Can A Tarnished Brand Bounce Back And How?

Ken, when was Apple’s brand tarnished? I go back to the first Mac in ‘84, and while they were never the top computer company, they could never be put in the same company as BP and Toyota. Apple has never compromised their values just to be on top. I believe that their current success is due to the fact that the public at large have finally got it – and they love it. PC’s were always a commodity. Apple was considered more expensive, but their difference was never questioned from my recollection.

I think Toyota is a more in your face brand than BP, so their opportunity for a re-birth depends on them taking the high road and not point fingers like BP. Toyota i think will have a tougher time only because BP doesn’t have the relationship with their customers that Toyota does. The public already hated big oil, this just proves their distrust of the oil brand. Toyota has more at stake.

Ed

Sure brand can bounce back – Sure the BP Brand are not good at the moment but it will bounce back – Just look at Exxon it is a good value brand today

I think it is fair to say tarnishment of a brand also lies in the
customer’s perception and that can vary and the catalyst doesn’t have
to be something big or dramatic like an oil spill or quality control
or product tampering. For me, the lack of software is a significant
issue. I consider with advances made by Apple in other areas that they
have neglected an important area. But I understand this is not their
business focus.

A review of Apple history found in this wikipedia article shows some
areas of tarnishment as seen by some.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.

In this article in Tom Hormby’s Orchard things were not always going
as they should and viewed at one point unfavorable
http://lowendmac.com/orchard/07/apple-think-different.html

My personal opinion is Apple has done far more right than wrong when
it comes to their customers and image.The last decade has shown great
strides in these areas.

IBM came back from the dead in the mid 90’s. And am pretty sure IBM’s position was much much worse than any of the companies listed above. I think If a company needs to bounce back they would require a strong leader who can make tough decisions.