Fortune magazine's annual ranking of the world's most admired companies is also a shorthand for most admired brands.

Its just-released 14th annual ranking, a collaboration between the Time Inc.-owned business title with research conducted by the Hay Group, is worth checking out to see who's up, who's down, and why.

As ever, this year's list is based on a survey of business executives and the criteria includes quality of management, social responsibility (community and environment), quality of products and services, allocation of corporate resources, recruitment and retention of talent.

This year's top ten:Continue reading...

Newman's Own is serving up more than frozen pizza, salad dressing, cookies, tomato sauce and other Paul Newman-branded nourishment these days. It's also looking for a few good volunteers.Continue reading...

Amazon booted WikiLeaks off its servers following political pressure, the whistleblowing site confirmed on Twitter. Bank of America, meanwhile, grapples with rumors it's next on the WikiLeaks hotseat as Julian Assange sets sights on corporate reputations.

Apple's iPhone takes top spot in US smartphone market.

Bloomberg's annual World AIDS Day breakfast disrupted by activist bagel protest.

EU proposes end to branded cigarettes.

USA makes final pitch (incl. Morgan Freeman, Bill Clinton) to host 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Google Doodles expand to mobile; clamps down on business trolling.

Groupon expands in Asia with three acquisitions ahead of Google deal.Continue reading...

Green Mountain Coffee is one of those success stories that keeps the dreams of small business owners alive. The company started as a small coffee cafe in Waitsfield, Vermont in 1981. Twelve years later, Green Mountain went public and it has been on an upward spiral ever since, racking up double digit net sales growth for the last thirty consecutive quarters. Still, the company has been true to its roots, maintaining its corporate headquarters in America's "green mountain state."

Green Mountain Coffee is a well-known brand in its own right, yet it owns other coffee brands as well: Newman's Own Organics coffee, Seattle coffee roaster Tully's, California's Diedrich, and the Canadian brand Timothy's. Green Mountain also acquired Keurig in 2006, renowned as a pioneer in gourmet single-cup (known as "K-cup") coffee brewing systems, after it became the first coffee roaster to enter the single cup business.

Now Green Mountain has added to its impressive brand list with the acquisition of Montreal-based coffee maker Van Houtte for an eye-opening $890 million.Continue reading...