The History of Great Brands


Recent The History of Great Brands Articles

The Great Leaders Series: Ray Kroc of McDonald's

By Lauren Folino |  Nov 20, 2009

Ray Kroc was able to bring to scale his McDonald's operation in a way that few entrepreneurs could rival.  Read more


The Great Leaders Series: Phil Knight of Nike

By Amy Gunderson |  Nov 4, 2009

He conquered a niche, then brought it mainstream. He was one of the first American entrepreneurs to source product in Asia. And he created a brand that inspi...  Read more


The Great Leaders Series: Henry Ford, Founder of Ford Motor Company

By Amy Gunderson |  Nov 4, 2009

Not only did he build one of the largest automobile manufacturers, he set in motion a series of changes that would change society as a whole.  Read more


The Great Leaders Series: Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon.com

By Josh Spiro |  Oct 23, 2009

Jeff Bezos is an e-commerce pioneer who started Amazon.com to sell books, and expanded into just about everything else.  Read more


How I Did It: Margot Fraser

Margot Fraser, as told to Leigh Buchanan |  Jun 1, 2009

Margot Fraser, the founder of Birkenstock, USA, recalls 40 years of peace, love, and clunky sandals  Read more


How Asa Candler Built Coca-Cola

By Amy Gunderson |  May 1, 2009

A master marketer, he grew Coca-Cola into a global giant by lavishing free samples on pharmacists and consumers, securing the earliest celebrity endorsements...  Read more


The Great Leaders Series: Madam C.J. Walker, Founder of Madame C.J. Walker Enterprises

By Amy Gunderson |  May 1, 2009

By assembling a grassroots sales force, this pioneering African-American entrepreneur built a multimillion-dollar enterprise in the Jim Crow era.  Read more


The Great Leaders Series: Ruth Handler, Co-founder of Mattel

By Amy Gunderson |  May 1, 2009

She invented the Barbie Doll (and Ken too), and then reinvented the way national brands advertise their products.  Read more


The Great Leaders Series: Juan Trippe, Founder of Pan American Airways

By Mike Hofman |  Apr 1, 2009

He saw globalization coming before almost anyone, pioneered modern branding, and left his mark on the Manhattan skyline.  Read more


The Great Leaders Series: Mary Kay Ash, Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

By Mike Hofman |  Apr 1, 2009

She brought multi-level marketing mainstream, turned employee recognition into a branding exercise, and spoke up for work-life balance.  Read more


"It's Going to Be Big"

By Arthur Lubow |  Mar 1, 2009

Marc Ecko always had the dream. Over time -- it wasn't easy -- he developed the skills. Here, he talks about how he got smart, why his billion-dollar clothin...  Read more


How Fast Can This Thing Go, Anyway?

By Stephanie Clifford |  Mar 1, 2008

Zipcar was a classic founder-run company--long on passion, short on cash. Until a new CEO came aboard, gave the business a seven-step tune-up, and put the pe...  Read more


How I Did It: Bobbi Brown, Founder and CEO, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics

By Bobbi Brown |  Nov 1, 2007

In New York in the excessive 1980s, Bobbi Brown made it big by pushing moderation. She became makeup artist to the stars by introducing a palette of natural ...  Read more


In Memoriam [Audio]

By Mike Hofman and Rod Kurtz |  Dec 6, 2006

From the founders of K2 skis to the woman who invented tortilla chips, we lost a number of great entrepreneurs in 2006. Executive editor Mike Hofman takes...  Watch video


Hatching New Revenue Streams [Video]

By Nadine Heintz and Rod Kurtz |  May 30, 2006

Associate editor Nadine Heintz explains how the maker of Marshmallow Peeps, the colorful Easter candy, learned to cash in on its cult following -- and how...  Watch video


A Brand Is Born

By Mike Hofman |  Dec 1, 2001

In just under a decade, Viewpoint International Inc., a retailer of clothing, accessories, and home furnishings, has built the Tommy Bahama product line into...  Read more


Hamburger Heaven

By John Case |  Sep 1, 1987

How McDonald's created modern-day franchising  Read more


An Apple On Every Desk

By Steve Ditlea |  Oct 1, 1981

How Apple Computer has inaugurated the workplace of the future  Read more


From the Very Beginning, Apple Was Born to Grow

By Norman Sklarewitz |  Apr 1, 1979

Apple Computer founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak always expected to get big. Their company was staffed, financed, and designed as if success was a certai...  Read more


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