Prediction: These Famous Brands Will Disappear In 2012

Provided by Business Insider:

Thursday, January 5

Two days before the Wall Street Journal reported Kodak may have to file for bankruptcy in the coming weeks, James R. Gregory, CEO of branding and market research firm CoreBrand, predicted that Kodak would "disappear" as a brand in 2012.

CoreBrand conducts 8,000 phone surveys of business leaders every year, and asks them about the corporate reputations of 800 companies in 49 industries. Participants are asked to rate brands based on favorability, overall reputation, perception of management, and investment potential. Here are the survey results.

Kodak has been in trouble for years, of course, after it invented the digital camera in 1975 and then failed to capitalize on it. But it was intriguing that the CoreBrand survey signaled the potential end of Kodak before its lawyers did.

Gregory says his data also shows that the Sears and Saab brands are failing to contribute to their companies' fortunes, as is Yum! Brands and insurer Aon.

We asked Gregory to tell us which other companies' brands appear to be in trouble, and why.

Read more »