Some of the best learning happens when you read stories about real people and real companies. Read them for ideas, for lessons, and inspiration. This week’s stories and strategies from real life are about Mars, Vega Sicilia, Proctor & Gamble, Sprint, and InterSystems.

From Stuart Crainer: Goodness, greatness, Mars

“Mars is globally successful and family owned. BSR spoke to fourth generation family member, Pamela Mars Wright, on what marks Mars out from the corporate crowd.”

From Ian Mount: A Family Feud, Uncorked in Spain

“Vega Sicilia’s wine is triumphant, but its ruling clan’s bickering has been leaving a sour taste.”

From Alexander Coolidge: Which will be P&G’s next billion-dollar brand?

“P&G already has 25 billion-dollar brands and wants more. Analysts say the reason is simple: Build a brand big enough, and even incremental growth helps grow P&G overall.”

From the Kansas City Star: Special report: Can Sprint reconnect?

“After years of blocked ambitions and dropped subscribers, the top brass at Overland Park-based Sprint Corp. plot a dicey merger with T-Mobile US Inc. while its network czars take aim at leapfrogging the competition.”

From Brendan Coffey: Little-known InterSystems grows to dominate an IT market in age of Obamacare

“Little known outside the niche its technology dominates, InterSystems underpins health-related information for the national health services of England, Scotland and Wales and the U.S. Defense Department, as well as trading systems at Credit Suisse and the efforts of the European Space Agency to map the Milky Way.”