Got Purpose?

3. Mind the brand. Products often become purposeless because they lose their anchor to the brand. New offerings somehow slip into the line and you realize (often too late) that they really weren't yours to sell … they were meant for your competitor.

Pat Connolly, Williams-Sonoma's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, once said about this at an industry event, that in some ways it was more important to Williams-Sonoma's brand what wasn't in its catalog than what was. The editing process was fundamental to success.