Branding

Recent events have thrown into sharp relief the role that a brand can play, both in protecting a company's reputation and having an impact on social and political issues. Those events include Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the hundreds of major brands that curtailed operations in Russia following the invasion, as well as Disney's collision with Florida politicians over a law restricting classroom instruction on sexual orientation. In some cases, companies rebrand to try to shed their past or attract a wider base of customers. Younger Americans, in particular, tend to focus on what the brands they buy or work for represent. Social media influencers have an increasing role to play, promoting others’ products and their own personal brands and wares. The world's 100 most valuable corporate brands were worth more than $2.54 trillion combined in 2020, according to Forbes, and companies spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year to buttress their brands.