Brands – vulnerable entities in an uncertain world

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the vulnerability of brands in the context of the uncertainties which afflict modern business. The paper cites two instances in which custodians of two sets of brands acted in markedly different ways. In doing so, one set of brand custodians managed to protect their brand, the other set jeopardised the very brands they were supposed to protect. The paper therefore charts out a prescriptive roadmap, which practitioners of the art and the science of branding could use to their advantage while dealing with the vagaries of today's business environment. Design/methodology/approach – The paper cites two specific instances of brand management. One could be termed exemplary in assessing the reputational risk, which could have had a severely adverse impact on the brand in question. The other instance could very well be termed as an example of what the brand custodians should never have done. The two contrasting cases highlight the fact that brand management has to be practiced within the atmospherics of modern day business. Today, brand management, by no means, could be dissociated from the context in which the brand operates. Findings – Brand custodians who take a holistic view of the universe in which a brand operates, would be in a better position to protect the brand from reputational hazards. Implicit here is the idea that the universe a brand operates in has to take into consideration the market‐government‐civil society triad. If brand custodians ignore the existence of his triad, they would fail to anticipate reputational risks that might emanate from any single constituent of that triad. If brand custodians fail to anticipate the risks, they would be ill‐equipped to deal with the same. Originality/value – The paper shows that a brand's reputation can be protected by branding practices, which take into account potential threats emanating from various constituents of society. In the same vein, the paper also highlights the pitfalls of brand management practices, which ignore the seemingly innocuous rumblings of resentment that society harbours towards a brand.