Lessons from the rises and falls of well-known brands.

We examine well-known brands the way we examine yours: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment. Each case file looks at one brand on one date, with the numbers, the evidence and a downloadable report. Every file is written as of its date and is not updated afterwards.

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All case files

Every case file, newest first.

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Coca-Cola Brand Check-up: Paying to Stay Remembered

Coca-Cola spent $5 billion on advertising in 2024. Our brand check-up covers mental availability, New Coke, Share a Coke, 2025 results and the share price.
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Costco Brand Check-up: The Price Promise Members Pay For

Costco brand check-up, December 2, 2025: fiscal 2025 results, the 2024 fee increase, the $1.50 hot dog, Kirkland Signature and the renewal rate to watch.
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Target Canada Brand Check-up: 133 Stores, Empty Shelves

Why Target Canada failed: C$1.825 billion for Zellers leases, 124 stores in a year, empty shelves, higher prices and a 2015 exit that cost about 17,600 jobs.
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Bed Bath & Beyond Brand Check-up: A $21.5 Million Name

Bed Bath & Beyond went bankrupt in 2023. Overstock bought the name for $21.5 million and took the BBBY ticker. Our check-up on its customers, sales and stores.
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Kraft Heinz Brand Check-up: Savings First, Brands Second

Kraft Heinz plans to split in two after a decade of cost cutting, a $15.4 billion brand write-down and falling volumes. Our diagnosis of what went wrong.
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Spirit Airlines Brand Check-up: Premium Seats, Budget Name

Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 twice in under a year. We review the blocked JetBlue deal, the late premium push and what a no-frills brand could not fix.
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Cracker Barrel Brand Check-up: The Logo Its Fans Took Back

Cracker Barrel swapped its Old Timer logo on August 19, 2025 and restored it a week later. Our check-up covers the share fall, the remodel pause and lessons.
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Duolingo Brand Check-up: The Owl, the Memo and the AI Threat

Our check-up on Duolingo: a record-setting mascot stunt, the AI-first memo backlash, 41% revenue growth and shares 46% below their May 2025 record close.
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Nokia Brand Check-up: A Phone Name on a Network Business

Nokia had 37.8% of phone sales in 2007. By August 2025 it sold network gear and its shares were 93% below the 2000 peak. What the brand lost, and why.
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Lululemon Brand Check-up: Growing Abroad, Stalling at Home

Lululemon closed at $214.04 on July 29, 2025, 58% below its record. Our check-up on falling Americas comparable sales, tariffs and the June profit cut.
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Hudson’s Bay Brand Check-up: The Stripes Outlived the Stores

Hudson’s Bay closed all 96 Canadian stores by June 1, 2025. We diagnose why shoppers left, how debt and deals drained it, and why its stripes still sold.
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Target Brand Check-up: When a Brand Promise Changes

Our check-up on Target after its January 2025 DEI changes: the boycotts that followed, first-quarter traffic and comparable sales declines, and the share price.
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