Consumers have become more savvy and demanding as they find ways to remain in control of their digital persona and how their personal information is used. It turns out that the more brands give consumers the option to control their own data, the more they become comfortable with sharing. Some 57% of people want to control how long their information stays online -- a trend Microsoft calls Right to My Identity. While more than 75% of those surveyed say they’re interested in wearable technology, most consumers want to understand the meaning of the information they receive. Suzanne Choney explains.

Microsoft has teamed up with the NCAA to make Bing the Official Bracket Data Partner for March Madness. As part of this partnership, NCAA has pulled 10 years of raw historical data about teams, tournaments, win loss ratio, home vs. away stats, and more. Microsoft principal applied science manager Walter Sun analyzed and reviewed the data. He and his team have identified key patterns during the years that contribute to a team's success.

Designer Ted Baker has launched an Instagram campaign with the tagline Pinch Me. Daily for two weeks, Ted Baker will post one SS15 image on Instagram. Consumers are asked to explore Instagram's filters and setting to reveal the hidden answer. Participants must post to Instagram using #Pinch_Me or comment on the image using #Pinch_Me to enter and possibly win a trip to Portmeirion, Ted's SS15 campaign location, including tickets to premiere music Festival Number 6*.

Apple isn't positioning itself as a high-end fashion maven, but it will sell a gold watch for a cool $10,000. The company's foray into wearable technology is a calculated risk, but one that CEO Tim Cook believes will work out. To make sure it's successful, Apple added several high-profile executives from the fashion industry, including former Yves Saint Laurent Group CEO Paul Deneve; ex-Burberry head Angela Ahrendts; and Patrick Pruniaux, who oversaw sales for Tag Heuer, a high-end watch brand owned by France's LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

Once again, investor Starboard Value pushed a little harder on Yahoo in hopes the company would spin off its Japanese investment after the Web portal agreed earlier this year to exit its position in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Jeffrey Smith at Starboard claims that Yahoo remains deeply undervalued. Efforts to improve the company's revenue should include monetizing the company’s intellectual-property and real-estate assets.

Matter Communications has acquired search marketing firm Search Maven Media. Search Maven Media founder Aaron Katz will stay on as director of search marketing, reporting to Parry Headrick, VP of marketing and communications. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Bing has released an extension for Google Chrome users to improve the experience on Bing's home page. The Chrome extension opens the Bing Home page automatically, with every new tab. It takes one click to install the feature. The feature also provides direct links to some Microsoft services such as Office Online, MSN, and Outlook.

Should marketers really think about rebranding a potential presidential candidate like they would a company or product? Eric Black lays out the details of a marketing campaign to rebrand Hillary Clinton for the 2016 presidential race. Wendy Clark, who specializes in marketing brands like Coca-Cola to younger and more diverse customers, will join the team -- just in case Clinton decides to run. Black explains.

Microsoft announced the fitness Band in October, though it has been difficult to find. Now the company said it will sell it through Best Buy. The retailer, which has not confirmed reports, will begin selling the Microsoft Band in more than 750 U.S. stores later this month. The report is based on leaked internal documents, but the retailer has been adding a smartwatch and fitness tracker section to its stores. 

Dan Shewan shares, for newbies, how to identify and recognize each individual component of a search engine result page, what each of these features does, and how the SERP has evolved to become one of the most sophisticated pages.