Because of heavy demand in the U.S. market, Apple is delaying the international roll-out of its iPad tablet computer for a month, Franklin Paul and Gabriel Madway report. It plans to announce international pricing and begin taking online orders on May 10; iPads will hit store shelves at the end of May. International sales accounted for 58% of Apple's revenue in last quarter, up from 46% a year earlier. Analysts say the device has proven to be more popular than some expected and that Apple is having difficulty ramping up iPad production. But others are more skeptical. …

Eric Pearson, CMO for the Americas division of InterContinental Hotels Group, writes that the "new normal" is that customers are in control of their information-gathering experiences and are demanding information relevant to their lifestyles. "As a result, we must be more efficient and effective, as well as forensic, to draw them to brands they trust." Pearson points out the power of just a single person to wreak havoc, or spread the good word, about your brand. In its effort to build brand advocates, InterContinental has launched highly personalized promotions starting with the most likely group of supporters -- …

Six Democratic senators, bravely responding to the looming threat of carry-on baggage fees as high as $45, moved to ban the practice with soaring rhetoric yesterday, John Hughes reports. Spirit announced the fees last week as part of a fare and fee restructuring. "Let my briefcase go!," New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg proclaimed at a Washington media event. "We're going from the sublime to the ridiculous with airlines." Declared New York's indomitable Sen. Charles Schumer: "It's a slap for anyone who flies. It's time to draw the line." And New Hampshire's Jeanne Shaheen called the fees …

Ambush marketing seems to be a recurring problem at major sports event nowadays but Peter Wonacott reports that the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is cracking down hard on brands that are trying to share the limelight cast on official sponsors, such as Adidas and Coca-Cola, of the upcoming World Cup games in South Africa this June. FIFA lawyers stopped low-cost airline Kulula.com from running ads that called the "Unofficial National Carrier of the 'You-KnowWhat'" and displayed a soccer player, soccer balls and the South African flag, for example. In a revised ad, the soccer balls are …

PepsiCo's SoBe brand team, looking to attract 18- to 29-year-old consumers with content rather than advertising, is using a "workshop" model with its three agencies, with each expected to contribute ideas outside of its usual expertise, Natalie Zmuda reports. What's missing from the equation is a traditional "creative" agency. The shops involved are digital agency-of-record Firstborn, public relations agency-of-record Weber Shandwick and TracyLocke, which has long handled promotion. Two new TV spots, one produced by Firstborn and the other by outside agency Southpaw, build on footage from a print shoot that was first used online. "We're not …