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...

Apple, hot on the heels of iPad 2 launch, tops Fortune's Most Admired Companies list for fourth year in a row.

Best Buy and other big box retailers rethink as they shrink.

Budweiser posts first global increase in two decades thanks to World Cup.

Charlie Sheen hits 1 million Twitter followers in less than a day.

Facebook growth slows in the US.

Ford issues recall, plans to harness its design gurus to relaunch the Mustang.

GM leads incentive spending as "Old GM" expected to be liquidated today.Continue reading...

AIG returns focus to selling insurance.

Alibaba expands supply network in China.

AOL will premiere new track for Lady Gaga, whose brand strength continues to soar.

EBay trails general online shopping growth.

ESPN readies network dedicated just to the University of Texas.

General Motors once again shuffles top ranks.

Google is expected to post strong earnings, while Google Voice is ready to port numbers.Continue reading...

From idea to True/Slant concept

Another media brand is seeking to revitalize its DNA with blogging and social media, as Forbes confirms rumors that it's buying True/Slant.

The blog's founder, former Forbes editor, Lewis Dvorkin, will be rejoining the business media brand to "lead all editorial areas" as chief product officer.

Dvorkin says the Forbes brand "has deep meaning for audiences, journalists and marketers. The brand befits the entrepreneurial spirit that is so vital to capitalism and business creation. Working together as one team, we can propel a great and storied brand into the next stage of its media life.”

Forbes certainly needs that propulsion, and its backers at Elevation Partners (including U2's Bono) will be glad to see new energy and growth.Continue reading...

What’s in a name? In this case, everything. Techonomy is a tech-centric media startup from a trio of old Fortune editors (old as in former - and yes, we resisted calling them old soldiers of Fortune). Their mission is the noble, and daunting, challenge to harness technology to solve societal issues: technology + economy = Techonomy.

The three former editors at Time Inc.'s fabled Fortune magazine—David Kirkpatrick, Peter Petre and Brent Schlender—admit to being optimists. That's why they're betting that better information dispensed more quickly, enhanced with events, will result in effective applications of technology to a host of issues from personalized healthcare to environmental issues.

Their coming out party will be the first Techonomy conference in Tahoe, California in August. Speakers include tech heavyhitters such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Cisco CTO Padmasree Warrior, and Citigroup CTO Deborah Hopkins.Continue reading...

Walmart discounts iPhone 3GS to $97, sparking rumors of its demise next month, when Apple will reveal the next iPhone (possibly with video chat).

Facebook ads attract brands including Lexus, Wendy's, ESPN, Sony Pictures, Bose, and Hardee's.

As the Times of London puts up its paywall, the New York Times says its paywall will be "blogger-friendly."

BP sticks with chemical dispersant, expert confident in oil well plan as the spill spreads. Mock Twitter feed is least of worries.

Budweiser is producing a special editon metallic World Cup bottle.Continue reading...

It will come as a shock to everyone to hear that someone thinks Detroit needs a rebrand. And by "everyone," we mean "nobody at all."

Time Inc. has kicked off "Selling Detroit," which aims to “attract business and talent" to "America’s most struggling city" by identifying it as a creative mecca for young artists.

In an effort to include the citizens of Detroit in the rebrand, which involves ad agencies that call Detroit home, the publisher is holding a contest. On the CNNMoney, Fortune and Time websites, visitors will be able to vote for their favorite campaign. The winner will be announced in December at the city's D Show awards.

It is, of course, naive to believe that an ad campaign can change the brand, let alone the fortunes, of Detroit. In fact, some of the initial submissions appear downright confused about how to approach the task. The Leo Burnett Agency entry features rock ‘n’ roll star Kid Rock. But Kid Rock’s image is predicated, in part, on being from troubled, hardscrabble Detroit. Hardly a reputation the rebrand would hope to perpetuate.Continue reading...