Good Week/Bad Week in Branding

Good Week: Square – the makers of the ubiquitous little white dongle that allows merchants to swipe credit-cards on mobile devices confidently announces its planned IPO…in one of the slowest IPO environments in years. #spendingrocks

Bad Week: Living Social – one of the first stars of the daily-deal genre announces another round of layoffs designed to shed 200 staffers, or 20% of its total workforce, which once numbered 5,000-plus worldwide. Living Social? Dying Slowly.

Worse Week: Volkswagen – the automaker’s woes continue as their would-be incoming president of US operations resigns and the FTC announces plans to join the right-up-the-tailpipe investigation launched by the EPA and the Justice Department.