Back in 1938, National Donut Day was a fundraising idea for Chicago’s Salvation Army. These days, National Donut Day still raises money for the Salvation Army in the Windy City, but elsewhere it has turned into a great opportunity for baked goods brands to push their products and gain some customer loyalty.

As expected, brands like Dunkin' Donuts are in on the actions, but others, like Chevy, have had their share of fun with the "holiday" too.

Here's where you can find some free sweets, and maybe a little more:Continue reading...

Ex-GM executive Bob Lutz has been resolute in his support of the Chevrolet Volt that he championed when he was vice chairman and product czar at General Motors a few years ago. Now he's singing the praises of another electric car with a patchy record: the Fisker Karma.

In fact Lutz, bon vivant, former jet-fighter pilot and one of the most celebrated of the few true American auto-industry heroes of the last 20 years, likes Fisker so much that he wants to buy it—the company, not the car—along with some Chinese investors.

Trouble is, another investor group aiming at Fisker Automotive has also surfaced in the last few days. This one is also backed by Chinese investors but is headed by Henrik Fisker, co-founder of the company and designer of the Karma who left it a few weeks ago after a fallout with other top executives over strategy. Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li, a Fisker investor, is his partner.Continue reading...

Reuters editor faces charges of helping "Anonymous" hack site when he was with Tribune.

McKee Foods picks up Drakes brand from Hostess.

Chevy chooses McCann for global advertising account.

Boeing strongly defends Dreamliner.

Center for Science in the Public Interest blasts Nickelodeon for airing junk food ads.

Coke seeks world peace via vending machines.

Disney develops unique approach to India.Continue reading...

From the Detroit auto show in a working person's town in January to the high-end distractions of this week's Geneva auto show, the focus of the auto industry next moves to an annual exhibition whose personality lands somewhere in between those two: the New York International Auto Show.

Scheduled for the Jacob Javits Center in New York from March 29 through April 27, with a press preview beforehand, the New York show mixes the glitz and accessibility of the world's most important media market with the fact that the event is a big and relied-upon marketing boost for Tri-State auto dealers just before the heavy annual selling season begins.Continue reading...

With its most famous resident putting a "For Sale" sign in her front yard, the city of Malibu, California, is looking for new ways to attract tourists and boost income. 

CNBC reports that Malibu has signed a deal with Excel Corp. in order to start “licensing apparel, active wear, and even things like sunglasses, watches, and volleyballs” with the extra money going to “fund special projects.”

The city is forking over $90,000 for Excel to design a logo and find licensees.Continue reading...

As this year’s South by Southwest—running March 8-17 in Austin, Tex.—gears up, brands and agencies are pulling out all the stops to catch the attention of thousands of trendsetters that attend the yearly event. Nearly 25,000 people, about 7 percent more than in 2012, are expected to register for the interactive part of the festival alone. 

Some SXSW pioneers question the growing popularity as lessening the value of the event, which started out mainly as a music festival. “What was once an under-the-radar affair has become a trendy, mainstream gala, raising concerns that going may no longer be worthwhile for entrepreneurs looking to meet investors, potential co-founders or others who could potentially have a significant impact on their businesses," the Wall Street Journal reports. 

John Frankel, partner at ff Venture Capital in New York, which backs two to three startups a year disagrees. “If you just stick with companies recommended to you, you can miss out on some amazing [investment opportunities]. I’m a great believer in happenstance.”

For brands looking to make a connection with tech-savvy millennials, (who isn't?) SXSW is a feeding ground for viral campaigns and unique marketing stunts. Here's a sampling of what some sponsors and participants have in store for attendees: Continue reading...

And so God created spin.

Get ready for the coming announcements that Ram's much touted "God Made a Farmer" ad and subsequent "farmer" campaign led to sales success for the flagging brand. There is likely to be more pieces with headlines like this one: "Chrysler Ram's farmer strategy pays off." But don't be fooled. Ram's strategy has no more paid off than the ad's narrator, Paul Harvey, knew about farming. Continue reading...

If you're Tim Allen, you might be hoping that your return to television comedy in ABC's Last Man Standing continues to be well-received. Because there are more hints that your long-standing and respected gig as the mellifluous voiceover for Chevrolet's "Chevy Runs Deep" campaign has reached its end.