Sony
Brand value: $8.4 billion
1-year decline in brand value: 8 percent
What went wrong: The sprawling Japanese conglomerate is spread thin, making everything from movies to consumer electronics. Activist investor Daniel Loeb has called for the company to spin-off of as much as 20 percent of its entertainment arm.
Reason for hope: Expectations are high for the PlayStation 4, set to launch in November. Pre-orders have already topped 1 million.
