One billion dollars is the least amount that will be spent nationwide on presidential campaign TV ads this year, according to Ken Goldstein, president of Kantar Media's campaign analysis group. While most traditional media are suffering from the weak economy and long-term erosion of their audience's attention, local TV stations are raking in cash from record levels of campaign spending.

Weird to say it, but Sandy helped the Weather Channel. Viewership was down 18.5% from last year, and, in recent weeks, the newsroom lost employees to a companywide layoff that saw 80 workers depart. Sandy changed that.

Starbucks Coffee Co. reported a higher-than expected net income of $359 million for its fourth quarter, compared with $358.5 million in the year-ago period. The company also raised its earnings estimate for the next fiscal year. It is accelerating its store growth target for fiscal 2013 through the opening of approximately 1,300 net new stores globally, representing 22% growth over fiscal 2012.

Chick-fil-A is back with a wacky calendar, something the company does every year, usually playing on historical figures. This year the Cow Calendar offers a bovine take on 12 of history's most famous "monarchs." Also on tap is Chick-fil-A's Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake. The calendar has a digital "gift" card that comes pre-loaded with a free Chick-fil-A menu item each month of the year. Customers will be able to register their digital cards online, activating monthly rewards.

Here's the perspective on the campaigns, now over, from across the pond, and the first obvious item visible is the gigantic mass media marketing effort. There's an interesting perspective here, even though the critique of Obama's campaign and its implied prediction didn't pan out. "Change we can believe in" doesn't work this time around, notes the article, which says Obama's inability to live up to his rhetoric "is a cautionary tale for all brands that fail to live up to their core values." We now know that those core values still resonate, at least enough to win.

This summer, the president and COO of Chick-fil-A, Dan Cathy, told the Baptist Press the company opposes same-sex marriage. Demonstrations this summer pitted the gay and lesbian community against Chick-fil-A and its retail outlets. Mayors of Boston and Chicago said Chick-fil-A wasn't welcome in their cities, and other business partners withdrew support. Public relations is important because the character of the CEO is critical to the success of any marketing and media relations strategy, social media campaign or integrated program. At jump, a roster of tips for PR types who need to put a muzzle on brass.

Apple announced it has sold 3 million iPad Minis during its introductory weekend, a record for Apple product launches.

Nike CEO Mark Parker says Nike doesn't want to be "a big dumb company that feels we can put a swoosh on something and people will buy that." He's says the management approach tends to be intuitive, from the culture of sports. "We're constantly looking for ways to improve. How do you adapt to your environment and really focus on your potential? To really go after that, you have to embrace the reality that it is not going to slow down. And you have to look at that as half full, not half empty."

A growing number of restaurant operators is taking interest in a proposition to be decided by California voters on Tuesday that would require the labeling of some genetically modified foods. Proposition 37, the Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Modified Food Act, is designed to give consumers more information about foods and products that contain genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. A high percentage of corn, soybeans and sugar beets used in processed foods in the U.S. are genetically modified. However, restaurant operators say the proposal has raised awareness of GMOs among consumers, and now it's an issue they must also address.

About a week after Microsoft released Windows 8, the company announced that a group of 30 brands have already signed deals to launch new Windows 8 Ads in Apps campaigns. The brands are in sectors like entertainment, finance, consumer-packaged goods, and technology. Frank Holland, corporate VP of advertising and online at Microsoft Advertising, said 20th Century Fox and Nissan will run the first global campaigns. Nissan is the first brand slated to advertise in Bing apps and Xbox apps in all of the eight markets where Windows 8 Ads in Apps is launching, Holland added.