Mediaboss Marketing

ESG is in the spotlight and, in many instances, for all the wrong reasons, with some vilifying it as a marketing exercise.

In the US, anti-ESG rhetoric accelerated after Texas passed a law in 2021 preventing the state from doing business with companies found to be boycotting fossil fuel-based energy companies. Since then, officials of 19 states have publicly criticized ESG-focused investment and engagement activities of prominent investment managers with respect to fossil fuels.

In the UK, the appointment of Liz Truss as new prime minister may bode ill for the near-term environmental agenda, with the government needing to prioritise the cost-of-living crisis and spiralling energy costs, thus delaying delivery on the UKs legally enshrined net zero target.

So, is this the end for ESG? No, we think it marks a new evolution for investing, as the market starts to sharpen definitions and professionals start to refine the products and strategies which best fit clients changing needs.

A key issue with ESG is that the term is used to cover a broad range of investing strategies. ESG is a tool, not an investment style. At BNY Mellon Investment Management, we use Responsible Investment (RI) as the umbrella term. RI covers a spectrum of styles: exclusionary, ESG-integration, best-in-class, sustainable, thematic and impact investing. ESG-integration describes the input of environmental, social and governance factors into financial analysis and investment decisions.

ESG-integrated funds may be responsible by outcome, but will always prioritise financial objectives. Other RI investing styles, such as sustainable and impact investing, have objectives to be responsible, benefit stakeholders and a dual intent to deliver environmental and social returns, as well as financial performance. Because these ESG terms are not clearly defined in global regulations, there is heightened potential for client confusion.

Recent underperformance of exclusionary ESG funds has stoked more backlash. Rising inflationary pressures, the Ukraine war and the resultant energy crisis have caused exclusionary ESG funds, which are typically underweight energy and overweight the more ESG-metric-friendly tech sector to underperform. But we still see growing appetite for products in the RI space.

A review by Morningstar found sustainable funds performed better than the broader market in the second quarter and a recent Barclays survey highlights only 5% of respondents agreed that ESG is a fad and will decline in popularity/importance in the coming years.

We are seeing a shift towards best-in-class investing and funds with an environmental and/or social objective, i.e., those that report under Article 9 of the European Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). Investors are demanding greater attention to reporting of sustainability metrics and impact, bringing into focus the need for harmonised regulation of ESG data providers.

To date, most corporate disclosures on key sustainability metrics have been voluntary, sometimes leading to lack of consistency and decision-useful information, and a focus on backward-looking metrics, over forward-looking ones.

Asset managers are now better positioned to report on RI portfolios with the regulatory environment tightening globally, continued focus on preventing greenwashing, and the increase in corporate sustainability reporting. Clients are increasingly demanding funds report on the outcomes of engagement and formulate formal escalation processes (ultimately divestment) when engagement is unsuccessful.

Another area of focus is the inclusion of transitioning industries in sustainable investing portfolios. SFDR regulations are supportive of exclusionary investing and sustainably aligned strategies but there is less clarity on how to position transitioning companies. There is increasing scrutiny on the definition of sustainable investment (SI), after guidance from the European Commission (EC) indicated Article 9 funds should be made up entirely of SI (except for hedging and liquidity purposes).

Where does this leave high-emitting companies, which may be vital for future economic growth but most urgently require capital to decarbonise? Investors must assess the credibility of companies transition plans, but should sustainable funds be precluded from investing in sectors which are vital to a successful transition? In the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority and the UK government are leading the work on sustainability disclosures and have included transitioning industries in their regulatory focus.

By mandating disclosures aligned to the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), proposing the introduction of sustainable investment labels and working on gold standard net zero transition plans (via the Transition Plan Taskforce), UK regulations look set to support investors identify credible transition plans.

This must be set in the context of enabling a just transition that is fair and creates better social and economic opportunities for all. Energy affordability and security are key priorities, which may mean further short-term underperformance of ESG funds which exclude the energy sector.

We also risk losing the momentum and commitments built at COP26. Despite Mark Carneys pledge to build a financial system entirely focused on net zero, legal action has been brought in the UK demanding a more robust net zero strategy. One of Truss governments first announcements was the extension of fossil fuel licenses in the UK, including North Sea fracking.

We do not expect governments to roll back net zero targets, but climate may drop down the priority list on near-term agendas, likely causing the private sector to bear more of the strain. This places even greater urgency on ramping up sustainable investment flows, identifying the best RI opportunities and delivering a greater range of RI products to clients.

Kristina Church is global head of responsible strategy at BNY Mellon Investment Management

Excerpt from:
How will ESG drive product innovation? - Money Marketing

Mini

On the basis of follower counts, marketing agencies worldwide have divided social media influencers into nano (1000-10,000 followers), micro (10,000-100,000), macro (100,000-1 million) and mega (over one million). Read on to find out the money dynamics of each group and also get some handy tips on how to start your journey.

Instagram, Facebook, YouTube are abuzz with social media influencers. These influencers have an ever-widening reach, with events, brand deals, TV shows and magazine covers their playing fields. Where canny social influencers go, big bucks follow.

As per the Influencer Marketing Report, the Indian influencer industry is predicted to be valued at Rs 2,200 crore by 2025 and grow at a 25 percent CAGR, underscoring the fact that the influencer business is getting serious.

But the layperson may still wonder if social influencer can be a lucrative career option because after all, its just a hobby. Well, clearly, its not so. For those who master the art of influencing, incomes can go well beyond hard-earned corporate jobs.

When the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a 20 percent decline across advertising in India, social media influencers enjoyed a 46 percent increase in their advertising-based revenue, as per a survey published by iCubesWire in March this year.

I did it out of pure passion without knowing where it would lead me and if this could even become any reliable source of income at some point. I tried creating content in the cheapest way possible and with any resource I had on hand, like shooting on my phone and using basic editing skills I learned via YouTube without hiring anybody, said Anisha Dixit who started her journey as an influencer in 2013 and now has over three million subscribers on YouTube.

Dixit added that initially, the finances start flowing when platforms like YouTube or Facebook pays you based on the number of views that your content generates but thats not exactly a reliable income source. Here is where the major source for influencers to earn money brand collaborations come into the picture.

Brand collaborations can include barter deals, which include product placements, shoutouts, ambassador programmes, ads, meet & greets, and sponsorships, explained Aashutosh Katre, Director at content marketing company Yellow Seed.

Like any other job, being a social media influencer also requires passion, strategy and dedication to make the most out of it. Aanchal Agrawal, who started her journey in 2020, now has over 300,000 followers on Instagram. She believes, as an influencer brand, integrations form an integral part of the finances.

You can make content that you think a brand can easily pick up which is also well-liked by your audience. When I started creating content, I started a series called Dating app etiquettes, which I thought would work well if a dating app would want to collaborate with me and that is exactly what happened, advised Agrawal.

After this, once an influencer gets a loyal fan base, according to Arushi Gupta, Business Head at Influencer.in, another popular way for influencers to earn money is by hosting paid courses, fan membership, licensing of the content they produce, becoming a consultant and offering career courses or setting up ones own brand.

How much do influencers earn?

On the basis of follower counts, marketing agencies worldwide have divided influencers into nano (1000-10,000 followers), micro (10,000-100,000), macro (100,000-1 million) and mega (over one million).

Micro-influencers in the 5,000-20,000 group accounted for 54.3 percent of Instagram users across India in 2020, according to a report by hypeauditor.com. On Instagram, influencers with over one million followers, also called mega influencers, had only 0.41 percent share.

As per marketing experts an influencer based on the category they cater to, the niche and the deliverables can earn from Rs 15,000-5 lakh from one brand deal.

Gupta provided us with a breakdown of the money dynamics:

What I can say for sure is that being an influencer today is as lucrative as having a top job in most corporate sectors. It pays well if the audience relates with what you're putting out there and if you manage to build a community authentically over a period of time, added Aanam Chashmawala, a social media influencer and the Founder of Wearified, a beauty cosmetic brand.

What do brands look for while investing in an influencer?

As brand integrations are very important to the finances of an influencer, its imperative to know what brands want and how influencers target them.

According to Arihant Jain, CEO of a meme marketing agency, Wubbalubbadubdub, every brand has a specific strategy, personalised and driven by the need to build a robust portfolio that can cater to any kind of target audience.

However, brands do look out for three core things whether the influencer is real or not, does the influencer suit the niche of the brand and whether would they be ready to tour offline places and do re-shoots.

Balasubramaniam, AGM - Digital, brand-comm, said for brands there are usually two priority buckets, the first includes the number of followers, demographic, context and engagement rate and the second factors in quality, editorial content and personality.

Social media influencers and technology go hand in hand, so the tech that the influencers use is also important.

While shortlisting influencers for campaigns, brands are also keen on having a good video quality, and aesthetic output that brings out the brand well. The video should engage the audience and reach the appropriate target audience.

They also look out for how innovative the creator is while engaging the brand with his own content. Timely delivery of content is also a key factor for a brand to essentially work with the creators, added Gupta.

Are you an aspiring influencer?

Statistics and research firm Statista reports that YouTube had the highest number of professional content creators globally at one million in January 2020, meaning that over one million of them made a living completely from publishing. content on the platform. With 30 million amateur creators monetising content on the Facebook-owned platform that year, Instagram was the most popular platform among creators in 2020.

How does one actually start the journey?

Although brand integrations are important, Dixit advises budding influencers to produce content and tell stories because they like it and not keep the money in mind. If you are just starting out as a content creator, don't invest too much in your equipment or hire a team. We currently have amazing phones with great cameras on the market, use that as a start and once you see more consistent money coming in, you can slowly start investing more and more, she said.

Meanwhile, Agrawals advice to budding influencers was to not go crazy and always keep on investing.

The world is changing rapidly, the advertising paradigm is shifting every day and you do not know if the money inflow is going to be the same. Invest money in things that will bring money too; at least until you are in a stable place.

They keep going up and down and you do not want to be in a position where you are stressed about money because when that starts, it will reflect in your content which can harm your growth, so be wise with your money. added Agrawal.

It's very easy to get lost in the noise, just calm yourself down, is the advice of influencer and mentor Anudeep Reddy Mannem, who owns a food and lifestyle YouTube channel.

As of January 2022, Google-owned YouTube had more than 265 million monthly active users in India and 1,200 of its creators have crossed the one-million subscriber milestone. Five years ago, only two creators crossed the milestone.

Marketing experts advise budding influencers to:

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Oct 02, 2022, 11:33 AM IST

See the original post:
How Social Media Influencers Make Money And How You Too Can Get The Ball Rolling - CNBCTV18

With more and more brands exploring a presence in the metaverse (however you define it), new opportunities for creators and influencers are arising.

One main area of opportunity is characterised by the virtual influencer a digital persona who acts just as any other influencer would, but who is entirely computer-generated. The concept has been around for a while, but a combination of the metaverse and the burgeoning creator economy has led to an expansion of the market, with brands increasingly partnering with creators who want to promote a virtual persona rather than their real selves. According to reports, there are more than 200 virtual influencers in existence, with this number only set to grow in future.

But with authenticity being the key to influencer success or so we have previously been told will consumers buy into virtual influencers in the same way as humans? I recently spoke with Eric Dahan, CEO of global influencer marketing company, Open Influence, to discuss the benefits, challenges, and potential opportunities for brands in this space.

The battle for creative control has been an issue within brand-influencer partnerships for a number of years a 2019 Takumi study found that 45% of marketers feel they should have complete control over the written captions and visual elements of an influencers post, in order to ensure that the influencer does not veer away from the agreed tone or content of a campaign. Dahan says that virtual influencers can take away this debate.

For brands, it gives them the ability to have more control in one or two ways. Either they are partnering with a virtual influencer, and they can take a little bit more control than with a human influencer. Or and I think this is whats really exciting brands can create their own virtual influencers and really design them from the ground up.

Dahan suggests that, in this context, a virtual influencer can become a brand mascot or spokesperson of sorts. Ideally thats your CEO or founder, but most companies dont have that, or they have been around for so long that their CEO is more of an operator than the face of the business, he says. And so, theres really an opportunity there for brands to create their own mascots.

The question is, will virtual influencers lack authenticity if they are entirely manufactured? Or rather, if consumers are willing to buy in, is authenticity less important than marketers tend to think?

Dahan suggests that real authenticity doesnt necessarily come from the face of the influencer, but the voice. Im sure there are meme accounts that you follow [on social media] there are a bunch that I certainly follow, where Ive never seen the actual creator who is putting out the content and writing the captions. But I dont need to, right? he proposes. Theres an authenticity, a voice, and the messaging and the values are reflected by whats being shared. So, theres that level of authenticity to it even though theres not a face attached to it.

There are additional challenges here of course, which Dahan says it is vital for brands to consider before they jump into virtual influencers. It cant just be something that feels corporate and empty it needs to feel like there is a true reflection or values and personality, he states. Ultimately, theres going to be a team behind it who is running it, aiming to focus the values of the organisation and personifying it into a single individual to make it more relatable.

Ethical considerations are important, too, particularly when it comes to the audience that a virtual influencer might be targeting. Fashion retailer PacSun was recently criticised after it named Lil Miquela an AI influencer first created in 2016 as its latest ambassador and the face of its 2022 holiday campaigns. Despite Lil Miquela aligning with PacSuns positive brand values, such as her stance on social activism, some have suggested the CGI influencer also promotes a largely unattainable image that is potentially harmful to a young female audience. Not to mention that the clothes Lil Miquela wears are perhaps unlikely to look the same in real life.

Dahan concedes that social media can perpetuate harmful standards, but that its also the case irrespective of whether the influencer is virtual or human.

With influencers in general, if they alienate their audience, they arent going to maintain that audience they will start losing followers, he says. Of course, theres the question of what sort of things are you influencing, but thats not specific to the virtual side.

Perhaps more concerning, suggests Dahan, is if brands begin to rely on AI. Youve only got to look at BlenderBot the prototype of Metas conversational AI, which recently generated media coverage for its propensity for making offensive and untrue statements.

Ethically, there are more questions [with AI]. Theres the same danger of nefarious things happening with virtual influencers, and you dont have the same accountability that you do with an individual, so there is a heightened risk for misinformation and swaying opinion, he acknowledges.

In terms of the additional challenges that come with virtual influencers (compared to human influencers), Dahan suggests that brands need to be aware of the ongoing commitment and workload. As people we all have experiences and life stories and were used to expressing every little thing we do, but were not conscious of it, he explains. With a virtual influencer, somebody has to consciously write that down. Its like a movie script ten people sat in a room for hours and deliberately decided to include that piece of dialogue it is much more finite and isolated, but with a virtual influencer it is continuous, and it is a lot of content.

Despite lingering concerns over AI technology, Dahan says that the potential will eventually outweigh the risks. We are seeing it with chatbots getting smarter and smarter every year, so who is to say a few years from now virtual influencers cant be managed in the metaverse by AI, [with this technology] controlling most of the interactions and creating personalised experiences for users? he asks.

Dahan suggests that another factor that is likely to propel the popularity of virtual influencers is the impact of the metaverse and Web3 culture, and the avatarisation of real people.

If you look at the crypto world, people are buying NFTs and making them their profile picture, right? And with the metaverse, you need an avatar you cant just go in live action, he says. I think that will make it easier for virtual influencers to exist, because how do you know whether or not that avatar is a real flesh and blood person or a team of people carefully crafting their messaging?

The other thing thats interesting is that you can have the same virtual influencer in more than one virtual location, and you can customise experiences. All this feels very pie in the sky but the advances in AI are moving really quickly.

Finally, Dahan touches on the industry shifts that could result in the emergence of more digital creators (and virtual influencers) than ever before. Most notably, he says, is Apples privacy updates and the impact it has had on ROAS and ad performance.

This has created a push towards social commerce, he says. But there has also been a bigger shift in the past couple of years in how platforms look at creators. Where Facebook used to look at influencers as a nuisance taking money away from its ad platform now they realise ok well, we actually need to reward the creators, so they stay on and create and keep the audience.

So, whether it be video or affiliate revenue through social commerce, the bigger shift that is happening for creators is platforms finding new ways to monetise aside from just selling impressions and clicks.

See the article here:
Can avatars be authentic? Eric Dahan on the rise of virtual influencers - Econsultancy

Hoorah SA says that it understands people through data, driven results, creativity and innovation and that it tells stories with its consumers at the centre of them.

Hoorah adds that it is here to disrupt the landscape and create innovative, personalised experiences at scale.

Marco Russolillo, group ECD at Hoorah, says, "We are extremely happy to be represented among the best in the industry for our work in social and digital media."

"We will continue to innovate and push for creative and digital excellence for our clients. Hoorah has had a successful year of growth and these awards are a testament for things to come,"Russolillo concludes.

Hoorah SA won the following awards atThe New Generation Social and Digital Media Awards:

Hoorah SA New Generation Awards Hoorah SA at New Generation Awards The New Generation Social and Digital Media Awards Hoorah Digital agency Digital agency SA

See original here:
Hoorah SA wins at the New Generation Awards - Media Update

Orange Julius, I know from. There used to be stores in New York City serving its unique combination of what some say contained orange juice, sugar, milk, powdered egg whites and vanilla. But it took Republican Liz Cheney, she of the successful January 6 Committee, to blow the whistle on Orange Jesus.

According to the UK Independent, on January 6, as the 2020 election results were to be certified, Liz Cheney went into the Republican cloakroom. There she saw a bunch of Republican lawmakers making sure they signed a bunch of papers certifying that they were objecting to the results.

Its only actually required that one House member object but there were so many who wanted to show they were objecting, she said. As I was sitting there, a member came in and he signed his name on each one of the sheets, she said. And he said under his breath, the things we do for the Orange Jesus.

It seems this is now a new name of Donald John Trump, the once and, many Americans still pray, future President of the United States of America. I think the term has something to do with Q. And because he so successfully mobilized a veritable army of followers, including the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. And because so many are impressed he steadfastly refused to acknowledge defeat at the hands of the Democratic Devil.

Politifact points out that: Roughly 70 percent of Republicans dont see Biden as the legitimate winner. Surveys by different pollsters show virtually the same results, with the exception of a Washington Post/University of Maryland poll that dropped it to 61 percent. Now add the reality that 40 percent of Independents share the belief that Biden lost.

I must admit I am definitely late to understanding Q and the power Qs beliefs have over so many. And while I remember hearing a bit about Pizzagate, I never quite got it.

Wikipedia explains: Pizzagate resurged in 2020, mainly due to QAnon In March 2016, the personal email account of John Podesta, Hillary Clintons campaign chair, was hacked in a spear-phishing attack. WikiLeaks published his emails in November 2016. Proponents of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory falsely claimed the emails contained coded messages that connected several high-ranking Democratic Party officials and U.S. restaurants with an alleged human trafficking and child sex ring. One of the establishments allegedly involved was the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria in Washington, D.C.

In a 1950s Dwight Eisenhower America, where while Democrats and Republicans might often have disagreed, they both believed in common democratic ground rules, and I suspect many people would have quickly dismissed the claims of Pizzagate. But in Qs America, millions linger on social media networks like Reddit and 4chan and 8chanand misinformation rumors spread like the flu. On December 4, 2016, Edgar Maddison Welch, a 28-year-old man fromSalisbury, North Carolina, arrived at Comet Ping Pong and fired three shots that struck the restaurants walls, a desk, and a door. Welch later told police that he had planned to self-investigate the conspiracy theory. Welch saw himself as the potential hero of the story a rescuer of children.

The Polarization and Extremism Research Innovation Lab at Rutgers University issued a comprehensive analysis of the QAnon movement: It dates back to October 2017, when an anonymous author named Q Clearance Patriot began posting cryptic messages on the 4chan message board Q Clearance Patriots (or simply Qs) riddles are colloquially referred to as Q drops or bread crumbs, and QAnon followers (or QAnons) who seek to make meaning from them are sometimes called bakers. A core theme soon emerged, which remains central to all QAnon mythology: that the world is secretly controlled by a Satan-worshipping cabal of pedophile elites who practice human child sacrifice

For many QAnons in the U.S., this cabal is led by well-known politicians, business leaders and entertainment figures. It is opposed by a white hat movement of heroes, ordained by God and including Q himself, who work within elite institutions to battle the cabal (Q is generally assumed by believers to be a U.S. intelligence agent). Someday soon, Q predicts, The Storm will arrive. This term refers to the day when this cabal is publicly outed, arrested, and executed. This belief in the satanic cryptocracy and its preordained exposure and destruction is the defining trait of the QAnon- conspiracy culture (Emphasis added.)

Now, I must admit my desire to learn more about QAnon has been spurred on by recent developments in Trumpovia, especially what I heard about that strange back and forth feedback loop between the Former President and the fervent crowd at the J.D. Vance rally in Youngstown, Ohio.

While I missed that rally, I read John Cassidys description in the New Yorker Magazine: Trump played background music that the Times described as all but identical to a song associated with the QAnon right-wing conspiracy movement. Many people in the crowd responded with a one-armed salute, with their index finger raised, that reminded some observers of Nazi rallies And it came days after Trump had reposted on his social-media platform, Truth Social, a doctored image of himself wearing a Q lapel pin overlaid with the words THE STORM is COMING a QAnon meme that refers to a moment when Trump supposedly returns to power and punishes his enemies. This reposting wasnt a one-off. According to an analysis conducted by the Associated Press and published last week, Of nearly 75 accounts Trump has reposted on his Truth Social profile in the past month, more than a third of them have promoted QAnon by sharing the movements slogans, videos or imagery.

So I went back and read the transcript of what ex-President Trump said: Our country is being invaded. Its an invasion by millions of illegal aliens from all over the planet and left wing sickos pumping toxic anti-American propaganda into the minds of our beautiful youth. Theyre destroying our youth. The choice this November is simple. If you want to continue this national catastrophe, vote for the radical left Democrat. Lets do it, go ahead. You wont have a country left

For many years a vile group of corrupt power hungry globalists, socialists and liberal extremists in Washington has been waging war on the hardworking people of Ohio. They sold off your factories, shut down your coal mines, closed up your steel mill, shipped away your jobs, sacrificed your energy industry through open borders and trampled on your values.

In her essay Nothing Can Stop What Is Coming in the June 2020 issue of The Atlantic, Adrienne LaFrance conjured up what a believer might imagine as Orange Jesuss critical role in whats to come: You know that a small group of manipulators, operating in the shadows, pull the planets strings. You know that they are powerful enough to abuse children without fear of retribution. You know that the mainstream media are their handmaidens, in partnership with Hillary Clinton and the secretive denizens of the deep state. You know that only Donald Trump stands between you and a damned and ravaged world. You see plague and pestilence sweeping the planet, and understand that they are part of the plan. You know that a clash between good and evil cannot be avoided, and you yearn for the Great Awakening that is coming. And so you must be on guard at all times. You must shield your ears from the scorn of the ignorant. You must find those who are like you. And you must be prepared to fight. You know all this because you believe in Q. (Emphasis added.)

LaFrance offers a chilling connection between Qs central message and Donald Trump: One phrase that serves as a special touchstone among QAnon adherents is the calm before the storm. Q first used it a few days after his initial post, and it arrived with a specific history. On the evening of October 5, 2017not long before Q first made himself known on 4chan President Trump stood beside the first lady in a loose semicircle with 20 or so senior military leaders and their spouses for a photo in the State Dining Room at the White House. Reporters had been invited to watch as Trumps guests posed and smiled. Trump couldnt seem to stop talking. You guys know what this represents? he asked at one point, tracing an incomplete circle in the air with his right index finger. Tell us, sir, one onlooker replied. The presidents response was self-satisfied, bordering on a drawl: Maybe its the calm before the storm.

Whats the storm? one of the journalists asked. Could be the calmthe calm before the storm, Trump said again. His repetition seemed to be for dramatic effect. The whir of camera shutters grew louder. The reporters became insistent: What storm, Mr. President?

A curt response from Trump: Youll find out.

I cant think of a more compelling juxtaposition than Donald Trumps railing against corrupt power and the revelations offered by New York State Attorney General Leitita James. The press release explains her complaint against Donald Trump and his children:

New York Attorney General Letitia James today filed alawsuit against Donald Trump, the Trump Organization, senior management, and involved entities for engaging in years of financial fraud to obtain a host of economic benefits. The lawsuit alleges that Donald Trump, with the help of his children Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump, and senior executives at the Trump Organization, falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to induce banks to lend money to the Trump Organization on more favorable terms than would otherwise have been available to the company, to satisfy continuing loan covenants, to induce insurers to provide insurance coverage for higher limits and at lower premiums, and to gain tax benefits, among other things. From 2011-2021, Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization knowingly and intentionally created more than 200 false and misleading valuations of assets on his annual Statements of Financial Condition to defraud financial institutions. (Emphasis added.)

And heres Orange Jesus praising himself in Ohio: Everything changed six years ago when you finally got a president who put Ohio first and put America first. We put America first. From the moment I left my very luxurious and enjoyable life I had such a nice life. Now they want to say, Lets go get this guy. Theyve been trying for six years. They havent made it. Were not going to let it happen. Were not going to let it happen I will never be loyal to them because I will only be loyal to you and to our country.

Back to the Attorney-General: For too long, powerful, wealthy people in this country have operated as if the rules do not apply to them. Donald Trump stands out as among the most egregious examples of this misconduct. With the help of his children and senior executives at the Trump Organization, Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself and cheat the system. In fact, the very foundation of his purported net worth is rooted in incredible fraud and illegality. Mr. Trump thought he could get away with the art of the steal, but today, that conduct ends. There are not two sets of laws for people in this country; we must hold former presidents to the same standards as everyday Americans. I will continue to ensure that no one is able to evade the law, because no one is above it.

Donald Trump: The unhinged persecution of me and my staff and they go into people that know me and they threaten them with jail time These people are sick But no matter what, our sick and deranged political establishment throws at me, no matter what they do to me, I will endure their torment and oppression and I will do it very willingly. They will never get me to stop fighting for you, the American people.

This claim is eerily reminiscent of a Q post:

In their complaint, the Attorney-General claims: To the extent Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization received any advice from outside professionals that had any bearing on how to approach valuing the assets, they routinely ignored or contradicted such advice. For example, they received a series of bank-ordered appraisals for the commercial property at 40 Wall Street that calculated a value for the property at $200 million as of August 1, 2010 and $220 million as of November 1, 2012. Yet in the 2011 Statement, they listed 40 Wall Street with a value $524 million and increased the valuation to $527 million in the 2012 Statement, and to $530 million in 2013 more than twice the value calculated by the professionals

It turns out Orange Jesus routinely claimed his 10,996 square feet triplex apartment at Trump Tower was 30,000 square feet. Then that wildly overstated size was multiplied by an unreasonable price per square foot Tripling the size of the apartment for purposes of the valuation was intentional and deliberate fraud, not an honest mistake The Mar-a-Lago club was valued as high as $739 million based on the false premise that it was unrestricted property and could be developed and sold for residential use, even though Mr. Trump himself signed deeds donating his residential development rights and sharply restricting changes to the property in reality, the club generated annual revenues of less than $25 million and should have been valued at closer to $75 million (Emphasis added.)

Back in Ohio, Donald Trump was implying that if the Department of Justice and the FBI can enter Mar-a-Lago and Letitia James can come after the Trump Organization, they can easily come after you:

But you know what? Were strong and were smart. Were smarter than them. Were stronger than them. Theyre a lot more of us. Our cruel and vindictive political class is not just coming after me. Theyre coming after you through me. Thats what theyre doing. And theyve already taken away your vote. Theyve taken away your voice and now they want to take away your freedom

James also demonstrated that Trump claimed money as his own but really belonged to partnerships in which he had a minority stake, with no ability to make disbursements. For example, one-third of the amount under cash and cash equivalents listed in the 2018 Statement belonged to Vornado Partnerships, not Mr. Trump.

As for Ivanka, who so many imagine has been falsely accused: Defendant Ivanka Trump was an Executive Vice President for Development and Acquisitions of the Trump Organization through early January 2017. Among other responsibilities, Ms. Trump negotiated and secured financing for Trump Organization properties. While at the Trump Organization she directed all areas of the companys real estate and hotel management platforms. This included active participation in all aspects of projects, including deal evaluation, pre-development planning, financing, design, construction, sales and marketing, as well as involvement in all decisions relating to those activities she negotiated the lease with the government and a loan related to the Old Post Office property. Ms. Trump also negotiated loans on Trump Organization properties at Doral and Chicago. On each of those transactions with Deutsche Bank, Ms. Trump was aware that the transactions included a personal guaranty from Mr. Trump that required him to provide annual Statements of Financial Condition and certifications.

After leaving the Trump Organization, Ms. Trump retained a financial interest in the operations of the Trump Organization through a number of vehicles, including an interest in the Old Post Office property through Ivanka OPO LLC. In a 2021 federal filing, Ms. Trump reported total income from Trump Organization entities of $2,588,449, including income from Ivanka OPO LLC, TTT Consulting, LLC, TTTT Venture LLC and Trump International Realty. (Emphasis added.)

The way the Trumps worked was pretty much a classic two sets of books situation: while one internal set of records reached one conclusion regarding market value, the figure presented on Mr. Trumps Statement was considerably higher:

The sworn testimony of Alan Weisselberg, their Chief Financial Officer doesnt help: Before invoking his Fifth Amendment privilege, Mr. Weisselberg conceded that using the false square footage had the effect of improperly inflating the value of the apartment almost threefold Q: In fact, [the value was] overstated by a factor of 3, is that correct? A: I didnt do the math, but it should be one third, yes, I would agree with that. Q: So, its on the order of a $200 million overstatement, give or take? A: Give or take.

As for Eric Trump and his work on Trump Vegas: By using the fraudulent valuation methods and assumptions described above, the Trump Organization was able to inflate the value of Trump Vegas in each of the years from 2013 to 2016. Eric Trump, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, refused to answer questions related to his participation in the drafting of each of the 2013 through 2016 Statements.

James explains what they gained: Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization utilized the false and misleading Statements of Financial Condition in an array of financial transactions, most prominently in obtaining real estate loans and insurance coverage. Between 2011 and the present, the Trump Organization has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in real estate loans in reliance on, among other things, Mr. Trumps net worth. as reported in his Statements of Financial Condition [They] also helped the Trump Organization and Mr. Trump avoid having the loans placed into default, because annual certifications of the accuracy of Mr. Trumps Statements were required. All told, the interest rate savings from the issuance of the false and misleading Statements of Financial Condition totaled between $85 million and $150 million.

The complaint alleges an ongoing conspiracy: The foregoing allegations constitute a continuous, integrated scheme to inflate Mr. Trumps net worth in order to obtain financial benefits. Specifically, Defendants each agreed to participate in a scheme to use false and misleading information to increase Mr. Trumps stated net worth on the Statement of Financial Condition for each year from 2011 through the present. (Emphasis added.)

It seems Orange Jesus was always obsessed with showing he was making more and more money. In a 2015 article, Forbes wrote that of all the individuals who have appeared on its list of the 400 wealthiest Americans, not one has been more fixated with his or her net worth estimate on a year-in, year-out basis than Donald J. Trump. The article described Mr. Trumps net worth as a subject that he cares about to the depths of his soul.

How about we compare Orange Jesus to the Jesus who preceded him? Who, as Matthew 19:30 reveals, has a vastly different idea of whats important in life: But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

The AGs complaint continues: When asked if he had an ongoing agreement from at least 2005 through the present with Mr. Weisselberg, Mr. McConney, and others to prepare the Statement of Financial Condition in a manner that included intentional overvaluations, Mr. Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and refused to answer. (Emphasis added.)

Its a simple question: In preparing your financial statements, did you or did you not tell the truth about your finances? Orange Jesus decided not to answer because if he did he might be charged with committing a crime. According to John 14:6, Jesus said: I am the way and the truth and the life. He didnt say I am the way and I take the Fifth.

Asked about agreeing with Weisselberg, McConney and others to include false and misleading valuation statements, Mr. Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and refused to answer

Orange Jesus and the others went to great lengths to conceal their fraud Defendants would exclude key information, like lender-ordered appraisals on a given property or limitations on development like the easements on Mar-a-Lago When properties dropped in value, the change was covered up by increasing the valuation of other properties in the same category

But Jesus tells us there is a way other than fraud and theft. John 10:10-11: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

On September 26, 2022, in North Carolina, Donald Orange Jesus Trump revealed how little he appreciates the teachings of the real Jesus:

Among our highest priorities must be to end the nightmare Joe Biden and congressional Democrats have deliberately created at our southern border. Were going to end that. We cannot continue to allow millions and millions and I believe, Ted, its 10 million people and probably more. They say, Three million, two and a half million. Its not, I believe its many times that number. Its numbers like nobodys ever seen before. Theres never been a country ever abused like this. Its an invasion. This week it was reported that border patrol agents have received an intelligence bulletin stating that Venezuelan Dictator Maduro is opening up all of his prisons and sending vicious convicts, and these are tough ones, charged with murder, rape and other heinous crimes straight across the border and into our wide open USA.

Orange Jesus must have missed Matthew 25:53: For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.

Missed Leviticus 19: 33-34: When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Donald Trump: As long as we are confident and united, the tyrants we are fighting do not stand a chance because we are Americans and Americans kneel to God and God alone. My fellow citizens, this incredible journey we are on together has only just begun So with the help of everyone here today and citizens all across our land, we will make America powerful again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America strong again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And we will make America great again. Thank you. God bless you

As Orange Jesus sports a Q pin and plays a Q-like anthem, its important to appreciate the dangers Q-Anon presents. The Detroit News tells the story of Rebecca Lanis, a 21-year-old from Michigan whose 53-year father went on a Q-conspiracy inspired rampage. A Walled Lake man whose daughter said he had been struggling with mental issues after embracing conspiracy theories was fatally shot by police Sunday after he allegedly shot and killed his wife and injured another daughter.

Rebecca Lanis said after President Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, her father started falling deeper into crazy ideas online, including QAnon conspiracy theories about Trump and vaccines. Nobodycould talk him out of them, she said. She missed the shooting by dumb luck because she was at a friends house for a birthday.

Its really so shocking but it really can happen to anybody, Lanis told TheNews on Sunday night. Right-wing extremism isnot funny, and people need to watch their relativesand if they have guns, they need to hide them or report them or something because this is out of control.

Orange Jesus is so concerned with himself he could care less about what he might be unleashing. Ill leave you with the affidavit in support of a criminal complaint against Matthew Taylor Coleman: On August 7, 2021, M. COLEMAN took his two children, R.C. (10 months old) and K.C. (two years old), from the home he shared with his wife and mother of his children, A.C., in Santa Barbara, California to Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico. While in Rosarito, M. COLEMAN murdered his children by shooting a spear fishing gun into their chests. On August 9, 2021, during a Mirandized interview, M. COLEMAN confessed to the murders.

M. COLEMAN stated that he believed his children were going to grow into monsters so he had to kill them M. COLEMAN explained that he was enlightened by QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories and was receiving visions and signs revealing that his wife, A.C., possessed serpent DNA and had passed it onto his children. M. COLEMAN said that he was saving the world from monsters M. COLEMAN was asked whether he knew what he did was wrong. M. COLEMAN stated that he knew it was wrong, but it was the only course of action that would save the world. (Emphasis added.)

The UK Independent reported: Using his own Truth Social platform (he remains banned from Twitter and Facebook), Mr Trump re-truthed a post by another Truth Social user which read: Jesus is the Greatest. President @realDonaldTrump is the second greatest

Second only to Jesus, Orange Jesus took the Fifth. And while his supporters imagine he will save the world, hes helping to destroy it.

Original post:
THE OTHER SIDE: Orange Jesus took the Fifth - theberkshireedge.com