For business executives and politicians, it was an axiom of the newspaper era that you didn't fight with someone who bought ink by the barrel. But has that warning changed now that everyone, from penniless individuals to mega-corporations and governments, can theoretically "buy" pixels on an equal basis?

Certainly the Washington Post is leveling the digital playing field just a little bit more with its new experiment in launching "Sponsored Views"—a revenue stream that will allow special-interest groups and others to purchase space adjacent to the newspaper's own editorials in its online op-ed section, in response to the paper's viewpoints. While sponsored content per se isn't new (and is actually taking off) to newspaper-brand websites, few have so specifically targeted lobbyists and public-interest groups.Continue reading...

KFC drags down May results for Yum! Brands in China.

Honest Tea predicts over $100 million in sales in 2013.

Myspace runs first TV ad in revival bid.

Airbus takeoff of A350 pressures Boeing.

Amazon's Kindle debuts in India. 

Apollo Tyres of India buys Cooper Tires for $2.5 billion.

Audi develops "road frustration index" as it sees new sedan variant becoming best-selling version of its A3.

BMW is sued by US over criminal background checks in hiring.

Burger King faces PR mess in razor-blade mishap.

Cosi CEO resigns.

ESPN pulls plug on 3-D channel.Continue reading...

Reader's Digest files for bankruptcy for second time.

Starbucks bets on Asia-Pacific growth.

Maker's Mark restores alcohol content after public uproar.

BMW recalls 30,000 SUVs for brakes.

Biggby Coffee has big plans to expand regional coffeehouse chain into national brand.

CBS buys into cable TV.

Coca-Cola says reached Twitter-imposed ceiling as reason for stopping tweeting during Super Bowl.

Danone may be targeted by activist investor who prodded Heinz.Continue reading...

Aston-Martin sells stake to Italian private-equity firm.

Citigroup sees CMO depart for Gilt.

YouTube relaunches site to feature original channels.

Coca-Cola relaunches Glaceau Vitimanwater in the UK.

Daily Beast considers charging for web content as Washington Post also plans paywall.

Delta faces California suit over app.

Ford finds opportunities in "social shifting."

Google to rein in free Google Apps.Continue reading...

Hostess liquidation sees opportunists stock up on Twinkies as future of its brands hangs in balance and unions cling to hope of a buyer.

BP seen as takeover target now, as valuation slides.

GM opens $1.3 billion China plant for Baojun budget brand.

Ben & Jerry's turns fans' Instagram pictures into ads.

CCTV ad haul for Chinese television bodes well for economy.

Cisco to buy networking-hardware company Meraki for $1.2 billion.

Citigroup to cut more jobs.

Dish Network is frustrated in dream of breaking into wireless.Continue reading...

Apple stock plunge concerns Wall Street.

Toyota recalls another 2.77 million vehicles.

Papa John's hit with $250 million lawsuit over unwanted text-message (aka spam) promotion.

BP settles with Russian partner.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II depicts David Petraeus as secretary of defense.

Cisco beats profit estimates.

GM and Peugeot halt talks on deeper tie-up.Continue reading...

"Crowdsourcing" was coined in 2006 by Wired's then contributor Jeff Howe, evolving into a marketing tool by 2010 for brands of all sizes — and it's still going strong. Harnessing and rewarding user-generated contributions to your brand or project is no longer a trend but a way of life, as brands large and small embrace the technique for monetary gain, product identity, entertainment and social good. The latest iterations of inviting the masses to weigh in:

• Heineken has launched its second Open Innovation Challenge, asking fans to 'Reinvent the draught beer experience' and employing comedians Adam Fields and Samba Schutte pull it all together. Users are asked to submit ideas and an accompanying ‘elevator pitch’ to the Ideas Brewery website and six finalists will participate in an ‘idea-enhancing’ workshop in Amsterdam in November.Continue reading...

Next Issue Media, a consortium of five of the world’s largest publishers—Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, Time Inc. and News Corp—is betting consumers will download "the world's greatest magazines" from their digital newsstand. It's a big bet.

Almost a year ago the publishers launched the first iteration of the "Hulu-Meets-Magazine" app on the Galaxy Tab and since then consumer resistance to pay-per-issue or per-subscription offerings has grown.Continue reading...