• Wal-Mart Offers To Cash Stimulus Checks - For Free by Sarah Mahoney

    [Retail] It also unveiled a new package of rollbacks-not on splurge items like consumer-electronics or jewelry, but in the grocery aisles. Rollbacks will include such items as shampoo, breakfast juice, lunch meat and cereal bars. Over the coming weeks, Wal-Mart says it will unveil "additional rollbacks to help shoppers stretch their dollars." ...Read the whole story

  • Google CEO Foresees Advertising, Technology Cozying Up by Laurie Sullivan

    [Trends] For Google, advertising nirvana occurs when the search giant can return the exact answer for each query, accompanied with one perfectly targeted ad. "Eventually, maybe what we can do is guarantee advertisers who pay us money--and this is my fantasy, the sale," Schmidt says. "If we can get to that level of that specificity, advertising will no longer be a marketing expense. It becomes a sales expense." ...Read the whole story

  • Makers Of Large Vehicles Just Can't Keep Truckin' On by Karl Greenberg

    [Automotive] "GM needs to do something more; it's tragic that it's the second-to-the-newest pickup in the segment--Toyota's Tundra is only six months newer--and they should not be the biggest loser in the segment," says one industry analyst. GM's truck problem will be exacerbated this summer when Ford bows a new F 150 and Dodge its new Ram, says another. "And so you will have Silverado and Sierra going against brand-new models." ...Read the whole story

  • As New Media Grow As Marketing Tools, So Do Metrics by Kelly Shermach

    [Strategy] "The ability to track the popularity of videos in comparison with other videos during the same time period across different locations could help tailoring and testing of messages," says Kristen Manion, Delta's general manager of direct marketing. "It may also be possible to use these metrics to plan promotional campaigns." ...Read the whole story

  • VW Takes A Stab At Polling To Engage A Younger Consumer by Karl Greenberg

    [Automotive] Global Insight's Aaron Bragman says the brand is trying to juxtapose a young-skewing, value-oriented message, although their models tend to be priced more in the near-premium range. "Consumers have been confused by $50,000 SUVs, $16,000 Rabbits, and luxury sedans. "[VW is] still struggling to find the right marketing message--and product--for the U.S." ...Read the whole story

  • Domino's To Do Some Heavy Lifting To Buoy U.S. Sales by Nina Lentini

    [Restaurants] In a conference call with analysts, CEO David Brandon described what he calls a "barbell strategy that is appropriate for us." One end is the current 4-4-4- promotion, which provides an alternative for customers looking for "a smaller-ticket opportunity to participate in the brand." The other is a premium line that would appeal to "many of our customers who are not as price-sensitive." ...Read the whole story

Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18K by []

VehicleMSRPKBB Value 1 '08 Ford Focus$15,280$14,942 2 '08 Honda Fit $14,585 $14,585 3 '08 Jeep Patriot $16,055 $15,894 4 '08 Mazda3 $17,230 $16,799 5 '08 ... ...More

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