RIM Shot: Critics Worry 'Shakeup' Augers More Of The Same by Thom Forbes

Blackberry parent company Research in Motion "is "bowing to critics and market forces," as the New York Times headline puts it, by replacing the co- CEOs who developed "the innovative device that was the first to reliably deliver email over airwaves." Thorsten Heins, who joined RIM in 2007 and most recently has been COO for software, hardware and sales, becomes CEO effective today. Mike Lazaridis, who co-founded RIM with a childhood friend in 1985, becomes vice chairman and will lead an "innovation committee," Ian Austen reports. Jim Balsillie, who invested $250,000 in the company in 1992, remains a director and will maintain his stake in the company. ...Read the whole story

  • automotive Scooters And Smaller Motorcycles Help Grow Market by Karl Greenberg

    Motorcycles and scooters are a discretionary spend? Maybe that was so in the past, but it's changing. As gasoline prices stay relatively high (and may go up again this summer), scooters and small motorcycle sales may benefit. ...Read the whole story

  • super bowl Why Animals Rock The Super Bowl by Sarah Mahoney

    Budweiser's magnificently predictable Clydesdales. A righteous pug kicking down doors for Doritos. Chimpanzee colleagues who misbehave in parking lots. Soulful beavers. Clearly, Super Bowls have a way of drawing out the beast in marketers. ...Read the whole story

  • retail Video Rental Stores On 'Life Support' by Aaron Baar

    The end of the video store is nigh. According to the NPD Group, consumer rentals of DVD and Blu-Ray movies fell 11% in 2011, compared with the previous year. And those that were rented came from Redbox, which increased its market share to 12% over the year. ...Read the whole story

  • food and beverages Kraft Cheese Veers A Bit From The Mainstream by Karlene Lukovitz

    The new campaign from Kraft Cheese is unusual because it spans five product lines, and because of its scale: With a budget of approximately $50 million, it's Kraft's single largest cheese/dairy campaign in a decade. ...Read the whole story

  • MetroPCS Gets Into Sports by Karl Greenberg

    Dallas-based wireless company MetroPCS is sponsoring the Olympic USA Basketball team with a road show called the "USA Basketball Dream Tour." The tour, which started in Orlando, visits 15 markets twice each over the next seven months. ...Read the whole story

Follow MediaPost