Critics feeling that Michelle Obama has been overexposed lately, from presenting at the Oscars to mom-dancing with Jimmy Fallon, will have a hard time critiquing her latest move. The First Lady is expanding Let's Move, her three-year-old initiative to get kids moving and combat childhood obesity, and she's tapping one of the world's leading brands in the "get moving" space—Nike. 

NIKE, Inc. President & CEO Mark Parker joined First Lady Michelle Obama and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan in Chicago to announce Nike’s $50 million, five-year commitment to help launch a new Let's Move program for schools, an extension of the brand's involvement in the organization's Designed to Move study that found that only one in three American kids are active daily.Continue reading...

Reader’s Digest is filing for bankruptcy for the second time in three and a half years.

"Under a restructuring agreement supported by Wells Fargo & Co., $465 million of remaining senior notes will all convert to equity," explained CEO Robert Guth to Bloomberg. "The key message here is that we have a lot of confidence in the future of the business based upon the success of the ongoing operational transformation, but we haven’t had as much success with the balance sheet side of it and we need this process to help accelerate that."

"The Chapter 11 process, which will facilitate a significant debt reduction, will enable us to continue to redefine our business by focusing our resources on our strong North America publishing brands, which have shown a new vitality as a result of our transformation efforts, particularly in the digital arena," Guth stated in the press release announcing the restructuring.Continue reading...

Food Network welcomed the New Year with a new look, heralding its two decades of making a 24/7 food TV programmer a powerhouse brand (it turns 20 on Nov. 23rd). An updated logo and graphics package hit the air January 6th as part of a multiplatform roll-out, the first identity update since 1997. 

Working with Hollywood-based agency Troika, the refresh focuses on ‘Characters and Stories’ in promos that take the Scripps-owned cable network's programming beyond the food and around the table, as seen in on-air promos such as the one, above, for "Chef Wanted With Anne Burrell" or Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri's new reality series.

“Food Network has grown and we wanted to freshen-up our look and energy to better reflect our evolution into a broader, multi-platform entertainment brand,” said Susie Fogelson, SVP, Marketing and Brand Strategy, Food Network and Cooking Channel in a press release by parent Scripps Networks Interactive.

The refresh includes a “Smart” bug system to promote shows, activate social media conversations, navigate audiences across platforms, and drive business to Food Network’s other ventures, such as Food Network Magazine.Continue reading...

Abbott Laboratories looks to consumer for growth.

Amazon looks to produce its own TV programming.

BMW reports higher profits and more investments in future.

Best Buy sees departure of global CMO.

Caribou launches sparkling teas.

Chesapeake Energy goes on damage control after CEO apologizes for personal financial arrangements.

GM says profit strained by European losses.Continue reading...

Archie Comics celebrates gay marriage in new cover.

Bristol-Myers to buy Inhibitex for $2.5 billion.

CBS introduces all-new CBS This Morning show.

Cadillac unveils ATS small sedan as import-fighter at Detroit Auto Show, which signals a turnaround for the industry.

Chick-fil-A cuts calories in kids' meals.

CES loses clout as tech-industry platform.

Current TV and Keith Olbermann make up following election coverage dispute.

Denny's promotes healthier media options.

Disney marketing head MT Carney departs.

Dow sponsorship of London 2012 Olympics continues to raise hackles.Continue reading...

As the US population ages, the number of empty nesters grows exponentially. And typically, it's the mothers who suffer most as kids leave home. Many of them, it seems, "replace" their children with four-legged ones.

That's one of the reasons the pet industry continues to flourish. According to the American Pet Products Association, the US pet industry accounted for over $48 billion in sales last year. Almost $19 billion was spent by US consumers on pet food alone.

Freshpet wants to take a bite out of the pet food market with a new campaign targeting those empty nesters — in particular, women age 45 to 54 with household incomes of $100,000 and more.Continue reading...

Amazon misses Q1 earnings estimate. 

American Apparel gets $15M investment.

Apple's white iPhone 4 hits Best Buy on Wednesday.

Arizona Sun Devils ditch logo in rebranding.

AT&T CTO John Donovan talks up its cloud services.

CBS News anchor Katie Couric confirms to People she's stepping down.Continue reading...

Barneys New York creative director Simon Doonan invited celebrity chefs Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, Jamie Oliver and other professional foodies to help kick off the retail brand's food-themed holiday windows this year, in a bid "to prove that fashion and food are not exclusive."Continue reading...