re-branding

Many organisations try to re-brand their products in an attempt to reach new markets or to steer away from a bad image.
The latest re-branding that has gotten marketing bloggers buzzing is the new look Pepsi. Pepsi has opted for a more simplified logo and minimilistic packaging.

The brand’s blue and red globe trademark will become a series of “smiles,” with the central white band arcing at different angles depending on the product. Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Max will use all lower-case fonts for name brands. source.

What initially confused me about this rebranding is the choice to change the logos for each of the products in the product line. Why would such an iconic brand decide to reinvent themselves?

It seems this dramatic move may be a result of the lagging drinks sales in the US and the surging US dollar. Pepsi announced that it will cut 3300 jobs and close six plants to deal with the stress of the economic crisis.

Pepsi's renewed focus on carbonated soft drinks, despite previously trying to move into different markets, is a response to the consistent declines in sales volume in the US.

Only time will tell whether this rebranding will be successful but critics have been quick to judge naming the new look Pepsi as 'a whale with a really bad nosebleed' and 'a bad accident in Illustrator'