After the recent report of mad cow disease in California, combined with the bad press over the beef industry from pink slime, chicken looks to be making a resurgence on the foodservice scene, per Mintel. "In addition to the recent health-related issues surrounding beef, and the already high beef prices, we expect restaurants to start focusing their attention on other proteins," says Kathy Hayden, foodservice analyst at Mintel. "Steakhouses have been struggling in this rough economy and have tried to compensate by offering smaller cuts or more surf and turf options, but ultimately, chicken menu innovation is giving restaurant-goers a …

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee is bringing out some bizarre brand associations. Jubilee-themed spaghetti and beer, are just some: Unilever's Marmite rebranding to Ma'mite in honor of the Queen; a truly bizarre T-Mobile UK spot about all the things the British love, set on the balcony of the Royal Palace; British bread brand Kingsmill becoming Queensmill in a royal rebrand; and Mexican brand Old el Paso doing a real stretch, in a campaign that says burritos are just how the British subjects celebrate the Jubilee.

Steve Burd, chairman and CEO of Safeway, has sent a letter of apology to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for a joke the chain's general counsel made at last week's annual meeting, according to published reports. The letter from Burd was in addition to a letter reportedly sent to both women by Robert Gordon, who made the joke. "I simply wanted to express to you how sorry I am for what occurred. The joke was inappropriate, and I deeply regret this has obscured the respect we hold for you and for your …

Ford owns the Blue Oval again, part of a deal that came with the Dearborn, Mich., automaker getting its credit rating back in the red, or blue. "It would not be the same company without that logo. Anytime you see that logo, it cues up everything you think about Ford. When you see an advertisement, it makes it that much more valuable," said Mike Levens, an assistant professor of marketing at Walsh College, who called it one of the automakers "intangible assets."

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's have teamed up with Sony Pictures for "The Amazing Spider-Man." The chains, owned by CKE Restaurants did likewise with the "Spider-Man" film in 2002. This summer, customers entering the restaurants across the country will find an array of advertising, fan events, Spider-Man-themed promotional and food items-termed "amazing"-in-restaurant guest experiences and "Spider Man" kids-meal toys over the course of the multi-month partnership.

Fiat SpA and Mazda Motor Corp. are collaborating on a roadster based on the Mazda MX-5 Miata. The move is the beginning of a deeper tie-up between Japan's fifth-largest automaker and Chrysler Group LLC's parent company. The cooperation could also lead to a jointly produced next-generation Miata, an Alfa Romeo successor to the Spider. Both would be manufactured by Mazda in Hiroshima. But the deal also calls for continued negotiations on "further opportunities for cooperation in Europe."

Manchester United is most valuable franchise in soccer, and in all of professional sports, at $1.86 billion. Real Madrid with a value of $1.4 billion is second, followed by Arsenal, at $1.19 billion. Overall, the average value of the 20 clubs on Forbes' list increased to $640 million, up 1.3% over last year. Average operating income rose 25% to $40 million. David Beckham is the most valuable player, earning $40 million. Though he's almost finished in the game, he added Pepsi and Electronic Arts to his endorsement stable in the last year. Christiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid is next with …

In an effort to boost marketing efficiencies by $1 billion, P&G is fusing its global communications function with marketing under the stewardship of global marketing chief Marc Pritchard to build more integrated brand activity. The shift towards a global "communications" division will see greater emphasis placed on communications' role in brand building and social engagement. The unit will include brand PR, customer services, social media and media relations.

Don Thompson steps in as McDonald's CEO next month. He will become one of the nation's most powerful African-American executives, but the pressure will mount for him to change McDonald's at an even faster clip than his predecessor, Jim Skinner, who steps down June 30. Under his tenure, McDonald's became less a food company and more a beverage company. It became less a fast-food company and more a fast-change company that tweaked everything from its Happy Meals to salads to restaurant design.

Dan Bigman explores the social network's share structure, a dual-class arrangement founder Mark Zuckerberg set up wherein the Class-B shares he controls carry 10 times the voting power of the A shares. "That means he owns about 18% of the company, but controls more than 50% of the voting power," notes Bigman. That isn't unusual, but he cites a study that finds that heavy control by company insiders weakens performance. "They tend to take on more debt, rather than dilute control through share offerings than single-share companies. Other studies found CEOs enjoy higher levels of compensation and shareholders enjoy less …