They’re some of the most iconic names in their respective industries, but there’s one thing that unites such random entities as Moody’s, Reader’s Digest, Blockbuster, BP, and Radio Shack: they may not make it through 2011. That’s the word on the street, anyway, as most of the companies on the list are growing debts or struggling thanks to competition and a changing world (or bad press thanks to recent massive oil spills). Consider it an endangered species list for corporations.
Blockbuster’s mountain of debt is well-known, but I didn’t know Reader’s Digest was struggling in America like it was; the iconic magazine has already cut its issues for 2011 to 12 from 18, and may make further cuts after reducing its subscriber forecast to 5.5 million from last year’s 8 million. Other companies on the list, like Zale Corp, I thought were long gone by now (since the last Zale’s store in my area closed in 1992). As for otherwise healthy companies like BP, the best way to control the word is to change the conversation and drop the BP name for something a little less negative.
Tags: bankrupt brands, brands that will disappear in 2011, future, disappearing brands, brands to close down, companies closing, renaming companies, companies to close down, financial troubles, mergers, buy-outs
