Starbucks is testing a 12-ounce cup of "fresh-pressed" coffee at $2.50 each in Seattle. The price is $2.25 in a Boston trial. Starbucks charges $1.55 for a regular brew. The new drink, made in a machine that brews each cup individually, may become part of CEO Howard Schultz's plan to increase traffic in the more than 15,000 stores of the world's largest coffee chain. It would be priced just less than the lattes and cappuccinos that are now among Starbucks' most expensive drinks. A 12-ounce cup of those drinks costs $2.55. Starbucks in Seattle is also experimenting with a …

Ford's new Fiesta small car--which was shown as a concept vehicle under the name Verve at recent auto shows--was formally unveiled yesterday. In a departure from recent marketing, it will go under one name in every market worldwide. Selling the same high-volume vehicle around the world has given a competitive advantage to Toyota and Honda. The Fiesta goes on sale in Europe this fall, with introductions in Asia, Australia, and North and South America to follow. It will compete with cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, which sell for about $15,000. The Fiesta nameplate has been …

In a deal that will be formally announced at a playground ribbon-cutting today in New Orleans, State Farm insurance is signing LeBron James--the Cleveland Cavaliers' 23-year-old All-Star forward--to a sponsorship agreement. Terms are not known. James will dedicate a new playground at the St. Bernard Recreation Center, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina and rebuilt in 2006. State Farm sponsored the project, the first installation of a national initiative by James' family foundation. James has been a State Farm customer since 2004. "We share many of the same goals and values," he says, "especially when it comes to …

State regulators have persuaded Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America--the biggest seller of annuities in California--to stop targeting the elderly with pitches allegedly designed to sell them pricey policies that could never pay off. Annuities are contracts that promise people who pay an upfront sum that they can depend on regular streams of future income. The agreement between Allianz and the state Department of Insurance requires the company to set up an internal review system to make sure sales agents do not pressure senior citizens into buying investment vehicles that cannot meet their needs. Allianz admits no …

The first of Borders Group future stores opens in Pittsfield Township, Michigan, today with a fresh, user-friendly approach to blending technology and entertainment. The first of 14 concept stores that will open in key markets around the country this year, it is critical to the bookseller's turnaround. Borders has formed partnerships with Internet companies such as Ancestor.com to help with genealogy searches and Shutterfly.com to support photo sharing. The store also features a digital center where people can make custom CDs from a library with 2.4 million songs. If customers want to publish their own book, there's a kiosk …

Citi is becoming the official credit card partner of Live Nation and will give it access to some 150 million customers--all of whom are potential concert-goers who will have access to Live Nation's pre-sales and preferred tickets, exclusive merchandise and VIP access. Citi bills itself as the world's largest credit-card issuer and Live Nation claims the title of world's largest concert promoter. In addition, Citi receives other opportunities to participate in future initiatives, such as venue-naming rights and tie-ins with Live Nation's forthcoming ticketing operation. Citi's brand and logo are also expected to be integrated into online and …

Liz Claiborne's impending sale of Ellen Tracy to a consortium of buyers led by Windsong Brands and Radius Group leaves only two brands--Mac & Jac and Kensie--of the 16 that Claiborne placed on strategic review in July with for-sale signs. Eight of the 16 brands have been sold, one is being kept, one is being licensed, two were folded into other brands, and two were closed. The new owners of Ellen Tracy plan to maintain the label as a bridge brand and license it out, according to sources. The first task will be to find a designer. George …