Quelch and Kenny illustrate only one among many brand and product-line strategies that result from poor decision making. I wish the authors had examined another common bad habit—that of making brand decisions based on concerns with ego, money, and power, not on long-term objectives like profitability.
Ego has driven managers to proliferate brand names across categories and industries. This can lead to significant complications. For example, a brand like Weight Watchers—which spans weight-loss services, books, magazines, and foods—finds that the only common position applicable to the brand is the brand name itself. Healthy Choice, Kraft, and Heinz are among many brands competing in numerous food categories with little attention paid to building brand loyalty. Shoppers who strongly prefer Heinz in the catsup category will still choose Gerber in the baby food category. Brand recognition, the watchword of marketers today, bolsters the egos of many senior managers at the expense of brand loyalty.