Dannon has apparently gotten itself into the Super Bowl act, debuting its first ever advertisement during the February 5th big event.  Featuring actor John Stamos and the Oikos Greek yogurt brand, the TV spot is 30 seconds in length and cost in the ballpark, according to Dannon spokesman Michael Neuwirth, “in the $3.5 million range.”

Neuwirth explained the justification for the spot. As he said, “It’s not to change snacking habits during the Super Bowl obviously. But we’re in a category of food that continues to grow. It’s a long-term trend.”

He explained that, to create exposure “there’s no better way to do that than the Super Bowl.”

With no dialogue, the ad shows a sexy couple fighting over a cup of yogurt, and Danon certainly hopes to make an economic splash with it.

It will certainly be interesting to watch Yahoo in the coming months and to see if they manage to recover from the mess they’ve made of themselves. Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang just announced that he is packing up and leaving, just two weeks after Yahoo Inc. hired former PayPay executive Scott Thompson to be its new CEO.

Yang, in a letter to Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock, wrote, “My time at Yahoo, from its founding to the present, has encompassed some of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my life. However, the time has come for me to pursue other interests outside of Yahoo.”

There is no indication of what Yang’s next plans will be. He certainly doesn’t need to bring in a paycheck with his fortune that is estimated to be about $1.1 billion.

While giving up his board seat at Yahoo, and at China’s Alibaba Group and Yahoo Japan, Yang is also giving up his position as the “Chief Yahoo.”

Perhaps Scott Thompson will have an easier time fixing Yahoo without Yang breathing over his shoulder. Time will certainly tell.

Not surprisingly, Steve Jobs continues to inspire and create buzz even now that he’s gone. A new report by YouGov BrandIndex said on Tuesday that Apple was among the top companies to receive positive buzz during 2011; and that those positive feelings spiked in October, when Jobs passed away.

Apple ranked 10th for their positive buzz, according to the report that polled consumers about last year and looked at 1100 companies. These findings were made even more significant when considering that it was the first time in three years that Apple reached the top 10 list. They joined companies such as Subway, Amazon, Google and Ford.

Ted Marzilli, the BrandIndex global managing director, wasn’t surprised that Apple doesn’t make the list each year. They are, he explained, the type of company that creates loyalty, but that also creates strong criticism.

As Marzilli said, “It’s not an uncontroversial brand.” Marzilli explained, however, that “Even if you’re not a huge Apple fan, I think a lot of people would say he’s a visionary.”

Robert Passikoff, founder of the market research firm Brand Keys, points out that Apple certainly has large shoes to fill now that Jobs is gone. As he said, “No one, at this point, I think really knows what the next big thing is for Apple, but surely any missteps are going to (be looked) at really, really closely.”

In digital wallet business news, a new venture is in the works with AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USE and Verizon Wireless to bring their technology to markets outside the U.S.

Spokesman Jaymee Johnson explains that the venture, called ISIS , has been discussing international opportunities.

ISIS has the goal of enabling consumers to use their phones for either credit card or debit card purchases in stores. They are in stiff competition with Google Inc. and other startups in the mobile payment field. According to Juniper Research, this is an incredibly hot and ever-growing field with a worldwide market that is expected to reach $670 billion by 2015.

During an interview, Johnson said, “The underlying equity partners in ISIS give us some degree of visibility and awareness beyond the U.S.”

ISIS, however, is a bit behind Google with their venture. While Google Wallet launched in September, ISIS only plans to start in two cities in mid-2012. ISIS has announced a few news items that show that support for them is growing. One of their technology providers in the U.S. will be Gemalto NV and they’ve announced agreements with payment networks Visa Inc. and handset makers such as Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc.

Take a look at this promising list of American’s most promising companies from Forbes. In an era when so many businesses are hurting, and when entrepreneurs are always trying to think of the next best thing, this list offers excellent insights into the business world.

In total, they ranked 100 of the most up-and-coming and promising companies. It’s a list worth looking at – and skills worth adapting in this ever-changing business world.