Whataburger has a strong fan base in its southern stomping grounds. The 740-unit Whataburger system, which has been around for over sixty years isn't known to people in the northern states but it is as iconic as the Golden Arches down south. It serves the same quarter-pound hamburgers on five-inch buns it always has. And unlike other pre-McDonald's chains, it's still around. It's a family business that isn't too interested in global domination.

Reckitt Benckiser, the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) giant and owner of Cillit Bang, Vanish and Dettol, has launched a review of its global media planning and buying account, previously estimated to be worth $800 million. The global business is currently split between ZenithOptimedia, which handles the business in the UK, and Havas Media. The review follows the arrival in May of Richard Davies, previously a media specialist at rival FMCG behemoth Unilever, in the position of director, global media, and comes amid the potential merger of Publicis and Omnicom.

Technology brands are employing ever-more aggressive tactics to convince consumers that they offer the fastest, smartest and most intuitive devices on the market, says Nielsen. And they are paying a premium for this as tech advertising spend in the US spiked to $723 million in the first quarter of this year, up 30% from the same period in 2012. "This increase is especially noteworthy when compared with total spend across all industries, which actually declined 1% over the same period," the research from points out. The tech sector actually hasn't seen a first-quarter jump of this magnitude in a number …

The internet is buzzing with rumors and pictures of the Porsche 911 Blu, an eco-friendly version of the vehicle, that is allegedly going to be introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. Details about this new Porsche, which is rumored features a Riviera Blue exterior and Guards Red accents, surfaced recently in a fan forum on the web. There are concerns about whether or not the 911 Blu is real. "Utter rubbish," said a well-placed source at Porsche who was not officially allowed to discuss the Blu rumors.

Twitter users are increasingly being targeted by promoted marketing tweets. But users are doing digital Aikido, turning tweets back against advertisers who send them. Comedian Neil Hamburger fills his followers' feeds with retweets of Taco Bell customers getting sick after eating south of the border.

Denver-area Steak 'n Shake franchisees filed counterclaims this week after the franchisor sought to terminate licensing rights last month in a dispute over pricing. Steak 'n Shake, the Indianapolis-based division of Biglari Holdings Inc. of San Antonio, has faced increasingly restive franchisees. The counter suit filed this week by Aurora, Colo.-based franchisees Larry and Kathryn Baerns and their son, Christopher Baerns, alleges fraud, breach of franchise agreement contract and pricing policies.

Automakers aren't the only ones vying for attention. Auto shows are also battling it out, in this case to land the vehicle previews that will get them not only headlines but hordes of both the media and the masses. The Los Angeles Motor Show appears to have done a good job convincing manufacturers to come to Southern California this coming November, organizers announcing they'll have "more than 50" new products to reveal for the first time.

Whole Foods Market said it is "thrilled" with the business it is doing at a store it opened in Detroit in June, which features a new "value strategy" on perishables. David Lannon, executive vice president, operations, said the Detroit store is doing "at least double what we expected it to do, and it's off to a tremendous start [with] a super- diverse customer base." The company said it plans to take a similar pricing approach on perishables at a store it plans to open in New Orleans later this year.

Stonyfield, the New Hampshire-based organic yogurt that bills itself as "obsessively organic," plans to stage a "10,000 Cup Greek Yogurt Trade Up" event near Boston's Faneuil Hall. The brand said it will have 50 employees located there to give away 10,000 free cups of "authentically strained Stonyfield Greek yogurt." The employees will remain at their posts until 1 p.m. -- or "until the yogurt runs out," Stonyfield said.

Low-price retailer T.J. Maxx plans to open an online store this year, as does rival Saks Inc's Off Fifth outlets, making 2013 the year technology may have caught up with the speed of fashion. This will be TJX Cos Inc's, owner of T.J. Maxx, second stab at e-commerce after a 2005 failure. It abandoned its first attempt after only a year following poor sales, turmoil in the corner office, and challenges at its smaller chains. That failure cost TJX $15 million.