Q&As

Standex International Corp. has sold its Consumer Products Group, Standex Direct, to State Street Refrig., Inc. The terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Direct marketer and retailer Tiffany & Co. reported net earnings of $254.7 million on sales of $2.4 billion for fiscal 2005, compared with earnings of $304.3 million on sales of $2.2 billion. Earnings for the fourth quarter were $140.3 million, down from $217 million, on sales of $858.4 million, up from $810.1 million.

The Chief Marketing Officer Council has launched Mastering MPM, a program geared toward training executives in marketing performance measurement.

Letters in response to “Loose Cannon: First, Do No Harm. Unless You’re Feeling Lazy” Direct Newsline, March 27, 2006

Eastman Kodak Co. is giving consumers something to smile about under a new sweepstakes tied to the release of King Kong on DVD, which will award one grand-prize winner a luxury trip to New York.

Norwegian Cruise Lines Corp. is taking consumers for a ride as part of a new sweepstakes tied to NBC’s The Apprentice.

Sneaker-maker Reebok International Ltd. is recalling 300,000 charm bracelets after a four-year-old in Minnesota swallowed a piece of the jewelry and died from lead-poisoning.

Packaged goods sales rose a mere 1.6% to $394.1 billion in 2005 in the face of economic uncertainty and Hurricane Katrina.

NBC took to the streets this month to promote its new show, Heist, handing out premiums and driving people to an online sweepstakes for a chance to win $5,000.

Standing out from the crowd, regardless of your organization’s industry, is a huge challenge. One way to meet the challenge is to expose your company’s expertise to prospective customers by speaking at public forums.