New branding for Pepsi
What image would you create if you were asked to sketch the Pepsi logo from memory? Maybe a circle with the company’s trademark red, white, and blue stripes. In that globe, there was possibly the word “Pepsi.”
When PepsiCo guides individuals through this exercise, as it occasionally does, the majority of them insert the word “Pepsi” within the circle. Yet, the present logo doesn’t exactly look like that. In contrast to the renowned globe, the brand name is off to the side and appears somewhat modest. As a result, Pepsi is changing.
According to PepsiCo’s chief design officer, Mauro Porcini, “We couldn’t ignore that type of knowledge.” We choose to accept it as opposed to rejecting it.
On Tuesday, Pepsi unveiled a new logo and branding that will debut in North America this fall and throughout the world in 2019. It has new components to make it more contemporary, such as a new border and a different typeface and font color, but otherwise it resembles the 1990s version that appears to have lingered in people’s minds.
The adjustments aim to highlight Pepsi’s low sugar line, a crucial component of the company’s growth strategy, in addition to better aligning with people’s memories. ‘Bold and confident,’ Pepsi has been around for 125 years and occasionally changes its branding. The graphic identity used today was unveiled in 2008. But, it has become a little stale in the time since it initially appeared.
According to Todd Kaplan, chief marketing officer at Pepsi, the “Pepsi” in the logo “is divorced from the globe.” The font is in lowercase, italicized, and the blue color is somewhat subdued. It doesn’t radiate the same level of assurance and vigor that the brand actually embodies.
According to Kaplan, Pepsi is “a bold and assertive brand” that represents “unapologetic happiness.” The current logo, with that relaxed globe and its lowercase “pepsi” standing humbly aside? Not particularly courageous or assured.
More appealing is the new logo, which features a bold, uppercase “PEPSI” in the center of the circle and is emblazoned over the white stripe that sways between the red and blue waves. According to Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, it’s common for businesses to change their visual identity in order to stay current.
Yet, they must exercise caution to avoid offending or confusing clients by making too many significant changes. He gave the disastrous Tropicana logo incident as an illustration. Consumers were furious when Tropicana radically altered the look of its cartons in 2009. Within a few months, Tropicana, which was formerly owned by PepsiCo, changed its logo again.
According to Calkins, “you can always go backwards” for brands with a lengthy history. The “extremely powerful” effect of tapping sentimental images. Companies must take care to ensure that the historical branding still feels current, he added.
According to Pepsi, the modifications it is making will be noticeable enough to be effective and will draw attention to contemporary features like Pepsi’s zero-sugar range.
Zero is a hero.
As customer interest in full-sugar soda wanes, soft drink manufacturers have been concentrating on zero-sugar goods and branding; PepsiCo is no exception.
According to Ramon Laguarta, CEO of PepsiCo (PEP), Zero “is going to be the focus of the strategy for the Pepsi brand” in the US. Pepsi altered its zero-sugar recipe earlier this year and released a Super Bowl commercial to promote it. “We anticipate continued rapid growth for the non-sugar part of the cola market in this nation. Consumers are changing their behavior, Laguarta noted, adding that zero had already been a “strategic” commodity in Europe and other places.
The new design makes reference to Pepsi Zero’s black can and label by using a black border and text to emphasize the zero line.
The border also aids in making the logo the clear focal point of the business’s latest marketing initiative, “Pulse,” which includes lines spreading out from the pulsing logo in sync with cheerful music in video advertising and other places.
The team took care when releasing the upgrade because they are aware that even modest changes might cause a stir among customers.
“For the past few years, this has been an iterative process,” Kaplan added. We believe it’s a very wonderful way to keep [Pepsi] recognizable while also looking ahead.
