Wanna see brand equity in action? I was in the camping section today and observed this side-by-side comparison of two “Emergency Ponchos.”

One was an obscure brand and the other was Coleman. Same poncho. Same basic packaging. Only the brand names were different – yet the Coleman brand was commanding a 22% higher margin!

If you think the marketing dollars that Coleman has spent over the years has been an expense and not an investment in brand equity…think again!