Most of the branding articles that you read are happy, glowing tales of how an agency rebranded a client and turned them into a superstar brand with double-digit growth. Well, this is not one of them. I like to believe that we often learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. I am telling this story as much for our selves as for our future clients. It is our reminder to teach our clients that re-branding is a strategic process that involves commitment from all the key stakeholders. It is more than writing new ads or developing a new logo. Your brand is your expression of your company’s image and beliefs.
As if this were not already the gloomiest December of my quarter century, Jon Pareles, The New York Times' chief music critic, was kind enough to spill the last dregs of egg nog from my moose mug on Christmas Eve. His piece, "Songs From the Heart of a Marketing Plan," should give everyone pause, particularly marketers who use music for brand campaigns. While resigning himself to the undeniable reality that marketers have filled some of the vacuum left by retreating album sales, Pareles wonders aloud how this is affecting our consumption of the art in its most basic form. Have ads turned our attentions from 45-minute albums to TV-friendly, 30-second bites?
Much like living organisms, brands have a lifecycle. At times, they take on a life of their own. While some brands stand the test of time, others fade away soon after they come to market. What happens when it’s time for brands to die, and why? A primary reason for brand fragility is the very nature of the brand world. Consider this: in 2006, over 20,000 new products were introduced just in the food and beverage category, according to research firm Datamonitor. While many new products may be extensions of an existing brand, imagine the number of new brand names embedded in that statistic.
As marketers, we jointly spend hundreds of billions of dollars communicating what we believe are critical messages to our target audiences. All of us, from entry-level brand managers to CMOs, know there is enormous waste in our industry. As Wanamaker famously said, "I know half my advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half." My strong suggestion, especially in an economy where every single marketing dollar must count, is to improve your aim. Without looking closely at your marketing spending, I can already tell you that the waste starts because astonishingly little attention
Most of the branding articles that you read are happy, glowing tales of how an agency rebranded a client and turned them into a superstar brand with double-digit growth. Well, this is not one of them. I like to believe that we often learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. I am telling this story as much for our selves as for our future clients. It is our reminder to teach our clients that re-branding is a strategic process that involves commitment from all the key stakeholders. It is more than writing new ads or developing a new logo. Your brand is your expression of your company’s image and beliefs. 
As if this were not already the gloomiest December of my quarter century, Jon Pareles, The New York Times' chief music critic, was kind enough to spill the last dregs of egg nog from my moose mug on Christmas Eve. His piece, "Songs From the Heart of a Marketing Plan," should give everyone pause, particularly marketers who use music for brand campaigns. While resigning himself to the undeniable reality that marketers have filled some of the vacuum left by retreating album sales, Pareles wonders aloud how this is affecting our consumption of the art in its most basic form. Have ads turned our attentions from 45-minute albums to TV-friendly, 30-second bites? 
Much like living organisms, brands have a lifecycle. At times, they take on a life of their own. While some brands stand the test of time, others fade away soon after they come to market. What happens when it’s time for brands to die, and why? A primary reason for brand fragility is the very nature of the brand world. Consider this: in 2006, over 20,000 new products were introduced just in the food and beverage category, according to research firm Datamonitor. While many new products may be extensions of an existing brand, imagine the number of new brand names embedded in that statistic. 
As marketers, we jointly spend hundreds of billions of dollars communicating what we believe are critical messages to our target audiences. All of us, from entry-level brand managers to CMOs, know there is enormous waste in our industry. As Wanamaker famously said, "I know half my advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half." My strong suggestion, especially in an economy where every single marketing dollar must count, is to improve your aim. Without looking closely at your marketing spending, I can already tell you that the waste starts because astonishingly little attention
