Forcing consumers to do your will is no way to grow a brand

You think about it. If I'm selling wordsmithing services and I say to you 'Welcome dear reader, into the kaleidoscopic and mind-expanding world of Words by Jacqui. You can root around here as long as you like, as long as you don't choose to buy in another writer's wordsmithing services. If you do, I'll have you arrested. Toodle-pip and enjoy your stay' the chances are, you will do a quick high-tail out of here and who would blame you.

But this is exactly what some of the big-name sponsors did with London 2012. Discovering that Visa was the only card with which you could buy tickets or food at an Olympic venue would have done nothing to endear Visa card holders to the jealous brand and would certainly not have inspired new converts among non-Visa card holders. And then all that threat about potential legal action for wearing non-sponsor logos on T-shirts into venues - not very edifying behaviour from so-called blockbuster brands.

In my opinion, these huge commercial monoliths were behaving like tiny, frightened, fledgeling entities, defending their territory out of fear. And when you're frightened, it's for a good reason, consumers will subliminally apprehend - what's Visa so scared about, we wonder? The mark of a confident brand, as with confident people, is that they act as if there is no competition. Because when you know you're at the top of your game there is no need to defend yourself. Mature brands, like mature people, are their own frame of reference and can be magnanimous and prosperous in every context in which they appear.

So while many wonderful winners emerged from the London 2012 phenomenon, big-name brands were not among them. I refrain from wiping away a tear.