Two months after Lord & Taylor launched its spring campaign in fashion books--an upscale re-branding effort that includes the addition of more chic clothing brands--it has named Roger Adams as it first chief marketing officer. Adams, who most recently was CMO at Home Depot, will oversee brand management, creative and media initiatives, consumer relationship management, market research, consumer insights, online marketing and sales promotions. Lord & Taylor announced last month that it has brought back its rose icon, which now appears across a variety of packaging and branding materials. It also has created several new store brands and …

The merger announcement late Monday by Delta and Northwest signals to U.S. airlines that staying the course may no longer be sustainable when oil costs $113 a barrel, low-cost competitors are eating their lunch domestically and deep-pocketed overseas airlines are expanding quickly with new aircraft. Both United Airlines parent UAL Corp. and AMR Corp.'s American Airlines could do deals that would quickly eclipse the proposed Delta-Northwest combination, which would be the world's biggest carrier. United, now the No. 2 carrier by traffic, has long coveted Continental Airlines. American, now No. 1, could make a counter-bid for Northwest or try …

After enduring weeks of suggestions that his Fresh & Easy chain was not hitting the mark with U.S. consumers, Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy has struck back, claiming that sales are ahead of budget and that in a survey of 200 shoppers, not one was dissatisfied. "What we have seen is remarkable demand for Fresh & Easy own-label," Sir Terry says, scotching suggestions that brand-hungry Americans do not like his Fresh & Easy own-label ready meals and fresh lines. Tesco is planning its second distribution center in San Francisco to roll out the north Californian business and will build a …

Under the code name Project Genesis, Royal Caribbean is building the world's two largest cruise ships. A pivotal feature of the ships will be a huge space called Central Park that's the size of a football field, with tropical gardens, pathways, shops and restaurants. Cruise enthusiasts can track progress on the first ship, which is slated for completion late next year, at www.royalcaribbean-genesis.com. Its Central Park, located on Deck 8, will be 62 feet wide by 328 feet long. Five decks with 334 staterooms, including 254 with balconies, will overlook the open-air park. ''It's certainly very different and certainly …

An article published in The Journal of the American Medical Association today raises broad questions about the validity of much of the drug industry's published research. The article--based on documents unearthed in lawsuits over the pain drug Vioxx--charges that Merck drafted dozens of research studies and then lined up prestigious doctors to put their names on the reports before publication. The lead author of the JAMA article, Dr. Joseph S. Ross, says the ghostwriting practice appears to be widespread. Merck admits that it sometimes hired outside medical writers to draft research reports before handing them over to the doctors whose …

Big Korean and Japanese consumer-electronics makers spend huge sums developing and marketing their own technology, creating a high barrier to entry for newcomers. Although Vizio is a fraction the size of Sony and Samsung--the leading brands in the U.S. flat-panel market--it shipped 12.4% of North America's liquid-crystal display, or LCD, TVs in the last quarter of 2007. That's just behind Sony's 12.5% share and Samsung's 14.2%. The success of Irvine, Calif.-based Vizio illustrates the rise of a new business model in the fast-changing TV industry. As flat panel technology becomes ever more commoditized, nimble players like Vizio--which handles design and …