In a move that could foreshadow similar developments in the a United States, European soft drink marketers are considering dropping all advertising that targets kids under 12 and removing vending machines from primary schools. The moves are designed to fight a growing childhood obesity problem in the European Union, not unlike to the one plaguing U.S. kids that has come under fire from government agencies and consumer activist groups. The proposals were presented to the European Commission by an industry group called UNESDA that includes Coca-Cola Corp. and PepsiCo. Under the proposal, vending machines would no longer be placed in …

Dan Henson, an 18-year veteran at General Electric, has been named the company's new CMO. Henson, who previously served as chief commercial officer of GE's commercial finance department, succeeds Beth Comstock, who was promoted last month to president of digital media and marketing at GE's NBC Universal. Henson will oversee all of the company's marketing and sales efforts and be responsible for promoting GE's new products, technologies and environmental efforts, as well as its global training program for sales and marketing staff. Since 1920, GE's estimated $140 million advertising account has been handled by Omnicom Group's BBDO, New York.

In yet another Super Bowl tie-in, pizza chain Papa John's is introducing a free pizza contest to consumers. This one is called the "Go Deep Challenge," and winners are determined by the players' performance. If the quarterback for either team--the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Seattle Seahawks--"goes deep" and throws a touchdown pass of more than 85 yards, the current Super Bowl record, then all entrants win a large pie, redeemable online. Those who register for the contest online will also receive a redemption code good for two free 20-ounce Coca-Cola products with an online purchase of a large Papa's Perfect …

Heineken is offering beer drinkers a chance to win a trip to the Grammy Awards show in Los Angeles next month in a promotion that uses jukeboxes in bars and restaurants as its centerpiece. Consumers can enter the contest through the Ecast network of jukeboxes in 5,000 locations or through several Web sites. The promotion includes virtual signage and video advertising on the jukeboxes, but also offers chances to play trivia games to win free song plays or the chance to "Go Totally Live" to the Grammys. Mike McCann, Heineken USA director-integrated marketing promotions and sponsorships, said that in the …

Buzz is becoming big business.  As marketers have discovered the power of buzz marketing, also known as word-of-mouth advertising, practitioners of the discipline are becoming important players on the national marketing scene and attracting not only big-name clients, but serious investors as well.  For example, BzzAgent of Boston, recently featured in a Wall Street Journal article, is raising $14 million from venture capitalists to expand its business.  Its clients include Volkswagen and Anheuser-Busch, and the company has trained 130,000 people to talk to other people about products. It's a growing, $100 million to $150 million advertising sector, with perhaps …

Twenty years ago the term "global marketing" was a major buzzword in marketing circles. Coined and popularized by Harvard marketing professor Theodore Levitt, it meant that a brand could be packaged, advertised and marketed the same way in any country in the world. The goal was for brands to be like Coca-Cola, a familiar icon worldwide. Today, the reality is somewhat different, especially when it comes to packaging. Marketers are finding that, despite their best effort, when former House Speaker Tip O'Neill famously said "all politics is local," he might as well have been talking about the marketing of consumer …

Anheuser-Busch not only wants consumers to buy its products, it also wants viewers of upcoming Super Bowl XL to think the company's beer ads are funny. The giant brewer has bought more commercial time in the game than any other advertiser--a whopping five minutes at an estimated rate of more than $2.4 million per 30-second spot--but the company wants more than simple exposure to the game's 90 million viewers. It also wants to win the battle for coveted word-of-mouth watercooler talk the next day about which ads were the best, and it is hoping to come out on top in …

In a marketing test, online retailer Amazon.com is offering select users a free three-month membership in Amazon Prime delivery service. The company said the test began in the fourth quarter of last year and that participants were selected randomly. Amazon Prime was launched last February. For $79 a year, members receive unlimited two-day shipping with no minimum order size. Customers can also pay $3.99 an item to upgrade to overnight shipping. Amazon wants to "remove barriers" from users sampling the program, company spokeswoman Patty Smith said, adding that once users are exposed to the program they discover they like it. …

Ford Motor is taking its case for survival directly to consumers in a new TV spot in which company CEO William Clay Ford, Jr., candidly presents the troubled automaker's situation to potential car buyers. The commercial will appear today, just two days after Ford announced sweeping changes that included the closure of as many as 14 factories and the dismissal of up to 30,000 employees. In the ad, titled "Rebirth," Ford tells viewers that his company is "determined to retake the American roadway." Anne Stevens, Ford's COO, said in an interview that if Ford was to overcome the perception it …

In an indication of just how far the Internet and online communications have come, Google has emerged as the most influential brand on the planet, according to an annual survey by online branding magazine brandchannel.com. Apple, the maker of the ubiquitous and amazingly successful iPod digital music player, came in second. The global poll queried more than 2500 branding professionals and students worldwide who, despite the online nature of the exercise, voted for a surprisingly high number of conventional candidates. Newcomers included the eBay-owned Web phone service Skype, which made its debut at No. 3.