MARKETING CASE STUDY:
Makeover for an Iconic Brand
Background:
Rita’s Italian Ice, (today, a national retail chain of frozen treat stores), was founded in the summer of 1984 by Bob Tumolo, a former Philadelphia fire fighter. In May 2005, after the company grew to 300 franchise locations, Rita’s was sold to McKnight Capital Partners, a private equity group with extensive franchise experience. McKnight Capital realized the organization’s growth potential and set plans in place to expand the company.
Problem:
Following the sale of Rita’s to private equity and twenty-one years later, the brand looked dated. The Rita’s logo was not being depicted in a consistent fashion on store signage and in marketing materials. The original tagline, “Ices, Cones, Shakes and other Cool Stuff” was literal and not doing a good job of communicating Rita’s key consumer benefits in a meaningful way. New stores were opening rapidly across the nation and the old branding was still being applied to brand new stores in new markets. It was clear that the Rita’s brand was in desperate need of a facelift. The question was how to approach this challenge so the equity of the brand would not get lost and, so Rita’s new “look” and brand promise would resonate with consumers and the Rita’s franchise community.
Solution:
A national design firm with specific experience in the retail/restaurant category was vetted via RFP and hired to handle the Rita’s brand refresh project. The firm was fully briefed and educated on the history and background of Rita’s. Future goals and plans of the brand were also communicated. An internal committee was formed consisting of Rita’s franchise owners, senior executives, and corporate managers. Consumer research was conducted to explore what customers liked most about Rita’s and what the brand experience meant to them. The investment of the “up front” work paid off and a new Rita’s logo and tagline was born.
Results:
Rita’s new brand specifications, including the updated logo, approved fonts, and the new color palette, were published in a brand standards guide and made available electronically to Rita’s marketing and signage vendors as well as to the franchise community. This greatly increased the likelihood that the Rita’s brand would be depicted in a consistent and professional way going forward. The old tagline was replaced with “Ice, Custard and Happiness” to communicate the Rita’s brand promise in a way that resonated with consumers. New stores were opened featuring the new branding and existing stores were required to update their exterior signage by a specified deadline. The new branding was well received by Rita’s franchisees and customers and helped to take Rita’s into the next phase of the concept’s growth.
Effective marketing for any enterprise starts with doing your homework, involving the right resources, and making sure key stakeholders within your organization have a voice. If you want to get everyone at your company on the right page and marching in the same direction, contact Lynn Hoban at Lynn@LynnHobanMarketing.com to find out more.
