In recent weeks, I have had a number of business people contacting me to help them find old brands to revive. They are looking for help to find brands that still have the cachet that might be able to be brought back, often working off the 100 Brands to Bring Back list that BrandlandUSA has [...]

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It is assumed that China will take us to the cleaners because of their manufacturing prowess. And yes, that is true. I recall hearing the noted Chinese scholar Arthur Waldron speaking of export China in Britain in the 18th century. Even then, the ships came to England packed with these plates and dishware, and went [...]

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We heard from the Woodbine blog a question about brands that might be able to be revived, but be online only. The Woodbine Blog, part of the snazzy little Woodbine Agency in Winston-Salem, asks the question: Q: In the absence of any offline marketing support — no print, no TV, no event sponsorship, no direct [...]

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LONDON – The UK seems to have been a holdout in the brand-washing category, namely dumping old brands in favor of invented ones. But this is no longer the case. We heard about the news that the Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley brands are to be scrapped in favor of the Spanish [...]

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NEW YORK -  We are so over Ben and Jerry’s, and are tired of hippie wanna-bes with pierced crap in their noses and lips serving us overpriced ice cream, all the while standing next to guilt-inducing tipjars. We are so tired of them that we don’t even care if it’s an “and” or an ampersand. [...]

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TAMPA – I always wanted the Islander. Up on stilts, it had two bedrooms, a big living area and a kitchen that backed up to the bathroom, to save on plumbing. The islander was cheap; you could buy it unfinished, and finish out the interior. As Levittowns were to the North, Jim Walter was to [...]

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Brand consultants messed up some great brand names Any person who lived in Virginia in the 1970s would know these regional bank jingles. “F&M’s free banking puts you and your checkbook … a jump ahead.” “Virginia National is the way Virginia Banks today.” The two banks merged, and became Sovran. Something was lost. Little was [...]

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DENVER- On a flight back from Denver last week, I sat next to a man on the airplane who talked to his wife in a sad tone on his cellphone. It was the middle of a snowstorm, and we were way late leaving. While I wasn’t eavesdropping, promise, I heard “it’s over” and “Singleton.” As [...]

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You read it here first. Not that we had that much to do with it. On our November 1, 2008 story What’s Wrong With Buick, we suggested that it was time that General Motors get rid of Tiger Woods as spokesman. General Motors and Woods came to a decision to end the partnership just a [...]

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Not mad happy. But mad furious. There is no defense for what Interstate Brands, the parent company of Merita, has done to Merita Sweet Sixteen. A very wonderful person in our house brought back a bag of Sweet Sixteen doughnuts. They are now Hostess Sweet Sixteen. Anyone from the South knows Merita Sweet Sixteen doughnuts. [...]

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