Truth 37. Be consistent but not complacent

Friends in our lives usually have predictable personalities. There is our clowning-around friend, our shy friend, our ambitious career-driven friend, and our sensitive and caring friend. Although our friends have many sides, we experience friends in predictable ways. If our shy friend suddenly starts clowning around and being very outgoing, this is a bit unusual.

Brands are like friends. You know them in predictable ways. You expect consistency. You expect them to be true to how you know them. Sometimes the market doesn't accept a brand acting beyond how people have come to know it.

Volkswagen is a very familiar brand—the original Beetle was a quirky, endearing little charmer of a car. Volkswagen has certainly grown up over the years—and the original Beetle is automotive history. However, Volkswagen has worked very hard to connect with a young, hip audience. The Golf, Jetta, and new Beetle have been instrumental in reviving the company and helping differentiate Volkswagen from its more stodgy rivals.