I was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal the other day about the Sears Tower in Chicago being renamed after a tenant that was leasing or buying most of the building. I won’t share the company name because I think it’s unspeakable to let a city icon like the Sears Tower get a new name by some tenant. Would they do the same to the Wrigley Building or the John Hancock Tower or Wrigley Field?

There is a trend these days to rename city icons or even potential landmarks based on who is buying them. Don’t the buyers know that they can’t buy that kind of loyalty? It’s frankly annoying and egotistical to think that you people will just change the way they refer to something because there is a new owner.

Recent crimes against brands: Candlestick Park, Comiskey Park, Marshall Field’s downtown Chicago store, Salt Lake City’s Delta Center, and the list goes on. Watch for these brands to get hijacked if not protected: Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Gold Gate Bridge, Soldier Field (Chicago), and more.

I consider these crimes against brands. People don’t know what they have and they attempt to sell it for money to people who don’t know what they’re buying.

Tags: Marketing | Brand | Branding