From Jazzercise to the Drury Inn: When Bad Brands Happen to Good Companies

When it comes to gyms, I am a loose woman.? I have tried many gyms over the years, as the Linkedin article I cowrote with Bridget Fahrland several years ago attests.

Recently, I discovered dance cardio.? More specifically, Jazzercise.? When I tell people this, they start to giggle.? “Jazzercise?? Jane Fonda!? Leg warmers!? The 80s!”?

I get it.? The Jazzercise program is a fab, fun, full-body workout.? It’s the only high-intensity cardio program I’ve ever done that puts my core through the wringer.? But the Jazzercise brand name is, let’s be frank, terrible.? It is dated.? It is silly.? It is a brand name that discourages trial.

As a career market researcher who has looked at brand names for many storied companies over the years, the question presents itself - why didn’t the good folks at Jazzercise change the name?? ?More generally, when should a brand name rethink, well, its brand name??

The general rule of thumb is – don’t.? Don’t change the brand name.? Companies that do have to rework virtually all of their communication strategy and messaging.? It is a heavy lift.?

Having said all that, there are times when it needs to be considered.? And this is where companies can go off the rails.? Given this, here is a short guide describing when and how to approach this type of work.

When to go there: 3 brand health questions

1. Is the brand name silly, dated, or ineffectual? I’m looking at you Jazzercise.? In many instances companies are able to salvage the name by using abbreviations or initials.? For example, does anybody remember that IBM once stood for International Business Machines??
2. Is the brand name hard to pronounce?? Still looking at you, Jazzercise.? The mishmash of the two words – Jazz, and Exercise – stick in your mouth like oatmeal.? Another example is the Drury Inn, a midwestern hotel chain.? If you can’t even say the brand name, it doesn’t have much of a chance.
3. Is the brand name toxic?? There are lots of brands that have had been tarnished due to recalls, lawsuits, etc., but most of the time it’s worth staying the course.? Until it isn’t.? Philip Morris changed its name to Altria to distance itself from its full-on tobacco heritage.? And it’s hard to imagine what equity exists in the Enron name at this point although there have been whisperings of a reboot.

If the answer is yes to one or more of the above, it’s time for qualitative research!? Qualitative research uncovers all sorts of branding associations, iconography and hidden meaning.?? All the brand baggage, magically revealed!?

How to go there:? best practices for qualitative branding research

• To your Users and beyond.? It is critical to talk with Users, but it is equally important to include Target Users, sometimes called Aware Rejectors.? In many cases, throw in Ex-Users as well.? In a nutshell, talk to the people who should be using your brand but aren’t.? Experienced market researchers know It’s All About The Recruit.
• Go with a Pro.? Branding is nuanced and amorphous.? You can’t just ask someone “what do you think of the Cadillac, Coca-Cola, or Costco brand?”? Better approach the topic sideways, using projective techniques in which participants liken the brand to … something, be it an animal, archetype, photo in a mood board, or even a person at a party. ?Experienced moderators have both the patience and the prowess to dig deep.
• Category expertise required.? My work in diabetes requires in-depth knowledge of diabetes, not just general experience in the healthcare sector.? This context and background enables the team at dQ&A to interpret participants’ responses and extrapolate essential insights.? If the firm you work with doesn’t have an intimate knowledge of your business, your findings will lack power and meaning.
• Tell it like it is.? I have seen situations in which researchers were, shall we say, encouraged to provide insights that were palatable to the client team.? The research firm should be kept out of the politics of the situation, and encouraged to tell the unvarnished truth.? After all, this is why you hired them!
• The room where it happens.? Typically good, old-fashioned, in-person focus groups are a great way to do branding work.? Be sure to conduct separate sessions for each segment. Keep the groups small, so people have time to share and spark off each others.

I’m going to end where I began.? Jazzercise is missing out on a whole swath of people who might consider trial but instead guffaw at its dated name.? Don’t let this happen to you.? Think about your brand name.? If you said yes to any of the Brand Health Questions, it might be time to engage a qualitative research professional with category-specific expertise in your industry.