# 9 Iconic Brands That Could Soon Be Dead



## Capt Worley PE (Jan 24, 2014)

> Did you know that Volvo is struggling to sell cars in America? Or that the sandwich chain Quiznos is in serious debt? Below are nine surprising companies that could actually be on the verge of dying. If they don't reshape their business models, you just might have to say goodbye to these big brand names sometime soon...








http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/22/failing-brands-2014_n_4604534.html


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## csb (Jan 24, 2014)

Quizno's was always too expensive. Also, the one we went to had a jerk at the counter. JCPenny's feels like a Filene's Basement (RIP), but without the deals.

Oh, and I'm sure all of you have a subscription to Martha Stewart Living over Playboy.


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## engineergurl (Jan 24, 2014)

I sometimes miss by blackberry...


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 24, 2014)

csb said:


> Quizno's was always too expensive.




You're right. It was good, but not that good.

I felt bad when the local one closed, because the owner was a really nice guy and worked hard, but I could literally get twice as much (and more) for my money down the road at Subway.


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## MA_PE (Jan 24, 2014)

I cant' say that I'll miss any of those. "iconic" might be a bit of stretch for some of these.

Blackberry was huge but lost to the iphone,

I thought Volvo had a niche market but as the article says there are just way too many alternatives....something has to go...(like Oldsmobile and Pontiac unfortunately).

Red Lobster, like so many other staple restaurants, has fallen into the "old hat" category and jumped the shark.


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## MA_PE (Jan 24, 2014)

Capt Worley PE said:


> csb said:
> 
> 
> > Quizno's was always too expensive.
> ...


I never went to a Quizzno's, but I'm quite sick of Subway and avoid it if possible.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 24, 2014)

^I love Subway. We can get six meals out of $16 bucks there.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Jan 24, 2014)

MA_PE said:


> I cant' say that I'll miss any of those. "iconic" might be a bit of stretch for some of these.


+1


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## snickerd3 (Jan 24, 2014)

i've eaten quiznos once...it was greasier than anything I'd ever seen before for a sandwich...never been back. good riddens

red lobster overpriced crap in regards to seafood quality. probably been there a half dozen or so times in my life. good riddens

jcpenny's has become a junk shop. They were nice stores then in the last several years they started putting merchandise on wire racks...really in a department store....they used to be classier than that. good riddens


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## Supe (Jan 24, 2014)

I like the Black Angus at Quiznos. Beyond that, there isn't a thing on that list I could give two shits about. I take that back, I'd LOVE to see Abercrombie die, so I can walk through a mall without needing an inhaler to get past the smell.


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## envirotex (Jan 24, 2014)

don't think the article is exactly right about A&amp;F, either...you can buy the exact same styles and quality at American Eagle for about a quarter of the price, even less at Old Navy (but not exactly the same quality).


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## snickerd3 (Jan 24, 2014)

but american eagle and old navy sell xl and xxl were as A&amp;F does not


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## Supe (Jan 24, 2014)

envirotex said:


> don't think the article is exactly right about A&amp;F, either...you can buy the exact same styles and quality at American Eagle for about a quarter of the price, even less at Old Navy (but not exactly the same quality).




What exactly is quality about pre-faded and pre-ripped t-shirts and jeans? It's all crap.


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## envirotex (Jan 24, 2014)

I didn't say it was quality, necessarily just on even par with A&amp;F...

The ripped look in jeans is out, BTW. Ask any teenager.


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## engineergurl (Jan 24, 2014)

envirotex said:


> The ripped look in jeans is out, BTW. Ask any teenager.






Yup... it's all skinny jeans with no place for a butt now for men (according to my husband who is now shopping for used jeans to avoid this trend).


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## mudpuppy (Jan 24, 2014)

I liked Quizno's but I never went there. So I guess I contributed to their demise. Their store here disappeared a while ago.

I also like Red Lobster--I think it's a helluva lot better than Chili's, which they say is doing better.

And JCPenney, meh. They can't compete with Kohl's. But they say Macy's is doing a better job and I've never even been in a Macy's as the closest one is 40 miles away.


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## wilheldp_PE (Jan 24, 2014)

I very much do not care about the demise of any of those brands...which is probably part of their downfall. Not necessarily just me not caring about them, but lots of people not caring about them. Many of them have alienated their core demographic for a quick score (A&amp;F being the most egregious). If they had stuck to what they knew best, they never would have gotten as big as they are now (maybe they wouldn't even be considered "iconic"), but at least they wouldn't be in as big of danger of going under.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 27, 2014)

I have a feeling Jimmy Fallon won't win over the Tonight Show demographic after Leno is given the boot.


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## Dark Knight (Jan 27, 2014)

mudpuppy said:


> I liked Quizno's but I never went there. So I guess I contributed to their demise. Their store here disappeared a while ago.
> 
> I also like Red Lobster--I think it's a helluva lot better than Chili's, which they say is doing better.
> 
> And JCPenney, meh. They can't compete with Kohl's. But they say Macy's is doing a better job and I've never even been in a Macy's as the closest one is 40 miles away.




Quizno's never was a favorite for me. Am scared of Red Lobster.Two people I know suffered food poisoning. that resulted in partial paralysis after going to different Red Lobster facilities.

Not a fan of JC Penney. Granted a credit card to my wife and that little piece of plastic was a thorn in my side for a long time.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 27, 2014)

I don't think I've ever bought anything from Penney's.


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## engineergurl (Jan 27, 2014)

I was at Penny's two weeks ago... I still like them


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## envirotex (Jan 27, 2014)

Capt Worley PE said:


> I have a feeling Jimmy Fallon won't win over the Tonight Show demographic after Leno is given the boot.




People said that about Jay Leno, too.


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## Master slacker (Jan 27, 2014)

engineergurl said:


> envirotex said:
> 
> 
> > The ripped look in jeans is out, BTW. Ask any teenager.
> ...




Wrangler and Lee FTMFW! I have the male version of "the tank" and these two brands are still good.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 27, 2014)

envirotex said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > I have a feeling Jimmy Fallon won't win over the Tonight Show demographic after Leno is given the boot.
> ...




I don't recall that. I thought that was a really orderly transition (despite Letterman going ballistic, but he didn't really appeal to that demographic either--look at his current ratings), fully endorsed by Carson, and they attempted to appeal to the same demographic.

NBC is trying to lure younger viewers. Tonight show has traditionally been an older crowd, and the current demographics reflect that.

I like Fallon a lot, but I don't think he's going to play to the current demo, or attract a younger demo to that slot.


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## envirotex (Jan 27, 2014)

Carson actually wanted Letterman instead of Leno...


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 27, 2014)

envirotex said:


> Carson actually wanted Letterman instead of Leno...




I don't remember it that way, but it was 20 some odd years ago.

Letterman wouldn't have worked. I like him, but my parents and grandparents absolutely hated him. "He's stupid." The games and silliness didn't appeal to them.

Fallon has the same issues.

Heck, I could be wrong. I hope so. I just don't think so.


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## csb (Jan 27, 2014)

Does ?uestlove go with Fallon? Really, I'm in bed before any of these shows, but I like seeing Fallon clips. Well, mostly Justin Timberlake. I like Justin Timberlake.


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## Master slacker (Jan 27, 2014)

^^^ I can't help but enjoy whenever JT is on SNL or any other show where acting is required. He's good and, unlike the majority of "boy band" / heart throb guys, he has some talent.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Jan 27, 2014)

Letterman sucks. I don't like Seinfeld for the same reason: something about NYC "comedy" just isn't funny to me.


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## envirotex (Jan 27, 2014)

^^^Fallon is moving the show back to NYC from Burbank.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Jan 27, 2014)

^^^ But Fallon isn't traditional NYC comedy.


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## roadwreck (Jan 27, 2014)

I can't stay up late enough to watch any of these shows so mark me down as someone that just doesn't care.


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## snickerd3 (Jan 27, 2014)

^ me too


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jan 27, 2014)

i thought Leno was out a couple of years ago? Shows you how in tune i am with late night TV.


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## knight1fox3 (Jan 27, 2014)

I don't mind Fallon. He's funny and I think it would be good to give him a shot on prime time. Basically it was the same way that Leno got his when replacing Carson IIRC. But on that same note, I'm usually up late doing homework or working on a project. Not watching TV. LOL


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## NJmike PE (Jan 27, 2014)

knight1fox3 said:


> I don't mind Fallon. He's funny and I think it would be good to give him a shot on prime time. Basically it was the same way that Leno got his when replacing Carson IIRC. But on that same note, I'm usually up late doing homework or working on project. Not watching TV. LOL


One guy that I never got into was Conan


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## Master slacker (Jan 27, 2014)

NJmike PE said:


> One guy that I never got into was Conan




Not that there's anything wrong with that...


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## NJmike PE (Jan 27, 2014)

wow. I walked right into that one.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 27, 2014)

Conan was a decent writer, but a horrible comedian. I think the NBC execs were doing some serious drugs when they replaced Leno with that clown.


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## NJmike PE (Jan 27, 2014)

yet there are some people who actually think he's funny. :dunno:


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## envirotex (Jan 27, 2014)

VTEnviro said:


> i thought Leno was out a couple of years ago? Shows you how in tune i am with late night TV.


He was. They fired (retired) him and replaced him with O'Brien on the Tonight Show...then they gave him his own show, which bumped O'Brien's time slot, so O'Brien so quit. At least that's what I think I remember...

I don't actually watch any late night TV, other than SNL, occasionally.

Apparently, it has it's own wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Tonight_Show_conflict


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 27, 2014)

envirotex said:


> VTEnviro said:
> 
> 
> > i thought Leno was out a couple of years ago? Shows you how in tune i am with late night TV.
> ...




I don't think he quit, but there was so much falderal over it, it is hard to tell who is savig face and who is telling the unvarnished truth.

Local news affiliates were complaining like crazy because their ratings went in the toilet when Conan took over. Apparently a lot of folks who used to watch the Tonight show just turned off the TV and went to bed after Leno was sacked.

I've always suspected that the affiliates complaining and the low ratings persuaded NBC to fire Conan.


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## wilheldp_PE (Jan 27, 2014)

Topic thoroughly derailed. Nice work people!


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 27, 2014)

^Not really, the Tonight Show is an iconic brand that could soon disappear.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Jan 27, 2014)

Bewbs!!!!


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## Master slacker (Jan 27, 2014)

Blither smash and drole parole!


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## csb (Jan 27, 2014)

Did someone say, "Soul Patrol"?


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## knight1fox3 (Feb 7, 2014)

Capt Worley PE said:


> envirotex said:
> 
> 
> > Capt Worley PE said:
> ...


I stayed up last night to watch the final show. Pretty heart-felt send-off for Jay. Was neat to see everyone who showed up to send him off.


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## Capt Worley PE (Feb 7, 2014)

Too late to watch it for me. I really wish today had been his last show.


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## knight1fox3 (Feb 7, 2014)

^ same here but I was willing to make an exception. Just more green tea this morning.


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## Supe (Feb 7, 2014)

Dexman PE said:


> ^^^ But Fallon isn't traditional NYC comedy.




Fixed.


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