For some companies, a mature market and downward pressure on prices could lead to a nasty death spiral. But Apple has used its amazing six-year run with the iPod to nurture enough new business lines that it will be able to withstand a collapse in the MP3-player market as well as can be imagined. First, it has a continuing revenue stream from the iPods that have already been sold because of the iTunes Store. Apple sold $881 million worth of music and accessories in the last quarter--up 35% from a year ago. Second, Apple has created product upgrades that …

Sam's Club customers will no longer be allowed to purchase more than four bags of jasmine, basmati or long-grain white rice on each visit. The policy involves only bags weighing 20 pounds or more and does not affect smaller packages sold at the store or its sister Wal-Mart outlets. And some Costco stores are restricting customers to two bags of rice a day, but it doesn't plan to limit sales nationwide. Internationally, shortages of basic commodities--including rice, wheat and some oils--have led to protests and riots, prompting concern about food security in many poor countries. Retail experts say there …

Today's housing crisis, rising gas prices and volatile stock market may be causing consumers to question their brand relationships, but that doesn't mean they will all turn to cheaper store brands or that marketers should start shifting advertising to coupons, marking down prices or, worse, freezing the marketing budget. When the economy bounces back, you might find that what motivates consumers to choose--or not choose--your brand has changed, writes Eric Spahr, VP/gBM of Brandstorm. Determine how consumers are adapting, how their behavior is changing and how they can help shape this behavioral shift. First, don't rely on what …

As part of a series of marketing and branding initiatives launching next month, consumers will see Chi Chi's salsa associated with words like "chicken," "cravings," "cooking" and "celebration" in signage across grocery stores. And when shoppers go to pick up Chi Chi's, they'll find a new package design that reads: "Let the fiesta begin." The unit of Hormel Foods wants consumers to see the brand as more than just chips and dip. The campaign will also include TV and print spots that will focus on the salsa product's versatility as a flavor-enhancing ingredient across a variety of foods. …

A growing sense of optimism, tempered by a fear of external events beyond its control, pervades the top of Ford's Glass House in Dearborn, Mich. In the year and a half since CEO Alan Mulally took the helm, he has downsized its North American operations, negotiated a game-changing contract with the United Auto Workers, sold off Jaguar and Land Rover and has mortgaged much of what is left to secure "the largest home loan in history" to pay for it all. Mulally also has assembled a global leadership team and is leading a cultural transformation that is shattering the …

Wii Fit, a $90 add-on to Nintendo's popular gaming system designed to appeal to women looking to lose weight, expands the range of games that can be played on the console to include activities such as yoga and push-ups. The Balance Board--which resembles bathroom scales--also tracks a user's weight and body-mass index. Nintendo plans a massive marketing campaign ahead of the product's release in the U.S. May 19, including a public-relations effort under way. As part of the PR push, "Good Morning America" host Diane Sawyer tested the exercise game on the air last week. Television, outdoor and print …

The Patent and Trademark Office saw a 10% spike in trademark filings with green themes over 2006, according to the law firm Dechert. The top five words used within the green space in 2007 were: green (2,400 approximate occurrences); energy (1,200); clean (900); earth (900) and eco (900). According to "Trends in Trademarks," filings for new trademarks last year topped 300,000, setting a record buoyed by interest in environmentalism. The previous record was 289,000 filings, set in 2000 during the Internet boom. Many of the me-too filings will not merit protection, writes Glenn Gundersen, chair of Dechert's trademark practice, …

More than 35% of the $26.3 billion in sales Macy's did last year is in brands that are exclusive to it or in limited distribution, including its private label INC line, Martha Stewart Collection, Donald Trump's line and diffusion lines such as T Tahari. And half of J.C. Penney's sales come from its private label offerings, including the new American Living launch by Polo Ralph Lauren's Global Brand Concepts, plus exclusive diffusion lines. Vendors must take heed of the dangers to committing exclusively to a single department store--take the fate of O Oscar, which lasted only three seasons at …