Above, Hitchcock H7N9 bird flu poster featuring Shanghai's skyline, via Weibo.

China is the second largest economy in the world and every significant brand's future is impacted by its growth (or collapse)—but who's got the time?! Here's the week's reads that will make you look like a keen China observer in case you find yourself immersed in a cultural conversation.

This week:  What's haunting Weibo?... Chicken woes for KFC... North Korean beer... New Zealand product placement... Audi's new branded film... Car plates... Skinny Uniqlo goes bigger... Inflation... Diaosi Mike Sui... Fan Bingbing for booze... Disneyland... Jordan gets countersued... Chinese spending in Europe... Former Google China head picks a fight with a 13-year-old... and more.Continue reading...

When people buy shoes, they generally want to take a look at the actual product and put them on their actual feet, but Nike is trying something new that may have folks at least asking for the shoe before ever seeing the real deal.

Nike is using holographs in three different areas of Amsterdam to generate interest in its new Nike Free 5.0 running shoes. Welcome to the future of marketing. Who needs reality?Continue reading...

New Grownup Burger Recalls Grownup Film Moment

The words burger, Heidi Klum and bourbon aren’t generally found in the same sentence, but that’s changed now that Carl’s Jr. will become the first fast-food chain to release a burger branded by a liquor. The Jim Beam Bourbon burger will start being sold Monday night and to celebrate the moment, the chain has turned out a sexy ad featuring supermodel/businesswoman Heidi Klum reprising one of American film’s sexiest characters, The Graduate’s Mrs. Robinson.

In it, Klum seduces the camera and her naïve young male costar while chowing down on a massive Jim Beam burger. (Don’t worry, teetotalers. Unlike the famed Mrs. Robinson, the burger is alcohol-free.)Continue reading...

Nike introduced the FuelBand wristband in January 2012, and it has apparently sold well enough for the company to further invest in its growth as the device at the center of the connected universe it envisions. News on how Nike plans to boost its mobile/digital offering sets the stage for the company's quarterly earnings call on Thursday.

The athletic-wear giant's inaugural Nike Accelerator mobile development incubator, announced late last year, this week awarded $20,000 to 10 different startups that are building apps for its Nike+ products. The hope, CNET reports, is “to create a platform in much the same way that Apple has created a platform with iTunes and Microsoft with Windows.”

Hundreds of app ideas were proposed to Nike and its partner, TechStars, and the 10 that will receive funding as well as mentoring from Nike include “games that encourage users to exercise and a corporate wellness app that espouses healthy living habits,” CNET notes. The companies will work on their apps in Portland, Oregon, near Nike’s campus, and then pitch them to Nike bigwigs, venture capitalists and angel investors in June.Continue reading...

American Idol viewers crowned a new winner: Scotty McCreery.

AT&T expands 4G network.

Ashton Kutcher invests in Airbnb, his biggest social investment to date.

Carven, the French fashion brand, mulls possible IPO.

China widens lead in renewable energy ranking.

Diageo reorganizes business units.

DoubleTree by Hilton launches year-long global rebranding.

Facebook's Zuckerberg says movies, TV and music are next social frontiers as site announces music service with Spotify.Continue reading...

Al Jazeera, which has stood out during the Egyptian crisis, plans to renew its efforts to be carried in the US. Egypt's "March of millions" is underway, with last ISP shuttered.

Amazon could get a sales-tax benefit from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Apple moves to tighten its control of apps store.

BP reports $5 billion loss, puts US refineries up for sale, and faces long road with its safety drive.

Chrysler will pay employees a performance bonus.

Gap’s North American president, Marka Hansen, to leave. 

GM will give its Facebook fans a sneak peek at its Super Bowl spots, including major push for Chevrolet, on Friday.Continue reading...

Google and Microsoft join President Obama's fight on $75 billion illegal drug e-market, as Obama meets with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to discuss bolstering the US economy.

WikiLeaks leader Julian Assange granted bail (but Sweden vetoes) as supporters pay $360,000 for New York Times ad.

Audi and Mercedes-Benz lead automaker push to go social for 2011 Super Bowl.

Best Buy share price plunges on lowered forecast, despite brighter November for US retail sales.

Brett Favre draws criticism for trying to profit from end of winning streak.

CNBC launches subscription CNBC Pro, "for the serious investor."Continue reading...