Build Your Brand By Changing Your Name 🤯
Eskimo Pie, Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s, Mrs. Butterworth’s, and Cream of Wheat are all brands that have been criticized for decades for their use of cultural stereotypes as mascots.
These brands emerged between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Act. Their nostalgia for and defense of slavery is offensive, to say the least. While this is obvious to many, it’s not so obvious to a startling number of American citizens who claim that the desire to rebrand these classic brands is an attempt to rewrite history.
Just weeks ago, these companies held on and defended #racist #branding as equity worth more than public opinion.
Now with widespread protests against police brutality and a nationwide reckoning with its racist history, these businesses are choosing to become part of the solution of racial equity, and admitting their brand is in need of an overhaul.
I’d love to have been a fly on the wall in those meetings. Someone must have pointed out the recent Monmouth poll that shows 76% of Americans believe that #racism is widespread and systemic. A name change is not only the right thing to do, it would modernize the voice of the brand and provide an opportunity to make an emotional connection with a much larger audience.
Have an idea for a new mascot idea for one of these old-timers attempting to increase relevance?
💡 Eskimo Pie > Gamer* Pie “The only reason to pause the Livestream”
