We’re back with our weekly recap of the interesting and inspiring, with a particular eye for what shifts and ideas brands should be tracking, evaluating and acting on. Here is a look at some standout business strategy, brand-building and digital media stories that caught our attention this week.

Discussions Shaping Strategy, Creativity & Innovation (or just interesting insights…)

• The Brainstorming Process is B.S. But Can We Rework It?
• Technology Moves Center Stage in Davos
• (Company) Culture Eats (Brand) Strategy for Lunch
• Ambient Location and the Future of the Interface
• The Number That Matters in Facebook’s IPO ($4.39 in monthly revenue needed per user)
• Rise In Startups Draws Doubters (evaluating the balance of firms opening vs. those closing)
• The Rise of the Social Customer (on customer service through social media)
• The Unhappiness of Technology

Notable Ideas: New Products, Platforms, Projects and Services

• Tony Hsieh’s New $350 Million Startup (urban planning for the creative class)
• Brain-Designed Furniture that Reads Your Mind
• Say Hello to Intelligent Pills (much on smart, connected products this week)
• Sensor Networks in LA and SF Eliminate the Search for Parking Spots
• Self-Publishing Revolution: Man Makes $100,000 in Three Weeks Self-Publishing On Kindle
• Siri is a Featured Vocalist on a New Flaming Lips Song
• ParkatmyHouse (AirBnB for driveway parking – more collaborative consumption in business models)

Brands, Companies and Entities of Note (some more obvious than others)

Getting Ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday, it’s a brand ad blitz! (many released digitally – in full versions – prior to the game)

• Kia’s “A Dream Car. For Real Life.”
• OK Go + Sesame Street = Color Explosion
• A Brand Too Strong To Stay in its Own Ad (on Old Spice Co-Branding)
• Stella McCartney’s Interactive Luxury Fragrance Campaign (rolling out a digital experience – and fragrance – one market at a time)
• 2012 Brands Pioneering Online Video

Digital Media News and Resources

• Pinterest Becomes Top Traffic Driver for Retailers
• President Obama Hangs Out on Google+
• Brands, Get On Google+ (It’ll Influence Your Search Results)
• Facebook IPO to Boost Startups
• Facebook Releases Moviemaking App to Demystify Timeline
• Twitter Rolls Out Expanded Brand Pages for More Companies
• Twitter Analytical Tools Threaten Third Party Developers
• Spotify Now Has 3 Million Paying Subscribers Worldwide
• Zynga Test ‘Reward Advertising’ in CityVille
• 5 Ways to Start Learning How to Code Right Now