Welcome to 2009! Now, let's turn to all the grim news (tinged with glimmers of optimism) that piled up as we were rejuvenating over the weekend. First, the AP reported that manufacturing activity -- from cigarettes to aluminum smelting -- hit its lowest level in 28 years in December and that more top brands likely would disappear in 2009, just like Mervyns, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Aloha Airlines and Skybus did this year. But even before being informed that fewer goods would be in the pipeline than Wall Street seers were expecting, Ad …

Hotel operators, meanwhile, are watching room reservations fall drastically as business travelers and vacationers cut down on trips, Roger Vincent reports. Analysts say that U.S. hotels will suffer one of the greatest annual declines in occupancy and revenue in history. The silver lining is that the lean times, which are expected to last into 2010, follow a nearly decade-long boom. Although occupancy dipped sharply in the recession of 2001 and 2002, the years that followed were good ones for hoteliers. "This is a bad time in part because it is coming off of a great time," says Bruce …

All this fretting about the economy is causing health problems for one in five middle-aged and older adults, according to a survey by the AARP. "It's a harsh irony that worrying about being able to afford health care is actually causing health problems," says Bob Gallo, AARP Illinois senior state director. Twenty-two percent of survey respondents say they have delayed seeing a doctor due to cost. Sixteen percent have used retirement savings or other savings to pay for medical care. And more than one in five have cut back on other expenses in order to afford their medical care, …

Dunkin' Donuts, however, is not deterred by the glum tidings. "It will be a difficult year economically, but I think we're well-positioned," says Will Kussell, president and chief brand officer. A new $100 million ad campaign -- "You Kin' Do It" - launches today. It highlights everyday challenges, such as work and traffic, Theresa Howard reports. It will also expand Dunkin' Deals, which bundles a bagel or sandwich for 99 cents with purchase of a coffee. And the chain will continue its westward expansion with new stores in Indiana, Arizona and Nevada. Nigel Travis, former CEO of Papa …

Volkswagen and BMW are also confident that they can make lemonade out of the sour economy. Both are gearing up to expand their market shares in the U.S., Kate Linebaugh reports. VW is building its first factory here in two decades, hoping to triple U.S. sales over the next decade. BMW, meanwhile, is expanding its distribution and will introduce the new One Series small car. "To be sure, the Europeans have gone this route before," Linebaugh writes. But this time they feel that they have more diverse product lines, healthy marketing budgets and access to nonunion labor to …

Nokia, the world's largest maker of smartphones, admits that it has fallen behind in the touchscreen technology pioneered by Apple's iPhone in 2007. "But we are now coming with a vengeance," says Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Nokia's CEO. Nokia last month unveiled the N97, a touchscreen smartphone that will compete with the iPhone. It will go on sale in the second quarter of 2009. Kallasvuo says Nokia wanted to develop touchscreen technology suitable for several different handsets before competing in the market. The Finnish group is seeking to become the world's largest maker of mobiles with touchscreens this year, Andrew …

Like us at Around The Net in Brand Marketing, the folks at Brandweek seem a bit perplexed by what turned out to be their most-read stories of 2008. We surmise that our most-eyeballed story -- a piece that gently chided all the speculation churned up by Steve Jobs announcing that he would not attend an Apple trade show -- was probably fueled by the item being picked up by a social bookmarking site with a technology bent. Their guess is that putting "Playboy" into the headline of a story helps to propel Google searches (No. 5: "Skoal …

Stuart Elliott relies on old-school techniques -- the seasoned journalist's eye -- in determining "some high and low points" in the year's advertising campaigns. Burger King manages to score on both sides of the spectrum. Kraft's Stove Top dressing is a surprise entrée on the tasty side of the ledger; the spectacular marketing of Barack Obama -- from YouTube to infomercial -- is not. Miami's Crispin Porter & Bogusky agency is cited for its work for Burger King (good and bad); Microsoft (good and less good) and Volkwagen ("tone deaf"). But as Elliott indicates several times in …