Apple "friends" Facebook, adds features and cozies up to car brands to stay ahead of Google.

Disney and Netflix clash over DVD rental windows.

Google-branded Nexus tablet rumored.

BMW and Audi rivalry intensified in May as BMW courts bloggers.

Bacardi debuts new flavored rums in "breakthrough" bottles.

comScore releases much-discussed analysis of marketing on Facebook.

Domino's hits $1-billion-plus in digital sales.

Evian pursues one-touch online ordering.

L'Oreal decentralizes marketing globally.Continue reading...

Are you a tennis fan? Then we don't have to tell you to watch the French Open. Are you a hardcore tennis fan? Then you might consider not only watching the French Open but getting behind the wheel of a French Open special edition Peugeot.

The tie-up between the venerable French brands to create the time-limited Peugeot 207 CC and 308 CC Roland Garros editions makes sense, and celebrates one of the most important tennis tournaments in the sport of tennis. Luxury (and less luxurious) lifestyle brands have a longstanding relationship with automakers, with varying degrees of success (and excess).Continue reading...

"巴黎，我来了" Translation: "Paris, Here I come."

That was the message Li Na posted on her Facebook page on May 25th. The message captioned a photo of a blue sky, likely of the view from her flight. On June 4th, as news of China focuses on, let's say, less proud moments, Li Na will challenge to make the quarterfinals for the French Open, the grand slam event she won last year. It was a single championship win that put $42 million in endorsement deals in her pocket and made Li the second highest earning female athlete in the world.

Ah, pity Michael Chang.Continue reading...

用运动 translates to "Yong Yundong." It's also Nike China's latest tagline to enhance "Just do it" with mainland consumers.

The tagline, which roughly translates in English to "Use sports" or "Have Sport," accompanies the brand's latest (characteristically moody and motivational) campaign for the China market.Continue reading...

Is the world ready for "Sugarpova"? It's a new brand of candy and sweets, leveraging the brand value of tennis star Maria Sharapova, expected to launch at the US Open in August.

This is just the latest commercial venture for the world's highest paid female athlete whose branding acumen seems to be as sharp as her tennis game.

The 24-year old professional tennis player is a winner in more ways than one, ranking number seven in the world's single women tennis players and having made over $24 million from June 2009 to June 2010, according to Forbes.

While Sharapova has earned her fair share from playing tennis, she has done even better from her commercial endorsements.Continue reading...

Reuters goes inside the war room at BP, which embarks on diversion strategy and retains Dick Cheney's former PR head, while US Attorney General Eric Holder promises a criminal investigation and public outrage like this ramps up. President Obama also vowed today to tighten laws to avoid a similar catastrophe, which made the New Yorker (right).

Toys R Us gears up for Toy Story 3, for which Disney is selling tickets within Facebook.

McDonald's launches campaign as official restaurant of 2010 FIFA World Cup.Continue reading...