Pizza Hut has been a laggard in the sector and its revenue was flat in Q3, but the Plano, Texas-based Yum! Brands unit has brighter days ahead, said CEO David Novak. He feels Pizza Hut will see positive same-stores sales in the U.S. despite continued shortfalls. "While we are disappointed with the full-year operating profit and it will fall well short of our initial expectations, we are pleased with the progress we are making and expect it to continue in to next year," Novak told analysts.

General Motors is resurrecting Colorado and Canyon compact pickup trucks. Could Ford do likewise? Ford walked away from the small pickup segment in December 2011 because of the categories long downward sales trend. Early buzz on GM's trucks is strong and so is interest; they could be major hits, versus Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier. Ford's CEO has said the company thinks people will just opt for the F-150, but Ford's strategy may change.

Uncasville, Conn.-based casino resort Mohegan Sun is out with a new marketing campaign. Downplayed are the dice, cards, chips and slots. Rather, the effort spotlights its 10,000-seat arena, restaurants, shopping. Differentiation is key because of competition, said George Galinsky, SVP marketing. "More than ever, we want people to understand that we're not just gaming."

Sports gear brand Oakley brought in stars like Shaun White, Mark McMorris and Eero Ettala for "Snowboarding: For Me." The film, combining new and archival footage with first-person narratives, is coming to theaters nationwide - with a version edited for TV to air on ABC's World of X Games. It seeks to do for snowboarding what such classic documentaries as "The Endless Summer"), "Dogtown and Z-Boys" and "Pumping Iron" did for their respective pursuits.

Weight Watchers, trying for a brand fix leading up to the diet season (who knew there was one), has hired CPG vet Maurice Herrera to be new VP marketing. He will report to Lesya Lysyj, president of Weight Watchers North America. The North American division has been without a top marketing executive since former Senior VP-Marketing Cheryl Callan departed.

Developers have tried different technologies for touchless gesture control on portable devices and desktop PCs. Now, Japan's 16Lab has created a pretty titanium ring designed by Manabu Tago, and featuring a module with Bluetooth Smart radio, movement sensor, environment sensor plus antennas. It even has 20 hours of battery life. Watch a demo at the jump.

It's been more than two decades since Peugeot pulled out of the U.S. market, a decision it has openly regretted ever since. But now, after years of mulling its options, the struggling French maker appears ready to stage a return. Several top officials discussed their options during appearances at the Paris Motor Show in recent days, and the indications are that any revival would likely focus on Peugeot's most exclusive brand.

NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Los Angeles Clippers Chris Paul and SNL characters Hans, Franz are in the new State Farm sendup campaign. Patty Morris, marketing director, brand content for State Farm, talks in this Q&A about using sports and entertainment to reach consumers, how putting Rodgers and Paul into humorous scenarios has helped to build brand awareness, why adding classic SNL characters snags several target demographics.

Mobile shopping app Curbside, which offers same-day pickup from local stores, has several retailers on board, including Target Corp. It is running a pilot program with the retailer in 10 San Francisco stores. Curbside is centered on an app that allows shoppers to find the products that are in stock at multiple local stores and check out with a single tap. The site allows consumers to shop with one card securely on file.

The great-grandsons of the women who portrayed Aunt Jemima in ads for the pancake mix are suing owner Quaker Oats and, therefore, PepsiCo for royalties in federal court in Chicago. Nancy Green, who was born a slave, was the first Aunt Jemima in 1890. The lawsuit claims Green's heirs as well as the descendants of other black women who appeared as Aunt Jemima deserve $2 billion and a share of future revenue. They also say Green helped formulate the recipe.