Many of my colleagues in academia and business believe that brand building will always be a winning strategy. They’re mistaken. Of the thirteen firms that have outperformed the S&P five years in a row (yes, there’s just thirteen), only one of them is a consumer brand—Under Armour. Note: it will be off next year’s list. Creative execs at ad agencies and brand managers at consumer firms may soon “decide to spend more time with their families.” The sun has passed midday on the brand era. Brands are shorthand for a set of associations that consumers use for guidance toward the right product.
