brand management

The Gap earned nearly universal scorn this week when it unveiled its new logo. But the clothing retailer's response -- a crowd-sourcing request aimed at getting the public to design a better logo for free -- is only fueling the backlash against it.

Playboy Enterprises is downsizing again as it continues its transition from a lifestyle and media business into a brand-management company. The company expects to save more than $3 million annually.

Though promotional saturation can be the kiss of death for social media platforms, marketers can't resist them. And whether they want to admit it or not, social media sites need the marketers. This week, two top sites -- LinkedIn and Twitter -- are putting their days of purity in the past and offering new tools that meet the needs of corporate marketing departments.

You might be surprised to learn that G.O.O.P. are Gwyneth Paltrow's initials. Perhaps it was a rare available four-letter domain; but the disconnect between the decidedly childish, messy connotations of the word and the muted-greys of the tagline ("nourish the inner aspect") are only the first and...