The secrets of damage-proof brands

What do “somebodies” like Toyota, Tylenol, and Tiger have in common (beyond the initial T)? They’re bulletproof brands, according to Al Ries, chairman of Ries & Ries marketing firm. “Lately, a number of marketing somebodies have gotten into serious trouble,” he wrote for Advertising Age . “Typical reaction in the media: ‘Whoops! There goes the brand.’ Not so fast. Once a brand has a strong position in consumers’ minds, it is almost impervious to flak.&#8221…