brand

Salesforce.com is close to aquiring Buddy Media, a company that helps brands manage a presence on social media sites, for more than $800 million, All Things D reports.

Salesforce boasts more than 100,000 customers that utilize its cloud computing services. Adding a social media element, could help bolster its core business management services. Buddy Media is best known for helping big brands navigate Facebook. Recently, it has expanded to other social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

The two companies have agreed to terms, but the transaction hasn't closed yet, according to All Things D's … Read more

When thinking about the world of fashion, most invoke the likes of Versace, Gucci, or Calvin Klein. You certainly wouldn't expect your sense of style to be influenced by the world of tech, but that's just what has happened thanks to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

It's his style that's helped San Francisco-based BetaBrand.com explode onto the tech executive couture stage. Based on Zuckerberg's, infamous "hoodie," the company has come up with an executive version. Made from high quality wools and with pinstripes and plaids, this look is as welcome in the boardroom … Read more

Another day, another Apple victory.

At $183 billion, Apple is the world's most valuable brand, according to Millward Brown Optimor's annual BrandZ study. Apple was last year's most valuable brand, as well, though the company's value jumped 19 percent over last year's $153.3 billion tally.

Millward Brown Optimor's findings, which were released today, are based on a company's financial data, market intelligence, and consumer opinions related to brand equity.

Aside from Apple, technology firms fared quite well in the BrandZ study, with IBM taking the second spot with $116 billion in value. … Read more

The whole "iPad Wi-Fi + 4G isn't a real thing" debacle is coming to a close across Europe. Apple has finished changing the wording of the kind of service the iPad offers across all European online stores, according to The Next Web.

Now, all the old "4G" branding is "Wi-Fi + Cellular."

The melee began in March when the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said Apple was violating the Australian Consumer Law by misleadingly labeling its new iPad as 4G-capable -- the crux being that there aren't any 4G networks compatible with the device … Read more

Apple has removed all references in the U.K. to "4G" data speeds on its new iPad following a similar move in Australia.

The company told ZDNet UK in a statement that it had removed references to 4G connectivity to simplify customers' understanding of the product, as different countries use different terms for wireless standards. That follows a similar move recently in Australia.

"The new iPad supports many high-speed networks around the world, including LTE in the U.S. and Canada and HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA in many countries. Carriers do not all refer to their high speed … Read more

Apple's use of various tax loopholes to save money, as chronicled in a recent New York Times story, has not damaged the company's reputation, according to a new study.

Polling firm YouGov -- which we've previously mentioned in relation to one of Facebook's early privacy flaps -- says perceptions of Apple are back to where they were before the publication of the Times story, which focused on the company's tactics to save money by setting up businesses in tax-friendly locations.

The firm says Apple's reputation is "virtually Teflon," when compared to the tax story … Read more

Apple is the top brand in Japanese consumers' minds, according to the results of an annual survey that was published today.

Japan's Nikkei business daily released the results of its 2011 survey on brands, and Apple came out on top. Trailing it was Google, which was last year's leader, as well as other tech brands like YouTube and Panasonic. On last year's list, Apple came in 11th.

The online survey, which was done by Nikkei's consulting business, polled around 52,000 people 18 and older, and ran during the last two months of 2011. Besides consumers, … Read more

Individual privacy is a hot topic in the social-networking world right now. But have people thought about privacy of the companies, such as protection of their brand, logo, and trademarks?

This is something Facebook is looking into. In the recent revisions (PDF) of its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, the social-networking site is now saying that account holders "will not use" the word "Book."

That's right, Facebook is trying to trademark the word "Book."

If these revisions are approved, when users sign onto Facebook they will be agreeing not to use that word … Read more

There are times when we simply can't explain why we do things.

I am, therefore extremely grateful to Russell Brand, who has shoveled deep inside his own psyche to explain an incident that involved him, a photographer, an iPhone, and the window of a lawyer's office.

His explanation suggests that the death of Steve Jobs has affected him more than anyone might have thought.

The way that Fox News explains the story, Brand was somewhat frustrated that paparazzi were taking shots of him while he was in New Orleans.

One photographer, Timothy Jackson, was taking pictures with his … Read more