BrandSnark: Good Week/Bad Week for the Big Brands

Good Week: Avis – The perennial #2 took a giant step back toward relevancy when Alphabet’s Waymo announced it will turn to the company – and its sister firm Budget Rental Car – to manage and maintain its fleet of autonomous vehicles. #wetryharder

Bad Week: Pandora – More trouble for the ailing music-streaming service as its CEO and co-founder is forced to step down and relinquish his board seat.

Worse Week: Takata – You may not immediately recognize the name “Takata,” but the company’s often-faulty airbags caused big trouble – and expensive recalls – for a number of the big automotive brands (most of it chronicled right here in the Snark). The Japanese company announced it will file for bankruptcy protection in its home country as well as the U.S. Deflating news indeed.