Apparently this summer, America has been put up for sale (mostly good deals), privacy has become a hot button issue and that huge French cycling thing got started again.

IBM initiating a major stock buyback.

Citing robust growth in Europe and a greater diversification of their business, IBM is showing their viability even in times of economic hardship ... HA! Take that, US Recession! (Too soon?)

Ever since selling off their personal computer division to Lenovo, IBM has been a model in rebranding as they've gone on to redefine their brand as an expert in enterprise-wide information technology and (apparently) they're doing pretty well. Feeling good enough about themselves to buy back a lot of stock and push their earnings up.

Getty Images bought by private equity firm.
The proliferation of user-generated content combined with a changing media environment, sent media stalwart Getty Images seeking out new opportunities for strategic growth, so they put themselves on the block ... The result? A $2.1 billion offer from private equity firm Hellman & Friedman.

Getty was already exploring other areas for business growth (and quite successfully), but as a private company they have greater latitude and more opportunities.

Famous athletes have long been part of the marketing world, whether they're endorsing their "favorite" brand--sure Derek Jeter drives a Chevy--or they're starting their own (i.e., Michael Jordan). Today the brand + athlete pairing is as creative as ever, so let's take a look at how some of today's top athletes have worked with their brand teammates and how it has affected their respective brand's performance.

We are keeping track of what's going on in the world, and we're looking at the implications those events or actions may have on the brands and their respective bottom lines. Then, we're plotting them on our handy-dandy uber-scientific graph that takes a look at the relationship between brands and profit.

The Business of Music
Almost a decade ago, the music industry found itself in the midst of the mp3/p2p music-sharing fiasco. Today, as the dust clears, we've seen evidence (iTunes) of a new way of looking at the music industry, and lately there's been a new wave of change truly challenging the business model, as detailed here in this great NY Times article that asks "if it's retail, is it still rock?"