Hostess brands reportedly attract bids from Walmart and Kroger.

LinkedIn gains job-recruiting edge over Monster, reveals most-liked brands of 2012.

Nissan begins turning out Leaf batteries at new U.S. plant.

Apple dominates tablet-purchase intent, survey says, but loses patent case to licensing firm.

Build-A-Bear considers change at top.

Fox News leads cable segment while CNN dips.

GM revamps MyLink system.

Jaguar drops plan to build supercar.Continue reading...

Kraft Foods executives have promised to breathe new life into the stable of venerable — some would say hoary — brands that they inherited in the breakup of Kraft this year. And it looks like JELL-O is getting a lot of the early attention.

JELL-O gelatin and puddings have been fading lately, the brand's performance a far cry from when Bill Cosby flogged JELL-O in now-iconic TV commercials. Only 10 percent of Americans say they have eaten gelatin in the past two weeks, down from 15 percent in 1998, according to market researchers NPD Group as cited in Crain's Chicago Business. New snacks and indulgences such as Greek-style yogurt, and versatile foods that can serve as desserts such as granola and nutrition bars, have cut into JELL-O's turf, largely because it was under-marketed in recent years.

Not even the tough economy of the last few years has revived JELL-O, despite the fact that its products are inexpensive.Continue reading...

One of the main reasons for Kraft to split into its new Kraft Foods and Mondelez International units was to free the latter to pursue the beckoning opportunities in the global snacking business without being tied down to the slower-growth, mature North American groceries business, which now alone comprises Kraft Foods.

But in the early going, at least, both newly independent entities are pursuing something of the same strategy to tap into their separate growth opportunities: paring back non-performing, small or relatively insignificant brands, and applying innovation resources and expansion ambitions to brands that have a chance to make the most of them.

Mondelez, for example, already has said that it may divest some products as it seeks to streamline its range. The company will pursue a "simplification agenda," Tom Cofer, head of Europe for Mondelez, confirmed to Bloomberg.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?!  A weekly potpourri of ten reads that will make you look like a keen China observer during any conversation about China. This week: 3M, booze trademark wars, Lee's dark side, Oreo pandas, eBay returns, fashion week, iPhone hookers and more… Continue reading...

Avon's Jung to leave board early, shifting focus to new CEO.

Mondelez creates Oreo and Cadbury Dairy Milk hybrid chocolate bar, acquires Italian biscuit maker from Danone.

Foxconn faces more unrest at iPhone factory as new battle brews between Apple and Samsung.

BAE deal with EADS is questioned by major shareholder.

Baxter looks to its medical-product pipeline to sustain growth.

Budweiser donates to military families via tie-in with Major League Baseball.

BuzzFeed bets on online sharing of sponsored content.

Coca-Cola India signs Bollywood star Salman Khan as brand ambassador.Continue reading...

AIG unveils new corporate logo as part of rebranding.

Sprint left behind as T-Mobile talks about merging with MetroPCS.

Boeing lowers global forecast as GE calls for inspections of certain Boeing models with its engines.

Air Canada debuts plans for low-cost carrier.

Airtime startup by Napster founders stumbles.

Alexander McQueen show sets Paris abuzz.

American Airlines finds seat problems on six aircraft.

Better Place CEO resigns from EV-charging-station startup.Continue reading...

Interbrand's 2012 Best Global Brands report sees Coca-Cola on top, Apple and Samsung make gains, Disney and HP decline, and BlackBerry lose 39 percent of brand value.

Samsung files to add iPhone 5 to Apple patent lawsuit as US court lifts injunction against Galaxy Tab sales and Galaxy S3 outsells iPhone 5 in UK.

Amazon plans to hire 10,000 British temp employees for the holidays.

American Airlines accuses pilots of sabotage as loose seats embarrass execs.

American Express ordered to refund $85 million to customers and pay $27.5 million in penalties.

Apple's iPad Mini rumored for Oct. 17 unveiling.

Cadbury wins exclusive right to its signature purple color in legal battle.

Disney unveils new homepage with entertainment focus.

Facebook sells more access to members as part of ad analytics push; Wall Street approves.

Google's stock market value passes Microsoft's for the first time.

Guinness launches "cloud TV" campaign.Continue reading...

The Oreo Daily Twist campaign is fulfilling the brand's mission to help people celebrate the kid inside us all and since June, has been offering a new visually punning "ad" each day to the more than 27.9 million people who “like” Oreo on Facebook or check in on Oreo.com, Pinterest or Twitter. 

The tongue-in-cheek graphics, ideal for pinning, sharing and tweeting, riff on topics in the news and pop culture, ranging from the iPhone 5, Emmy Awards, and Mars Rover to rainbow-striped gay pride, Psy's Gangnam Style phenom and the just-resolved NFL substitute referees blow-up.

The campaign spanned 100 days in honor of the 100th anniversary in March of Kraft's "World’s Favorite Cookie," and as the final day approaches on Oct. 2nd, Oreo will set up a “virtual office” in Times Square on Oct. 2nd to craft the final Daily Twist ad in mere hours based on real-time suggestions from fans.Continue reading...