The Thick and Thin of Charles M. Berger

Recently I learned that Charles M. Berger had passed away.

Mr. Berger was the former chairman and CEO of The Scotts Company in Port Washington, NY, and top brand marketer of H.J. Heinz Co. Throughout his career, he applied his creative abilities to project Heinz, Weight Watchers, and Scotts Miracle-Gro into the recognizable brands they are today.

I like the quote he told Design Management Journal in 2001:
“A real brand owns a very tiny but important piece of real estate in a consumer’s mind.”

And when he reminded us that some brands need to stay classically the same when he said, “In most cases, although you have to keep changing the product, the brand should be immortal.”

He was truly a leader and brand innovator in the marketing world.