A bankruptcy filing, a famous flop, or a notorious scandal is rarely a good sign for the future of any business, but some companies survive hitting rock bottom and climb back up to the top of their game.
Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios have put out some of the highest-grossing films of all time in recent years, but according to Business Insider, Marvel spent much of the 1990s on life support. Desperate to rustle up a little cash, the company even sold off the film rights to iconic characters like Spider-Man and the X-Men (which were extremely profitable for Sony). But the 2008 release of Iron Man catapulted both Marvel and actor Robert Downey Jr. back into the limelight — and kicked off the immensely valuable Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Online streaming was still in its infancy back in 2011 when Netflix decided to separate its streaming content business from its DVD subscription service — which received the new name Qwikster. Netflix lost 800,000 subscribers after the announcement and its stocks crashed. But just two years later, the first original streaming series, House of Cards, premiered to critical and popular acclaim. Netflix rode the wave back to streaming prominence, and today has more subscribers than ever.
LEGO is the most valuable toy company in the world today, but was on life support back in 2003, with $800 million in debt and stagnant sales. According to the Ravix Group, the company found success again when it turned its focus back to toys and proactively engaged with fans to solicit ideas and stir up excitement. These days, LEGO has once again expanded beyond just making toys with hit movies and popular digital platforms, with very different results.
Ford Motor Company nearly drove itself into the ground in the early 2000s with dated designs, quality problems, and a reportedly toxic corporate culture. Then-CEO Alan Mulally responded with the One Ford Plan, a top-down strategy to improve operational efficiency, foster a teamwork-focused corporate culture and, perhaps most importantly, start making great cars again. The strategy steered Ford back into profitability and restored its reputation as one of the world's best and most iconic automakers.
