Dunkin drops Donuts from his name in 2019

Dunkin drops the donuts – from his name, anyway.

Donuts are still on the menu, but Dunkin's Donuts is rebranded as Dunkin & # 39; to reflect its growing interest in coffee and other beverages, which account for 60% of its sales.

The 68-year-old chain played with the idea for a moment. In 2006, she released a new motto – "America runs on Dunkin" – which does not mention donuts. Last fall, she tested the "Dunkin" logo on a new store in Pasadena, California. a few other stores since then.

"Our new brand is a clear indication that there is something new at Dunkin that speaks to the breadth of our offerings," said David Hoffman, CEO of Dunkin's Brands, parent company.

The name change will officially take place in January, when it will begin to appear on towels, boxes and signs in new US stores. The change will gradually be adopted as franchisees update their stores. It will be set up abroad sometime next year, the company said. Dunkin & # 39; Donuts has 12,500 restaurants around the world.

The new logo will still have the familiar rounded font of Dunkin's and the orange and pink colors that the company has been using since 1973. The company based in Canton, Mass., Does not say how much this will cost.

Dunkin's Donuts has always sold coffee, but hot sandwiches for breakfast and specialty drinks like the fruity coffee Coolatta and Cold Brew have become increasingly important to the chain. In the second quarter of this year, the company noted that overall store traffic in the US was down, but revenue was up thanks to sales of iced coffee drinks and breakfast sandwiches. at higher margin.

Dunkin says the name change is one of the steps taken to stay relevant to younger customers. It also simplifies its menu and adds dedicated mobile control channels.

But changing the name of iconic brands can be a big mistake, says Laura Ries, an Atlanta-based marketing consultant.

Ries says that "Dunkin" "will ultimately mean nothing to young clients who have not grown up with the full name." Specific words are easier for people to remember and allow them to create emotional connections. "Donuts" in the name is also easier for people from overseas markets who may not know what "Dunkin" means.

Messages with iconic brands can also have consequences. In 2016, 15 years after replacing Kentucky Fried Chicken with KFC, the company had to issue a press release to combat an online rumor that she should have changed her name because she does not serve a real chicken.

And the IHOP faced some reaction earlier this summer when it announced that it was changing its name to IHOb to remind customers that it serves hamburgers as well as pancakes. This one was a publicity stunt, but it annoyed some customers.

Dunkin & # 39; s Donuts marketing director, Tony Weisman, said the company had done many tests and was not expecting any reaction from him.

"The reaction has been extremely positive," said Weisman. "It's just going to be very familiar to people."

But Reis said that even though donuts have fallen out of favor among a more health-conscious customer, people already know Dunkin's Donuts as a place where they can simply grab a coffee and enjoy the smell of donuts.

"There is nothing wrong with still having" Donuts "on your behalf," she said. "In the long run, it helped them, giving them a brand identity in the opposite of Starbucks."