Robert Passikoff, president of N.Y.-based Brand Keys, explains what happened to J.C. Penney in opting for a "fair and square" pricing strategy. He argues that, while people say they know the brand and like the ads, they aren't engaged with it in any meaningful way (as consumers are with the retail operations of Apple.) JCP is last in Brand Key's engagement roster. He says that while consumers are going to spend 6% more this year than last, with an average holiday spend of $870.00, JCP, which lost $123 million last quarter, won't get much of that.

This month is Movember, in which men, in order to raise awareness of prostate cancer, grow their facial hair. Gillette is doing a program called eMO'gency Styler Tour, offering free mustache styling. Outkast rapper Andre 3000 is involved. The tour will reach Houston and Chicago in the next week. The company, in the meantime, is posting mustache photos and maintenance tips on its Facebook page. The Art of Shaving chain of boutiques is matching up to $25,000 in donations made to its Movember team or in stores. At the beginning of the month, its Barber Spas offered free shaves to …

After being out of the segment for a half-decade Ford is returning to minivans with a seven-passenger version of its European van dubbed the Transit Connect Wagon. It will provide a more traditional, van-like alternative to Ford's bigger "people-mover," the Flex. The Transit Connect has been offered in the U.S. market for several years but, until now, the focus has been on commercial and fleet users, rather than on retail buyers.

Luxury automobile makers are doing more online advertising, per Martini Media. The firm said 94% more luxury auto brands used online video this year compared to last year, and 65% of agencies said auto brands are moving to digital much faster than other brands. Sixty-one percent of auto brands are expected to shift their ad bucks to online sources.

Retailers this year will open for Black Friday sales early enough to make shoppers choose between hot deals and hot apple pie after Thanksgiving dinner. From Toys R Us to Target to Walmart, retailers are opening as early as 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving night. Toys R Us announced Monday that its Black Friday will begin on Nov. 22 when doors open at 8 p.m, an hour earlier than last year.

With the re-election of President Obama and a stronger Democratic majority in the Senate, ad industry lobbyists are girding their loins to keep advertising a business and fight restrictive privacy legislation. "It's time to fasten our seat belts," said Dick O'Brien, EVP of government relations for the 4As. "What you will see is a White House that will continue its strain of activism but at full tilt. We're gearing up for an active four years."

The 2013 VW Beetle Convertible will be one of nearly 50 new models debuting at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. With the "emergency refresh" of the Honda Civic leading the list, expect to see plenty of headlines emerge from the show later this month. That list includes 24 world debuts and 25 more products making their first appearance in North America. This year's show also will see the introduction of its new Advanced Technology Showcase, which will offer a closer look at some of the technologies transforming today's and tomorrow's vehicles.

7-Eleven Inc. has completed the purchase of 12 convenience stores from Fast Track Inc. in North Carolina. 7-Eleven currently operates, franchises or licenses more than 9,400 7-Eleven stores in North America, with plans to open 970 new locations in the U.S. and Canada this year.

So, Winfrey can sell other people's products. But what about her own? The talk host has put in applications to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Organization for Oprah-branded organic food and health products. A search of the office's records shows seven in total under the names "Oprah's Organics," "Oprah's Harvest," and "Oprah's Farm." Among the products Winfrey looks set to make, from the filings: organic salad dressings, sauces, vegetables, soups, and juices.

Where will we be in five years, or a decade vis a vis digital devices. Digital seer Jonathan Gardner applies Windex to the crystal ball. While he sees Google Glasses taking off, "I'm not sure we'll be walking around looking like cyborgs but I'll bet that some kind of mashup of augmented reality, new flexible display technologies, and the wealth of location/contextual data available will be integrated into everyday wearable technology," he says.