Few would dispute the value of brands to companies. Yet, relatively few are sustained over time. The number of failed brands is large and even once very successful brands, such as Kodak, Compaq, Compuserve, are now shadows of their former selves. If brands are so valuable, why do so many fail or fade?
A significant part of the problem is the way that people conceive branding. For many, branding is a competition between art and science. In the early days, art had its way because data was scarce. As data became more available, the science of branding gained primacy.