When Mark Wahlberg was training for the 2010 film “The Fighter,” he discovered AquaHydrate, a water supplemented with minerals and electrolytes. He apparently liked the stuff so much that he wanted in on the company.

Wahlberg now owns about 20 percent of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal, and his involvement no doubt helped rope in P. Diddy as an investor as well. The man sometimes known as Sean Combs also has a stake worth about 20 percent. 

Now, after selling the product in Walgreens and other such US outlets, Wahlberg, Diddy, and their fellow investors are taking the beverage abroad. AquaHydrate may make its Australian debut in the next few weeks and “is advancing talks to expand into Asian markets through a joint venture covering Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan, as well as distribution in Japan,” the Journal notes.

And why not? Consumers are drinking less soda than they used to and are more and more interested in purchasing items that have a healthy bent to their marketing. Research firm Innova Market Insights recently reported that fruit-based drinks have “dominated launch activity, accounting for over 43% of total” beverage launches in the last two years. Water isn’t growing as quickly, but the concept of AquaHydrate is to provide an alternative to the sugared sodas that ruled the beverage world’s recent past history. Continue reading...

American Airlines faces record safety penalty, tests hotel baggage delivery service.

Amazon sees pay-off from locker service, looks to acquire more patents.

Apple shelves "Genius" TV campaign, puts former designer on the stand against Samsung and plans to beef up security.

AT&T sees 20,000 employees go on strike.

Bank of America brings discounts to bank statements.

Chiquita seeks new CEO as Undercover Boss star exits.

Chrysler’s Dodge pulls out of NASCAR.Continue reading...

Contraband, an thriller about a New Orleans smuggler with a heart of gold, topped the box office this weekend. The film, starring one-time Calvin Klein underwear model "Marky Mark" Mark Wahlberg, attempted to quietly smuggle a little beer advertising into the minds of audiences as well. It did not work. Or did it? Continue reading...

Warner Brothers' Harry Potter 3D film is hoped to revive flagging cinema industry.

GM named Hyundai executive Chris Perry the new head of marketing for Chevy.

Apple is closing its Quattro ad network to focus on iAds.

Chrysler released teaser photos of the 2011 Jeep Wrangler online.

Dollar General, a US discount chain, will start selling beer and wine.

Google is coming to the big screen, joining Facebook and Twitter movies in the works.Continue reading...

As he plunges into promotional efforts for his new book on personal branding this week, brandmeister extraordinaire Peter Arnell is turning to where he’s always gotten support: his high-profile friends.

Martha Stewart wrote the foreword for his new book, the back of which bears endorsements from celebrity friends and clients ranging from Donna Karan, whose iconic DKNY brand he worked on for many years, to Mark Wahlberg.

This week, Arnell will be talking about his very personal book on NBC's Today Show, a friendly venue where he has appeared frequently over the years (including taking Matt Lauer for a spin in the Peapod, his electric car that's still idling). It’s hardly surprising that Arnell is effectively leveraging his vast personal network to help promote his book on personal branding.

“By networking with friends and family, you can get confirmation of your strength necessary to grow, and that’s really important,” he told Brandchannel.com in an exclusive interview over the weekend. (Click here for his Brandchannel Q&A).Continue reading...