The U.S. federal government still defines the act of marriage as one taking place between a man and a woman even though a number of states have made gay marriage legal and President Obama made it clear in his Inauguration speech (and other speeches since) that gay marriage is something he firmly believes in. “Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law—for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well,” Obama said after being sworn in on Jan. 21 by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

Roberts will have a lot to do with possibly making a change to the way the federal government defines marriage when his Court hears two gay-marriage-related cases on March 26 and 27. Nearly 300 companies came out Wednesday to “urge the U.S. Supreme Court … to strike down a federal law that restricts the definition of marriage to heterosexual unions,” Reuters reports.

Considering the size and number of brands taking part, it will be hard for conservatives who have long opposed gay marriage to try and boycott everyone involved.Continue reading...

Volkswagen acquires remaining Porsche stake for nearly $6 billion.

Aetna and California doctors face off over business practices.

Barclays former CEO apologizes in grilling by U.K. lawmakers.

Alibaba clamps down on staff corruption.

Avon introduces his and her fragrances with Jon Bon Jovi's help.

BBC names new director general.

Best Buy makes its stores look sleeker.

Boeing plans new green technologies.Continue reading...

ABC deals with sensitive issue of airing Marianne Gingrich interview before South Carolina GOP primary.

Aetna refreshes its "brand promise."

Apple is expected to unveil digital-textbook service today.

BP agrees to a $20-billion to $25-billion oil-spill deal with Department of Justice, report says.

Christian Louboutin celebrates 20 years of his red-soled shoes.

Citroen ad banned in the UK as seizure-inducing.

Mark Cuban, Ryan Seacrest, AEG and CAA partner on AXS cable network launch.Continue reading...

Aetna rises despite drop in demand for medical care.

Boeing beats estimates, boosts outlook.

Borders woes parsed in post-mortems.

Delta Airlines cuts capacity on rising fuel costs.

Disney and Marvel team for Captain America game, while Disney looks to shore up Bollywood business with UTV ownership.

Dow Chemical quarterly profit up 74%.

Dunkin' Brands CEO says IPO a byproduct of "unbelievable buzz."Continue reading...

How do customers feel about their experiences interacting with leading brands? Forrester, a leading independent research firm, analyzed responses from over 7,700 U.S. consumers, age 18 and older, who were asked three essential questions about 154 North American brands in 13 industries:

1. How enjoyable were they to do business with?

2. How easy were they to do business with?

3. How well did they meet your needs?

The answers were fascinating — and somewhat bracing.Continue reading...

The Republican Party won big in Tuesday’s elections, capturing a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, neutralizing the Democratic Party in the U.S. Senate, seizing a handful of key governorships and state legislatures across the country and marking the ascendancy of the Tea Party. Among other industries, the shift has big implications for the branding and marketing community. 

AOL revenue drops 26% on slumping ad sales.

Apple's iPad dominated 95% of the market for tablet computers last quarter.

Bugatti launches Veyron model in India, priced at $3.6 million.

Chase partners with DreamWorks for Megamind 3D movie.

Discovery Communications notches huge gains in ad sales.Continue reading...

Aetna CEO Ronald Williams retires next month.

Apple flips mobile technology into its PCs.

Baidu launches Lekeutian (meaning "Happy Cool Day") online shopping mall with Japan e-commerce giant Rakuten as rival to China's Alibaba.

Coca-Cola seeks to boost brand equity, expand in emerging markets and boost corporate social responsibility.

D.G. Yuengling & Son expands its approach to growing the large regional-brewery brand. 

Gap logo post mortems continue.

Google sees 224,000 Germans pull out of mapping service.Continue reading...

Starbucks today announced it will raise prices on "labor-intensive and larger-sized drinks" due to soaring coffee prices; while CEO Howard Schultz praises social media as key to brand-building, and announces additional content partner for digital network.

Aetna, Cigna and other US insurers face a key deadline tomorrow, when parts of the new healthcare law affecting children's coverage go into effect.

Blockbuster reportedly scheduling bankruptcy tomorrow with loan.

Boeing's final test 787 model is held up by technical issues.

Facebook is starting to see real revenue from virtual Credits payment program.Continue reading...