Dec 1, 2004 12:00 PM

11/11

McDonald's hosts its third annual World Children's Day on Nov. 20 with promos and p.r. events designed to raise $20 million worldwide for children's charities, including Ronald McDonald House Charities. Several celebrities, including basketball star Yao Ming, have agreed to make appearances.

Several toy manufacturers reportedly are helping beleaguered Toys ‘R’ Us with exclusive toys and dedicated advertising. Mattel, Inc., Hasbro, Inc., Leap Frog Enterprises and Lego AG have all committed some of their holiday items to be sold only in TRU stores, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Twentieth Century Fox TV will produce a version of its action drama “24” for cell phone users, according to a report in Variety.

11/10

Procter & Gamble is running a pajama party online sweeps for its Tide with a touch of Downy. The “Clean. Soft. Fresh. Moments.” sweepstakes will award a $10,000 check for a luxury pajama party as grand prize. The sweeps is part of Cincinnati-based P&G's $50 million launch of Tide with a touch of Downy.

Kmart Corp. is readying a revamped Web site for the holidays, with plans for a daily sweepstakes awarding a $500 shopping spree each day. The new site launches Nov. 18.

11/9

WPP's The Kantar Group last week bought trade marketing consultancy Cannondale Associates. The purchase beefs up Kantar's retail channel expertise and gives Cannondale a broader network for executing retail-driven promotions, and an international platform for its research, especially its annual PoweRanking survey. Terms were not disclosed.

The Robert Mondavi Corp. will merge with beverage giant Constellation Brands, Inc., in a deal worth $1.36 billion.

New York City has backed off a plan to sell its name for use on a credit card in exchange for new revenue. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the deal would not have a big enough return on investment.

11/4

The Arena Football League plans to renew its sponsorship with the U.S. Army, keeping its status as the official and exclusive military service partner for the 2005 season. Terms were not disclosed.

Viacom's MTV Networks and Televisa, the largest media company in the Spanish-speaking world, will add MTV Networks Latin America's licensing, merchandising and publishing businesses to the existing pay TV and broadcast distribution agreements with Televisa. This multi-year deal, terms of which were not disclosed, broadens a pre-existing agreement between the two media companies.

11/3

Holiday shopping is projected to reach $219 billion this year, up 4.5% from last year. Consumers plan to spend an average $702.03 on gifts and holiday trimmings, according to the National Retail Federation's 2004 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey. Holiday sales generally account for 25% of retailers' total sales for the year, and are a crucial part of overall annual performance.

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