• Hyundai Needs Design Hierarchy, Says Schreyer
    Peter Schreyer, Kia's former design chief, now Hyundai Motor Group President. hopes to do for Hyundai what he has done for Kia. That includes creating an overarching family resemblance by giving Hyundai something along the lines of the successful "tiger nose" he has given to cars like the Kia Optima and Soul. Can he build a family resemblance while also sustaining the premium position of cars like Genesis and Equus? He answers this and other questions at the jump.
  • Five Brands Lead Omni-Channel Marketing
    Sixty percent of online adults in the U.K. and U.S. now use two or more devices every day. But only 7% of marketers feel able to deliver effective cross-channel marketing strategies. Five U.K. brands have been successful where others haven't: At the jump, read why John Lewis, British Airways, Virgin Trains, The National Lottery and digital retailer Argos are succeeding in cross-channel marketing.
  • Pepsi Continues Super Bowl Halftime Hype With Blake Shelton
    Pepsi has unveiled a commercial in which country music star Blake Shelton promotes the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show around "Hype the Halftime." Armed forces veterans are part of the effort, which includes an ad showing footage from a concert on the USS Lexington. A "Hype Your Hometown" promotion asks consumers to show support for their communities for the opportunity to win tickets to Super Bowl XLIX.
  • Hyundai And Kia Sales To Hit Eight Million, A Record
    Hyundai Motor Co. and its sibling Kia Motors Corp. are collectively heading for an all-time sales record of eight million this year. On the downside, Hyundai is facing serious pressure on earnings as the Korean won gains strength. That creates a disadvantage when compared to Japanese rivals who have watched earnings soar on the weak yen. Korean brands still lag well behind industry leader Toyota, which is expected to top 10 million sales this year, an industry first.
  • Best Buy's Dress Rehearsal
    Black Friday means atavistic behavior, lost kids, and great web videos of people behaving like throwbacks in big box stores. At Best Buy on Jefferson Davis Highway in Alexandria, Va., Rob Delissio the store's general manager, has it all figured out. For starters, he will only open the main entrance two feet to avoid mobs. And he has a "code Adam" for when a kid gets lost because the parents have maybe bartered him away for a flat screen TV. More tips at the jump.
  • Frozen Tops Xmas List For Girls
    Disney's "Frozen" has topped Barbie as the toy most parents plan to buy for their girls this season. It is the first time in 11 years that Barbie has not held the top spot, according to the National Retail Federation's top toys survey. One in five parents plans to buy "Frozen" merchandise for girls, while Barbie is on the shopping list of 16.8% of parents, per the group.
  • New Agency Sought For Corona Light And Modelo Especial
    Goodby Silverstein & Partners will no longer handle Constellation Brands' Corona Light and Modelo Especial. The Chicago-based beer importer is actively searching for a new agency for the two brands. The agency and marketer both said that the two parties mutually agreed to end their relationship. Corona Light hasn't gotten the same exposure as Corona Extra, which is handled by Chicago ad agency Cramer Krasselt. Goodby launched a campaign aimed at middle-age drinkers.
  • Chrysler's Pentastar Going Away For New FCA Logo
    With the formation of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles now complete, the stylized letters FCA as a logo now are appearing everywhere - from the corporate websites to Twitter accounts to the sign to the sign outside Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich., reports the "Detroit Free Press." The Pentastar, meanwhile, is largely being phased out - a move that has angered Chrysler fans and has spawned a Facebook page and a petition drive to save it.
  • Budweiser Waves Bye To Clydesdales
    Budweiser is switching from Clydesdales to hipsters as it tries to gain back some of its sliding market share. The horses have been in the brewer's ads for 27 years. But competition from craft beers, which younger people - who don't automatically see longevity as a badge of authenticity - prefer. It's not exactly (the brilliant) "True" campaign, and, sadly, nobody says "Wassup." But there are Millennials doing callouts to friends.
  • Nardini Steps Down At AOL Advertising
    Erika Nardini, AOL's marketing chief for its advertising division, is leaving the company at the end of the year. She will be succeeded by Allie Kline, CMO of AOL's ad-tech division. She will add Nardini's duties to her current responsibilities. Kline and Nardini both joined AOL in January last year, but since then the company's advertising technology and premium advertising businesses have begun to converge. In the third quarter of 2014, AOL's overall advertising revenue rose by 18%. AOL's ad-tech division contributed the largest piece of that revenue.
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