America's largest publicly held insurance company has abruptly parted ways with its marketing chief. Sanjay Gupta, the former Ally Financial executive who had been chief marketing officer at Allstate for the past five years, is no longer in that role. A company spokesperson confirmed the news but declined to name Gupta's successor or elaborate on the circumstances behind the change.

Calling it a "partnership intended to bring the players, tournaments and fan experiences of the Tour to a cross-cultural audience in an authentic and relatable way," the PGA Tour has signed a deal with Mitu, a multi-media company whose audience is nearly 100 million people in the U.S. Mitu said its demo is "the 200% - youth who are 100% American and 100% Latino. They inspire us to create authentic, culturally relevant stories."

With Pumpkin Spice Latte, Starbucks has created a social phenomenon that transcends a relatively simple caffeinated concoction. It's a derisive cultural cue for the stereotypically "basic" taste, the genesis of a flavor trend that's invaded every other corner of the seasonal food world, and a 14-year-old cash-cow menu item that has become synonymous with the Seattle coffee house chain's brand.

American brewing company MillerCoors is set to launch a new beer, dubbed Two Hats, early next year aimed at consumers aged 21 to 24 years. The new brand of light beer will come in the fruit flavors of lime and pineapple. MillerCoors' has cited a research report from Mintel saying that the flavored beer market now accounts for 27% of the total U.S. beer launches, which in itself is an 85% increase from 2010.

The NFL tops all other U.S.-based sports leagues and organizations regarding marketing power, taking the No. 1 spot over MLB, UFC, WWE, NHL, NBA, Bellator MMA, NCAA, MLS and NASCAR, according to a new report from E-Poll Market Research. The Dallas Cowboys may operate under the theory that they are America's Team, but they are only tied for the fourth "most appealing" team in the NFL, yet lead in brand loyalty.

Organic Valley has launched a campaign to highlight all of the work that goes into its organic dairy products. The campaign, which is running under the tagline, "Call us crazy, but it's working," includes several spots that point to Organic Valley's position as pioneer of truly organic, humane dairy production. The campaign, produced by agency Humanaut, will run on television, digital, and social media.

Nordstrom is opening a store next month that is a fraction of the size of its typical locations. Shoppers will be able to enjoy services such as manicures and on-site tailoring. However, it won't carry clothing. Called Nordstrom Local, the new concept comes as retailers across the U.S. are wrestling with how best to use their physical spaces and attract customers who are migrating to the web.

Every car that proclaims any self-driving status today only has up to Level 2 autonomy, a status determined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Yes, even Tesla. The first SAE Level 3 car (which means the driver will no longer be in charge of monitoring the road and controlling the car) will be Audi's A8. Slated for launch late this year, the limousine has, by some margin, the most advanced self-driving tech in production.

Actor Ray Liotta will be KFC's next colonel, replacing actor Rob Lowe. The actor portrays founder Col. Harland Sanders in a campaign in which he can't decide whether sweet and tangy Georgia Gold honey mustard BBQ chicken or spicy and smoky Nashville Hot chicken is authentic Southern flavor. He argues both sides and appears to start to hallucinate. The two chicken dishes are part of KFC's new line of regional flavors.

Two consumers have filed a class-action lawsuit against Annie's Homegrown for falsely labeling its salad dressings as "natural." The plaintiffs allege that the dressing contains what they consider to be a synthetic ingredient, xanthan gum. The plaintiffs are seeking trial by jury, compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a corrective advertising campaign.