Global automakers—including home-owned ones—will be showing off their wares at the press preview of the Shanghai Auto Show on Saturday. What they display will reflect the brands' various crucial strategies for stoking sales and market-share growth in the world's largest auto market, which is only getting bigger.

Analysts and auto executives alike have shown up in Shanghai predicting that the national market will balloon to 30 to 35 million vehicles within several years, or as much as a doubling of last year's sales of 19.3 million vehicles (in a year in which US sales were 14.5 million). That kind of expansion would make the Chinese market as big as the projected European and American markets put together.

"There's lots of competition here and everyone wants a piece of this pie," GM China President Bob Socia told Channel News Asia. "As competitive as it is, it's probably the only market in the world that offers the type of opportunities this market offers."Continue reading...

Kia names first non-Korean as president and integrates Google Maps.

Avis to acquires Zipcar brand for $500 million.

Nivea woos investors as CEO admits Rihanna was the wrong brand ambassador and brand returns to NYC's Times Square as New Year's Eve event sponsor.

Amazon apologizes for Christmas Eve outage.

American Girl's 2013 Girl of the Year doll addresses U.S. arts education cuts.

Apple sees its store in Paris robbed.

BBC Worldwide appoints chief brands officer.Continue reading...

Adobe gets more social.

Amazon wrings profit from fulfillment.

AmLactin taps Olympic swimmer Dara Torres as brand ambassador.

Angry Birds to launch retail partnership

Apple iPad users find high video use can crunch data plans as Consumer Reports finds that the new version runs hotter than the old one.

Arby's readies brand relaunch.

Boeing gains 787 Dreamliner clearance by U.S. regulators.Continue reading...

If you’re trying to sell a car, it helps if you’ve got an established brand to put on your hood ornament. Qoros, a joint venture between China's Chery Automobile and a subsidiary of Israel Corp., is planning to buck the system and put its first car on the market in China and Western Europe in 2013, according to EastDay.com.

First, though, the company has to build a car manufacturing plant, a process that is now underway and will produce 150,000 autos annually, EastDay notes.

The original plan was for Chery to provide its own designs for international release but things have shifted so that it is only a financial investor and the designs will be completely separate from the Chery brand, the Association Press reports.Continue reading...

Adbusters' role in branding Occupy movement examined in New York Times as Occupy LA protesters dig in heels.

Amazon eyes China growth.

Apple critiqued for not getting social media (but does it matter to brand loyalists?) as digi-savvy toddlers' parents fuel iPad sales.

Black Friday sales boost LG and Samsung as e-tailers are poised for Cyber Monday lift.

BSkyB's James Murdoch loses investors' confidence.

China's Chery automaker launches Qoros brand as Subaru joint venture gains lifeline.

Coach, expanding in China, will list shares on  Hong Kong's Hang Seng stock exchange.

Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Nestle and Mars sign European pledge to only promote nutritious products on their websites.

Disney releases mobile app for Spider-Man, as the Marvel-owned web-slinger finds his feet on Broadway.Continue reading...

As the Chinese economy evolves, brand marketers there seem to be following in the footsteps of other global brands in applying tried and true techniques, such as using celebrities. What's different, though, is that upstart Chinese brands are importing foreign celebrities to pitch local products to Chinese consumers.

Basketball star Kevin Garnett is just one example of a Western celeb finding fame and fortune in China. As he discusses above, locals now chant "KG" when they spot him in the street — also the brand name of the locally-produced sneakers he's been busy promoting in the off-season.Continue reading...

Auto brand news from the 2010 Beijing Auto Show and beyond:

Carmakers' "unsustainable" growth in China risks overcapacity.

China's super-rich are driving a luxury car sales boom.

Chery, China's #1 car, eyes expansion with soccer pitchman (video, above).

China's Geely denies copying Rolls-Royce.

Fiat's new designs should surprise.

Ford, where profits are up, is ready to launch new Fiesta.Continue reading...

Call it the Great Mall of China. The world's largest and most robust economy is attracting automakers like never before as they line up to unveil new models at Auto China 2010 in Beijing this coming weekend.

The event, which previously couldn't compete with major shows in Detroit, Paris and Tokyo, is now attracting a lot of attention because of the sizzling growth of automobile sales in the Chinese market, which is up 45 percent last year, and 63 percent in the first three months of this year.

At the show, GM will debut an all-electric Volt MPV5 concept car and Daimler will unveil an ultra-luxury Mayback sedan. Toyota will unveil the latest version of the Prius hybrid plus an electric concept car. Chinese carmakers also plan to showcase more than 60 new models.Continue reading...