Venerable retailer J.C. Penney has endured for 114 years and has generated considerable brand loyalty during that time, but, so much of its national appeal almost came completely undone during a 17-month period from November 2011 through April 2013 when Ron Johnson was its CEO.
Johnson announced plans for a brand transformation in early 2012 and company stock rose 24%. While his rebranding initiatives were bold, they never caught on (see “Fair and Square Every Day Pricing”) and wound up alienating untold numbers of customers.....