Conclusion: The Art of Strategic Reinvention

Abstract

Every year when designing their new product lines, auto manufacturers must make strategic decisions about the degree to which they want to replicate their current or past models. Conventional advertising wisdom dictates that dramatic brand reinvention should generally be avoided because of the risks—losing the brand’s distinction, betraying the brand’s values, and having the new story perceived as inconsistent with the old one.¹ Let’s reiterate the components of “strategic reinvention” by examining some illustrative successes and failures in the automobile industry.