Thanks to technology's ability to not only help consumers become more informed about the quality of what they buy but also to easily find a better deal, Americans are less loyal than ever to brands. Consultant Avi Dan offers a five-point program for wooing buyers "who are armed with both information and harsh expectations." 1. Learn what consumers are thinking. Technology works both ways; use it to learn what customers are saying. 2. Reach consumers on multiple platforms. Think about how you can get invited into their increasingly fragmented lives. 3. Engage the super influencers. They have inordinate influence …

In acquiring the struggling digital distributor Vudu, Wal-Mart Stores -- currently the largest seller of DVDs in the country -- is speaking with its checkbook about what it sees as the future of the industry. It will probably push Vudu when it sells TVs or high-definition Blu-ray players with built-in Internet connections, Dawn C. Chmielewski and Ben Fritz report. "Presumably with the power Wal-Mart has, it will be able to strongly suggest to consumer electronics manufacturers that the Vudu service be embedded in the devices that it sells," says digital media consultant Bruce Eisen.

The credit card industry used to love the consumer who kept on buying and buying and paying just the minimum due at the end of the month. There was a lot of profit in the interest and late-payment charges before it lost about $150 billion from such free spenders once the recession hit and they defaulted on their loans. The industry's new target, Stacey Vanek-Smith reports, are people who pay off their balances every month but use their cards a lot in order to rack up rewards points. It's simple economics based on interchange fees -- the percentage …

Jim Lentz, Toyota's president of U.S. sales, will tell the House Energy and Commerce Committee this morning that the company acknowledges and regrets poor communication about safety problems both within the company and with regulators and consumers, Joseph B. White reports. At the same time, according to the text of his statement released beforehand, Lentz will deny that electronic faults are behind sudden acceleration incidents as committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and subcommittee chairman Bart Stupak (D- Mich.) suggested in a letter to the company released yesterday. Lentz will say that the problem is entirely due to mechanical problems …

Douglas Atkin, who wrote The Culting Of Brands: How To Turn Customers Into True Believers, observes that brand communities have mushroomed since he published his book six years ago, and social tools like Facebook and Twitter have exploded. But, he says, most brand stewards are confused about what "community" means. "Being a fan or follower is not the same as being a member of a community," he writes. "Membership delivers a whole higher degree of commitment. It also demands a whole other level of engagement from participants and, consequently, a deeper appreciation by the community leader of their responsibilities." …

A major reason for McDonald's resurgence over the past five years -- besides its cheap eats in tough times -- is the improved quality of its menu and a new product pipeline that's producing tastier and more nutritious items than before (e.g., the Southwest Salad, Angus burgers and the new Snack Wrap), John Cloud writes. The man behind the menu innovations is Daniel Coudreaut, 44, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America and once ran the kitchens at the Four Seasons Resort and Club outside Dallas. His business card reads Director Of Culinary Innovation, Menu Management but …