Brand Mix

Photo: The Easiest Way by Martin Bishop

Last week's edition wasn't enough. We need more, more, more on the year and decade that's about to end and more on the year and decade ahead as well:

1) 2009 Year-End Brands Survey and 2010 trends forecast: Landor
We are running a survey right now looking at brands that got us through the year and decade. The polls are open! Also, we've published our 2010 trends forecast. Will we consumers keep our recession-enforced, back-to-basics values or will it be a year where we learn to spend again? Also features predictions on financial services, social media, the airlines and design.

2) Brands of the Decade: 2000-2009: Fritinancy
Meanwhile, Nancy Friedman's has already published her brands of the decade list. Her list includes the technology brands you might expect: Facebook, Skype, YouTube and Google (some of which started in the 90s but came to prominence in the last decade) but also: Zappos, JetBlue and "Cruggs" (Nancy's shorthand for the Crocs/UGG hideous shoe combo). Isn't it amazing that these now familiar brands have only been around such a short time?

3) Noughtyisms: the best words of the decade: The Guardian (via Fritinancy)
Last week I pointed to Nancy's list of words of the decade. Now, The UK's Guardian has published its list. Cougar is on both. Also on the Guardian list: meh (2003 (from The Simpsons)), open the kimono for revealing secrets (2005) and its 2009 "winners:" generica meaning: "features of the American landscape (strip malls, motel chains, prefab housing) that are exactly the same no matter where one is" and catch a falling knife meaning: "to buy a stock as its price is going down, in hopes that it will go back up, only to have it continue to fall."

4) The 15 Biggest PR Disasters Of The Decade: Business Insider (via Ruth Mortimer)
Few could argue with the #1 on the list--the great Bridgestone tire debacle. Bridgestone ignored complaints about the tendency for the tread of its Firestone tires to separate and cause horrific accidents for years. Eventually, with an NHTSA investigation underway, it accepted blame and recalled 6.5 million tires. According to CBS News, the NHTSA eventually announced that nearly 200 deaths and more than 700 injuries had been caused by the faulty tires. Other disasters include: Merck's Vioxx recall and Janet Jackson's famous wardrobe malfunction.

5) 10 Celebrity Endorsement Deals that went wrong: Business Insider
For good measure, Business Insider also has a list of celebrity endorsements that went wrong (not just this decade). The list was published on December 9th, nine days after Tiger Woods crashed into his hydrant but he's not on the list. Instead we have: OJ Simpson, Kobe Bryant, The Olsen Twins and Michael Phelps among others. Nice companion list to my Six of the Best: Celebrity endorsement edition from a couple of weeks ago.

And what of the decade ahead? What's that got in store for us?

6) I, Robot: Buy your own android double for Christmas: Daily Mail

Feel the need to clone yourself? You can't do that yet but, for £139,000, you can now get your very own creepy-looking android. This version can't walk but he/she can easily sit behind your desk all day. Where will this lead us by 2020?

That's it! I'll be back with more stories from the world of brand strategy (and vaguely related areas) in the New Year. After I get back from skiing.