Good Week/Bad Week in Branding

Good Week: Sierra Nevada - No, not the beer. The new commercial space exploration company won a NASA contract to supply the International Space Station, along with industry leaders Orbital and SpaceX (once an upstart itself). Going up?  

Bad Week: Goldman Sachs - The oft-bashed firm takes it on the chin again, agreeing to pay more than $5 billion to resolve civil claims related to its role in the mortgage-backed securities mess back in 2005-2007. Reality: Goldman Sachs probably spends more than that tipping waiters and bartenders each year.

Farewell: Motorola - The venerable U.S. electronics brand is being retired by parent company Lenovo. Fear not, children of the 60s: Lenovo plans to retain the “Moto” moniker for its mobile products.