Case in point, when KJ was having trouble with getting the details right for a possible VA race, he canned it, rather than putting on something sub-par. Sounds like the opposite of what happened last weekend (last minute course changes, permits, etc.) That's why KJ can fill a weekend with 1500 athletes for a new race.
That is a case-in-point for his execution, not his brand. He was smart enough to realize when to fold, instead of going forward. His brand did not carry any weight on the success of that event, his ability to create an event did.
No, it wouldn't be any different if the parent company's name was different, as KJ - and most all triathlons in this world - attest each event stands on its own.
The dozen people on this thread are not the majority of the triathlon cutomers out there. Clearly if they were 101 would be much better attended. Those "non-savvy lemmings" as the holier-than-thou's slag, are the customers, who make or break events, and I can't imagine that more than a handful at any race gives a rip - or even knows - the name of the parent company that is putting on the race. People go to races for the value of the event (distance, location, size, calendar, etc.) not some "brand". RD's who are developing a series based on primarily developing a "brand" are completely off. 1990's Bud Light Series, anyone?