AIG loses $2.4 billion in quarter due to restructuring charges. 

American Airlines pulls flight data in dispute with Orbitz. 

Booz Allen Hamilton seeks IPO to help repay debt. 

Dell ditches BlackBerrys for its own employees, subbing its own service. 

DreamWorks partners with Farmville for release of MegaMind. 

Gulfstream Airlines files for bankruptcy protection. 

Harley-Davidson to build bikes in India. 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...

Corporate sustainability isn't something consumers necessarily think a lot about when they purchase a branded product, but a new survey suggests it influences a brand's "meaningfulness" in the mind of a consumer.

The more sustainable the brand is perceived to be, the more meaningful it becomes to consumers, according to results of the just-released second annual Brand Sustainable Futures report, published by Havas Media and MPG. The results are based on an online survey of 30,000 consumers in 9 countries.

Survey results indicated that IKEA received the best "Brand Sustainable Futures Quotient," while L'Oreal was one of the brands with the largest improvements from last year. Home Depot is perceived as "the most meaningful and sustainable" brand by U.S. consumers, followed by Kraft and Google.

When it comes to attitudes towards sustainability, it differs significantly by country.Continue reading...

Alibaba develops China search engine with Microsoft as challenger to Baidu.

Apple is in talks to bring the iPhone to India, and will sell the iPad at Wal-Mart.

AT&T's U-verse TV is coming to Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

Bank of America and other mortgage lenders face lawsuits from up to 40 state attorneys general.

Beijing Auto hopes to reinvigorate brand with $2.7 billion marketing push, as China car sales cool down.

Blockbuster begins search for a new CEO.

Bloomberg LP plans a data service catering to U.S. government.

Bloomingdale's, Macy's, J.C. Penney and other retailers go beyond discounts (incl. BOGO) to compete.Continue reading...

Kraft Foods is reaching out to customers via social media with comedy. Its You Gotta LOL web series debuted Monday, with 14 brands participating including Wheat Thins, Oreo, Kool-Aid, Chips Ahoy! and Jell-O. 

Anita Renfroe, the series' star, is a stay-at-home mom and comedian (a SFW version of Roseanne) who Kraft marketers hope will appeal to other moms by speaking of what she knows. 

In a video (above) for Chips Ahoy!, dealing with women’s chocolate obsession, Renfroe zings: “All females have known this intuitively for years because chocolate belongs to the four food groups that females believe in: depression, elation, ovulation and PM-ation.”Continue reading...

Absolut unveils limited edition crystal bottle.

AIG strikes a deal to repay billions in taxpayer dollars.

American Airlines, Levi's, Progressive and Wells Fargo received GLAAD awards last night in New York.

Ford touts 40-mpg 2012 Focus at Paris Auto Show.

Geico tops new consumer survey of auto insurers.

H&M slows store openings amid construction slump that has constricted new mall locations.Continue reading...

• Former HP CEO Mark Hurd made his public Oracle debut today on the brand's quarterly earnings call.

• BlackBerry owner RIM's quarterly earnings saw a surge in profit but fewer subscribers than expected.

• Continental and United shareholders will vote on the merger tomorrow. American Express announces end-date for Continental's OnePass frequent flyer program.

• Fiat shareholders approve plans to separate businesses.

• Ford rises higher than any auto brand in the S&P 500.

• Ivana Trump sues to protect US trademarks.Continue reading...

* AIG talks with the U.S. government about ending taxpayer aid.

* AT&T connects local search to emotions in new marketing campaign.

* Bank of America relies more on cross-selling and less on acquisitions under new CEO Brian Moynihan.

* Dell shifts focus back to big business.

* Gatorade plunges into social media to help revive flagging brand.

* Google Instant challenges brands with more than one name.Continue reading...