8.23.2012

Rebranding Best Buy

There was a day (I'm talking 20 years ago kids) when Best Buy was exactly that: the best place to get deals on electronics as well as music (technically, I heard that Fry's back in the day had better deals, but we didn't have Fry's in Chicago). That was it's brand. And it worked. The deals made the long lines worth it. You could save on music, computer games, memory, cables, TVs, you name it. I honestly don't remember when Best Buy lost the "get your electronics cheap here" goal, but I suspect it was around the time in the late 90s when they decided that there was money to be made in selling extended warranties. I do know that by the time 2000 rolled around, Best Buy was not the Best Buy I remember. That was also the time I had a camcorder and a digital camera in my hand, and a Best Buy salesperson would not sell them to me without me providing a valid explanation for why I didn't want an extended warranty. But I digress. And now I'm reading that Best Buy needs to go through a rebranding. Really? Your friggin company and store already have branding build in! I mean, seriously. McDonalds, Audi, Amazon, Xbox, Apple, etc. all have to work to get their branding across. No wonder they are heading for bankruptcy. I've always been intrigued by companies that mess with a successful recipe. Remember Boston Market? They grew like gangbusters, then decided to add sandwiches, meatloaf, turkey, etc to their menu (before they were just chicken and sides), and voila! Bankrupt. REI, please don't change.