Big Auto is begging for a bailout. So it's no surprise that automotive marketers dropped an overall 10% in their ad spending through the first half of 2008 to $6.1 billion--with only the import brands improving on average overall. The big U.S. automotives have been in major cutback mode--with possibly more to come in the second half of the year. The biggest, General Motors, slipped 6% to $1.2 billion. ...Read the whole story

Ford CEO Alan Mulally said the domestics have a competitive and sustainable future and that government-proffered liquidity for the domestics will cost less than doing nothing. "As a relative newcomer to this industry, I have the benefit of seeing the auto business and its transformation clearly. I see parallels with what I witnessed at Boeing after the 9/11 tragedy and the steps we took to transform commercial airplane business," he said. ...Read the whole story

If teens and tweens aren't necessarily going to spend in this economy, perhaps a child can lead the retail charge. Yes, those kids still too young to shop for themselves are doing okay -- thanks to their parents -- if third-quarter results from The Children's Place are any indication. ...Read the whole story

The trade group is launching an advertising and PR campaign in February, and hopes that the $2.5 million effort will reach some 25 million consumers next year. "The demographic for those who buy organic has broadened, and there are so many more venues now selling organic products," says Barbara Haumann, senior writer/editor for the group. "But there's also a lot of confusion, and we wanted to help set the record straight." ...Read the whole story

"That fact that people care enough to tweet or blog about Motrin indicates that there's passion about the brand," says Reggie Bradford, CEO of Vitrue, a firm that helps global Fortune 500 brands engage with customers through social media. "Motrin should now be able to take the feedback, continue the conversation, and harness that passion for the positive." ...Read the whole story

The dynamics of building a strong brand on a global basis are complex and challenging and there is good reason to believe that it may ... ...More