Adidas doing well in China

If President Xi Jinping of China has his way, conspicuous consumption, especially of luxury brands will continue to fall in his country. And many of the brands like BMW and Hugo Boss are doing just that. On the rise though are some of the high-end sportswear brands like Nike and Adidas.

 It doesn’t hurt that these can be found in Outlet malls in China, allowing consumers to buy big names at discounted prices.

The Golden Arches Just got Sweeter

As the saying goes – there’s nothing new under the sun. And for McDonald’s, that’s kind of true. Sure they are testing out Sweet Potato fries in 18 locations in Amarillo, Texas. And they also have “Create Your Taste” locations throughout the U.S. where customers can build their sandwich just the way they want it – type of bun, toppings, condiments, even the meat/poultry choice. So the specifics are new.

Athletes Return the Favor

A recent article in the New York Times shed light on a topic often assumed but less often discussed - athletes showing love to their alma mater. While Universities consider campaigning for wealthy alumni’s help to finance their efforts – particularly in athletics – it’s not as often you hear about famous athletes giving back to the schools that helped their rise to superstardom. That may be changing.

Recently, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green gave $3.1 million to Michigan State’s athletic department, a massive sum and one of the largest amounts ever given by an athlete. Green is not alone. The Times reported that Miami Dolphins tackle Ndamukong Suh gave Nebraska $2.6 million from his first NFL contract. Also, Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson offered $5 million to the University of Illinois at Chicago, an amount totaling roughly half the Flames’ budget for a new baseball stadium. Saints QB Drew Brees has made two seven-figure donations to his alma mater, Purdue.

Green told the Times his gift was a thank you. “I went to Michigan State as a boy, a boy who really didn’t know where life was going to take me, really my own identity. I left Michigan State a man.” From a public relations perspective, having a famous athlete as an alumnus is a gift that gives both ways. Sure, like Green, most of the young men who come in as talented freshmen athletes are relatively clueless about life and all its various opportunities.

They bring with them drive, determination, and untapped opportunity. As life on campus teaches them lessons, they need to learn to move to the next stage in life, their efforts on the field or floor put butts in the seats and money in the coffers. Education and opportunity for fame and notoriety. It’s a fair trade. Then, a fortunate few athletes go on to huge paydays in professional sports.

Paydays that would not have been possible except for the opportunity to shine they had in college athletics. Many realize the connection, and more are saying “thanks” for their big opportunities with signatures on big checks.

AT&T to buy DirecTV: How will this shake up the tech industry?

This past week AT&T won its bid to purchase satellite TV provider DirecTV. One of the conditions reached in the deal was an agreement from AT&T to increase its broadband reach to a greater number of homes and businesses. In a single move, the combined company is now the largest pay-TV provider in the United States. The Justice Department said it would not challenge the deal because it doesn’t “pose a risk to competition.”

Lessons From a Top Social Media CEO

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner recently spoke at Wisdom 2.0, a business conference in San Francisco. He talked about lessons he’s learned on his rise to the top. We can all learn a lot about management success from what Weiner had to say.

Nintendo makes Bowser VP

Nintendo just hired Bowser to be its US Vice President of Sales. In a match made in tech PR heaven, Nintendo just got a tremendous Vice President with a name that no media outlet – or Nintendo fan – will be able to resist. There’s a story here that everyone will want to read.

Self-driving Semi: Wave of the Future?

So, the media is buzzing about new “self-driving” semis, and some people are asking: “Didn’t they make a horror movie about this?” The one certainty about technology is that it will try to accomplish the impossible. Just when you think you have seen everything, the World of Tomorrow completely changes. Yes, people have been talking about driverless cars for years, but most folks imagined small single vehicles, not necessarily Optimus Prime.