Why HBO Max’s rebranding disaster is a lesson for marketers everywhere
Why your brand isn’t what you do. It’s who you are.
I cannot remember a worse branding failure than when HBO Max decided to rebrand in the spring of 2023.
I love HBO and HBO Max. For me, HBO is known for its high-quality, original programming. The name “HBO” is so synonymous with a high standard that it became the standard that Apple strives for in its original programming for Apple TV+.
HBO has produced a slew of iconic series from Game of Thrones to Sex and the City to Euphoria to Succession. Almost everything HBO does is excellent. Even though Apple strives for it, it doesn’t always knock it out of the park like HBO does. Even when Apple partnered with Jon Stewart for The Problem, it tried censoring content for fear of sponsors getting cold feet. Last Week Tonight has been on HBO for over a decade and somehow the same hasn’t happened.
According to Warner Bros.-Disney, the problem for its streaming app was the “HBO” part. Beyond HBO content, the app has so many other things to offer. It’s where I can watch South Park (licensed from Comedy Central who would probably much rather have it on Paramount+), Young Sheldon (also originally from Paramount’s family of channels), and Adventure Time. The entire catalog of…
