Consider it a new phrase — and a new danger — of the digital era. "Distracted driving," which is primarily associated with texting or talking on a cell phone while driving, is getting a lot of attention these days.

Texting while driving caused over 16,000 deaths between 2002 and 2007, according to research conducted by the University of North Texas Health Science Center. The percentage of all traffic deaths caused by distracted driving rose from 11% in 1999 to 16% in 2008.

That's why brands such as Allstate are stepping up efforts to address the issue.Continue reading...

Airbus says it’s ahead of rival Boeing on new-plane orders.

AOL bets on hyperlocal news with Patch.com.

BP deal with Russian oil giant Rosneft criticized on U.S. national-security grounds.

Campbell Soup targets China.

Fiat wins a crucial union vote agreeing to changes in a plant in Turin and plans product changes for Chrysler.

Hyundai ponders a second U.S. manufacturing plant despite UAW lobbying.

Johnson & Johnson looks to get its act together in drug aisle.Continue reading...

Almost nine months after the the massive oil spill in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, a White House panel faulted BP and contractors, and called for a dramatic overhaul of the way the U.S. regulates off shore drilling.

GM CMO Joel Ewanick signs 2012 Olympic ad deal with NBC, becoming one of only two automakers (with BMW) at the London summer Olympics.

Credit Suisse plans to launch a stock market for long-term investors.

ESPN to see more love from advertisers in 2011.

Facebook paid $8.5M to acquire fb.com from the American Farm Bureau.

Glock pistol sales jump in wake of Arizona massacre.Continue reading...

As Glee prepares for its Super Bowl extravaganza on FOX, Emmy-award winning actress Jane Lynch, better known these days as Sue Sylvester on the hit series, is in demand as a celebrity spokesperson.

LG Electronics' text education campaign (announced at last year's CES) leverages Sylvester's tough love persona and plays on her guilt as a real-life texter while driving, as she tells AP above. She's also been appearing as Sylvester in ads for American Express, helping promote AmEx's Members Project tie-in with Glee.Continue reading...

In year-end sales figures released today, US automakers post gains (first since the recession) as Toyota lags and Ford moves to second place behind GM. Lexus held off Mercedes-Benz and BMW to hang onto the top US luxury auto brand.

Apple's iPad is being embraced by the educational market for in-school use.

BitTorrent has more users than Netflix and Hulu combined.

BMW's electric hybrid sets $200K price point.

Consumer Reports sees packaging shrinking on US grocers' shelves.

GE unloads $6B worth of debt.Continue reading...

Adidas has just announced November 19 as its first annual National Tracksuit Day, with an Old Spice-referencing video by brand advocate Snoop Dogg. But will Sue Sylvester's Glee for tracksuits (Adidas or not) convince the average citizen to wear them to work on Friday?

Fresh research on women and their favorite brands suggests big retailers, both offline and online, are making the strongest connection.

According to the September brand index issued by Women at NBCU (formerly called Women@NBCU, it's NBC Universal's female-centric ad sales unit overseen by Lauren Zalaznick), three retail giants top the list of brands American women told NBCU they love the most.

Respondents' top brands in September: (1) Wal-Mart (2) Target and (3) eBay. Also making the top ten: two car companies (Ford and Honda), two soft drinks (Coca-Cola and Pepsi), two cell phone providers (Verizon and AT&T) and the iPhone.

While Wal-Mart and Target remained first and second in September, respectively, from the month before, eBay replaced August's third-ranked brand, Verizon. What's even more telling is major gains by brands.Continue reading...

Microsoft could spend one billion dollars (say that in your best Dr. Evil voice) promoting the Windows Phone 7 and its Xbox 360 Kinect motion-sensor add-on. With Apple and Google's Droid dominating smartphones, and Sony and Nintendo eating into its gaming revenue, the new products' marketing budget will be spent thusly, according to All Things D:

* Burger King promotion

* Pepsi promotion

* Kellogg’s cereal promotion

* YouTube homepage takeover

* Ad buys on Nickelodeon, Disney sites

* Ad buys on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and Fox’s Glee

* Ad buys on Time Inc.’s People and InStyle

* Times Square event