The big snowstorm in the country's midsection this week forced closure and shift cuts at GM, Ford and Chrysler factories. More than 30 plants were affected. Chrysler cancelled the first shift at 13 plants in the U.S. and Canada for a day. GM closed or canceled shifts at 11 plants and Ford at nine plants. The automakers say production should get back up to speed today at most plants.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is launching an advertising campaign by its new agency, Austin, Tex.-based GSD&M Idea City. The effort, "More Driven," promotes the history of the brand, the role of the company in the advent of modern tires, and professionals and experts like Richard Petty and Tony Stewart who use the tires for their own performance driving. "Our campaign had to be both simple and bold to cut through the clutter and engage consumers who may not even be in the market for tires," said Garth Ely, brand director. "We also needed to be flexible to …

Pepsi, Verizon, Virgin Atlantic, and Paramount Pictures are among the brands to have signed on as initial advertisers on News Corp's "The Daily" iPad magazine. The company unveiled the app in New York City on Wednesday with Jon Miller, News Corp. chief digital officer, saying the content and the medium will drive brands' interest in tablet-based advertising. "We're encouraging advertisers to produce specifically for this platform," said Miller. "We believe going forward that only high quality environments are going to command the premiums many people would like to see in advertising." Ten advertisers have signed on for the first …

Shell said its earnings more than tripled in the fourth quarter because of higher crude oil and gas prices. But the company's stock price actually dipped because investors had expected even higher profits. Profit at Europe's biggest oil company hit $6.79 billion in the fourth quarter last year, versus $1.96 billion during the period in 2009.

Fox's Super Bowl broadcast is still sold out, but advertisers are shuffling their positions and commitments as the game approaches. The changes put Groupon into the game because another advertiser gave up a slot. Pizza Hut, meanwhile, is out of the game proper and will instead advertise during the pre-game show. Mars, meanwhile, has shifted its ad commitment for Snickers to the second quarter from the third.

Estee Lauder posted a 36% increase in fiscal first-quarter profit, to $191.1 million, from $140.7 million the year before.

Auto shoppers seem to be getting their confidence back as January, which is usually a slow month for auto sales, saw big gains from Ford, GM and Chrysler. Total U.S. car and trucks sales from all manufacturers rose 17.3% to 819,895, according to Autodata Corp. The biggest gains were from GM and Chrysler, whose sales rose 22.7%. But as gasoline prices inch their way north, cars like Ford Focus and Fiesta are selling well, while larger vehicles like Taurus and Mustang slipped. And Toyota's Corolla outsold the larger Camry last month as well, though the company attributed that …

Twentieth Century Fox is using avian characters from Rovio's "Angry Birds" mobile game to pitch the animated film "Rio." The ad has an embedded code directing players of "Angry Birds" to a specific level of the game. When users finish that level, they get entered into a "Rio" sweepstakes. The grand prize is a trip to Rio de Janeiro for the March 22 premier of the film. The ad was produced in-house at Fox.

Retailers are buying back used iPhones and other devices and offering credit toward new purchases. Stores like Target and RadioShack are working with websites like NextWorth, Gazelle and CExchange, which look for old equipment. The sites then go to big online outlets like Amazon and eBay to re-sell the items. Smartphones that cost $200 with a carrier plan can be cleaned up and resold for upwards of $400.

Robert A. Steele, a vice chairman at Procter & Gamble, will step down and the Health and Well-Being unit that he led will be consolidated into the remaining two global units: Beauty and Grooming, and Household Care. Specifically, P&G's global oral care and feminine care businesses, including Crest, Oral-B and Always, will become part of Beauty and Grooming led by vice chairman Ed Shirley, and personal health care pet care and snacks will be part of Household Care led by Vice Chairman Dimitri Panayotopoulos.