Forty-year-old skateboard legend Tony Hawk's name recognition among young consumers ranks No. 1 of all U.S. athletes--surpassing NBA basketball greats Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James--according to Research International USA's TRU. And Hawk hopes to keep growing his brand as a force in the media, entertainment and retail fields with fresh products and endorsements, from new video games to roller coasters at Six Flags amusement parks. With his marketing savvy and wholesome looks, the family man introduced an outlaw street sport to the suburbs and shopping malls, helping to turn skateboarding into a multibillion-dollar industry. In the past decade, …

Skyy Spirits is launching a premium, fruit-infused vodka next month made in five all-natural varieties: citrus, raspberry, cherry, passion fruit and grape. The product re-stage--dubbed Skyy Infusions--also will introduce the first packaging redesign in the brand's 15-year history. The bottle sports a sleeker shape and elongated neck. The brand aims to steal market share from competitors in the U.S. market, where it is currently the No. 4 vodka behind Smirnoff, Absolut and Grey Goose. Skyy sold an estimated 2.5 million cases in 2007, up 8.1%, per Impact. "All-natural is what's hot right now, across the food and beverage …

A source in the Middle East says a group from Dubai may be close to a deal to operate Bloomingdale's in the region and is seeking space in the epic Dubai Mall. The mall is under construction for a late 2008 or 2009 opening, and is planned to be the largest in the world. The same source says Bloomingdale's also is eyeing Kuwait. The surging price of oil has turned the Middle East into a major market for designer and luxury brands. The Dubai Mall will encompass about 10 million gross square feet, including 3.8 million for retail, …

On Feb. 8, Byung Mo Ahn, the president of Kia Motors, fired Len Hunt, president and CEO of Kia Motors America, and Ian Beavis, marketing vice president. It marked the fourth shakeup in three years for Kia's American operation. The U.S. unit of parent company Hyundai, meanwhile, has churned through four top executives in five years. The management shakeups come at a critical period. Both Hyundai and Kia, which were originally marketed to American consumers as utilitarian econoboxes, are trying to move upscale and sell sedans that can compete with Cadillac and BMW. They are also banking on rapid …

To take advantage of the earlier start to daylight saving time, what may be Lowe's most ambitious spring marketing campaign ever gets under way on Sunday. It is relentlessly upbeat, as shown by its cheerful theme, "Welcome back spring." The centerpiece is a section of the Lowe's Web site (lowes.com/spring)--scheduled to launch Monday--where consumers visit a make-believe town, Sunnyville, whose inhabitants are gaga over activities like grilling, gardening and riding lawn mowers. The site will offer content that includes ring tones-- called "spring tones"-- that mimic seasonal sounds like birds and sprinklers. Madison Avenue is watching …

A bill approved yesterday by the Senate--as well as a similar bill already passed by the House--aims to plug holes in the government's consumer safety net that have been letting hazardous products aimed at children slip through. Under the bills, the Consumer Product Safety Commission would develop procedures for certifying and monitoring the work of independent labs that test for conformance with federal safety standards. Turning over such a key consumer watchdog role to private laboratories is raising questions about how much protection consumers will get and how independent the labs really are. In some cases, the dangerous children's …

Kenneth C. "Casey" Keller Jr.--who took over as Motorola CMO in October 2006 soon after the unexpected death of iconic marketer Geoffrey Frost--left the company at the end of last month. Keller arrived as the popular Razr handsets were beginning their decline. Motorola has been unable to come up with a successor and is losing ground to competitors. Keller previously worked for Procter & Gamble and came up with the idea of green Ketchup for H.J. Heinz. Motorola attributed Keller's departure to a restructuring. Jeremy Dale, vice president-global marketing and communications, mobile devices, and Eduardo Conrado, vice president-global business …

The manufacturer of Barbicide--the blue disinfectant used by barbers for generations--is launching a line of germ-killing wipes for use in used in hotels, spas, restaurants, schools and jails. The launch of wipes marks the first remake of Barbicide since its creation in 1947 by a high-school science teacher in New York. The new owners of King Research, which makes Barbicide, hope the public's fear of germs will give the product new life when the wipes start shipping this month. The number of disinfectant products and their sales are exploding. According to research firm Mintel International, there were 1,610 …