“Announcing Justin Timberlake’s investment was, in hindsight, perhaps a hint that MySpace planned to focus on music, but no one truly believed it would come back from the dead and be given a new lease of life under the new regime.

“It is somewhat ironic that Twitter and Facebook, the two social media platforms that effectively destroyed MySpace, have been instrumental in its renaissance. By partnering with these platforms and building a music catalogue of more than 42m songs, MySpace is building a meaningful social entertainment experience around content where consumers can share and discover the music they love. A step in the right direction, and CEO Tim Vanderhook seems to have got it spot on so far.”

“Barclays took a huge leap ahead of its rivals this week by launching Pingit, a cash-free mobile payment app. It is aimed at a mass market and should allow you to split a bill in a restaurant by sending a text. If it works, Barclays may have just opened the floodgates to a whole new sector of cashless payments.

“While it will ultimately be judged on its functionality and security, we think the name and concept is innovative and a great use of modern technology. The market will watch and observe carefully. So will we.”

“GM’s turnaround is great news for the automotive industry in America. In the midst of the 2008 financial crisis, GM and Chrysler both filed for bankruptcy – 2011 is the first time since 2004 that all three major US car manufacturers were profitable at the same time, a great milestone to achieve.

“The company’s reputation was further enhanced when it announced that nearly 48,000 employees would be given a profit-sharing bonus of up to $7,000. Having gone through the challenging times together, they will now be part of the good times – a great way to keep staff motivated and show that they are highly valued.”

“With lingering tensions over alleged racist abuse in the air, controversy ensued when Luis Suarez refused the hand of Patrice Evra, and he was unanimously condemned.

“From the beginning, LFC’s handling of the situation was questionable, and Suarez’s actions made the situation so difficult that the reputation of all those associated with LFC was now considered to be at risk.

“Standard Chartered’s public expression of disappointment was a warning to Liverpool the get their act together quickly, and served as a reminder that this had become more than about the club. While the subsequent apologies helped sooth tensions, an urgent internal communications strategy and review of its handling must surely already be underway.”

“When the news of the arrests broke last weekend, staff were reassured of Rupert Murdoch’s “total commitment” to the newspaper. Fast-forward a few days and you will find low morale and growing tensions at the paper amid reports that staff are planning to sue their employers for revealing their sources.

“As with LFC, the actions of advertisers will be an area to watch carefully. So far, they have not deserted the paper, but if, like NotW, the advertisers start pull out, the pressure will increase significantly and will test Rupert Murdoch’s faith in the UK’s best selling newspaper.”

“This week Apple hit another milestone with its share price and Q4 2011 iPhone sales figures, but the dispute with China’s Proview Technology is attracting global attention – and rightly so.

“There is so much at stake here. As China is both a key manufacturing base and its biggest consumer market, this dispute has the potential to severely harm Apple’s global sales. Reuters is already reporting that Chinese retailers have been instructed to take iPads off their shelves, so Apple would be wise to act swiftly.

“When bearing in mind that this comes amid questions about working conditions at Foxconn and a possible US inquiry into privacy and rogue apps, this is a real threat to Apple’s short-term reputation. While its brand image remains intact, it is the company’s long-term strategy which is at stake here.”