Liz Claiborne Inc. hasn’t turned a profit since 2006 so it’s no surprise that the company finally reached a tipping point of sorts and decided to massively shake things up. In the last of five deals that are focused on the company ending up with only its higher-priced brands, Claiborne sold off its namesake brand as well as the Monet brand to J.C. Penney Co. on Nov. 2nd.

Liz Claiborne CEO William McComb stated, "We are very proud of the value we have unlocked from our Partnered Brands group. What remains of that segment is a private brand jewelry design and development group that will continue to serve J. C. Penney, via our exclusive license for the Liz Claiborne and Monet brand jewelry lines. It will also continue to market Trifari and Marvella, as well as serve Kohl's with a license for Dana Buchman jewelry. Our jewelry capability is a profitable niche that was worth retaining, and will add to our earnings profile."

McComb continued: "With this announcement, the company has completed the last in a series of five transactions that in total have raised $471 million, allowing the company to meaningfully de-leverage and transform its balance sheet — while creating a portfolio focused on growth. ...We are now focused on our three global lifestyle brands — Juicy Couture, kate spade and Lucky Brand — and seeing the high growth and high margin opportunities they offer come to fruition as well."Continue reading...

Kleenex knows you so well. When you come down with a cold, all you want is your mother.

Kleenex also knows that "mother" and "motherhood" can't be defined singularly. Motherhood is a rich and dynamic tapestry, made up of women from various walks of life and nurturing styles. Unless you're a minority!

The eponymous tissue manufacturer has recently launched a new web property, asking visitors to "Get Mommed." (Hey! Stop verbing my mother, would ya?) The website features eight mothers ripe for the picking, as cold season (and swine flu) sweeps the nation, each mother a bigger stereotype than the last.Continue reading...

Liberals and conservatives agree: the Obama Administration's recent campaign to delegitimize Fox News Channel as a news source is a huge boost to the Fox News Channel brand.

Fox's success shows the rewards for cable news networks of building engagement among a dedicated base of diehards, following the vaunted "80-20 rule" that says that 80% of a channel's ratings come from 20% of its audience. Keeping the core audience tuned in for repetitive programming that confirms their beliefs turns out to be the recipe for success. That it has transformed US politics is a mere side-effect. (The 80-20 rule probably caused Bill Clinton's impeachment in 1998, when FNC rode the Lewinsky scandal to ratings glory.)

The latest controversy began in early October, when White House media advisor Anita Dunn rounded the talk shows to argue that Fox -- which has been attacking Obama all year -- "often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party."Continue reading...