Brand expert predicted Kodak's fall from DOW -- in year 2000

In his book, Revenge of Brand X, branding consultant Rob Frankel predicted that Kodak's fortunes would stumble due to its lack of brand strategy. Today, Kodak was dropped from the Dow Jones 30 Industrial Companies.

(PRWEB) April 3, 2004 --"Kodak's lack of brand strategy dropped it from DOW"

Branding guru Rob Frankel - business consultant and author - predicted Disney's eroding brand value in his book, "The Revenge of Brand X: How to build a Big Time Brand on the web or anywhere else" (ISBN 0967991218).

In that same 2000 edition of his book, Frankel noted that Kodak's lack of brand direction would doom its fortunes, as well:

"Weep for this one, folks. After dominating the worlds imagery for a thousand years, Kodaks empire began crumbling in the late 1980s and hasnt stopped yet. Fuji has eaten their lunch. Some of it due to aggressive sales tactics, to be sure. But a stronger brand would have protected Kodak if they hadnt been so successful for such a long time.

"Sitting back on their fat cash reserves, Kodak must have thought that the digital revolution was just a fluke. The same kind of thinking that dismissed Elvis and rock and roll as nothing more than a passing fad. What they forgot to tell the kids in Rochester is that Elvis earns more dead than he ever did while he was alive.

"While Kodak flounders around for a life preserver, trying to be all things to everyone, theyre missing the boat completely. If they dont get their act together soon, even their massive inertia wont be enough to stop the bleeding."

Which, Frankel now points out, is exactly what Kodak did. They failed to support the incredibly powerful and well-established Kodak brand, forsaking the brand through simple denial.

Frankel - a frequent source for print media reports on the art and science of branding - and a regular guest on radio, network and cable news business programs - believes that it's not too late to save Kodak:

"There's a tremendous amount of brand power pent up in that inertia. The question is whether there's anyone in Rochester who knows how to unlock it."

Frankel maintains that with the proper brand strategy - and brand-driven, customer-involved programs - Kodak could reverse its fortunes in record time. "They could be and should be a Dow component. This is a big hit for them to take," he remarks. "People look at Kodak as a great American bran," he adds. "They want Kodak to win. But simple hope is not enough to turn Americans into evangelists. Kodak has to realize that it takes more than just a red and yellow logo to mobilize their brand."

Rob Frankel is available for phone or studio interviews about the Disney brand, and why Eisner's inability to effectively manage and leverage the brand has been his undoing. He can be reached at rob@robfrankel.com or 818-990-8623 (Pacific Time).

Frankel also has a keen insight into how Martha Stewart mis-managed her brand image at her trial, and how that helped ensure a "guilty" verdict - and he has specific projections on what will happen to the retail Martha Stewart brand (for publishing, television programming and product lines) in the wake of her conviction on all counts.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with author and branding consultant Rob Frankel, contact (Michele Revson, michele@robfrankel.com, 818-990-8623.

About the source: Rob Frankel is the CEO of RobFrankel.com (http://www.RobFrankel.com). He is a frequent consultant to Fortune 1000 corporations, and is a regular source featured on business news shows and in the business press. His book, "The Revenge of Brand X" was an Amazon business best-seller for 53 weeks beginning in late 2000; a significantly revised and updated version of this trend-setting book will be published in November, 2004. Frankel's next book, "Beyond the Brand" is scheduled for publication early in 2005.