An article on the Internet Marketing Blog does not talk about blogging, but it does talk about branding, which is an important subject, especially for blogs.

They talk about a merger between ThePlanet & EV1Servers, which are both big name hosting companies.

So, RackShack / EV1 is pretty much evil.

ThePlanet, however, is like a cold beer on a hot day. They offer great servers and great support for fair prices, and their customer service is second only to ServerBeach. ThePlanet is one of the most highly regarded dedicated server companies on the Internet.

So, if I wanted to make a textbook branding mistake, what would it be?

*Thinking*

I got it! Merge the two! Voila, ThePlanet gets to share the hatred of EV1 Servers, without all the hassle of years of incompetence.

There’s a reason Toyota doesn’t put “Toyota” all over Lexus. Brand confusion, brand dilution, and in this case brand murder.

This reminds me of people joining networks. You have to be careful what you attach your brand to, as making a wrong move can earn you a bad name really quickly, even if you were thought of in a positive way before you merged your brand.

Don’t put Toyota on your Lexus!

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