BrandSnark: Good Week/Bad Week for the Big Brands

Good Week: Jimmy Choo – The coveted stiletto brand – put up for sale when its parent company opted to focus on the food and coffee markets – was acquired by handbag colossus Michael Kors for $1.2B… roughly the equivalent of 100 pair of Jimmy Choo heels.

Bad Week: Apple – Even the shining brand on the hill has its bad actors. Perhaps being ordered to pay $506M for infringing on a patent held by the University of Wisconsin will badger them into better behavior.

Worse Week: Starbucks – As if further proof of the impending doom of the American mall were needed, the coffee hang-out king announced it will close all 379 of its Teavana stores, located primarily in malls. More than 3,000 employees are getting bagged.