You may have noticed a redesigned Tropicana Premium Orange juice carton at the grocery store. The classic carton with a straw stuck in an orange was recently replaced with what was proclaimed to be a more streamlined, clean design.
The redesigned Tropicana carton (left) and the original (right)
The total image redesign was orchestrated by Pepsi-Co, who owns Tropicana, with hopes of revitalizing sales for the venerable orange juice brand. However, the new design strategy failed and sales dropped 20%. The situation was bad enough to cause Tropicana to switch back to it’s old design.
Should Tropicana’s debacle be used as a reason not to consider an image rebrand?
Not at all. Rebranding can be an effective way to bring new attention to an established company or product. A successful rebrand communicates a new approach, revitalized values or shift in focus. It must also capitalize on what worked before–elements that existing customers or clients have responded to favorably and learned to recognize and trust.
The new design was sterile and generic. The rebranded Tropicana cartons looked like they came from an entirely different universe compared to the original. There was absolutely no continuity with the previous experience and the new look didn’t offer anything interesting or exciting to grab positive attention.
A missed opportunity, Tropicana failed because it didn’t acknowledge existing expectations nor did it communicate anything original. In fact, the biggest complaint against the new cartons is that they too closely resemble a generic store brand appearance. Ouch.
One Comment
Wow, that is terrible, I initially thought you were comparing a generic brand to tropicana.