Sure, someone like Apple may have a strong brand. But once it's built up, it's an attractive asset to deplete, the way corporate raiders go after a company with a lot of cash (which Apple also has). Many companies have followed a pattern of building up a brand over a long period of time and then hollowing it out and degrading it. GE home appliances come to mind.
The other thing is that sometimes a company does something by accident that would damage the brand if anyone finds out, and covering it up is the only way to save it. I don't think there's any way to prevent this from happening somewhere at a huge company from the top, because people are always going to make mistakes and bad decisions and then they don't want anyone to know for fear of consequences.
The other thing is that sometimes a company does something by accident that would damage the brand if anyone finds out, and covering it up is the only way to save it. I don't think there's any way to prevent this from happening somewhere at a huge company from the top, because people are always going to make mistakes and bad decisions and then they don't want anyone to know for fear of consequences.