johnmoore (no relation) is on the money commenting on the demise of Song:
Hmm … the brand should never create the business … hmm.
That’s exactly what I thought today when I heard the news Delta was shutting down Song Airlines — Song was all brand and no business.
Song was too busy creating a brand to think about being a business. Song was too busy crafting a brand ethos to think about being a business.
Song was too busy prescribing feelings than to think about being a business. Song was too busy designing signature cocktails and installing boutique Song stores in SoHo (NYC) to think about being a business. And because Song was busy working on and working in its brand they built a brand, of which, the by-product was the creation of a weak business.
Should this really surprise us? Song, after all, was built by marketers so it’s only natural the branding elements would come before the business elements.