The Mega-brand: Is it Unbreakable?

Ever heard of the New York Yankees? Of course you have!

That’s because, regardless of whether you’re a fan or not, the New York Yankees are a megabrand.

So much so, that the National Baseball Commission has asked them to hold off on announcing who will

replace Joe Torre until after the World Series, so they don’t steal the media spotlight

from the other teams playing in the post-season.

Which begs the following question—how does a brand on the verge of big changes like

the Yankees evolve without devaluing its uber-status?

Remember the New Coke fiasco? That was a classic (pun intended!) example of a

megabrand messing with its values. And boy, did that backfire. The stock plummeted

as millions of consumers expressed their feelings of personal betrayal.

In the case of the Yankees, they could let Andy and Mo go, pick Tony Peña as their new

manager and challenge their fans to accept a revamped image and roster. Our hunch is,

that won’t go over very well with millions of extremely passionate, extremely

opinionated, and yes, extremely loyal fans.

Then again, if they start racking up the Ws next year…the Steinbrenners will be seen

as heroes, all will be forgiven, and the brand will be stronger than ever.

Like Coke, the Yanks enjoy a long and unrivaled history so no matter what they will be

fine. We hope.

What’s your gut reaction? Who do you think should be the new Yankee skipper? Have

your feelings about the Bronx Bombers changed?

Meredith & Stephanie

Principals, Inkwel.com