[Harrisburg, Pa.] Patriot News
Arooga's Grille House & Sports Bar has opened its first franchise unit outside of central Pennsylvania. On March 15, an Arooga's opened in Uncasville, Conn., as part of a 15-unit franchise agreement with the Mohegan Tribe. The 9,000-square foot restaurant sits across the street from the casino at Route 32 and Sandy Desert Road.
USA Today
Kraft Foods Group has launched a voluntary recall of approximately 6.5 million boxes of original flavor Kraft Macaroni & Cheese because some of the packages may contain small pieces of metal. The boxes - all 7.25-ounce in size - have "best when used by" dates ranging from Sept. 18, 2015 through Oct. 11, 2015. They are marked with the code "C2" directly below the date on each package.
Automotive News
An auto dealer group in Oklahoma, Fowler Holding, is using food trucks to get people to enjoy the dealership experience with free lunches. It's a way to set the dealerships apart from the competition, get people to come to the stores and support the local food trucks, said Jonathan Fowler, vice president of Fowler Holding Co. in Norman, which owns seven dealerships. Says, Fowler: "Car dealerships can be scary for some people. It breaks down barriers."
Engadget
At a press conference, Nintendo teased a new system code-named "NX." Few details were disclosed, other than it'll involve fresh hardware and gameplay concepts. The platform may launch as a complementary system, rather than an immediate successor to any of its current consoles. The NX hardware will also tie into a new membership service that Nintendo is developing with DeNA. It's a replacement for Club Nintendo, and will incorporate multiple devices including the Wii U, 3DS and non-Nintendo devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Detroit Bureau
The law firms handling one of the high-profile lawsuits against General Motors due to its faulty ignition switch allege the automaker actively engaged in a cover up problems that led to the deaths of more than 65 people. During a news conference yesterday, attorneys for the family of Brooke Melton, who died in 2010 as a result of an accident tied to the faulty switch, said documents produced by GM and the supplier of the switches show that high-level executives knew there was a problem but declined to do anything about it.
NYSportsJournalism.com
Official corporate partners of the NCAA will spend some $1.2 billion in marketing and activations. That will top the record spend of $1.14 billion set during March Madness last year, and surpass last year's record of $1.5 million for a 30-second spot, according to a new report from marketing and consulting firm Kantar Media. Brands include General Motors, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch and Capital One.
Advertising Age
Vacation-rental company HomeAway, which went public in 2011, is doubling its marketing budget to grab attention and differentiate itself from the likes of Airbnb. The company, which advertised in both the 2010 and 2011 Super Bowls, had focused on integrating the its tech platforms it had inherited through a series of acquisitions. In July of last year, the company recruited Mariano Dima as its new CMO.
Consumerist
As part of its 75th anniversary celebration, Dairy Queen is giving out free ice cream today. Customers can pick up a free five-ounce vanilla soft-serve cone all day at participating Dairy Queen and DQ Grill & Chill locations throughout the United States. The DQ locations involved are promoting the free cone day to fuel donations to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, with participating stores accepting donations.
Detroit Bureau
But trucks will take off. Ford Motor Co. expects passenger cars to account for a smaller share of global sales over the next five years. By 2020, passenger cars will account for 43% of Ford's global sales, compared to 49% in 2014. Utility vehicles will grow from 24% of the company's total sales to 29%, while trucks grow from by one percentage point and account for 28% of Ford's total sales.
NYSportsJournalism.com
CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting will join forces to air all 67 games of the NCAA Men's Div. I Basketball season. Added support comes from such platforms as March Madness Live and the March Madness YouTube Channel. Marketing partners like AT&T, Capital One, Coca-Cola, Allstate, Buffalo Wild Wings, and the recently signed Microsoft Bing benefit. In this Q&A Turner president Levy explains all.