Marketing Above the Noise

6 Reputation Is the New Black: Branding Above the Noise

What kind of relationships do consumers have with brands? In 2009, PepsiCo’s Americas Beverages division redesigned the carton of its popular Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice. The change was to the packaging only: the product itself remained exactly the same. The familiar illustration of an orange with a straw was replaced by a large glass of orange juice, as part of an overall rebranding of the product.

The backlash was quick and dramatic. Sales plummeted nearly 20 percent. Consumer reaction was so negative that the company went back to the old look in only a matter of weeks. Neil Campbell, president of Tropicana Beverages North America, said, “We underestimated the deep emotional bond” ...