On August 30, 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly proposed two new fuel economy label designs – labels consumers see on the window of every new vehicle in dealer showrooms. The goal is to help consumers make the best economic and environmental decisions when buying a new car, ultimately increasing the number of fuel-efficient vehicles on the road. With the release of the new designs, the DOT and EPA provided a 60-day public comment period to encourage honest feedback from consumers.

Real estate trends and prices continue to dominate news headlines, as debates on just where the housing market may be headed rage on. In a move to add further insight (and in many cases, balance) to the conversation, CooperKatz client Coldwell Banker Real Estate debuted a new measure of affordability in the U.S. housing market in late September. The Coldwell Banker Home Listing Report is a snapshot survey of four-bedroom, two-bathroom home listings on coldwellbanker.com between February and August 2010 in nearly 300 U.S. markets and select Canadian markets where Coldwell Banker has a presence.

Everyone deserves a home, even if it’s just for the holidays. Inspired by the book and Hallmark Hall of Fame movie “A Dog Named Christmas,” Petfinder.com launched the first-ever “Foster A Lonely Pet for the Holidays” program, giving families the chance to welcome an adoptable pet into their home for the holiday season (ideally from Christmas Eve until New Year’s Day).

This week, Ad Age published a story written by Michael Bush titled, “As Media Market Shrinks, PR Passes Up Reporters, Pitches Directly To Consumers.”  Bush notes in the piece that traditional approaches to public relations are challenged now given ongoing shifts in the media landscape — and that “instead of pitching their stories to reporters, a growing number of marketers are directly engaging consumers through original content they and their agencies are creating.”

In case you’ve not heard, we’re in a bit of a down economy. Ok, clearly I jest, because this is one truism that’s been beaten to death for a good seven months now. In fact, if you haven’t either heard or personally uttered some variation on the phrase “In these challenging times…” at least once a day since the start of 2009, you’ve been living in an alternate reality.

This economic context has impacted nearly every conversation with every type of media person – whether you’re speaking with a member of the ‘mainstream’ press or an individual blogger. So what happens when the conversation you’re having is about luxury? Now that’s an interesting question. And here at CooperKatz, we’ve found the answer to be surprisingly diverse.