Big Tech & Big Brands
Brand Facebook Inc.
Though it might seem that Facebook as a brand is at its all-time low, their strongest asset Instagram is branded as its own entity without the stigma of its parent.
Imagine if Instagram was named as Facebook Pics or Facebook something. Most big brands tend to do this, look at how many beers are named Miller — Miller High Life, Miller Genuine Draft & Miller Lite etc.
Yes, there are a lot!
Instagram could have gone down with the mother ship as a brand. But by keeping Instagram as an independent brand entity, Facebook shielded Instagram from itself.
Brand Apple Inc.
Apple has a good problem, they have a ton of cash, they make more money from smartphone market than any other single company, but now they might reach a natural wall, looks like this wall is apparent through sales numbers in China, pun intended.
Apple is the Louis Vuitton of the Tech brands.
There are only so many people on the planet who can afford a luxury phone. The problem for brand Apple is to extend their line up to other electronics category (an actual TV, not that stupid box) or reduce their price.
Both strategies have their pros and cons but reducing the price is going to alter the brand image of Apple from luxury to commodity and it will squeeze their margins.
Brand Alphabet Inc.
Once a brand is known for something in the consumer mind, it is hard to change the consumer’s mind to accept a product for which the company is not known to be a specialist.
This seems to be the case with Google, as they enter into consumer products and e-commerce businesses. The positive thing is its holding structure which can move away from brand google when necessary.
Creation of Waymo brand is a step in the right direction.
Brand Tesla, Inc.
Brand Tesla has no brand problems, none, zilch. The automobile sector is a major part of the old ad based industrial complex. But in this space, Tesla created a new brand with 0 marketing budget. Thanks to Musk’s superhuman abilities and flamboyance. To appreciate this one should know that GM on an average spends around $4–5 Billion on marketing. Elon does this with one 240 characters.
For people who argue about Elon’s highs (a quite literal high sometimes) and lows, every iconic brand needs an iconic ambassador, Apple had Steve Jobs, Tesla has Musk.
Don’t underestimate a strong cult with reverence to a person or brand. Starting with a few strong-minded, later viewed as a cult and further mainstreamed as a religion.
2018 was the year when Tesla transitioned from a cult to a religion.
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