| A discussion on LinkedIn's CPG Branding and | | | | and what problems, if any, exist with the existing |
| Marketing Forum caught my attention. Eight | | | | brand identity. Re-branding is a costly proposition, |
| O'Clock Coffee recently launched a sweepstakes | | | | so updating a brand identity should not be taken |
| promotion asking consumers to vote for their | | | | lightly or done to merely enhance an existing |
| choice of new packaging. In response to the | | | | identity. I once worked on a re-branding |
| promotion, a LinkedIn member had posted a | | | | assessment for a company that, by acquisition, |
| question a couple of weeks ago asking what | | | | had, over time, acquired multiple entities which |
| people thought of the new Eight O'Clock Coffee | | | | continued to be in use, resulting in some level of |
| packaging options. Specifically, the member asked | | | | confusion among the company's customers, |
| "what do people think of the new options when | | | | making the need for a streamlined brand very |
| compared to the current version?" and "what do | | | | apparent. In the case of Eight O' Clock Coffee, I |
| people think about companies that engage | | | | see the brand's interest in re-branding to be |
| consumers in the branding process?" | | | | illustrative of a larger need: the need to grow the |
| Although the promotion is now over, I realized | | | | brand's franchise and identity beyond its core |
| that no one had addressed an even more | | | | consumers. |
| fundamental question of when and why a brand | | | | Therefore, I have a slightly different take on Eight |
| should re-brand. One cannot reasonably evaluate a | | | | O' Clock's sweepstakes than some of the people |
| new brand identity without understanding the | | | | who responded to the post's questions on strictly |
| need for changing it in the first place. A | | | | aesthetic bases. Eight O' Clock is a brand with a |
| re-branding effort should not be conducted just | | | | lot of history and equity as a bagged, whole bean, |
| for the sake of refreshing the image and identity | | | | premium value brand - at about $6 per pound it is |
| of the brand - there must be a stronger rationale | | | | positioned above the Folgers of the world but |
| or strategic basis for the decision. That may | | | | below many of the newer and higher priced |
| seem obvious, but in many instances, brands | | | | bagged brands such as New England, Dunkin and |
| reset their images just because they can - a new | | | | Starbucks. In the 1920's and 1930's, Eight O'Clock |
| brand manager wants to imprint his/her mark on | | | | Coffee had over a quarter of the U.S. market |
| the business and, what better way to pump life | | | | share and many of those fiercely loyal consumers |
| into a brand with a slow innovation pipeline than to | | | | were the ones who kept the brand going for so |
| conduct a re-branding on a brand that has | | | | long. As such, it has become one of those |
| maintained the same look for many years. | | | | nostalgia brands with a need to maintain its |
| However, I believe that any owner or, for that | | | | historic equities and loyal consumer base while |
| matter, critic of a new brand identity must first | | | | appealing to potential new customers. |
| understand the strategic need for a re-branding | | | | |