There is something great about a brand that does not stick to its brand. Particularly industrial companies that go into the business of resorts. Modern management theory HATES this sort of thing, but they are wrong. Brands that do not stick to their brands are MORE interesting. They have depth.MORE HERE
Part of what makes a brand authentic is where it is made, what company makes it and what other things the company does. Budweiser is one of those brands. Not only is Budweiser about beer, it is about American culture. It is about family time. It is about conservation andMORE HERE
A great brand can be a regional brand.And it does not have to be fancy or sophisticated. Ice. Beverages. Gas. What else do you need? It can be a ship’s store and a fishing tackle shop on a small island, like Gasparilla Island, Florida. Here, Whidden’s in Boca Grande. Whidden’sMORE HERE
Man, if you are anywhere near Florida, pick up some Gilda Crackers. Gilda’s are dry, non-salty crackers about the circumference of a mini-bagel. They are actually Cuban crackers. We were alerted to these wonderful baked crackers by Leorah Solomon, a South African-born, British educated soap maker and entrepreneuse in Sarasota,MORE HERE
For those who are interested in a perfect case study of how to revive a dead brand, look no further than Miami-based Perry Ellis International‘s revival of the Munsingwear Penguin. On an October 2007 weekend trip to Miami’s South Beach, the two-year-old flagship company store on Lincoln Road Mall wasMORE HERE
If ever there was a reason to stick with a strange logo no matter what, take a look at this Nabisco logo, pictured above. It is from the side of a warehouse in Pensacola, Florida. It works. It describes the Six Rules of Company Brands. The company brand is anMORE HERE