AstraZeneca launched a corporate blog this week, making it one of only a handful of large pharmaceutical companies to do so. It also launched a branded Facebook fan page.

The AZ Health Connections blog has five posts, beginning October 16. It is being led by Earl Whipple, a senior director of corporate communications for AstraZeneca, and plans to cover breaking news, CSR, and healthcare reform. according to the blog.

Earlier this year, GlaxoSmithKline launched a corporate blog, called More than Medicine.

Marcus Jordan, son of basketball legend Michael Jordan, is causing some sponsorship drama at his school, the University of Central Florida. While Adidas is the main sponsor of his basketball team, and requires all coaches and players to wear their products, Jordan only wears Nike Air Jordan shoes, because "they hold special meaning to his family," ESPN reported.

Adidas reportedly dropped its sponsorship deal after Jordan wore the Nike shoes during a game on Wednesday.

In step with the “you-focused” campaigns of this fall, in 2010 American Airlines' communications is going to be all about the customer, Roger Frizzell, the company's VP of corporate communications, said in a recent meeting with PRWeek.  

He said the customer-centric message has gotten lost as the company has focused on its finances and operations. As part of this new approach, its communications will emphasize AA's loyalty programs, as well its recently redesigned terminals.

We'll re-look at some of our local markets and have a more localized marketing strategy... in particular with markets like Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, New York, and Chicago that have high concentrations of business travelers.

With such a customer-focused approach, how will AA communicate its recent fees that have irked some travelers, I asked Frizzell.

Airlines are unique, in that our prices have mostly held firm since 2004 – if not longer. The prices have not moved with inflation…[The fees] help keep flying really affordable.

Next year, AA will also work on differentiating itself from low-cost carriers, put more resources into social media, and do more targeted outreach to niche and minority groups. There are no changes planned with its AOR Weber Shandwick, Frizzell added.   

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to address misuse of medications and preventable adverse reactions to drugs through a new program called the "Safe Use Initiative."

The federal agency said it will hold public hearings; evaluate drug package inserts, labels, and instructions; and work with advocacy groups, healthcare professionals and organizations, and consumers to identify problem areas and products.

Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's drug division, told Dow Jones Newswires that the effort is "a paradigm shift for FDA ... We are going beyond our traditional role as regulator."

Mickey Mouse is getting a makeover, particularly in an upcoming video game where he will be portrayed as "cantankerous" and "heroic," The New York Times reported. The move comes as the company is concerned that Mickey is more of a corporate symbol than a character, and needs a new vision for the future. The Times reports:

The first glimmer of this will be the introduction next year of a new video game, Epic Mickey, in which the formerly squeaky clean character can be cantankerous and cunning, as well as heroic, as he traverses a forbidding wasteland.

And at the same time, in a parallel but separate effort, Disney has quietly embarked on an even larger project to rethink the character's personality, from the way Mickey walks and talks to the way he appears on the Disney Channel and how children interact with him on the Web — even what his house looks like at Disney World.

Hanky Panky is going guerilla for the launch of its e-commerce site on November 20, just in time for the holidays, explains JD Breen, visual manager at Hanky Panky. The team, including AOR Alison Brod PR, is promoting the  site's customization features and offering holiday deals on Twitter and Facebook. It also plans to post a video on YouTube of the upcoming launch event for press and select consumers. 

Breen said the site will also serve as a main platform to generate consumer feedback through interactive features such as polls, as well as communicate its “Made in the USA” and green positioning.

“We're looking at it as a way to better interact with our customer,” he said. “It enhances brand visibility and recognition and buzz about the brand and name."

In October, I wrote about a partnership between American Airlines and Paramount Pictures for the upcoming movie Up in the Air. On November 4, American continued in its marketing campaign by introducing a unique online auction. AAdvantage members can use their points to bid on items including hotel stays, AAdvantage Gold memberships, or suites at professional sporting events, among other prizes.

Tuesday, November 3, is National Sandwich Day and Sara Lee Deli is working to gain Twitter followers and give back through its "Deli Difference" Twitter campaign. For every new follower of @SaraLeeDeli on November 3 (starting at midnight Pacific Time), the company will donate $1, up to $25,000, to Share Our Strength, which works to make sure no child in America grows up hungry.

On Twitter, Sara Lee is using #sldeli and #delidifference hashtags to spread the word, and also is celebrating National Sandwich Day on Facebook, with a historical look at the sandwich. And, now I'm hungry.

Egads, there are mergers and acquisitions galore today. We've already reported on two acquisitions in the communications field; they're not the first ones in the last six months, and it's unlikely they'll be the last. Edelman is up next: It announced today it acquired Grassroots Enterprise. Politico reported it first.

GRE brings with it a platform called Grassroots Multiplier that will give Edelman the in-house capability to connect people with policymakers and members of Congress.

Edelman said Grassroots Enterprise will be valuable both in the strategic sense and in the nuts-and-bolts capability the firm brings to grass-roots advocacy, including activity on social networks like Facebook.

So expect a third M&A story from us later today. The release is here for now.