Indra Nooyi, the Indian-American executive who has been instrumental in PepsiCo's expansion beyond carbonated soft drinks, is expected to continue her forward-looking global outlook as chief executive. When she takes the helm Oct. 1, PepsiCo will be the largest U.S. corporation, based on market value, to be led by a woman. The market reacted positively to her appointment after the surprise announcement on Monday that CEO Steven Reinemund plans to step down to spend more time with his family. "She not only co-authored our vision and drafted our strategic blueprint," Reinemund said, "she has a sharp talent for turning insightful …

Dell's announced recall of more than 4 million lithium-ion notebook computer batteries may eliminate any goodwill the beleaguered computer maker has gained in recent months as it tries to improve lapses in its customer service. And it's an added blow to an already sluggish sales climate. The recall, one of the largest in the history of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is likely to prompt many consumers to call with questions or complaints. Dell, the world's largest PC maker, says it has cut the number of call transfers by 45 percent since last year, and has reduced hold times …

Declining sales are having a bad ripple effect. Too many dealers are chasing a shrinking pool of customers for its cars and trucks, so the Ford Motor Co. is planning to reduce its dealership network. The plan, which was announced to dealers at a meeting last week, will be "voluntary and collaborative," according to a spokesman. Nationwide, Ford dealers sold an average of 696 new vehicles each, compared to the average of 1,613 for Toyota dealers. Ford has 4,300 U.S. dealers selling the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands, and the average dealer's profit has dropped 10 percent this year.

Sharp sales declines among the big casual-dining chains in the $331 billion restaurant industry have analysts and marketers worried. Analysts are questioning whether the slide is a response to escalating consumer energy costs and rising interest rates or a long-term trend. The slump in second-quarter business is the worst since 1991. Although restaurants represent only 4 percent to 6 percent of consumer disposable income, restaurant patronage is viewed as a leading economic indicator. Casual-dining chains reported a 0.2 percent decline in same-store sales during the second quarter, while quick-service chains reported a 1.8 percent gain, according to John Glass, restaurant …

When it comes to high-priced technology decisions, most executives trust their colleagues and peers more than any other source. That's the upshot of research done by Marketing Sherpa and CNET into what drives technology-buying decisions. Word of mouth was No. 1 at 48.3 percent. Conferences and trade shows were No. 2 at 41.9 percent, and print magazines were No. 3 at 40.6 percent. (Respondents could give more than one answer, so it added up to far more than 100 percent.) What were the least effective marketing media? Email from a company unknown to the recipient limped in at 4 percent …

Bowing to apparent shareholder pressure, Citigroup has slashed its media spending across cable TV, magazines and the Internet for the second half of the year, reports Advertising Age. In some cases, cable deals were killed in the middle of negotiations, and print ads pulled that were already scheduled to run. "It's an earnings-related thing," says one magazine executive. "The promise was being held out that the second half was going to be big." It was uncertain how network TV will be affected. Citigroup spent $120 million on cable, online and magazines in the second half of 2005.

New York Times advertising columnist Stuart Elliott is back from a three-week, 16-state, 3,989-mile road trip, and reports the country is growing increasingly homogenized. But he found a few surprises. Trend #1: Higher-priced, better-quality products are becoming part of the mainstream. Starbucks is now as common at Interstate rest stops as the fast-food mainstays. Motel chains are stocking upscale toiletries. Billboards peddle high-end brands like Pom Wonderful pomegranate beverages and Rolex and Breitling watches. Trend #2: High tech is penetrating the heartland. Free high-speed Internet access, free wireless and Wi-Fi hot spots are available at lower-priced motel chains like Quality …

Sony's holiday ad blitz ranges from celebrity athlete endorsements to the viral antics of thumb puppets that behave like sorority sisters. Pro golfer Michelle Wie will appear in fourth-quarter TV and print efforts for Sony's Bravia, Vaio, Walkman, digital still cameras and its new Mylo wireless broadband communications device. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning will tout the Bravia flat-screen HDTV in a series of choose-your-own-ending commercials. Ads targeting teens and students feature viral clips starring the sorority girls. Says one: "Get off your cell phone and concentrate on your cellulite because you're grossing us out ... I just vomited a …

Apparel retailers are turning to promotions such as free movies and music downloads to tempt back-to-school shoppers to buy blue jeans. Chains must market harder this season because new muted, skinny-leg styles are not the same must-haves as last year's embroidered and ripped jeans. American Eagle Outfitters offered customers free movie passes just to try on jeans. Sears is giving away free music downloads with the purchase of Levi's at its new college-oriented Web site.

Julia Schwartz is a typical 14-year-old social butterfly: text messaging her friends on her cell phone (when she's not using it to make video clips), surfing iTunes, instant messaging on her laptop, watching TV, and keeping her mother at bay with vague responses to what she's doing. A new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll that surveyed the habits of 12- to 24-year-old females found that they are more likely to multitask than boys of their age group. "Today it's the girls at the front of generational change," economist and historian Neil Howe says. The girls of Julia's age were influenced by …