You don't have to be a football player to be a part of the action on Super Bowl Sunday — in fact, you can expect a lot more interactivity from many of the big game's advertisers. Coca-Cola, for example, is asking people to vote for an online match between three groups competing in a desert for a Coke on Game Day. Pepsi and Toyota are using viewers' photos in their ads. Audi let people choose the end of its Super Bowl ad, while Lincoln based its spot on more 6,000 tweets from fans about their road trips. "We're seeing better and more unique ways of getting people involved," said Robert Kolt, an advertising instructor at Michigan State University. "You want people to be engaged …"

Media delivery firm Valassis recently released its annual topline report of U.S. coupon trends prepared by its subsidiary, NCH Marketing Services, providing retailers and marketers with redemption response insights for manufacturer coupons that are offered to consumers. The findings include that consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers issued a steady flow of coupons in 2012, distributing 305 billion coupons to consumers, the same quantity as the year prior, although the marketing objectives were substantially different for those coupons. "With big differences in the current reach and scale of digital that we are experiencing firsthand through our digital business, CPG marketers need to optimize their mix of print, digital and in-store coupons to drive consistent, integrated campaigns …"

FICO, a provider of predictive analytics and decision management technology, recently announced the results of a survey it commissioned from Forrester Consulting to better understand how companies are investing in improved customer interactions. The survey found that a major shift is underway in how enterprises interact with their customers, yet the respondents see gaps in their ability to understand customer behavior and put these insights to work. "Customer experience matters — it is how enterprises will differentiate themselves and compete in the 'instant economy,' " said Stuart Wells, chief technology officer at FICO. "It is no longer adequate to blindly blast marketing messages to millions of consumers, or to take months to incorporate insights …"

Struggling electronics retailer Best Buy recently announced that actress and last weekend's Golden Globes co-host Amy Poehler will front its 30-second TV commercial during the Super Bowl this weekend. The search for star power comes at a time when the electronics retailer is trying to dig out a big hole that became evident when it reported a third-quarter loss of $10 million versus a profit of $156 million a year earlier and flat U.S. same-store sales year on year over the holiday period. But can Poehler's charm save Best Buy's bottom line? Or, more broadly, can famous faces create silver linings for companies mired in dark clouds? …

According to a new report, Boeing wasn't as surprised as it indicated when battery-related problems emerged earlier this month with the company's new 787 "Dreamliner." Before battery failures experienced on All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines flights led to the grounding of all 787s earlier this month, the batteries had experienced problems Boeing reportedly was aware of, The NY Times reports. All Nippon Airways said this week that it replaced batteries on its 787 aircraft about 10 times because they failed to charge properly or showed other problems and that it informed Boeing about the swaps. Japan Airlines said it had also replaced lithium-ion batteries. Ann FAA spokesperson said the agency was checking whether previous battery incidents had been reported by Boeing …

Research In Motion will be addressing media and investment analysts today as it unveils its new BlackBerry 10 platform, the company's new smartphone that it hopes will put RIM back on the competitive map in a tight marketplace. But today's event isn't your everyday, ordinary product rollout — instead of focusing on growth and prestige, the smartphone maker is literally fighting for its life. It is a high-stakes move for RIM, and many analysts consider the new device to be the company's last chance to regain some momentum in the smartphone market. And the company is throwing heavy resources at marketing the launch — which will include its first-ever Super Bowl commercial …

Big data is not without big obstacles for some CIOs. In a survey from Robert Half Technology, 76 percent of chief information officers said their companies don't presently gather customer data such as demographics or buying habits. Fewer than one in four (23 percent) executives interviewed for the study said their firms do collect this type of information. Among those that do, more than half (53 percent) said they lack sufficient staff to access customer data, and generate reports and other business insights from it. "Hiring employees to collect and fully leverage customer data can be costly, but the information can be extremely useful to organizations. This type of information gives firms an opportunity to create more personalized online experiences …"

A recently released IBM study of 26,000 global consumers found they are diversifying the way they shop for and acquire goods, becoming increasingly open to buying both online and in-store depending on their needs at time of purchase. While more than 80 percent of shoppers chose the store to make their last non-grocery purchase, only half are committed to returning there next time they buy. "Today's consumer is sophisticated and opportunistic, navigating between store and online environments interchangeably to meet their shopping needs of the moment. To satisfy clients, retailers must deliver a consistent, convenient shopping experience across each consumer touch point, extending from the store to online and back again …"

In a new transparency report released this week, Twitter offers plenty of detail about the number of times government agencies around the world have asked for information on users — and how often it complied. In the report, Twitter says it gives government agencies in the U.S. at least some of the information they ask for on users 69 percent of the time. As Web-privacy issues continue to mount in the U.S. and around the world, is Twitter playing a risky PR game in an ever-volatile social media world? "It's our continued hope that providing greater insight into this information helps in at least two ways," Twitter wrote in a blog post: "first, to raise public awareness about these invasive requests …"

According to a new Pitney Bowes report, Quick Response (QR) codes are gaining increasing acceptance among consumers in North America and Europe. QR code usage at 15 percent on average and at 27 percent for consumers 18 to 34 years old. Such were the findings of research commissioned by Pitney Bowes and delivered in a QR Code use report. There are two compelling elements of this emerging marketing tool. First, it crosses traditional and digital channels, adding value to both marketing avenues and is delivered through a mobile channel, which is fast becoming a preferred channel among consumers. Consumers have responded most to QR codes found in magazines, and on consumer packages and mail pieces …

One year after Apple became the world's most valuable company, the gadget giant has lost that title to Exxon as after the iPhone and iPad maker saw its stock price falter over the last four months. Apple's decline has continued even since its earnings report was released last week, plunging more than 12 percent on Thursday — the day after the earnings release — and dropping an additional 2 percent on Friday. The steep decline has caused Apple's stock to drop in value by more than $245 billion since hitting its all-time high of $705 in late September 2012 — suggesting that its fast growth phase may be coming to an end. "It's a fire sale right now. A lot of retail investors who bought at much higher prices have panicked …"

AgilOne, a cloud-based predictive marketing intelligence company, recently announced the results of a new commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of AgilOne. The research shows a rapid shift in the marketing industry. What is fueling this shift? Customers' digital behavior is rapidly outpacing the marketers' ability to respond and guide the buying process. This new dynamic arises from the continued explosion of multi-channel data and the fact that marketers are having a harder time than ever fully understanding the customer's digital path to purchase. At the same time new analytic technologies are enabling marketers to draw more meaningful and actionable conclusions. "The age-old problems for marketers of revenue attribution and increasing life time value never go away …"

Consumers are demanding a retail experience that is global, yet localized for their needs and expectations, and is "good for me," defined and dictated by individual preferences, discloses new research from Oracle. Findings from the Evolution of Experience Retailing survey reveal that as consumers around the world demand accessibility to the global market place, their requirements dictate how retailers should prioritize strategies and key business imperatives to meet customer demand and compete more effectively. Findings reveal that today's educated, information-driven consumers want retailers to co-create interactions that are "good for me," which is defined as an experience that meets expectations locally and culturally and is appropriate …

In the wake of his Oprah Winfrey confessional last week, tainted cyclist Lance Armstrong is now facing what is certainly the first of many lawsuits related to his doping and lying. Two men — including PR exec Rob Stutzman — have filed a class-action complaint against Lance and his book publishers for fraud and false advertising, claiming that the cyclist's best-selling memoirs, billed as non-fiction, were revealed to be filled with lies after his Oprah appearance. Following Armstrong's doping confession, the two men said they felt "duped," "cheated" and "betrayed" by the realization that the books, marketed as inspirational true-life memoirs, were replete with fabrications, the NY Post reports …

Email marketing continues to be the hub and driving force in cross-channel integration as consumers are becoming more vocal and more demanding with what they expect from their favorite brands. Experian Marketing Services released findings this week from its email market survey that addresses acquisition and engagement tactics email marketers use in tackling these challenges head-on. Email strategies often act as connectors to website, mobile, social and in-store channels. Experian surveyed email marketers across eight verticals about their email-marketing initiatives, including their strategies for subscriber acquisition, mobile and social marketing, testing and creative design. "We are seeing more email marketers testing new engagement strategies to expand their reach into other marketing channels …"

Opponents of New York City's limit on the size of sugary drinks are raising questions of racial fairness alongside other complaints as the novel restriction faces a court test. The NAACP's New York state branch and the Hispanic Federation, a network of 100 northeastern groups, have joined beverage makers and sellers in trying to stop the rule from taking effect March 12. Critics are attacking what they call an inconsistent and undemocratic regulation, while city officials and health experts defend it as a pioneering and proper move to fight obesity. In a court hearing this week, a New York City lawyer said a limit on the size of sugary drinks is reasonable and necessary because of an obesity epidemic. Meanwhile, an industry lawyer called the limit an "extraordinary infringement" on consumer choice …

With retail sales up this past December, according to last week's Commerce Department report, a new study from the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) suggests that much of the consumer spend was surely influenced by social media. Given the proliferation of digital and social media, it didn't take long for "likes" and tweets to affect dollars and cents for brands, as the ARF's new study found that nearly one-third of shoppers said social media either introduced them to a brand/product they were previously unfamiliar with, or helped change their existing opinion of a brand during their buying decision process. "One of the most important insights we generated is that consumers today are always on — being exposed to brands …"

Thirty-nine percent of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 34 would consider replacing their television cable/satellite provider with a streaming media subscription service in 2013, according to the results of a new survey released this week by Belkin, a provider of people-inspired technology products for today's connected home. Comparatively, 31 percent of those ages 35 to 54 and 20 percent of those over 55 would consider replacing their television cable/satellite provider with a streaming media subscription service, such as Netflix or Hulu Plus, this year. Additionally, Americans who have children under 18 in their households (37 percent) are more likely to consider replacing their cable/satellite subscription than Americans with …

Less than one in five respondents in the 2013 Edelman Trust Barometer believes a business or governmental leader will actually tell the truth when confronted with a difficult issue. This lack of confidence in traditional authority figures was continually reinforced in 2012 against the backdrop of high-profile scandals involving CEO and government officials. "We're clearly experiencing a crisis in leadership," said Richard Edelman, president and CEO of Edelman. "Business and governmental leaders must change their management approach and become more inclusive by seeking the input of employees, consumers, activists and experts such as academics, and adapting to their feedback. They must also pass the test of radical transparency …"

A new study released this week by two Infogroup companies finds that marketers plan to go on a big data spending spree in 2013, hiring employees and building systems to keep up with the fire hose of information being generated by a growing number of digital and social channels. The report reveals that almost 70 percent of companies plan to spend more on data-related marketing initiatives in 2013, with a heavy emphasis on hiring. More than half of the respondents surveyed said they plan on adding new employees to oversee their data efforts this year. "In 2013, brands should be taking a disciplined approach to building out their data operations. Data collection has been the easy part …"

JWT/OgilvyAction and EXPO recently partnered to uncover how consumer engagement with brands online can impact overall consumer behavior. A quantitative study was conducted across the U.S. via an online survey, with initial findings supported by three separate focus group interviews with consumers from across the country. The initial findings from the study have shown that 80% of shoppers are digitally engaged with brands in some way. However, some consumers, termed "Brand Connected Consumers" (BCCs), are more connected than others, and can have a great impact on the public opinion and the potential sales of a brand. "The BCC is truly a 'brand journalist' in the online space …"

GoBank, which recently Launched as a brand of Green Dot Corporation, recently released the results of its December 2012 State of the Bank survey conducted online nationwide, on its behalf, by Harris Interactive. The survey finds that a vast majority of Americans don't fully trust big banks, and numerous people are surprised by fees or feel they're simply unfair. Americans are moving away from traditional bank services like paper checks and bank branches to seek out more innovative, mobile banking solutions that are trustworthy and transparent. "Historically, traditional bank accounts have complex fees that favor the institutions, not their customers. We believe people are hungry for more transparency and innovative features from their bank… the kind they often get from tech companies …"

McCann Truth Central, the global intelligence unit of ad agency McCann Erickson recently released a new global research study, The Truth About Wellness, an online global study based on a quantitative survey of 7,000 respondents in the U.S., U.K., Brazil, China, Japan, South Africa and Turkey and supplemented qualitatively in the U.S., U.K., Japan, Peru and Brazil. "There is an exciting technological revolution in the wellness arena today, which is empowering consumers, and transforming our health. However, with obesity seen as the number one threat to future health, there are also concerns that technology is encouraging bad behaviors. The good news is that 94% of consumers say brands have a role in supporting …"

Public relations professionals who have provided ethics counsel to senior management are at least as fervent about serving the public interest — sometimes even more so — as they are about their duty to their organizations, according to a Baylor University researcher. A new study of a small but significant number of senior PR professionals, most of whom had served as an "organizational conscience," showed the individuals viewed themselves as an "independent voice" in the organization and not "mired by its perspective or politics," said study author Marlene S. Neill, Ph.D., a lecturer in the department of journalism, public relations and new media in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences. The study, published in Journal of Mass Media Ethics: Exploring Questions of Media Morality, was co-authored by Minette Drumwright, Ph.D …