Verizon Communications will launch a blog by the end of the year to create a no-holds barred "all issues on the table" dialogue with consumers--and will support it with a round-the-clock response team. Jerri DeVard, svp of marketing and brand management, unveiled the plan during a panel on consumer engagement on Monday. ...Read the whole story

Seeking to pump up its leadership position among individual investors and policy makers, Fidelity Investments has developed a plan to provide research reports, host seminars and create at least one annual conference that will showcase emerging ideas and solutions for financial challenges. ...Read the whole story

The Never-Ending Pasta Bowl Promotion is keeping sales cooking at the Italian restaurant chain while the overall casual restaurant category is soft. ...Read the whole story

A panel of attorneys at the NAD Annual Conference in New York said it's harder to discern between puffery and denigration in advertising these days. But here's why it matters. ...Read the whole story

The Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) is days away from completing a review of its guidelines. Speakers at an industry conference on advertising regulation said changes couldn't come too soon, as Congress considers sharpening laws on how companies market to kids. ...Read the whole story