And Then… It Was Law
October 7, 2008 by dylan
From Jerry Ketel, the PAF President, comes his first decree:
The Sexton Law
Whilst sitting on the Couch on Couch, Dylan Boyd’s (of eROI) den of emarketing excellence*, Jamie Sexton blurted out what was, at the time, a seemingly innocuous comment. She said, “Brands need to reinvent themselves every 18 months or so, don’t you think?”. At the time, I remember Dylan and I looking at each other and nodding in approval. But later, the phrase stuck with me because it had a burning truth to it. And now I believe it to be a singular reality that needs to be called out as a genuine law of marketing, here forever to be known as the Sexton Law. That All brands, to be relevant, must reinvent themselves at least every 18 months, in many cases, sooner. Amen.
*Not to mention Ryan Buchanan and Maureen Pimley and if I’ve forgotten any others, my apologies.
I see the point in reinventing a brand to make it fresh and re-identifiable among consumers, and while technology, fashion and other consumer trends are always changing, what if a brand campaign succeeds for 18 months with no downturn in sight? Is it worth changing a brand’s reputation every year-and-a-half?
10:02 am, October 7, 2008 Comment by Scott Lansing
Hmm, I agree that nothing last forever, and stale is a bad place for a brand to be. But if you have to completely reinvent your brand every 18th months, then maybe you need to be doing a better job inventing in the first place.
3:15 pm, October 9, 2008 Comment by Joe Somebody