Brandweek: Best and Worst Brand Extensions of 2006
I have some thoughts on the Best and Worst Brand Extensions of 2006 as reported by Brandweek December 11th, 2006.
The Brandweek survey was sent out to 860 branding professionals in November, and those professionals responded with their thoughts. This is the second year Brandweek has sponsored a "best and worst," and I am intrigued by the nascent award-show-in-the-making. Will we one day have a nationally televised or otherwise widely publicized event to laud and lambast co-branded products? Only time will tell. Until that time, there are a few results that puzzle me.
For instance, the branding professionals panned Willie Nelson Biodiesel Fuel. In the words of Brandweek's Todd Wasserman, "Consumers may love Nelson's music, but would they trust their car's engine to the pot-smoking country music star?" I personally find this comment offensive. Does anyone else think this is weird? I mean, any moderate Nelson fan knows that the "pot-smoking country music star" has been supporting biofuel for years, in addition to a plethora of other environmental causes, and of course Farm Aid. Is it really such a stretch? The lack of enthusiasm for this particular brand extension speaks volumes to the dim-witted isolationism of branding professionals.
Moreover, they were excited about Snoop Dogg's new line of pet products. Why? A cursory Wikipedia search turns up all kinds of Snoop-related paraphernalia, from gum to shoes to marijuana-flavored candy. But the branding professionals were especially enthusiastic about this latest brand extension, because it makes more sense to them. Though I admit there is an element of sense, it is certainly not any more "fitting" than Willie Nelson's foray into biofuel.
So I am left troubled by this Brandweek survey, and still processing. There seem to me to be some ideological implications behind the declaration of which brands "fit" together and which brands don't. The survey is a way for branding professionals to tell us fun little things about their world-view. Like that Willie Nelson is a "pot-smoking country music star," and this precludes his role as an environmental activist. The Snoop Dogg/pet products pairing sounds like an SNL sketch left on the cutting room floor. But so long as Snoop Dogg is making fun of himself, branding professionals will salute him. Only the most superficial connections seem to be acceptable, and certain "successful" combinations, such as the Maxim magazine Steakhouse and Budweiser Barbecue Sauce only really work if our standard is "stuff that men like."
There are many other ways one could go with analysis of these brand pairings, and especially with the public/professional reception (or rejection) of certain combinations. The response to brand extensions is like a window into the soul of our superficial society, and I for one am appalled by what I see.
On the other hand, who doesn't love Cheetos® Lip Balm?