Aston Martin CMO: We Have No Interest in Making Cheaper Cars
*By Michael Teich*
Brexit could be a major bump in the road for Aston Martin if it disrupts trade with the automaker's European partners, said the company's CMO Simon Sproule.
"The biggest threat to us of Brexit is non-tariff barriers, because if you end up getting import duties on Astons going into Europe, then you're going to get import duties on Ferraris coming into the UK. So it's a zero-sum game," Sproule said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar.
The Brexit withdrawal process began March 29, 2017 after a countrywide vote, and the UK is set to depart from the European Union on March 29, 2019.
A new report from the Federation of German Industries said a "hard Brexit" ー meaning in the absence of a deal between the EU and the UK ー could cause exports to Britain from the rest of the EU to drop by as much as [57 percent](https://www.dw.com/en/german-industry-warns-against-hard-brexit/av-45818058).
That kind of trade disturbance would not be good for business, Sproule said.
"What we're lobbying the government most strongly about is to ensure the free flow of parts and obviously completed vehicles," he added.
Aston Martin ($AML.L) is the latest luxury automaker to make its market debut. Despite a rough start on the London Stock Exchange since its Oct. 3 IPO ー shares are down 16 percent since ー Sproule said patient investors will benefit from the company's future growth.
"The IPO was effectively a marker in our evolution," he said. "People that have been buying into us are buying in for the long term. They buy into the equity story, they buy into the future potential of Aston Martin."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/aston-martin-cmo-we-have-no-interest-in-making-cheaper-cars).
There's a new ETF designed to offer investors exposure to 'meme stocks.' Roundhill Investments launched it earlier this month and says the ETF is the first that is explicitly designed to track the performance of meme stocks. Roundhill Investments Vice President of Research Mario Stefanidis joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Mobile bill payment application Papaya recently raised $50 million in a series B round led by Bessemer Venture Partners.
Papaya lets users take a photo of any bill, and the app's AI-powered 'bill understanding technology' pays the bill in seconds. The company says its goal is to help people spend more time on things that matter, by making bill-paying as painless and quick as possible. Papaya CEO and co-founder Patrick Kann joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
According to the CDC, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. The grim statistic is one of the main reasons why two organizations came together to do something. The Bump and the National Medical Association are partnering to launch The Black Maternal Health hub. The online resource will help expecting mothers feel supported, informed, and empowered throughout pregnancy and the early days of parenting. Jennifer Lee at The Bump and Dr. Rachel Villanueva, a clinical assistant professor of OB/GYN and member of the National Medical Association join Cheddar News to talk about the initiative.
If you're looking for a date, 2022 might be your year. Online dating platform Bumble is buzzing with dating predictions from its latest survey. Shan Boodram, sex and relationships expert at Bumble, joined Cheddar to discuss some of the findings and what people can expect from the future dating landscape. Some of the results showed that public displays of affection are back on the rise as more people get vaccinated and that more users are opting for alcohol-free first dates. She also explained the trend of "explori-dating," a way that users are attempting to get out of their comfort zone. "People are willing to date outside of their city to get to that," she said.
Cheddar is looking back at the 12 biggest buzzwords of the year leading up to Christmas. The seventh term in the countdown is Transitory. Definition: (adjective) of brief gratification, not permanent.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Omorpho Co-Founder explains the innovation driving gravity sportswear; Cool Beans CEO breaks down the science behind 'good mood food;' A look at Curiosity Stream's 'Building The James Webb Telescope.'
Stefan Olander, Co-Founder of Omorpho, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how they are bringing innovation into athleticwear by creating 'gravity sportswear.'
Tyler Mayoras, CEO of Cool Beans, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss the science behind being a 'good mood food,' and what makes these burritos good for the environment.
