Probably no surprise to those who chronicle our fractured behaviors, we have become unwilling to compromise. As uncompromising consumers, we want benefits that contradict and complement at the same time. We want brands to consistently deliver a paradox promise.
Recently, Bloomberg ran an article about Dr. Bronner’s. If you are unfamiliar, Br. Bronner’s Wikipedia page states: “Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps is an American producer of organic soap and personal care products headquartered in Vista, California. The company was founded in the late 1940s by Emanuel Bronner and continues to be run by members of the Bronner family. The company’s products are known for their text-heavy labels and the variety of their advertised uses for a single product (e.g., one soap advertises eighteen uses, from toothpaste and shampoo to toilet scrubber and insecticide).”
Why would a brand give up on a winning brand promise? Why not contemporize that winning brand promise? Why decide it is best to copy strategies from other brands when you already have a winning strategy that just needs some modernizing?
Macy’s last earnings call (August 2024) showed a second-quarter adjusted earnings of 53 cents. Analysts’ estimates were only 30 cents. That beat did not positively affect Macy’s stock price. Macy’s concerns about “ discriminating” consumers soured the analyst community and Wall Street denizens, according to financial newspaper, Barron’s.
Once upon a time, someone at Ford Motor Company may have known what the Lincoln brand stood for in the customer’s mind. But, that was then. Over the years, defining Lincoln has been a challenge. In 2019, Lincoln decided the brand would be American Luxury. That was an undefined title. It was left to the potential customer to fill in the blanks. Today, American Luxury is Sanctuary, as in a refuge or a sacred place.
