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Brand maintenance

How much longer are the likes of David Beckham and Justin Timberlake going to be around?

I guess the simple answer to that question depends on how long each play their game.

Anyone can live off past success. Michael Jordan still makes $80 million/year. So too could Beckham and Timberlake if they retired.

The Beckham brand would continue through modeling partnerships and World Cup sponsorships; Timberlake could forget MySpace and just act or join the Jimmy Fallon show with The Roots.

Forced feeding consumers brand relevancy through your previous expertise is just going to backlash. You’re not as good as you used to be. Attrition is inevitable.

Jordan scored 50 points when he returned to the NBA at the age of 40. It was remarkable, a true sign of raw greatness. But his team failed to win; that’s why Jordan won plaudits in the first place.

You don’t need to play the game to stay fresh on people’s minds. If anything, you just may taint your legacy. People remember everything.

The longevity is admirable but if it’s not liked it used to be, why not try something else and extend brand relevance that way?

Quote IconBill Gates was the most ruthless capitalist, and then he wakes up one morning and says, ‘enough’. And he takes his money off the table. And I firmly believe that 50 years from now, Bill Gates will be remembered for his charitable work. No one will even remember what Microsoft is. And, of the great entrepreneurs of this era, people will have forgotten Steve Jobs.

Malcolm Gladwell (Interview)

Wiped from ours minds in terms of comparison and creativity?  The same has already happened to Michael Jordan.  

Gladwell forgets that in the digital world all it takes are YouTube videos and Wikipedia to remind us of someone’s greatness. 

Steve lives on.  Not forgotten. 

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