September is National Coupon Month, and it's no secret that the recession ignited an American love affair with the humble little coupon. Whether shoppers cut them out with scissors, searched for them online, or stored them as text messages, coupon use grew by double digits every quarter of 2009, especially among affluent shoppers. But it looks like the coupon craze may be losing steam. "While coupon use gained 13% in the first quarter of this year, it grew only 1% in the second quarter," Matthew Tilley, director of marketing for Inmar Corp., tells Marketing Daily. "And while that is …

Ford's Fiesta compact car is getting a star turn in a new web-TV program that looks to be a cross between a 20-something reality show and "Subservient Chicken." The show, ControlTV, via web video company Digital Broadcasting Group in collaboration with actor Seth Green follows a 20-something man whose every daily activity is determined by real-time audience vote. Per a release the audience will determine "What he wears and eats, where he works, who he dates." Both Ford and Sprint Nextel are partners: the man will drive the Fiesta in the show and use a Nextel smart phone. …

Google and AOL this morning announced a five-year renewal of their search advertising partnership, and said it has been expanded to include mobile search and YouTube, as well. The deal covers:

• Search: Google will provide AOL with additional features and enhancement to its Web search products across AOL's network of sites.

• Advertising: Google will provide AOL with ad formats designed to give consumers a "better, more relevant ad experience."
• Mobile Search: The companies said they will work together to develop mobile search applications.
• YouTube: AOL and YouTube have agreed to a content partnership that will bring …

Twitter finally delivered on a promise to release a version for iPad. The application comes through for users as it did on the iPhone and the Mac, providing a variety of options. Tapping on a tweet, for example, opens a pane to the right. Depending on the content in that tweet, you’ll see video, photo, news story, or another Tweet. Tap again on the tweet to open a new pane. Tap on a video link or open a Web page with an embedded video to play it. "Pinch" a tweet to view details about the author and to take …

An armed man who allegedly has had issues with Discovery Communications' environmental programming has been holding some employees hostage in the company's headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., according to news reports. Some 1,900 employees have been evacuated, according to reports. The man, James J. Lee, walked into the lobby of Discovery Communications building around 1 p.m. ET. Police says Lee is armed and has a device strapped to his body that they are treating potentially explosive. No shots have been fired. There has been no reports over injuries. Police said Lee has had ongoing issues with Discovery …

Restaurant industry and financial observers aren't expressing much surprise at reports by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times that Burger King Holdings is actively seeking to sell to a private equity firm. Experts cite BK's recent lackluster performance, particularly versus McDonald's, iffy prospects for increasing BK's value in the near term, and a revitalized M&A climate (PE firms are very much back in the M&A game). Some speculate that a new owner might reposition the chain to better compete with McDonald's.

When it comes to power-shopping our way toward economic recovery, a new report from American Express says well-heeled young women are leading the charge. "There's certainly more fearlessness about spending among younger, affluent shoppers," Ed Jay, SVP/American Express Business Insights, tells Marketing Daily. "And there's been pent-up demand. But what surprised us most is that the biggest spending increases for these younger women were for other people--on gifts, charities, and children--as well as on fitness." The report is based on its analysis of 90 million cards, four billion annual transactions and $620 billion of total annual spending, and …

In its just-released list of the top 100 e-tailers, the National Retail Federation says Amazon, Walmart and eBay are consumers' three favorites. The survey, conducted by BIGresearch, asked shoppers to name their favorite sites for both apparel and non-apparel. BestBuy, JCPenney, Target, Kohl's, Google, Overstock and Sears also made the top 10. Newcomers to the ranking this year include Express (#38), Aeropostale (#47), and Nike (#50.)

General Motors reports that its August sales of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles fell by a combined 11% to 184,921 units, versus last August. Although 2009 was the worst year for auto sales in decades, August last year was a standout because of the Cash for Clunkers program that stimulated auto sales for the short term. The good news is Buick, GMC and Cadillac all saw increases. Chevrolet, the biggest division at GM saw sales sink. Chevrolet, which benefited the most from last year's CARS program which was focused on non-luxury vehicles, had a total sales decline of 22% …

Venturing into the physical world, Facebook will begin selling gift cards at Target stores to be used toward buying virtual goods for social games hosted on the social network. Facebook Credits, the company's online currency, will be available Sept. 5 and offered in increments of $15, $25 and $50. Social games such as Zynga's Farmville and Mafia Wars have become hugely popular on Facebook, generating revenue through the sale of virtual goods and services for in-game play. Larger entertainment companies are also catching on to the lucrative potential of social games. The Walt Disney Co acquired game startup Playdom …