Posts filed under ‘Advertising Commentary’
Starbucks, which turns 40 later this month, recently unveiled a new logo, omitting the words “Starbucks” and “coffee” from its iconic siren image. While the new look isn’t a huge departure from the current insignia, it is no doubt a large-scale effort given its presence in urban cores, rural off-ramps and grocery stores. The upscale coffee shop chain, once the prototype for fast food underdogs, has since seen both its stock and marketshare slip significantly in recent years. This is due in part to overexposure and the offerings of its resurgent competitors, such as McDonald’s popular McCafé menu items.
We can look back through history and find that market cycles such as this are hardly scarce: Coke vs. Pepsi, 7up vs. Sprite, McDonald’s vs. Burger King vs. Wendy’s; the list goes on. Another commonality to these tussles: knee-jerk rebranding campaigns. Undoubtedly, they are applicable in some cases—but certainly not all. Company officials have said that part of the logic is that the switch allows the continued evolution of the brand from coffee-based beverages to other products, retail outlets and other countries.
An expansion of this magnitude is no small feat, but logic would dictate that a pared-down logo would better prepare them for such an undertaking. After all, slapping “Starbucks Coffee” on a bottle of wine seems about as relevant as opening a new store in a non-English speaking country under the same brand.
(more…)
March 10, 2011 at 4:29 PM premiercg
Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” ad campaign has made a big splash online, but the question Old Spice and its agency, Wieden + Kennedy, face is whether body wash sales have grown.
Over a seven-day span in July, Old Spice uploaded over 180 YouTube videos in which newfound star, actor Isaiah “The Old Spice Guy” Mustafa, answered user-submitted questions from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The social media campaign was a smash hit and AdWeek called it the “fastest-growing and most popular interactive campaign in history.” (more…)
August 12, 2010 at 4:37 PM premiercg
There are several instances where rebranding is a necessity for a business. It can be a signal for a good change for some (mergers, product line expansion), or less savory reasons (tainted, outdated image). Regardless of the reason, there’s a thin line between the right and wrong way to go about rebranding. The first step to a successful rebranding campaign is to first outline the extent of the rebranding campaign, which usually be determined by the impetus behind the desired change in market perception.
Seattle’s Best Coffee (SBC) recently unveiled their new logo and accompanying buzz campaign to lukewarm reviews thus far, which begs the question- is their rebranding campaign necessary? It doesn’t take a detective to decipher what exactly they’re looking to shed–just compare their new landing site with the soon-to-be-old one. A rustic, burgundy tone becomes strikingly red, Anniversary Roast is nowhere to be found and perhaps most telling, “Celebrating 40 Years” has changed to “1970 was a long time ago.” There’s nothing wrong with taking on a modern look, but at the same time the company must realize it runs the risk of jeopardizing its heritage. (more…)
July 1, 2010 at 4:14 PM premiercg
April Trivia Answer
Happy Earth Day
Earth Day was founded on Wednesday, April 22, 1970, as a college education program. That day was chosen because:
d. All of the above
Categories
Starbucks unveils a new logo
Starbucks, which turns 40 later this month, recently unveiled a new logo, omitting the words “Starbucks” and “coffee” from its iconic siren image. While the new look isn’t a huge departure from the current insignia, it is no doubt a large-scale effort given its presence in urban cores, rural off-ramps and grocery stores. The upscale coffee shop chain, once the prototype for fast food underdogs, has since seen both its stock and marketshare slip significantly in recent years. This is due in part to overexposure and the offerings of its resurgent competitors, such as McDonald’s popular McCafé menu items.
We can look back through history and find that market cycles such as this are hardly scarce: Coke vs. Pepsi, 7up vs. Sprite, McDonald’s vs. Burger King vs. Wendy’s; the list goes on. Another commonality to these tussles: knee-jerk rebranding campaigns. Undoubtedly, they are applicable in some cases—but certainly not all. Company officials have said that part of the logic is that the switch allows the continued evolution of the brand from coffee-based beverages to other products, retail outlets and other countries.
An expansion of this magnitude is no small feat, but logic would dictate that a pared-down logo would better prepare them for such an undertaking. After all, slapping “Starbucks Coffee” on a bottle of wine seems about as relevant as opening a new store in a non-English speaking country under the same brand.
(more…)
March 10, 2011 at 4:29 PM premiercg 1 comment