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...

AT&T posts $4-billion quarterly profit and sells 3.7 million iPhones (click here for highlights).

Amazon pursues careful state-sales-tax strategy.

Apple and Samsung gear up for "patent trial of the century" as Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7 is banned in EU.

Apple is expected to beat estimates in today's earnings conference call, if not a blowout.

BMW invests in EV-charging network.

Billabong gets lower takeover offer.

Capital One deceptive-marketing fine "unlikely" to change its strategy.Continue reading...

Nielsen this week released its list of the top advertisements of the year.

“The lists demonstrate that reality and scripted shows continued to find innovative ways to integrate brands into their broadcast primetime programming. The best liked ads reflect the enduring value of traditional ad elements that have withstood the test of time – strong creative, simple and engaging messaging, and a solid emotional connection,” says Nielsen in a blog post.

The commercials must have aired in U.S. primetime on a broadcast channel any time from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, 2011. The Likeability Score is the percentage of TV viewers who report to like “a lot” an ad they were exposed to during the normal course of viewing TV, with these scores indexed against the mean score for all new ads during the period (Likeability Index). (100) equals average.

The #1 best-liked ad is Volkswagen's Star Wars nod of a Super Bowl ad ("The Force," or as many called it, "Little Darth Vader") for its new Passat, at top, which scored 231 on Nielsen's Likeability Index. Read about the rest of the top 10 below.Continue reading...

Watch the big diet companies and you might think they're playing a game of who can snag the most high-profile celebrity spokesperson. The latest VIP dieters for hire: Charles Barkley, the NBA pro turned TV sportscaster, who tried Weight Watchers on his own and will now be featured in the company's "Lose Like a Man" campaign which starts the day after Christmas, according to the New York Times. Janet Jackson, meanwhile, was revealed today as the new face of Nutrisystem.Continue reading...

Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile branded ‘Life is for sharing’ campaign reached new heights and lights in a multi-city, multi-media show starring Mariah Carey, witnessed live by thousands of Europeans in a hologram delivered simultaneously in Germany, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Poland, as well as streamed via the lifeisforsharing.tv channel.

Carey’s holographic form which appeared to be dancing with real dancers before her image burst into sky, was created using Musion technology’s Musion Eyeliner, a digital variation of a stage illusion called Pepper's Ghost, with HD video projection or LED screens that project images into a live stage setting.Continue reading...

It's almost the time of year again for weight-loss brands to make hay while the sun shines. And Jenny Craig is stepping up in a big way.

The leading diet brand is overhauling its approach for the post-holidays weight-loss season, adopting a new, more holistic positioning that goes beyond simple dieting. The brand has begun a relationship with the American Heart Association, supporting local efforts and reaching out to moms over their concerns about childhood obesity.

Jenny Craig has dropped its surname, to go with just "Jenny," and has recruited a slimmed-down Mariah Carey to serve as Jenny's brand icon and celebrity spokesperson.

"'Jenny' has a greater vision," CEO Dana Fiser told brandchannel. "We can do good work. Overweight is, of course, a huge part of the population. And we're concerned about children. We really think with this new brand platform and the American Heart Association that we can help modify behaviors with mothers and also influence the behaviors of children."Continue reading...

With its latest collaboration, Target is going from Missoni to Tony. It's not exactly resurrecting the Rat Pack, but the retailer's new deal with Tony Bennett underscores one thing: Retro is cool.

The mass retailer has always been known for pace-setting deals with, for example, name product designers that have kept Target on the watch lists of style-conscious young women — and typically out of the same sentence with "Walmart." Target's hit (and sold out) collaboration with Missoni is the latest example of that.

While its exclusive promotion with the 85-year-old crooner isn't quite on the Missoni scale, this one also involves a collaboration with a venerable brand of Italian descent. In announcing that it will offer an exclusive version of Tony Bennett's new studio album, Duets II, beginning today, Target is laying down yet another marker of its cultural relevance.Continue reading...

Alfa Romeo lures European auto giants. 

AOL said to acquire Outside.In, a hyperlocal media network.

Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Nelly Furtado caught up in Gaddafi scandal.

BP denies bonuses to three top executives over oil spill. 

Burberry designer lauded for tech savvy by Vogue.

Chevrolet readies experiential events for SXSW. 

Chrysler recalls a quarter-million vehicles, while spider prompts Mazda recall.Continue reading...