Warren Buffett, the world’s most successful investor, now says that brand is the most important factor in deciding where to invest. The Financial Times on 11 October reports on a recent talk to investors in Germany, where Buffett asked what might be the criteria for deciding whether to buy a company. ‘Traditionally, the first criterion Is a strong balance sheet. But Buffett only put that in third place. His second criterion was a good management team. In first place, he put brand’. Even in hard times, brand is the key to long-term growth. That, presumably, is why Buffett is backing Goldman Sachs. And that’s why businesses in trouble – while of course fixing their balance sheets and clearing out their management teams – must also urgently invest in their brands.

Courtesy of Brian Boylan, 13 October 2008, www.wolffolins.com

Yours in design, Janet-eratops