NEW YORK – In the wake of discussion about the possible demolition of the Pan Am Worldport (now Delta’s Terminal 3), there is one key element that has already been removed. The Zodiac Screen sculptures (or sculpture), now in storage, that used to dominate the front of the building. The screen was once the largest [...]

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How did Greyhound get to be more interesting a brand than Delta? Certainly, both have been through bankruptcy. And now, to travel a distance, both can be about the same price. But with the new designs and service of Greyhound, the line is on its way to being a far more interesting, and useful, brand [...]

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It’s a fundamental of trademark law. To keep a trademark, you have to use it. My old Virginia bank Virginia National Bank learned that lesson. It dropped the name VNB, and merged a number of times into what is now Bank of America. A few years ago, a new start-up bank decided it wanted the [...]

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AMSTERDAM – When governments come and go, companies that are dependable throughout the decades, even colonial companies, earn enormous goodwill. Such is the place of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which is one of the major European carriers to Africa. While American carriers like Delta haved turned themselves into boring generic brands, and then they eliminate [...]

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If KLM and Air France can keep their unique identities after a merger, then why can’t Delta and Northwest keep their identities? This week, Landor Associates, the branding firm, redid the positioning of KLM, Royal Dutch Airlines. This was to help build on KLM’s long heritage. KLM is part of Air France, but keeps a [...]

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NEW YORK – Yes, one can still find a bit of glamour flying into or out of New York City, even though the terminals feel like the Port Authority and the runways are backed up at Newark, JFK and LaGuardia. For instance, Delta operates its Delta Shuttle out of Pan Am’s old flying boat Marine [...]

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What’s one of the most historic airport buildings in the world? There are many, including the former Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia, now the home of the Delta Shuttle. Delta also has another historic terminal on Long Island with a “way-cool” factor. It is Delta’s Terminal 3, the former Pan American Worldport, at John F. [...]

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It looks likely that there are going to be some airline mergers, including a possible Northwest and Delta combination. In the process, a great airline brand could be lost. We hope it is not Northwest. Because Northwest is one of the coolest airlines around. It still runs the DC-9. And it still runs the 747. [...]

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