Every brand has a life cycle. It starts as an idea, gets developed and is born. It then grows, matures and dies. That process may last as little as a few months or as long as multiple centuries. Occasionally, brands will be on the brink of death before suddenly resurging. Other times, brands are brought back to life after an absence.
And a brand's life cycle likely isn't going to match that of the product(s) it represents. It may be longer or much shorter.
Now, here's the kicker. Many times, you have no control over the situation. That doesn't mean you shouldn't manage your brand(s) strategically.
You may be in an industry that has a long product cycle that thrives on fads and trends. In that case, you will want to develop brands that change with the times (or set the trends themselves). These may be sub-brands to a parent.
Suppose, instead, your industry thrives on longevity from a brand standpoint. Even if your product life cycle is short, customers associate with the brand more and look for that reassurance. That's when you want to take the longer view.
The most important thing to remember when developing these strategies is to understand what it is the customer expects from the industry, how the product fits into the picture and what it will take to manage the process over the long-term.
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