Do ageless brands really exist? Or it’s just a myth and ultimately it’s the time which has the last say and the brand dies an obliterated death? Of course, some brands do vanish with time but there are others which are too reluctant to step down the decline phase of their life cycle. These brands beat the odds and sometimes surprise even the company expectations.
With the ageless brands there exists only one theory, that is, it will continuously have a subconscious on the minds of the people across generations. A product which succeeds in doing so is not going to die anytime soon. These products never cease to surprise us. A brand doesn’t need to be Boeing or Airbus to last for decades. As simple a product as Cherry Blossom shoe polish has done it too. Launched in 1906, this product finds a shelf space in almost every household in India. The only competitor of cherry, one can think of is the Kiwi shoe polish, which is again 100+ years old. Obviously, the question will arise, how and why? Some products get lost in the sands of time while others continue to thrive for decades? Delivering performance over the years and never letting hold of customers go away through continuous relationships with the customers is the key. Thums up is a product which is as stubborn as it can get. Originally, manufactured by Parle in India, this product was a threat to coca cola and hence, coca cola chose to buy Thums up with a sole purpose of killing it. However, Coca-Cola didn’t kill the brand after knowing the great relationship Thums up enjoys with the masses across India. The mango delight “Frooti” has a similar story.
Another reason for some brands to enjoy great market shares continually is the trust, a factor which a product builds over the years. There is a growing perception among people that the older products used to be of better quality and were high on durability. Often,