Tropicana’s big mistake. Where’s the orange and the straw?

As brands go, Tropicana spent a small fortune on redesigning its OJ product packaging. The one that we all knew with its large orange and straw coming out. Something that was at-a-glance recognizable. My 3 year old could always pick it out. But with the intellectually well-thought-out change to the new packaging (which, by the way went through numerous focus groups) Tropicana got lost in the world of generics. It was just another white container with a picture of orange juice. Consumers said “where’s the orange with the straw?” This disaster cost them millions in just a few months. So much that they reverted back to the original packaging.

I happened to call into Talk of the Nation on Tuesday, April 21st, when this branding tale of woe was the topic. I was the first caller – you can hear my comments onTropicana’s Re-branding a Bust

Packaging is such an important part of the brand experience. It’s not the brand, it’s a touchpoint that connects you to the brands you love – like Fig Newtons (listen to what Neal Conan says).