Pan Am: The Iconic Brand
My wife and I ran across the new Pan Am series on ABC while channel surfing last Sunday night. I had noticed the promotions throughout the summer and this was our first chance to check it out.
The Good Ole Days
The appeal of this for me was the iconic brand status Pan Am represents. It always contained a distinctiveness compared to most other airlines at the time. Who else called their airplanes “Clippers”?
Pan Am invokes an era when flying wasn’t just about yield enhancement, passenger miles, and extra baggage fees. There was a distinctive aura that conveyed sophistication, service, mystique, and adventure. It had that je ne sais quoi.
The thought crossed my mind that maybe this was a brand ready for revival. Yes, I know this concept was tried once before and failed. But the brand still has life in the minds of many folks.
Present Day Reality
So I did what any 21st century person would do when they want to find out more information about something – I Googled it. Turns out the rights to the Pan Am brand (the name, the logo, etc.) were purchased by a railroad!
There was even this photo:
Well, this just goes to show that the brand you see is not always the brand you get.
Conclusion
The Pan Am story reinforces the point that we can never believe we have the luxury of resting on our laurels. While we may have done some great work over the years, what counts is what we are going to do today, tomorrow and beyond that will deliver value. What we have done in the past has already generated its rewards, for better or worse. We need to look forward.
It’s what we are going to do NOW that counts!
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