Brand extension is one of those funny things. It’s tempting. It’s probably going to be lucrative. But it might kill you in the long run.

Coke vs. Diet Coke vs. Coke Zero – Which one is best for me? The choices can sometimes be overwhelming, and they can actually degrade the other product. Consider:

I should get Diet Coke = Regular Coke has too many calories and is bad for me.

I should get Coke Zero = Diet Coke doesn’t taste like regular coke.

Why then, are Coke and Diet Coke still on the shelf? It can create confusion for the customer and make them second guess your own brand. A better strategy would be to brand it under a different name (like Sprite for a lemon lime soda).

No matter how tempting it might be, don’t mimic the logic of creating Clorox brand ketchup.