CHAPTER SIXWHEN NOT TO EVOLVE

Should every brand and every company evolve?

The simple answer is no. Growth just for the sake of growth can be a trap, as you’ll see. Evolving just to keep up with the other guys can be a mistake. (Remember what your mom said when you told her, “But everybody is doing it.”) Trying to be the latest or the next-generation something can kill your existing business.

And about the worst thing you can do to yourself is fuzz up your identity, as this opens the door for a well-focused, specialized competitor.

Consider White Castle, the hamburger place that has been basically the same since the 1920s. The burger business has exploded around it, with other chains hurling themselves into grilled chicken and loaded baked potatoes ...

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