Recent news coverage of the cosmetic name change from AIG to AIU at the failed company’s New York headquarters reminds us that a brand is a precious asset. The value of any brand asset depends upon whether it has delivered on its past promises and is believed likely to do so in the future. It takes years of effort to build brand trust but only a few months–or minutes–to squander it. A brand that has lost consumer trust is no longer a brand; it is merely a name.