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...

Google has sold the rights to the eponymous Frommer's travel guidebook series… to Arthur Frommer, the creator of the brand. Frommer initially sold his rights to Simon & Schuster in 1977, and several brand changes later, Google snapped it up in 2012 amidst speculation that the search giant might fold it into Zagat, which they bought in 2011, with aspirations of owning the SEO on geo-location-travel.

Travel website Skift broke the news that Google would stop publishing print editions of several Frommer's series just seven months after it acquired Frommer’s from John Wiley & Sons for a rumored price of $25 million, however the sale of the naming rights will now allow Arthur Frommer to continue to publish print guide books and content on Frommers.com. 

A Google spokesperson told Skift, “We’re focused on providing high-quality local information to help people quickly discover and share great places, like a nearby restaurant or the perfect vacation destination. That’s why we’ve spent the last several months integrating the travel content we acquired from Wiley into Google+ Local and our other Google services. We can confirm that we have returned the Frommer’s brand to its founder and are licensing certain travel content to him.”Continue reading...

Google started out as just a search engine, but it’s consistently added pieces to help change consumers’ view. Now Google has shelled out a few bucks to buy the 55-year-old Frommer’s travel brand from publisher John Wiley & Sons, as we reported Monday.

Building up its original content offerings on the hyperlocal front appears to be the new focus at Google, which also snagged Zagat’s restaurant guides so a definite theme is forming. The idea, Google says, is to provide content on “every relevant place in the world,” according to the Washington Post. Continue reading...

Almost a year ago, former Google executive Marissa Mayer struck a deal to purchase the user review-based Zagat brand.

Today, Google confirmed it's expanding its travel content library by acquiring the Frommer's brand of travel guidebooks and related assets from US publisher John Wiley & Sons, while Mayer, of course, has struck a different big deal for herself.

The Frommer's deal will beef up the Google+ Local platform, which now incorporates Zagat restaurant reviews, with Frommers-curated lists such as "Best National Parks of the Pacific Northwest" and other travel resources.

Why buy rather than partner? Zagat, for starters, can't do it all alone — while Google has big plans in the travel space.Continue reading...

Google today acquired the iconic user-reviewed restaurant guide, Zagat, adding food fodder to its Google Offers and another feather to its growing cap as purveyor of all things digital.

Tim and Nina Zagat, the husband-and-wife team whose 30-point scale and quotation-mark-happy reviews franchise is the Bible to millions of foodies, shoppers and travelers, will stay involved as co-chairs.

“We couldn’t be happier to see our baby placed into such good hands and are looking forward to being Googlers in the years ahead,” they stated in a letter on zagat.com, which "reviews" Google on its homepage today in celebration of the mega-deal.Continue reading...

While Google recently ventured into local recommendations with HotPot, a smaller social startup has been quiety vying for a slice of that market.

Bizzy bills itself as a personalized local business recommendation engine, an alternative to not only HotPot but also Yelp and Zagat’s user reviews.

The idea is to connect insider tips from like-minded people with similar tastes. Bizzy asks each user 15 questions about their favorite local eateries, watering holes and businesses, and then offers up recommendations tailored for you.

“The problem with listing and review sites is they tell you plenty about where you can go, but they never tell you where you should go,” says Bizzy founder Gadi Shamia.Continue reading...

American Girl prompts Disney and others to boost doll sizes.

Chili’s may make “2 for $20” promotional pricing permanent.

Comcast, on the verge of acquiring NBC Universal, reports dramatic loss in subscribers.

Economist Ideas Channel targets intelligentsia online.

Foursquare's kickback user incentives won't fly with the FTC.

FOX spat heats up as News Corp. rejects Cablevision’s offer and cable operator steers customers online for World Series.

General Motors tunes IPO price.Continue reading...

With New York Fashion Week behind us, it’s just the right time to put aside those designer duds and embrace one’s inner "foodie" with the launch of Zagat Exclusives.

Tailored to please diners and dining establishments alike, this program will provide regularly scheduled discounts for a limited time, delivered by email, at Zagat-Rated restaurants in New York City, and will soon be rolled out in other major metropolitan areas.

"Zagat is harnessing the increasingly popular group buying model to provide the best possible deals for our customers and restaurateurs," said Tim Zagat, CEO, Zagat Survey. The program, which is powered by Groupon competitor DealOn, offered $30 off a three-course meal at Manhattan's famed “21” Club for its first promotion. This move signifies a bold effort by Zagat to follow Yelp and OpenTable into the highly competitive dining-discount game.Continue reading...