First Post -- The Last of the Brands

The Decline of Brands in Wired Mag

"Over time, certain brands came to connote quality. They did provide a measure of insurance - which in turn made firms less innovative and less rigorous...That sense of protection is eroding in industry after industry, and instead of a consumer economy in which success is determined in large part by name, it's now being determined by performance. The aristocracy of brand is dead. Long live the meritocracy of product."

Great article. Scary article. Appropriate for our first posting. What happens when the role of brands changes? How will the promotions world keep up -- especially since it hasn't really kept up with the rise of branding.

I think the agency to succeed in the future will be one that sells innovation -- even over ideas and certainly over tactics.

Stay tuned.