The common view that Facebook "likes" equate to brand engagement took a hit last month when the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute found that less than 1% of fans of the 200 biggest brands on Facebook actually engaged.

Last year, Bank of America announced a $5 debit fee that was met with public outrage. The bank quickly dropped the fee after it realized it would probably be bad for business. But Bank of America is apparently testing new checking account fees that could hit customers who don't engage in online banking or maintain minimum balances.

General Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroen have confirmed the creation of a "long-term and broad-scale" strategic alliance they expect to contribute to improved profitability and competitiveness, especially in the weak European market where both makers have been struggling.

TrueCar.com has hired Santa Monica-based Donat/Wald + Haque to handle marketing consulting and public relations for the consumer auto research and shopping site.

On Tuesday, Twitter announced that sponsored tweets and accounts would soon be rolling out to the timelines, searches and suggested follows seen by users of the social network's mobile client apps. Promoted Accounts will appear immediately in user searches and suggestions with the latest updates to Twitter's official mobile apps for Android and iOS.

The $52 billion dollar-store industry has been expanding as middle-class shoppers trade department stores and supermarkets for extreme discounting. Dollar-store sales have grown 4.3%, on average, in each of the past five years, said Justin Waterman, retail analyst for IBISWorld in Santa Monica.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia generated more than a billion dollars in retail sales last year, up from about $750 million in 2010, with 8,500 products in more than 38,000 stores nationwide. Martha Stewart merchandise makes up about a fifth of the brand's revenue. Hers is the No. 1-selling home brand at Macy's. And 2010 research from Home Depot shows that selling Martha Stewart products at the chain led to customers buying more.