elmo

One of those obvious things: one of the mightiest brands on the planet is not Procter & Gamble or Nike–it’s Sesame Street. I’m a father of a toddler so it’s on the brain, you know… But here’s what I realized: look at the best brands and infer attributes of good brand management. The singular aspect of Sesame Street that is so easy to miss is its discipline: Have you ever seen a picture of the set–puppeteers holding Elmo or Cookie Monster? I’ve never. Remarkable, isn’t it? I have to admit, I just became aware of Kevin Clash’s (Elmo’s heart and soul) step forward via a YouTube search (see picture). Barring this video (and the related book), it really is staggering that the special sauce has never been revealed. Kudos to you Sesame Street for keeping us–children and parents–spellbound for all these years.