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This is the era of the spicy brand. It wasn’t always this way.

Marketing in America used to be a competition of blandnesses. A rust to the white bread bottom of the enormous American pyramid. Wonder bread. Hellman’s Mayonnaise. Campbell’s Tomato Soup. Hamburgers. American Cheese.

Then, the goal was to be the lead brand, the big, boring category leader. The Morton’s of Salt.

And not just in food. In everything. American’s wanted the real thing, and the real thing was generally bland and acceptable to the most people.

They wanted Ivory, Ford, General Motors.

To be exotic was the danger. To be niche was to be invisible. But, today spice is what it’s all about.

Today, the spicy brand is everything.

The spicy airline: Virgin America

Spicy razors: Dollar Shave Club

Spicy Grocery Store: FreshDirect

Spicy Shoe Story: Zappos

Spicy Rental Car: ZipCar

Spicy Cab: Uber

Spicy Fast Food: Chipotle

Of course, with the non-food brands, the spice is in their actions. They are strong, piquant and sometimes a little bit risqué, never bland.

I look at the above list, and I see some incredibly spicy brands, and I see some others that can be taken down by spicier competition.

Let’s do it.