The Future for Brands

Abstract

Over the last two or three decades, the concept of brands and branding has developed almost out of all recognition. In the fifties and sixties, if you had asked a typical consumer to give some examples of brands, they would probably have responded with the names of household products: Ivory Soap, Fairy Liquid, Kellogg’s Cornflakes. Now, they are just as likely to reply with the names of companies, like Nike or Body Shop. In another ten years’ time, what will people be saying? Will they be giving the names of rock groups, actors or sports stars as brand names? We still speak of ‘the branded goods arena’. Will that become anachronistic as all goods come to be considered as possible brands?