Let’s be real…starting a brand can feel like dating sometimes
You show up excited, well-dressed and you tell your date how amazing you are and hope they stick around.
But then, there are chances of them ghosting you almost immediately as if you disgust them.
If you have been there, you know how it sucks big time.
It is the same with brands.
Some brands hit the market with loud buzz, bigger-than-life promises and expensive marketing but still end up crashing and burning faster than you can say “jackpot”.
In this post, we’re taking a non-judgy (okay, maybe a little) look at three real brands that folded in less than a year, the branding mistakes they made and how you can avoid the same fate.
Because hey buddy, you didn’t build your dream brand just to let it flop, did you?
Let’s get right into it then:
1. CNN+ — When You Think Branding Alone Will Save A Bad Idea
Launch Date: March 2022
Folded: April 2022 (Yes, just one month later)
Mistake: Confusing brand power with product-market fit
CNN+ was supposed to be the streaming platform that brought premium news content to a new, digital-first audience.
The branding was clean. The logo was familiar. The promise? Exclusive news content, documentaries and so on.
So what went wrong?
📌 People didn’t want to pay for news they were already getting for free.
📌 There was no clear differentiation from the main CNN network.
📌 Timing was poor
Branding Lesson: Even the strongest logos and legacy reputations can’t save a product no one actually needs.
Your brand has to solve a real problem. Clarity > clout.
2. Quibi — All Style, No Staying Power
Launch Date: April 2020
Folded: December 2020
Mistake: Confusing hype with actual user demand
Quibi was the flashy new kid on the block back then. Backed by Hollywood heavyweights and nearly $2 billion in funding, this short-form mobile video app promised to change the way we consume content. It had a bold logo, cinematic teasers and a whole lot of confidence.
But here’s what actually happened:
📌 The content wasn’t compelling enough.
📌 People didn’t want a whole new platform when TikTok, YouTube, and IG already existed.
📌 COVID changed user habits so people wanted long-form bingeing and not 10-minute celebrity dramas.
Branding Lesson: Your audience decides what’s valuable and not your investors. A great brand listens, adapts and tests the waters before diving into a sea of assumptions. So validate before you launch. Don’t just brand for the sake of branding. Solve a problem. Heck, even Apple tests products before launching.
3. Beepi — Branding Can’t Fix Bad Logistics
Launch Date: 2014
Folded in: Less than 12 months in full operational mode
Mistake: Overpromising without backend strength
Beepi was a startup aimed at making buying and selling used cars as easy as ordering a pizza. Their branding was fresh, their website was looking really good and they positioned themselves as the “Tesla” of car sales.
But on the backend:
📌 Operations were chaotic.
📌 They scaled too quickly without the infrastructure.
📌 Customers started having issues and word of mouth tanked their credibility.
Branding Lesson: A beautiful front end won’t cover up a broken backend.
Customer experience is branding. If you overpromise and underdeliver, your aesthetic won’t save you. If your systems, logistics or offers aren’t strong, your audience will bounce fast. So take time with your backend and makes sure it delivers before focusing on the flashy parts of your brand.
Final Thoughts
Starting a brand is one thing. Sustaining it is where the magic (and the sweat) happens.
The brands above? They had money, media and momentum but they lacked clarity, connection and customer trust which is the real currency in 2025.
So take your time, dear visionary buddy. Build wisely.
Now, tell us…have you ever seen a hyped-up brand crash and burn? Or maybe you’re working on making sure yours doesn’t?
Drop your thoughts in the comment section.
And if you need help building a brand that sticks? Book a strategy session with Creative Chaos to tighten your brand before it’s too late.
See you in the next blog post, buddy.