…about McDonalds.

In the old days, of course, they were purple. They were remarkable. They were unique.

Why?

They offered food that was consistent nationwide, no one else did.
The offered national advertising, no one else did.
They offered a limited menu of wide-appeal food with a high-fat mouth feel aimed at the masses. No one else did.
They offered a quick, low investment eating experience. No one else did.

The point is that the rules keep changing. Today’s purple cow is tomorrow’s mad cow.

It’s hard to stay remarkable. It won’t just happen for you. Invest or watch it go away.

I thought about this when I was making a zebra cake from Famous chocolate wafer crackers and cream. Sure, it’s a cool retro Proustian dessert. But no way I’d want to be THAT brand manager. The glory days for this product are long, long gone, and no amount of wishing will bring them back. Famous? Not any more.