Q&As

In March, Smirnoff vodka began searching for an “enthusiastic drinks guru” to delve into the culture of cocktails, report back with his findings and represent the brand. It didn’t take long to identify the perfect candidate.

McDonald’s customers are giving a thumbs up to the fast-food chain’s ongoing makeover, the company claims, as it has opened 20 newly designed restaurants in the U.S. and given another 20 existing locations an extensive facelift.

Brand marketers are out in force to back DreamWorks Animation’s latest film Over the Hedge, dangling a host of promotions, mail-in offers and sweepstakes prizes.

WellBaskets offers gift baskets targeted for patients suffering from illnesses including heart disease, cancer, arthritis and diabetes. What’s more, it tailors them for occasions ranging from anniversaries, weddings and holidays. The baskets range in price from less than $30 to more than $75.

Edge Automotive has been able to pull in an average of 500 new customers a year using a mailing system developed by Our Town America.

Entrepreneurs in mail order have mastered an exciting but very tough, detailed business. You must master merchandise selection, sales projections, and cost per response with the first mailing. You quickly learn customer relationship management as you answer inquiries and complaints, and watch unfilled orders stack up when hot items sell out in the first week.

Disney/Pixar is pushing its latest animated film, Cars, at a local dealership near you.

Staples has hired Davie-Brown Entertainment as agency of record for entertainment marketing.

It sounds dumb, but some marketers are failing to give people a reason for signing up for their e-mail newsletters. And too few are offering opt-ins on every page of their Web sites. Those are two findings of a new list-growth survey by Silverpop.

The hottest electronic channels may be a marketer’s dream. Cutting-edge technology enables consumers to have content delivered directly to them instead of chasing it down.