Business

The 1993 case of Earring Magic Ken shows how marketing and focus groups can inadvertently create a kitsch classic. Mattel found this out the hard way when they asked little girls to offer input.

By Bryan Young

People claim to hate pop-ups ads, and their more recent successor, the hover ad. Yet they still click on them. Here's why.

By Dave Roos

How did this teen magazine go from just covering fashion and beauty to getting lauded for its political coverage?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

A new study reveals that shape, size and sense of touch influence purchasing choices, thanks to some curious cognition and perception.

By Patrick J. Kiger

In some industries — like advertising — the awards show is just a giant money-making scheme.

By Dave Roos

One hundred percent of female mannequins in a new U.K. study represented underweight individuals, while only 8 percent of male mannequins did the same.

By Jesslyn Shields

According to a new paper by tech company Polycom, "anywhere working" is on the rise in several countries, and employees recognize its advantages.

By Shelley Danzy

With the demise of mall staples like The Limited, the brands hanging on will have to rethink their entire approach to fashion to survive the 'mall-pocalypse.'

By Dave Roos

Is your cluttered desk a sign of creative genius or just chaos? Experts weigh in on whether either is really a true reflection of how your brain operates.

By Alia Hoyt

Mike Marts, the AfterShock editor-in-chief and co-founder, looks back at the diverse roster of titles and genres published by the new company.

By Christian Sager

The annual employee engagement survey seems pretty useless. So what are some alternatives?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

As more toll roads move away from cash, where does that leave drivers who don't have electronic passes? Or even exact change?

By Jesslyn Shields

Pesky vowels. Who needs those, anyway?

By Kate Kershner

If human nutrition is essentially universal, why do yogurt commercials feature women so prominently?

By Laurie L. Dove

You may be surprised at the types of businesses people have put on wheels. Cigar Lounge, anyone?

By Dave Roos

In an effort to discourage food waste, some all-you-can-eat buffets are charging diners whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs.

By Chris Opfer

A Japanese company called ALE wants to create artificial meteor showers. Is this the first step toward the sky becoming a massive ad?

By Jonathan Strickland

HowStuffWorks Now interviews Rooster Teeth's Burnie Burns at SXSW on how to crowdfund a feature-length film.

By Jonathan Strickland

A startup app called OneGo aims to find a niche as a provider of all-you-can-fly pricing for domestic air travel, for those who can afford the monthly membership.

By Patrick J. Kiger

You can learn about leadership in the darnedest of places. Like the 1980s television program "The Transformers."

By Christian Sager

Rooftop gardens and nap pods sound cool, but that's not what employees really value, nor do they help the bottom line, say experts.

By Dave Roos

It takes more than just a newspaper ad to promote your online business. Help your site grow from a fledgling to a flourishing business with these handy tips.

By Alison Cooper

No child needs a lemonade stand to make money, these days.

By Dave Roos

If advertisers buried hidden messages in commercials or print ads, would you be susceptible to them? Or are subliminal messages just a hoax?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

In the past, you practically had to get an MBA to learn how to write a business plan. But investors today value plans that are sharp and to the point — and you can easily figure it out online.

By Gerlinda Grimes