Fortune Magazine via the CNN Money website just posted some content on the “Dumbest moments in Business 2009 – mid-year edition” which revived as #2, the notoriously unsuccessful Tropicana rebranding campaign.
“Tropicana drinkers, it turns out, are as passionate about packaging as they are about pulp. That’s why they rebelled when parent company PepsiCo and consultancy Arnell overhauled the juice line’s packaging in January as part of a $35 million branding campaign called “Squeeze.” Tropicana fans said the simplicity of the new design reminded them of store-brand generics. And who wants to be mistaken for a generic consumer? Within a month, the public’s flogging by e-mail, phone, and blogs forced PepsiCo to bring back the old straw-in-an-orange cartons. Other parts of the campaign remain, but PepsiCo will probably think twice before it tries updating this icon again. “
I recall going into the shopping center where I do my own grocery runs, and facing a huge wall of the new white Tropicana containers with the muted orange design. It looked nice. But others were looking at it as well with some apparent confusion. Was anyone missing the old packaging? Unlikely. What was missing was CLEAR product differentiation WITHIN the brand. People are very finicky about their juice. Some people have kids who won’t drink pulpy juice. Others want pulp. There are bigger issues in life I know, but Tropicana spent $35 Million on a product rebrand that made it very hard to differentiate between varieties. That was the issue in my opinion, had absolutely nothing to do with confusing a “premium” brand with a generic brand, and even less than consumers alleged “deep emotional bond” for the old packaging.
What does OJ have to do with tech? The same issues are rampant in tech marketing. How many companies aggressively market around industry keywords that are overused, undefined, and unclear? Or attempt to remain relevant by wrapping their old products in new buzzwords?
Conclusion: Be conscious of your audience. Strive to be clear and efficient about what your product IS and DOES, or risk confused customers leaving it on the virtual shelf long after expiration.
Posted by au24 
