One detail that contributed to the tragedy of China's Great Leap Forward was how local leaders reported what the central authority wanted to hear and not the reality. Volvo, it seems, is learning that, despite economic development and opening, business in China is still done with "Chinese characteristics."

The venerable Swedish auto brand recently reported that its China dealers have been inflating sales numbers to clench cash incentives. It claims it fixed the problem, but the practice of grasping the short term at the cost of the long is a particularly present challenge for China that goes far beyond Volvo.Continue reading...

In the United States, 7-Elevens aren’t exactly known for their funky appearance. But in Sweden, convenience-store consumers will be experiencing a completely different aesthetic in 2013 as the brand undergoes a groovy redesign there.

Stockholm was the location of the chain’s first European shop in 1978. Now its Swedish locations are getting an overhaul that started rolling out in December, using the company’s green and orange color scheme as its foundation in a highly minimalist way.

Green-and-orange striping abound on the chain’s cups, napkins, and bags, while green also adorns store walls, making the environments appear warmer than their antiseptic American counterparts.Continue reading...

What do girls want? For one big sister this holiday season, the right for her brother to have the same toys in a non-stereotypical design. Almost 45,000 signatures and a slew of international headlines later, McKenna Pope, the 13-year-old who started the online petition at Change.org to convince Hasbro to consider boys in their marketing and design scope for the Easy-Bake Oven, has scored a big win for gender equality.

McKenna and her family met with execs at Hasbro on Monday and came out all smiles. Execs at the Pawtucket, R.I., HQ of the toy manufacturer, as AP reports, were deighted to show her design prototypes for Easy-Bake ovens colored black, silver, or blue — ready for her brother and other boys eager to get Easy-Baking.

Pope’s quest had started when she wanted to get her four-year-old brother, Gavyn Boscio, an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas. After all, he had shown a love for food prep by attempting to “cook on top of a lamp's light bulb” at their New Jersey home. Pope only found ovens in pink or purple and the boxes only featured girls in its marketing images.

So Pope went out and scored more than 40,000 signatures on a Change.org petition, the support of a slew of male celebrity chefs such as Bobby Flay, and a meeting with Hasbro, which now says it is going to unveil the new oven at the annual Toy Fair in New York this coming February. Consumers who are looking to purchase Easy-Bake ovens that aren’t pink and purple will be able to snag them next summer. Plus, the new ovens will come with a boy or two pictured on the box as well.Continue reading...

Coca-Cola's latest variation on its Happiness Machine: The Coca-Cola Sing For Me Machine, in Stockholm, Sweden. The concept: "You sing a Christmas carol for it and it returns the favor with a Coke. Spreading the Christmas spirit one song at the time."

IKEA's standing as one of the world's most valuable brands is a hot topic this week after the company was compelled to disclose its internal brand valuation. The privately held furnishings company has been historically secret about its business metrics — but it finally revealed its internal valuation of its brand because of some changes in corporate structure that came to light.

According to SAPA/AFP, "Swedish furniture giant Ikea said Thursday it had sold its trademark to one of its own subsidiaries for nine billion euros (11 billion dollars), the first time the company has put a book value on the brand. Ikea, which has a complex ownership structure, said its Liechtenstein-based Interogo Foundation had sold the brand name to subsidiary Inter Ikea Systems on January 1, 2012. The transaction was aimed at 'consolidating and simplifying the group's structure,' Inter Ikea Group's head of communications Anders Bylund told AFP."

"Complex ownership structure" is putting it lightly — Ikea's Interogo Foundation only came to light last year following an investigation by Swedish journalists.Continue reading...

Stockholm Pride, Sweden's national LGBT celebration taking place July 31-Aug. 4, is raising eyebrows with a colorful (to say the least) campaign.

Its 2012 "Time to Be Queer!" campaign is causing a stir from the far left corners of the LGBTQ (the Q is for Questioning) community to the rightest of Christian fundamentalists. A Honolulu-based Pride organization even accused the campaign of setting the gay movement back 20 years. 

"The campaign 'Time to be queer!" tries to convince heterosexuals to become LGBTQ with arguments that can be seen all over Stockholm on posters and on animated banners in the subway system and at the campaign sites: blihomo.nu, bliflata.nu, blibi.nu, bliqueer.nu, blitrans.nu, and blibog.nu," explains campaign manager Soliman Herrera Johansson to Out Traveler.Continue reading...

It seemed a little odd last year when punk metal icons Motörhead decided to do a little brand extending and it took the form of a red wine, Motörhead Shiraz. Fans of the band aren’t exactly known for playing polo and collecting antiques.

According to Gibson.com, though, the vino sold well enough that the band has decided to expand on its alcohol-based brand extensions. So prepare ye, world, for Motörhead Bastards Lager, a beverage that aligns with the popular perception of the group’s heavy metal fan base.

One small problem, thöugh — the new brew is only available in Sweden (it debuted at the recent Sweden Rock festival).Continue reading...

Google TV adds LG to the fold with Samsung, Sony and Vizio ahead of CES, and 2012 global rollout.

Louis Vuitton finally expands brand into perfume.

Apple pays $5M to settle patent lawsuit.

Barnes & Noble eyes Nook spin-off with eye to global markets.

BMW brings MINI to India.

Deloitte finds 9M U.S. cable homes have cut the cord.

Discovery urges investors to be patient with Oprah Winfrey's network.Continue reading...