Why Smart Companies Do Dumb Things
It’s not a surprise that Macy’s and JetBlue are struggling, but even Big Oil and Netflix are making mistakes.
What were they thinking?
Photographer: Todd Gipstein/Corbis via Getty Images
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What is the worst mistake a company ever made? Among my Gen X peers, the answer you are most likely to get is New Coke, which wasn’t simply a variation on good ol’ Coca-Cola — like Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Lime Coke, Vanilla Coke, Georgia Peach Coke, Starlight Coke, Green Tea Coke (sorry, folks, Japan only), Dreamworld Coke, Coca-Cola Life and all the other atrocities Millennials and Gen Z have (mostly not?) enjoyed — but a replacement for the most dominant soft drink in global history. So, yeah, not good.
