I shed a sad, sugary tear when I heard Krispy Kreme's announcement about their plans to save the company: Cold ice cream.
They are going to add ice cream to the menu.
On a brand who's #1 brand asset is the idea of HOT NOW.
Even worse, they are removing the on-site baking machines from new
stores. So you'll never have a hot doughnut again at a Krispy Kreme.
Brands are build on one clear idea. One simple position
in the mind. For Krispy Kreme, it was the idea that you'd wait in
endless lines, jump through hoops, or drive across town to be there at
the moment the doughnuts came out hot.
Their legendary word of mouth is based on people dragging their
friends and kids to see the doughnut machine and taste the amazing
fresh taste.
And then it started to go bad. Why? Because they went cold. You
could buy them cold in the grocery store, cold in the gas station.
Nobody tells their friends about food you can buy in a gas station.
Overexposure was part of what started the collapse of Krispy Kreme,
but the real cause is that they lost their brand message, their
identity, and their word of mouth motivator.
This latest move is the exact wrong thing to do. Any last hope of
saving the brand lies with reclaiming their position as the one and
only super special HOT doughnut. Cold ice cream and cold doughnuts are
the last thing you need.
How to save Krispy Kreme:
- Read The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al and Laura Ries. Bring them in for emergency intervention.
- Read Word of Mouth Marketing by Andy Sernovitz (that's me) and bring him in for emergency intervention.
- Read Tribal Knowledge by John Moore and bring him in for emergency intervention.
- Refocus on HOT HOT HOT.
- Kill any product that isn't around a HOT doughnut.
- End any retail deal that sells cold doughnuts.
- Shut any store that isn't making HOT doughnuts on site.
Within weeks, people will begin lining up outside the hot stores again.
They'll be telling their friends that it's time to get one of those
rare hot doughnuts, they'll be bringing their kids to see the machine
(and their kids will be begging to come back).
Be special again.
