Brand

On Thursday, the New York City health department voted to prohibit the sale of sweetened beverages greater than 16 ounces -- including sodas, sports drinks and sweetened coffees and teas -- in restaurants, food carts, delis and concession stands at movie theaters, stadiums and arenas. This is but one measure in cities and towns around the country intended to reduce consumption of sodas and other sweetened drinks. Will bans and taxes work to curb problems like childhood obesity?

Sometimes even Swifties need to take the good with the bad. On August 18, fans tuned in for Taylor Swift's much-anticipated Yahoo Worldwide Live Stream. The next day, cosmetics company Elizabeth Arden blamed its worst quarterly financial results ever on slow sales of celebrity perfumes, especially scents endorsed by Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. It's a reminder that behind every brand is a business working hard to be profitable, and celebrity endorsements can influence success.