Chief Marketer Staff

• Growth in Media Spend to Hit 30-Year Low: VSS

  The overall media spend this year is expected to slip to its lowest growth rate, only the second decline in 30 years.

• Agencies

  Dairy Queen Swaps Gift Cards for Blogger Posts

  Dairy Queen International is serving up a brand new item: a blog for company employees to post threads and spread the word about its new value menu items and promotions.

• Yum Brands Names Global Branding President

  Yum Brands Inc. has named Micky Pant as president of global branding, a new position.

• Allman Brothers to Webcast Historic Concert Series

  The Allman Brothers, that iconic country rock band from the pre-cyberspace ‘60s, is pumping up the volume on its 40th anniversary concert series from New York City’s Beacon Theatre next month with a subscription Webcast that could become a template for other bands.

• News Briefs

  CANON: renewed its sponsorship deal as official digital camera, copier, SLR camera and printer of the New York Yankees in a three-year pact.

• Agencies

  Royal Mail Sale Battle Heats Up

  The battle over privatizing Royal Mail has heated up as various groups expressing strong support and opposition as the matter is set to go before Parliament.

• Agencies

  Hartford Courant Layoffs Include Direct Mail Unit

  The Hartford Courant daily newspaper is eliminating about 100 jobs including an unspecified number in ValuMail, its direct mail subsidiary.

• Agencies

  R.R. Donnelley Losses Widen

  R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. posted a net loss of $686.9 million for the fourth quarter, compared to a net loss of $292.9 million in the prior year.

• Court Halts Alleged Online Payday Lending Scheme

  A federal court has ordered a halt to certain practices by seven U.S.-based companies and an individual that allegedly operated as part of an international Internet payday lending operation, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

• Cartoon Network Pushes National Recess Week

  The Cartoon Network is taking its third year of support for National Recess Week seriously with a range of activations, including a shot at a Guinness World Record in a game of four-square.