Three Brands That Evolved Without Going Nuts

There's been a lot of chatter about the over-simplification of brands recently; we've seen outright changes to a brand's mark and evolutions that have gone too far.

But where are the ones that seem to get it just right? Perhaps it's time to take a look at how some brands have done this evolution thing gracefully.

Brand identities are the outward reflection of what a brand stands for, a graphic representation of its philosophy. All brands evolve as their core business evolves, so keeping a logo updated to match a company's target market is important.

Can a Christmas Makeover Solve Sears’s Problems?

Can a Christmas Makeover Solve Sears’s Problems?

Remember the Sears Holiday Wish Book? Oh, when that ingenious piece of pure consumerism propaganda arrived in the mail, usually around mid-September, I perused the pages for days on end, like a man in solitary being offered a peek of the Playmate of the Year issue. My youth, and maybe yours, is full of memories of Sears, Roebuck and Co. Our dad's workbench was full of Sears tools. Our mom's kitchen was full of Sears appliances. And, more likely than not, our closets and toy boxes were filled with Sears brands as well.

Advice for BP: Change Your Name Back to Amoco

Advice for BP: Change Your Name Back to Amoco

Now Mr. Hayward, I don't want you thinking about this right now. You've got way too many other things to focus on, and this should take a lower priority. But let's say, in a year or two, if BP has not gone under, and the oil spill has been mostly cleaned up, and wildlife, fishing, and life in general begins to get back to some sense of order in the Gulf, your board should seriously consider a big change.

Change your name.

How One Man Confused Grocers and Won Customers with Canned Pancakes

How One Man Confused Grocers and Won Customers with Canned Pancakes

Sean O'Connor has struggled with a monster.

"Grocery is the biggest business you never think about," he says. "It moves incredibly slowly. We had no idea of the hurdles."

He should know. He's spent the last three years in a virtual industry crash-course, pushing a product that has flummoxed grocers, aroused fear (then love) in consumers, and out-maneuvered some of the biggest food manufacturers on earth. And he did it with pancake batter in a whipped cream can.