…as Cracker Barrel turns away from the Bud Light precipice:
Cracker Barrel will bring back its old logo after days of ruthless criticism and a plummeting stock price following its botched rebranding.
The company’s board, led by CEO Julie Felss Masino, ignored warning signs and criticism for months ahead of the announcement last week that the restaurant chain would ditch its old logo and give its stores a modern look. The company appears to have walked back part of that decision on Tuesday.
Which part, I wonder? One commenter shared my doubts:
If they don’t change their support for all the weird sexual politics and attendant shenanigans, none of that matters. In fact, focusing on the logo, etc., just drives publicity and brand awareness up for them. Lose the CB-sponsored drag queens and maybe I’ll care about the decor.
As with the Bud Light “fegeleh” and New Coke episodes, companies seem to forget that if your ethos is traditionalist, you mess with your brand positioning at your peril, and chasing new customers is a fool’s game if you alienate your existing base.
I haven’t eaten by myself at Cracker Barrel for years because their prices have become just outrageous — but when I get an overseas visitor to entertain, it’s a must-see experience (along with Buc-ees and rodeo).
Even The Donald weighed in, telling Cracker Barrel not to be idiots and go back to what has, after all, been their basic positioning since forever.
Kudos to them for acknowledging their mistake.
Unlike Jaguar. [#Morons]
Too late.
See, CB announced it’s “intentions” and resulting behavior, which were despicable. They don’t get to say, “Oh, sorry, didn’t know our nasty behavior would rile you so, so we’ll change back, no feeling hurt, what say?”
Changing the window dressing doesn’t change the underlying theme. They will instead, do a slow change over time and no one will know the diff til they notice their CB server is a dood wearing a dress. Fuk em ded.
It is a slowly dying chain restaurant with meh food and worse service. The sign isn’t the problem.
fire the CEO and the marketing department with no severance package.
Are the changing the interior back to actual “country kitsch” and not “Manhattan Metrosexual’s ai-generated Pinterest board of what they think a midwestern general store looks like”? And are they making the food actually edible again (last two times I was there, the pancakes were salty. SALTY!)?
If not, then this is not a U-Turn. This is a “we’re sorry you’re butthurt, you stupid flyover MAGAloids.”
Fuck ’em.