Zippo Looks to Grow Beyond Lighters
No, Zippo is not a lost Marx brother. For most of the 20th century, the lighter brand was ubiquitous wherever smokers gathered. Now, however, with the decrease in and vilification of smoking, the business is trying to find new niches. Would you buy a Zippo purse, or jeans or perfume?
A move such as this can be deadly if there is a disconnect between a brand and the new products it introduces. Remember Smith and Wesson mountain bikes? Colgate Kitchen Entrees? Bic underwear? Harley Davidson perfume? Probably not, because they were massive failures.
