In fiction, a tragic flaw is a fatal characteristic that brings down an otherwise competent character. It’s the weakness that triggers tragedy. Gatsby’s obsession. Macbeth’s ambition. Walter White’s greed (for money and power). It’s not the external enemies that destroy these characters, but their inner demons.
So here’s something to think about:
Can a brand have a tragic flaw?
If yes, how does it present, take hold, and bring about your brand’s destruction?
The Flaw is in the DNA
A tragic flaw isn’t a mistake. It’s a core trait, most likely a strength. Walter White was determined to care for his family. His first taste of success fueled his greed.
It’s the same for a brand. The strength that empowered growth and market share sours and becomes the thing that undermines everything. It starts with basic positioning:
- We’re the fastest
- We’re a luxury brand
- We’re the originator / leader
- We’re the disruptor
In the beginning, these aren’t problems. They’re differentiators. They’re the very elements that attract an audience and drive growth. However, the traits that define a brand also limit it.
- The company built on exclusivity becomes inaccessible at the first sign of economic trouble.
- The firm committed to innovation churns out crap that nobody wants.
- The SaaS start up that’s so fast and nimble never learns long-term sales discipline.
- The brand that brags about being the first gets leapfrogged by better competitors.
Consider the rise and fall of three iconic brands:
BlackBerry: The technology was cutting-edge. Their confidence in their product blinded them to the change on the horizon.
WeWork: Ambition and aggressive growth is a good thing. There’s a difference between aggressive growth and unrestrained growth. The latter invites collapse.
Blockbuster: At first glance, it seems like their fatal flaw was ignorance. But we know the truth. It was late fees arrogance that their business model was untouchable for years to come.
These brands knew their markets, yet they loved their image more than they loved their customers. That’s where their strengths hardened into blind spots. That’s why they didn’t see the changes until it was too late. That’s why they all bombed so spectacularly.
In fiction, we call this a character arc that’s flattened. In business, it’s called bankruptcy.
Can a Brand Change Its Fate?
Tragedy is expected in stories. Tragedy is the ingredient that elevates a mediocre story into something worthy of a reader’s time. Tragedy makes an already good story legendary. (Imagine how disappointed you would’ve been had Walter White lived.) Tragedy in stories is a very good thing. Not so much in business.
Fortunately, in business, you get to pivot. You can rebrand, refocus, and reintroduce your wiser hero to your audience. You can stretch up market and stretch down market, and happily embrace new revenue-generating segments along the way.
But doing so requires awareness and honesty. It requires leaders who recognize when the story has changed and get real with their response. It requires leaders brave enough to ask, “What part of our identity is now holding us back? Which of our strengths no longer matters?”
In a good novel, a character’s self-realization leads to a strong plot point. If it’s in the right place, the hero is willing to die as he enters the story’s final battle. For a brand, self-realization means you avoid the tragic ending altogether.
So, Can a Brand Have a Tragic Flaw?
Absolutely. Your job is to identify and eliminate it long before the final curtain.
