Extensions and souvenirs Seth’s Blog

When a brand is successful, there is often a desire to expand it.

Disneyland was an extension of Disney movies. It reflected some of the magic of the film, but created something new and valuable. Disneyland had parts of the Disney essence and then some additions and new creations.

Apple did the same with the iPhone in extending the Mac brand.

On the other hand, the new Leica watch is just a souvenir. It’s not a good watch. It’s no more than a Leica that looks like a dozen other overpriced watches. This is to remind you that you liked the original. It is a souvenir of feeling, not of God.

Something wrong with a souvenir. I’m sure Leica will profit from their watch with little loss of what the brand itself promises. But make too many souvenirs and you become a hollow shell, wasting your chance to make the change you want.

That dirty t-shirt you bought at your favorite musician’s concert is a souvenir, but they shouldn’t count it as their legacy or the engine of their growth.

All day long, individual manufacturers have to make choices about what they’re going to do next. Sometimes we may create an extension. And sometimes, we decide to make a souvenir instead.