Bacardi has appointed former Diageo marketer Andy Gibson to oversee the worldwide development for its brands including Grey Goose and Martini after Silvia Lagnado stepped down from the position last year. Gibson will take on the dual role of CMO and president of Bacardi Global Brands in late April and report to chief executive Ed Shirley.

Emerging markets accounted for almost half of the world's 50-fastest growing retailers over the 2006-2011 period, according to Deloitte's 2013 Global Powers of Retailing report. Numbers four, seven and eight are Walmart, Amazon and Apple, respectively. "The growth in large emerging markets such as China is projected to add at least 70 million new consumers to the global middle class per year, which is an additional 500 million new middle-class consumers by 2020," said Vicky Eng, global retail lead, Deloitte US.

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's have debuted a new Charbroiled Atlantic Cod Fish Sandwich for the Lenten season that the company said could be added to the menu permanently with positive guest response. The CKE Restaurants Inc.-owned sister brands will become one of the first national quick-service chains to sell a grilled fish sandwich versus the fried alternatives typically offered.

Toyota remains the automotive brand with the highest perception among American consumers, according to an annual study by Consumer Reports magazine, with Ford and Honda coming in close behind. In a significant development, domestic automotive brands accounted for half of the Car-Brand Perception Survey's Top 10, according to the widely followed non-profit publication - with the California-based electric vehicle start-up Tesla Motors rounding out the list at 10th. The other domestic brands included Chevrolet, ranked fourth, Cadillac, at seventh, and Dodge, at ninth.

Jonathan Gardner writes that data is ubiquitous, and the "big data" era is nigh. "I work in a techie industry that's constantly discussing data, eating and even sleeping data - advertising technology. However, it has become abundantly clear in recent months that data is 'mainstream,' and not just for nerds anymore." At the jump, a few reasons everyone ("including your grandma," he writes) needs to really care about data, right now. Probably not my grandma.

Ford Motor Co. is betting it has begun to close the gap with the long-time leader in the hybrid market, Toyota Motor Co. Ford is reporting a more than threefold increase in sales of its various gas-electric offerings for January, following strong gains during the latter months of 2012. Some of that has come from updated offerings like the latest-generation Ford Fusion Hybrid, but the maker is also claiming preliminary success with the all-new C-Max, a dedicated line of hybrid people-movers directly targeting Toyota's familiar Prius "family."

Drug giant Novartis, after last year's multiple product recalls, is doing it again. The company has recalled liquid Triaminic and TheraFlu products because the products' caps aren't childproof. The Consumer Products Safety Commission heard that some kids had opened the bottle themselves. One needed medical attention. 24 different Triaminic and Theraflu products are part of the recall.

Best Buy in December removed the contact-customer-service-by-email option on BestBuy.com. The company said it had taken down the e-mail address in favor of live chat. The retailer explained that communicating back and forth via e-mail did not "offer the same level of in-the-moment assistance." Six weeks later, email is back.

Entrepreneur magazine ranked the Dallas-based 7-Eleven convenience chain at No. 4 on its 2013 Franchise 500 list. Other notable c-stores on the list are AMPM at No. 22 and Circle K at No. 36. Franchise partners with c-stores that made the list include Subway at No. 2; Dunkin' Donuts at No. 13; Chester's at No. 95; and Blimpie's Subs & Salads at No. 198. The companies included on this year's list, which must have a minimum of 10 units, were ranked based on financial and statistical data from July 2010 through July 2012.

Analysts explain why "The Showdown" (aka "Nothing but Net") commercial that aired 20 years ago during Super Bowl XXVII in 1993 is regarded as one of the best Big Game ads of all time and continues to resonate on Madison Avenue.