Owners of long-lasting brands put in systems and processes that ensure smooth succession when they are either too old to be effective or when they go yonder to meet their maker . Failure to put this in place has consigned , to the business grave yard , many brands both local and international and examples abound . brands , and still remain standing . The storms include shifting consumer tastes , crippling recessions , intense competition , unforeseen tragedies like Covid-19 as well as internal changes in personal and in some cases buy-outs or investments by the normally short-term thinking , Venture Capitalists . Most have not only survived but thrived and some have been market leaders in their categories and in specific markets for long , striding the business scene like a colossus .
FROM WHERE I SAT
Building Long Lasting Brands : Is There A Secret ?
By Robert Wamai
On a recent visit to the supermarket and I saw a young lady in school uniform pick a tube of Colgate toothpaste put it in her shopping cart without hesitation and this was a light bulb moment and the reason for this article . For given that this was the first toothpaste most of us used , introduced in our homes by our parents the lady must be the third generation to use the same product .
I wondered how many times in a day a Colgate tube is put in shopping carts in different parts of the World and by how many generations . So , I went to their website and a was surprised but not shocked that the Company and the brand has been with us for over 150 years as it was launched in 1873 , first sold in a jar and then in 1896 , in the tube we know today .
Given that marketers are called to build strong brands , it ’ s important not only to celebrate long lasting brands that outlive their founders , but to pick any lessons we can use to replicate their success for the brands we make our living from .
Long lasting brands are characterised by one word : resilience , the ability to weather strong storms , which have lain to rest many
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Owners of long-lasting brands put in systems and processes that ensure smooth succession when they are either too old to be effective or when they go yonder to meet their maker . Failure to put this in place has consigned , to the business grave yard , many brands both local and international and examples abound . brands , and still remain standing . The storms include shifting consumer tastes , crippling recessions , intense competition , unforeseen tragedies like Covid-19 as well as internal changes in personal and in some cases buy-outs or investments by the normally short-term thinking , Venture Capitalists . Most have not only survived but thrived and some have been market leaders in their categories and in specific markets for long , striding the business scene like a colossus .
Most founders of the companies behind brands found a gap in the market , and driven by passion , launched their products and through sheer grit and persistence they soldiered on . Only a few though last long . So , one may ask , what is the secret , if any , and is it one that applies to all , that enables these brands to last so long ?
First things first ; I define long-lasting brands as those over 50 years , do not have Government shareholding and must have crossed borders selling beyond the countries of their origin , either internationally or at least regionally . The following brands came to my mind and I decided to check out their ages : Coke ( 131 years ), Bata Shoe Company ( 129 years ), Adidas ( 73 years ), Davies & Shirtliff ( 77years ), New Stanley Hotel ( 121 years ), Nation Media Group ( 64 years ) Tusker Lager ( 101 years ), and Victoria Furniture ( 54years ). Incidentally the first Tusker Lager was delivered at New Stanley Hotel , with mixed reviews . I thought what a coincidence , what a story and how small a world we live !
Turning to the secret , apparently , there is none and from where I sat five reasons came to mind .
Brand Purpose
Firstly , from the very beginning they had a clear purpose why they exist . They then established a set of values to guide the brand , which they have adhered to this day . These two are what I would call the core of the brand and what Sunny Bindra referred to in his Sunday Nation article of Sunday 25th , April , ‘ the soul of the Business ’. I call it their True North . Even in the face of adversity or during good times they do not deviate from their core and their values keep them on a tight leash . Coupled with this they are intentional in building their brand . They plan meticulously putting in place plans and strategies and following
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