On the other hand, if a franchisee insists he has to go above and beyond a brand standard to compete--say, by offering free broadband Internet service or extra pillows--Ledsinger has to know when to say okay. (Chains need to police the impulses to go up market, too, lest their other units suffer by comparison.) The warmth and fuzziness, he hopes, will trickle down.

FORBES: The Motelier

To really live up to its brand promise, Standard Chartered felt it needed to fully understand the effect of its activities on the countries in which it operates.

FORBES: Reinventing The Corporation

Stewart and her brand set the standard for style.

FORBES: Move up http://i.forbesimg.com t Move down

Not jelly beans, per se. (I usually have them on my bed stand, believing them to be a digestive.) The issue is whether gourmet jelly beans, such as the Jelly Belly brand, are preferable to standard jelly beans.

WSJ: Serious About Sweets

DailyCandy is holding a contest to identify three standout entrepreneurs and help in product development, brand-building and marketing to shape them to the DailyCandy standard of cool.

FORBES: Magazine Article

He's the co-founder of Eyespot, a YouTube-lookalike startup with a twist: Its users can already send short videos to any mobile phone using multimedia messaging, which is offered standard with most phones, regardless of network or brand.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The Payment Card Industry (PCI) standard was created by the credit card industry to protect the viability of their brand.

FORBES: Why Rockefeller-Snowe's Regulations Won't Prepare The U.S. For Cyberwar

Two brand new versions of the car are being built at the BMW factory at Cowley in Oxfordshire - a standard Mini and a more sporty Mini Cooper model.

BBC: Mini Classic in safety recall