04 Aug Pluto: The Ultimate Brand Comeback

Target, McDonald’s and the NFL could take a page from the Pluto comeback book.

Discovered in 1930, Pluto was a proud member of the solar system’s nine-planet brotherhood (and possibly inspired the name of a famous Disney dog) before being reclassified as a ‘dwarf planet’ in 2006 and booted off the team. Now, it’s back with a satellite ‘publicist’ showing off gorgeous new landscape ‘headshots’ that are winning public support in favor of tiny Pluto rejoining its buddies.

Top American brands are wishing hard for a similarly spectacular return to the limelight:

• Target has been trying to crawl back from a massive customer data breach at the end of 2013; its new partnership with Taylor Swift and Billy Joel, along with its unique visual identity, is expected to help it regain its quirky appeal to consumers.
• McDonald’s has struggled as millennial customers continue the search for ‘healthier,’ more organic options to mass-produced burgers and nuggets; it’s rumored the fast food giant will fight back by redesigning its restaurants, implementing a mobile ordering app, and offering customized burgers with top-shelf ingredients.
• After a year of wrangling over the fairness of legal settlements regarding player concussions, the NFL lost even more points in its poor management of the Ray Rice assault incident; its hiring of a former Pepsi executive as its chief marketing officer may help turn its public image around.

So, whether you’ve just been through a crisis, a change in leadership, are ready to bring your business into the 21^st century with social media technology, or just need to refresh a dusty company, ask yourself these questions before you decide on a brand makeover:

• Can you offer customers an experience different from what you’ve been offering?
• Is your new brand ‘promise’ credible?
• Do you have the right creative tools to create something memorable?
• Is your website ready?
• Are you and your employees ready to represent the new brand?

It’s an exciting, but intense, step: polishing a brand so it glitters like new – you’d be smart to get help. There may be billions of stars in the galaxy, but there is only one star in the Solar System; Pluto’s friend, The Sun. I heard they share the same brilliant PR agency.

Let GillespieHall help your brand shine.

GillespieHall

GillespieHall is a results-first PR agency specializing in digital marketing and social media. We cut through the noise. Learn more about GH.