Last fall, Pepsi redesigned the look of their carbonated soft drink line including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Sierra Mist. Most surprising to me was the new treatment to the Mountain Dew name, which now reads "Mtn Dew." This is obviously aimed at the 10-30 year-old text messaging generation who abbreviates anything and everything to keep their fingers from developing premature arthritis.
But in their effort to boost sales and relevancy with this specific audience, they've also succeeded in alienating another (particularly outspoken) audience. What about all the folks who think soft drinks are the downfall of our youth? New York State has even included an 18% "obesity tax" (linked) on the sugary beverages in next year’s proposed budget. Now we’re adding grammatical laziness to the fire? Hmmm.
Brand managers need to think about the big picture and manage their brand carefully, with longevity and responsibility in mind, especially if their products are in a sensitive spotlight.
Me? I'd put money down that at the next US spelling bee competition, Mtn Dew won't be a sponsor on the winner's t-shirt.
For more information on the text messaging phenomenon, click here.
-Jeff Tara (see my page)
No comments:
Post a Comment