Plus: Taylor Swift engagement news is a lesson in audience engagement; Southwest Airlines changes its ‘Customer of Size’ policy.
Cracker Barrel has scrapped its new logo just days after defending the refreshed look that caused an internet frenzy.
In a statement on its website and across social media, the chain known for its homestyle comfort food said they were bringing back the old logo with its classic man leaning on a barrel.
“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain,” they said.
The statement went on to say: “If the last few days have shown us anything, it’s how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel…You’ve also shown us that we could have done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be.”
“We also want to be sure that Cracker Barrel is here for the next generation of families, just as it has been for yours. That means showing up on new platforms and in new ways, but always with our heritage at the heart. We take that responsibility very seriously. We know we won’t always get it right the first time, but we’ll keep testing, learning and listening to our guests and employees.”
Cracker Barrel wrapped the statement by reaffirming that they remain rooted in “comfort, community and country hospitality.”
Why it matters: Despite a brand’s best efforts, some changes may be too tough to swallow. In this case, Cracker Barrel saw the headlines, read the complaints, with President Donald Trump even chiming in, and decided their customers were right. So they took action.
Brands make changes over time. It happens for a variety of reasons, whether that’s to draw a new audience, align with a cultural shift or to satisfy the bottom line.
Cracker Barrel’s logo makeover was meant to mirror the refreshed, modern changes it’s been making to some locations and appeal to a new crowd.
But when a brand’s identity is so deeply rooted in a look or a feeling, it’s tough to justify changes that alter it. You risk alienating customers when they no longer recognize what they’ve come to expect from your company. In this case, it’s an old man leaning against a barrel.
Brands can be forgiven for making mistakes when they take responsibility. When you’re honest with your audience or customers, you can regain trust. Taking action to correct the misstep shows credibility.
But the bigger takeaway is that when a brand wants to make a change, even a seemingly small one, they need to consider how it will be perceived and how it aligns with their identity.
Editor’s Top Reads:
- Another brand listening to its customers is Illinois-based Ferrara Candy Co, the maker of Laffy Taffy. To appeal to a new crowd, the candy company crowdsourced jokes that will appear on the inside of wrappers through a joke hotline they called their “Laff Line.” Ferrara said the best jokes, based on multigenerational humor, originality and inclusivity would be printed inside the candy wrappers with the successful jokers getting a free bag of Laffy Taffy. The campaign shows that listening goes a long way. The company is showing that customer input is valuable, that they want to improve their product and appeal to more people. A joke hotline is a clever way to get people involved in the rebranding process. It’s inclusive, fun and draws interest.
- It turns out that Taylor Swift’s album drop announcement was a prelude to an even bigger moment. Tuesday afternoon, Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement with a five-photo carousel on Instagram captioned, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” The internet reacted. The whole world reacted. The newsjacking began. Larry Vincent, professor of marketing at USC Marshall School of Business told Deadline: “When you consider that the entertainment marketing landscape is being completely disrupted by three things — social media, the creator economy and celebrities shifting their focus and power to their own platforms of distribution — it kind of feels like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce skipped the engagement and birthed a new standard for audience development and engagement.” People love surprises. They love storytelling. Swift isn’t randomly making moves. These things are planned with audience sentiment in mind. It’s purposeful. Crafting a strategy that keeps your audience on the hook breeds suspense, excitement and as we’ve seen, plenty of engagement.
- Southwest Airlines is facing some backlash after announcing the end of its “Customer of Size” policy that allowed passengers to secure an extra seat free of charge when needed. Customers who require more than one seat will now need to purchase an additional one. In a statement to Newsweek, Southwest said: “To ensure space, we are communicating to customers who have previously used the extra-seat policy they should purchase it at booking.” On their website, the airline shared resources, how to book an additional seat, seat measurements and who to speak to about a refund for an extra seat purchased (if the flight isn’t full). While the change is bringing some negative reactions, Southwest has stated the new policy clearly. The company offered resources and a FAQ section regarding the change. They also said they’re alerting customers who’ve previously booked tickets under the “Customer of Size” policy to ensure they’re aware. If the policy change continues to draw headlines, Southwest may need to address this in more detail later on. But they’ve done everything they can to provide customers with information about the change with detail and transparency.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.
The post The Scoop: Cracker Barrel brings back the ‘Old Timer’ logo appeared first on PR Daily.
