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...

OK, so the 83rd Annual Academy Awards was a bit of a snoozefest, with Colin Firth and Natalie Portman winning the best thespian categories (as expected) and The King's Speech sweeping the night.

On the commercial front, while the Oscars may not have "the Super Bowl for women" that some thought in terms of the caliber of the ads, there were some new campaigns — but also a lot of repetition and reprisals of Super Bowl spots.

What did you think of the commercials, if you caught them during the telecast on ABC? To jog your memory:Continue reading...

Just about a year ago, we were talking about the inevitability of a Borders bankruptcy. That day is finally here — and the only surprise is that it took as long as it did.

Borders, the embattled US bookseller that once competed with the likes of Amazon and Barnes & Noble, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today and will close about 200 stores out of around 640 and reduce its staff.

It's still expressing optimism that it can manage a comeback. Its Twitter feed today responded to a concerned customer, "Our goal is to emerge from the Chapter 11 process as a vibrant destination for books & more for years!"Continue reading...

The value of a sound…sound strategy is still a dim second in advertising briefs but smarter brands are catching on. Audi achieved sonic branding two years ago, with its sport for the A5 sportback —a steady, pumping heartbeat, breath and a piano as seen (and heard) above.

Last month, in an industry first, Unilever brand managers for its Comfort fabric conditioner hit MIDEM, the world's largest music industry trade fair, with an unusual proposition.Continue reading...

Amazon's "disappointing" earnings reveals that Kindle books now outstrip paperback sales on site.

Comcast dumps peacock from NBC Universal (make that NBCUniversal) corporate logo.

Girl Scout cookies are under threat.

Heineken shares insights on emerging markets at Davos.

Kinect gives Microsoft much-needed sales boost.

LinkedIn files to go public.

MAC Cosmetics is preparing to unleash a Wonder Woman collection.Continue reading...

In a fresh spin on Woody Allen's bullet-in-the-breast-pocket routine, the wiseacres at Electric Literature tested the tomes of 2010 to see which, if any, literary heavyweight could stop a bullet. It's also a pretty handy metaphor for the print publishing industry the Brooklyn-based digital literary journal is aiming at. We won't give away the answer, but can reveal that a Kindle buys it in the video above.

Amazon exceeds Kindle sales estimates.

American Airlines allowed to exit Orbitz partnership.

Burberry CEO rewarded for bumper year.

Cisco eschews cloud services.

Comcast, Verizon and other US cable/telco broadband operators must abide by new net neutrality rules.

Deutsche Bank settles tax shelter case.

FDA powers broaden in new US food safety bill.Continue reading...

Barnes & Noble isn't letting Apple's iPad or Amazon's Kindle steal the spotlight this holiday season, if B&N can help it. It's pitching its NOOKcolor e-book reader directly to the market that most appreciates color pictures in books — kids, and their parents — opening an enormous and lucrative portal to illustrated e-books.

With more than 12,000 digital books for kids and some persistent marketing this holiday selling season, B&N just may succeed in reaching the one million e-readers shipped benchmark by year-end.Continue reading...