After I read Sean’s post, and discussing brand extensions in class, I started thinking more about what other companies have done and their extensions. Going online and researching brand extensions that have failed or have been successful can be quite humorous, but come down to one main variable – is the brand extension relevant? For example, Harley Davidson’s cake decorating kit has absolutely nothing to do with their company or their customers. As stated earlier in the Marketing textbook, Harley Davidson was even trying to reposition itself and target younger people, specifically women who want to get away from their daily routine. A cake decorating kit would be everything but getting away from real life. As well, Sean’s post included an unsuccessful extension of BIC pens logo onto underwear. After doing some research, I found that they also made a BIC perfume.

Looking from an outside perspective, it is clear that all the extensions that were successful such as the Mr. Clean car wash, are related to their original product. If you think about it, magic erasers are used to clean say the bathroom and make sure that surfaces are spotless. A car wash also makes sure that the surface of your car is spotless. There is a similarity in what this product is used for in both cases. However, in the unsuccessful extensions, such as the Cheetos lip balm, the extension does not have a similar use compared to the first one. We eat Cheetos as an unhealthy snack when we have a craving. We use lip balm to prevent our lips from being dry. These are two very different uses. As you can see, brand extensions must be relevant in order to be successful.