Wendy’s to get a facelift in March 2013

It’s certainly been a busy year for fast food/casual dining chain revamps. First it was Domino’s, then Arby’s and now a major shake-up expected at the world’s third-largest quick-service hamburger company.

Set to kick off in March of next year, Wendy’s says their new logo will crystallize the total brand transformation that’s already underway.

So let’s see it.

It’s the first change in nearly 30 years, so you knew it was going to sting.

While Wendy’s says it’s innovation and fresh thinking that all the while stays true to the company’s core values as a distinct and beloved brand.

We say it’s a 50’s soda shop. The font is sloppy and feels too playful, as if the goal was to hand brand resonance over to five year-olds.

Wendy’s IS Wendy. While there’s no denying the importance in retaining her image, this version is too cartoon-y for me; leaving the brand locked behind the times.

It just doesn’t jive with the Wendy’s of today (but maybe that’s the point?)

While our initial reaction was “yick,” maybe we just need some more time. Maybe that’s why Wendy’s previewed the mark nearly 6 months before its intended “official launch?”

The new logo does some things right.

The Wendy we've known for the past 30 years...

Compared to its brand incumbent, the new mark is drastically simpler and therefore, better suited for mobile-/virtual-consumption – (a shift we’ve touted as a new logo must-have countless times before). For the first time since ‘83, it floats frame-free and feels less like a sign and more like a brand.

Yellow only seems to work on McDonald’s. By dropping the eye-squinting gold and antiquated black “iron gate,” Wendy’s instantly feels less garish and greasy.

It retains Wendy, although I’d like to have sampled a version or two that took the icon in a more abstract direction – just the hair? A side profile with tighter crop? A close up on an eye with freckle and crop of hair? The logo and character blend and become one? – something less literal and more clever.

 

Additional information on the brand re-launch here.

And the logo is just part of the Wendy’s brand renaissance.

Restaurant “Image Activation” – a strategy in new store concepts that is bold and ultra-modern in design.

Early concept restaurants boast new lounge seating and fireplaces, flat-screen TVs, and Wi-Fi; updates that have generated strong increases in traffic; boosting same-store sales 25% at minimum.

And Wendy’s isn’t kidding when it comes transforming its in-store experience.

By year-end there will be 75 re-imagined restaurants domestically (that’s 3 months pre-launch). And while the company plans to overhaul 50% of its corp.-operated locations by YE 2015, they’re also providing up to $10M in incentives to franchisees who re-image their restaurants by the end of 2013.

All brands need to evolve.

Maybe we just need to see the logo paired with other “Image Activation” brand elements; new packaging, advertising, restaurant signage, employee uniforms and a refreshed website. It could grow on us.

What do you think of Wendy now?

Using pumpkin to carve out additional sales in a mature market…

Has anyone else noticed the insane surge of pumpkin lately? Everything is pumpkin (and I ain’t complaining).

Gourd-like squash turned seasonal Zeitgeist

A fall staple since before you were born; pumpkins are so much more than the physical limitations of their pulpy flesh.

They conjure up fond memories of long-kept/lost family traditions, crisper days, cozier nights, and the quick approach of another holiday season.

They’re football and bonfires. They’re leaves bursting with color.

Whether baking in the oven or lit by candle in the window, pumpkins are nostalgic triggers of our all-too-universal fall endorphins.

Pumpkin is a low-hanging fruit (for us craftiest of marketers)

It stands to reason that clever brands would look to capitalize on the “got have it” pumpkin phenomena – and they have (did we mention candy corn unlocks incremental fall profits as well?).

You gotta figure most CPG’s are plugging along inside a very mature market. (For the last time ‘CPG’ stands for ‘consumer packaged goods’). They have two options to grow sales.

Option 1 – new flavors. A bit of variety for your loyal customers and a bit of intrigue for those on the fence. Think pretzel or coconut M&Ms. Maybe it attracts new buyers and becomes a permanent part of the line, maybe it doesn’t. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Option 2 – capitalize on a craze. Low-carb, organic, gluten free. Coconut water. Fads come and go but for brands that are quick to strike, new varieties can be the source of a few better-than-average quarters or even years.

But wait, maybe there’s another road to new revenue…

Option 3 –the flavor IS the craze. Take a brand staple; add a generous amount of distinctly fall flavor and BAM! – you’ve got yourself and extra burst of incremental sales that’s repeatable year after year.

People by products they wouldn't touch under normal flavor varieties when they're pumpkin (and by "people," I mean "me"). It’s a flavor no-brainer for established, mature market products looking to cash in on brand equity.

The key is scarcity.

Why doesn’t McDonald’s offer their mint-flavored Shamrock Shake all year? Because it would ultimately sell fewer units; there'd be no thrill.

As humans, our senses are inexplicably linked; we can’t help but associate feelings and moments with tastes and smells.

The Shamrock shake isn’t popular because it’s uniquely McDonald’s.
It isn’t popular because it’s minty (or everyone would make mint-flavored shakes).
It’s popular because it’s a time of year – it’s St. Patrick’s Day, it’s spring.

Always take a step back and think about what you’re really marketing.

7-Eleven’s “unabashedly unscientific” poll shows second term for the incumbent

If this year’s ballot box was city trashcans, the votes would already be tallied.

Tired of talking politics at the office? Cut to the chase; walk in every morning wearing your political leanings on your (coffee) sleeve.

Landing Page (as of Oct. 4, 2012)

7-Eleven’s “7-Election” poll promotion allows coffee-seeking customers to pick a blue cup for Obama and red for Romney.

Inventory has spoken!

With 34 states + DC reporting (the only regions participating in the promotion), Obama leads Romney with 60% of the “votes.”

And actually, President Obama has held the lead since the first day the poll opened (September 6), where blue cups made up 57.2% of all those sold.

Explore 7-Eleven's interactive map! Updated daily through the election, the website breaks down sales by region.

We know what you’re thinking…

It’s a matter of demographics and the disbursement of US store locations, right? 

There must be a greater concentration of 7-Eleven stores held within blue states.

Think again.

This is 7-Eleven’s fourth consecutive promotion to coincide with the U.S. Presidential election and they’ve yet to be wrong (that’s right, sales aligned with Obama and both Bush terms).

Part of 7-Eleven’s success (they’re the largest retailer by number of stores), has hinged upon the company’s refined knack for capturing real-time sales data and adjusting store shipments to better reflect (and capitalize on) local preferences and tastes.

The same iron-clad logistics are what make the 7-Election promotion possible.

As each cup is scanned for purchase, red vs. blue numbers are tallied, tabulated and reported back to website; a daily process that keeps both cups in-store and polling results accurate.

Regardless the outcome on November 6^th, the real winner is 7-Eleven.

The 7-Election campaign is genius – how else could a convenience store chain get in on the action while not pledging allegiance to one party over another?

Reports show that hot beverage sales at U.S. 7-Eleven franchises grew by 6.5% per store per day during the second U.S. promotion.

It looks like it's Obama by a full stack here in Chicago! (corner of Michigan and E. Wacker)

Nothing like an extra jolt of caffeine to boost in-store sales every four years!

Great work 7-Eleven! :)

Hey, Diet Coke - Nice Cans.

I love this can and I don’t know why.

Drinking Diet Coke from close-up can just feels….sexier.

It’s bold meets absolute simplicity. A testament to the no. 3 soft drink’s clout, it’s amazing how instantly recognizable it is.

 Less is more. It’s confident and clever.

Never mind surreptitious waves, swirls of silver and fake water droplets, the new treatment is fully prepared to elevate the DC logo to icon status.

Re-gifted?

A Turner Duckworth design originally commissioned to commemorate Coca-Cola’s 125^th birthday, the close-up can flew off the shelves last fall.

Well this year, Diet Coke turns 30 and Coca-Cola seems to be in a generous (re)gifting mood.

The look is back and looks like it’s here to stay.

As if we needed another reason to crack open a can…