Be adventurous: no one could have imagined that digger manufacturer JCB would move into children’s toys or Kingfisher beer would open an international airline. Remember that brand extensions always look logical when they are successful, such as Virgin’s move to banking, or Ralph Lauren’s fragrance range.
Experiment: Guinness uses special editions, such as Toucan Brew and North Star, to collect market data. It’s had a dozen failures, that were trialled regionally, such as Guinness Breo, Gold and Cream Stout.
Create synergies: every Nike product bears the logo. The shoes sell the socks, the shirts sell the hoodies.
Fret about stretching your brand too far: as Tesco, Virgin, Mitsubishi and our very own Naked Chef have proved, brands can expand to fit almost any range of goods and services, without losing their essential identity and values.
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