How do we fight for the value behind a brand when the world seems bent on seeking The Offer?

FORBES: Are Group Deals Killing Brands?

Even in this difficult year, when so many people have lost their homes and jobs, when the future is so uncertain and the world just seems to get more and more dangerous, these good people still get up each morning, put on a smile and go out into the world and try to make it a better place.

FORBES: Yes, Virginia . . .

In part this reflects the weaknesses that lie alongside the charismatic skills paraded by Mr Obama in Denver this week: his inexperience, especially in foreign affairs, at a time when the world looks more and more complex and troubling, and a certain cerebral aloofness that seems to make it hard for him to connect with Middle America.

ECONOMIST: The presidential race

Yet this brave new world of music still seems to leave the artists at the bottom of the pile when it comes to actually earning money.

FORBES: Streaming Music Companies Pass the Buck on issue of Artist Payments

It seems not a day passes without some news somewhere about the world of digital, especially when it comes to brands.

FORBES: Lost in Digital Space