Chrysler recalls more than 214,000 vehicles.

JCPenney acting CMO Sergio Zyman canvasses adland for marketing help as Macy's/Martha Stewart trial rolls on.

GM returns to Facebook advertising with mobile test for Chevy Sonic as it provokes unionists in Korea with talk about pullout, and Facebook widens data targeting for advertisers.

Aereo finds broadcasters circling the wagons against its streaming model.

Apple and Yahoo discuss deeper iPhone partnership, WSJ says.

Beech-Nut teams with Goya to launch Hispanic baby food line.

Behr launches social media program to market paint.

Cablevision Systems gives more responsibilities to wife of CEO.

Cannes Lions Festival adds jury on Branded Content and Entertainment.

Chili's begins marketing pizza nationwide.

Facebook has yet to monetize billion-dollar Instagram acquisition.

Fiat becomes more reliant on US and Asia for growth.

Fisker Automotive prepares to file under Chapter 11 soon.

Frontier Airlines may be on the block, WSJ says.Continue reading...

Look at the current M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions) scene in U.S. business and you'll see signals, especially in the food industry, that big conglomerates are falling out of favor: 

• In June, Sara Lee jettisoned its famous name, splitting the company into two units: Hillshire Brands, focusing on mostly meat products, and D.E. Master Blenders 1753, a European maker of coffees and teas. 
• Last week, the country's largest dairy company, Dean Foods, said its Whitewave unit, which accounts for about 40 percent of Dean's operating income, would split from the company and file an IPO. Whitewave produces Horizon Organic milk and the Silk brand, which includes soy and almond milk, products that have been growing faster than Dean's regional milk brands.
• In October, the giant Kraft Foods will split the company in two, separating its U.S. business (Kraft Foods Group) from its international snack foods business (Mondelez International). 

Corporate breakups are on the rise, according to Bloomberg Businessweek, which reports that there were 19 U.S. corporate public company spinoffs in 2011 vs. 16 in 2010. Eleven spinoffs have already been finalized in 2012 and thirteen more have been announced. Continue reading...

Facebook marketing director Randi Zuckerberg is taking aim at "trolls," so-called because they harass others on the web, calling for an end to anonymous online commenting.

At a social media panel this week in New York, she stated that web users would "behave a lot better" if they used their real names when commenting and communicating online. "I think anonymity on the internet has to go away," she said. "I think people hide behind anonymity and they feel like they can say whatever they want behind closed doors."Continue reading...

Brittany Laughlin, co-founder of Gtrot, a travel platform that uses Facebook’s social graph to help plan and share their trips, recently talked about her passion at at the IdeaMensch Los Angeles.

Her pitch: Gtrot, short for globe-trotting, combines the ease and expectations of digital natives; post a message to each friend’s Facebook wall and access a stream of advice and daily deals from the likes of Groupon, based on destination, with curated email deal offers five days before departure right up until the trip is over.Continue reading...

Citi says every single major automaker is a "sell" thanks to Japan supply/disruption issues as Honda faces US slowdown as parts-strapped Toyota cancels overtime at UK plants.

Audi to offer limited-edition “halo” cars to haunt BMW.

Dancing with the Stars faces heat over dancer's Playboy cover.

Dell increases investment in cloud computing.

Expedia plans to spin off TripAdvisor.

Genentech gets help from patients in Avastin fight.Continue reading...

Time Warner Cable and Viacom take iPad streaming dispute to court.

China's Tencent among interested buyers for Myspace.

Google tests game-mechanics strategies with Recyclebank.

Google and US Justice Dept. also near deal on ITA acquisition.

Bing's iPad app aims to make browsing beautiful. 

Bronx Zoo picks name for celebrity cobra; fauxbra not impressed.

ESPN launches TV Everywhere iPhone and iPad App with US cable operators.Continue reading...

Acer is launching a line of tablet PCs.

Apple launches Chinese app store.

Bill Clinton, one-man Michelin star?

BMW recall may have been prompted by ABC News investigation.

BP CEO Bob Dudley vows company will remain committed to America.

British Airways expands mobile boarding to BlackBerry and Android smartphones.

Budweiser's new UK spot features giant game of pool.Continue reading...

Eddie Fisher, legendary Coca-Cola spokesman and host of Coke Time series (above), has died at 82.

Brand extension of the week: CNN anchor Roland Martin ascots! Who won't want one: departing CNN US head Jonathan Klein.

Goya reaches out to non-Latinos with "we are the bean people" positioning. Huh?

Legendary New York hotel The Algonquin is becoming a Marriott. Dorothy Parker fans mourn.Continue reading...