ABC News and Univision team up to launch 24-hour English-language news channel for Hispanic viewers.

American Airlines seeks more overseas flights amid US Airways bid, Bloomberg says.

Amtrak enlists iPhone as service tool.

Apple may be ready to settle iPad China trademark dispute. 

AT&T CEO regrets unlimited data iPhone plan.

Barclays enters U.S. banking fray with online service.

Budweiser sees boycott by NYT's Nick Kristof, while Bud Light tries to manage line extensions.

CBS steers younger viewers to 60 Minutes.

Chinese consumers are rejecting "Made in China."Continue reading...

Brand mascots are perennial Halloween costume favorites (count the number of Angry Birds you spot trick or treating this year!). But just when you thought there coudn't possibly be another way for commercial culture to tap into Halloween, major brands are haunting the occasion with spooktacular tie-ins, including the annual Halloween Google Doodle on the Google homepage today.

OnStar, Kraft, Progressive Insurance, Mike's Hard Lemonade, and Honda are among the legions of brands with Halloween promotions this year. It adds up to a phantasmagoric overload that makes it really difficult for any single brand, promotion or Halloween-themed marketing campaign to stand out from the rest, especially with so many Halloween messages in commercials and TV programming. But it's all in good fun, and hasn't stopped an array of brand marketers from joining the fun.Continue reading...

Mike’s Hard Lemonade, which touts itself as a “refreshing change of pace from the same old thing,” is indeed offering a change when it comes to sports-related marketing. Its current social-media contest campaign, “Mike’s Hard Sports,” takes sports a lot less seriously than the usual beverage brand, giving the athletes who play Ultimate Frisbee with a Mike’s in their back pocket the chance for as much glory as any NFL star.

The contest urges individuals or teams to submit a two-minute-or-less video demonstrating how they stand out from the crowd for a chance to win $2,500 to $10,000 and a starring role in an upcoming Mike’s ad.

The videos Mike’s offers on its Facebook page as examples for entrants include the triumphant tale of a dodgeball player who is the last man standing and a cornhole player who confesses that his chosen sport is the only thing he’s good at. If these videos are any indication, Mike’s will be looking for a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek humor in the winning entries.

The contest runs through Aug. 16, after which the public can vote for their favorite videos through Aug. 30. The final winners will then be selected by a Mike’s panel of judges.

So this is how they make beer in Australia! Super Hahn's comical spot was directed by Tom Kuntz, who shot that Old Spice Man spot.

Wisconsin state branding suggestion: ingenious, cheesy fashion.

Think you hate your cable operator? Not as much as the guy who spent $1,000 on a Time Warner Cable tirade.

Below: Smells like rebranded team spirit and more.Continue reading...