You’re just sitting watching the game, enjoying the dull rhythm of massive millionaire players pounding back and forth down the court to help make other millionaires even richer through ticket sales, souvenir sales, beer sales, and, of course, jersey sales.

Suddenly NBA owners have found a new way to make some dough from that last category. And who doesn’t like to make a buck?

The NBA Board of Governors has voted to allow teams to sell small advertising patches on uniforms ("just above the heart") starting in the season after next, according to the Houston Chronicle. That seemingly little change could bring in $100 million annually for the league and open the door to other North American professional leagues to do the same thing.Continue reading...

China is the second latest economy in the world, every significant brand's future is impacted by its growth (or collapse!); but who's got the time?! Check out our weekly hotpot of reads that will make you look like a keen China observer during any conversation about China. Above, a 2012 Comic-Con promo for DC Comics' three-part series, Batman in Shanghai, ahead of The Dark Knight Rises Aug. 30 opening in China. And below: the iPad makes a quiet arrival, Adidas no longer "Made in China," the NBA, "House Slaves," robots (ROBOTS!) and more.Continue reading...

Peyton Manning brought back his aw-shucks charm and dry wit this week, resurfacing as a pitch man for the Buick Verano compact car. He's still got that commercial appeal, however he fares in his new football uniform.

After a year off from football because of a neck injury, and his release by the Indianapolis Colts and subsequent signing by the Denver Broncos, Manning is mounting a comeback on TV already that has nothing to do with NFL games. On the ESPY Awards on ESPN Wednesday evening, Manning introduced a video tribute to Pat Summitt, recently retired head coach of the women's basketball program at the University of Tennessee, Manning's alma mater.

During the telecast, Manning also appeared in the new spot for Verano, pretending to call "audibles" in the car using its voice-activated navigation system. The spot is the most notable bit of marketing for the new Buick entry since its recent TV campaign starring Shaquille O'Neal.

Meanwhile, in other developments in an auto industry where news remains hot even in the depths of a summer in the Northern Hemisphere:Continue reading...

After enduring months of sliding sales, losses of market share and declining investor confidence at Li-Ning, the CEO of China's most famous athletic brand has resigned. Taking his place: the brand's founder and China's Olympic icon, Li Ning himself.

But does the gymnast turned entrepreneur still have the flexibility to bend his eponymous brand back into shape? And what does this mean for Li-Ning's global expansion aspirations?Continue reading...

The China Daily uses the ongoing frenzy around the Euro 2012 soccer football tournament to revisit a known, but not well known enough, phenomenon in China. Namely, names being registered in China by people who have nothing to do with the trademarked names themselves.

As The China Daily notes, "Philipp Lahm, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta are world-popular soccer stars, but they have also attracted attention that they might not want — from Chinese companies registering their names as trademarks."

Anyone charged with protecting a brand, or who might BE a brand, should drop what they are doing immediately and check to see if your brand has been registered in China without your approval, spelling your doom. Don't even bother reading the rest of this piece on China and trademarks. Go check.Continue reading...

The fever pitch of Linsanity has died down a bit since mid-February, when every move New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin made was scrutinized and revered. His spot on his brother’s couch was ballyhooed as the mark of a man who overly impressed with himself and his status as an NBA player. His entire manner was an antidote to the general self-promoting boorishness that is generally expected from his fellow NBA players.

Plus, the guy went to Harvard! And helped build the Asian market even further and bring in more bucks for the sport! Not to mention being the very model of a modern Asian American. What else could the league ask for?

A few others, of course, saw Lin’s rise as a big opportunity to make some money for themselves as well and went ahead and filed for the “Linsanity” trademark. As we recently noted, Lin — who is not yet confirmed to be returning as a Knick — did the same in an attempt to keep himself from potentially seeing his own name on hot pads and t-shirts and ice-cream flavorings (and, naturally, make a few dollars down the road as well).Continue reading...

AB InBev closes in on buying remainder of Mexico's Grupo Modelo for more than $12 billion.

Apple adds Yelp check-ins to iPhone maps app, sees Motorola Mobility patent case shut down by federal judge and retail workers described by NYT as "loyal but short on pay."

Best Buy tries to regain edge before back-to-school season.

BlackBerry owner RIM reportedly considers a plan to split its company in two.

Cadillac surprises with integration of Apple's Siri voice.

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's set Spider-Man movie tie-in.

Dewar's announces three-year partnership with TED.

Dairy Queen gripes about New York menu restrictions as it enters the city.Continue reading...

Every automaker, like many politicians, wants to earn the favor of more of the burgeoning population of U.S. Hispanics. So when Ford got an unexpected opportunity to strike a blow in that regard, it took the chance — and created a moment, just as Nike struck when the Heat was hot. TV viewers of NBA Finals on ABC, between the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder, may have noticed that, during the last two games, the network ran a 30-second Ford spot for the new 2013 Escape utility vehicle — in Spanish, with English subtitles.

Network ad execs had noticed the huge penetration of Spanish-speaking viewers watching the first two games of the Finals, about one-sixth of the total audience — mainly concentrated in the Miami area. So they asked Ford if the brand wanted to take advantage of the exposure to a Hispanic audience in a mainstream, DVR-proof, primetime broadcast. Ford clearly viewed it as a coup and made a move that also seemed sort of unprecedented.

"They told us it was the highest penetration they were ever seeing of Hispanic viewership of a [non-soccer] sporting event in the U.S.," Matt VanDyke, Ford's director of U.S. marketing communications, told brandchannel. ABC and ESPN, he added, "were interested in testing and learning and observing how the audience would respond to in-language Spanish advertising and asked if we wanted to test and learn with them."Continue reading...