News Alert from The Wall Street Journal: Hostess, the maker of iconic treats like Twinkies, is shuttering its plants and liquidating its 82-year-old business. A victim of changing consumer tastes, high commodity costs and strained labor relations, Hostess ultimately was brought to its knees by a national strike orchestrated by its second-largest union.
My prediction:
- People will start hoarding Hostess cakes
- Massive social media craziness supporting the brand
- Someone smart will buy the brand and revive it within 6 months
Remember: A brand is the single most valuable thing a business can own. An 82-year-old brand that is known by 100% of Americans is priceless — and impossible to build from scratch. You can’t create an iconic brand, you earn it though decades of awesomeness.
I say we all pool our money and buy the brand!!!
You, my friend, are right on. The Hostess brand is too valuable to vanish forever. Someone will step in and take advantage of the opening.
Absolutely right-on with your thoughts and observations here regarding Hostess.
Pontiac, Amoco, Encyclopaedia Britannica… Unfortunately brands do disappear forever and no amount of Social Media frenzy can guarantee they return. Perhaps Social Media has a large part to play in the demise of a brand. People wake up and realise that “Hey, everybody else thinks ‘x’ product is crap too!” and (seemingly instantly) people walk away.
Of course, I could be wrong…