In the past few years, there’s been a spate of corporate rebranding and logo revising. Pizza Hut (oops, The Hut), KFC (what does that stand for again?), and Pepsi (does the new logo make it taste better?).
My twitter pal @myklroventine pointed out this article today about Caribou Coffee’s branding makeover. Here’s a quote from the article:
“We wanted a visual signal that Caribou is alive and well,” said Alfredo Martel, senior vice president of marketing for the Brooklyn Park company. “We’re saying life is short, seize the day.” And do it with Caribou Coffee.
Martel called the latest Caribou marketing attempt “a two-way conversation with the customer.”
The Cup that Talks Back to You
It seems that one of their new Branding Strategies is using new cups that have messages on them. Last time I checked, a two-way conversation involved at least two people. Not one person and a cup with jazzy little sayings on it. I don’t care how much coffee you’ve had, if you’re bonding with the cardboard sleeve, it’s time for counseling.
The Little Logo That Could
That new logo. Oh, it’s cool. It’s nicely designed and uber hip.It’s a coffee bean. Get it? A coffee bean in the shape of a leaping caribou. Not like our old logo, which was a caribou leaping.
Does the management at Caribou honestly think that updating the logo and revitalizing their store and cup designs will solve that pesky little customer shortage problem? It sounds more like a pacifier for investors than an attempt at creating a great experience for the people who buy coffee.
Why Customers are Buying Your Coffee and not the Other Guy’s
(Hint: it’s not your logo)
I used to love Caribou Coffee. Not that I don’t anymore, it’s just that aren’t any Caribou stores in the Pacific Northwest (now there’s some irony for you). When we lived in D.C., Caribou was my preferred coffee shop. Here’s a few reasons why:
- I liked the coffee. Surprise!
- I liked the people there. They knew me. More important, they interacted in a conversational way that wasn’t scripted – even before they knew me.
- They had a trivia question on a board every day. Answer it and get a discount on your coffee. Even more than saving a few cents, I loved the trivia. First, I’m a geek. Second, it prompted conversations with other strangers in line that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Instead of a line full of hurried grumps, they had a line of people to distracted to think about how long it was taking. Not every person, to be sure, but most.
Do you see “great logo” on that list? No, and I’m a designer for cryin’ out loud.
Small Business Owners Take Note
(but not on a Caribou napkin, because it’s pre-covered with “messages.”)
While you’re agonizing over your branding strategy and your logo design, consider that those things are not your business. They’re the face of your business, but they’re not going to save you from poor sales.
A logo and branding strategy that’s designed to reach the people you intend is important. Yes. It’s not easy to get that right and it’s worth investing in help.
First things first: create (or revamp) the experience, service, and value you want people to receive. Your true fans (the people who understand the value of what you’re offering) aren’t going to be swayed in either direction by a trendy new logo.
So to Caribou, I would s