Q&As

Diet Pepsi is out with an under-the-cap promotion that offers players “Movie Bucks”
good toward admission to a movie.

USA Network is expanding its Characters Welcome branding effort launching a multi-tiered campaign and a contest that offers viewers a chance to win their own Web series.

Dairy Management, Inc. is already prepping for swimsuit season with a slate of 3-A-Day dairy promotions.

Starbucks Coffee Co. is testing consumers’ love of puzzles and knowledge of the company with an on-going crossword contest that promises coffee for life.

Chevrolet has created an online promotion that challenges armchair apprentices to become an “Apprentice Project Manager” and create their own commercial for one of its new vehicles.

Federated Department Stores this week settled a claim by the New York attorney general over misleading sales promotions and ads.

MSC Industrial Direct, a catalog and retail marketer of maintenance, repair and operations suppliers, will acquire J & L Industrial Supply fro $349.5 million. The acquisition is expected to close during the second quarter, and will use both on-hand cash as well as borrowed money.

Database marketing firm Merkle has inked an agreement with Direct Group, a direct mail service provider. Under the terms of the arrangement, the two companies will jointly offer their products and services to the direct mail and marketing community.

Daniel Powell has been tapped to serve as president of Newgen Results Corp., a customer loyalty and business-to-business channel management services provider.

(Multichannel Merchant) Austin, TX-based golf products cataloger/retailer Golfsmith International Holdings has filed for a proposed initial public offering with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.