• Can Barclays Center Make Brooklyn?
    The New York borough that has been home to the likes of Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Barbra Streisand, Mike Tyson, Al Capone, Chris Rock and Jay-Z has a new jewel, Barclays Center, which arrives with the NBA's Nets as its anchor tenant, nearly two dozen marketing partners and a plan to take on Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall as the city's main attraction for sports and entertainment. But will it work?
  • Rafael Nadal Takes On A New Racket
    The former No. 1 ranked tennis player in the world has not been on a court since June due to chronic knee problems, so he is using his time to work for sponsor PokerStars ... at a reception desk in a golf country club.
  • Scion Goes For Art And Heavy Metal
    Scion brand is focusing on the heavy metal subculture it says is most likely to drive home in one of its vehicles. "We really put a lot of effort into the metal market because they actually buy cars," said Jeri Yoshizu, Scion's manager of sales promotions. "All those negative things about these kids, it's changing. They recognize value." Scion's new campaign, which opens on Sept. 29 in Los Angeles, is also an art-gallery show. These kids "actually appreciate the corporate contribution," Yoshizu said. "There are less shows happening because of [the economy], and Scion's there to do something positive."
  • Affluent Americans Are More Optimistic
    Affluent Americans are feeling more hopeful as they take greater control of their financial lives. Although 54% of affluent Americans are still worried about being able to meet their financial goals, 94% of them think that they are better prepared to cope with economic volatility. The stats are from the new The Merrill Lynch Affluent Insights Survey. "The economic scenario has played out over the past several years, and more than half of affluent people believe it is what life will be like going forward," says John Thiel, head of U.S. Wealth Management and Private Banking and Investment Group for …
  • Anti-Obesity Ad Makes Waves
    Atlantic Monthly says the new ad is in a grey area between educating and shaming. That's been the opinion of a lot of people about a new anti-obesity campaign that broke this week in Minnesota. One ad (they're at the jump) features two chubby kids bragging about how much their dads can eat, and trying to one-up each other. An overweight dad walks up, hears the kids, and looks down guiltily at his tray of burgers and fries. Says one blogger about the Blue Cross-sponsored ads, "It's Hard Enough to Be a Fat Kid Without the Government Telling You You're …
  • BMW Crowd-sources Ideas For New Cars
    BMW is collaborating with open-source car design company Local Motors to roll out the Urban Driving Experience Challenge, a two-phase crowd-sourcing competition giving consumers the opportunity to come up with ideas for new features and functions that will "enhance the urban driving experience of the future." A prize involves $30,000 in prize money, plus the chance for the winners to travel to BMW HQ in Munich to meet BMW's director of research and development.
  • Relish Gourmet Burgers Heads South
    Canadian brand Relish Gourmet Burgers has proven a fast-growing success north of the border. Seven Relish locations are open with three more in works. The latest, slated for Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, will put Relish in all four of Canada's Atlantic Provinces. Next, the chain intends to expand into the U.S, in South Portland, Maine, next spring. The company plans to open 101 stores.
  • Staples Closing Stores, Investing Online
    Framingham, Mass.-based Staples Inc. will invest more in its online businesses and close or consolidate about 60 retail stores to cuts costs, the company announced. Staples said it is looking to shave $250 million a year in costs by the end of its 2015 fiscal year, while also aiming to reduce its retail square footage in its North American stores by about 15%.
  • S.F. Gyms Flee Corporate Owner Over Anti-Gay Stance
    Four of the privately owned gyms in the Bay Area have formally split from their parent, Gold's Gym International, over the company's $2 million contribution to American Crossroads, a right-wing organization handled by Karl Rove. The San Francisco clubs wanted out two years ago because of the lobbying group's backing of anti-gay-rights candidates in the 2010 congressional elections. The gyms' relationship with Gold's ended last week on expiration of a contract that lasted 22 years. The locations in Oakland and Corte Madera changed their name to Fitness SF.
  • Over Half Of Shoppers Prefer Bricks And Mortar
    Also, the British are the unhappiest shoppers and the Chinese are the most enthusiastic. And as women age, they find the shopping experience less enjoyable. These findings are from a survey by global design consultancy Fitch. The firm's 2012 Joy of Shopping study, which surveyed more than 7,000 people worldwide, also reveals that 54% of respondents rated physical stores as the most preferred shopping channel, while 30% preferred the web.
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