The Slipping Point

When does a brand get old? When does a Nintendo become an Atari? When does a Toyota become an Oldsmobile?

Rolling Stone magazine was once on top of the music world. It was the authoritative source for what was cool and upcoming in the music and entertainment industries. They announced recently that they will be launching an online social network - a "MySpace for music," if you will.

My thought: Kinda late to the party, don't you think?

I wish them luck, but the problem is the world has changed. Today's youth doesn't read Rolling Stone. Most teenagers probably think of it as a "stodgy, old" magazine that their parents used to read. A vestige of a bygone era.

It's hard work to rejuvenate a brand. Just saying "this is not your father's Oldsmobile" is not good enough.