Do you want news organizations to be non-profit? Do you want to live forever? Well, Volkswagen wants to know about it. A new micro-site-hosted by the brand's newest spokesman, Max the talk-show host/VW Bug-is collecting consumers' responses to these and other questions and using them in the company's advertising. The purpose of the campaign is to let consumers know that VW is always working to give them what it wants (though the German company presumably cannot help you live forever). "The strong brand message is that VW understands people out there today," said Tim Ellis, vp of marketing …

The Olympics in Beijing this summer are expected to attract unprecedented attention from the entire world, and Earth's advertisers are preparing to grab as much of it as they can. But new data suggests that the money they plan to spend this summer might be coming out of first-quarter budgets. Many of the largest multinational sponsors of the Olympic Games curbed spending on traditional TV, newspaper and magazine ads in China during the first quarter, according to research by Nielsen. Olympic sponsors "don't have limitless marketing budgets, and must carefully plan the best way to spread their ad …

Well, he asked for it. Literally. According to a class-action lawsuit filed in West Virginia last week, the CEO of ID theft prevention firm LifeLock-the same one who, in ubiquitous TV and print ads, displayed his Social Security number as a challenge to thieves who thought they could outwit his company's service-has had his ID stolen many, many times in the past year. More than 20 driver's licenses have been issued in his name, and "his entire personal profile has been compromised to the extent that the birth date associated with his Social Security number is Nov. …

What happens to a brand deferred? A lot of them, it turns out, get bought by River West, a small Chicago company that's acquired such recognizable defunct brands as Nuprin, Brim, Coleco and Underalls. Why? Because consumers already know them-they have equity-and building that for a new brand takes a lot more time and money than simply bringing back an old one. While River West has yet to do much with many of the brands it has picked up, it is the reason you can buy Nuprin again, and it played a role in the revival of Eagle …

Not too long ago, Febreze the brand was as stagnant as the household odors it is sworn to fight. Sales were flat and going nowhere, but P&G noticed a trend: Consumers were finding new uses for the spray. That insight led to brand extensions such as candles, air fresheners and plug-ins-all of which were hits. Today, Febreze is nearing the billion-dollar annual sales mark. The lesson? The key for any brand-perhaps more so than sales-is standing for something in the minds of consumers. Once a brand has established a profile and means something to people, it's not hard …

Coors brands are defying the sluggish U.S. beer market with some of the most robust growth the business has seen in decades, outpacing competitors in every segment of the market. And it's doing so with a marketing approach that is neither funny, sexy nor particularly stylish: the now-ubiquitous speeding train, which analysts say keeps the focus on the product and its point of differentiation. The success started for Coors after ditching its "Rock on" approach in 2004, the effort that starred the beloved (by some) Coors Twins. That approach may have generated a lot of talk, but it …

The National Hockey League's brand has taken a major hit in recent years. Following a strike that cost the sport the entire 2004-05 season, the NHL has struggled to regain its footing as fewer networks are interested in broadcasting the games and fewer fans seem to notice. So the NHL is trying to make the most of the one week per year the major media is paying attention. As the Stanley Cup Finals kick off next week, the NHL will kick off a marketing blitzkrieg with direct TV spots, e-mail blasts, radio spots and online video. WPP Group's …