It's too early to tell how seafood supply to the U.S. will be affected by the consequences of the earthquake, but there is likely to be a shortfall. Even with help, Asian seafood exports to the U.S. will be hampered for a significant period, says blogger Phil Lempert. "Americans have developed a growing taste for seafood -- more than 16 pounds per capita," he writes, quoting NOAA stats. "And it's unlikely to stay on hold until Asian sources are sailing once again."

Census data for 2010 shows there are 600,000 more Hispanics than the Census Bureau had estimated in the 33 states for which data have been released thus far, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Twenty-eight states had higher populations of Hispanics than the bureau had predicted.

Buick has signed on as major auto sponsor of the college sports association, but a central program will be "The Human Highlight Reel," a project that aims to show how athletes help out in communities. Chris Perry, head of GM's North American marketing, says that Buick's non-traditional approach to NCAA is part of an effort to redefine the brand because "the public's perception of the Buick brand is out of whack with reality." Within two years, Buick's lineup will double to eight models versus three when GM filed for bankruptcy two years ago. Now Buick has been growing …

IBM, which has focused more on marketing services and consultancy work, has created "Smarter Commerce" meant to help companies deploy digital marketing programs. The program, whose name aligns with IBM's "Smarter Planet" and "Smarter Cities" campaigns, will also offer cloud-based social analytics and solutions for personalized campaigns. IBM recently acquired marketing optimization company Coremetrics, e-commerce company Sterling Commerce and marketing management software company Unica Corp.

Coors Light is changing its "Coaches" marketing program from former NFL coaches to using players and coaches from other sports. The company lost its NFL official-beer status after the 2010 season. Now former MLB pitcher Pedro Martinez is in the first spot of the new campaign, where he is seen at a podium answering questions during what looks like a real press conference. But, during the press conference, "reporters" ask him about Coors Light.

The Izod IndyCar Series and Firestone have agreed to a two-year extension of their partnership. The deal will have Firestone staying on as official tire provider through 2013. The company has supplied tires to the series since 1996. Just a week ago, Firestone and IndyCar had said the contract would last until the end of this year.

Automakers in North America are looking at the possibility of serious parts shortages as Japan shuts down. While Japanese-owned assembly plants in the United States, Canada and Mexico went about their normal production schedules today, assessment teams on both sides of the Pacific were evaluating the damage to global supply lines. But some automakers have trimmed overtime production to conserve parts. Toyota Motor Corp.'s North American plants have suspended overtime production. A spokesman for Toyota's North American operations said the company imports about 20% of its components from Japan.

Industry analysts say the situation in Libyan has added a "crisis tax" at the pump. The Japanese earthquake and tsunami will tighten supply of autos from Toyota, Nissan, Honda and others, which could mean higher prices and longer waits. And the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped below 12,000 points for the first time in nearly two months, with automotive stocks particularly battered by the trifecta of Middle East unrest, Japan's tragedy and market confidence slippage. General Motors, which last week saw shares dip below its $33 IPO price, slipped another 34 cents, to $31.59, at the closing bell. Also …

ConAgra, Colgate-Palmolive, Kellogg, Procter & Gamble, Dow and DuPont are among the companies behind a new lobbying organization. The group, which also includes Coca-Cola, MeadWestvaco and Tetra Pak, is called "The American Institution for Packaging and the Environment" (AMERIPEN). It follows a model set by European and British groups EUROPEN and INCPEN. The group's new president says the purpose is to influence lawmakers. "We want to make sure the people who are making decisions are doing so based on data and not perception," said Joan Pierce, who is also Colgate-Palmolive's VP of global design and packaging. The group will have …

Off-color comedian Gilbert Gottfried is off the payroll. The comedian joked on Twitter about Japan's earthquake and tsunami and has consequently been dropped by insurer Aflac, whose duck mascot Gottfried voiced. The Georgia-based insurer does 75% of its business in Japan. An Aflac spokesman said the remarks were "lacking in humor and certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac."