brand news
Posted by Dale Buss on May 16, 2013 09:20 AM

Walmart posts mixed results, expects "challenging" quarter; earnings report also discloses $73M expenses related to foreign bribery probes.
Microsoft to Google: We need APIs to fix YouTube app.
Abercrombie & Fitch signs Bangladesh safety agreement as deadline passes for Gap deal.
Apple defends brand (but not Steve Jobs) in US book price-fixing suit.
Boeing and GE hunt for engine defect in 777s.
Campbell Soup uses digital marketing to target Millennials.
Capri-Sun targeted by German ad watchdog for misleading marketing.
Cisco profit is boosted by services.Continue reading...
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brand news
Posted by Dale Buss on May 14, 2013 09:26 AM

BMW is investing 3 billion euros in EVs and marketing.
AP execs outraged over government probe of phone records.
Sony is targeted for breakup by American investor.
Airbus aims to steal limelight from Boeing at upcoming Paris Air Show.
Amazon workers go on strike in Germany.
BNP Paribas eyes mobile and online banking.
Citibank says "no fees" means "never."
Coach approached Tory Burch about a deal.
Coca-Cola faces claim that Coke top-secret recipe has been found.Continue reading...
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brand news
Posted by Dale Buss on May 13, 2013 09:33 AM

Bangladesh plans to raise pay for garment workers and allow unions.
ABC veteran Barbara Walters announces 2014 retirement as Disney plans to live-stream ABC programming via app and cloud.
Yum! sales in China fall 29 percent in April.
ABB says CEO plans to resign.
Audi outsells BMW brand globally — again.
Bloomberg admits use of its terminals for data snooping.
CBS chief touts TV over digital engagement.
Cisco tries reinvention in tough time.
Danone sets deal to acquire Happy Family brand.Continue reading...
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place branding
Posted by Mark J. Miller on May 6, 2013 03:36 PM

Before NBC’s The Office hit the airwaves nine seasons ago, the folks of Scranton, Penn., were a little weary about a sitcom calling the coal-mining town home. After all, as the Scranton Times Tribune points out, the city had been the butt of jokes on All in the Family, Friends, and The Sopranos. The Championship Season, the 1973 Pulitzer winner for Drama about a high school championship team in Scranton that gets together 20 years later, doesn’t exactly leave theatergoers feeling like they want to rush off to visit the place.
Now, the series that focuses on the employees of the Dunder Mifflin paper company is coming to a close and Scrantonites seem to be pleased with how the series gave “a steady supply of residual pop culture cachet.” That cachet won’t come to an end when the series airs its final episode on May 16. It’ll fade with time, but Office love is probably at its peak in Scranton right about now, especially after the show’s cast members, writers and creative team paid a visit this past weekend as part of a big “Wrap Party,” Entertainment Weekly reports.
Along with them came about 10,000 fans who wanted to celebrate the legacy of the sitcom. The stars of the show were paraded through town, signed autographs with fans, sang old tunes to the adoring masses and sat through an extended Q&A.Continue reading...
More about: TV, Entertainment, NBC, Place Branding, Tourism, The Office, Scranton, Pennsylvania, Dunder Mifflin, Quill, Staples
sports in the spotlight
Posted by Mark J. Miller on May 3, 2013 02:43 PM

You'll never know how much you miss something until it's gone, right? Well, that seems to be the case for the NHL, who, after spending months fiddling around with contract negotiations and delaying the start of the season, is seeing record viewership numbers for televised games.
The abbreviated season finally got under way in January (after Nike reminded the big wigs at the NHL who's really the boss). But NBC Sports had a few tricks up their sleeve to ramp up excitement in a shorter amount of time.
Viewership during the regular season went up 18 percent over last year, Forbes reports, making this the most-watched regular season in 19 years. Seven of the top eight NHL telecasts of the season came during NHL Sports Network’s new Wednesday Night Rivalry, which featured games between some of the league’s longest and feistier rivals. It drew some of the larger sponsors, too, including Discover and Verizon.Continue reading...
digital moves
Posted by Sheila Shayon on April 25, 2013 03:34 PM

Yahoo just scored the rights to nearly four decades of Saturday Night Live episodes in a deal with Broadway Video Entertainment. Starting in September, the best clips since 1975 will be available on the web portal, exclusively, for one year.
CEO Marissa Mayer’s move is a video content coup for Yahoo, securing a foothold and media buzz for the brand looking to capture cultural zeitgeist and marketer mindshare.
"As a fan, I couldn't be more excited," wrote Mayer in a blog post. "Blues Brothers, the Coneheads, Church Chat, Wayne’s World, Coffee Talk, Pat, the Hanukkah Song, the list of tremendous clips goes on and on. Saturday Night Live has pervaded and defined our culture for decades."Continue reading...
brand news
Posted by Dale Buss on April 22, 2013 09:31 AM

Dirce Navarro de Camargo, Brazil's richest woman and owner of Havaianas, dies at 100.
Apple faces criticism over Siri's long memory as market expects it to report profit drop.
Nutrisystem joins forces with Walmart in retail push.
Amazon asks viewers for help in selecting which pilots to turn into original TV series.
Ahold donates a half-million dollars to Boston fund.
Boeing will see timeline of Dreamliner return to skies vary widely around globe.
Chipotle sees expansion of US investigation into its hiring.
Clorox aims to expand market for Green Works beyond niche.
Coach fights to keep its cachet as competition rises.
Comedy Central plans to use Twitter to host comedy festival.Continue reading...
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brand news
Posted by Dale Buss on April 19, 2013 09:19 AM

IBM may sell part of its server unit to Lenovo, misses estimates for first time since 2005 and struggles to deal with mobile computing shift.
AB InBev reportedly strikes deal with US on Modelo acquisition, as Busch heir resigns from NRA in wake of gun control bill's defeat in US Senate.
Dell sees Blackstone end its pursuit.
Adidas brings out "Boston Stands As One" t-shirt as CVS Caremark pledges to raise money for bombing victims, along with JetBlue and other companies.
Al Jazeera pushes back U.S. launch date.
Amazon may be unveiling mobile payments solution according to patent filing.
The Atlantic magazine plans to launch paid digital content.
Avis taps celebrities to target "professionals" in new ad campaign.
BBC America and Twitter announce content-sharing partnership.
Boeing may see FAA clearance for Dreamliner as early as today.Continue reading...
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