Advertising

General Motors has pulled $10 million in ads from Facebook because they just didn't work, according to The Wall Street Journal. GM is the first major advertiser to indicate disappointment with Facebook and reduce its ad spending on the site.

With Jeremy Lin's standout performances bringing a sudden shine to the otherwise lackluster New York Knicks, a number of companies have hitched their wagons to his star to buff up their brands. And with the value of such an association easy to see, why wouldn't they?

What if Facebook's IPO offering isn't actually outlandishly priced? What if $100 billion is actually a reasonable price? Let's go over a few of the reasons Facebook stock may be cheaper than worrywarts are leading you to believe.

New York Times is a survivor, but it's bleeding internally. Its stock has floundered in the single digits since March. It hasn't dished out a dividend in three years. Revenue has fallen every year since 2006. And its unclear if its Internet plans can sustain a traditional publisher.

EBay has come a long way since its days as an Internet flea market. Today, 62% of eBay listings are fixed price, not auctions, and 70% are new. But the website's devoted cadre of loyal used item sellers feels like its recently launched "buy it new" campaign is selling them out.

From Nov. 1 until Christmas, Walmart says it will match prices with its rivals retroactively. Buy now, and if anyone advertises an identical product for a better price, go back to Walmart and claim a refund for the difference. But of course there's a catch -- more than one, in fact.

The Price of Fame enjoys a clever poop pun as much as anyone, but have the LeBron James-backed Sheets Energy Strips committed a foul in their ad campaign? Posters featuring people asserting that they "Take a Sheet" on the job are popping up in several major cities. Vulgar or brilliant: You tell us.

NBC's Feb. 5 Super Bowl broadcast is already a financial winner, fetching $3.5 million per commercial while nearly selling out available slots. Just six in-game commercial spaces remain, an NBC spokesman said in AdWeek.

With unemployment high, wages stagnant and costs rising, a growing number of Americans are working a part time job -- or more than one -- to make ends meet. 24/7 Wall St. dug through the data to see which industries are the best bets for those seeking part-time work -- and some may surprise you.

It's fair to say that lots of companies exaggerate the excellence of their products, but do consumers buy the hype? Do we actually eat at restaurants because they say they're "famous" or patronize a business because it has "the best" on the sign?