It’s a sad day when a previously meaningful and vibrant brand is taken over by or combined with a new entity that does not share the brand’s essence, promise and values. This happens quite often, with mergers, acquisitions, when a company is taken private or public or with other changes in ownership or leadership. Sometimes this happens when a financial owner (such as a venture capital firm) replaces the previous management team with its own new team.
This is particularly true of people who only understand one thing – ROI and, more specifically, their personal financial gain, replace the leadership team that had the original brand vision. This is akin to a person’s spirit exiting his or her body to allow a new spirit to inhabit it. While the newly combined physical/spiritual entity may seem to be the same entity as before, new attitudes and behaviors will eventually betray the new spirit, but not until after the huge reservoir of brand equity is traded for short-term financial gains for the new owners. This is one reason previously strong brands seem to “lose their way.”
The Blake Project Can Help: The Brand Positioning Workshop
Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education
