as crime rates decreased and the numbers of people in jail went down, the costs of jails maintained by local governments increased, going over $25 billion in the latest available data, according to a recent report from The Pew Charitable Trusts. More recently, though, the COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated changes in jail populations as officials look to minimize risk of transmission and save money to compensate for the costs of social distancing measures taken within the walls of jails. According to the Pew report, available data show that jail populations were reduced by about 31{da2ef7ff2781dfb5887db3e3a6cf03c7c894e23a27536de3f64bd799872794d1} nationwide between March and May 2020. The populations rose again after that, but in October, were still 15{da2ef7ff2781dfb5887db3e3a6cf03c7c894e23a27536de3f64bd799872794d1} below the levels they were in March. RELATED: Numbers of women behind bars are … [Read More...]
The power of affiliate partnerships for retail brands
Across Europe, retail brands are having to adapt to an ever-changing business landscape and economy. Retail Economics’ recent study called out; engagement of new customer segments online, innovation between in-store and online for new consumer experiences and new partnerships to enhance propositions and capabilities, as opportunities to own the digital retail space this year. The affiliate channel is well-positioned to support retail brands in driving growth online. Many retail brands use their affiliate programme to reach new customers, achieve company KPI’s and support customer retention. In this blog, I will share how retail brands can work with various affiliates to target customers across the sales funnel. If you would like a more detailed overview, tune into my on-demand webinar where I talk about… [Read More...]
How travel brands can use the affiliate channel to grow in 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the travel industry, with frequent consumer cancellations, changing travel plans and multiple lockdowns. But there is hope on the horizon. With rules and consumer preferences ever-changing, travel brands need to quickly adapt to changing consumer needs, build consumer confidence and regain revenue. This article will share the four strategic pillars travel brands can implement in their affiliate programme to grow in 2021 and beyond. Agile planning Consumer demands and preferences are rapidly changing; brands need to adapt and shift strategies quickly and efficiently. The affiliate channel is flexible and dynamic and can support brands through these uncertain times. Here are some examples of how we are working with our travel clients to adapt their affiliate marketing strategies: Flexible budgeting: Being flexible with your… [Read More...]
Study: As jail releases increased during pandemic, Black inmates were left behind
A new study commissioned by the Council on Criminal Justice shows a disproportionate number of young black men jailed on felony charges remain incarcerated as jail populations changed in reaction to the pandemic. The study focuses on the impact COVID-19 has on jail populations, overall, including bookings, releases and rebooking rates, said New York University Professor Anna Harvey, author of the study, with Orion Taylor, lead data scientist for the Public Safety Lab. [caption id="attachment_1587" align="alignright" width="150"] Anna Harvey[/caption] Harvey says the disproportion may result from release policies, an area she says needs more analysis. “The reason they asked us to conduct the study is because there is no national source on real-time data on jails,” Harvey said. “The Bureau of Justice … [Read More...]
Coronavirus spreading swiftly through U.S. prisons
COVID-19 infection and mortality rates in prisons are much higher than in the general population, according to a national study, as crowded environments act like a petri dish for exponential growth of the coronavirus. “Because prisons have more people incarcerated than they were designed to hold, incarcerated people are crammed into dorms and warehoused in rooms with bunks sometimes three beds high and only inches apart,” according to the Equal Justice Initiative. As a result, courtrooms are filling with lawsuits filed by both inmates and guards affected by or fearful of COVID-19. Prison populations are particularly vulnerable, partly because of demographics and partly by the nature of close quarters and limited space. The number of inmates over 55 years old more than tripled from 2000 through 2016 to reach … [Read More...]