Blockbuster L.L.C., a subsidiary of DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), has announced that it is lowering the in-store rental price of thousands of movies to only 99 cents per day, introducing single day pricing, and offering lower priced rentals on the newest releases.  To celebrate the start of this new pricing, Blockbuster is also launching an unlimited free in-store movie rental promotion through July 4, 2011.  These new prices and promotions are offered at participating Blockbuster stores.

Thousands of Movies Only 99 Cents

Starting today, there’s no place consumers can get more movies for less than at Blockbuster stores. Thousands of titles in each store will be available for only 99 cents per day.

Single Day Pricing

Alongside the thousands of movies for only 99 cents a day, Blockbuster is pleased to launch single day pricing that lets customers decide how long they want to keep their movie. Just released movies will be priced at only $2.99 for the first day, while other new releases will be priced at $1.99 for the first day. Additional rental days for all movies are priced at only 99 cents per day.

“Our customers are seeking a better value – we’ve answered with new pricing and the flexibility of single day rentals,” said Michael Kelly, president of Blockbuster. “Our new pricing gives our customers the best of both worlds: access to the latest releases – many 28 days before Netflix and Redbox – and the most movies at low prices.”

Unlimited movie rentals

To celebrate the new pricing, Blockbuster is excited to launch a promotion where customers can receive unlimited movie rentals for free in Blockbuster stores through July 4. When customers rent a Blockbuster movie priced at $2.99, they can rent another movie priced at $1.99 or less – free for the first day. When finished watching the free movie rental, customers can return to the Blockbuster store an unlimited number of times to get another one-day rental of any title priced at $1.99 or less – also for free – through July 4 (one free rental out at a time).

“Our movie experts are ready in more than 1,700 Blockbuster stores nationwide to give customers the greatest value and widest selection of movies, TV shows and games,” added Kelly.

These limited time promotions are only available at participating Blockbuster stores.

About Blockbuster

Blockbuster L.L.C., a subsidiary of DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), is a leading global provider of movie and game rentals and is synonymous with family entertainment. The company provides customers with convenient access to media entertainment anywhere, any way – whether in-store, by-mail, or digitally to homes and mobile devices. With a highly recognized brand and a library of more than 100,000 movies, TV shows and game titles, Blockbuster’s multichannel presence serves millions of customers around the world annually.

Breadmakers and bread machines take the strain out of homemade bread. Instead of spending hours mixing, meeting, waiting for the dough to rise and baking, you just add your ingredients, set it and forget it. If you make the right choice, your bread machine will produce perfect loaves no matter what recipe you use or what you mix into the dough. Bread machine costs vary greatly, and the quality of the appliance doesn’t always correspond with the price. By visiting the Breadmakers Review website before making a purchase, you can ensure that you get the best quality breadmaker for your money.

Modern bread machines feature a dazzling array of options and extra abilities. Some appliances offer the ability to create jam, or can cook a meatloaf in the same pan you can use for the bread. Breadmakers Review will tell you exactly which features are worth the extra money, and which are just hype. Important features like a delay timer, multiple loaf size and crust darkness settings and adjustable temperature controls make a bread machine more useful. Occasionally a bread machine just doesn’t work. A particular model may never heat up enough to fully cook a loaf of bread, but you won’t know this unless you read real user reviews like those offered on Breadmakers Review.

Other review sites only offer reviews on a few bread machines. If you’re considering buying a model made by a well-known appliance manufacturer that doesn’t specialize in breadmakers, you may have a hard time finding real review information on that particular appliance. Breadmakers Review will give you an in-depth examination of the features, quality and value of almost all of the bread machines available today. You’ll get all the information you need before purchasing a new bread machine in one convenient visit.

For more information, please visit http://www.breadmakersreview.com.

Technology has changed the way people communicate with each other. These advances have made the world a smaller place. Information in every form can be held right in your pocket and social media services are on the front line of this massive information push.

According to Packaged Facts, a leading market research publisher, 31% of frequent diners use computers to place their orders, while another 21% use their cellphones or other portable device.

But many restaurants today are still left sitting at the cutting board trying to figure out a successful recipe for social marketing, while the early adopters are reaping the rewards of a lucrative, successful social media push. It can be the icing on the cake if it is handled correctly, and it can leave a bad taste in your mouth if your social media recipe lacks the flavor it needs to spread like a nice cream cheese.

People are hungry and they are hungry for much more than food. They want to feel connected and social media allows them to feel as if they are a part of the whole restaurant family.

RestaurantNews.com has released a report which takes a look at how more restaurants are using social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to grow their business.

The full report can be found at:

http://www.restaurantnews.com/restaurants-serving-up-social-media-connections/

About RestaurantNews.com

RestaurantNews.com has been providing the latest online restaurant news for over twelve years.  RestaurantNews.com offers press release services and exposure for restaurant owners and operators looking to market their restaurants.  For diners, RestaurantNews.com offers current and upcoming restaurant deals, specials and promotions.

For more information about RestaurantNews.com, please visit http://www.RestaurantNews.com.

The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE: SJM) announced today that it increased the list price for the majority of its coffee products sold in the United States, primarily consisting of items sold under the Folgers®, Dunkin’ Donuts®, Millstone®, and Folgers® Gourmet Selections® brand names.  Prices will increase an average of 11 percent on impacted items.  

The increase in price is driven by sustained increases in green coffee costs.  The Company is currently in its quarter-end quiet period and, therefore, will answer investor related follow up questions during its June 9, 2011, fiscal fourth quarter earnings conference call.

Dunkin’ Donuts® brand is licensed to The J. M. Smucker Company for packaged coffee products sold in retail channels such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and drug stores.  This press release does not pertain to Dunkin’ Donuts® coffee or other products for sale in Dunkin’ Donuts® restaurants.  

About The J. M. Smucker Company

For more than 110 years, The J. M. Smucker Company has been committed to offering consumers quality products that help families create memorable mealtime moments.  Today, Smucker is a leading marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, retail packaged coffee, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk, and health and natural foods beverages in North America. Its family of brands includes Smucker’s®, Folgers®, Dunkin’ Donuts®, Jif®, Crisco®, Pillsbury®, Eagle Brand®, R.W. Knudsen Family®, Hungry Jack®, White Lily® and Martha White® in the United States, along with Robin Hood®, Five Roses®, Carnation®, Europe’s Best® and Bick’s® in Canada. The Company remains rooted in the Basic Beliefs of Quality, People, Ethics, Growth and Independence established by its founder and namesake more than a century ago. The Company has appeared on FORTUNE Magazine’s list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the United States 13 times, ranking number one in 2004. For more information about the Company, visit www.smuckers.com.

The J. M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks, except Pillsbury, the Barrelhead logo and the Doughboy character are trademarks of The Pillsbury Company, LLC, used under license; Carnation is a trademark of Societe des Produits Nestle S.A., used under license; and Dunkin’ Donuts is a registered trademark of DD IP Holder, LLC, used under license. Borden and Elsie are trademarks used under license.

General Imaging (GIC), exclusive worldwide licensee of GE branded digital cameras, received international recognition for the second year in a row from the prestigious Plus X Awards, for four of its new 2011 digital cameras. GE Digital Cameras took top honors in the following categories: GE X500 for Quality, Design and Ease of Use; GE PJ1 for Innovation and Ease of Use; GE DV1 for Ease of Use; and GE E1450W for Ease of Use.

A prestigious international honor, the Plus X Award recognizes manufacturers for introducing innovative products with major advances in technology that simplify or enhance consumers’ lives. The Plus X jury, consisting of 144 members from 32 nations, awarded top honors to the four camera models for their innovative design and performance qualities.

“We are extremely proud that the Plus X judges recognized the superiority of GE Digital Cameras once again this year,” said Paul Meyhoefer, General Imaging’s vice president of Marketing and Product Planning. “We incorporated the results of intense consumer research into our GE branded innovative, high-quality cameras. Our industry peers recognizing these cameras as well designed and easy to use is further testimony that we are answering a need in the market.”

Award-Winning GE Digital Cameras

• Quality, Design, Ease of Use: The ultra-powerful GE X500 brings the features of more expensive cameras to the everyday user. With 16 megapixels and 15X optical zoom, it captures picture perfect shots and is available in white and black for an MSRP of $179.
• Innovation, Ease of Use: The GE Power Pro PJ1 features PICO Projection technology, enabling users to project their pictures and videos onto any flat surface at the touch of a button. This high performance point and shoot camera is equipped with 720p HD movie recording capabilities, 7X optical zoom, 14 megapixel resolution and optical image stabilization for an MSRP of $279.99.
• Ease of Use: The GE DV1, a pocket-sized shock and waterproof handheld 1080p HD digital camera, features a built-in flip out USB plug for instantly connecting and uploading HD videos and photos. It is available in a variety of colors at select online and in-store retailers at for MSRP of $129.99.
• Ease of Use: The GE E1450W features an ultra-slim, aluminum design, combined with intelligent features that make it the ideal choice for a powerful, compact point and shoot. Equipped with HD video, 28mm wide angle, long zoom lens and image stabilization, the E1450W is available at an MSRP of $119.99.

The Plus X Awards, one of the largest competitions in the world, assesses technology, sports and lifestyle products. Every submitted product is rigorously tested and discussed in detail in a judging process that lasts several weeks. The jurors reject “me too” products, paying particular attention to innovative new products that benefit the consumer and complement their lifestyles.

About General Imaging

Based in Gardena, Calif., General Imaging is the worldwide exclusive licensee for GE branded digital cameras. Unveiling its first cameras in March 2007, General Imaging has set a new precedent for high-quality, feature-rich cameras that offer excellent value, including the industry’s first point-and-shoot camera with a retractable USB plug. For more information about the entire line of GE brand digital cameras or to browse the online store, please visit www.ge.com/digitalcameras.

For juicy, tender and flavorful pork, it might be time to toss out Grandma’s advice. Announced today, new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines confirm that 145 degrees Fahrenheit as measured on a food thermometer, followed by a three-minute rest time, is a safe final internal cooking temperature for pork.

The new recommended temperature is a significant 15 degrees less than what was previously recommended and will typically yield a finished product that is pinker in color than most home cooks are accustomed to.

“Our consumer research has consistently shown that Americans have a tendency to overcook common cuts of pork, resulting in a less-than-optimal eating experience,” said Traci Rodemeyer, Director of Pork Information for the National Pork Board.  ”The new guidelines will help consumers enjoy pork at its most flavorful, juicy – and safe – temperature.”

The revised recommendation applies to pork whole muscle cuts, such as loin, chops and roasts. Ground pork, like all ground meat, should be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Regardless of cut or cooking method, both the USDA and National Pork Board recommend using a digital cooking thermometer to ensure an accurate final temperature.

Today’s Temperature for Today’s Pork

The new recommendation reflects advances in both food safety and nutritional content of pork in recent years. On average, most common cuts of pork are 16 percent leaner than 20 years ago, and saturated fat has dropped 27 percent. In fact, pork tenderloin is now as lean as the leanest type of chicken – a skinless chicken breast.

“As America’s pork producers improved feeding and breeding practices to deliver leaner pork, in tandem with industry-wide efforts covering food safety, it was time to revisit the long-standing consumer guidelines for preparation,” said Rodemeyer.   The USDA guidelines for pork now mirror doneness advice for other meats.

It’s Easier than Ever to Cook Like a Chef

“Now we can tell home cooks to do what we professional chefs have always known,” said Johnny Hernandez, owner of La Gloria Street Foods of Mexico and a National Pork Board Celebrated Chef.  ”Due to its leanness, oftentimes consumers overcook pork. Now people can cook at home, confidently, just like the experts.” The foodservice industry has been following this pork cooking standard for nearly 10 years.

In addition to the new lower cooking temperature recommendation for pork, the USDA food preparation guidelines advise the following:

• Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often
• Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate
• Cook: To proper cooking temperatures
• Chill: Refrigerate promptly

For more information and recipes to enjoy today’s lean and flavorful pork, visit PorkElSaborDeMilPlatillos.com, PorkBeInspired.com or Facebook.com/PorkBeInspired.

About The National Pork Board

The National Pork Board has responsibility for Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in advertising, consumer information, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, technology, swine health, pork safety and environmental management.

New research aimed to better identify the genetic factors that lead to breast cancer has uncovered a link between the fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) and a higher incidence of breast cancer.  According to the study conducted at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, people who possess a variant of the FTO gene have up to a 30 percent greater chance of developing breast cancer.  Research to identify why the link exists is ongoing, but experts say the finding takes us one step closer to personalized medicine based on genetic risk which would allow for better monitoring and prevention of illness, as well as targeted treatment.  

“This is a fascinating early finding, which fits with the known connections between obesity and breast cancer,” said Virginia Kaklamani, MD, oncologist at Northwestern Memorial, co-director of the Cancer Genetics Program at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and lead author of the study. 

Each individual carries the FTO gene, but only 18 percent have this variant of the gene.  Kaklamani, who specializes in cancer genetics, says testing for the FTO variant is not available currently, but it may be available in the future, similar to how genetic testing for the BRCA gene mutation exists today.  

“Ten years ago we didn’t know about the BRCA gene mutation which has been linked to breast and ovarian cancer.  Today, we offer genetic testing and a specialized clinic for those at risk in order to minimize their risk and detect any indication of cancer early,” said Kaklamani, who is also an associate professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.  ”This knowledge helps us better identify who is at an increased risk so one day, we can counter that risk through preventative measures and advanced screening.” 

The research, published in BMC Medical Genetics is part of an ongoing group of studies to further knowledge of genetic risk factors for breast cancer.  For more information about the study, visit this link.    

To learn more about the cancer genetics program at Northwestern click here or call 312-926-0779.   

About Northwestern Memorial HealthCare

Northwestern Memorial HealthCare is the parent corporation of Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital, an 854-bed academic medical center hospital and Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, a 205-bed community hospital located in Lake Forest, Illinois. 

About Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Northwestern Memorial is one of the country’s premier academic medical center hospitals and is the primary teaching hospital of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.  Along with its Prentice Women’s Hospital and Stone Institute of Psychiatry, the hospital comprises 854 beds, 1,603 affiliated physicians and 7,144 employees.  Northwestern Memorial is recognized for providing exemplary patient care and state-of-the art advancements in the areas of cardiovascular care; women’s health; oncology; neurology and neurosurgery; solid organ and soft tissue transplants and orthopaedics.

Northwestern Memorial possesses nursing Magnet Status, the nation’s highest recognition for patient care and nursing excellence.  It is also listed in 12 clinical specialties in U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 “America’s Best Hospitals” guide and ranks No. 1 in Chicago in the 2010 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals metro area rankings. For 10 years running, Northwestern Memorial has been rated among the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” guide by Working Mother magazine. The hospital is a recipient of the prestigious National Quality Health Care Award and has been chosen by Chicagoans as the Consumer Choice according to the National Research Corporation’s annual survey for 11 years.

On June 1, 2011, the day Marilyn Monroe would have turned 85, the Andrew Weiss Gallery, the world’s largest dealer of Marilyn Monroe photography, will launch a major exhibition of rare and never-before-seen original photographs of the legendary star. Titled “Happy Birthday Marilyn”, this exhibition will include photographs from the personal collection of George Barris, the last photographer to take pictures of Marilyn before she died. Also featured are photographs by Bill Carroll, who captured the very first photographs of Norma Jeane, and works by the major photographers of her era including Laszlo Willinger, Tom Kelley, Milton Greene, Bert Stern and many others.

“These photographs are very dear and personal to me,” says George Barris, who will attend the show opening on June 1st. “Marilyn was much more than a photography subject, she was a friend. She had an inner light that comes through in her images, even many years later, and I am pleased to work with the Andrew Weiss Gallery to share my experience of Marilyn with her fans and the public.”

In addition, the Gallery will be partnering with the Marilyn Remembered fan club to empower Marilyn’s fans around the world. Fans can participate in the celebration by sending personal birthday wishes to the Hollywood icon. The personalized greeting cards sent to the gallery during her Birthday month, June, will be exhibited in the gallery alongside the photography, creating a first-ever exhibition of its kind, combining photos of Marilyn Monroe with personal messages from those she continues to inspire and impact around the world.    

The exhibition will open to the public June 2nd and continue through August 13th.  This is an opportunity for Marilyn enthusiasts, fans of the featured photographers and art collectors of all kinds to see this stunning, ground-breaking work for the first time.

The gallery is located at 179 S. Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills 90212. Hours: Tues.-Sat. 11:00am-5:00pm, or by appt. For more information call (310) 246-9333

Visit our website andrewweiss.com  or email info@andrewweiss.com.

Amazon began selling hardcover and paperback books in July 1995. Twelve years later in November 2007, Amazon introduced the revolutionary Kindle and began selling Kindle books. By July 2010, Kindle book sales had surpassed hardcover book sales, and six months later, Kindle books overtook paperback books to become the most popular format on Amazon.com. Today, less than four years after introducing Kindle books, Amazon.com customers are now purchasing more Kindle books than all print books – hardcover and paperback – combined.

“Customers are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books. We had high hopes that this would happen eventually, but we never imagined it would happen this quickly – we’ve been selling print books for 15 years and Kindle books for less than four years,” said Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon.com. “In addition, we’re excited by the response to Kindle with Special Offers for only $114, which has quickly become the bestselling member of the Kindle family. We continue to receive positive comments from customers on the low $114 price and the money-saving special offers. We’re grateful to our customers for continuing to make Kindle the bestselling e-reader in the world and the Kindle Store the most popular e-bookstore in the world.”

Recent milestones for Kindle include:

• Since April 1, for every 100 print books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 105 Kindle books. This includes sales of hardcover and paperback books by Amazon where there is no Kindle edition. Free Kindle books are excluded and if included would make the number even higher.
• So far in 2011, the tremendous growth of Kindle book sales, combined with the continued growth in Amazon’s print book sales, have resulted in the fastest year-over-year growth rate for Amazon’s U.S. books business, in both units and dollars, in over 10 years. This includes books in all formats, print and digital. Free books are excluded in the calculation of growth rates.
• In the five weeks since its introduction, Kindle with Special Offers for only $114 is already the bestselling member of the Kindle family in the U.S.
• Amazon sold more than 3x as many Kindle books so far in 2011 as it did during the same period in 2010.
• Less than one year after introducing the UK Kindle Store, Amazon.co.uk is now selling more Kindle books than hardcover books, even as hardcover sales continue to grow. Since April 1, Amazon.co.uk customers are purchasing Kindle books over hardcover books at a rate of more than 2 to 1.

Kindle offers the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read. The U.S. Kindle Store now has more than 950,000 books, including New Releases and 109 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers. Over 790,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 69 New York Times Best Sellers. Millions of free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle devices. More than 175,000 books have been added to the Kindle Store in just the last 5 months.

All Kindle Books let you “Buy Once, Read Everywhere” – on all generation Kindles, as well as on the largest number of devices and platforms, including iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Android-based devices, and soon HP TouchPads and BlackBerry PlayBooks. Amazon’s Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off. With Kindle Worry-Free Archive, books you purchase from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in your Kindle library on Amazon, where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly for free, anytime.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle, Kindle 3G, Kindle with Special Offers and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle 3G and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.

DISH Network L.L.C., a subsidiary of DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), continues the rapid expansion of its online content at dishonline.com with the addition of shows from Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and truTV from Turner Broadcasting System Inc.’s entertainment networks. Now DISH Network customers who subscribe to packages featuring these networks can watch their favorite primetime TV shows anytime on their computers.

Programs from these popular networks will be available on dishonline.com within 24 hours after an episode airs, including shows such as Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, Adventure Time and Regular Show on Cartoon Network; Childrens Hospital, Robot Chicken and Venture Brothers on Adult Swim; and Operation Repo and Hardcore Pawn on truTV.

Content from Turner’s TBS and TNT channels is currently available through dishonline.com.

“Following on the heels of DISH Network’s launch of HBO GO through dishonline.com, we continue to add to the thousands of titles that our customers can watch on-demand, anytime and anywhere,” said Dave Shull, senior vice president of Programming for DISH Network. “DISH Network gives customers the most choices for watching their content, whether online or in the living room in front of the TV.”

Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and truTV content is accessible at dishonline.com, as well as directly from each channel’s dedicated websites: cartoonnetwork.com/tveverywhere, adultswim.com/tveverywhere and trutv.com/tveverywhere. DISH Network customers can log in to any of the sites above using their online ID and password. Upon log-in, DISH Network subscribers are authenticated to verify their subscription.

Using dishonline.com, customers can watch programs on their personal computers or laptops – at home or away – using any broadband connection. DISH Online allows subscribers to instantly view more than 130,000 selections including movies, TV shows, clips and more, and it features a robust search engine allowing customers to browse for content by title, network, actor or genre.

For more information, visit www.dishonline.com.

About DISH Network

DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), through its subsidiary DISH Network L.L.C., provides more than 14.19 million satellite TV customers, as of March 31, 2011, with the highest quality programming and technology with the most choices at the best value, including HD Free for Life. Subscribers enjoy industry-leading customer satisfaction, the largest high definition line-up with more than 200 national HD channels, the most international channels, and award-winning HD and DVR technology. DISH Network’s subsidiary, Blockbuster L.L.C., delivers family entertainment to millions of global customers annually. DISH Network Corporation is a Fortune 200 company. Visit www.dish.com.

Survey findings released today by CyberSource Corporation, a Visa company (NYSE: V) show that while airlines are gaining in their war against fraud, much work remains to be done.  Airlines reported a loss of about $1.4 billion USD to online payment fraud in 2010.

Dr. Akif Khan, CyberSource’s Director, Products and Services said: “The good news is that in terms of fraud loss rates, 2010 results showed a 31 percent improvement over 2008.  Clearly, airlines have not only recognized the challenge but have made timely adjustments to it.” According to the survey, changes made by airlines in the last two years include higher use of fraud detection tools in automated screening (7.3 on average, compared to 5.8 in 2008), along with rejecting more bookings due to suspicion of payment fraud.

Selected survey findings

–Experience counts:  airlines with less than three years of online selling experience have higher fraud loss rates, manual review rates, and higher reject rates than their more experienced competitors. For example, airlines with more than ten years of online selling experience manually review 15 percent of their bookings; those with fewer than three years review 53 percent.

–Airlines may be ignoring a powerful anti-fraud tool:  Only three percent of airlines surveyed used public record searches to validate bookings.  But those that used the tool felt it was one of their most effective anti-fraud measures.(Public record searches are not universally available). Device fingerprinting and third-party fraud scoring models were among the top tools merchants cited as considerations for future use.

–Automated review requirements will accelerate:  According to the International Air Transport Association, passenger revenue will increase by 7.3 percent in 2011, but nearly 90 percent of airlines surveyed say their manual review staff levels will remain the same. Automation will have to make up the difference.

“Fraudsters will move to the weakest link in the chain,” said Christopher Staab, Managing Partner of Airline Information. “And that weak link is most likely going to be the airlines unfamiliar with how sophisticated fraud can be perpetrated with online ticketing sales.  That’s why this type of data is so critical for the airline industry worldwide.  There are solutions out there– airlines need to implement them.”

A typical fraud scenario in the airline industry plays out as follows:  

1. Fraudster illegally obtains credit card data;
2. Fraudster obtains name, address, and other appropriate information for a genuine customer interested in buying “discount” tickets;
3. Fraudster buys the ticket in the innocent person’s name, using the stolen credit card number;
4. Fraudster delivers ticket to the customer and receives payment in cash.

CyberSource announces new travel-specific fraud-tuning capabilities

CyberSource is also announcing release of new fraud detection algorithms for its Decision Manager system, created specifically for the travel industry. Data generated from inbound booking requests, including device identity and behavior information, is correlated with transaction data generated by merchants worldwide. The new travel algorithms take the unique purchasing patterns of the travel industry into account, where multiple bookings from frequent travelers or travel agencies are common. The results of these correlations can then be compared to business rules established by the airline to automatically accept, reject or review the booking. Because valid bookings can now be more accurately and automatically separated from fraudulent bookings, airlines and other travel companies can further reduce costly manual review and fraud loss.  

To see the full survey — for journalists: please call or email the contacts listed below.   For all others: please visit www.cybersource.com/airlinefraudreport

Methodology

The Airline Online Fraud Survey was commissioned by CyberSource Corporation in partnership with Airline Information. Data was compiled in an online survey delivered by an independent market research firm. The surveys were fielded between November 17, 2010 and January 31, 2011 and yielded 142 qualified completed interviews. 72 percent of respondents indicated their airline had total revenues over $500 million USD.

About CyberSource

CyberSource, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Visa Inc., is a payment management company. Over 330,000 businesses worldwide use CyberSource and Authorize.Net brand solutions to process online payments, streamline fraud management, and simplify payment security. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California with international offices in Reading, U.K.; Singapore; and Tokyo. CyberSource operates in Europe under agreement with Visa Europe. For more information, please visit www.cybersource.com.

Warm weather is finally here, and you might be planning your summer vacation. Here are a few tips — some you might not have thought of — for making sure your possessions are still there when you get back:

1) Do not post about your vacation on Facebook until after you get back. If that takes more discipline than you can muster, at the very least keep your location status off any public social networking pages. Many burglars use these sites to identify “safe” targets.

2) Make your home look lived in. A light on a timer is a great first step. You can buy a small device called “FakeTV” that simulates the light output of a television ($35 at http://www.faketv.com), making it look like you are home watching TV each evening. The effect is so convincing that your neighbors may later ask if you really went on vacation.

3) Don’t leave obvious signs that the house is unoccupied. Stop the mail and paper, or have a neighbor take it in. Arrange for lawn care as needed. And don’t leave notes on the door! (“Dear thieves …”)

4) Make your home hard to get into. You need good locks. Your hidden outdoor key is probably not as cleverly hidden as you think it is. So, get to know your neighbors, and leave the key with them. Let them know you will be gone, and have them keep an eye out during your absence. If you have an alarm system, by all means use it. Amazingly, many people forget to set the alarm. Conversely, do not think that an alarm system makes you invulnerable. Burglars can still cause you a great deal of misery in a smash-and-grab robbery, leaving before the police can respond. Park a car in the driveway, but be sure to take out the garage door opener first.

5) Remove obvious temptations. Take a walk around your property and make sure you cannot see any easily pawned valuables through uncovered windows. Are there any ladders left out, or particularly easy or well-concealed access points?

6) Prepare for the worst. If your computer were stolen, what might the consequences be? For most of us, this would be dire indeed. So, back up and password protect. Make a quick run-through around the house with a video recorder, listing off the valuables. This could save a lot of hassle with the insurance company if you should need to file a claim.

7) Strike the right balance. Only you can make the trade-off between security measures and the burdens they impose. You may wish to place irreplaceable items in a secure location, such as a fireproof safe. This can include expensive jewelry, family photos, and financial records. Your insurance policy is up to date, right? Also, label your possessions with your name. An engraver is best, but a Sharpie is a lot better than nothing.

The good news is that only two out of a hundred homes will be burglarized in any given year. The bad news, and this is intended to jump-start you into a bit of action, is that for those two homes that are burglarized, the effects of the intrusion are often devastating. The average burglary costs $1750, and a whole lot of peace of mind. Ask anyone who has had a break-in; they never look at their home quite the same again.

Security is a mindset, and need not be a great burden. Fortunately, your security measures do not need to be perfect. Most crime is opportunistic, and if the guy down the street failed to take a few simple precautions, his house (poor chap!) is more likely to draw the attention of the thief than yours. And frankly, there are no measures that can stop the most determined criminals. So, just take a few simple steps to improve your odds and peace of mind. It will make your getaway that much more relaxing.

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) and Miramax today announced a multi-year agreement under which Netflix members in the U.S. will be able to instantly watch some of the world’s most loved and acclaimed motion pictures from the Miramax film library. It is the first time Miramax titles have become available through a digital subscription service.

Beginning in June, Netflix members in the U.S. will be able to instantly watch several hundred Miramax movies, with dozens of titles being added on a rotating basis.  The movies can be watched on multiple platforms, including TV, tablet, computer and mobile phones.  Financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

“Netflix is thrilled to enter into this deal with the new team at Miramax,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos.  ”Existing relationships with management and a shared affinity for these great films make this an important deal for both companies and for our members, who will enjoy instantly watching movies from one of the truly great film libraries for many years to come.”

“From day one, we’ve been very clear about the importance of digital and our desire to respond to the significant pent-up demand for our films — delivering to consumers whenever and wherever they want,” said Mike Lang, CEO of Miramax.  ”This agreement is an important first step in our digital strategy.  Netflix has always been a trailblazer, with a tremendous track record of innovation and quality customer service.  We’re thrilled to now be in business with them as we build and revitalize the proud Miramax brand.”

Through this partnership, the Netflix library gains a variety of films which collectively have 284 Academy Award nominations, across 83 films, with 68 wins, including the Best Picture winners “The English Patient” and “Shakespeare in Love.”  Iconic titles such as “Bad Santa,” “Chasing Amy,” “Cinema Paradiso,” “Clerks,” “Cold Mountain,” “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Good Will Hunting,” “Kill Bill” Volumes I and II, “Muriel’s Wedding,” “The Piano,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Reindeer Games” and many of the “Halloween,” “Scary Movie,” “Scream” and “Spy Kids” movies will be available over time.

About Netflix

With more than 23 million members in the United States and Canada, Netflix, Inc. [Nasdaq: NFLX] is the world’s leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows.  For $7.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed over the Internet to PCs, Macs and TVs. Among the large and expanding base of devices streaming from Netflix are Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PS3. consoles; an array of Blu-ray disc players, Internet-connected TVs, home theater systems, digital video recorders and Internet video players; Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as Apple TV and Google TV. In all, more than 200 devices that stream from Netflix are available in the U.S. and a growing number are available in Canada.

About Miramax

Miramax is a leading worldwide film and television studio with a library of more than 700 motion pictures.  Miramax sells directly and licenses its titles globally through partnerships and digital alliances.  The company has three new releases in 2011: The Debt, starring Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington; the Guillermo del Toro-produced Don’t be Afraid of the Dark, starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce; and Last Night, starring Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington and Eva Mendes.  The Miramax library holds some of the world’s most original and acclaimed independent films including Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare In Love, Chicago, Good Will Hunting, The English Patient, No Country for Old Men, Kill Bill Volumes I and II, Life is Beautiful, Reservoir Dogs, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Cinema Paradiso and My Left Foot — as well as scores of commercially successful films such as Bridget Jones’s Diary, Bad Santa, and the Scream, Hellraiser, Scary Movie and Spy Kids franchises.  Collectively, the Miramax library has received 284 Academy Award nominations and 68 Oscars, including four Best Picture Awards.  Miramax is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.  For more information, please visit www.miramax.com.

CHICAGO  (Profitable.com)  Restaurant operators continue to face challenges caused by the recession and slow pace of the ensuing recovery, with cost pressures and declines in consumer dining making growth difficult to sustain. Fast-casual chains seem perfectly positioned for the prevailing economic and social climate.

The category continued to outpace the restaurant industry as a whole in 2010, with the Top 100 fast-casual chains growing 6 percent to nearly $18.9 billion, a faster rate than in 2009. Total units grew 3.9 percent to 15,827, which is slightly slower than the prior year, but still faster than any other dining segment.

Technomic’s 2011 Top 100 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report provides rankings, analysis and profiles of the leading chains, and helps chain operators and foodservice suppliers understand emerging trends and players in today’s fastest growing segment.

Select findings include:

• The Mexican menu category overtook bakery cafe/bagel restaurants as the most prevalent type of fast-casual restaurant in the Top 100 last year. Bakery cafes did, however, continue to lead all menu categories in terms of total U.S. system wide sales in 2010, driven primarily by its largest player, Panera Bread.
• The fastest growing menu categories for the Top 100 fast-casual chains were “Better Burger” (up 16.1 percent), Asian/noodle (up 10.1 percent) and Mexican (up 9 percent).
• Fast-casual menus are differentiating themselves through adult beverages. While they still have more room to grow, beer, wine or spirits are now sold in nearly 40 percent of fast-casual chains.  
• Panera Bread remained the sales leader among all fast-casual chains, with 2010 sales nearly over $2.9 billion, a 4.3 percent increase from 2009. Its U.S. units increased 5.5 percent to 1,376.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill held onto the number two spot, growing sales a whopping 20.7 percent to $1.8 billion, and units 13.5 percent to 1,084 locations.

“This category has essentially blown through the recession without skipping a beat,” says Technomic EVP Darren Tristano. “The real pressures are now coming from other types of concepts that have taken note and are positioning themselves alongside their fast-casual counterparts. Quick-service restaurants are revamping their offerings and decor in an attempt to provide value beyond low prices and take back market share.” Tristano also points out that increased competition is becoming a concern, as new concepts continue to establish themselves and compete in the fast-casual marketplace.

The 2011 Top 100 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report was designed to provide restaurant operators and foodservice suppliers with extensive information and analysis of top performers by sales and units; current trends within the segment; and identification of fast-casual growth opportunities. It includes comprehensive appendices listing the Top 100 chains alphabetically and by rank in sales and units, plus detailed profiles containing concept and menu positioning and contacts.

These industry-leading concepts will be discussed in detail at Technomic’s first annual Growth Chain Conference, held from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM on Wednesday May 18th at the Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago. Technomic experts Ron Paul and Darren Tristano will be on hand to discuss industry insights and analysis of the quick-service, fast-casual and casual-dining segments.

Guest speakers will include Smashburger CEO Dave Prokupek, Brick House Tavern and Tap COO Jim Kuhn, and Red Mango founder and CEO Dan Kim. To register for the conference go to technomic.com/growth

To purchase or learn more about this report, please visit technomic.com or contact one of the individuals listed below.

Contacts

Press Inquiries: Darren Tristano, 312-506-3850, or dtristano@technomic.com
Purchasing Details: Pat Noone, 312-506-3852, or pnoone@technomic.com
Report Details: Naomi Van Til, 312-506-3844 or nvantil@technomic.com

About Technomic

Technomic provides clients with the facts, insights and consulting support they need to enhance their business strategies, decisions and results. Its services include numerous publications and digital products, as well as proprietary studies and ongoing research on all aspects of the food industry.

Buzztime launches bi-national competition to determine once and for all who are the smartest bar trivia patrons

CARLSBAD, Calif.  (Profitable.com)  NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN), a leading social entertainment and integrated marketing platform for bars and restaurants, announced that the company will launch a bi-national campaign beginning in June and culminating in November to crown the Smartest Bar.  Buzztime’s nearly 3,900 bar and restaurant customers will compete against each other to see how their guests’ combined ‘brain power’ fares against that of their peers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Buzztime’s Smartest Bar regional competitions, in both countries, will take place each Wednesday night at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT in June and September.  In November, locations that qualified through the regional rounds will be invited to participate in the Smartest Bar finals, where the winning bar will be crowned. This bar promotion is the latest in a long line of programs in which Buzztime is helping its bar and restaurant customers increase their guest visits and create an event during slower weeknights.

“Throughout time, every neighborhood bar has tried to stake the claim that they’re the best.  Now Buzztime, a perennial leader in providing compelling trivia, sports and card games to bars and restaurants, is using our entertainment and marketing platform to help bar owners and their customers engage in a real battle – a battle of wits,” commented Michael J. Bush, President and CEO, NTN Buzztime, Inc.  “Consumers have a lot of pride and allegiance to their local bar or pub.  This competition is a fantastic way for them to take that pride nationwide and vie for the crowning achievement of Smartest Bar.”

Participants will be quizzed to see if they can provide the right answers to questions in the following categories: The Sciences, The World, The Shows, The Past, The Games and the Arts. Bars with the top three scores will advance to the November finals – the top scores will be determined by the location’s average of the top five player’s scores.   In addition, Buzztime will award a ‘Wildcard’ spot for each of the 10 regions to those bars that have the highest participation or cumulative total points. 

Prize packages:

Regional’s First Place

• Smartest Bar Trophy
• A Buzztime Hosted Party ($250 value)
• Prize Packs for the location’s customers

Regional’s 2^nd, 3^rd and Wildcard Winners

• Smartest Bar Trophy
• Prize Packs for the location’s customers

National Final’s Winners

• Trip to Vegas ($2,000 value)
• Smartest Bar Champion Trophy
• A Buzztime Hosted Party ($500 value)
• Banner designating the location as Buzztime’s Smartest Bar for 2011

National Finals 2^nd and 3^rd Place Winners

• $500 Gift Certificate
• Smartest Bar Runner Up Trophy
• A Buzztime Hosted Party ($250 value)
• Banners designating these locations the 2011 Smartest Bar Runner Ups

Buzztime employs its network of bars and restaurants to strategically reach targeted audiences in a unique way. Additionally, Buzztime engages more than 1,500,000 players who participate in 50,000,000 bar trivia, cards and sports games each year on its network.

Buzztime provides clients with branded sports and interactive bar games that align with the brands’ marketing campaigns; live hosted trivia tournaments throughout the United States; and direct-to-consumer marketing initiatives through Buzztime’s social networking and targeted e-mail marketing campaigns.

About Buzztime

NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN) is a leading bar and restaurant social entertainment and integrated marketing platform. Trusted by 3,900 bars and restaurants in North America since 1985, Buzztime integrates trivia, card and sports games with in- and out-of-venue messaging and communication tools.  With over 1,500,000 registered consumers and more than 50,000,000 games played each year, Buzztime players spread the word and invite friends and family to their favorite Buzztime location to enjoy an evening of fun and competition.   With Buzztime entertainment and marketing solutions, bars and restaurants attract new customers, turn casual visitors into regulars, and give guests a reason to stay longer.  For the most up-to-date information on NTN Buzztime, please visit www.buzztime.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Forward-looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements which reflect management’s current views of future events and operations, including but not limited to statements about game offerings and content, expanded offerings, customer insights and engagement, market and audience reach, number of locations, and player participation. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include the risks of adverse economic conditions, failure of customer and/or player demand, lower market acceptance or appeal of both existing and new products and services by particular demographic groups or audiences as a whole, termination of partnership and contractual relationships and the impact of competitive products and pricing. Please see NTN Buzztime, Inc.’s recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks that may affect the Company. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. These statements speak only as of the date hereof, and NTN Buzztime, Inc. does not undertake to publicly update or revise any of its forward-looking statements, even if experience or future changes show that the indicated results or events will not be realized.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Don Williams
Williams Group Public Relations
760-707-4589
don@williamsgrouppr.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
Kendra Berger
Chief Financial Officer
NTN Buzztime, Inc.
760-438-7400

Sofia Vergara joins a new modern family: she just signed her first beauty contract with COVERGIRL and announced it herself on Twitter and Facebook live from the set. The Emmy nominated actress and mother is currently shooting her first advertising campaign for the cosmetics giant. The ads are scheduled to debut in January 2012 and Vergara will be representing some innovative new additions to the COVERGIRL product line-up.

Not only is this actress a lead in ABC’s Emmy-award winning series, “Modern Family,” (Wednesdays at 9PM ET), she also executive produced the Spanish version of “Desperate Housewives.” In recent months, Vergara’s career has been on full blast: The New York Times named her one of 2010’s Faces to Watch, and she was recently featured in People magazine’s “Most Beautiful” issue. She was also named one of the most talented and powerful women in Hispanic entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard. For more Sofia, don’t miss her in the upcoming movies “The Smurfs” (Aug 2011), “Happy Feet 2” (Nov 2011), “New Years Eve” (winter 2011) and “The Three Stooges” (coming in 2012).

“We couldn’t think of a better person to represent our Brand. Sofia is gorgeous inside and out and has broad appeal,” said Vince Hudson, General Manager, COVERGIRL cosmetics. “She personifies what it means to be a COVERGIRL through her confidence and beautiful sense of humor.”

“I have loved playing with makeup ever since I was a little girl,” said Sofia Vergara. “And now, I am so honored to join the line up of extraordinary women that are and have been COVERGIRLs, and to be a part of a brand that is so committed to helping women look and feel beautiful.”

Since its introduction in 1961, the COVERGIRL brand has been a pioneer in celebrating women’s inner and outer beauty, and helping them rock their best selves. The long list of famous COVERGIRLs has included Christie Brinkley, Cheryl Tiegs, Rachel Hunter, Tyra Banks, Niki Taylor and Molly Sims, and its current roster of COVERGIRLS includes the dynamic Queen Latifah, Drew Barrymore, Ellen DeGeneres, Dania Ramirez and Taylor Swift.

Australian-based Group Buying Platform OfferMe, has launched MeStore its virtual shopping centre and aims at a different business model from Groupon.

“Sixty percent of our existing sellers are joining our virtual shopping centre which will gradually carry over 200,000 products, with approximately 50,000 products at launch,” said Mr. James Wang, Managing Director of OfferMe.

“We are excited and encouraged by our sellers offering both heavily discounted group buying deals and many other great value products.”

Offerme.com.au said sellers open online stores in its virtual shopping centre and offer deals on a range of merchandise including bike accessories, musical instruments, electronics, computer accessories, toys, sporting goods, housewares, home décor goods and event tickets.

“Helping niche product retailers to grab a bigger share of the online retailing sector is our strength,” said Mr. Wang.

“A few large niche product retailers including Australia-based bikes retailer CellBikes and Asia’s No. 1 musical instruments retailer Parsons Music have already signed with us.”

Mr. Wang said prices of Parsons Music’s products are expected to be competitive, with the goods shipped directly from overseas warehouses to consumers without incurring any inventory-carrying cost in Australia.

“More niche product retailers are expected to join our virtual shopping centre,” he said.

“Consumer will benefit from buying niche products that are harder to buy online at a great price.”

OfferMe was launched in August 2008 to gather the power of online communities to enjoy hassle-free bulk discount deals on products and services. To date, OfferMe shoppers have saved on average over 57% off each deal. OfferMe has recently sold over 5400 Sydney Royal Easter Show tickets 2011 in 3 days. 

To find out more information about OfferMe, visit http://www.offerme.com.au

Last year’s unsold grills might mean better deals for this year’s shoppers. The latest grill test results from Consumer Reports can help shoppers find the best model for their dollar. In addition to finding five CR Best Buys for $380 or less, Consumer Reports has also expanded this year’s ratings to include indirect grilling, accounting for the growing trend of using grills to slow-cook roasts, ribs, whole fish and poultry.  The full report, which features 65 gas grill models and basic grilling tips, appears in the June issue of Consumer Reports and online at www.ConsumerReports.org.

“While leftover grills from last season may mean sales and specials, a grill that doesn’t cook well is no bargain,” said Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman, deputy home editor at Consumer Reports. “Our testers found brand name grills at attractive prices with useful features like side burners and electronic igniters, but some didn’t live up to our standards, so it’s important to check the Ratings first instead of shopping for brand name alone.”

After spending nearly 600 hours searing hundreds of steaks and cooking 89 pounds of chicken, Consumer Reports testers found that major grill brands showed mixed results. Some Weber models were strong performers, but some of the larger and even a few smaller ones were less than impressive.  Both Kenmore and Char-Broil grills have models on our Recommended list, including the Char-Broil Red Patio for under $300, in the small grill category. However other models from Char-Broil earned some of the lowest scores in the Ratings.  

Consumer Reports testers also noticed that grill accessories are becoming standard on some models. Griddles, pizza stones, vegetable trays and steamers are all some of the added bonus features that consumers can expect to see. For those looking to grill on-the-go at the big game, the Margaritaville G1000, $400, mounts on a swing arm that attaches to any vehicle with a 2-inch receiver hitch and was the only portable grill to ace low-temp performance and high-temp evenness. However, the Margaritaville grill only has one burner, making indirect grilling a non-option.

How to Choose

Check for summer holiday sales and specials. Many stores offer free assembly, but be sure that the assembled grill fits inside the car beforehand. Additional tips to keep in mind:

Check size carefully. Usually the larger the grill, the larger the cooking surface, but that’s not always the case. As a rule of thumb, the more people you regularly feed, the larger the cooking area you should get.

Don’t buy by Btu. According to Consumer Reports’ tests, more Btu/hr. doesn’t guarantee faster preheating or better searing and cooking.

Focus on features. An electronic igniter is usually easier and more reliable than a push-button or rotary starter. Stainless-steel or coated cast-iron grates tend to sear well and keep grilling temperatures more consistent. Infrared technology can radiate intense heat to food, not just the air, and is also good for searing, though designs vary. Consumer Reports tests haven’t found that one type is better than another or that infrared burners are better than regular ones.

Know the stainless. Higher grades, such as 304 and other 300-series stainless, were less prone to rust and better able to fight corrosion in past Consumer Reports tests than less expensive 400 series. Different grades of stainless are often used on different grill parts. Check the company’s website, or in-store display, for info on grades used.

Think safety. When shopping, test a grill’s sturdiness by gently nudging it at several points. Look for sharp corners and edges. Grip the handles; hands could get burned if they are too close to a hot lid. Flare-ups happen, but usually the greater the space between the grates and burners or flavorizer bars, the fewer the sustained flare-ups.

JUNE 2011

© Consumers Union 2011.  The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports^® is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves.  We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports^®, ConsumerReports.org^® and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our permission. Consumers Union will take all steps open to it to prevent commercial use of its materials, its name, or the name of Consumer Reports^®.

Comfort issues and excessive fees are sore points for air travelers, and are among the major reasons many are traveling less, according to a new survey of almost 15,000 passengers by Consumer Reports.

Eight of the 10 major airlines that Consumer Reports readers rated received low scores for seat comfort. Several carriers also got low marks for other quality-of-flight measures including cabin-crew service, cleanliness, and in-flight entertainment.  

Consumer Reports airline ratings are based on responses from 14,861 readers who told the Consumer Reports National Research Center about their experiences on 29,720 domestic round-trip flights from January 2010 to January 2011. Airlines were scored based on passengers’ responses to questions regarding overall satisfaction, check-in ease, cabin-crew service, cabin cleanliness, baggage handling, seating comfort, and in-flight entertainment. Consumer Reports also asked questions about charging additional fees.

Some carriers did rise above the rest. Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways topped list with relatively high scores for overall satisfaction. Southwest was the only airline to receive top marks for check-in ease and the cabin-crew service. Passengers also gave Southwest high grades for cabin cleanliness and baggage handling. (CR‘s survey was conducted before Southwest’s well-publicized problems this past April with cracks in several of its planes.)

JetBlue was the only airline to outscore Southwest for seating comfort, possibly because it gives passengers more room than they’re accustomed to in this era of tightly packed planes. JetBlue was also the lone carrier in Consumer Reports’ ratings to earn top scores for in-flight entertainment; its seatback TV screens offer passengers 36 channels.

At the other end of the list, the bottom-ranked US Airways occupies the same unenviable spot as it did in 2007, when Consumer Reports last assessed airlines. In addition to its low overall score, survey respondents gave it the worst marks of any airline for cabin-crew service.

The proliferation of added fees at or after check-in by many carriers further contributes to passengers’ low opinion of today’s flying experience, and even to their decision of whether to fly at all. Forty percent of survey respondents who said they’re flying less these days gave increased fees as the major reason—far more than those who blamed flight delays, poor service, or any other annoyance.

“What we found is that paying fewer additional fees generally translates into a passenger having higher overall satisfaction with an airline,” said Mark Kotkin, a director of survey research at Consumer Reports.

As with overall satisfaction, airlines differ widely in how likely they are to saddle travelers with extra fees. For example, 93 percent of the Southwest passengers surveyed had avoided all of the fees CR asked about. Far fewer travelers were as lucky with their experiences at Continental Airlines (57%), JetBlue Airways (56%), Delta Airlines (56%), American Airlines (55%), United Airlines (48%), US Airways (46%), Alaska Airlines (44%), Frontier Airlines (43%) and AirTran Airways (33%). AirTran passengers were also among those that frequently reported paying multiple additional fees—43 percent of AirTran passengers reported paying one fee, 21 percent paid two, and 3 percent, three or more fees.

How to land the best fare

Regardless of which airline you choose to fly, there’s no reason to pay more than you have to.  Airfare prices have risen the past year and though a cheap seat may be harder to come by, you can still save money by taking a few simple steps:

• Use social networks. Many airlines tweet deals. Two examples are @FrontierSale and @JetBlueCheeps, where CR found a $10 one-way fare from San Francisco to Long Beach, Calif. But seats are limited. By some accounts, @UnitedAirlines’ Tware fares sell out within 2 hours.
• Sign up for promo codes. If you’re a member of an airline’s frequent-flyer program, you can often sign up for special promotion codes, which provide discounts from 10 to 50 percent. Promo alerts can be sent to you via e-mail, RSS feeds, Twitter, Jaiku, Facebook, and other channels. But the deals expire quickly, so you’ll have to act fast. The trade-off? Your e-mail inbox can get flooded with offers that don’t interest you.
• Work the Web. More than 70 percent of respondents booked their own flights directly on an airline’s website. A smaller number, 55 percent, compared fares on other websites. For the best possible deals, you should cast that wider net. Start with websites that allow you to compare the deals from multiple airlines, such as Airfarewatchdog and Kayak. Also try travel-agency sites, such as CheapTickets, Expedia, and Travelocity. If you’re a bit more adventurous, Hotwire and Priceline.com, where you don’t know which airline you’re flying until after you book, are another option.
• Book early or late. You don’t need to book more than 90 days in advance. Booking about 21 days before your trip will usually get you a good fare. Price-comparison sites often let you sign up for alerts that will tell you when prices drop. Many sales are posted late Monday or early Tuesday making it a good time to shop, but bargains can appear at any time.
• Be flexible. Shifting dates by a day or two often allows you to nab a much lower price. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday are generally the cheapest days to fly. If you’re traveling with a group, consider splitting up your party. If you have four in your group and there are only two cheap seats available, online reservation systems will give everyone higher-price seats. Instead, check the price for one, two, and three seats on the plane, as well as for all four before booking.

The complete ratings chart, and additional findings from Consumer Reports latest airline carrier survey are featured in the June issue of Consumer Reports magazine available on newsstands May 10th or online at www.ConsumerReports.org.  

JUNE 2011

The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves.  We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports®, ConsumerReports.org® and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our permission. Consumers Union will take all steps open to it to prevent commercial use of its materials, its name, or the name of Consumer Reports®.

Move over mop and bucket, Black & Decker^® (NYSE: SWK) introduces the intuitive Steam-Mop with SmartSelect Technology. With SmartSelect Technology, simply turn the dial to the specific floor type—sealed hardwood/laminate, tile/vinyl, or stone/marble—and the mop automatically releases the right amount of steam. SmartSelect helps to achieve a worry-free, deep down clean on all sealed hard floors and is even safe on sealed hardwoods.

In cleaning with steam, users do not need to rely on harsh chemicals for a deep down clean. Simply use regular tap water to wipe out 99.9 percent of germs to achieve a clean home the all-natural way. Parents of kids and pets alike will enjoy this quick and easy way of attaining a refreshing, thorough clean.

The Steam-Mop is ready quickly with its speedy 15-second heat-up time. A ready-to-go tank illumination changes from red to blue so users know when the water reaches the correct temperature. With swivel steering, users can maneuver easily around furniture and into corners, and the Black & Decker Steam-Mop automatically shuts off the steam when parked upright for those quick pauses during cleaning.

Additionally, the Steam-Mop boasts a handful of convenience features such as hands-free pad removal for easy release by simply stepping on the pad, an attached lid and cup to help avoid misplacing loose items and a tank that holds enough water for more than 25 minutes of uninterrupted cleaning.

“In developing the Steam-Mop, we identified typical user frustrations with hard floor cleaning—like safe cleaning concerns on sealed hardwood, messiness, time-intensive cleaning and concern of chemicals—and designed a solution for each,” said Kira Sconion, senior product manager at Black & Decker. “Our customers are going to see a significant difference using a Black & Decker Steam-Mop over traditional cleaning methods.”

The Black & Decker Steam-Mop is available for $89.99 and can be found at Amazon.com. It comes with reusable, machine washable, microfiber pads and a two-year warranty.

About Black & Decker

Since 1910, Black & Decker has been setting the standard for innovation and design of power tools, accessories, outdoor yard care equipment, home cleaning products, automotive and lighting products, hardware and other home improvement products. The inventor of the first portable electric drill with pistol grip and trigger switch, Black & Decker has evolved from a small machine shop in Baltimore, Maryland, to a global manufacturing and marketing powerhouse with a broad line of quality products used in and around the home and for commercial applications. When users need to get work done, they trust Black & Decker for the products that will do the job efficiently and reliably.

Addresses issues ranging from colors and fonts to implications of new technologies such as digital menu boards and restaurant industry uses for the iPad.

 Restaurant Consultant Aaron Allen has just published his firms list of the Top 50 Menu Engineering and Design Tips.  Relevant for both independent and chain restaurant operators, the list covers both the scientific and artistic aspects of successful menu strategy and offers advice in the context of the significant emerging issues facing the global industry.

His firms list covers techniques rooted in science – such as the way an eye flows over a menu, how colors can be used to motivate purchases and certain behaviors, and pricing techniques that can help consumers feel better about their perceived value.  The list also covers the “art” of menu design – such as using columns with nested pricing, tips for writing more appealing menu descriptions and copy, and rules of thumb for menu printing and production.

“The tectonic plates of the restaurant industry are shifting at a faster rate than they have in decades.  New emerging technologies, globalization, evolving consumer dining behavior, emerging markets and industry segments, food shortages, transformations in psychographics and the rise of Millennial’s – these things are all among the forces that are ushering the industry down the path of its future and are certainly impacting approaches to culinary development as well as menu engineering and design.”, Allen said.

With food commodity prices expected to soar past pre-recession levels this year, restaurant companies around the world are bracing for dramatic shifts in recipe costs and many are responding with new menus.  “We felt this was the best timing to release such a list.  Restaurants operate on razor thin margins with an industry average of just 5% profit.  Procurement executives are expecting 25% and higher spikes in costs and consumers are expecting to pay 8% more in restaurants. The industry is projected to grow by 6% this year, but with menu prices expected to grow by 8% we’re not seeing real growth; it’s growth from price hikes, not volume.  Just a few months with an ill-conceived menu strategy can cost a restaurant its life.  The operating environment is chaotic and we wanted to do our part to help operators focus on proactive approaches before the commodity price roller coaster starts its next accelerated gyration of spirals and loops”, Allen added. 

Aaron Allen’s full list of the Top 50 Menu Engineering and Design Tips can be found on his website at:
http://aaronallen.com/articles/boosting-restaurant-revenue-part-5-of-10/ 

Restaurant Consultant Aaron Allen is a third generation restaurateur who has lead complex and multi-disciplined consulting teams for some of the world’s largest restaurant chains and foodservice industry suppliers.  He is a top drawing industry speaker, trusted analyst, and has been an industry source for media such as The Wall Street Journal, TIME, Fortune, Entrepreneur, Rueters, and National Public Radio.  Based in Orlando, Florida, Allen visits more than 300 restaurants annually and spends more than 300 nights per year in hotels with roughly one-third of his time spent abroad. 

Contact:
Aaron D. Allen
aallen@aaronallen.com
(+1) 407-278-5159
www.aaronallen.com
Twitter @QMG
Orlando, Florida  (USA)

 KitchenStarters.com is designed to help you choose the best kitchen appliances for your home. Why waste money on low quality microwave ovens or mixers that will break after a few months of use? KitchenStarters.com will help you choose kitchen tools that are worth your money. The site features reviews and information on some of the most popular brands in appliances. Even if you don’t have hundreds of dollars for a single appliance, you can find the best of the inexpensive kitchen tools without wasting time breaking and returning store brand models.

If you’re shopping for a new stand mixer, toaster oven or specialty appliance like a waffle maker, you need to read the reviews on KitchenStarters.com. You could ask your friends and family for recommendations, but what if the 30 year old appliance that they swear by isn’t available anymore? Many of the brands that produced the top quality tools even five years ago are no longer the best choice for your kitchen. You need up to date information on the durability of parts and motors, a quick overview of the features and settings of each appliance and what real users are actually saying after weeks or months or use.

KitchenStarters.com will help first time renters or homeowners outfit their new kitchen with the best tools for fast and enjoyable cooking. If you’ve been a home or hobby chef for years, but need a new replacement hand mixer or food processor, you’ll also find the crucial information you need for your upcoming purchase. With all of the important information on one website you won’t have to visit four or five appliance review sites just to get the full picture. Before buying any kitchen appliances, check out what KitchenStarters.com has to say. It may just save you some money, frustration and time.

For more information, visit KitchenStarters.com

A stronger economy may actually be fueling a growing concern among employers about retaining top talent, according to the results of a new Deloitte study.  With the economy improving, nearly two out of three (65 percent) employees surveyed are actively testing the job market, according to the Deloitte study, “Talent Edge 2020: Building the Recovery Together—What Talent Expects and How Leaders Are Responding.“

Despite the sobering news, dissatisfied employees are transparent about their leading turnover drivers, providing executives and talent managers with a clear picture of the most effective employee retention strategies.  When asked to list their top three retention incentives, 53 percent of the respondents ranked promotion/job advancement first, followed by increased compensation at 39 percent, and additional bonuses or other financial incentives at 34 percent.  Boosting employee support/recognition from their managers, a non-financial incentive, was also ranked as an effective retention tactic by a strong 30 percent of the surveyed employees.    

“We’re living in a world where each generation in the workforce has vastly different goals, expectations, and desires,” said Jeff Schwartz, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and U.S. Talent Services leader.  ”As employees eye the exit signs following a hard hitting recession, employers need to tailor and target their talent strategies to satisfy each employee group from baby boomers to millennials.”  

Some other key findings from the report include:

• Baby boomers, among all workforce generations surveyed, expressed the strongest discontent with their employers and the greatest frustration that their loyalty and hard work has been neither recognized nor rewarded.  
  • Almost one-third (32 percent) of baby boomers surveyed say a lack of trust in leadership is a top turnover trigger—the highest ranking by any workforce generation.  
• Generation X employees are clearly the group most likely to be looking at exit strategies from their current jobs.  
  • Citing lack of career progress as a top exit trigger (65 percent), only 28 percent of Gen X employees surveyed expect to stay with their current employers—a clear signal to employers to expect a significant exodus by employees viewed future leaders.
• Millennials exhibit a sharply different view of a strong corporate culture, as compared to other generations.  
  • By a more than two-to-one ratio (32 percent to 13 percent), millennials regard their employers’ commitment to “corporate responsibility/volunteerism” to be very important, as compared to baby boomers.  Millennials are also nearly three times more likely to say a “fun work environment” is important compared to baby boomers (55 percent to 19 percent).
• Employees who plan to stay with their current employers (35 percent) say their companies have strong talent programs, characterized by clear career paths, leadership development initiatives, trust and confidence in corporate leadership, superior programs to retain top talent, and effective communication.

Amidst predictions of critical talent shortages globally, Deloitte cites clear and actionable strategies employers can implement to deliver leading talent programs and keep top talent committed to their jobs, excited about their career prospects, and confident in their corporate leadership.  

“Firms can separate themselves from their competitors if they step up their talent programs now and refine their strategies to engage workers and to focus on specific employee needs,” says Schwartz.

About the Survey

“Talent Edge 2020: Building the Recovery Together—What Talent Expects and How Leaders Are Responding” is part of Deloitte’s survey series conducted in collaboration with Forbes Insights. The survey was taken by 356 employees at large companies with annual sales exceeding $500 million, with more than three in four respondents at companies with more than $1 billion in annual sales.  For more information on Deloitte’s “Talent Edge 2020: Building the recovery together—What talent expects and how leaders are responding” report, please visit: http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_US/us/Services/additional-services/talent-human-capital-hr/Talent-Library/talent-edge-2020/index.htm.

For more information about Deloitte’s human capital practice, please visit http://www.deloitte.com/humancapital.

As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte Consulting LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/ about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries.

Hunter Fan Company, the world’s original ceiling fan manufacturer, has announced the launch of the Total Air Sanitizer, the world’s only portable air purifier that effectively captures and kills living biological pollutants and viruses.

Addressing a growing worldwide concern over air safety and cleanliness, Hunter developed the Total Air Sanitizer in order to provide customers with a reliable alternative to UV or UV-C air purifiers, which often do not expose all germs and viruses to the concentration of light intended to kill them. The Total Air Sanitizer uses new technology patented exclusively by Hunter to add an electric current to the HEPA air filter that kills bacteria, viruses, molds and fungi while capturing and removing dust, pollen, pet dander and other allergens from the air during any season.

The Total Air Sanitizer captures more than 99.9 percent of airborne particles and applies a charge throughout its one-of-a-kind HEPA filter that “traps and zaps” germs and viruses on the spot. In some rooms or homes, the Total Air Sanitizer may provide a noticeable improvement in air quality in as little as one hour of use.

“Consumers are increasingly concerned with the quality of air that they breathe,” said Jim Gallman, vice president at Hunter. “Families want to feel safe breathing the air in their own home. Hunter is meeting their needs by providing a portable sanitizer that not only purifies the air from common allergens that cause irritation and discomfort, but also kills harmful viruses that may lead to serious illness.”

More than 60 million Americans suffer from severe allergies or asthma, and the number of individuals who suffer from seasonal allergies has nearly doubled over the past 15 years, according to industry research and published reports. Priced competitively at $249, the Total Air Sanitizer benefits individuals who are at a higher risk for allergy-related illnesses, as well as anyone else who wants cleaner air in the home or office. It is currently offered at HunterCleanAir.com and 1-800-716-3043.

About Hunter Fan Company:

Founded in 1886 and headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., Hunter Fan Co. is the world’s original ceiling fan manufacturer. Today, the company also manufactures high-performance air purifiers, low-maintenance humidifiers, portable fans and energy-saving thermostats. Hunter fans and other product lines are available in retail showrooms, home centers and discount stores nationwide. For more information, contact 1-888-830-1326.

The iFranchise Group (www.ifranchisegroup.com), a leading franchise consulting firm based near Chicago, is confident that franchise agreements will continue to be signed at increased rates this year and beyond, even with ongoing challenges still facing most franchisors. The company believes that the successful sale of franchises, however, will depend on franchisors being able to intelligently leverage available financial tools, existing and emerging technologies, and, of course, human resources to their best advantage.

Financial Tools for the Franchise Sales Process.

Though lending conditions have been gradually improving, franchisors, just as any other businesses, are still feeling the effects of tightened credit that has characterized business lending over the last few years. Franchisors are finding they need to actively assist their potential franchise buyers by exploring and even providing direct access to options beyond traditional bank loans.

“Non-traditional funding sources such as local credit unions and venture capital, along with SBA-backed lending, and even in-house financing are all playing important roles in achieving franchise sales. And as franchisors and franchisees learn to navigate the financial field and seek out financing alternatives, plus with credit loosening even more, we expect franchise sales to be up by 10% to 15% or so this year, and likely up 20% in 2012,” reports iFranchise Group CEO, Mark Siebert.

Other industry executives echo this sentiment. “It’s critical that franchisors do whatever they can to help ensure a franchise sale does not completely stall out in the final financing stage,” says Robert Stidham, President of Franchise Dynamics, a strategic partner of iFranchise Group which provides outsourced franchise sales services.

Using Technology in Franchise Sales.

Technology also continues to play an important role at every step in franchise sales. But savvy franchise industry insiders know that it is an ever-changing field; what may have been a failsafe way to sell franchises just a couple years ago may be obsolete today.

“Franchisors need to understand the importance of using every bit of current technology to their advantage when selling franchises. It’s no longer just a matter of promoting their concept online via their websites,” says Siebert. “Through our ongoing franchise consulting services, we constantly educate our clients that it’s all about using a variety of tailored online marketing and social media options to get the message in front of the right prospects. It’s about using communications technology, such as e-brochures and webinars, to drive a prospect from first inquiry through to the date of the franchise sale. And, it’s about continuing to use technology even after the franchise is sold, to assist with important functions like site selection, vendor relations, document delivery, and more.”

The Importance of People to Franchise Sales.  

Industry experts also recognize that in franchise sales, people are often the most crucial ingredient. “The best results come from hiring the best people, giving them the right resources, and managing them for performance, effectively,” comments Stidham.

“I’ve been a franchise consultant for more than two decades, and I know that in the end, franchise sales are still all about building long-term personal relationships,” adds Siebert. “No matter how state-of-the-art the tools are, no matter how many pre-approved financiers a franchisor works with, if the sales staff is not properly motivated to identify and select the right candidates, and if candidates do not feel comfortable with the franchisor’s representative, deals will not get done.”  

About iFranchise Group: 

iFranchise Group (www.ifranchisegroup.com ), is a leading franchise consulting firm that offers the skills of the nation’s top professionals in franchise strategic planning, operations training and documentation, franchise marketing and sales, advertising fund management, franchise recruitment, and development of Internet-based applications for emerging and established franchise companies worldwide.

Chains and independents both share common challenges, restaurant consultant finds through field work conducted in 45 countries

 Restaurant Consultant Aaron Allen – who has represented more than 10,000 restaurants spanning six (6) continents and 45 countries – has just released his list of the 80 Most Common Restaurant Mistakes found among both independent and chain restaurants.

His list of common restaurant mistakes covers twenty (20) service mistakes; ten (10) exterior design and facilities issues; ten (10) interior design and facilities errors; twenty (20) menu design mistakes; and twenty (20) restaurant marketing mistakes. Allen also provides his firms recommendations on restaurant cost cutting ideas at the base of the list.

“Our clients have ranged from mom and pop restaurants with just $250,000 in annual revenue to global restaurant industry giants with revenues in excess of $12 billion. This list of the 80 Most Common Restaurant Mistakes isn’t inclusive of all that occurs, but it does represent those most frequently observed and universal across industry segments, geography and company size,” Allen said.

While the global business mood is still in the doldrums, Allen believes recessions can actually benefit the restaurant industry. “Among other things, recessions offer restaurants a good opportunity to recruit better staff, improve facilities, shore up their operations by fixing some of these common mistakes, and generally shine when the competition can’t afford to,” Allen added.

Aaron Allen’s full list of the 80 Most Common Restaurant Mistakes can be found on his website at: http://aaronallen.com/articles/restaurant-audits-80-of-the-most-commonly-found-mistakes/.

Restaurant Consultant Aaron Allen is a third generation restaurateur who has lead complex and multi-disciplined consulting teams for some of the world’s largest restaurant chains and foodservice industry suppliers. He is a top drawing industry speaker, trusted analyst, and has been an industry source for media such as The Wall Street Journal, TIME, Fortune, Entrepreneur, Rueters, and National Public Radio. Based in Orlando, Florida, Allen visits more than 300 restaurants annually and spends more than 300 nights per year in hotels with roughly one-third of his time spent abroad.

Contact:
Aaron D. Allen
aallen@aaronallen.com
(+1) 407-278-5159
www.aaronallen.com
Orlando, Florida  (USA)

Crowd Science has released its newest findings on the topic of consumer attitudes and brand loyalty. The company’s latest JustAsk! survey research reveals demographic & psychographic insights about how consumers feel about the brands they use, their likelihood to try new brands, and their propensity to stick with or recommend brands to others.

Gen-X Most Influential on Brand Opinion

Four-in-ten adults voluntarily share brand preferences and opinions with friends and family. Those ages 30 to 49 are the most influential in sharing brand opinions, with 50% of them providing recommendations and sharing preferences with people they know, compared to 42% of those under thirty and 40% of those over fifty. Similarly, among those aged 30 to 49, over one-quarter (27%) are sought by others to provide their opinions on brands; versus 22% of those under thirty and 16% of those over age fifty.

Consumers with higher incomes also show more influence when it comes to evangelizing brands. Almost one-half of households (47%) earning more than $50k a year agree they often tell friends and family about brands that they like or dislike — 5 percentage points higher than those earning less than $50k. Over one-quarter of those with incomes of more than $100k (28%) agreed with the statement “People regularly ask my opinion about brands”, 10 percentage points higher than those who earn less than $50k, and 5 percentage points less than those earning $50k to $90k.

Brands & Social Media

Respondents were asked if they regularly follow brands on social media. Overall, just 8% of respondents indicate they do. However, using social media to follow favorite brands is slightly more popular for younger age groups, with 10% of those under thirty and 9% of those aged 30 to 49 following brands on social channels like Facebook and Twitter. Conversely, just 5% of those fifty or more years old report following brands on social media.

The proportion of those agreeing that they “regularly follow brands on social media” was higher in households with children (11%) compared to those without (6%), indicating children may have influence on a family’s level of engagement and preference when it comes to particular brands.

Most Brand Loyal: Gen-X

Of those who participated in the Crowd Science survey, 38% say they stick with a particular brand once they find one they like. This proportion was consistent across both males and females. However, brand loyalty differs across age groups, with brand loyalty being highest among those ages 30-49 (42% agreeing “when I find a brand I like, I stick with it”). Brand loyalty is lowest for those under 30, with 33% indicating they would stick to a brand they like, as compared to 38% for those over fifty. Furthermore, almost one-quarter (24%) of those under thirty report that “they always like to try different brands” compared with just 15% of those thirty years and older.

Consumer Brand Affinity

Brand affinity is more common among males in the Crowd Science study, with greater numbers agreeing they are willing to pay more for a brand they trust, or that they only buy brand name products when they shop: 13% of males agreed they only buy brand name products and services, compared to just 8% of females.

Consumers with high affinity for a particular brand often demonstrate a personal connection to them. 16% of those surveyed agreed with the statement “the brands I use say a lot about who I am”, with males slightly more likely to agree compared to females (17% male vs. 15% female).

Free Brand Webinar

Crowd Science will present these findings at a free webinar hosted by VP of Research, Sandra Marshall and Marketing Manager, Cindy Chen on Thursday, May 5th, 2011 – 10:30 am PDT/1:30 pm EDT. Register at: http://bit.ly/gzlJEn

About Crowd Science

Crowd Science (http://crowdscience.com), based in Mountain View, California is revolutionizing online market research by providing innovative solutions and technologies to online publishers and brands. Companies like Federated Media, Turner Network and Everyday Health use Crowd Science’s combination of web analytics and survey research to improve marketing and advertising precision. The company also offers Free Web Tools for small and medium sized websites. The latest free tool scheduled to launch this week, SHOP, helps e-commerce brands engage and virally market to customers via social media. Check out SHOP and other free Crowd Science tools at http://crowdscience.com/free_tools.

When is the best time to think about a business continuity plan? Certainly not after disaster strikes. While this may sound like something straight off an insurance commercial, disaster recovery is a reality that needs to be addressed every single day to prevent and recover from business disruptions. Far from just an “insurance policy,” business continuity should instead be recognized as a critical component to the success of your IT operations, keeping services available to customers, employees, suppliers, regulators and other entities.  

Unfortunately, without the proper tools, the road to preparedness can be filled with many potholes. Aside from dealing with ongoing budget crunches, one recent survey found that about two-thirds of data center managers think their data centers are too complex to manage easily – and more than half reported an increase in internal service-level-agreement (SLA) demands. Other challenges to achieving a proper business continuity plan include:

• Establishing a defined process to ensure business will resume in a timely fashion in the event of a disaster
• Coordinating the restoration of IT services, applications and data after an outage
• Managing interruptions to routine processes that can have a major impact on an organization and lead to lost revenue

Still, without a business continuity plan, companies faced with a disaster could be hit with a devastating impact, resulting in lost revenue, compliance breaches, loss of customers, and a tarnished brand. Symantec offers disaster recovery solutions that will:

• Work with your existing infrastructure, platforms, storage, applications and replication technologies
• Achieve SLA requirements with proven technologies to automate application and data recovery across physical and virtual environments
• Improve the effectiveness of your disaster recovery plan with comprehensive, non-disruptive failover testing and validation
• Reduce complexity through centralized management across all major platforms

Learn more about Symantec’s products and how you can meet your business continuity objectives at http://www.symantec.com/business/solutions/projects/projectdetail.jsp?solid=sol_business_cont&solfid=sol_disaster_recovery&projectid=business_continuity_planning.

According to a 2011 National Online Consumer Behavior study released today by CityGrid Media and conducted by Harris Interactive®,  the Facebook “Like” button, launched last year, has already trumped the review as the way consumers prefer to show their support online for local businesses. The findings also indicate that consumers are doing their homework when it comes to making decisions about which local businesses to frequent, but no one factor or source overwhelmingly influences the final choice–including those highly-touted deals and discounts.

CityGrid Media commissioned Harris Interactive to field this study, which was conducted by telephone between March 16—20, 2011 among a nationwide cross section of 1,006 adults.

“Surprisingly enough, Likes are trumping reviews when it comes to sharing feedback, but this does not translate to Facebook being the first or only place consumers turn when deciding to try someplace new,” said Kara Nortman, SVP, Publishing at CityGrid Media. “What this means for small businesses on the Web is that they should encourage Likes, but also round out marketing efforts to reach consumers across a variety of touchpoints. The truth is, there’s no one silver bullet to influence people that are choosing local businesses on or offline.”

Detailed findings include:

Likes Trump Reviews; but Face to Face Wins Over All

As Sally Fields famously gushed during her 1984 Oscar win, who doesn’t want to be liked? With the popularity of the Facebook Like button, businesses don’t need the Oscar stage to broadcast their popularity to the world. Even still, a whisper in the ear trumps a click when people want to show their support for local businesses. So, what are the leading ways that users show support?

• Three-quarters of people (75%) tell their friends
• 20% of people say they “Like” it on Facebook to show their support, compared with only 13% who write a review
  • Millennials are even more likely to favor Facebook over reviews, as are women:
    • 40% of people under 35 “Like” a business; that went to 49% in the 18-24 group, versus 18% who said they would write a review
    • 25% of women hit the “Like” button, versus 11% who write reviews 

People do Their Homework, but The Deal’s Just Extra Credit

While Facebook may be one of the first places people go to give feedback on a business, it’s certainly not the only stop. Surprisingly, despite a sluggish economy and the frenzied attention as of late, discounts and offers are not a major factor in how consumers choose a merchant.  

• More than half (52%) of adults under 35 visit more than two websites before checking out a local business
  • 63% of respondents under 35 head to Google
  • 24% visit Facebook; 21% look at reviews sites and 17% copped to clicking on the first link on the search results page (whatever that link may be…)
• Less than one in ten people (8%) said a deal is the number one thing that influences them to try a local business  

People Care About the Face Behind the Name

When doing their homework, those under 35 report that the business owner’s feedback may carry equal weight to input from friends or social networks. So, when doing online marketing—be it Facebooking, tweeting or responding to reviews—be sure your spirit is represented along with your specials.

• Almost half (47%) of people under age 35 are more influenced to try a business from the owner of the establishment than a friend  

Feeling the Pain at the Pump

While the majority of adults go to a local business or out to eat at least once a week (73%), rising gas prices and distance are also impacting consumers’ decisions about which hot spots to hit

• 67% of people overall said they agree that gas prices factor into their decision around which businesses to visit
• Women may not only be the fairer sex, they may also be the frugal sex:
  • 87% of women ages 18-34 said gas prices and distance influence their decision, as compared with 67% of men in the same age range

“The economic conditions of the past few years have led to people being increasingly conscious of how and where they spend their money,” continued Nortman. “This means it’s all the more critical that business owners are casting a wide net and putting their dollars as many places as possible since it’s clear there’s no one magic tactic to attract new customers and keep your patrons happy.”

Methodology

This survey was conducted by Harris Interactive by telephone within the United States on behalf of CityGrid Media between March 16-20, 2011 among a nationwide cross section of 1,006 adults. For a full methodology, please contact Jenny Davis.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world’s leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what’s next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

About CityGrid Media

CityGrid Media is a leading media company that connects web and mobile publishers with local advertising organizations by linking them through CityGrid®, its local content and advertising network.  CityGrid Media also owns and operates premier local consumer properties including Citysearch, Insider Pages and Urbanspoon. CityGrid Media is an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI).  For more information, visit www.citygridmedia.com.

Active duty military personnel, including spouses, family members, and retirees, can book discount hotels and vacation rentals through the TDY Lodging reservation website from now through August. Government and military discounts are available at popular travel locations including San Diego, Washington DC, sunny Florida, as well as dozens of other stateside vacation spots. The latest travel deals for military families and Armed Forces service members vacationing or on leave from overseas assignments are available at discounts of up to thirty-percent off the standard rate. Most of the Military Vacation Discounts will be available until Labor Day weekend.

Armed Forces vacation club travel options through TDY Lodging are available to DoD personnel including military, government civilians, and defense contractors. Matthew Foster, founder of TDY Lodging and military veteran of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, announced the recent travel discounts for government and military personnel: “We’re pleased to offer this free service to the Department of Defense community. Our nation’s military has earned our support and in return for their service we’re featuring significant Military Vacation Discounts for travel to many destinations including Las Vegas, Miami, and San Diego near Sea World, among dozens of other travel spots.” Military vacation rentals in Florida include short-term Tampa Corporate Housing options and fully furnished condos and hotels and resorts in Destin and Panama City Beach.

Military vacation rentals and discount hotels are also available in our nation’s capital for government personnel and service members or families interested in traveling to the national capital region. Our featured Washington DC Military Lodging includes fully furnished corporate housing and furnished apartments for stays of at least one week, as well as hotels offering government rates for shorter stays in the downtown DC metro area. Armed Forces service members and families can find military vacation rentals directly though the TDY Lodging website, or though the TDY Lodging Blog, which features daily and weekly specials. The TDY Lodging blog also mentions key developments such as the recent addition of 83 Extended Stay Hotels to the TDY Lodging program in April of this year.

TDY Lodging is the fastest growing government lodging website offering the widest range of accommodations for official and off-duty travel. The recent addition of 83 extended stay hotels offers a great option for travelers wanting to vacation for several days or weeks while having amenities like a full kitchen in their hotel room. TDY Lodging Military Vacation Discounts offer some of the best military vacation club options and discounted travel packages for military members and families of service members in the U.S. Armed Forces. Most lodging providers offering military discounts through TDY Lodging may require a military ID card or dependant identification at time of check-in to receive the Armed Forces travel discount.

Hotels and corporate housing providers interested in marketing their hotels or corporate housing to the government and military travel community can list their properties on the TDY Lodging website for a nominal marketing fee. Lodging providers join the site through an annual membership, and can list their property on the TDY Lodging network without having to pay a commission or third party booking fees.

To learn more, visit http://www.tdylodging.com, email info@TDYLodging.com or call 1-888-805-7188.

One hundred colleges and universities out of some 2,000 U.S. schools that offer four-year degrees have been ranked as the top values by Consumers Digest. The rankings are based on attributes that validate or define the institutions’ academic prowess factored against annual cost of tuition, fees and room and board. Among 50 public institutions cited, Truman State University, Kirksville, Mo., ranked No. 1. Among 25 private institutions, Yale University took top honors. Among 25 private liberal-arts schools, Grove City College, Grove City, Pa., held the first slot.

The rankings, published in CD’s June 2011 issue, were derived from a formula that blended the academic excellence of first-time freshmen at a school (standardized test scores, high-school rank, grade-point average) with the institution’s educational quality (4- and 6-year graduation rate, student-retention rate, percentage of faculty holding a Ph.D.). That “value index” score was factored with the cost of attending each school to determine which schools offered the most academic value per dollar.

“Expert opinions and solid recommendations are two of our strengths,” says Randy Weber, publisher of Consumers Digest. “And we applied well-developed standards and thorough analysis to this examination of our country’s higher-learning institutions to help parents and students find schools that will meet families’ performance and financial requirements.”

Consumers Digest first whittled down the list of schools based on a minimum level of academic performance by students that institutions accepted. For public schools, CD considered only nonresident tuition figures. Military institutions and extremely specialized colleges were excluded. Financial aid wasn’t factored in because of inconsistencies in the way colleges distribute aid.

The average annual cost of attendance at CD’s top schools was $47,156 at private colleges/universities and $26,344 at public colleges/universities.

“Our analysis is designed to help families make an informed decision that puts their hard-earned money to the best use,” Weber says.

CD’s Top 100 College Values accompanied an article titled “The Hidden Costs of Higher Education.” The article explains how universities are countering greatly reduced funding from government by tacking on hidden mandatory fees for things that were once included as part of tuition. In this way, they can announce that their tuition rises only at the rate of inflation—even while fees at 4-year public universities have jumped more than 30 percent, even after being adjusted for inflation.

Editor Rich Dzierwa points out that his publication decided to exclude schools’ acceptance rates from the data used to rate performance. “Acceptance rate, which also is known as selectivity, can be dramatically manipulated by colleges and universities,” Dzierwa says.

Consumers Digest, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, is designed to inform and educate readers so they can buy with confidence. It is committed to providing practical advice, factual evaluations and specific recommendations that lead consumers to exceptional values in today’s complex marketplace.

White Castle is honoring the creation of the burger during the month of May for National Hamburger Month with special promotions and events.  

“This National Hamburger Month celebration is extra special because it is also our 90th birthday year,” said Jamie Richardson, vice president of corporate relations. “Starting National Hamburger Month is just one of many firsts White Castle has initiated over the past 90 years.”

This year, White Castle will kick off the celebrations with an Ingram family pilgrimage back to where it all started in Wichita, Kansas. On May 19, White Castle will partner with Dillons grocery stores to bring the hot, fresh, steam-grilled-on-a-bed-of-onions Original Sliders to the Wichita community and pay tribute to the first restaurant location.

Other White Castle National Hamburger Month festivities will include:

• Special online and in store promotions
• New menu items
• Ninety White Castle home office team members will work one day in a restaurant
• The kick-off of the call for entries for the 2011 Cravers Hall of Fame
• Local members of Congress getting behind the White Castle counters to serve constituents in their districts
• A 90th birthday bash at White Castle home offices in Columbus, Ohio

The first fast-food chain started National Hamburger Month to honor the hamburger in 1992, and expanded the celebration of burger bliss to an entire month just one year later.

White Castle will give thanks again this year to famous celebrities, media personalities and other pop culture Cravers with “Sealed with a Crave” (S.W.A.C.) gift cases filled with White Castle merchandise and products.

A film crew will be capturing most of the events as part of a documentary being filmed about White Castle titled, “White Castle – What America Craves.” The film is slated for release in spring of 2012.

About White Castle

White Castle is a family-owned business based in Columbus, Ohio that owns and operates more than 400 White Castle restaurants in 11 states. The company was founded in Wichita, Kan. in 1921 and is America’s first fast-food hamburger chain. All White Castle burgers are made from 100-percent USDA approved beef. This year, the company celebrates its 90th birthday with special events and promotions occurring throughout the year. For more information on White Castle, visit www.whitecastle.com.