PepsiCo just saw its Pepsi-Cola flagship brand slip into the No. 3 position in the U.S. soft-drink market for the first time in two decades, a slip that its executives aren't wasting any time trying to rectify.

Barely days after the bitter news about 2010 sales results, the company is starting to firm up its plans to revive Pepsi.Continue reading...

Beremedy leverages social media for social good — not as a sidebar, but as its core business.

The name is an abbreviation of "you be the remedy for someone in need." The how-to using Twitter, Facebook and blogs to streamline donations of food, clothing and furniture to people in need. 

Blake Canterbury, the founder and CEO, is a 26-year-old with a background in new media marketing. He started his company in 2009 in response to the severe, widespread flooding in Atlanta, as he witnessed the need for basics such as baby formula and diapers rise with the waters.Continue reading...

Having already screened at Sundance and South by Southwest, director Morgan Spurlock's new documentary on product placement (POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold) is opening on Earth Day (April 22nd) in select US markets.Continue reading...

Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley told CNN in an interview at South by Southwest that he's focused on growing his business, which hit the 2.6 million check-ins this past weekend thanks to frenetic checking-in at SXSW. More than half of those check-ins took place outside the US.

Having just launched Foursquare 3.0, he also told Mashable founder Pete Cashmore in another SXSW Q&A (above) that the plan is to evolve the check-in to more than just a social game, collecting badges and becoming mayor of _____. 

Crowley aims to translate that check-in data to better connect users with their passions and dreams, to make cities easier to use, and generally keep things "interesting and fun" for its users.Continue reading...

American Express is expanding its longstanding Membership Rewards program points to serve as “Social Currency.” 

The big idea: when points are redeemed, they can be applied to a broad range of activities of a social and digital nature — as AmEx demonstrated in a unique partnership with Foursquare at South by Southwest.Continue reading...

When Mashable founder Pete Cashmore says in an interview that your mobile app is the one to watch at South by Southwest, then — congrats! You're officially the darling (or at least the It App) of SXSW.

GroupMe certainly made a splash at this year's SXSW Interactive, hosting a free grill and generally creating buzz for its messaging/texting app, which works on any phone that can text.

It's competing in a cluttered and noisy space, one that includes GroupedIn, Kik, TextPlus, Brightkite, Fast Society and Mogwee – as mobile apps strive to improve on social, location-based apps.Continue reading...

Ann Taylor parent rebrands to Ann Inc.

Google launches NCAA basketball site for March Madness, announces changes to Blogger at SXSW.

Microsoft said to cease Zune production as demand wanes.

Nasdaq bid for NYSE could come this week.

Nelson Mandela charitable arm is launching a clothing line.

US TV networks may punt if NFL football is lost.

Zynga rolls out new virtual currency in lieu of credits.

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh could have kicked back after selling his web shoestore to Amazon for $1.2 billion. Instead, he wrote a book, Delivering Happiness, which naturally turned into a bestseller. That turned into a cross-country bus tour, delivering random acts of kindness across America.

Now, as announced at SXSW, Zappos is launching a new lifestyle brand called Delivering Happiness. Zappos Chief Happiness Officer Jenn Lim (above) is heading up the new company, which is geared to spreading its philosophy and advising value-based management while creating a product line of motivational apparel.Continue reading...