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Forbes Top Brands

Forbes Top Brands
PSB partnered with Forbes Magazine to provide a unique view of how Brand Purpose impacts consumer perceptions of leading brands.

PSB Poll

The New American Manufacturing Sector:
Findings From a Nationwide Quantitative Poll.


How Successful People Do it – and What You Can Learn From Them
by Michael Berland
Offers an unprecedented compilation of introspective interviews, advice and analysis of success with first-person stories from 45 leaders in business, sports, fashion and entertainment.

Microtrends

The small forces behind tomorrow's big changes
By Mark J. Penn with E. Kinney Zalesne
The newly released paperback edition of Microtrends, including many new and updated trends, is climbing on the New York Times' Bestsellers list.
www.microtrending.com

PSB Brands

Green Brands Survey 2011
Since 2006, Penn, Schoen & Berland has partnered with our WPP sister agencies Landor Associates and Cohn & Wolfe to survey consumers on their perceptions of the rapidly evolving "green" space with this Green Brands Survey.

 
 
 
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Microsoft CEO Talks Economy, Unveils Bing at All Things D
 

CBS News by Daniel Farber - May 28, 2009

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gave his take on the economy and how his company is responding to the downturn at the All Things Digital Conference.

"People generally agree this is a different recession," Ballmer said. "To think that things would be back in a year seems naive to me." He said Microsoft had a "gut check," and "flattened out the cost basis," which means cutting back on what he called the "future project investment stream." Microsoft still spends $9 billion in research and development. "We can still do a lot with $9 billion, but we'll do less new things," Ballmer said.

Ballmer also introduced Bing, Microsoft's latest attempt to take on Google and Yahoo in the search area. According to a poll by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, 54 percent of those survey preferred Google, followed by Yahoo at 22 percent and Microsoft at 8 percent.

"We flailed with Windows a lot of years before we got it right," Ballmer said, and added that it will be the same for search. Bing - which comes along with references like "ba da bing," Bing Crosby, Dave Bing, and bingo - gives Microsoft's search, formerly Live Search, a unique name that unambiguously says search, Ballmer said. "If you don't have a name proposition, something that people can talk about, if it's just embedded as part of a portal, it won't stand out."

"The name Bing doesn't substitute for innovation, but innovation is not going to substitute for having a brand consumers can get their minds around," he added.