Aggressive ‘Brand Stewardship’ Behind Success Of Largest U.S. Companies

An analysis of U.S. consumer goods companies find that brand stewardship and brand portfolio strategy lie behind their enduring success, underscoring the multi-billion dollar valuations given to brands. Brand diversification is seen as a core success strategy along with the ability of companies to leverage brand strength in distribution and other fields. The list of companies studied includes  Procter & Gamble, which controls 48 ‘major brands’ including Gillette, Tide, and Pampers; Johnson & Johnson, with 35 major brands, including Band-Aid and Tylenol; PepsiCo, which owns 34, including Pepsi and Frito-Lay, and Mars, which owns 26, including M&M's, Snickers, and Orbit.