extra texture :: marketing news + trends

New Year’s Eve revelers who arrive early at Times Square to watch the 99th annual ball drop will be treated to special 3D effects courtesy of Target. (more)

Despite patent filings, Microsoft Corp. isn’t trying to claim all rights to the Really Simple Syndication technology for notifying users of new entries on their favorite news sites and Web journals, a lead product manager says. (more)

Swarms of online shoppers armed with new iPods and iTunes gift cards apparently overwhelmed Apple’s iTunes music store over the holiday, prompting error messages and slowdowns of 20 minutes or more for downloads of a single song. (more)

Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, has struck a deal with Apple to roll out 12 so-called “Apple Zones” where customers can buy products including Ipods and Apple Macs within its supermarkets. (more)

In the world of advertising and marketing, 2006 was all hanging it out there and accepting the consequences, both positive and not. (more)

Forget elves and reindeer. Santa’s best helper this year was the Internet, at least if online holiday sales figures are any indication. (more)

Mazda blew it big time 15 years ago when it tried to cram its dealerships full of flashy new models without the marketing muscle to back them up. The brand has been paying the price ever since. (more)

Now we can be certain the Burger King king is a bona fide star because he has earned his milk mustache. (more)

For the next three months, select exit tolls along the Ohio Turnpike will be outfitted with self-service machines that accept MasterCard’s PayPass. (more)

Best Buy Co. Inc. has selected multiple Microsoft technologies to help its field technicians and consultants increase productivity, better understand and serve consumers and small businesses and develop stronger relationships with its customers. (more)

Italian coffee company Illy looks to expand with luxury. (more)

Amazon.com apparently was on Santa’s good list this holiday season. That’s the word the day after Christmas from the Seattle-based Internet retailer, which boasted that this holiday season sales were the “best ever.” (more)

Consumer electronics retailer Best Buy is opening its first outlet in China, teaming up with a local partner to tackle the hypercompetitive market for gadgets and appliances. (more)

How does Betty Crocker convince busy moms to bake — rather than buy — Christmas cookies? With clever ads that show the fun of decorating cookies, and convenient products that make baking easier. (more)

After a five-month hiatus, Wegmans Food Markets Inc. is bringing back its popular bottled spring water. (more)

Domino’s Pizza is teaming up with eBay to create an online treasure hunt for clues leading to $9.99 “Buy It Now” offers for Apple iPods, flat screen TVs, and other prizes. (more)

In its efforts to develop a new antidepressant, a German drugmaker has stumbled upon a substance that increases female arousal. (more)

In an industry known for ridiculously low margins, Apple Computer, Inc. sells more than any other retailer in any industry per square foot of retail space. (more)

Michigan McDonald’s restaurants and 21 ski areas across the state will provide customers with an opportunity to try skiing and snowboarding at discounted prices this winter. (more)

Procter & Gamble Co., the largest U.S. consumer-goods maker, plans to invest $325 million in cash and provide marketing in a joint venture it will form with Inverness Medical Innovations Inc. (more)

For generations, Ritz-Carlton has been known for over-the-top luxury: old-money guests, crystal chandeliers and in-your-face service. (more)

Aeroplan and Pepsi-QTG Canada announce that the companies have formed a multi-year partnership designed to offer Aeroplan Miles on select Quaker and Tropicana breakfast products. (more)

Netflix is ending 2006 with something of a cliffhanger. (more)

Despite the harsh criticism received over its Origami, the software outfit is introducing another supersmall computer. (more)

Google is showing ads on its homepage for people to download the Google Toolbar - even if they have already installed it. (more)

Russian cinema audiences could soon be watching Disney-branded, locally made animation and adventure movies after Burbank’s most famous family entertainment brand moves to Moscow. (more)

Verizon has flooded mailboxes, gone door to door and even handed out free ice cream as it seeks to sell its new FiOS TV, telephone and high-speed Internet service. (more)

Astronaut Suni Williams snips long locks for a children’s charity. (more)

Target Corp said it had pulled a CD carrying case bearing Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s image after an outcry by critics who label the Marxist revolutionary a murderer and totalitarian symbol. (more)

Add Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin to the pantheon of adventure heroes immortalized as action figures. (more)