Airbus faces order by European regulators for checks of all A380 jets.

Anheuser-Busch demonstrates new emphasis on sophisticated consumers in its advertising as Bud Light enlists Weego, the Super Bowl dog, to continue buzz.

Apple's iPhone reportedly squeezing carriers.

Buffalo Wild Wings rejoices that NFL season came off.

Chrysler sees no let-up in criticism of Eastwood ad as plot thickens.

Coca-Cola boosts marketing and branding investment as word comes that its Super Bowl livestream exceeded expectations.

Disney sells out Oscars advertising on ABC.Continue reading...

Apple hires Dixons CEO as new retail chief, while iPad sales propel Apple to top of PC market over HP. Apple patent challenger Samsung, meanwhile, faces EU inquiry.

AT&T names new strategy officer in management shuffle.

Bang & Olufsen debuts cheaper line of high-tech gadgets.

Belstaff brings luxury leather jackets to London and New York with dual flagships.

BSKyB to start movie service rivaling Netflix.

BlackBerry-maker RIM posts corporate governance report indicating why co-CEO role was scrapped.

Carrefour names yet another CEO in turnaround struggle.Continue reading...

Whatever opinion one might hold of "The Donald," there's no denying that Donald Trump is a master of publicity.

The relentless self-promoter has transcended his notoriety in real estate. He has morphed into a national celebrity due to his appearances on his own reality television shows ("You're fired!" made him a household star on NBC's The Apprentice) and, more recently, his short run as a Presidential candidate, where he got plenty of press for questioning the authenticity of President Obama's birth certificate.

But why stop there? Trump is also a best-selling author, and his latest book, Time to Get Tough, is already stirring up a bit of controversy. 

In the book, Trump makes the expansive claim that his net worth is something on the order of $7 billion — around $4 billion more than Forbes' estimate of the mogul's net worth. A close look at the numbers Trump reports includes assets of $1.37 billion in commercial properties, $1.22 billion in private clubs, $652 million in co-owned properties, $261 million in properties in development, and $20 million for the Miss Universe pageant (Trump's estimate of value). He says he's sitting on top of $270 million in cash and debt of $379 million.

Uh, excuse me, but that doesn't add up, does it? That's because, according to Trump, his biggest asset is something he calls "brand value," which he estimates to be around $3 billion.Continue reading...

AIG's former CEO, Hank Greenberg, sues U.S. government and Federal Reserve Bank for $25 billion over takeover.

Bill Gates testifies in Novell suit vs. Microsoft.

Cadbury's trademarks its distinctive shade of purple.

David Beckham's legacy starts to be assessed as Los Angeles Galaxy ending looms and Paris beckons.

Donald Trump estimates the Trump name's worth at $3 billion.

eBay buys Hunch to help discern individuals' taste. 

GE expands to Iraq.

GM retools former Saturn site and prepares to manufacture China autos in Egypt.

HP reports spending $3.3 billion on WebOS as Meg Whitman sets course for turnaround.Continue reading...

Markets rally as Sunday night's U.S. debt limit deal goes before Congress for a vote today as Twitter explodes over deal.

Airbnb investor suggests ransacked woman is lying.

Al Jazeera English launches in New York.

Ambassador Coffee brand changes hands.

Apple wins dispute over iPods.com domain.

Bank of America hit with new Countrywide lawsuit.

Bloomberg Businessweek to hike paid circulation.Continue reading...

AOL considers paid content.

Ben & Jerry's kicks off food truck in San Francisco with free ice-cream.

Bloomberg pushes for a wider TV audience.

Cadbury's Naomi Campbell ad ruled not racist.

Cartier joins Burberry, Louis Vuitton and other luxury brands by launching Youku video channel in China.

Cisco turnaround takes longer than expected.

Coca-Cola accuses Goldman Sachs of manipulating prices.Continue reading...

Here at brandchannel, we love the idea of brand licensing. Indeed, after all the work of building a strong, championed brand, why not leverage it a little?

The key is "a little." All brand owners dream of seeing their brand cross that line where consumers begin to willingly self-identity with it, whether that's by wearing a t-shirt or using a brand-licensed credit card.

Consider Trump licensing his name in India, or Everlast licensing to Sears. Everybody's doing it. One category of brands making substantial changes to the brand licensing approach is the automotive sector.

Ford and Lamborghini just launched online marketplaces to sell their merchandise in addition to already established relationships at retail outlets.

Intrigued to find out more, we interviewed Michael Stone, founder and CEO of brand licensing specialist Beanstalk, which has worked with Ford, Harley-Davidson, Land Rover and Stanley, about the benefits and pitfalls of brand licensing as a marketing tactic.Continue reading...

* Donald Trump has launched Trump Tea, with four blends named after his favorite places, including New York's Union Square.

* Tiffany & Co. sales increased almost 10% in the second quarter, with half of sales now outside the US.

* LVMH is reportedly eyeing sister-owned fashion label Rodarte as an acquisition, and is now a part-owner of China's Emperor Watch and Jewellery brand, where it sees a big opportunity among Chinese wealthy.

* Chloe's next CEO will be Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye, a French luxury vet with tenures at LVMH and Disney. He replaces Ralph Toledano, who unexpectedly exited this week.Continue reading...