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GM struggles to make Volt a sustainable business.Continue reading...

In 1893, Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck, two young men with a knack for selling watches, started a company that became one of the great direct marketing innovators and retail brands in the US.

The company sold everything imaginable, targeting primarily rural families via a giant mail order catalog. It wasn't until 1925, when American cities grew up, that Sears Roebuck, later to be known simply as Sears, opened retail stores.

Today, it seems, Sears is gradually going back to its direct marketing roots via online sales. While its retail store sales plummet, Sears is ramping up its e-tail offering with the hope of being more (Web)SavvySanta than the sad Santa depicted in its holiday 2010 campaign.Continue reading...

Ace Hardware, is hoping to be the little engine that could in the hotly contested battle for consumer dollars in the DIY, home-repair category.

Its latest marketing campaign, “I Will,” uses humor to disarm people’s basic aversion to necessary home maintenance, and lead them to the helpful arms of Ace Hardware stores.

The tagline, "Get in. Get help. And get on with your life." is being touted in six television spots, radio, online, and social media campaigns. According to Christopher Boniface, company spokesman, "The goal of the campaign is to change consumer behavior and get them thinking about Ace for everything for their home.”Continue reading...