Best Buy--the largest consumer electronics chain in the U.S.--says it will recommend that its customers choose Sony's Blu-ray format when shopping for a high-definition DVD system, and online video rental company Netflix says it will phase out its HD DVD stock and exclusively offer Blu-ray. Best Buy president and CEO Brian Dunn says that the company has always believed that customers would benefit from a single format and feels that Blu-ray "is fast emerging as that single format." Its stores will still carry HD DVD but Blu-ray will be displayed more prominently. Netflix has stocked both Blu-ray …

Ian Beavis, Kia's vice president of marketing since May 2005, was let go on Friday along with CEO Len Hunt. Beavis--who was responsible for all marketing, advertising and product planning--is replaced for now by Tim Chaney, who had served as director of marketing communications. Above all, Beavis brought humor to the brand, which was fighting a perception of inferior quality and bland styling. Sales rose 11% to 305,473 under Beavis, per AutoData. No reason was been given far the joint departure, but sources say the two did not leave voluntarily. Kia dealers were advised of the departure of Beavis …

Trader Joe's plans to remove all single-ingredient items imported from China from its shelves by April 1. The grocery chain says it is responding to customer concerns after a string of discoveries of tainted goods from that country, but it doesn't detail what those concerns are or identify the products. Food safety experts say there is cause for concern. They cite the application in China of excess or dangerous pesticides, improper use of sewage for fertilizer and the use of illegal antibiotics in seafood farming. "China also still has a problem with corruption," says Jaydee Hanson, a policy analyst …

Burger King's laser-like focus on 18- to-24-year-old males has prompted a turnaround that has been easy to miss, given the phenomenal roll McDonald's has been on. Although its rebound isn't nearly as profitable or sustained as McDonald's, BK is demonstrating success after years of misdirection and turmoil with its franchisees. The company has recorded 16 consecutive quarters of growth in same-store sales. And in the last quarter, reported on Jan. 31, BK posted a remarkably strong 4.5% gain bolstered by the new ad campaign, the "Whopper Freakout." It also has sponsorships with the National Football League and Nascar and …

A new media research company, TRA (for "True ROI Accountability for Media") is merging data from people's cable set-top boxes with consumer-purchase databases to give marketers a clearer picture of who is watching shows such as "Grey's Anatomy" and what those viewers might buy. As the Web's ability to target specific consumers races ahead, TV advertisers have been under increasing pressure to demonstrate that their money is well-spent. Efforts to get more detailed data have been stymied because of the cost of developing panels and paying households to participate. TRA is using data from cable boxes to measure …

Frito-Lay's Tostitos will launch a year-long multi-platform campaign with Food Network's Simply Delicioso that's designed to leverage the breezy charms of the show's host, Ingrid Hoffman. The campaign targets women 25-54. The native of Colombia became Food Network's first Latina personality in July 2007. The emphasis on Simply Delicioso is on low-impact entertaining at home. Hoffman also hosts a Spanish-language show on Galavision/Univision; a recipe book (Random House) hits stores this month. Six 30-second on-air vignettes will show Hoffman whipping up a different, party-tested recipe with an assist from Tostitos products. A retail component will tease Food Network …

As several of the most storied franchises in sports replace their stadiums, sports marketing experts expect corporations to pay record amounts for the right to name them. Already sold for record numbers: rights to the New York Mets' new stadium, purchased by Citigroup for more than $400 million over 20 years. Next up, the Chicago Cubs--as its new owner, Sam Zell, says he wants revenue from the historic ballfield that still bears the name of a former owner that pays nothing to call the stadium Wrigley Field. But the deal expected to set naming rights records is the …