Q&As

The Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and eight state law enforcement agencies have taken action against 20 operations that allegedly deceptively claim they can remove negative information from consumers’ credit reports – even if that information is accurate and timely.

In days a flame will be lit in Turin, Italy, and the XX Olympic Winter Games will officially be under way. For marketers, this quadrennial occurrence is a golden opportunity to associate their brands with these new Olympians. While not everyone can afford the multimillion-dollar price tag that comes with an official Olympic sponsorship, companies could capitalize on the Olympic juggernaut by aligning with individual athletes and creating promotional events in the weeks leading up to the Games.

Honda Civic is giving consumers a chance to drive away with a Black Eyed Peas customized and autographed Civic Hybrid.

Wal-Mart Stores takes retailtainment to a new level with exclusive concerts on Wal-Mart TV.

MGA Entertainment is adding the likes of Spider-Man and Captain America to its roster as part of a new licensing deal with Marvel Entertainment.

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office has filed a lawsuit against the publishers of the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for allegedly hiding pornographic material in the game, according to news reports.

Former Wal-Mart Stores executive Thomas Coughlin faces up to eight years in prison and fines of up to $1.35 million after pleading guilty to defrauding Wal-Mart.

In the past, specialty stores lived on foot traffic. But today, that’s not enough. Now, retailers need a leg up from things like brand advertising

Sure, the big buzz is all about having synergy between direct and retail presences. But three speakers at Thursday’s DMA Catalog on the Road Conference said their companies have no plans to move into the brick and mortar world, thank you very much.

FOR THIS ISSUE’S MAKEOVER WE ONCE AGAIN HAVE AN AD WITH a fairly decent message obscured by art direction that goes too far and copy that doesn’t go quite far enough.

I went about assessing its effectiveness in two ways: