The United States Postal Service is on the brink of financial collapse, reports the New York Times.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz hosts political town hall on Tuesday.

Amazon.com tests a site redesign as founder Jeff Bezos sees spaceship misfire.

American Apparel is in talks to raise up to $160 million in financing.

Apple retains appeal without Steve Jobs, while iconic designer Jonathan Ive stays on.

Baidu launches app store.

China’s Bright Foods looks to Australia for growth.

Cisco is accused of abetting Chinese government in Falun Gong crackdown.

CW marketer Rick Haskins attracts attention with provocative campaigns.

Domino's Pizza wants to be the first fast food joint on the moon (offer only good in Japan).

Glee star Heather Morris criticized for domestic violence-themed photo shoot.

Google Doodle pays tribute to Queen's Freddy Mercury.Continue reading...

News Corp. shares tumble as company goes on PR offensive with print apology as News International's former head Rebekah Brooks was arrested Sunday, London's police chief quits and actor Jude Law claims his phone was hacked. Prime Minister David Cameron called in Parliament to deal with the scandal, as speculation rises about possible harm to Murdoch's US empire.

ABS by Alan Schwartz balks at design copyright protection.

Amana introduces new online shopping tool.

Australia's government launches campaign for carbon tax.

Borders faces liquidation.Continue reading...

Amazon has just entered the flash sales market with MyHabit, a members-only (but free to sign up) fashion destination offering up to 60% discounts on designer brands.

Featured sale items are posted at noon ET daily from high-end fashion labels including Doo.Ri, Elizabeth and James (one of the labels designed by the Olsen sisters, who are also exploring e-commerce with StyleMint), Halston and Vera Wang.

Competing with other portals' fashion-forward sales channels, along with celeb-heavy direct-to-consumer e-commerce fashion sites, MyHabit isn't just targeting women, although that's who will likely do most of the shopping.Continue reading...

When it comes to product placement, the reportedly defunct Sex and the City franchise is an obvious target of derision, from "marketing bonanza" to "gross." Yet, the same critics seem to give the Twilight saga a pass.

This is odd because when it comes to product placement, the similarities between Twilight and Sex and the City are striking, beginning with the fact that both female protagonists (Carrie and Bella) can so often be found glued to their Apple notebooks.

What Sex and the City is to high-end designer product placement, Twilight is to affordable, everyday brands. Sex and the City is Bergdorf, Mercedes Maybach, Louboutin and Halston. Twilight is American Eagle, Gap, Jeep and Billabong. The price tags might be different, but fans of each series obsess over the wardrobes and the branded accoutrements.

The eve before The Twilight Saga: Eclipse opened to set a box office record for biggest midnight movie opening ever, as it did last night, fans on Coolspotters.com were busy spotting product placements before the movie even hit the big screen.Continue reading...

Ashton Kutcher isn't just a fan of Popchips. He loves the brand so much he has just acquired a minority stake in the company, and will oversee the San Francisco-based firm's social-marketing efforts as its first ever "president of pop culture." One thing he won't do — appear in Popchips ads.

"Listen, I'm going to eat these chips anyway," the socialy media-savvy actor (who boasts 5 million-plus Twitter followers) tells the Wall Street Journal. "If I can, why not actually own a piece of the company? As my image is being leveraged, I am participating in the upside."

The move echoes Polaroid's "hiring" of Lady Gaga in January as its creative director, a partnership (she similarly acquired an undislosed minority stake) that led to a meeting in April but not much (yet) beyond that.Continue reading...

The investor group that purchased Halston in 2007 will launch two men’s lines of suits and sportswear this fall. The company will also offer a secondary line, called Heritage, which will be more fashion- and sportswear-driven at lower prices.
 
The brand has been out of men’s wear since the early 1990's when it was primarily a licensed tailored clothing business. Halston’s 1970's aesthetic played out in the most recent women’s collection for fall 2010 with a muted palette, minimalist silhouettes and an ode to the 1978 set design of Eyes of Laura Mars with Faye Dunaway. Women’s is carried in Neiman Marcus, Harrods, Selfridges, Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf Goodman.Continue reading...

Can exclusive partnerships revive a brand? Depends on your partner.

After disappointing results with fashion insiders Tim Gunn and Isaac Mizrahi, Liz Claiborne has changed course and jumped to the other end of the fashion spectrum: JC Penny and QVC.

Starting in Fall 2010, the Liz Claiborne line will be sold exclusively though JC Penney. Isaac Mizrahi-helmed collection, Liz Claiborne New York, will be sold on QVC. The brand expects to return to profits in 2010, with forecast sales of $100 million on QVC and $1 billion in Penney stores.

The agreement shifts all Liz Claiborne's sourcing, marketing and distribution and their costs to JC Penney, while they retain control of design and brand management. The partnership will shelter Claiborne Inc.'s margins from department store markdowns. Instead, the company will receive a share of royalties based on profit.Continue reading...