BP in £60m advertising blitz following oil spill

Marketing, September 2, 2010 — BP more than tripled its advertising budget in the three months after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, as the energy giant looked to combat negative publicity and rising public anger in the US.

Good CMOs Facilitate Change, but Great CMOs Drive It†

Why Persuading Internal Constituents Is as Vital as Creative Ability

Advertising Age, September 2, 2010 — Leaders, including CMOs, need eight leadership competencies. Great CMOs are stronger at results orientation and change leadership — critical to driving and embedding strategic change in an organization

Tesco eyes Carrefour’s Asian assets

City AM, September 2, 2010 — TESCO is one of at least ten bidders circling for the Asian assets of French retail giant Carrefour.

The Thai, Malaysian and Singaporean operations owned by Carrefour are being offloaded – offering Tesco an expansion of its Asian operation. Under its Tesco Lotus banner it is already a major player in Asia with hypermarkets in Thailand.

TV wars loom as Apple takes aim

City AM, September 2, 2010 — Apple last night launched a revamped on-demand TV service it hopes will help it smash into the online rental market.

Apple TV allows users to rent episodes of hit US shows like Glee for as little as 99¢ (64p) and play them through their TV. The device could catapult Apple into a market currently dominated in the UK by firms such as Sky, Virgin and the BBC.

The Washington Times to be sold for $1

Brand Republic, September 1, 2010 — The saga surrounding The Washington Times could be drawing to a close, with the paper being sold by one part of the Unification Church to another for $1, along with its financial obligations.

Blockbuster Filing for Bankruptcy

Brandchannel.com, August 30, 2010 — After months of what seemed to be nothing more than posturing and delaying the inevitable, the movie rental retailer is finally readying itself to declare bankruptcy

Consumers Find Ways to Spend Less and Find Happiness

Amid weak job and housing markets, consumers are saving more and spending less than they have in decades, and industry professionals expect that trend to continue

New York Times, August 9, 2010 — If consumers end up sticking with their newfound spending habits, some tactics that retailers and marketers began deploying during the recession could become lasting business strategies. Among those strategies are proffering merchandise that makes being at home more entertaining and trying to make consumers feel special by giving them access to exclusive events and more personal customer service.

Why Do We Care About Luxury Brands?

Wired, August 3, 2010 — Because we want what is real and authentic. An interesting reminder about the enduring power of brands.

Consumers Prefer Wheat to White in Sliced Bread Sales

Chicago Tribune, August 2, 2010 — The best thing since sliced bread may be...whole wheat sliced bread. A report on trends in the sliced bread market. Among the findings, brands with "natural" on the packaging or in the name seem to be performing better on the shelves than their white bread rivals.

Media Companies Try Getting Social With Tumblr

Over the last few months, other media outlets have caught wind of Tumblr, which is free to use.`

New York Times, August 2, 2010 — Since Tumblr is currying favor among a young crowd, it could prove valuable for traditional companies and media outlets that are trying to build a relationship with that audience. And those companies are no doubt aiming to win points by being early adopters of a site that is on the rise.