Powerful brands have distinct personalities: Duracell’s batteries last a long time. Volvos are safe in a crash. But even dominant brands can fade if they fall prey to multiple personality disorder. Consider General Motors. What’s the difference between a Chevrolet, a Pontiac, and a Buick? The company has recently woken up to the problem; last spring GM announced it would narrow its selection of cars. But this belated effort to bring the automaker’s brand schizophrenia under control is too little too late.
A version of this article appeared in the September 2005 issue of Harvard Business Review.
