The Mortality of the Brand: Navigating the Decline and Revitalisation News From Vision One Research

"Fear is one of our biggest motivations, and mortality is probably our biggest fear of all. Brands would be wise to remember their own mortality to help focus their attempts to grow and put a halt to their decline.” – Brand Momentum

Brands, like living beings, have a lifecycle. They are born, grow, and eventually, face the possibility of decline. This concept, contained in the new book, Brand Momentum, explores the inevitable decline of brands and offers strategic insights into how businesses can stave off this decline and even achieve rebirth, for example:

“A brand is always most potent when it stands for one thing in the customer’s mind.” – Brand Momentum

Four Action Points

Here are the four action points for Brand Managers and Marketing Managers:

Monitor Market Trends
Stay updated with market changes and competitor movements. Innovation should be a continuous process.
Invest in Brand Health
Regularly assess and invest in your brand’s image and customer experience.
Engage with Consumers
Understand consumer perceptions through consumer research and engage with them to build a positive brand image.
Diversify Wisely
While entering new markets can help, ensure that it aligns with your brand’s core identity to avoid diluting its distinctiveness.

Understanding the Decline Phase

The decline phase is not only inevitable but also essential for understanding brand growth. Over 99% of brands have disappeared from the market, reflecting a natural progression. I write in Brand Momentum about the fact that most brands align closely with a specific product or market. Indeed, many brands not only represent but become synonymous with the category. When that category starts to fade, the associated brands often do too. This strong association can be a double-edged sword; it brings identity but also risk.

“It’s impossible to properly understand brand growth without fully understanding decline.” – Brand Momentum