Brands undergo the knife of re-branding for a variety of reasons – the need for brand re-positioning, the current message and logo being outdated or the consumer evolving. Whatever the reason re-brands are essential for brands to stay fresh and relevant to their consumer.
Old McTesco had a farm…
The battle against the rise of discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl heats up as Tesco give their own-brand range a revamp.
The rebrand which is across seven key product categories (vegetables, imported fruit, berries apples and pears, salads, pork, chicken and beef) are all named after fictitious farms; which aims to lure consumers away from Aldi and Lidl stores with a promise that they can get higher quality products for the same price.
Whilst it’s great to run with a strategy to build equity behind the value brand, the decision to make up a farm when there is no such thing for these items, against a context of other suppliers relying on their true provenance and the true people and places that lie behind the brand, feels like a cheap shot undermining their authenticity or seeking to ride on the relationships they build with shoppers.?
Captain Birds Eye strikes back.
Over the last couple of years Birds Eye have put company focus on white space innovation but now the brand wants to focus their attention onto brand building and product quality. In lieu of this Birds Eye are relaunching 57 products with either improved quality or bigger sizes that include the new slogan “The Birds Eyes Difference” alongside the much loved Captain Birds Eye.
Mr Captain Birds Eye, the King of comeback, has had a tumultuous relationship with the brand over the years and has been broken up with and taken back by Birds Eye numerous times since the 1960s. However, Marketing Director Steve Chantry insists this time will be different and is hoping the much loved character will build a lasting connection between Birds eye and a new generation of mums and their children.
Tesco have missed the trick in looking at what equities they already had built up amongst their loyal “everyday value” proposition and harnessing these first – unlike Birds Eye who I am thrilled to see resurrecting my trusty Captain Birds Eye who I grew up with and learnt to believe would bring food I was happy to eat and that my Mum was happy to serve up. It’s great to see a brand seek to re-invent and modernise yet stay true to the positive associations it has invested many years in building.