CNBC
Valentine’s Day enthusiasts will be broken-hearted to learn that Sweethearts, the conversation heart candy with sayings like “Be Mine,” is missing from shelves this year. The New England Confectionary Co. (Necco), the candy's original producer, went out of business last year after more than 100 years. But no need to despair: The candy's new owner, Spangler Candy Co., plans to have Sweethearts back on shelves next year.
cincinnati.com
Procter & Gamble’s encouraging quarter of growth at the end of 2018 prompted it to boost its annual sales forecast for the year. Organic sales rose 4% for the second straight quarter. This closely watched metric measures revenues excluding the impact of foreign exchange, mergers and acquisitions. If the company delivered 4% growth for the year, it would be the strongest sales performance in seven years, Stifel analyst Mark Astrachan tells Cincinnati.com.
Comicbook.com
The Funko Kentucky Fried Chicken Colonel Sanders Pop could be one of the most highly coveted figures ever produced for the Ad Icons series, according to
comicbook.com. The standard version, featuring the Colonel holding a bucket of fried chicken, is available at retailers including Amazon. An exclusive version of Colonel Sanders holding a cane was offered at the Funko Shop. "It’s great to offer fans a beloved figurine that has captured the hearts and stomachs of consumers across the world,” said Andrew Perlmutter, Funko president.
The new 2020 Toyota GR Supra starts at $55,250, but during Barrett-Jackson's annual Scottsdale auction, somebody paid $2.1 million for the first one off the production line. While all proceeds from the Toyota Supra sale benefit the American Heart Association and the Bob Woodruff Foundation (supporting veterans and service members), the $1.1 million Barrett-Jackson CEO Craig Jackson paid for the first production 2020 Shelby GT500 goes to JDRF, aiding type 1 diabetes research.
Associated Press
Starbucks aims to offer delivery via Uber Eats at nearly one-fourth of its U.S. company-operated coffee shops. The company is launching the service in San Francisco and will expand to some stores in New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles in coming weeks. It tested the idea in 200 Miami stores last fall. Starbucks says 95% of its core menu will be available for order for a $2.49 fee.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Actor and rapper Ludacris and Mercedes-Benz announced a Super Bowl collaboration at an Atlanta school. The entertainer, who is from Atlanta, will appear in a 60-second spot for the company’s new A-Class vehicle. Two students were presented with tickets to the Super Bowl at the announcement at the middle school known for using music and dance as teaching techniques.
The Drum
Avon is pulling marketing materials for an anti-cellulite campaign after actor and activist Jameela Jamil took to Twitter to accuse the cosmetics company of abusing the body-positive movement. The series of ads promoted the anti-cellulite cream as a tool to combat the condition that causes lumps and bumps over the body's surface. In one ad, the copy reads “dimples are cute on your face (not your thighs)” and shows a giggling, cellulite-free woman.
ZDNet
As part of the $40 million deal expected to close this month, a portion of Fossil Group's research and development team currently supporting the transferring IP will join Google.The fashion-focused company -- which includes brands like Michael Kors, Kate Spade New York, Diesel -- could infuse some much-needed life into Google's wearables category at a time when Apple has all but cemented its lead with the Apple Watch, observes ZDNet.
USA Today
Aeromexico is weighing in on the debate over a wall on the border with a creative airline ad and promotion that encourages travel from the U.S. to Mexico. “The two-minute commercial, which features visuals of beautiful Mexican locations, could be seen as a trolling trifecta, tweaking anti-Mexican sentiment in the U.S. and, without mentioning him, President Donald Trump and his anti-illegal immigration comments aimed at countries south of the U.S. border,” per USA Today.
New York Business Journal
Morgan Stanley is being scrutinized for the way some of its employees allegedly treated a former vice president after she returned to work from maternity leave. The 24-page complaint, filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, urges it to investigate Morgan Stanley’s treatment of women. Morgan Stanley isn't the only New York-based bank under fire. Goldman Sachs Group found itself in a similar situation last year.