Strategic megabrand management: does global uncertainty affect brands? A post‐9/11 US/non‐US comparison of the 100 biggest brands

Purpose – The primary purpose of this study is to identify if and how international terrorism has altered the rank and value of brands, and whether the increasing uncertainty of globalizing risks need an adaptation of international brand management. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology for this study was exploratory and quantitative at the same time, and utilized longitudinal brand ranking and a cross‐sector and cross‐industry data in a comparative research design. Both descriptive and relational statistics are used to analyze the data. Findings – The key findings reveal that, in the five consecutive years after 9/11/2001, brands have experienced significant moderation in rank and value. A significant gap in the evolution of US and non‐US brands was found in this period of time. The evidence calls for brand management that reflects the risks that globalized at the same pace as brand reach. Research limitations/implications – The limitations to the study are that the findings cannot explore all possible causes of uncertainty, but it nevertheless provides strong indications. Originality/value – Managers should not assume that terrorism and other globalizing risks only cause direct physical destruction; they need to be adequately prepared to handle indirect impact that can alter the rank and value of their brands. The paper identifies specific areas for future megabrand strategy and calls for its internationalization.