Successful Beverage Launch Campaign Aims to Make Colorado Leaner Than Lean John Bello made his small beverage brand SoBe so viable that PepsiCo saw fit to snap it up for about $370 million. ....Read more  

New Law Bans Certain License Plate Frames Makers of customized license plate frames could be forced to change the size and style of their products following an amendment to a law in North Carolina.  ....Read more

Seven Effective Giveaways that will attract attendees and positively impact your company's bottom line Gone are the days when you could afford to set out a pile of branded giveaways for booth beggars to bring home to their kids. After all, with budgetary belts tightening in most exhibit-marketing departments, excess is not an option. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Even in the best of times, indiscriminately handing out branded stress balls and T-shirts can be a big expense with an insignificant — and often immeasurable — return...Read more

Study: Cutting Marketing Could Prove Costly Household and personal-care companies that cut spending on marketing in a recession could suffer immediate and long-term business losses, according to a new study. Analysis by a University of North Carolina professor shows home and beauty companies that reduced marketing in previous economic slowdowns lost share to private labels and failed to regain it. ...Read more

  Parker Pen Manufacturer Sends Custom Pens To Obama And Bill Sponsors One Counsellor Top 40 supplier could again be writing its way into history. Wisconsin-based Sanford Business-to-Business has produced four custom engraved roller-ball Parker pens that have been distributed to four politicians, including President Obama. ...Read more

  CPSC Spells Out Enforcement Policy For New Lead Limits In Children’s Products Effective February 10 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Starting on February 10, 2009, consumer products intended for children 12 and under cannot have more than 600 parts per million of lead in any accessible part. This new safety requirement is a key component of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) aimed at further reducing children’s exposure to lead. ...Read more

  Ways to Double Direct Mail Response By Ethan Boldt, editor-in-chief, Inside Direct Mail Mar 25, 2009 In his latest report, 101 Ways to Double Your Response Rates, copywriter Ivan Levison declares the secret of better direct response lies in the taking care of all the tiny details of whatever you're writing. There is no magic bullet when it comes to rapidly increasing response rates, but if you handle these details appropriately and apply proven techniques to your mailing, success is likely around the corner. ...Read more