Nike quietly stood by Lance Armstrong for a week after the United States Anti-Doping Agency released thousands of pages of documents showing that the seven-time Tour de France winner and famed cancer survivor had been lying for years about whether he had used performance-enhancing drugs. It eventually dropped Armstrong, and a slew of other sponsors followed. 

What Nike didn’t do, though, was drop its backing of Armstrong’s Livestrong Foundation, which helps support cancer survivors, but times have apparently changed. After selling 80 million yellow Livestrong bracelets (and a ton of other Livestrong gear) since they went on the market back in 2004, Nike has announced that it will stop producing Livestrong gear, but will continue to support the foundation separately.Continue reading...

Former pro cyclist George Hincapie made his name for being one of the sport’s top domestiques, the riders that work alongside the eventual winners of the big events such as the Tour de France. Hincapie rode with three of that race’s big winners, including Lance Armstrong, a man he found himself testifying against last year as the Armstrong Myth crumbled.

In the midst of all that, the 39-year-old Hincapie admitted that he had used performance-enhancing drugs at some point in his career and accepted a six-month ban from the sport. Not a big deal since he had already announced his retirement. 

But after 19 years of cycling, Hincapie didn’t just spend his time eating whatever he wanted to and watching TV. Nope. The guy decided to open a hotel—for cyclists. Later this summer, Hincapie will open Hotel Domestique, a 13-room high-end hotel in South Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. According to Forbes, the hilltop retreat will feature a “small bike shop with onsite mechanic, preset suggested ride routes, and high-end rental road and mountain bikes from Hincapie’s last team sponsor, Switzerland’s BMC Racing.”Continue reading...

Apple posts first profit drop in a decade.

AP Twitter hack results in brief panic on Wall Street.

Coach prepares for change as Creative Director announces exit.

Lance Armstrong is accused of defrauding US in lawsuit.

BlackBerry brings back keyboard phone as part of rebirth.

Coke launches 61 unique websites for new teen-focused campaign as company's board also undergoes youth movement.

Dell approves executive-retention bonuses.

FedEx fends off rivals for US Postal contract.

Ford sees profits rise to North American record, offsetting losses in Europe.Continue reading...

Winning takes care of everything. Or so says Nike. 

The sporting goods giant posted a quickly contentious image on its Nike Golf Facebook and Twitter accounts this week in the wake of Tiger Woods’ record-tying eighth victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational showing the newly-(re)crowned world No. 1-ranked golfer sizing up a putt. The slogan, “Winning takes care of everything,” a favorite saying of Woods since 2009, is front and center. At the bottom, of course, is Nike’s famous swoosh—alongside the word, “Victory.”

Nike says the statement references Woods’ perseverance to return to the top of his sport and is a salute to his athletic performance. But everything? Please. Sports fans weren’t the only ones who devoured every titillating detail of Woods’ personal life when it was exposed following his late 2009 admission of multiple extra-marital affairs.Continue reading...

LIVESTRONG is still very much alive as it strives to move out from under the enormous shadow cast by its founder, disgraced cycling champion Lance Armstrong.

A new brand refresh involving a new logo and addition of the word “Foundation” was revealed during the State of the Foundation address at the Livestrong Assembly last week in Chicago, expanding the “visual brand to show that the LIVESTRONG ethos—the belief in survivorship—is not abstract. Thousands of people and many critical programs are the “Foundation” beneath that ethos.”

“After its founder Lance Armstrong was publicly revealed to be a cheater, a liar, and a complete and utter d**khead,” comments Mediabistro, “it was hard to believe the LIVESTRONG foundation would survive the fall-out. After all the charity, which aims to provide free cancer support services for those battling the disease, had its brand so tied to Armstrong’s own story that when Armstrong lost all credibility, it seemed like he would take LIVESTRONG down with him.”

The disgraced cyclist had his seven Tour de France victories wiped from the record books, may be stripped of the Legion d'Honneur and faces being deposed in several pending cases which altogether leave him liable for more than $100 million.Continue reading...

Yahoo! teams up with Facebook for social site revamp as Marissa Mayer puts her stamp on the homepage.

GE sues Whirlpool over alleged price fixing in Europe.

New York Times puts Boston Globe on the block.

AB InBev updates Modela discussions with DOJ.

Alamo targets broader audience.

Apple files patent for slap version of rumored iWatch.

AT&T expands partnership with BMW.

Boeing plans to propose package of fixes for Dreamliner.

Burger King unveils new ads with a human element.Continue reading...

Oscar Pistorius was a man once known for being the fastest double-leg amputee on the planet. Now that the so-called Blade Runner has been charged with murder for the shooting death of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp early Valentine’s Day morning, his sponsors, who pay out about $2 million to Pistorius annually, are moving just as quickly as Pistorius to figure out how to deal with the sudden PR nightmare.

Nike’s attachment to Pistorius was compounded by the fact that an ad featuring the Olympian used the tagline, “I’m the bullet in the chamber.” It was pulled from Pistorius’s website on Thursday, Ad Age reports. The victim's tweets before her murder also created a social media nightmare for anyone or any company attached to the paralympic athlete.

"Nike extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to all families concerned following this tragic incident," his sponsor said in a statement. "As it is a police matter, Nike will not comment further at this time." Two other sponsors, Oakley and BP Global, both used the word “shocked” in their statements on the issue. Thierry Mugler fragrances had nothing to say other than it was waiting to see what happens with the investigation.

British Telecom, better known as BT, also went the “appalled” route with its statement: "Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy. Given the ongoing legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further."Continue reading...

Honda's "Innovator Series" attempts to position the automaker with envelope-pushing individuals.

With the Super Bowl over, many auto brands in the U.S. market are picking up in their marketing programs where they left off late last year. And while the eight brands that advertised during the game are all trying to extend those new advertising platforms in various ways (mainly through social media), others are turning — or rather, turning back — to associating themselves with innovation. Nissan, Honda, Ford and Lexus are among those employing the approach.

In fact, a new ranking of innovative companies across all industries, by Boston Consulting Group, gives automakers ten slots in the top 50, the highest total for the car industry since the consultancy began its ranking in 2005. Hyundai is ranked No. 10; Toyota, 11; Ford, 12; Kia, 13; BMW, 14; Nissan, 22; Audi, 25; GM, 29; and Renault, 34. VW dropped to 45th in this survey from 15th overall in 2010, the last time senior executives were polled.

Continue reading...