How to sink a brand?
// 06 May 2008, 12:33
Here’s something to ponder, what’s the worst thing that can happen to a brand? What’s the fastest way to alienate customers, deflate investors, and piss off the industry?
Here’s a few off the top of my head:
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• New logo
• Change of packaging
• New CEO
• CEO who has overstayed his welcome
• Mergers
• Restructuring
• Outsourcing/Layoffs
• Product Extensions
• Labour problems
• Decrease in Quality
Can you think of any more pitfalls to avoid?
// a tale of brands & branding
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// 11 May 2008, 15:14
Surely ‘new logo’ and ‘new CEO’, cannot be on this list… what top company has never got a new logo or changed its CEO?
As for resturcturing, layoffs and labour problems, isn’t it quite rare that they hurt a brand? They certainly don’t piss off Investors - they love layoffs and restructuring and they’re rather fond of mergers too!
// 12 May 2008, 20:20
I would say that the number one item would be the inability to handle any of those “happenings” in the correct way. Being inflexible, unable to recognize or utilize resources, and not leveraging what you’ve got could make something like the items you have on the list into damage rather than future-leaning goodness.
// 12 May 2008, 23:35
good point, Bryan, it seems that inability to cope is a sure sign of a vulnerable brand.
Dan, have you seen the new Xerox logo? Their brand value is sure to take a hit in the mind of the consumer. Similar to that logo debacle when NBC changed it back in the 70s. As for CEOs, remember what happened when Apple fired Steve Jobs back in ‘87? Trouble, that’s what. And everyone is looking for the re-birth of Disney now that Iger has finished his time there. Same for Microsoft, everyone is already looking ahead to a post-Gates era.
// 13 May 2008, 04:33
Hi Prescott,
When Xerox revealed their new logo, I was pretty much surprised about their move and thought it doesn’t have that influential look and feel that their former logo had.
However, as time goes by, the logo does start to grow on me and I felt that it looks modern and that should be the reason that Xerox wanted a change in their logo.
It takes something unrecognizable to sink a brand, eg: the change in Chelsea’s head coach got the fans worried.
Yet again, changes are necessary and would take time and effort for us to grow and adopt the new culture placed onto a brand that has a strong heritage and following.