The Trouble with Big

March 15, 2008

In our grandparent’s time, “big” was a good thing. “Biggest” was what every brand wanted to be when it grew up; the biggest corporations were benevolent captains of industry. Today, “big” is a curse. The biggest brands become the targets of critical books and documentaries, anti-globalization protests and YouTube ridicule. This week, Terry O’Reilly examines the growing hostility directed at the world’s top brands, and how some are finding ingenious ways to be both big and lovable.