Pitting itself squarely against Ticketmaster, the leading U.S. ticket vendor, concert promoter Live Nation has inked a seven-year deal to sell tickets at the North American arenas, stadiums and theatres managed by SMG. Ticketmaster's rights to sell tickets to Live Nation events expire at the end of this year. Afterward, Live Nation plans to launch its own rival ticketing service to manage its own events as well as those managed by other companies. SMG manages such facilities as Chicago's Soldier Field, New Orleans' Superdome, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San …

According to data-mining company Axciom, consumers who describe themselves as "very liberal" are disproportionately likely to buy branded automobile oil filters and cigarettes. "Very conservative" consumers pay more attention to home and garden products, like insecticide and septic tank cleaners. Mindset Media finds a correlation between Republicans and truck brands like GMC and Dodge. Also, while Republicans have derided Democrats as "Volvo drivers," that stereotype is no longer true: Dems now prefer Scion, Mini and Volkswagen. Because presidential elections can come down to a handful of votes in a single state, every data cell seems filled with promise. …

Tom Brady's season-ending knee injury last Sunday may dim his prospects for new endorsement deals, some sports marketing experts say. Despite the New England Patriot quarterback's rugged good looks, three Super Bowl rings and glamorous lifestyle with a supermodel girlfriend, the lack of on-the-field visibility and questions about his future could dampen sponsors' interest. Last year, Brady's endorsement income totaled $10 million, according to Sports Illustrated's "Fortunate 50" report. His major brand sponsorships include Movado high-end watches, Coca-Cola's Glacéau's Smartwater, private jet service NetJets, Coty's Stetson cologne and Atari's "Backyard Football" video game. Current sponsors are voicing …

As a critical part of a plan to expand the Calvin Klein brand around the globe, executives at Phillips-Van Heusen are pushing to restore the label's prominence. Like others in the luxury-goods business, they are counting on the high-end label to produce a "halo" that can make a host of lower-priced goods seem desirable. The Calvin Klein brand overall has been a growth engine for Phillips-Van Heusen since 2003, when the company acquired the business from its namesake designer. But if it can continue to add new products, executives say, annual retail sales of Calvin Klein merchandise could total …