One detail that contributed to the tragedy of China's Great Leap Forward was how local leaders reported what the central authority wanted to hear and not the reality. Volvo, it seems, is learning that, despite economic development and opening, business in China is still done with "Chinese characteristics."

The venerable Swedish auto brand recently reported that its China dealers have been inflating sales numbers to clench cash incentives. It claims it fixed the problem, but the practice of grasping the short term at the cost of the long is a particularly present challenge for China that goes far beyond Volvo.Continue reading...

Yum Brands, the parent company of KFC, is trimming its 2013 outlook on lowered China sales projections.

A scandal involving two of KFC China's small chicken suppliers hurt sales more than expected in the market, with sales at locations open at least a year expected to be down 6 percent, compared with the 4 percent drop previously forecast for this year. 

News of the so-called 45 Day Chicken food safety scare broke late last year, but Yum Brands says it stopped using chicken from suppliers in China that are now under a government investigation before the review was announced. Analysts expect the company to recover from the business hit in its biggest market. (Above, U.S. NBA star Jeremy Lin promotes KFC China.)

Last seen driving a red Volvo and while declaring, "I am Jeremy Lin," the new star of the Houston Rockets can now be seen on the cover of GQ and in new TV commercials as "Basketball Ambassador for KFC China." The NBA's head did KFC one better and more or less declared Lin one of the NBA's most important China ambassadors. But as NBA regular season play begins in the US, should the brands riding Lin's coattails be nervous?Continue reading...

Yum! Brands third quarter earnings report is being closely watched.

Barclays to buy ING online assets.

Yahoo's Marissa Mayer urged to repurchase stock, profiled in New York magazine.

AT&T shares network with IBM to lure more customers to the cloud.

Amazon veers more into advertising.

American Airlines loses traffic over operational issues.

Apple asked by Taiwan to blur satellite image as Samsung spat dings brand perception.Continue reading...

Does anyone remember Linsanity? The media melee last spring engulfed NBA fans in NYC and beyond when an unknown player and Harvard grad of Taiwanese parents rocketed to stardom with the New York Knicks. The term "Linsanity" came to describe the Jeremy Lin phenomenon. Brands, sensing an opportunity to tap into the China market via the NBA's new Asian sensation, rushed to cash in on Lin. One of those brands was Volvo. 

Volvo? Yes, Volvo. Now, Lin's first Volvo commercial for the China market has finally been released. While Volvo is trying to appeal to well-heeled Chinese consumers about their aspirations versus the status quo, it's less than Linspiring.Continue reading...

The five young women who won Olympic gymnastics gold for the United States in London were repeatedly called the Fab Five by television announcers and others. But that term has already been trademarked by basketball player Jalen Rose, who was on the 1991 Michigan team that used that same nickname.

So USA Gymnastics is planning to try and trademark the term “Fierce Five” to honor the team and make a few bucks in the process, according to Bloomberg. The team will have to battle for the trademark, though it will likely be easier than beating out Russia for the gold to get it. Continue reading...

You’re just sitting watching the game, enjoying the dull rhythm of massive millionaire players pounding back and forth down the court to help make other millionaires even richer through ticket sales, souvenir sales, beer sales, and, of course, jersey sales.

Suddenly NBA owners have found a new way to make some dough from that last category. And who doesn’t like to make a buck?

The NBA Board of Governors has voted to allow teams to sell small advertising patches on uniforms ("just above the heart") starting in the season after next, according to the Houston Chronicle. That seemingly little change could bring in $100 million annually for the league and open the door to other North American professional leagues to do the same thing.Continue reading...

Apple reportedly ordered by judge to run "Samsung didn't copy the iPad" ads.

AT&T fires back at Verizon with shared-data plans.

Bank of America and Credit Suisse launch new cost cuts.

Capital One to pay $210 million in fines over deceptive credit practices.

Duke Energy pins CEO swap on handling of troubled Florida nuke plant.

Facebook to offer voter-registration platform in Washington state.

GM buyout plan poses deadline dilemma for retirees.

Hermes sales slowly rise.Continue reading...