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December 7, 2007 News for marketing professionals   Breaking News    Audi, Toyota make Super Bowl ad plays Automakers Audi and Toyota have each signed up to advertise during Super Bowl XLII. Audi, which has not participated in the big game for 20 years, will run a spot for its super luxury R8 roadster, with extensive previews on its own site and third-party sites. Toyota has not said which model it will feature, according to this article. Brandweek (12/6) Unleash the Power of Next-Gen Business Intelligence to Manage your Fantasy Football Team. Powered by QlikView, INSIDER STATS lets Business Professionals use Cutting-Edge Data Analysis Dashboards to Make Winning Decisions. QlikView - Good for Football - Great for Business.   Company News  GM hands keys to $500M in agency billings back to local dealers Nearly $500 million in creative and media shop billings for General Motors' regional ad groups could be in play, following the automaker's decision to allow local dealers to select their own agencies -- a system similar to one GM has employed in the past. "It's a back-to-the-future scenario," said Brent Dewar, VP-field sales, service and parts for GM in North America. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (12/6) Acer to succeed Lenovo as Olympic PC sponsor Taiwan-based Acer Inc., the world's third-largest maker of PCs by unit shipments, has inked a deal to replace Chinese rival Lenovo Group as the Olympic computer-equipment sponsor, beginning in 2009. The sponsorship reportedly is seen by Acer as a way to boost its brand recognition and play catch-up to second-ranked Dell Inc. InfoWorld/IDG News Service (12/6), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (12/7) Report: James Murdoch next in line to run News Corp Rupert Murdoch, in a series of dramatic executive level moves, reportedly will shift his son, James, to a new role running News Corp's operations in Europe and Asia. The move reportedly puts James next in line to one day run his father's sprawling media empire. News Corp did not comment. In other developments, Robert Thomson, editor of the Times of London, will become publisher of The Wall Street Journal, and News International Chairman Les Hinton, one of Murdoch's top advisers, has been named chief executive of Dow Jones. The Guardian (London) (12/7), The Washington Post (12/7) Other News Pepsi wins McCormick Place sponsorship Chicago Tribune (12/6) Under Armour taps Deutsch for PR duties Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (12/6) Brands sign up for "Celebrity Apprentice" integrations Brandweek (12/6)   Market Trends  TV networks launch multimedia games to keep viewers buzzing CBS used a mixed-media puzzle involving online clues and outdoor billboards to stimulate interest in its cerebral detective show "Numb3rs." The puzzle is just one example of how online and offline marketing combinations are being used in a bid to promote TV shows, capture new audiences and hold current viewers' interest. Shows like ABC's "Lost" and "Jericho" on CBS have used similar strategies. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (12/7) China poised to lead global digital market With its rapidly growing population of Web and mobile users, China is expected to top the global digital market soon, according to speakers at a marketing conference in Shanghai. Digital advertising in the country currently accounts for only 5% of overall media spending; however, conference speakers said that figure represents a lack of interest by local brands in interactive spending, and one speaker predicted online advertising will soon account for anywhere from 8% to 10% of the market. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (12/6) Study: Political ad spending to hit $4.5B in 2008 election cycle The large field of presidential wannabes and the "acrimonious" political climate is expected to boost 2008 election cycle spending by 43% to $4.5 billion, per a report from PQ Media. Broadcast TV will remain the most popular campaign ad medium, although the Web, PR, promotions and event marketing also will play a significant role in the election media mix, the marketing research firm said. Adweek (12/6)   Interactive  Coke colonizes virtual island Coca-Cola has teamed up with virtual world developer Makena Technologies for the launch of a Coke-sponsored online community named CC Metro; it will operate as a Coke bottle-shaped island within the virtual world site, there.com. NYTimes.com (12/7) JetBlue's Wi-Fi-equipped plane to take flight JetBlue will bring online access to cruising altitude when a Wi-Fi-equipped Airbus A320 goes into service next week. Initially the free service will only allow in-flight e-mail and instant messenger access to users of certain Blackberry models and laptop users with Yahoo! e-mail or IM accounts. The service works by relaying signals from the plane to a network of ground-based cellular towers. USA TODAY (12/6), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (12/7)   AAF Spotlight  AAF Announces 2008 Mosaic Career Fairs Interested in a marketing, public relations or advertising career? The American Advertising Federation (AAF) invites you to attend the 2008 Mosaic Career Fairs, in Chicago, Anaheim, Calif., and McLean, Va. In 2007, nearly 450 college students from across the country and representatives from 75 top advertising, marketing and media companies participated in the Mosaic Career Fairs, sponsored by Gannett, USA TODAY, Leo Burnett USA and The Walt Disney Company. The Mosaic Career Fairs feature career development workshops, panel discussions with industry professionals, one-on-one resume and portfolio critiques, a recruiters expo with some of the country's top advertising, marketing and media companies and on-site interviewing. For more information, go to www.aaf.org/mosaicfair or contact Tricia Ward at tward@aaf.org. 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