My favorite / least favorite brands

20070612
(answer to the question "What is your favorite brand?" by Interbrand)

Funny. All my top of mind brands are media (France Football, The Economist, BBC) Then I realize there isn't a brand I could put in such a list as yours. I respect many companies and naturally I do have favorites (ie models, authors, designers, cars...), but I'm more interested in the content than the shell, and I don't feel affection for a brand or a label. Even if it does happen (hard to avoid), I don't like the idea of having something writen (nor some logo) on me. I reckon it may have something to do with my being an author. As Roy Disney brilliantly reminded us, brand is for cattle. Being loyal to a brand is being as dumb as a cow. You are loyal to people or things you trust.

PS : be careful : picking faves could be dangerous when working for Interbrand !

20070612
(answer to the question "What is your least favorite brand?" by Interbrand)

That one I can answer a little bit more easily.

Since we're on LinkedIn, I'll start with a shared connection : Hummer.

My hall of shame : Microsoft, Halliburton, Bud, Wal-Mart, Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Billy Graham, The Sun (a UK toilet paper brand passing for a newspaper brand), World Wrestling Entertainment, The New York Yankees, The Carlyle Group and the Discovery Institute.

At the risk of infuriating a few contacts, I'll put a slice of Dunkin' Donuts, Taco Bell, A&W Root Beer, Jif et al on top of it (barf bag, anyone ?)

Is brand loyalty dead ?

200705
(answer to the question "Is brand loyalty dead?")

As Roy E. Disney smartly reminded us, brands are for cattle. If you are loyal to a brand, you are as dumb as a cow. You are loyal to a company that respects something somehow. You know the company wants to make business with you but you don't want to end up as a medium rare steak. I take what I need, you take what is fair. No one loses. You are loyal to a fair partner. Basically, P&G and their likes are still XXth Century foxes in the hen house. This model can't last long.

Red Blogule to The Academy Awards (found Nemo but lost the Triplets)

Archives 20040306 (see blogules 2004)


"The Triplets of Belleville" are animation as it ought to be : moving.


Shame on the Academy for rewarding "Finding Nemo" : it takes a hour and a half to enjoy this "easy watching" production - as much as it takes to forget all about it and obviously as much as it took an army of screenwriters to build the scenario. Without Pixar's technical power and without Disney's ability to format any creative attempt into some politically correct soup, Chomet managed to give birth to the best movie of the year, and one of the best animation movies ever.


I enjoyed every moment of this jewel because I felt the audience was respected and the author really gave everything he had in it. It's charming, beautiful, moving, funny, but without the usual Hollywood tricks. Pure pleasure. A timeless masterpiece animated by an intelligent mind, not the production of some studio exec trying to animate you.



SM on a forum

NB : PAL version in the Amazon link