In 2012 Disney bought Lucasfilm from George Lucas, adding Star Wars to a growing portfolio of powerful, independently branded franchises.
The 2009 purchase of Marvel gave Disney thousands of characters and a franchise engine that would reshape modern blockbuster branding.
Google's 2006 purchase of YouTube for 1.65 billion dollars kept a fast-rising brand independent and reshaped online video.
The 2006 acquisition of Pixar brought computer animation and its leadership into Disney, reviving the studio and reshaping its future.
Google's quiet 2005 purchase of a tiny start-up called Android became one of the most valuable brand bets in technology.
