A New Year's Toast To Brands

Alas poor Saab, I knew it well,

an auto of infinite pleasure, of most excellent driving,

he hath borne me in its seats a thousand times;

and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is!

My gorge rises at it. GM is to close down Saab.

When I lived in California, I used to drive my 900 Saab convertible car up into the Orange County hills and survey the David Hockney-lit valleys of opulence. I even bought my daughter the short-lived four-wheel 9-2X to navigate the frozen roads of Ann Arbor to Zingerman’s on a frigid Sunday morn.

How sad it is when a brand name dies. How many millions upon millions do companies put into the value of a name only to see it sometimes die on the vine of commerce?

In 2010, though, we will most likely see more and more value placed on brand names. Kettle Chips sells for $700 million. P&G pursues the freshening scent of Ambi Pur. Kraft looks to gorge itself on Cadbury chocolate, while Cadbury itself, like any lover of chocolate, longs for an even richer aficionado of its sweet sales.

Wherein lies the value of such names. Well, surely, a great deal of it lies in the goods it delivers, whether it is quirky driving, convenient air scenting, crispy potatoes and crème eggs. These elements go into the essence of the brand and help define it.

I was struck the other day by the comments of a friend of mine who is looking for a job. I asked what he had learned about flogging himself on the job search. He replied: be unique and be focused. A truer definition of branding has been rarely been stated. Now all that remains is for him to spend tireless energy on promotion and millions on advertising and he will land somewhere, as will Cadbury and, we hope, Saab. We feel emotional attachments to our brands, our friends, and their personalities. And that makes their value all the more dearer.

As we enter 2010, let’s hope it is a year in which brands and friends receive their just due, their well deserved value and the stewards of those brands have the wisdom and the money to carry them forward.