When you Google "Hasbro," the company is identified as “Hasbro Toys, Games, Action Figures and More.” While the first three have dominated the company’s business for most of its 89 years, it’s that last part that is getting a lot of the company’s attention these days.

The “and more” has taken the form of TV and film productions related to Hasbro products. Thanks to the success of the Transformers films, which have grossed $2.6 billion worldwide and are based on the toys that were strewn across the playrooms of little boys in the mid-’80s, Hasbro has begun delving deeper into the worlds of television and film production, according to the New York Times.

Helping to build Hasbro’s confidence in this area is the success of its G.I. Joe movie, which grossed $302 million worldwide. Now a sequel to that film is coming out this summer as well as an action-adventure film based on the Hasbro game Battleship, which was promoted with a Super Bowl commercial (at top).Continue reading...

Despite Discovery Communication’s recent infusion of an additional $12 million into its joint venture with Oprah Winfrey, OWN, the high-profile cable network that launched on January 1st is still losing money.

Recent ratings from Nielsen Media’s OWN coverage ratings report viewership growth, with Oprah’s Lifeclass debut in October, anchoring primetime at 8 p.m., up across key demos. Oprah’s Lifeclass live webcasts, including interaction with viewers, posted 3.5 million plus video views to date on Oprah.com and OWN’s and Oprah’s Facebook pages.Continue reading...

Two larger-than-life women, Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O’Donnell... one network, OWN, reaching 80 million homes... and a divided jury on the prospects for success.

“Oprah's second act appears to be confirming the old adage that there are no second acts in American life,” wrote businessinsider.com

Winfrey's newest show for the network, "Oprah's Lifeclass," which the former queen of talk has been heavily promoting, drew just 330,000 people on its first night, while the debut of "The Rosie Show" with solo guest Russell Brand drew 497,000 viewers.Continue reading...

It’s nothing new in the old boy’s network, the recycling of executives at the very top, and now it’s a growing fact for women at the apex of their careers, as evidenced by Christina Norman’s new role as Executive Editor of HuffPost BlackVoices, the former AOL portal that has migrated to its own channel this week on the Huffington Post with Norman's arrival.

She's a big hire for Arianna Huffington, who's been aggressively ramping up since joining forces with AOL, and perhaps an indication of a missed opportunity in OWN's business plan — to think multiplatform and digital, not just TV — for Winfrey.Continue reading...

Global markets swoon after yesterday’s disaster on Wall Street.

Borden steps out with “Friends of Elsie” campaign.

Comcast and DirecTV engage in legal battle over advertising about NFL broadcasts.

Discovery Communications continues with upbeat reports.

Dodge leverages NASCAR to tout new Durango.

Dunkin’ Brands to boost prices to cover commodity-cost increases.Continue reading...

Google just introduced badges to spur readers to consumer more news online.

Now, in another sign that gaming is increasingly integrating with social media across all verticals, Badgeville, the social loyalty platform, just closed a $12 million round of financing.

Back in May, Badgeville CEO Kris Duggan told us, “Gamification is the how, and loyalty is the why. We’re the Salesforce.com of gamification.” 

To that end, its patent-pending Dynamic Game Engine and Widget Studio give businesses and marketers technology that increases consumer engagement and loyalty through configurable, real-time, social rewards and analytics. 

The Series B round is led by Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) and El Dorado Ventures, and Norwest’s Tim Chang and Tom Peterson from El Dorado Ventures are both joining the board. 

“This investment comes at the heels of two consecutive seven-figure sales quarters, and 40 percent quarter over quarter growth,” said Duggan in a release.

We asked Duggan how he’ll use the new funding.Continue reading...

Oprah is finally taking OWNership of her fledgling TV channel.

The Oprah Winfrey Network (aka OWN) announced today that its namesake founder is stepping up to CEO and chief creative officer, effective this fall, in addition to her current role as chairman.

Erik Logan and Sheri Salata, current presidents of Harpo Studios, the television arm of Winfrey's Harpo Productions, will assume co- presidency of OWN, effective immediately, in a clear signal that Harpo will now focus all production on OWN, while Winfrey will now focus her energies on the Discovery-backed cable channel.

"I am ready to dedicate my full creative energy and focus as the full time CEO of OWN," said Winfrey. "By aligning the mission, talent and leadership of Erik, Sheri, the OWN team, the Harpo team, along with expertise of (Discovery Communications CEO) David Zaslav, Peter (Liguori, OWN's interim CEO) and all of Discovery behind us, we can unleash the full potential of the network."Continue reading...

There may be a bitter dispute over how to reduce the federal deficit, but that didn't stop Congress from authorizing the creation of a new entity whose job it is to pump up the USA as a destination for foreign travelers.

The Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP)  is a partnership between the travel industry and the federal government established late last year. The first funding for marketing will become available in October 2011, part of what is expected to be a $200 million budget. In May, CTP appointed Jim Evans, a long-time leader in the hospitality industry, as CEO.

Its next big hire: the organization is looking for a CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) to promote 'Brand USA' internationally and improve America's tourism revenues — and reputation around the world.Continue reading...