Pepsico's Tropicana Orange Juice to drop new flawed packaging design

According to the New York Times, The Brand Man Speaks was right: The new generic brand diluting packaging for Tropicana Orange Juice is killing the brand and therefore will be changed very soon.

Although sales damage information was not released, one could surmise that consumer dislike for the new look....which was expressed all over the internet was also sufficiently obvious in supermarkets around the US that Pepsico took the unusual but smart step to announce it would be discontinued and replaced without too much delay.

I am amazed when I see branding missteps as major as this one given the amount of marketing talent around the US these days. This was an obvious one to marketers I talked to but the question was would Pepsico cut their losses quickly or try like New Coke to hang on and hope for consumer acceptance. In this recession economy it is too costly to sit and wait....losing marketing share for a major brand when consumers are already turning to REAL generics in droves is a kiss of death today.

Let's acknowledge Pepsico for seeing the error in their ways quickly and doing something about it. Let's also suggest that Pepsico replace the brand management of Tropicana from the vast pool of brand talent that might be unemployed and ready to do a much better job of steering the brand in the future.

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli

Comments

[Peter Hoagland]

Eli, good call on the new Tropicana packaging. I felt the same way the first time I saw it. I was in disbelief.

Companies kill to get the kind of distinctive brand recognition that Tropicana had created over decades. The cartons looked like a premium brand, they popped visually and with so many varieties they also managed to be easy to discern one from another.

The new packaging undid all that in one fell swoop.

Here are two other significant issues with the new Tropicana packaging.

Their new "snap cap" on the larger container is a disaster. It pops open with a good shake. There are many complaints all over the internet about it and a Tropicana CSR admitted it has been a problem.

To make matters worse, they have downsized the 96 ounce container to 89 ounces citing rising costs. Well maybe if they hadn't spednt $35 million with Arnell on this disatrous campaign, cost wouldn't be an issue.

With stiff competition in a tough economy, these decisions seem like Tropicana was trying to destroy their brand.