For nearly 70 years, Coach (NYSE: COH) leatherware has been associated with “classic American style,” offering handbags (representing over half of overall sales), luggage, accessories, fobs and other knickknacks.  A dominant player in the “affordable luxury” handbag category, Coach pursues a bifurcated strategy of operating “full price” and “factory” stores in different markets — but both under a single Coach masterbrand.  Although the items may appear to be the same design and quality to ill-informed consumers, they really are two separate businesses, as BrandCultureTalk recently found out much to our chagrin.

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Chalk it up to the infectious fecundity of spring, but move over American Airlines – TWA.  It’s now second place for Delta – Northwest.  Yes, after many false starts under the oft-repeated mantra of “needed industry consolidation,” United and Continental yesterday announced their boffo $3 billion + combination to create the latest and greatest and newest world’s largest airline.  Having last been through a jilted trip to the altar 2 years ago, leadership at both companies presumably had lots of time to think about what the merged entity’s brand would look like.  With a new twist on Solomonic sagacity, here’s what they decided:

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For the past month, Vanguard Group has bludgeoned anyone not already residing under a rock (or perhaps spelunking incommunicado on Eyjafjallajokull) with a relentless campaign across broadcast, print and digital media asserting that a salient distinction exists between mere investing and “Vanguarding.”  Stuart Elliott traced the etymological origin of this gem to “a brainstorming session” held at Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal.  Here at BrandCulture, we’ve been vocal supporters of Vanguard’s traditional focus on low management fees and investment fundamentals, but we find this new campaign inapposite for an institution of Vanguard’s gravitas and stature.  In short “Vanguarding” cheapens the Vanguard brand. [Read more →]

Here at BrandCulture’s new Worldwide HQ, we are scratching our heads at Burger King’s latest ad:

…Huh? [Read more →]

Here’s another entry in the unofficial BrandCultureTalk category “Focus Group of One” where we extrapolate larger significance to individual encounters we have with various consumer brands.  As some of our regular devotees may know, BrandCulture recently moved offices with all the ensuing flurry of activity that such a relocation entails.  Anticipating confusion, frustration and perhaps even rage, we have been . . . pleasantly surprised.

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