Nov. 18 - An interactive endcap display for Fisher-Price's Smart Cycle toy won the "Best of the Times" award in the Institute's annual Design of the Times contest. The display was designed and produced by Darko Inc., Twinsburg, OH.

Nov. 17 - Johnson & Johnson's Splenda has sweetened its tie-in to Warner Bros.' Get Smart by involving the entire lineup of consumer products that use the zero-calorie sweetener.

Pink again coated the merchandising landscape this fall as retailers and manufacturers ran cause-marketing efforts to support October's designation as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Hannah Montana and other teen-friendly entertainment properties took center stage during the 2008 back-to-school season, as retailers in multiple channels sought to add a hip veneer to otherwise standard promotions targeting students and their parents.

More than two-thirds of packaged goods shoppers make purchase decisions within the store, where they are influenced by a variety of marketing vehicles, according to research conducted by OgilvyAction.

Research by The Nielsen Company and the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) finds that shoppers leading "lifestyles of health and sustainability" spend more money in warehouse club stores than in any other channel.

Crossmark's Alex Yakulis discusses new capabilities in measuring effectiveness at the store level and possibilities for targeting campaigns with much greater accuracy than in the past.

Steve Hoch presents an overview of common private label strategies employed by retailers and some of the ways brands have responded.