Why crocs crashed
It’s true that you can have too much of a good thing—especially in the case of branding. The last thing you want is to burn too bright, too fast, only to fizzle out in a few months. Take crocs, for example. If they had made better branding strategy decisions, they’d still be a shoe wear staple, rather than a soon to be forgotten fad. It’s important to remember some key guidelines for keeping your brand hot, rather than not.
First, you want to recognize the need to dampen demand. Don’t flood the market with your product. If customers see too much of it, it will quickly (and surely) lose its appeal.
Second, resist line extension. Crocs didn’t stick to their original design—they immediately started producing flip-flops, winter crocs, even high heels! Crocs made the mistake of trying to appeal to everyone, when they should have focussed on what they’re good at—functionality and comfort.
Learn more about creating a brand to withstand the test of time here.
Brand with the best of ‘em.
Comments (13)
On the subject of brand extension - Its easy to sit in the stands and decry the team for not sticking to the playbook. But down on the field (or out on the ice eh?) things aren't always smooth and predictable. Converse tried for years to extend their brand beyond the iconic Chuck Taylor All Star. In the end, failed and were swallowed up by Nike. Timberland launched their signature boating shoe and, without skipping a beat followed with a complete footwear (and eventually clothing) line. They're still around and seem to be doing pretty well.
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