Jumping The Brand Shark
My favorite “Blogher“, Jory Des Jardins, only recently discovered the term “Jump The Shark” used to describe the defining moment when television show has passed its peak and begins a downward descent. The term spawned from a Happy Days episode in which a water-skiiing Fonz literally ‘jumps a shark.’

While I’ve been familiar with the term for years, Jory took the concept where my brain had not considered. What about brands that have jumped the shark? Ries and Trout might consider it death-by-line extension, or veering from an original place of Positioning in the market — but I think Jory has modernized the situation it for a new age.

In television, shark jumping usually happens when someone at the network feels the show has grown formulaic and needs to be refreshed by introducing new characters, taking the old characters to new places, or killing them off completely — or for that matter, bringing them back from the dead.

Mork and Mindy arguable jumped the shark when they got married and had a bouncing baby Jonathan Winters as their child. Some thought “Dallas” might have jumped when they killed Bobby Ewing, but they sealed their fate when he stepped out of the shower and declared it all a dream. Did “Three’s Company” jump when the Ropers left or when Chrissy Snow moved away? Discuss it amongst ourselves…

With the idea of BRANDS jumping the shark, we can talk about New Coke; McPizza; Starbucks selling childrens music; or Google branching its services and products into almost every conceivable direction (When will the first Google Coffeehouse open?) My bet is on any company that decides to being in Ted McGinley as their spokesperson.

Jumping The Brand Shark.
The newest marketing game to play!