How do brands stand the test of time?

I read this article the other day (http://www.brandchannel.com/start1.asp?fa_id=421) and found it super-interesting!

It's clear that there must be some links between global brands that have been consistently successful for many years. The article pares these links down to innovation, diversity, leadership and resiliency.

Innovation and diversity are the things that I would have expected - standing out from the crowd, bringing something new to the table, insight and intelligence - that sort of thing, but I have never thought about resiliency and leadership and I think those two go hand in hand really. A brand need a strong manager - someone that believes in it to guide it and push it forward. Brands can have allsorts of visions, but without someone actively striving to make it happen, it never will. As for resiliency, I think that comes with having strong internal glue, something that the management will be keen on sustaining should the brand be successful. If no one has faith in the brand internally, then what is the point? So, whatever happens in the market, whatever mistakes the brand happens to make along the way, as long as the team behind the brand is consistently committed to making it a success, then they can achieve anything.