Chicago Tribune
Mondelez, maker of iconic brands including Cadbury and Nabisco, will start selling its Milka brand chocolate in China in September, hoping to capture a slice of a still-small market the company believes is ripe for opportunity. The company already sells items from its biscuit and gum categories in China. Brands under those umbrellas include Oreo, Ritz and Trident.
Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
With U.S. motorcycle sales not expected to improve much anytime soon, Harley-Davidson Inc. on Thursday said it would reduce bike shipments for the year and remain cautious in its sales outlook. The Milwaukee company said its profit fell 6.4% in the recent fiscal quarter, from $299.8 million a year ago to $280.4 million in the three-month period ended June 30.
The New York Times
In a TV ad marking 95 years since the party was founded, the question is used to promote it as a community of humble do-gooders who quietly hold China together. It includes a series of vignettes that show Communist Party members as the hardworking backbone of Chinese society.
Bloomberg
Companies can still feature Olympians they've backed, but they can't make any reference to the Games, and can't use words including "Rio," "gold" or "summer" in any marketing. The IOC aggressively restricts use to companies like Nike Inc., Visa Inc. and McDonald's Corp., which pay hundreds of millions to use those words and images in ad campaigns.
USA Today
Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent is pushing back against the narrative that's come to define the soda industry in recent years: that customers are shunning the sugary drinks over health concerns. Kent was adamant on an earnings call with media that soda lovers are still out there, they're just consuming smaller amounts of the syrupy beverages.
Minneapolis Star Tribune
For 27 years, Target's bull's-eye has been a triumphant fixture on the IndyCar scene, connected to more than 101 victories including four Indianapolis 500 wins. But not for much longer. The Minneapolis-based retailer is ending its longest-running sports sponsorship and one of the longest-running in all of motor racing.
The Drum
Coca-Cola's strategy of pushing smaller cans and bottles at premium prices to lift margins in North America has saved the drinks giant after it reported a 1% rise in volumes in the region, which helped off-set flat volumes globally and falling revenues.
Brand Channel
The brand's sexy models appear in the Victoria Sports ads but they aren't showing off their come-hither looks. Instead, they are pulling their hair back and showcasing their workouts. These women have plenty to say about bras and none of it is about how attractive they might be wearing them.
Knowledge@Wharton
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer said the deal represents a "great outcome" for the company and "it is also a great opportunity for Yahoo to build further distribution and accelerate our work in mobile, video, native advertising and social." To grow, Yahoo hopes to leverage Verizon's vast base of more than 100 million wireless users.
Internet Retailer
Many retailers are likely familiar with and perhaps even own a Staples Easy Button. The office supplies retailer is testing the incorporation of technology into the button to enable shoppers to press the button to order or reorder a product by voice, or to ask common order-related questions, such as when an order will be delivered or the status of a return.