Mitt Romney no doubt appreciates the million bucks his former Bain Capital protégé Edward Conard has donated to his election SuperPAC. He may not appreciate quite as much the shout-out he gets in the acknowledgements of Conard’s forthcoming book on economic inequality, and why we need more of it — a book that one observer suggests could well become “the most hated book of the year.”
In honor of Ikea’s recent foray into prefab housing, we took a look at some of the most famous brand-stretching in corporate history. Many, if not most, of these exercises fall flat on their faces, but when they pan out, brand extensions sometimes surpass their parent company’s wildest expectations. Got your own favorites? Let us know in the comments.
Ryan Allis talks about how he went from sleeping in his office and dumpster diving to running a $50 million online-marketing-software business
Soliman explains how he and partner Nick Friedman transformed a disorganized, one-truck operation into a national brand
Arsen Avakian believed that coffee-obsessed Americans could be taught to share his passion for tea — and built a $15 million business to prove it
A small San Francisco-based company finds success by figuring out that the package matters as much as what’s inside — even when you’re talking about eco-friendly hand soap
The brewery’s long-term success has come from its word-of-mouth reputation for great beer, careful attention to business efficiencies, and the growing popularity of craft beer in the United States
Chegg.com’s Osman Rashid says his e-textbook tablet can take the iPad to school
A new smart-grid idea was born when two firms found they had common interests
Natural ingredients like Amazonian clay are just part of Tarte’s recent sucess, which includes a 50% jump in sales last year. The rest of its magic springs from young CEO Maureen Kelly, who possesses an uncanny sense of what young women want
