DMNews

Holding company Publicis Group's full-year 2011 revenue increased 7.3% to $7.67 billion, compared with 2010, the company said in an earnings statement Feb. 9.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) ended the first three months of its 2012 fiscal year with a net loss of $3.3 billion — and large losses are expected to continue until planned restructuring efforts have taken place, the agency said Feb. 9.

PepsiCo plans to increase marketing spend on its brands by between $500 million and $600 million this year, cut costs and trim its agency roster, the company said in an earnings statement Feb. 9.

Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook will continue to dominate online business, but Internet retailers and marketers should tread carefully in partnering with them, according to a Feb. 7 Forrester report.

There has been a more than 12% year-over year drop in pricing for permission-based small- and medium-sized business email files, from $163 to $143, according to Worldata's Winter 2012 List Price Index, released Feb. 8.

Groupon reported a 419% increase in 2011 revenue to $1.6 billion, the company said in its first earnings report as a public company on Feb. 8.

Coca-Cola plans to invest as much as $650 million from annual cost savings into its future marketing efforts, the company said on Feb. 7.

Research and analysis firm Gartner's fourth quarter 2011 revenue increased by 12% to $427.7 million, compared with the same quarter in 2010. For the entirety of 2011, total revenue increased by 14% to $1.46 billion, an increase of 14% over 2010. Net income for the year was $136.9 million.

Andrew Frawley has been named president of marketing services firm Epsilon, the company said on Feb. 7. Epsilon said it has also named Catherine Lang as its new chief client officer.

JetBlue Airways redesigned its website and mobile site, and has also launched an iPhone application, all with the intent of personalizing and simplifying the customer experience, the airline said on Feb. 6.

Facebook has hired Rebecca Van Dyck, SVP and CMO at Levi's to join the social network as its first head of global marketing, according to reports.

Printer Quad/Graphics announced on Feb. 1 that it acquired Williamson Printing Corporation, a 128-year-old printer that specializes in short- to medium-run catalogs, books, direct mail and promotional products.

Amazon claims that the state of Arizona has served the online company a tax bill for $53 million for uncollected sales tax.

Office supply retailer Staples is launching a new e-commerce site that optimized specifically for shopping on tablet computers.

Infogroup won list management responsibilities for Arizona Mail Order Company lists and databases, effective Feb. 1.

Facebook filed for a $5 billion initial public offering (IPO) just after 5 p.m. on Feb. 1. The company said in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it will use the ticker symbol "FB" and detailed its offerings for advertisers and marketers.

Sony Corp. appointed Kazuo Hirai as its new president and CEO, replacing CEO Howard Stringer, effective April 1. Pending approval of the company's board of directors, Stringer will become chairman of the board in June.

Facebook is widely expected to file a prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after the markets close on Feb. 1, the first step in going public, according to multiple reports that cite sources familiar with the matter.

Talk about your "static" emails. On Jan. 2, Dish Network contacted a Direct Marketing News staffer who willingly agreed to accept emails from the satellite TV services provider. Poor staffer.

Talk about your "static" emails. On Jan. 2, Dish Network contacted a Direct Marketing News staffer who willingly agreed to accept emails from the satellite TV services provider. Poor staffer.