Anheuser-Busch InBev tries a tea-lemonade "light alcohol" drink for Michelob.

Ann Taylor woos younger women by featuring stylish students.

Avon replacing Andrea Jung as CEO.

Best Buy finds that deep discounts sacked profits.

Canadian Tire buys house in Toronto just for webisodes.

China plans to impose duties on U.S.-imported cars, ratcheting up trade tiff.

Chrysler picks up sales and financial momentum while parent Fiat treads cautiously.

CNN rehires Christiane Amanpour, who will continue to contribute to ABC News.Continue reading...

Google officially launched brand pages on Google+ today, ending months of waiting. The Web giant's pitch to convince businesses and brands to sign up (and unseat Facebook's dominance as the go-to social destination for businesses):

"Google+ pages help you connect with the customers and fans who love you. Not only can they recommend you with a +1, or add you to a circle to listen long-term. They can actually spend time with your team, face-to-face-to-face. All you need to do is start sharing, and you'll soon find the super fans and loyal customers that want to say hello."

Charter branded G+ pages at launch showed the array of business-hosted pages possible:Continue reading...

The way much of America sees things, political polarization is a bad thing. Washington politicians still believe that the citizenry want nothing as much as bipartisanship in the nation's capital. Centrist efforts such as No Labels base their entire appeal on a lack of extremes. Even Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign was built largely on a promise of overcoming the nation's political divisions.

But polarization has remained and, no doubt, grown in the fertile soil of economic tribulation lately. And that has been a very good thing for at least one prominent media brand: Fox News. The leading cable news network and one of its most prominent hosts, Sean Hannity, are celebrating the 15-year anniversary of the birth of Fox News and its association with the once-obscure radio talk-show host.

Fox News is flattening the competition from CNN and MSNBC more convincingly than ever, ratings-wise. And the success of Fox News' stalwart appeal to its right-leaning viewers recently prompted MSNBC to stop all pretense and throw its marketing toward its own, but left-leaning, viewership base. MSNBC lately has been doing better in the ratings. Meanwhile, CNN, still nominally trying to occupy the mushy middle, has struggled.Continue reading...

Today, 24-hour news network CNN unveiled new branding for 2012 political campaign coverage. CNN's new motto states that its political coverage makes it "America's Choice 2012," a tagline that "reflects our commitment to helping American voters make that choice."

CNN is not joking. But Jon Stewart was when The Daily Show used the exact same branding in 2008.Continue reading...

There was a subtle but significant tinge to Fox News’s lineup of moderators for the big debate of Republican presidential contenders last week: Bret Baier, Chris Wallace and Megyn Kelly don’t hail from the network’s robust lineup of red-meat, all-American conservatives.

Apparently that casting was part of a larger “course correction” Fox News has been undertaking as the nation moves heavily into 2012 campaign mode. Fox News head Roger Ailes has “quietly adopted” a bit of a tack toward the center recently, according to media reporter Howard Kurtz in The Daily Beast – a move that also has included parting ways with bomb-thrower Glenn Beck and paying less attention to the Tea Party movement.Continue reading...

Amazon launches YoYo portal for kids toys.

American Express buys virtual currency monetization platform for $30 million.

Angry Birds is poised to expand as Rovio works with Starbucks and other brands to expand footprint.

Apple's stock closes at all-time high.

Braun announces theme for 2012 BraunPrize.

CNN opens first CNN Cafe, in Seoul.Continue reading...

Apple "iPhone 5 in October" rumors heat up and cases appear, while Samsung sues to pre-emptively block the device in Korea.

Netflix's Qwikster spin-off proves a turn-off to observers, subscribers and Wall Street.

Tyson Foods releases social campaign for Feeding America, and settles 12-year legal battle with employees with $32M settlement.

AT&T faces tough battle with seven states backing DoJ suit.

Facebook and Time Warner's CNN and Cartoon Network team up on anti-bullying pledge app.

Jarritos Mexican soda appeals to non-Hispanic young men with new campaign.

Kenshoo expands relationship with Omnicom's Annalect.

Lego enhances augmented reality packaging.Continue reading...

Legacy of Apple's Steve Jobs? Persuading people to pay for content.

CNN may buy iPad app maker Zite.

Exxon wins prized contract to drill for oil in the Russian Arctic.

Facebook's "bug bounty" pays out $40,000 to hackers who found flaws.

Google turns to public in fight against scrapers.

Nearly 300 Cambodian workers pass out at H&M factory.

Analysts disagree on whether Newsweek's newsstand sales under Tina Brown are strong or weak.

Chinese Volvo owner has defective car dragged through the streets by an ox in protest.