Sources say Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile unit plans to introduce the first version of Google's Android -- code-named the "Dream" phone -- in New York on Sept. 23. The device is made by Taiwan's HTC Corp. Industry insiders who have worked on the mobile operating system say it will struggle in the near term to match the consumer enthusiasm generated by Apple when its iPhone redefined the touch-screen phone market and greatly improved mobile Web surfing. "I'm not sure the consumer experience is significantly better than that of the iPhone," says Rajeev Chand, a wireless analyst at investment bank …

Procter & Gamble and Unilever are linking with the Advertising Research Foundation to support new ways of listening to consumers that don't involve the traditional question-and-answer format. The ARF will hold two industry summits in the coming six weeks to delve into the issue. "We continue to torture consumers with boring and antiquated research methods," says Donna Goldfarb, vp-consumer and market insights for Unilever Americas, who will headline a Sept. 22 workshop that ARF is hosting in New York. To be sure, both companies continue to do plenty of surveys tracking brand-equity metrics for hundreds of brands daily. Kim …

The Chevrolet Volt, a battery-powered compact car scheduled to hit the market by the end of 2010, will be unveiled by General Motors Tuesday. It is designed to give GM the kind of highly fuel-efficient vehicle it needs to compete in an era of near $4-a-gallon gasoline and is possibly the key to its survival. GM is hoping the Volt will be such a technological leap forward that the many consumers who have turned their backs on Detroit will give the company and its cars a fresh look. The auto maker also hopes the Volt will become its signature …

Two research reports show that sales in the fast-casual restaurant segment shot up more than 13% last year, and experts predict the growth to continue. Mintel, Chicago, cites a 13.2% increase in the sector, to $11.5 billion last year. Technomic, Chicago, pegs growth at 13.3% and estimates the category to be around $17 billion. Chains like Panera Bread and Chipotle are thriving partially because of demographics. They have a younger consumer base that has more discretionary income. The category also is stealing baby boomers from their fast food rivals, says Jeff Davis, president of Sandelman & Associates, Villa Park, …

As soon as Josh Hamilton stepped out of the batter's box after belting 28 homers in the first round of Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby competition at the All Star Game this year, a teammate and a ball boy each offered him bottles of Gatorade and towels emblazoned with the sports drink's logo. It was no accident. Gatorade's elevated product placement is the handiwork of Jeff Urban, the company's svp for sports marketing. "There aren't many people in the industry who have connections as well developed as Jeff," says Thomas Fox, a principal at Wasserman Media Group and …

Bud Light Lime -- the first-ever flavor extension of Bud Light that launched in May -- hit the million-barrel mark with little apparent cannibalization of its sibling brands, driving parent Anheuser-Busch to its strongest summer in recent years. A-B estimates that 50% of Lime drinkers either are new to beer or are buying it in addition to their existing beer habits, while another 20% of drinkers are coming from competitors such as Miller Chill and Corona. Only 30% of Lime drinkers switched from other brands in A-B's portfolio, which accounts for nearly 50% of the total U.S. beer business. …