ABSTRACT
Every one of the world's greatest powers, institutions, and organizations has found itself lost in the wilderness. The only difference between a brand that is lost and dies and one that survives is in the preparation, knowledge, and internal health of its team. Three distinct but interrelated forces are the main catalysts that cause brands to get lost in the wilderness: economic changes, aggressive competition, and disruptive industry dynamics. Just as historians trace Scott's epic failure to pride in the face of skillful competition, many of us associate the economic, competitive, and industry forces that cause brands to wander in the wilderness with major negative upheavals like recessions and disruptive technology. By the end of the 1970s, Kmart was the dominant industry player. Time will tell if Kmart can find a way to differentiate and navigate aggressive competition or if it is simply nearing the end of its doomed eight-hundred-mile journey to base camp.
