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September 2007

Comments

Indra Gardiner

While I agree with your overall premise, I don't think you're quite right with the TMZ example. TMZ's brand is not only about breaking celeb news first, it's also about TMZ's personality while outing outrageous behavior. You are equating their brand with their medium. Extending their brand to another medium has the potential to increase their exposure enormously. And while they may not be able to break the news first on TV they can still represent the brand and its personality with gossip, exclusive photos and video.

Laura

I mention it in the article. Folgers should have launched a high-end coffee 15 years ago with a new name before Starbucks came into the Supermarket. Now Starbucks is too powerful, it is too late for a new brand and the line extension is a loser.

If a category is filled with only me-too line extensions, than the me-too line extension of the leader will win. This is the case with Bud Light. But while Bud Light has taken off, it has damaged regular Bud in sales and image.

A leader should block competition, but not with a me-too line extension. A leader has the power, might and money to launch a second brand.

Sam

So what's your advice to Folgers? Give up on high end coffee and just accept the fact that people consider you the bottom of the barrel?

The "Me Too" isn't always bad, it's a strategy that has worked, many times. One example is Bud Light, launched 7 years after Miller Lite, once Bud saw that Miller had hit gold on that concept. It was their "Me Too", and it's gone on to be the #1 beer brand in the US, even though, like Coke, it loses taste challenges to Miller.

The "Me Too" can be difficult for the small guy, but can be very effective for a large company to squash or lessen the blow of competition and thus protect their market share. "Me Too" should be a tool in a strategy set, used when needed.

Cathy

I agree with your thoughts on tmz.com. They should stick to their original formula as being on television just undermines what they have accomplished online with the latest, breaking celebrity news.

Ben Bacon

And yet these numskull companies play some double-dutch game of "I'm God" meets "Russian Roulette" with their big brands.

Sigh. I wish we all had a big Snapple or Hershey's brand that we could play with.

Do these businesspeople actually think, or do they just push their brand around with tiny shuffle board sticks like tanks on a military plotting board?

Should these brands be left unsupervised? I say thee nay!

Martin Calle

More iOpeners! Good for you Laura. I used to suggest to clients, or to potential clients that plagiarism was not acceptable in school. You would have been expelled from school. So how come it's OK in business? Because no one will call your parents?!

The truth is, these marketers don't know how to come up with their own answers. And that's what's wrong with that. It's all to frequently the quick and easy, especially in positioning, which is why the marketer's brain has atrophied today...why CMO's life expectancy is only 24 months...why...

Rajagopal

If they take mine, we’ll take theirs.
I am not entirely convinced why this is a bad strategy?

Luigui

Here in Brazil we had the same situation with Coca Cola.
First there was "Coca Cola", then came the sugarfree "Diet" version. Later the name changed to "Light" and they added another brand, the "Light Lemon".
Recently the've added yet another brand, the "Coca Cola Zero", wich is also sugarfree, but they kept the "Light" too.
Go figure...

Greg Rollett

What about the new widget and application world. Everything is "i can do it better." And my favorite example at this very moment is Myspace vs. Facebook. I'll add a feature then you will. Can't wait to see who wins.

John

Laura, I run into this problem also with new enterprises, here in Silicon Valley and also in Asia. When the giants attack, the small guys often panic and do the "me too" response, just like your examples in this blog.

What do you advise such leaders of focuses categories to do in response? CEOs hate to stand still and defend.

John

Laura, I run into this problem also with new enterprises, here in Silicon Valley and also in Asia. When the giants attack, the small guys often panic and do the "me too" response, just like your examples in this blog.

What do you advise such leaders of focuses categories to do in response? CEOs hate to stand still and defend.

John

Laura, I run into this problem also with new enterprises, here in Silicon Valley and also in Asia. When the giants attack, the small guys often panic and do the "me too" response, just like your examples in this blog.

What do you advise such leaders of focuses categories to do in response? CEOs hate to stand still and defend.

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