Weinman is nailing it...
Sarah Weinman is in the process of delineating the landscape of American corporate publishing with remarkable clarity. A few days ago, Macmillan; today Simon & Schuster. I'm rather looking forward to the rest, though I have to confess, despite being on the other side of the corporate/indie fence, I do not derive any satisfaction from the paralysis we're witnessing in the Big Six—theirs are not carcasses-to-be on which we indies can ultimately feast—to continue the nasty metaphor the stink from their carcasses could finally drive away all our customers. In less gruesome terms, the ecosystem collapses without the commercial publishers.
Anyhow, Sarah and I agree on the one useful observation that I can make—that they can obtain the advantage of branding by using their imprints more wisely. (See inter alia Love Letter to Our Corporate Brethren, as Inspired by GalleyCat.)