The first 4,400 buyers of the Chevrolet Volt electric car could receive a free home-charging station, including the cost of installation, through a program by the U.S. Department of Energy, Tim Higgins reports.

Editor-in-chief Rance Crain sits down for a video interview with his "favorite PR guy" -- the about-to-turn-90 founder and chairman of Edelman, Daniel Edelman. The firm, now the largest independently owned public relations firm in the world with offices in 51 countries and about 3,300 employees, was launched in 1952 with the Toni home permanent business ("which twin has the Toni?"). Edelman says things were easier for PR firms back then because there was not as much competition. The secret to his success? Hiring "bright, sharp, experienced people." Edelman says that PR seems to be prevailing …

Duff Wilson reports that the Food and Drug Administration is opening an investigation into the marketing of Marlboro Light cigarettes and yesterday sent a "stern" letter to the Philip Morris USA unit of Altria Group suggesting that notes placed on packs recently "may perpetuate the mistaken beliefs associated with your 'light' cigarettes when marketed as Marlboro in the gold pack." Under a federal law that goes into effect on Tuesday, tobacco companies are barred from using terms such as "light," "mild" or "low." While they have refrained from using the banned words, tobacco companies have been repackaging their …

Barry Janoff talks to Jeff Dubiel, Pepsi vp-sports marketing, about the company's cause marketing-based Refresh Project, how its alliances with the NFL, MLB, Nascar and MLS are driving activation, how athletes such as Drew Brees, Jeff Gordon, CC. Sabathia and Evan Longoria are raising awareness, and how the World Cup, Super Bowl and other sports events fit into the company's strategies. Dubiel says Refresh is the biggest project Pepsi is working on and that it has funded more than 100 programs and awarded more than $5 million so far. "The great thing about this is that it doesn't …

Sharon Terlap writes that General Motors picked an unlikely candidate to win back North American market share without using big discounts or dumping cars into rental fleets -- a 46-year-old engineer and company lifer who never ran a major organization, has little marketing or sales experience, and likes to use the word "dude." But under Mark Reuss, GM reported a $1.2 billion operating profit in North America for the first quarter and an increase in U.S. sales despite its decision to eliminate four of eight brands. Reuss is a hands-on manager -- he regularly shows up for the Friday …

Wal-Mart has begun a program to increase the amount of local produce sold in its stores by revitalizing small and midsize farms, Kelly MacNeil reports, which also benefits consumers by giving them access to fresher food. At the same time, the program is meant to soften the company's image as a corporate behemoth. "[It] seemed to be a win all across the board if we could use our buying power to reinvigorate some of those old agricultural areas that had been abandoned over time," says Ron McCormick, head of Wal-Mart's Heritage Agriculture program, which works with …

Smirnoff is suggesting that it had a hand in the demise of BrosIcingBros.com, the Web site that promoted a viral drinking game called "Icing" that encouraged people -- usually on the young and male side of the knucklehead equation -- to chug bottles of Smirnoff Ice on one knee. "[Smirnoff Ice parent] Diageo has taken measures to stop this misuse of its Smirnoff Ice brand and marks, and to make it clear that 'icing' does not comply with our marketing code, and was not created or promoted by Diageo, Smirnoff Ice, or anyone associated with Diageo," the company …